#my lifelong friend is moving across the country to follow her passion and I just saw her for the last time before her move

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Vivant, il a manqué le monde ; mort, il le possède.

- François René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848), Vie de Napoléon, livres XIX à XXIV des Mémoires d’outre-tombe (posthume)

Of course we don’t have any photograph or film of Napoleon’s death on 5 May 1821 on Saint Hélène. But we do have the next best thing: a painting. Charles de Steuben depiction of Napoleon's deathbed and his faithful entourage that served as witnesses to his dying moments became the one of the most important paintings of the post-Napoleonic era but then faded from modern memory.

I first came across it by accident when I was in my teens at my Swiss boarding school. There were times I found myself with school friends going away on hiking trips around the high Alpine chain of the Allgäu Alps and we would drive through Lake Constance to get there, or we would hike around the Lake itself through the Bodensee-Rundwanderweg.

Perched high above Lake Constance and nestled in large parklands, stood Schloss Arenenberg which overlooks the lower part of Lake Constance. At first, it appears a relatively modest country house. But this was no usual pretty looking house. Arenenberg was owned by well-heeled families before it was sold to Hortense de Beauharnais, the adopted daughter and sister-in-law of the French Emperor himself, Napoleon Bonaparte. She had it rebuilt in the French Empire style and lived there from 1817 with her son Louis Napoleon, later Emperor Napoleon III, who is said to have spoken the Thurgau dialect in addition to French. This elegantly furnished castle then was once the residence of the last emperor of France.

The alterations made first by Queen Hortense and later by Empress Eugénie have been carefully preserved and the house still bears the marks of both women. Queen Hortense's drawing room is perfectly preserved and visitors can still admire her magnificent library (all marked with the Empress' cipher) containing over one thousand books. Likewise, in the room where the queen died, every object has been maintained in its original condition: pieces of furniture and personal belongings are gathered here to evoke her memory in a very touching manner. As for Empress Eugénie's rooms, they too have been very carefully preserved. Her private drawing room is a perfect illustration of the Second Empire style with sculptures by Carpeaux and portraits of the imperial family by Winterhalter.

After 1873, the Empress and the Imperial Prince brought the palace back to life by making regular summer visits, which they continued until 1878. However, on the tragic death of her son in 1879, Eugénie found it difficult to return to a place so full of painful memories. And so in 1906 she donated the estate to the canton of Thurgovie as a testimony of her gratitude for the region's faithful hospitality towards the Napoleon family. And in accordance with the Empress' wishes, the residence was turned into a museum devoted to Napoleon.

In what is now the Napoleonic Museum, the original furnishings have been preserved, and the palace gardens had been fully restored. This in itself might be worth a visit for the view over Lake Constance which is stunning. For Napoleonic era buffs though its the incredible art collection which is its real treasure. It houses an important art collection including works by the First-Empire artists Chinard Canova, Gros, Robert Lefèvre, Gérard, Isabey and Girodet-Trioson, and by the Second-Empire painters and sculptors Alfred de Dreux, Winterhalter, Carpeaux, Meissonier, Hébert, Flandrin, Detaille, Nieuwerkerke and Giraud.

But what caught my eye was this painting, ‘La Mort de Napoléon’ by Charles de Steuben. I didn’t know anything about it or the artist for that matter, but one of my more erudite school friends who, being French, was into Napoleonic stuff in a huge way, and she explained it all to me. Of course I knew a fair bit about Napoleon growing up because my grandfather and father, being military men themselves, were Napoleonic warfare buffs and it rubbed off onto me. I just knew about Napoleon the military genius. I never thought about him once he was beaten at Waterloo in 1815. So I never really engaged with Napoleon the man. And yet here I was staring at his last breath of mortality caught forever in time through art. Not for the first time I had mixed feelings about Napoleon Bonaparte, both the man and the myth (built up around him since his death).

On 5 May, 1821, at 5.49pm in Longwood House on the remote island of St Helena, in the words of the famed French man of letters,  François-René de Chateaubriand, ‘the mightiest breath of life which ever animated human clay’ came no more. To the British, Dutch, and Prussian coalition who had exiled Naopleon Bonaparte there in 1815, he was a despot, but to France, he was seen as a devotee of the Enlightenment.

In the decade following his demise, Napoleon’s image underwent a transformation in France. The monarchy had been restored, but by the late 1820s, it was growing unpopular. King Charles X was seen as a threat to the civil liberties established during the Napoleonic era. This mistrust revived Napoleon’s reputation and put him in a more heroic light.

Fascination with the French leader’s death led Charles de Steuben, a German-born Romantic painter living in Paris, to immortalise the momentous event. Steuben’s painting depicts the moment of Napoleon’s death and seeks to capture the sense of awe in the room at the death of a man whose legendary career had begun in the French Revolution. It was this, ultimate moment that Steuben wished to immortalise in a painting which has since become what could almost be described as the official version of the scene.

There is no question that Steuben’s painting became the most famous and most iconic depiction of Napoleon’s death in art history. In another painting, executed during the years 1825-1830, Steuben was to give a realistic view of the emperor dictating his memoirs to general Gourgaud. This same realism also pervades his version of Napoleon’s death, and it is totally unlike Horace Vernet’s, Le songe de Bertrand ou L’Apothéose de Napoléon (Bertrand’s Dream or the apotheosis of Napoleon) which, although painted in the same year, is an allegorical celebration of the emperor’s martyrdom and as such the first stone in the edifice of the Napoleonic legend.

And what a legend Napoleon’s life was turned into for time immemorial. Napoleon declared himself France’s First Consul in 1799 and then emperor in 1804. For the next decade, he led France against a series of European coalitions during the Napoleonic Wars and expanded his empire throughout much of continental Europe before his defeat in 1814. He was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, but he escaped and briefly reasserted control over France before a crushing final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Napoleon’s military prowess earned him the fear of his enemies, but his civil reforms in France brought him the respect of his people. The Napoleonic Code, introduced in 1804, replaced the existing patchwork of French laws with a unified national system built on the principles of the Enlightenment: universal male suffrage, property rights, equality (for men), and religious freedom. Even in his final exile on St. Helena, Napoleon proved a magnetic presence. Passengers of ships docked to resupply would hurry to meet the great general. He developed strong personal bonds with the coterie who had accompanied him into exile. Although some speculate that he was murdered, most agree that Napoleon’s death in 1821, at the age of 51, was the result of stomach cancer.

By contrast, Charles de Steuben was born in 1788, his youth and artistic training coinciding with Napoleon’s rise to power. He was the son of the Duke of Württemberg officer Carl Hans Ernst von Steuben. At the age of twelve he moved with his father, who entered Russian service as a captain, to Saint Petersburg, where he studied drawing at the Art Academy classes as a guest student. Thanks his father's social contacts in the court of the Tsar, in the summer of 1802 he accompanied the young Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1786–1859) and granddaughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg, to the Thuringian cultural city of Weimar, where the Tsar's daughter two years later married Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1783–1853). Steuben, then fourteen years old, was a Page at the ducal court, a position for which the career prospects would be in the military or administration. The poet Friedrich Schiller was a family friend who at once recognised De Steuben's artistic talent and instilled in him his political ideal of free self-determination regardless of courtly constraints.

At the behest of Pierre Fontaine in 1828 de Steuben painted La Clémence de Henri IV après la Bataille d'Ivry, depicting a victorious Henry IV of France at the Battle of Ivry. De Steuben's Bataille de Poitiers, en octobre 732, painted between 1834 and 1837, shows the triumphant Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours, also known as the Battle of Poitiers. He painted Jeanne la folle around the same time and he was commissioned by Louis Philippe to paint a series of portraits of past Kings of France.

Life in the French capital was a repeated source of internal conflict for Steuben. The allure of bohemian Paris and his military-dominated upbringing made him a wanderer between worlds. As an official commitment to his adopted country he became a French citizen in 1823. However, the irregularity of his income as a freelance artist was in contrast to his sense of duty and social responsibility. To secure his family financially, he took a job as an art teacher at École Polytechnique, where he briefly trained Gustave Courbet. In 1840 he was awarded a gold medal at the Salon de Paris for his highly acclaimed paintings.

The love of classical painting was a lifelong passion of Steuben. He was a close friend to Eugène Delacroix, the leader of the French Romantic school of painting, whom he portrayed several times. Steuben was also part of this artistic movement, which replaced classicism in French painting. "The painter of the Revolution," as Jacques-Louis David was called by his students, joined art with politics in his works. The subjects of his historical paintings supported historical change. He painted mainly in sharp colour contrasts, heavy solid contours and clear outlines. The severity of this style led many contemporary artists - including Prud'hon - to a romanticised counter movement. They preferred the shadowy softness and gentle colour gradations of Italian Renaissance painters such as Leonardo da Vinci and Antonio da Correggio, whose works they studied intensively. Steuben, who had begun his training with David, felt the school was becoming increasingly rigid and dogmatic. Critics praised his deliberate compositions, excellent brush stroke and impressive colour effects. But some of his critics felt that his pursuit of dramatic design of rich people also showed, at times, a pronounced tendency toward the histrionic.

The portrayal of key moments in Napoleon’s dramatic military career would feature among some of Steuben’s best known works. But it is this death scene that Steuben is most remembered for.

Using his high-level contacts among figures in Napoleon’s circle, Steuben interviewed and sketched many of the people who had been present when Napoleon died at Longwood House on St. Helena. He wanted to attempt o give the most accurate representation of the scene possible. Indeed, the painter interviewed the companions of Napoleon’s captivity on their return to France and had them pose for their portraits. Only the Abbé Vignali, captain Crokat and the doctor Arnott were painted from memory. The Grand maréchal Bertrand made sketches of the plan of the room, noting the positions of the different pieces of furniture and people in the room. All the protagonists within the painting brought together some of their souvenirs and in posing for the painter, each person can be seen contributing to a work of collective memory, very much with posterity in mind.

Painstakingly researched, Steuben painted  a carefully composed scene of hushed grief. Notable among the figures are Gen. Henri Bertrand, who loyally followed Napoleon into exile; Bertrand’s wife, Fanny; and their children, of whom Napoleon had become very fond.

The best known version of “La Mort de Napoléon” was completed in 1828. French writer Stendhal considered it “a masterpiece of expression.” In 1830 the installation of a more liberal monarchy in France further boosted admiration of Napoleon, who suddenly became a wildly popular figure in theatre, art, and music. This fervour led to the diffusion of Steuben’s deathbed scene in the form of engravings throughout Europe in the 1830s. As Napoleon’s stock arose within French culture and arts, so did Steuben’s depiction of Napoleon’s death. It became a grandeur of vision that permeated Steuben’s masterpiece of historical reconstruction.

Initially forming part of the collection of the Colonel de Chambrure, the painting was put up for auction in Paris, on 9 March 1830, with other Napoleonic works, notably Horace Vernet’s Les Adieux de Fontainebleau (The Fontainebleau adieux) and Steuben’s Retour de l’île d’Elbe (The return from the island of Elba). The catalogue noted that the painting had already been viewed in the colonel’s collection by “three thousand connoisseurs” – which alone would have made it a success -, but its renown was to be further amplified by the production of the famous engraving. The diffusion of this engraving by Jean-Pierre-Marie Jazet (1830-1831, held at the Musée de Malmaison), reprinted and copied countless times throughout the 19th century, made the scene a classic in popular imagery, on a level of popularity with paintings such as Millet’s Angelus.

A / Grand Marshal Henri-Gatien Bertrand. Utterly loyal servant of Napoleon’s to the last. His memoirs of the exile on St Helena were not published until 1849. Only the year 1821 has ever been translated into English.

B / General Charles Tristan de Montholon. Courtier and companion of Napoleon’s exile. Montholon managed to ease Bertrand out and become Napoleon’s closest companion at the end, highly rewarded in Napoleon’s will, which Montholon helped write. Montholon’s untrustworthy memoirs were published in 1846/47.

C / Doctor Francesco Antommarchi. Corsican anatomy specialist. Sent by Napoleon’s mother from Rome to St Helena to be Napoleon’s personal physician on the expulsion of Barry O’Meara. Napoleon disliked and distrusted Antommarchi. Antommarchi’s untrustworthy memoirs were very influential and published in 1825.

D / Angelo Paolo Vignali, Abbé. Corsican assistant-chaplain, sent by Madame Mère from Rome to St Helena in 1819.

E / Countess Françoise Elisabeth “Fanny” Bertrand and her children: Napoléon (F), who carried the censer at Napoleon’s funeral; Hortense (G); Henry (H); and Arthur (I), youngest by six years of all the Bertrand children and born on the island. She was wife of the Grand Marshal, very unwilling participant in the exile on St Helena. Her relations with Napoleon were difficult since she refused to live at Longwood. She spoke fluent English. Was however very loyal to Napoleon.

J / Louis Marchand. Napoleon’s valet from 1814 on and one of his closest servants. As Napoleon noted in his will, “The service he [Marchand] rendered were those of a friend”.

K / “Ali”, Louis Étienne Saint-Denis. Known as “the Mamluk Ali”, one of Napoleon’s longest-serving and intimate servants; He became Librarian at Longwood and was an indefatigable copyist of imperial manuscripts.

L / Ali’s English (Catholic) wife, Mary ‘Betsy’ Hall. She was sent out from England by UK relatives of the Countess Bertrand to be governess/nursemaid to the Bertrand children. Married Ali aged 23 in October 1819.

M / Jean Abra(ha)m Noverraz. From the Vaud region in Switzerland. Very tall and imposing figure that Napoleon called his “Helvetic bear”. He was himself ill during Napoleon’s illness.

N / Noverraz’s wife, Joséphine née Brulé. They married in married in July 1819, and she was the Countess Montholon’s lady’s maid. Noverraz and Saint-Denis had a fist fight for the hand of Joséphine.

O / Jean Baptiste Alexandre Pierron. The cook, dessert specialist, long in Napoleon’s service and who had accompanied Napoleon to Elba.

P /Jacques Chandelier. Iincorrectly identified on the picture as Santini who had left the island in 1817. A cook, from the service of Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister, who arrived on St Helena with the group from Rome in 1819.

Q /Jacques Coursot. Butler, from the service of Madame Mère, Napoleon’s mother, he arrived on St Helena with the group from Rome in 1819.

R / Doctor Francis Burton. Irish surgeon in the 66th regiment who had arrived on St Helena only on 31st March 1821. He is renowned for having made Napoleon’s death mask (with ensign John Ward and Antommarchi).

S/ Doctor Archibald Arnott. Surgeon in the 20th regiment. Brought in to tend to Napoleon in extremis on 1 April 1821.

T/ Captain William Crokat. A Scot, orderly officer at Longwood for less than a month, having replaced Engelbert Lutyens on 15 April. He received the honour of carrying the news of Napoleon’s death back to London and also the reward, namely, a promotion and £500, privileges of which Lutyens was deliberately deprived by the governor.

[radiosteve]

Need Your Loving Tonight Ch.2

Summary: About a year after you first met your best friend Brian, he tells you that he wants to fulfill his lifelong dream and form a band. After recruiting his friend Tim to join, you help them hold auditions to find the perfect drummer. Much to Brian’s surprise, you and Tim seem to be getting along a lot better than expected. 

Note: Here is part 2!! Now that we’ve got a little introduction we can start to get into the juicy stuff. I’m trying to follow along with a semi-accurate timeline so that’s why there might be a few weird time jumps. Freddie will be in the next chapter, I’m so excited! The italicized words are the readers thoughts, just like last time. I’m going to be as consistent with updates as I can, so I’ll try to have a new chapter out every few days. Also, if you want to be added to the taglist just send me a message or an ask and I’ll add you! I found the photo on google, I do not own it.

Warnings: Some language and slight smut

Pairing: (will be) Roger Taylor x Reader x John Deacon 

Words: 2.2k+

September 29, 1968

It had been a little over a year since you packed up your life and shipped yourself overseas to attend Imperial College. Your friendship with Brian only grew as the year went on. By the end of your freshman year you felt so well adjusted and comfortable with your foreign surrounds that you dreaded going back home. But, with no place to stay in London for the summer, you filled your suitcases once more and headed back to your hometown. Your mom greeted you at the airport with the biggest smile you had ever seen. 

It was difficult to tell if she actually was happy to see you or if she was just glad to have someone to fill the space between her and your father. You spent your summer like most others, working on the boardwalk and going to the beach after your shift ended. It was a lonely summer, but you knew how to adapt. All of your high school friends seemed to move on without you and all of your college friends lived in a different country, but hey that’s life. Occasionally you would go out with your friends from work when you all had time off, but you longed for the end of the summer. 

Being at home made you realize just how different New Jersey was from London. You cursed yourself from those first couple weeks of the fall semester for wishing to escape back home. Because now that you were here, it sure as hell didn’t feel like something you would call a home.The only thing that kept you sane during the warm, sunny months was the beach that was just a ten minute bike ride away. Night or day, rain or shine, it was your favorite place to hide from the lonely reality that you grew to know. It was the only thing that London lacked.

Finally the sun started to set earlier and the days quickly faded to night, bringing along the end of August and the start of a new school year. The taxi ride from Heathrow airport to campus seemed to be the longest thirty minutes of your life. But after you dragged your luggage from the taxi trunk you were nearly tackled by a hug from your best friend. After a long session of catching up and unpacking, you felt happier than you had in months. You felt as if you were laid out on the beach without a cloud in the sky. Classes went on as normal and your social life excelled along with your grades. Bringing you to where you are now. 

You and Brian had taken over your dorm for the day because your roommate Sally had gone home for the weekend. Both you and Brian were nursing pretty wicked hangovers after a very intense party the night before. You sat at your desk staring at the textbook in front of you, blinking to try and see straight. Brian sat on your bed with his guitar on his lap as he strummed softly to some tune he had made up.  

“I think I’m finally going to do it,” he spoke, pulling you from your textbook induced trance. You spun around in your chair, happy to have a distraction, but confused by the statement.

“What are you finally going to do?” You questioned, your head throbbed a little from twisting around so quickly. Brian looked up at you and slowly set his guitar down, leaning his back against the wall that your bed was pushed against. 

“I’m going to start a band, Y/n! Well, I’m actually going to put flyers up around campus and hopefully people will respond so then I can start a band,” he seemed utterly ecstatic while telling you his plans for the future. You nodded along as he talked, taking in his words and the excitement that was etched across his face. A smile overtook your expression as a thought popped into your head. This could be something big.

October 5, 1968

You stood with Brian throughout his desperate search for decent band mates. Luckily, Tim Staffell, who he had met at a concert, was all in favor of joining Brian’s new band. Now with a guitarist and a singing bassist, the duo needed a drummer. The desperate search frustrated the three of you after seeing the same mediocre drum skills over and over again. You three decided to take a break, blow some steam, and have a few drinks at Tim’s apartment. One drink turned into two and two turned into five and five became eight until you felt drunk off your ass. 

Brian had discovered early on in your friendship that you had a passion for music but you never seemed to elaborate on it whenever he brought it up. He also knew that if he got you drunk enough you would get giggly and start revealing things about yourself that you hardly ever talked about. That wasn’t his intention when he suggested to drink a few beers, but that didn’t stop him from listening when you started to giggle before you spoke.

“Guess what,” you giggled out, taking another drink from your beer bottle as the boys both turned their gaze towards you. “You guys are going to be so pissed. I can actually play the piano and the drums,” you said between giggles. Brian and Tim both sat up quickly from the couch that they rested on. 

“You’re saying that this whole time we have been searching for a drummer when we’ve had one with us the whole time?” Tim interrogated you, but his voice spoke without a hint a malice. 

“Uh-huh, I didn’t want to tell you guys though because I have no desire to be in a band. Plus I’d hate to be in a band with my best friend, break up, and then have it ruin our friendship. That would be soul crushing,” the words tumbled from your mouth before you even knew what you were saying. “Oh shit, you guys are friends, my bad,” you mumbled before draping yourself across the chair you sat on as you laughed. Brian and Tim looked at each other with raised eyebrows before looking back at you in your alcohol induced giggle-fit. Brian chuckled and took a swig from his beer bottle. Your infectious laughter and charming smile brought a grin to his lips. Tim eventually joined in on your and Brian’s giddey feeling, leaving the three of you laughing like maniacs. 

October 14, 1968

By four o’clock in the afternoon, you, Brian, and Tim felt as if you had completely lost a majority of your collective brain cells. The three of you had been stuck in a lecture theatre on campus that Brian rented out so the band could hold auditions for drummers all day. After seeing about six different people play you felt like your brain had turned to mush. Hearing the same few songs over and over was starting to give you a massive headache. You sat on a couch that Tim had managed to smuggle into the audition space as some lanky red haired boy tried, and failed, to maintain a steady tempo on the drums. 

The boy was clearly nervous, but nerves and music do not work well together. After  the three audition songs, Brian stood up and began to speak in the nicest tone he could muster.

“That was great, thank you. I think we are going to need some time to think over our decision. We’ll give you a call soon,” he said as the boy shakily stood up and grabbed his things. He responded to with only a nod and quickly fled from the room. Brian plopped back down on the right side of the couch while you sat in the middle with Tim on your left. Tim shifted his arm so that it rested across the top of the couch as he turned to look at you. 

“What do you think Y/n? In your own professional drumming opinion,” Tim asked  with a cheeky smile on his face as you turned to nudge his shoulder. 

“I’m certainly not a professional drummer, but even I can tell that whatever-his-name-is can’t drum for shit,” you signed, sinking further into the couch.

“Well, we only have one more hour and then we can leave and get some decent food. In the meantime, do you guys need anything? I’m going to run down the hall to the vending machine and get something to drink,” Brian offered, picking himself up from the couch once more. 

“Some aspirin would be great Bri,” you joked as he waved you off while walking out of the room, heading to the other side of the building. 

“Alone at last,” Tim whispered in your ear making goosebumps flourish all over your skin. “We’ve got at least five minutes,” he grabbed your cheeks and pressed his lips against yours in a rush of passion and hunger. You and Tim had secretly started hooking up ever since you woke up at his apartment the day after you got drunk and spilled the news of your secret music skills. Brian had to leave early that morning to run some errands, leaving you and Tim alone for the first time. You started of with just talking and teasing, but it soon became flirting and kissing and next thing you knew you were naked in Tim’s bed. 

You’d both promised to not tell Brian in hopes that it would prevent him from getting angry at you both. Honestly, you felt kind of bad for lying to your best friend but it seemed like the right thing to do. Plus its not like you and Tim were dating. What was going on between you two was more of a casual hookup than anything. As great as relationships may seem, you were never much of a fan of dating. 

Tim had you pinned against the couch as he brought his knee between your thighs, rubbing against your clothed core as a moan escaped your lips. He swallowed your pretty sounds as your hands traveled down his body, reached for his growing bulge. His lips traveled down your neck and towards your breasts. He stuck his face inside your shirt earning a giggle from you that soon became a moan as he sucked on the top of your left breast and gripped your hips. 

“Fuck Timmy, that feels so-”

“Hey guys-oH MY GOD,” Brian exclaimed turning around so he didn’t have to face you and shielding his eyes as you and Tim quickly pulled yourself apart. A shorter, but attractive blonde-brunette boy stood behind Brian with wide eyes and his mouth turned up in a smirk. You and Tim stood up from the couch and adjusted your clothing as Brian slowly began to turn around. “When did you guys start-” Brian began quietly but quickly cut himself off. “Nevermind, not the time. Uh this is Roger he’s here to audition.” Brian turned and gestured to Roger who waved his hand that held two drum sticks. “Roger, this is our bassist and lead singer Tim, and my best friend Y/n. Who is apparently much closer with Tim than I first thought,” He mumbled the last part more to himself, but everyone still heard it. Roger let out a small chuckle as your cheeks began to turn red. 

“You can, um, warm up or whatever you need before you start,” Tim instructed Roger, trying to cut the awkward tension in the air. You looked over at Brian who sat in the middle of the couch in order to separate you and Tim. You took a seat on Brian’s right as Roger moved towards the drumset and began to tune it.

“What are you doing,” Brian said after looking up at Roger with the drums.

“I’m tuning them,” he replied as if it was obvious. Brian turned his head towards you, with raised eyebrows and his mouth slightly agape. 

“I didn’t know that was a thing,” he muttered and you smiled at his exasperated expression. Roger finished what he had been doing and began to play the first audition song. It was by far the best rendition that you had heard all day. It sounded extremely similar to the original song but with an added dash of flair that you assumed Roger used to show off a little. When he had finished playing the three audition songs you started to clap, bringing a large smile to the blonde’s face. While Brian and Tim didn’t join in on your clapping, you could still tell that they were just as impressed as you were. 

Roger stood up, sweeping his long strands of hair behind his ears as his made his way towards where you three were seated on the couch. Brian shot up from the couch to shake Rogers hand as he approached them. Tim slowly followed and you stood soon after. A smile spread across Brian’s face after he shook Roger’s hand, earning a suspicious look from you. He’s going to say something stupid, isn’t he? Brian looked straight into Roger’s eyes and said the words you knew were coming. “You’re in.” 

Taglist: @retromusicsalad      

[aupairadventures]

How to Find the Perfect Host Family

In late March of 2018, I decided that I wanted to become an au pair. While I had long dreamed of traveling of the world and knew that I wanted to live in France one day, the idea of leaving everything I had ever known behind and moving in with a strange family halfway across the world had never been part of my plan. The concept of traveling had always seemed so far off in distance. It was something that I believed would happen years in the future, but I never imagined that traveling like this could be something that I would do at only 18 years old. When a series of events led me to rethink my plans for the year after I graduated from high school, the word “au pair” popped into my head immediately. Before I knew it, I was googling: ���what exactly is an au pair and how do I become one?” and falling in love with the idea of taking a gap year in a country I had never been to before.

So, that brings us here, to how I found the host family of any au pair’s dreams.

My google searches eventually brought me to a website called AuPairWorld.com. This website was key in my search for a host family, and I recommend it very highly to all perspective au pairs. I’ve described this website as being like an “online dating” website for au pairs and host families. Both parties have their own profiles, and you can look through each other’s pictures and profiles and then send messages to each other based on who you think would be a good fit. While the website charges host families for using their services, the website is 100% free for au pairs. On the homepage, the website also links to a lot of different resources and articles on au pairing, and has a whole section for frequently asked questions that I found to be very helpful. So, in short, if you want to become an au pair, go sign up for AuPairWorld!

Step 1: Make Your Profile

Once you’ve made an account, it’s time to make your profile. This first step of your search is one of the most important. It’s crucial to make an interesting and intriguing profile so that host families can learn about you and determine if you would be a good fit for their family. Once you have created your profile, you can add pictures, write about yourself, and add more information to the page. I recommend adding several pictures to your profile. Add pictures of you with your family and friends, pictures of you doing your favorite hobby, or a picture of you in your favorite place. It will make your page more appealing, draw host families in, and give them a clearer picture of who you are.

Next, there are three sections on the profile where you can write in a few paragraphs for the host families to see. The sections are: “Dear Family”, “About Me”, and “Why do you want to be an au pair?” For each of these sections, I would suggest writing about two to three paragraphs. This is a length long enough to communicate information about yourself without making potential host families read your autobiography. Remember to be in honest in your writing, and let your writing authentically express who you are. Remember to speak about the role that you would like to take within the family, and how you see the potential relationship between you and the host children being. Also remember to write about any previous childcare experience you have, and how that has prepared you for being an au pair. When writing, consider questions such as: What are your interests, passions, or favorite hobbies and how would you be willing to bring those activities into the host children’s lives? What special characteristics do you have and how can you bring those qualities or talents to the table? What makes you different from the other au pairs, and why should the host family decide to pick you? Let perspective families know why you would be the best possible au pair for their family, and let them know that you are up for the challenge and ready for this adventure. Above all, remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect, and just be you! The right host family for you will read your profile and know just how crazy-awesome you are!

Step 2: Search for Host Families

After you have made your incredible profile page, it’s time to look at the profiles of potential host families. Click on the button that says, “Easy Find.” This will refine your search so that you can view families that meet your criteria. Read through the profiles that look interesting to you, and when one particularly catches your eye, hit the “Send a message” button to apply to be that family’s au pair. (Host families can also send you messages and apply to be your host family, as well.) Once you’ve applied, you can send a message to that family. In your first message, introduce yourself and give some background about who you are. Remember to seem both professional and friendly in your message, and double check your spelling and grammar before you hit send. In all my messages to potential host families, I tried to seem very enthusiastic, and I always finished a first message by saying something like, “I look forward to speaking further with you and learning more. I think that we could be a great fit!” Remember to ask lots of questions in your messages, and let the family know that you would be happy to answer any questions that they have about you. Try to be prompt in answering messages, since responding quickly will show them that you are responsible, organized, and enthusiastic about possibly becoming their au pair. Once you and a host family have traded several messages and you think that it’s a good match, let them know that you would love to set up a Skype call so that you can speak in person and learn more about each other. The Skype call is one of the most important step and will help you decide which of the host families that you’ve been communicating with you have the best connection with. Before you accept any offers, a Skype call is an absolute must. You certainly do not want to fly halfway across the world to live with a family that you’ve never spoken to in person before!

I had such a fun time searching for my host family. I spent hours on the AuPairWorld website, sending lots of messages to different host families, and also receiving a lot of messages and applications from families. Before accepting the offer from my host family, I was communicating with about 15 other potential families. Don’t be afraid of being in contact with lots of different potential families; while it may be a bit time consuming, it will only increase your amount of options and help you find the host family that is the best fit for you. Also remember, host families receive many applications from many different au pairs and will interview several candidates, so it is wise to make sure that you are keeping your options open. I would also recommend seeing if your host family has had au pairs in the past, and if so, getting in contact with those au pairs, whether it be through an email or Skype call. A family’s former au pairs can answer any questions that you have, offer great advice, and give you insight into what their experience with their host family was like.

When I first saw the profile of my host family, I instantly fell in love. It was one of the first profiles that I saw, and my immediate thought was, “I need to be their au pair.” I was discouraged by seeing how many other applications that they received, and really didn’t think that I had any chance. I decided to apply and message them anyway, just to see what would happen. To my surprise, I received a reply from them, and we began to exchange lots of messages and emails with each other. With every email I received from them, I fell in love with the idea of being their au pair more and more, and they seemed more and perfect. We soon decided to set up a Skype call. While there were lots of technical issues and Skype really didn’t want to work, we eventually figured out the technology out and had an amazing Skype call. After we finished, I knew that everything I had thought about this family was true; they were absolutely perfect! The next day, I had a Skype call with their current au pair, which was also an amazing experience. She was so lovely and kind, told me all about her experience from the past year, and gave me great advice about all things au pair related. After our call, we continued to email and text each other, and formed an amazing friendship. Months later, I consider her to be someone who I care about deeply and who will be a lifelong friend.

I will never forget the day that my host family asked me to be their au pair. They contacted me through email to set up a Skype call, and in the days leading up to the call, I was so nervous. I wasn’t sure what the Skype call meant; did they want to ask more me questions before making their final decision? Did they want to tell me that they had decided to go with another candidate? Or maybe, as I hoped was the case, did the want to tell me in person that they wanted to welcome me into their family? I was a nervous wreck the morning of the Skype call, but when the scheduled time finally came around and I answered their call, my wish came true. When my host parent told me that they wanted me to be their au pair and I saw the smile on their daughter’s face, I was so happy that I started crying just a little bit. Needless to say, profuse amounts of happy-dancing followed on my part once our Skype call finished.

After you have accepted an offer from your host family, I would strongly recommend contacting the other host families that you were previously in contact with to let them know that you have accepted an offer from another family. I found this part to be difficult since I felt bad for rejecting the other families and not accepting their offers. However, it’s important to let them know the situation and to not just disappear on them. Politely thank them for their time, and inform them that although you are going in a different direction, that they have a wonderful family and that you wish them the best of luck in their search for an au pair. Once you have closed lines of communication with the other families, it’s time to focus on getting ready to join your host family and become a part of their family. You are one step further along on the beginning of your adventure, so be proud of yourself and wish yourself a well-deserved congratulations!

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions that you have. I would be happy to share more about my experience with and help you with your journey. To all future au pairs; good luck on finding your host family!

[thehauntinghq-blog]

“My name is THEODORA GLASS, and I’m from the land of the dead. I died when I was TWENTY years old, and have been dead for SEVEN YEARS. But now, I’m creeping back through the veil – and no one knows why. People say I look a lot like KACEY ROHL, but I don’t see it. Currently, I am OPEN.”

+ intelligent, charming, resourceful, loyal, passionate

- self-centered, perfectionist, hotheaded, vain, sarcastic

BIOGRAPHY

Theodora is the sort of girl that will probably get a Hollywood crime epic based on her life in a few years -- a beautiful girl tied into a crime spree, who died young, with her true loyalties unknown. Those who have heard of Theodora probably already know that she was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was raised in wealth. Theodora was never without anything she wanted, and grew up spoiled, haughty, and far too full of herself for anyone’s own good. She was one of her high school’s “it girls,” and had seemingly the perfect life -- a wealthy family, a string of adoring boyfriends, perfect clothes, the position of head cheerleader, and a pack of other girls who would gladly do her bidding in exchange for her approval. At home, though, things were much rougher than Theodora ever let on at school. In addition to having parents who barely even seemed to care she was alive, Theodora has struggled with an eating disorder since middle school. Although she knew she was beautiful, she never felt beautiful enough, and would’ve done anything, no matter how dangerous, to meet her own impossible standards. Not helping matters was the fact that her brother, known around school as a smart, charming young man, was hiding some pretty major skeletons in his closet. No one had even the slightest inkling that the Glass twins weren’t normal... all the way up until, nearly a decade ago, their high school went up in flames, and the two fled from the scene together. From then on, Theodora’s life went from slacking off in class and praciting her cheerleading routines and shopping with her friends to holding up liquor stores, hiding bodies, and seeing her face plastered on every wanted poster across America. Theodora’s beauty and natural charisma caught the attention of the media, of course, and she became her generation’s Bonnie Parker. Songs have been written for Theodora, websites have been dedicated to emulating her, and some freaks have even publicly declared their love for her. Theodora would’ve loved to tell them all that life on the run wasn’t nearly as glamorous as they made it out to be, but by then, she was simply focused on surviving. Finally, as the crime spree and manhunt began to enter its third year, Theodora and her brother both wound up dead under mysterious circumstances. Some claim it was an accident, some claim it was a double suicide, and some claim it was a murder-suicide, one slaying the other as well as themselves. That last camp is right, but so far, no person, living or dead, knows the full story of the Glass twins. Well, no one that wants to talk, anyway.

RELATIONSHIPS

Levi Wellerstein: The sole living person that can see Theodora. It’s ironic -- back when she was alive and in school, Levi is exactly the sort of person Theodora would’ve made life very unpleasant for, being poor, nerdy, and openly LGBT. However, Theodora’s decided to take coming back as a ghost as an opportunity to be a better person than she was in life, and has resolved to be Levi’s friend. Too bad Levi can’t stand her. Levi remembers the news reports about the crime spree, of course, but he also thinks Theodora is an obnoxious, airheaded bitch who should’ve stayed in the afterlife. He openly looks forward to the day she passes back through the veil and goes back to burning in hell, but for now, he’s stuck with her. Theodora takes his sarcasm and abrasiveness as best as she can, and tries to be nice, but for the most part, stays out of his way, wandering the town during the day. Sometimes, though, she goes to Levi’s house, where he lives with his useless mother. The way Levi’s mother treats him is disgusting, and Theodora has taken to using her ghostly abilities to fuck with her the best she can. (Hey, she’s not that reformed.)

Jackson Glass: Theodora’s twin brother, lifelong best friend, lifelong worst enemy, and ultimately, her companion all the way to the grave. Jackson was always well liked in their school, being charming, intelligent, athletic, handsome, and well-spoken, and coming off as an all-around great guy. But while he managed to hide it around others, Jackson was never able to hide his true personality around Theodora. Theodora was, for the first seventeen years of their lives, the only person to know that her brother was a barely-restrained sadist with zero empathy or sympathy for others, no concern for anyone but himself, and a thirst for blood. Her first indication of this was when he killed the family cat when they were small children, and, when she asked him why, he simply said he wanted to see if he could. Theodora loved her brother too much to tell on him, but from the day forward, she bore the weight of knowing what her brother really was. The two have an abusive past, both emotionally and physically. As they got older, Jackson’s capacity to hurt others grew, and he began to wear a mask and assault random strangers for fun at night, or take out his urges on more innocent animals. She was the only person that knew about this, as she was the only person he’d ever be himself around. When they were in public, he’d be as sweet and charming as could be, but in private, he’d vent about his rage and his violent urges, describing the horrific things he wanted to do to their classmates and even their own family and telling her the nasty things he’d already done. He always told Theodora, if she told a soul, he’d kill her -- she believed him. After all, he’d never had any qualms about slapping her around, and had even broken her arm once, when they were twelve. Theodora loved and still loves her brother, but was terrified of him, and was scared he’d soon move on to killing people. Unfortunately, her fears were well-founded. When the two were seventeen and almost finished with high school, Jackson finally snapped, and lit the chemistry building on fire, killing five people and wounding dozens of others -- and he was caught on camera doing it. Theodora found him about to flee from the campus as the police arrived, and he gave her a choice: come with him, or die right there. She went with him. The two became partners in crime, constantly in hiding from the police, holding up stores to get money, and living in their car and motel rooms all across the country. Theodora was the talker of the duo, weaseling her way into people’s homes and businesses and charming them into helping her, while Jackson was content to simply shoot them and take everything they owned. Theodora also became an expert at cleaning up crime scenes and hiding dead bodies -- to this day, the authorities still aren’t sure how many corpses can be attriubuted to the Glass twins. Finally, though, Jackson managed to push Theodora too far; in a fit of anger while they were holding up a liquor store in Specter, he shot and killed a crying a child. As they fled the scene and began to drive away, police in pursuit, Theodora realized Jackson was simply too dangerous to be allowed to live. Unable to bear the idea of handing her twin over the police, or living without him, she decided the world was better off without them both, and seized the steering wheel, taking control of the car from Jackson. She swerved the car off a bridge and into the river below, killing them both. Now that both she and her brother have passed back through the veil, Theodora is a mess of conflicting emotions. She loves her brother dearly, but knows that he is not good for her. But whenever he approaches her, she can’t resist talking to him.

Annie Aeron: The ghost of a young girl that Theodora’s recently taken under her wing. Annie is bright, cheerful, optimistic, and bubbly, bringing some much-needed joy into Theodora’s existence. Theodora fawns over Annie, considering her to be like a little sister, and does whatever she can to make their afterlives a little more interesting for her. Annie’s just young enough to not know who, exactly, Theodora and Jackson were in life, and Theodora would much rather she not find out. Annie’s one of the first people apart from Jackson that’s ever known Theodora as Theodora -- not the popular girl of Bridgeport, and not the femme fatale of true crime TV. Theodora doesn’t want to lose that.

Andrew Aeron: Annie’s older brother, also dead. Theodora isn’t sure how she feels about him. She knows Andrew has a bloody past (though it’s nothing compared to her own), but she also thinks he has a basically good heart, and she knows he loves Annie. That said, he’s also somewhat unstable as a person, and Theodora worries he’s not good for Annie, in the same way Jackson isn’t good for her. Andrew also knows exactly who Theodora and her brother are, and at one point, tried to tell her to stay away from his baby sister, not wanting her to influence her. In the heated argument that followed, it came out that Andrew took his own life soon after Annie’s death, and that he’s keeping this from her, knowing it would devastate her. So, he and Theodora have reached a tentative truce. Theodora can keep hanging out with Annie, and Andrew won’t tell her what she did, if Theodora keeps her mouth shut about the true circumstances of Andrew’s death. Theodora feels bad for keeping secrets from Annie, though, and wonders if maybe it’d be best if she and Andrew both came clean. She doesn’t have the guts to do it, though -- at least, not yet.

[canadastartupblog]

How to Turn a Passion Project Into a National Business

What started out as a batch of greeting cards on Etsy is now a stationery brand available at Michael’s craft stores across the U.S.

The characters featured in Cynthia Koo’s Wonton In A Million product line, which are based on dim sum foods like shu mai and dumplings, have attracted an enthusiastic fanbase.

Koo’s mission is to use her brand’s platform to promote Asian culture and encourage other women to become entrepreneurs.

Even though she studied East Asian languages and culture with a minor in computer science at Columbia University, Cynthia Koo says she’s always been a designer at heart. Growing up in New York City’s Chinatown, she enjoyed making custom greeting cards for her family, carefully rearranging stickers in her sticker books and emblazoning her planners with Hello Kitty characters.

Now, Koo is a 31-year-old entrepreneur that shares her heritage through Wonton In A Million, a unique stationery business that makes dim-sum-inspired washi tape, stickers and stationery.

“I think this company is a way to introduce Chinese culture and food to people who may not know what it is yet,” said Koo. “Wonton In A Million is a way for me to promote cultural understanding during a time when immigrants are kind of vilified.”

Turning a passion project into a small business

Koo’s journey with Wonton In A Million began in 2015 when she was waiting for dim sum takeout at the Oriental Garden where her father has worked for the last 30 years. As she waited for her order, she took in the sights and smells of the restaurant and wondered if her love of Chinese culture and cuisine would lend itself to “punny dim sum greeting cards” as a project for a 365 Days of Design challenge she was participating in.

At the time, Koo was a full-time designer at a financial technology startup. The design challenge was a “passion project” that originally only served as a way to check things off on a to-do list. “I’ve always had ideas for businesses and art project ideas. I started [doing the design challenge] to get some of those things done, because I was always starting things and then stopping,” she said.

“I set about designing 20 cards. That was my goal for the month, and once I put them up on Etsy, I would move on to the next design project,” she said. “The reception I got was incredible and surprising.”

Shortly after posting her initial designs on Etsy, Koo said her friends and family began sharing them online. Soon, sales grew, and people started making product suggestions. “Before I knew it, I had been working on this project for six months and hadn’t moved on to my next project.”

Other businesses began reaching out about collaborating, and Koo said it wasn’t long until she worked with Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

For the first two years, Wonton In A Million was Koo’s side gig while she worked at her full-time design job. Though she’d occasionally considered devoting all of her time to her fledgling online business, she had reservations. “I hadn’t intended to do that because I was worried that it would stop being fun and stop being a source of joy … if it became my main source of income,” she said.

However, those concerns went out the window when her weekly sales numbers exceeded the weekly paycheck from her full-time gig. “That gave me confidence to start thinking about [making it full time], and it still took me six months to disengage from my job,” she said. She ultimately left her job in April 2017.

Transitioning from an Etsy shop to an e-commerce business

Wonton In A Million began as an Etsy shop. For the uninitiated, Etsy is an online storefront that allows people to sell handmade, vintage and custom items, as well as craft supplies like the stationery items Koo sold. “The phenomenon of being able to be a sticker shop is a new option made possible by marketplaces like Etsy,” she said.

Without Etsy, Koo firmly believes Wonton In A Million wouldn’t have gotten off the ground. Koo says its “platform, audience and instruction on how to get yourself found [by customers]” were instrumental in starting her business. “Etsy is a great platform, especially if you’re not technical, to get started and see if your ideas have traction,” Koo said. “The fees are a little bit higher once you start doing a lot of volume, but starting off there is a good idea, because you at least have one built-in source of traffic to bolster your sales.”

When Koo outgrew Etsy, she used her coding and design knowledge to create an online store using Shopify’s e-commerce platform to better serve Wonton In A Million’s customers.

While she’s proud of where Wonton In A Million is today, she said there were some things she wishes she knew as a new entrepreneur. “I wish I had asked for help more often and earlier. I have always been the kind of person to want to figure things out for myself,” she said. “If I had extra help earlier, I would have grown faster and struggled less.”

As a creative entrepreneur, she said the business’s operational needs often got less attention than the need to create new designs. Given the chance to start over, she said she would swap those priorities. “I’d get that side of the business buttoned up properly from the beginning, and I’d ask for help for that stuff earlier,” she said. “I’m having to deal with that now as I’m preparing to scale up. Having that figured out allows you to grow faster and make better decisions.”

Finding a community in stickers and paper

From the beginning, Koo said her designs took on a life of their own online. Her cute dim-sum-based characters resonated with consumers, and Wonton In A Million’s products became an easily shareable product via social media. The company now has more than 7,500 members on its Facebook page and nearly 30,000 followers on the accompanying Instagram account.

Since its inception, Wonton In A Million has steadily cultivated a following in the stationery and planning communities that share designs and planner layouts online. Koo said she was initially unaware that the hobby had such a huge following online. “We have a very specific, nerdy hobby, and there probably aren’t a lot of people in our life that understand, so to meet other people who are similarly obsessed with this hobby is amazing,” she said. “I’ve built lifelong friendships in this community.”

The online planning and stationery community also serves as a unique platform for sellers to collaborate with each other. Rather than fostering a feeling of competition, Koo said Facebook groups and Instagram posts are used to create a stronger bond between creators.

“We collaborate with each other to help with giveaways, and I think that’s something that sets our businesses apart – we have potential competitors supporting each other. What’s amazing in this community is that shop owners are themselves customers, so they’re excited to discover and work with new shops,” she said. “The overarching mindset of collaboration over competition within this community has been incredible for me.”

Scaling up a small business

After years of collaborating and partnering with small local retailers, Koo signed a nationwide partnership with Michaels Arts and Crafts stores to sell an exclusive line of products. Koo said this opportunity has opened her eyes to “the world of licensing and having bigger distribution partners,” though she still struggles with where she wants to see Wonton In A Million go and just how big it will get.

“I love working from home and determining my schedule, but to reach the heights of where I want to take the brand and the business, it will need to take on a bigger organizational structure,” she said. “I think my impulse is to keep this small as long as I can while working with partners to help spread the characters.”

Now that her products are available across the country, Koo says her business has seen an influx of new customers. “People saw my items in-store, thought they were incredibly cute and wanted more. I’m also hearing from Asians who see their own culture reflected in a mainstream store and were excited to have found me,” she said.

Today, Wonton In A Million has four full-time workers, including Koo, her boyfriend and two employees. While such a small team can handle the company’s current business, with all the newfound attention, the company will need new ways to meet customer demand. The only way to keep up, Koo said, may be to find larger manufacturing and distribution partners. For now, Koo said she’s considering hiring more designers, licensing experts and other possible hires.

Regardless of where the business ultimately lands, Koo hopes the Wonton In A Million brand will help make people curious, empathetic and happy. “It’s still to be determined where this opportunity leads, because I think it might open more doors that I haven’t walked through yet,” she said. “I’m excited to see where this goes.”

Sharing culture and fostering entrepreneurship for women and Asians

When a group of customers reached out on Facebook asking fellow community members what dim sum was, Koo realized how much cultural outreach her brand could do. She estimates that about 60% of her customers don’t know what Chinese cuisine is. As a result, Koo said she’s been drawing on the cute factor of her characters to help people learn about dim sum and Chinese culture. She thinks one of the reasons Michaels was interested in Wonton In A Million was because of her brand’s mission to share Chinese culture and “having the ‘why’ be front-and-center in all of my branding and packaging.”

Koo is also passionate about fostering entrepreneurship among Asians and women. Growing up, Koo said she doesn’t remember a time where her parents weren’t working. Whether her father was at the restaurant or her mother was working as a seamstress, she says her parents always struggled to make sure things were fine for the family.

It wasn’t until she got older, Koo said, that she realized how hard so many Asian immigrants worked to give their families a better life. Despite how hard her parents worked, Koo said she was never pressured to pursue a career just for the salary. It was a luxury that she understands not many children of immigrant parents get. “As a child of immigrants, I understand that is rare and not every immigrant child has that freedom … I was lucky that my parents always told me to do what [made me] happy,” she said.

Koo has written numerous blog posts on her Medium account aimed at helping Asians and women become entrepreneurs themselves. “It occurred to me that I know so many kind and generous women. If they were able to fulfill their potential and take the leadership positions that they deserve, the world would be much kinder and better off,” she said. “I think I’m uniquely positioned to work on that cause on behalf of Asian women.”

She’s also conducted a “How to Design Your Own Design 365 Project” class on Skillshare and taught workshops at planner community conferences. “I’m still figuring out a more systematic way to do it, but doing things like partnering with The Cosmos … helps address unique challenges for Asian women, both socially and internally,” she said. “As a business that has resources, I love figuring out how to tie that into specific social causes to support them.”

Koo said the most important thing a new entrepreneur can do is to “find your tribe.” For her, a tribe consists of an audience and other shops to collaborate with. “For every idea, for every product, there are people who are going to love what you do,” she said. “The trick is to find those people and serve them.”

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[harryandmeghan0-blog]

"A Labour of Love": It's a Family Affair as Duchess Meghan Launches Together!

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/a-labour-of-love-its-a-family-affair-as-duchess-meghan-launches-together/

"A Labour of Love": It's a Family Affair as Duchess Meghan Launches Together!

The Duchess of Sussex hosted a celebratory event at Kensington Palace to mark the launch of Together, a cookbook celebrating the power of cooking to strengthen communities and bring people together.

It was very much a family affair as Meghan arrived with her mother Doria Ragland and her Prince. Doria was spotted arriving in London earlier this week. She instilled the importance of giving back in her daughter from a very young age, encouraging her to volunteer in a soup kitchen as a teenager. Doria would buy extra turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving. It seemed very fitting for her to be there. How proud is Doria feeling today? When asked, she smiled and replied, “head over heels”.

Meghan was warmly greeted by the women from the Hubb and their families.

Doria met the women and said “Hi, I’m Meg’s mother”. Speaking about the project, she added: “It’s amazing. I’m just as excited as you are. I’m so glad I can put the face with the recipes. I’m going to tell everyone, I met each of the cooks! I’m going to make everything, I’m serious.” Harry told the group Meghan would always come home with a “huge smile” on her face after cooking with them.

A marquee was erected in the grounds of Kensington Palace for the event.

On Monday morning, Kensington Palace released details of Meghan’s highly anticipated first solo project. We discovered Meghan had been making regular trips to Grenfell, focusing on the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen – hubb means love in Arabic. In summer 2017, a group of women gathered in a communal kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, where they could prepare fresh food for their families, friends and neighbours. As they cooked together and shared recipes, as a community they began to connect, heal and look forward. Meghan first visited the kitchen in January. United by their passion for cooking as a way of strengthening communities, The Duchess was inspired by how the project empowers women at a grassroots level, and championed the cookbook project as a way of ensuring the kitchen can continue transforming lives and communities through cooking.

The Duchess suggested creating a cookbook to ensure the Hubb would have sufficient funding to open seven days per week. She was there every step of the way; from securing a publisher, to getting photographer Jenny Zarins on board. In a beautifully written foreword, Meghan looked back on her time with the Hubb: “The kitchen was opened after the Grenfell tragedy, offering women who had been displaced and the community around them a space to cook food for their families. Their roles as matriarchs united them across their cultures; the kitchen provided an opportunity to cook what they knew and to taste the memory of home, albeit homes some had recently lost. I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen; it is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together. Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy – in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture and commune through food, through crisis or joy – something we can all relate to. During my visit I met Zahira, a working mum who oversees much of the coordination at Al-Manaar and whose infectious smile is enough to make you forget any troubles. Upon learning the kitchen was only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays I asked, “Why isn’t this open seven days a week?” Her response: “Funding.” And now just a few months later, here we are…Together.”

Harry and Doria with Zahira.

Meghan has been passionate about food all her life. “I have a lifelong interest in the story of food – where it comes from, why we embrace it and how it brings us together: the universal connection to community through the breaking of bread.” Her love of cooking and belief in the power of food to bring people together married with her desire to do something tangible to help Grenfell served as the passions behind this project. And this project is certainly a tangible one. By Tuesday morning, the book had topped the Amazon UK bestseller list. In a testament to its global reach, it was in the top 5 on Amazon US, Australia and Canada to name just a few. The target is to sell 50,000 copies to support the Hubb and projects in the community. I suspect that number will easily be surpassed. The Royal Foundation is administering the transfer of funds to the Hubb Community Kitchen.

Today was very much about celebrating the completion of the book and the delicious recipes that brought the women of the Hubb together during one of the darkest periods imaginable. Meghan joined them in the Kensington Palace kitchens to prepare and cook the meal.

Recipes from the book prepared included coconut chicken curry, aubergine masala and a range of chapatis and sharing dips, as well as caramelised plum upside-down cake, and spiced mint tea. Below, the sharing menu.

Robert Hardman writes:

‘Few can recall the last time a prince or princess was down in a palace kitchen, sleeves rolled up. In due course, many more traditional patronages will follow. But many years hence, historians will record that the first cause espoused by the House of Windsor’s first American princess was a community kitchen underneath the A40.’

Meghan and Doria chatted about the recipes with the women from the Hubb.

The Telegraph reports:

‘The trio, who at one point stood with their arms around one another in a line, made their way around four food stations, with the Duchess getting stuck in to help cook while her mother and husband watched on proudly.

At the first stop, Ahlam Saeid showed off an enormous bowl of green rice. “Oh I love that,” said Doria. “That was the first thing I asked about” [after learning of the cook book]. “Everyone’s just hungry”, said the Duchess, laughing, as she added fresh mint and olive oil to the dish.

As they made their way through tables of salad, chapatis and kofta kebabs, Doria quizzed the cooks about the ingredients, listening carefully to the herbs and spices they described. One of the cooks promised to set food aside for the Royal couple, with the Duchess telling her: “Oh thank you, I’ll take that home and have it for dinner.”

Doria told the group “The power of women, We make things happens. We’re curious, we say yes, we show up. I’m inspired.” We certainly know where Meghan’s beliefs stem from.

Today marked another milestone for the Duchess – her first speech. Meghan spoke for over three minutes without notes about the project that became “a labour of love” for her. “On a personal level, I feel so proud to live in this city that can have so much diversity. There’s 12 countries represented in this one group of women. It’s pretty outstanding.”

The flawless speech was effortlessly delivered. It’s very clear how much this project means to her personally.

[embedded content]

Meghan’s speech from the Mail Online:

‘I’m so privileged to know you. Working on this project for the past nine months has been a tremendous labour of love. I have just recently moved to London and I felt so immediately embraced by the women in the kitchen, by your kindness and to be in this city and be in this room and see how multi-cultural it was. 

‘On a personal level I feel so proud to live in a city with so much diversity. This whole country is represented by the people in the kitchen. It’s pretty outstanding.

‘There’s so many people to thank – I’m extremely grateful because this is my first project and I appreciate your support. It truly took a village to see this through. Everyone has embraced this so fully because it has been a passion project for us all. ‘As I said this is more than a cook book and what I mean by that is the power of food is more than just the meal itself it is the story behind it. And when you get to know the story behind the recipe, you get to know the person behind it and help us celebrate what connects us rather than divides us. That is the ethos of Together.

‘Thank you so much for letting me be part of this and letting me be on this adventure with you and I’m so excited to see the projects we will continue to do in your community and also how you will inspire people globally by sharing your stories and your recipes. It’s so impactful. You can see that in just a few days alone what’s happened and the book’s not out yet.

‘What you have been able to do is a testament to what that means to people. I’m so proud of you.

‘So on that note I know that some of you have started eating, as you should. I’d be the last one to want to let the food get cold so please enjoy your beautiful lunch and give another round of applause for the Hubb Community Kitchen. Thank you.’

One could say Prince Harry was bursting with pride. His expressions says it all 🙂

Afterwards, it was time to enjoy the freshly made food with their guests. Guests included members of the local community, representatives from Ebury Press, Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre and The Royal Foundation.

[embedded content]

It was wonderful to hear so many of you ordered Together and supported Grenfell (Indeed, I hope to improve my own culinary skills by trying a few recipes). It has solidified my belief in the power of a good cause to bring the royal community together and the endless potential for charitable efforts spearheaded by the royals. Meghan should be incredibly proud of the success Together is already enjoying. I was chatting with friends about it and we said “If she can achieve this in four months as a Duchess, what will she achieve in four years?”.  Royal reporter Chris Ship said today demonstrated how Meghan is changing the face of the British Royal Family.

The courage and determination to heal and rebuild a broken community demonstrated by the women of the Hubb has touched people all over the world. This is just the beginning for the community kitchen…Together.

If you would like to purchase the book, or perhaps gift it, it’s available at Amazon UK, Amazon US, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble and The Book Depository (Free Delivery Worldwide).

The Duchess looked professional and stylish in a mix of Canadian and US brands for the event.

Meghan’s sleek zephyr blue Smythe Peaked Lapel Wool Blend Coat is a longline piece with a sophisticated tailored silhouette. It’s available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. With thanks to Japanese Ginger for the ID!

Meghan teamed the coat with the Tuxe Bodywear Renegade Bodysuit.

The piece is described as:

‘Great for any day of the week, the ladylike length and pleats keep your look demure and professional when paired with a crisp white shirt or black turtleneck. Style it with a t-shirt and trainers, for Saturday (or Sunday) brunch. The Saturday skirt features a grosgrain waistband with side zipper and clasp closure.’

Meghan’s Fashion notes the Duchess accessorised with her Catbird stackable rings.

And Meghan wore her Sarah Flint Jay 100 pumps.

A fantastic and memorable launch! Source: http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/2018/09/first-look-meghan-is-joined-by-doria.html

[happiness-in-oblivion]

2017: A Reflection

Welcome!

Welcome to Rachel Pistachio’s new creation. Please leave a message and make sure to follow!

Okay, honestly? I’m really awkward when it comes to introductions and first impressions. So I guess, here it goes?

Fun Facts About Moi:

I like lists.

I am Greek-Mexican American.

I get called Rachel more than my actual name (Rebecca).

My last name is Cypriot Greek slang for Watermelon.

I’d like to think I am a combination of Audrey Hepburn and Selena Quintanilla (obviously the biggest delusion I have).

I can’t think of any other cool things about myself.

Phew, now that that's over…

Reflection

Man, I don’t even know how to begin this post. Currently, I am sitting on a worn-out faux white leather sofa in the dark. Well, not completely.

Proof that indeed I am not in complete darkness

I can’t really tell if wanting to write this post is a result of wonderful family cheer or the fact that 2017 has been worth reminiscing. Nevertheless, here we are.

Memories of 2017

1. had a great seventeenth bday

I celebrated seventeen years on this earth surrounded by people that make my life significantly better. There were also s’mores, frozen noses, good music, and delicious cake. (Peep Sage, a human being that makes my life pretty interesting)

**Also, please ignore my incredibly obvious farmer’s tan**

2. received my first B in high school (it was liberating btw)

Going through high school, especially the one I currently attend, involves competition amongst people you should really be calling your friends. Amidst my small class size and incredibly intelligent people, I always felt the pressure to make straight-A’s regardless of what I was or wasn’t learning. Attending that school has taught me all the wrong, toxic things. 

Needless to say, junior year was probably the shittiest time of my life, but that is not why this made the list.

The second semester of my junior year involved sleep deprivation and a stupid amount of stress, and eventually I found myself passing out in my dual-credit Calculus II class during an exam. Pretty embarrassing to be honest. And yet, an extremely incredible experience that I dearly needed.

You see, although I did have an asshole math teacher, passing out in that class and getting a B gave me the reality check I needed. I needed to realize that good grades does not correlate to actual learning.

Also, news flash, I am an incredible human being whose value is actually not measured by straight-A’s when I have so many other things going for me. :)

3. flashmobbed w/ awesome gals

My summer began with the inception of the Flamenco Youth Fundraising Council. To put it in a nutshell, we are all a group of gals that wanted to watch incredible dancers, so we blessed the city of Albuquerque by flashmobbing the streets and ultimately making $4k in two weeks. The day this picture was taken, we were downtown and a man offered us coffee on the house. We were also mural hopping and being extremely fierce (definitely not cute, fierce).

4.  attended the stanford hssc for the second time

I don’t even know how to begin this one. The eight weeks that this program offered me a home were the most amazing weeks of my entire summer (aside from the fact that it kind of was my entire summer). 

Not only did I spend an invigoratingly independent time on campus, I stayed up late either finising my cs assignments, enjoying thought-provoking and hilarious conversation, or a combination of the two, and every bit was amazing. 

Peep the incredible people I was blessed to meet and spend my summer with. Not only were they witty, smart, and everything you could ask for in a person, they were also really hawt.

5. had my first kiss

I guess you can say that the summer program might have offered a bit more than academics?

In all honesty though, this was definitely one to cross off the bucket list. Although I’d been previously presented with the offer, my little naive self continued to refuse, expecting an epic story.

Well, epic is a pretty good description. Let’s just say I was beginning to grow impatient listening on the sidelines as my friends recounted their first kisses in exciting whispers. I knew my time would come, but when?

I never thought my time would involve an amazing summer with a relatable person who actually made me secure and comfortable. All I can say is thank god I waited for my epic moment and not some cheap shot who I could have settled for. 

Also, thank god for roommates who can’t make curfew and large campuses where you won’t become embarrassed by a stranger’s familiar face.

6. rediscovered my actual obsession w/ poetry

Coming back from a great summer brought immediate depression and senioritis as I had to step into the real world of Rebecca-in-Albuquerque-with-grandiose-expectations. And then, it happened.

I discovered Button Poetry on YouTube.

For those who haven’t heard of this channel, Button Poetry publishes videos of slam poetry from various authors. Well, I happen to come across Sarah Kay and her marvelous poetry on love and the reality of life. All I can say is, click the link below to be blessed with words that will sing the best melody to your ears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHHzHu289Ws

7. performed at tedx

The Youth Fundraising Council had been given the incredible opportunity to step on the TEDxABQ stage and fill it with passion and art. Plus, we were given VIP passes, so you already know that we spent all day getting our hair and makeup done, along with pocketing all the expensive snacks and pretending we were indeed professional like all the other middle-aged accomplished humans we shared the stage with.

**Shoutout to our founder Caro (pictured in sunglasses) for literally being my type of human**

8. became an apprentice for the professional company

Since I began dancing flamenco at the age of five, my friends and I had this amazing hope and dream that we would one day be sharing the stage with our teachers and mentors. Well, this semester, I was given the opportunity to partake in the company’s rehearsals with guest artists and surrounded by motivated and incredibly hardworking people every day. With the 20 hours a week I danced this semester, I have to say it was all worth it. 

Let’s just say I learned a lot more than dance technique. I learned how to be extremely confident in myself and my abilities. I learned to be my harshest critic, and my best teacher. 

Although I may not end up in the actual company, this lifelong dream of mine is the best news to receive during my final year in Albuquerque.

9. danced with actual legends

Okay, just seeing this picture gives me chills. When I tell you that the people I shared the stage with that night are legends, I truly mean it. I mean I’ve been watching Tacha (third from left) and Loreto (fourth from left) on YouTube for a really long time, and suddenly I am studying and performing with them. It was amazing, and without this picture, I wouldn’t believe the words I am currently typing.

10. danced at my last greek fest

Newsflash: For me, being multicultural means having the craziest clubs and hobbies. Aside from dancing flamenco for thirteen years, I have also been Greek dancing with some of the peeps depicted above. 

Although I am the only senior girl in the group, these guys have toughed it out with me all twelve years, occasionally cussing each other and others out in Greek (eimaste malakes). 

11. spent thanksgiving w/ the greatest peeps

Now back to the Mexican side of the family. 

The arrival of Thanksgiving week also brought the arrival of my mom’s family in a white van coming from South Texas. For the entire week, our house went from hardwood floors to air mattresses. Meals varied from tamales to meat to (surprise!!) turkey. 

We also may or may not have blasted music from Grupo Celedón’s track, which was the family band my grandfather had started that consisted of my mom and her siblings traveling the country to make ends meet by playing awesome original music. Enjoy the shameless plug below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnHJb2qmtZM (my mother is not in this recording; she’d dipped to UT Austin by then)

12. got accepted into actual college

To be honest, this is probably the one that brings me the most relief. I, Rebecca Watermelon, have been accepted to two universities. I believe that does mean that I will be, ahem, going to college.

I am so excited. The opportunity to leave New Mexico (the land of enchantment) for the independence and fresh start I felt at the summer program is so cool. However, I now have no motivation to complete any other college applications, or, for that matter, complete my senior year of high school.

13. performed in my last recital

Dancing has always been a part of my life, and every December brings the Recital Navideño, in which all the students and dancers from the National Institute of Flamenco share a weekend of what we’ve been working on. 

Well, this December is officially the last recital that I will ever partake in, and it was extremely sad but also a bit liberating. It is a quite literal marker that marks the end of an (epic) era, but also the start of a great beginning. Plus, who’s to say I will stop dancing? ;)

14. held my grandfather’s hand for the first time in two years

This is huge for me. About four years ago, my grandfather had a stroke. As a wee little eighth grader, I felt incredibly hopeless and frustrated that I couldn’t do anything. And then when I came to visit him for the first time, I realized the true extent of it. My grandfather, a man who was considered an accordion legend in The Valley, could no longer move the right side of his body. 

And yet, I still had one thing. I could hold his hand. 

Although he could not speak to me, he could look me in the eyes and hold my hand. This small act to many has instilled a sense of hope and love that I did not completely appreciate before the horrible moment. 

Being that I was gone every break either studying or traveling somewhere else, coming here this Christmas made me realize that I hadn’t held his hand in two years. And when I did, I felt grounded. I feel grateful. After all, holding hands is such a loving form of communication.

15. realized my life motto(s)

Last but not least. Since starting this post, it has been about half a day of procrastination, watching Friends, and being quite a couch potato. It is currently two in the a.m. on Christmas Day, and I am reminiscing on the beautiful year that was (and still is) 2017. I see now that this year has allowed me to grow into myself, and learn the best lessons before embarking on the next chapter that is college. This semester involved two phrases that I constantly repeated to myself as I tried not to actually panic about the future:

Whatever happens, happens

Find happiness in oblivion

I’ve found that these simple words have truly calmed me, and therefore I am dedicating this blog to being ok with not knowing the future, and being happy with the fact that all I know is that I know nothing.

Thank you for reading this incredibly long story that is my life. Here’s to many more reflections and memories. :)