#my pals bought some fancy cheese! this is the place that made me who i am (derogatory)

[karliahs]

i was visiting friends back home and they wanted to go to the farmer's market so i was like okay fun! not knowing that the farmer's market is held in. my old high school. which i then set foot in for the first time in like 12 years. with about 5 minutes' warning

[midnightbluefox]

Our Reylo Discord server, The Reylo Writing Den @thereylowritingden, held its second fic gift exchange, in which over 40 people participated! The amount of talent in all of these writers, and the effort that they put into their fics, is absolutely stunning. Please enjoy all of the quality new Reylo content and support some really skilled and giving authors.

+ fic is mature/explicit

* fic is a WIP/ currently incomplete

 ________________________

+  The One in Which She Takes His Hand by @saturninefeline for @filthyreylo : "I’ll be your slaughterhouse, your killing floor, your morgue and final resting, walking around with this bullet inside me like the bullet was already there, like it’s been waiting inside me the whole time." - "Wishbone", Richard Siken

Floricorpse by @nite0wl29 for AmberDread : Never ask what could go wrong on Halloween in Transfiguration class. Ben and Rey are about to find out first hand.

+* The Curse of the Forgotten Tomb by @spiegatrixlestrange  for @gopherbroke : Rey falls, not so accidentally, into an ancient, untouched burial chamber during an archeology project in Egypt. All the hints lead to the fact that the owner of the chamber had been cursed. It might be the most important discovery in Rey's career, but the consequence of disturbing a dead man's slumber will haunt her for a pretty long time.

+ Spine Tingling by @reysexualkylo for @sand-its-everywhere : Haunted house worker and the person who gets scared and punched them in the face au

+* A Love Sent From Hell by @minkel23 to @kylotrashforever : At night while he sleeps, Professor Ben Solo is visited by a woman. A woman who appears out of nowhere. A woman who disappears into nothing. A woman who makes him want to weep with both fear and desire. The woman of his dreams, though she comes wrapped in a nightmare.

When he discovers an old book, full of ancient spells, he suddenly realises he can bring his dream woman to life.

But all dreams come at a price, and all spells are followed by demons. But is the demon one Ben really wants to face?

+* From R to Kylo by @sand-its-everywhere to @quixoticlux : Ben and Rey are archaeologists who absolutely cannot stand each other. They also happen to be pen pals, but they don't know who the other is, until one night they get trapped together at a creepy excavation site, and suddenly their hatred begins to unravel.

+ Unfinished Business by @kylotrashforever by @lilia-ula  : All her life Rey has seen things she shouldn’t. She’s spent the greater part of the last decade helping errant spirits move on from this life, helping them to find the closure they seek and cross over. When a request comes in seeking her help to rid an architectural firm of a particularly grumpy haunt, she doesn’t hesitate to answer the call. Kylo Ren may be the most handsome haunt she’s ever faced, but that won’t stop her from helping him settle his unfinished business... even if she doesn’t realize he’s not actually dead

A silly ghost story with a ghostly mixup and a not so ghostly Kylo Ren.

+ you’re my boo by @filthyreylo for @reyloner : Rey's neighbor Ben Solo is the only one who ever shows Halloween spirit around here. When she discovers he's moving out, she's only hurt because that means she won't have anymore competition... right?

So she sets out on a plan to make him stay.

+* Of Yoga and Werewolves by @inmyownidiom for @aknightofwren : Rey isn't obsessed with Ben. Not at all. She just really enjoys staring at his ass as it moves beneath yoga pants. When she starts seeing him outside of the yoga studio, Rey slowly realizes that Ben has been keeping something from her: something dark, something awful, and something that doesn't have anything to do with yoga pants.

Their relationship is about to seriously transform.

+* Unmasked by @wewantreylo for @attackofthedarkcurses : When Rey meets a masked guy at Maz's annual Halloween party, she is instantly smitten. Her mystery man is perfect -- compassionate, protective and a dedicated Star Wars fan, just like her. It's like he was made for her. There's only one problem.

She doesn't know Kylo Ren is actually her asshole coworker, Ben Solo.

+ The Mystery of Pumpkin Spice by @intp-slytherin97 for @brwrites2187 : Someone in the apartment likes pumpkin spice (spoiler alert: it's Ben)...and Rey decides to make all a little more complicated.

***

Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice yogurt, pumpkin spice cream cheese, pumpkin spice cottage cheese, pumpkin spice potato chips—

Who the fuck eats pumpkin spice potato chips? Dear god, not even he would.

However, Ben brilliantly remained neutral every time someone brought up the sudden appearance of these pumpkin spice inspired and flavored items. Claiming at every moment he did not know who bought them.

Because he honestly had no idea who was fucking with him.

Someone in the apartment clearly knew of his little…pumpkin spice addiction. And decided to use to garner his attention—well two can play at that game.

I’m Not Freaking Out by @reyofdarkness for @reyloandotherfandoms : Intrepid ghost-hunters Ben and Rey are used to crawling in, around, and under abandoned places to get their share of spooks and scares (all fake, of course; they know ghosts aren't real). But when they come across an old schoolhouse with a haunted history, the TV magic might take a dive into the actually supernatural.

*You Bury Me by @attackofthedarkcurses for @reylocalligraphy : Rey visits her grandfather, who resides in the bed next to Padme Amidala, at the nursing home daily. Padme has the month of October left to live. What happens when Ben, who hasn’t talked to his grandmother in decades, decides to start visiting the nursing home every day?

+* Honey, I’m Home by @reyloner for @inmyownidiom : When Rey confesses her opinion on Halloween, or lack thereof more like, Ben Solo takes up the challenge in changing her mind; to make her see that October 31st is a day worth celebrating. And what better way to show her the spooky spirit than paying a visit to the grand Victorian house (rumoured to be haunted) that once belonged to his grandparents?

However, unbeknownst to Ben, the house has a whole mind of its own. And much like him, the spirits within also have a goal to complete:

To resolve the heady tension that circulates between the pair and force out the real confessions that need to be heard.

+* Hallowed Heat by @gopherbroke for @twinkitten : As the steady babysitter, Rey is accompanying Mr. Solo and his son, Grey, to the city's big Halloween Fest. It is a little too late when she realizes that she had broken Mr. Solo's rigid contract and had forgotten her suppressants. She flees, hiding in the portapotty as she starts to go into heat.

While Mr. Solo paces, impatient and bossy, on the other side of the thin plastic door, Rey looks back on her relationship with her boss and how he has changed from hostile employer to friend... to Alpha?

But would he ever be her Alpha?

And how long will that flimsy door hold back Alpha like Mr. Solo from an Omega that smells as sweet as Rey?

... Grey had always said how much his father had a sweet tooth.

+ As We Collide by @aknightofwren for @hellomelusine : “Damn it Rey! How do you accidentally summon a dead Witch of Dathomir?!” yelled Ben as he dodged a plate sailing through the air towards him.

Unknotting Unknots by @reylocalligraphy for @moonshotsandarchimedeslevers : Rey doesn’t know who moves first. Maybe they both do, his lips crashing down and her body leaning forward. Their lips meet in a tender, careful clash. He has such gentle lips, so easy to melt into, but too soon, he breaks the kiss.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers instantly. His eyes are wide with fear, the oh my god I just kissed an Alpha without her permission look. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

***

Rey’s world is turned upside down when she meets Ben Solo—an Omega unlike any she’s ever met before.

+ Southern Shadows and Howling Horrors by @twinkittenfor @kill-these-lights : Rey and her friends are just looking for a quiet place to go on their college break, and settle on the small southern town of Endor for a bit of camping and hiking. Ben Solo is a sheriff trying to bring his sleepy southern town out of the dark ages and keep everyone happy and safe. No one is safe when a monster decides to stalk the campers; Ben and Rey are caught in a whirlwind of romance and horror as they both fight the idea that something supernatural lives in the woods.

With a Swoop of the Pen by @armltagehux for @awshuxhux : Ben Solo, bestselling thriller author, is struggling to write the final book of his trilogy. His agent, Hux, sends him to Salem, Massachusetts in October in an attempt to get him into the "spooky" mindset. An impulse buy in a kitchy Halloween shop lands Ben with a calligraphy set that supposedly has enchanted properties which manifest whatever he writes into reality. He puts it to the test in a nearby coffee shop where he works on his novel almost daily, much to the entertainment of the cute barista, Rose.

+ To Be Brave by @mizuphoenix for @kpopandstarwarswhynot : Rey Niima finds herself going through a haunted house with her not friend, and secret crush, Ben Solo. Why she thought that was a good idea in the first place she had no idea. It was Halloween so she might as well try to be brave.

She had many fears, but she was going to have to face the one fear she held above even that of clowns.

+* Love is a misunderstanding between two fools by @greyforceuser for @thecalrissianchronicals : Ben Solo has been too afraid to ask out the girl he's been in love with for years, Rey. He tries to impress her by going as Kylo Ren to the Halloween costume party. Rey shows up in the sexiest costume he's ever seen. Could she possibly have worn it for him? The only thing he is sure about is that she must be trying to kill him.

+* The Lioness by @lilia-ula for @bunilicious : Rey had long ago dismissed many of the more fanciful beliefs of her people, including that of the Ghost Moon. As far as she was concerned, the dead most definitely weren’t interested in rising from their graves to hunt the living on the eve of her birthday.

There was one ghost, however, of whose presence she was certain, as evinced year after year on the eventide of autumn.

It was said that he took the form of a man, but possessed the great wings of a bat. That he was enchanting to behold, with hair black as a starless sky and skin like rare alabaster, but that his mouth was a rictus of daggers stained with the blood of his victims.

*Anything to Win by @happilyeveraftereveryday for @intp-slytherin97 : Rey hates losing.

She hates losing almost more than she loves winning.

Which is why she's in the ridiculous position of asking Kylo Ren, the very person who keeps beating her at the singles costume contest, to team up with her to dominate the couples contest and trounce Phasma and Hux once and for all.

Working with Kylo is a necessary evil, but really, she'd do anything to win. Anything!

Unless... it's falling in love.

* The Rule of Three by @reyloandotherfandoms for @happilyeveraftereveryday :  Sometimes you have to meet the love of your life more than once.

+*Little Red by @j-dryless for @wewantreylo : For as long as she’s known, something inside her has always been there.

Mostly it’s been asleep.

But now it’s awake.

And she’s afraid.

From circumstances she can’t control, Rey gets a new job, a new home, and a new neighbor—the Big Bad Wolf.

Decades to Fall by @rrwilson66 for @armltagehux : He's not sure when it happened or if he's always felt it.

Maybe it was when they were children? Pretending to be brave ghost hunters, racing down the halls of the Hux residence.

Or it could have been when she dragged him to that stupid Halloween party in that ridiculous costume?

Or when they attended the local fall fair? Which he still counts as their first date.

He's not sure when it occurred, he doesn't really care because he knows one thing.

Armitage Hux is utterly in love with Rey Kantana!

What may come by @mrsmancuspia for @nite0wl29 : A little ficlet that got longer than expected.

 +* Sinful by @kpopandstarwarswhynot for @mrsmancuspia :  Who would have thought that a pair of pretty eyes could lead to the path of eternal damnation? +* The Dinner Party by @bunilicious for @monsterleadmehome : The boy she once knew was now a man. Now, inexplicably, the innocence and vivacity of a young girl’s first love seemed to blossom, growing into that of a woman on the cusp of something tremendous – the awareness of her sensuality. A new yearning bloomed inside her with each passing second – and the innocent butterflies, which had fluttered in her stomach at the thought of the boy she cherished, were engulfed in scorching flames. It was a fire that now rendered her breathless and desiring of something that only the man she loved could provide. As Ben took her hand in his to escort her to dinner, Rey became overwhelmed by a tingling sensation for which she had no name – a slick moisture which gathered at the apex of her thighs, a swollen nub which demanded to be touched and nurtured… like a small bud blossoming in a garden that refused to remain dormant.

A REYLO VICTORIAN AU

+*  Tryptophan and Serotonin by @monsterleadmehome for @j-dryless :  Ben Solo hates Thanksgiving at his family's house. However, this year, his mother has invited a special guest - Rey Abrams, the girl he's been crushing on at work. When Ben consumes too much turkey, he falls asleep on the couch and has a rather vivid dream about Rey. Will he be able to hold his composure and finally ask her out? 

  +* Sunflower and Pumpkins by @i-live-in-the-reylo-moon for @delia-pavorum : Professor Ben Solo hates Halloween but thanks to his pushy colleagues Proffesors Hux and Phasma he is persuaded to attend the annual Halloween party Poe Dameron is throwing in the hope of seeing the beautiful young woman he passes on campus each morning. When he finds her he is instantly smitten. But does that mean he'll start to love All Hallows' Eve?

The Halloween Heist by @rebelrebelreylo for @midnightbluefox and @loveofescapism : Clyde Logan was done with “cauliflower” schemes. But, unlike Jimmy, Sadie still had sway over him. That was why he’d slipped away from her elementary school party and was sneaking into her teacher’s classroom — all to steal her sacred Halloween hoard back.

+* This Is Us Colliding by @moonshotsandarchimedeslevers for @minkel23 : Desperate to save her bakery from going out of business, Rey decides to steal apples from Varykino Orchards. Things go awry when Ben catches her in the act. But instead of turning her in, Ben makes an interesting proposal...

An apple-picking twist on Beauty and the Beast/Snow White. Dedicated to the lovely and talented minkel23 who came up with the brilliant prompt. +* We Shall Be Monsters by @kill-these-lights for @avidvampirehunter : “The things you see there are not exactly real.”

Rey's just trying to follow Master Luke's latest cryptic lesson. She didn't expect for Kylo Ren to land on the same strange world in a remote corner of the galaxy. However, on this planet, nothing is what it appears to be, and the two must band together to overcome the visions surrounding them, if they can bear to face the Darkness within...

+ Fall by AmberDread for @aniskym  : Autumn, the leaves are changing, soon to fall, when Kylo takes Rey away for a long weekend to the country - he knows she'll love his grandmother's cabin in the woods.

Unfortunately for him, his long-estranged twin brother Ben arrives a few hours after them. Ben was looking forward to chilling out somewhere quiet after being away on tour for two years in Iraq, he isn't especially pleased to find the cabin isn't empty, but he tries to make the most of it, and can't help enjoying every time he makes Kylo's girlfriend smile.

+ all of life’s problems by @delia-pavorum for @greyforceuser : “Anyway, Ben.” Poe was already inching in the direction of the kitchen, where a group of people all dressed like the clown from IT - with varying degrees of success - were loudly chanting the word “shots” over and over again. “I’m going to let you get comfortable, grab a drink, and get settled in. And, hey--” He paused, which made Ben turn to look at him. “--Try and have some fun for once, yeah?” 

With a wink, he threw his arm over Finn’s shoulder and they both took their leave. “Take care of my boy, Rey!” he called over his shoulder just as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Ben quickly looked over at Rey, who was staring at him once more over the rim of her cup, her eyes twinkling.“I don’t need babysitting,” he muttered, tone surly.“Oh, shut it,” she responded good-humoredly. “Let’s get you a drink.”

When Ben Solo reluctantly attends a Halloween Party being thrown by his former roommate from med school, he gets more than he bargained for once he encounters the only other person there without a costume.

* Mischief Night by @brwrites2187 for @i-live-in-the-reylo-moon :  Rey and Ben Solo, newlyweds, are all dressed up in costume for a night of Halloween parties, hosted by Poe Dameron and the Hux family. But, when Finn ends up in the hospital for an emergency surgery, Rose recruits the Solos to take her and Finn's daughters trick-or-treating. They help out the Ticos, and that Halloween night will definitely be one no one forgets. 

+ The Tengu of Takodana by @avidvampirehunter for @thewayofthetrashcompactor : The forest of Takodana has been cursed by a Tengu, a demon of nature and war. Rey, a young warrior, is summoned to defeat the beast, reclaim the Seed, and restore the forest to its rightful state.

But not all seeds come in pods.

+* Frightful Nights by @hellomelusine for @reyofdarkness : Rey had met Ben six weeks ago at this fireside ghost story event a friend of a friend of a friend was running. Ridiculously named Frightful Nights, but they promised free s’mores and hot chocolate, so really, Rey owed it to herself to attend. Ben was there looking more than a little forlorn in his own, and well, Rey’s true motivator for going over and striking up conversation was because the dude was hot. And now, he had promised to stop by her place of work. Rey didn't care how tough he thought he was. She was going to scare him.

+* measured out my life (with caf spoons) by @mnemehoshiko for @saturninefeline :  All Ben Solo wants is a cup of plain caf. The universe feels otherwise.

+ Paint It Black by @quixoticlux for @mizuphoenix : “Look, I don’t have any candy.” He smirked, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing his massive arms. Rey tried not to stare at his bicep muscles pulled taut. “Unless you’re looking for something else sweet…” 

Rey somehow managed to tear her gaze away from his bare skin, forcing herself to focus on his eyes. Which she realized belatedly was just as dangerous. “Unless that ‘something sweet’ happens to be a new painting…”

Rey's an Artist Liaison for Resistance Gallery in Manhattan. Kylo Ren is a mysterious artist she's been after for months. What happens when she loses a bet and has to show up on his doorstep on Halloween, in costume?

* harvest moon and autumn sun by @thewayofthetrashcompactor for @spiegatrixlestrange :  After years on her own, Rey's found a job at Resistance Tattoos. It's not a bad gig. She has friends who understand that magic isn't as fictional as most people believe and who put up with her after the full moon. They've got a pretty good thing going on, but she's not sure the flower shop moving in across the street fits into that. Especially with how strange the new owner smells. And what kind of gardener is so pale? Rey decides she's going to find out. +* Probably gonna die here by @thecalrissianchronicals for @reysexualkylo : So yeah Rey was a bit scared of being alone in a corn maze, at night, in the middle of nowhere, probably about to be murdered. 

She absolutely blamed Ben Solo for it. 

[clowngremlin]

got an anon message that reminded me of my good things list....i have been really busy making art lately so i havent done one in a bit so it’s time!!! under the cut because it’s long!!!

i’ll start from monday:

-saw one of my best friends who i hadnt seen for two weeks because she has been really sick!!

-went to the lgbt youth group where we chatted and i worked on my comic for my mcr fanzine!!

-made some new friends at a job interview!!

-had a very tasty bagel!!! it had fancy cream cheese :3c

tuesday:

-finished  my comic for my mcr fanzine....it’s not the only thing for the zine im making so it will be a lil while longer before i post it!!

-did another comic that i still need to post that i am very proud of!!

-someone said something really nice to me about my comic i posted

-saw my psych and he and i had a good talk about maybe seeing if i can get into the film industry with my skills which is something i had never thought of before.....in my city it’s a huge industry so it’s something to look into!!

-had a meeting with a lady about my academic withdrawal....she said my case is really strong and they will most likely grant me academic exception so i wont fail!!!

wednesday:

-my sister came over!!! it was nice to see her!!

-my sister and i shared a fancy muffin....it was a strawberry cheesecake muffin and extremely tasty :3c

-went out for dinner with hope!!! we went to one of my favorite restaurants!!! it’s a vegan Vietnamese place that has the best sauce for the salad rolls!!!

-saw a different pal when i was out with hope and it was nice to see them!! i hadnt seen them for a while so it was good to catch up!!

-got starbucks with hope as well and that was nice!!

-wore an excellent outfit that consisted of a black and white striped long sleeved shirt, my black overalls, fishnet stockings underneath the overalls because they have rips in them so u can see the fishnet and it looks Cool, my slime green and purple creepers, my funky sunglasses one of my friends gave me for my birthday, and my bright green fishnet fingerless gloves!!

-did a drawing i was really proud of AND a comic!! i havent posted the comic yet either...i should be posted my comics more often lol.....anyways the drawing got a lot of likes on instagram and i was very happy :>

thursday:

-stayed home for most of the day, working on my various comics and drawings and spending time with eli

-went down town to go to the comic book store to get the newest umbrella academy hotel oblivion comic, ended up getting it AND a twd comics t shirt....it has rick, negan, michonne and carl on it and i was really stoked to find it because it was the last one AND it was $10....over half off.....i had seen it a while ago at the comic book store and never bought it because shirts there are expensive so im pretty pleased

-also went to lush down town, got one of those naked cleansing bars....had a lil dance party with the workers.....it was nice!!!

-got a tea at david’s tea....i am a bit :/ about supporting david’s tea because i used to work at one and they treated me like shit at the end, but i just wont support the one i used to work at, and i also wont buy anything but teas of the day because they’re cheaper lol. anyways i got a grapefruit tea and it was tasty!!

-lots of people told me they liked my pins!!!

-did even more work on my drawings and comics when i got home

-went to bed before 3:00 am!!

-one of the youths from the trans support group i go to bought a garf plushie and asked me if i wanted it???? it was so nice of them ;_;

friday:

it was really nice and sunny

-saw the best shirts at the thrift store but i didnt buy them and im really sad about it but it’s for the best because i need to save money but it sent me into a depressive spiral and it was really upsetting and i got a stress head ache thinking about having to find a new job and felt really sick

-had a nice walk with eli to help me calm down after the anxiety attack i had over trying to find a job....saw many excellent dogs that eli loves to go and visit with!!!

-this dog gets their own point because they are special....i saw a little white Pomeranian wearing CLOTHING!!! they were wearing like a little funky jacket/suit and SHOES!!! it was the best

-multiple friends sent me the garfield phone mystery news article.....this is more of a theme for the over all week because i’ve had someone send it to me at least once a day for the past couple of days, but i love and appreciate it regardless because it means that my friends pay attention to my interests and things i like!!!

-ate 2 meals, babey!!! i goofed breakfast, but i had both a lunch and a dinner and i ate it all and didnt use behaviors afterwards!!

-worked on my art some more!!

-looked at the classes im going to register for in the summer semester....im taking an art history, illustration class and an animation class....the animation class is stop motion and so im excited :3c

[sussex-nature-lover]

Monday 6th July 2020 - Dennis part 2, the cast of thousands (OK, just a few)

Link to Part 1

It’s good fun choosing names, but it’s a big responsibility too. Why Dennis? Well the cat needed a name other than THE BLACK CAAAAT. I guess he must’ve had a name at some time in his early life, but we’ll never know what it was, which is kind of a shame, although he had the name we gave him for most of his life.

Through work, OH and I both knew an older gentleman called Dennis and  by personality he was more demanding and precise than the top honours graduate from the University of Precise Things in Precise Land (loose Black Adder reference. Very loose) We knew him for years and he was always the same.

I had a dream about him, the man, one night. I dreamt that he and his wife went Christmas shopping at the Bluewater centre and that he left her to browse while he prowled and inspected the loading bays of all the big stores, like House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer and reorganised them, putting everything to rights, telling them just where they were going wrong and where and how things should be stored properly to his precise standards. It was one of those vivid dreams that stay with you.

When the Black Cat first investigated our kitchen, he was just the same, sniffing at every little thing and giving it ‘ the look’ for all the world conveying ‘That Shouldn’t Be There’ every time something new, like a bag of shopping, came in.

I learned that cats don’t like change much, or for things to be moved, but he was so measured it was funny to watch and ‘that shouldn’t be there’ became his catchphrase. I gather this is something a lot of cats do, but like I said, we’re not cat people.

We felt sorry for him in the very wet and exceptionally bitter winter of 2006 and he really didn’t seem to have anywhere else to be, so slowly, very gradually, he just moved in. We moved his silver food dish just inside the patio doors so he would be sheltered as he ate and put down a blanket if he wanted to make use of it.  The first night he stayed inside was very strange, but he simply got his head down. He didn’t venture into the house beyond the corner of the kitchen door for a long time.

When he was well settled in, he’d do an inspection prowl in the evening, check the other downstairs rooms and very occasionally upstairs, although the one room in the house he never ever entered was our bedroom. The Utility Room became his ‘ensuite’ and he had a hidey home in three spots...behind the sofa in the drawing room, in between two chairs in the sitting room and under the bed in Ms NatureWatch 1’s old bedroom. OH and I learned to live with frequent sneezing and extra vacuuming. He didn’t like the doorbell at all and there were certain people who’d come to work at the house, like the man who services the drainage tank - a very nice man as it happens - but something about his voice would send D into hiding for the whole day.

Just Dennis wasn’t a strong enough name for a cat who had some impressive abilities and so over time it progressed to become Dennis The Amazing Wonder Cat...much more fitting. Sometimes he was here and then, pooft he was gone, or he was back, just like that. Amazing. He was a stealth cat.

Getting to know him better, his back story slowly revealed itself, like Skimbleshanks, Dennis was a Railway Cat and had a similar character, but a much more elevated status, in his previous incarnation as the original investigator and author of the canal and rail guides published under his nom du plume of Bradshaw.

Not only that but it was later revealed that he’d risen to an exceptional rank in the Royal Navy and later been the unique subject of a drive-by Knighting when HM Queen Elizabeth visited Newhaven Port on 31st October 2013, which, coincidentally was Dennis’s 14th birthday (we approximated his age when we first got to know him and designated his birthday, what with being a Black Cat Halloween seemed fitting)

So there we have him, in all his glory, Sir Dennis Horatio Amazing Wonder Cat of Bradshaw, Lord High Admiral of the Fleet. RIP.

Try repeating that twice over the phone to the Vet’s Receptionist.

He was a funny old boy, he hated strangers but put up with me and came to be OH’s great pal. He was very dignified and didn’t like to be disrespected. One time I mistakenly bought cat biscuits for kittens and he wouldn’t eat them, so I cunningly mixed them in with his regular biscuits, only to find he picked every ‘kitten bit’ out and discarded it. That told me! I bought him toys, including a mouse, to play with. He took one look at it and went outdoors, returning a couple of minutes later with an actual mouse. Aaaaaagh. His expression? ‘Call that a mouse? that orange bit of fluff? NO, this is a mouse’ I was firmly put in my place once more.

He never made any mess, never got on any furniture except outdoors - he did requisition empty boxes mind and he was very quiet, just occasionally hissing at the fox and in later years miaowing for a little bit of fuss as he lay by the side of OH’s chair. Otherwise he’d get your attention by stealth, creeping up and sitting silently behind you as you prepared food. He loved a little bit of cheese or some hand carved ham.

He put up with our daughter’s two cats when they holidayed here and two other cats and a kitten which we fostered for quite a while.  Did I say we’re not cat people?

The Dodger and Dennis, inside and out. A kitten who was lost in our garden. Eventually we managed to trace the owner and reunite them

Socks (the only animal we’ve ever had who gained an obvious kind of name, but not an obvious way of saying it) who was abandoned by a family in our lane who moved away. We fostered him for 8 months and I loved him. He was re-homed by a local cat rescue for us. I cried buckets when he left, but he was quite a handful and his presence could be stressful at times for Dennis, not to mention ‘Katoing’ OH when he came in from work.

Dennis (left) and Herbie (Right) - so called because he was found in the herb patch, which is only obvious if you know that fact.

As with the kitten, we looked after Herbie and advertised locally, contacted vets and used word of mouth but no one came forward to claim him. Again, we fostered him and got him vet checked with the help of a local charity and he was eventually found a nice new home.

Herbie

<Massive Tangent because it always makes me smile> 

Miss NatureWatch the Younger, when she was a toddler, got quite upset because she was fancying some ‘Herbie Sandwiches’ and (unsurprisingly) I was having trouble fathoming what she meant. It took quite a bit of working out, but we did get there in the end. Lemon Curd on wholemeal bread - a little treat I could recommend actually. I’d once made these tiny, crustless square delicacies whilst she was watching Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (or one of the Herbie films anyway and I should point out that they were vintage films at this time) and it was the only way she could think of describing what she wanted to eat again...so Lemon Curd has been Herbie ever since.

Herbie was the only other cat that Dennis had a half decent relationship with,by which I mean he ignored him. Herbie actually managed to have a nap one afternoon on Dennis’s bed while Dennis snoozed alongside. That was quite a triumph.

With Ms NatureWatch’s cats, Dennis was disdainful of the young pretender Mr B, but seemed to have quite a soft spot for Minxy who was an older pure white female and who had the accolade of once ‘kissing’ Dennis on the nose.  RIP Minx, forever known now as Dennis’s Girlfriend. I think he was far too shocked to protest at the kiss, but maybe he quite liked it! Minxy by name...

Dennis was also an animal rescue hero (I’ve blogged this before) when he alerted us to Buster the Hedgehog who was sheltering in the kennel we’d bought for Dennis to use while we were at work. That’s going back to before he stayed in the house while we were out.

What a lad he was and how our hearts broke when it was time to say goodbye. We’d only ever been able to pick him up on a couple of occasions over all the years and his veterinary care had to be house calls and observation, but he was a strong and healthy boy who lived to a good age and brought so much richness into our lives.

That was awfully long but there’s a lot to say In Memory of a Very Important Cat

Amazing. The Amazing Wonder Cat.

Handmade brooch commissioned from Nick Hubbard Jewellery in 2009. Dennis can always be with me.

Hope you enjoyed the read and my tribute to Dennis. Just remember...we’re still  not cat people, well, not unless you count our distant relationship with M Flambeau.

Fox and Flambeau

M Flambeau seen twice yesterday

Outside links in bold are not affiliated to this Blog

[abiteofnat]

THE SUBWAY CAN’T STOP ME FROM HAVIN A GOOD TIME...

Even though my “sea legs” are a little shaky when I’m a billion feet underground and shuttling through the space-time continuum. I love public transit and rely on it to live my life, but the NYC subway is it’s own Narnia of transport. After my family left me for the rats in NYC I was to backpack between Brooklyn and the Upper East Side where two of my best and most beautiful friends recently moved to, each of them very different people and therefore providing me with a week of amazing, diverse experiences and quality #bff time. While I panicked about not having enough to do to keep us occupied I quickly realized I am naive and that NYC is definitely not lacking in things to do, anytime, ever. AND THEY DON’T LACK THINGS TO EAT! 

The first couple days were spent with a dear pal Sophia, my crossfit queen and wine connoisseur, and her boyfriend in Brooklyn where the bagels were plenty and we ate a lot of them. Bagel World is where you can find the famous Rainbow Bagel which I believe is an egg bagel with some food coloring stirred in, and with a little plain cream cheese smeared on there it’s the perfect #hangoverhelper and puts a smile on your face. The best thing about NYC bagel delis is the fact they have TUBS of cream cheese for your choosing, and you better believe there are a half a dozen flavors minimum that make the salty & sweet or savory & salty or sweet & sweet conundrum all the harder to decide. I’m a fan of a salty bagel and a sweet cream cheese, i.e. sea salt bagels with strawberry cream cheese (which I tried at Pick A Bagel -pictured below- later on that week) but that rainbow bagel realllyyyy swooned me. And, being a dumbo with caffeine-free brain, I forgot to take pics and just consumed it out of pure glee. May it live on forever in my heart.

I also went to a bombfreaking.com bagel place in the Financial District while Soph was off doing important things, and lemme tell you I absolutely adore that area of Manhattan. While it does feel very “Wolf of Wall Street” and everyone is a business person rushing around under these tall, gray buildings it’s also near the water and feels like a whole new city of it’s own. There are a ton of tiny cafes and coffee shops, bars and mini patios, and a shocking amount of flower shops. I wouldn’t make it a destination area itself but if you’re checking out the One World Trade Center (which is entirely worth seeing, it’s humbling and very breathtaking) you could walk over for a snack and a think. My find of the day was Leo’s Bagels, where I got a poppyseed and chive cream cheese bagel that blew my fucking mind. This bagel was the essential NYC bagel, broiled to chewy perfection and toasted to a golden brown and then SMOTHERED WITH CHIVE CREAM CHEESE THAT I COULD EAT WITH A SPOON FOREVER. I read a book, “The Couple Next Door”, and noshed on my bagel while watching the rain fall on the brick streets crowded with people running underneath newspapers to protect their fancy hair. It was pretty damn perfect. 

Outside of bagels, we checked out where to get sangria pitchers and talk about the trials of millennial living which lead us to Barraca, a picture-perfect corner spot in a bustling part of Greenwich. Their happy hour menu was poppin’ and we ordered pitchers of multiple types of sangria, garlic-marinated olives, pan con tomate, and expected menu items such as patatas bravas that were deep fried and topped with a glorious aioli, and then threw in some manchego cheese with grilled toast and jam. It was tasty little bites of tapas classes in a rustic yet modern setting, great people watching, and ideal lounge-forever-and-drink vibes. 

We were quite content here and should you want a casual, 5-hour European meal this is your place! Plus Greenwich is a mecca of little bars and late night restaurants, walk a little far to the Meat Packing District to the clubs and fancy pants bars, and the world is your $15 cocktail. Voila! 

The last leg of my trip was spent with my oldest and most vegan friend Lolo who went above and beyond to show me an authentic day in the life of her and her huge, beautiful friend group which led us to some pretty cool and totally veggie-friendly spots. Lolo being the wonder she is also let me stop for bagels at any moment and for that she wins an award seeing as she doesn’t even eat bagels! And I’m so indecisive with them! 

One of the first places we went to was the food court in The Plaza as it’s a staple for her and I had never been. We woke up ~hella~ early with the world on a Saturday to scamper to Central Park and sit in line for 5 hours to get Shakespeare in the Park tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as it’s free Broadway theater that is packed every single night of the summer, and after scoring four beautiful tickets our eyes were glazed over and my stomach was screaming “FUCK THE ARTS I NEED FOOD”. So we headed to The Plaza, went underneath the elite hotel section to the similarly elite yet casual eatery, and I was shell shocked. I don’t know what I expected, but this food court felt like the most glorious spread of gourmet foods offered to raggedy people like us in baseball caps and tennis shoes. 

Lolo led me to the coffee that to this minute of my life is still the best iced coffee I’ve ever had, and with a splash of almond milk and simple syrup I couldn’t quite believe that coffee from a French stand in a food court was changing my entire life. It’s called Epicerie Boulud, and you should go N O W. 

We also stopped and got sushi from the sushi stand which would be a running trend of the weekend (little did I know). One of the things I love about my girl is she is an avid sushi fan even though it’s just veggies and rice all wrapped up because she’s meat free, and I can eat sushi for ever single meal without turning into an actual piece of tuna and be happy. It was VERY VERY good sushi, and the men making it were so happy to be rolling up some rolls for the line of people sitting along the prep station and watching. Nothing like live theater, no matter what kind it is. 

After this meal we went to Central Park with some goodies from Whole Foods and picnicked until the show started, and my oh MY free Shakespeare was remarkable. The set, the costumes, alllllll of it was so extra and not to mention you’re watching it in the middle of Central Park with Manhattan lighting up all around you! 

The last meal spent in NYC was at ~drum roll please~ Chelsea Market, a spot I had never gotten to and was so eager to see. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Within this old, brick + steel building there are a billion little shops and curiosity stalls, one at which I bought an ancient postcard of Lady Liberty that I’m obsessed with. This was also the first trip I went out on the river to see Lady Liberty and I think I fell in love a little bit. That statue made me so damn emotional and I kind of can’t wait to go back and wander Ellis Island for a bit. Plus, the boat had a bar on board, and who doesn’t love a Blue Moon while cruising on the Hudson?

At the Chelsea Market we went to Lolo’s favorite place which is called Beyond Sushi and it’s completely vegan and grassy sushi + other sides that SHOOK ME. TO THE CORE. First off, the rice was purple. Second of all, the side of kimchi was so good that I ate it like salad all on it’s own and almost forgot to eat the other aspects of my meal. Try any and all things on the menu; it is all so fresh and delicately made that you don’t even realize there’s no fish/dairy/animal product in them. I’m the first to scoff at sushi that’s devoid of the most insane amount of tobiko/ahi tuna/octopus, but this was legitimately crunch and full of flavor and a remarkable balance of flavor. 

Yep. It’s unreal. Yep. See those test tubes of sauce? The plum sauce is best on EVERYTHING. HOW HELPFUL IS THAT. 

Right next door to Beyond Sushi is Pineapple Express, the glorious spot where the nicest woman in the world stayed open to make me one of the Insta-famous pineapples filled with pineapple soft serve and topped with fresh fruit, coconut shavings, and an umbrella. Also vegan, this makes the most luscious dessert to end a salty meal with and is perfect for sharing as long as you don’t mind accidental spoon wars. O.M.G. it was so good! And tip this woman well, she loves her job makin’ pretty fruits. 

WOWZA AM I RIGHT? Although the Chelsea Market closes relatively early, it is so worth going for a bite to eat and a wander about. You never know what treasures you’re going to find! 

Thanks for reading through my NYC adventures, I promise I also have fun Chicago spots to try and that I’m not leaving annyyy time soon. Ok? Ok. 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

-Natalie

[breakfastisntincluded]

€13

Today we got to go to Port de Sollèr properly for swimming and fun! Yayy! We had to go early because mom's appointment was at 10 so we arrived at like 9:30 when there were looadds of parks available but most things weren't open, and we tried to find somewhere to have breakfast... but nothing was open.... 😭 We ended up walking all the way around to the fancy hotel, checking every place to see if they were open, so in the end we just had a breakfast drink at the fancy hotel and left mom to her appointment. We then continued round and saw the other half of the bay we hadn't seen the day before. It was sooooo pretty and had less random souvenir shops than the other half and was mostly just food places and the sea.... How wonderful 😳😚 We went over a little bridge and there was a great looking bakery there but alas, no tables! And next to it was a dope looking crepe shop but alas, it wasn't open yet! So we went around some more and stopped at a random place with a cool orange juice machine (we had already had orange juice and didn't want anymore so I'm not super sure what the motivation for this decision was) and had the only two breakfast-y things they had: a ham and cheese plate (for dad) and almond cake (for the Kool Kids 😎), nice 👌🏾 We made this plan to meet back at the hotel when mom would be finishing and Kate and I went down to the beach at that end of the bay, and father went around to put money in the parking machine. The plan seemed simple. I had a brief swim in the glorious ocean, Kato had a brief sit on the stone wall at the edge of the beach, and off we went to meet back up again. We sat at the hotel for half an hour waiting for the others. It seems the plan was very complex in their minds! 😜 But father came back and it turned out they had found their pals so we all sat at this bar with the parental pals and had a cool beverage. I was sad because I wanted a Pina Colada without the rum in it which seemed like a very reasonable request but the guy wouldn't let me have it! So I had to have boring old coke! How sad! But it was alright because Kate and I went to look at some shops mom thought we would like, and kate had Oreo sandwich ice cream (there are so many novelty ice creams here!! 😱🎉) and I had 'Dorito bits' and another swim so it was all okay :) Madre and Padre had their pre-wedding drinks event to attend tonight in Deià so they dropped Kato and I off in Valdemossa on the way and we had a grand old time hanging out and ladding it up for a few hour while they were doing that. We looked at the sword sale, and we looked at swords that weren't on sale! We had novelty ice creams (I had this one that you push up as you eat it and then in the stick there are HARIBO BEARS?? And it's made by Streets which they have here?? And Kato got the toblerone ice cream!!??)! And we got the earrings I had had my eye on in this shop that had a whole stand of earrings made of gum packed and pencils and measuring tape and so on and so forth! And we got a postcard from this cool old artist lady who had a shop full of paintings! And we went to the supermarket and we bought terrible things and we donated the change to the collection box for stray animals that was back in the jewellery shop! And we still had so much time left! So we went down the hill because we hadn't been down the hill before, and it was so cool! On the drive towards Valdemossa you come around a corner and then you can see the whole town on the side of the mountain and see this big church and all this stuff but then when we'd gone there previously we'd never seen any of that, but there it all was, just down the hill! The streets were all cobbly and all the houses had green shutters and so many plants and it was soooo pretty and walked around and then we sat on a seat and just chilled for a while and saw a man watering his plants. Nice 👌🏾 It's weird that it's this Christmas card looking little village but then people actually live there :o When it got to be nearly time to meet mom and dad we went to the chosen cafe meeting place and... da da da daaaaa 🎉 They had fancy non alcoholic cocktails 🎉 so I got one and we sat there with our fancy drinks waiting for those parents and then we all had a wonderful dinner and went back home. I sit in the front of the rental car and do the navigating with the help of Alexa (the google maps lady on dad's phone), but we've gone to Valdemossa so many times now and driven home at night so many times that we don't super need the directions anymore :P

[kartiavelino]

How ‘You’ve Got Mail’ made NYC a rom-com star

Twenty years in the past, the Web was an unexplored, international land, not an dependancy or a matchmaking service. And the Huge Apple was nonetheless crammed with mom-and-pop outlets — a panorama threatened by company giants like Fox & Sons Books. Nora EphronGetty Photographs OK, Fox books is fictional — a a part of the world of “You’ve Got Mail,” rom-com queen Nora Ephron’s cinematic love letter to New York Metropolis that was launched Dec. 18, 1998.“New York was her soul and it was her place and her individuals,” Randy Sokol Sweeney, the movie’s location supervisor tells The Submit. Within the film, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan starred as Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, two New Yorkers who fell in love on-line throughout the earliest days of dial-up Web, however unbeknownst to Kelly, they’re really enterprise rivals. It was filmed totally on Ephron’s Higher West Aspect — centering on Ryan’s tiny bookshop, which was arrange at a actual retailer on West 69th Avenue. Ephron, a former New York Submit reporter, wrote and directed “Mail,” which captured the quirk and allure of the neighborhood that she known as house by filming at stalwarts resembling Zabar’s, Grey’s Papaya and Cafe Lalo. However Sweeney had a powerful job. As a result of Ephron lived on the Higher West Aspect, she already knew precisely what she wished and was extra concerned within the course of than most administrators. “In some instances it was simpler, however in a lot of occasions she would get her coronary heart set on a place and so they didn’t allow us to shoot there. That didn’t go over so nicely together with her,” Sweeney says. “She was the one director I ever labored with who would name [a location]. She’d get on the telephone and allure them. Her ardour was so infectious. That’s how we received a lot of our areas.” Whereas at this time a few of these storefronts and outlets have lengthy closed their doorways, and Fox & Sons would now be underneath assault by Amazon, the New York of “You’ve Got Mail” endures. Listed below are among the extra iconic areas that you may nonetheless go to. The 91st Avenue Backyard 91st Avenue at Riverside Park Stefano Giovannini; ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Assortment The scene: Each romantic comedy wants a closing scene the place the star-crossed lovers lastly come collectively and share a Hollywood kiss. That is the scene of the crime. The again story: “It was spring in Riverside Park and that was probably the most stunning time of 12 months,” says Sweeney, who reveals that Ephron particularly scheduled this shoot across the small window when the park’s blooms arrived. “It was all concerning the blooms. And it was so stunning.” Cafe Lalo 201 W. 83rd St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue Stefano Giovannini; The scene: When Joe and Kathleen determine to lastly meet in particular person, she says she’ll deliver a purple rose with a e-book so he can spot her. However as quickly as he does, he realizes it’s his nemesis. A tense disagreement ensues. The again story: Sweeney, the placement supervisor, really lived above the cafe, which bought desserts and fancy espresso drinks earlier than Starbucks was in our lexicon. “I used to be a common there, however I didn’t know the proprietor and he was actually difficult for me,” Sweeney says. “I needed to actually candy speak him and work him for a very long time.” Fox & Sons Books (Barneys) 150 W. 17th St., at Seventh Avenue Helayne Seidman 2 View Slideshow The scene: The facade of the soon-to-open bookstore is seen all through the film. In a poignant second, after Kathleen closes her personal store, she wanders in and overhears a buyer asking about a sequence of kids’s books. When the clueless Fox employee can’t assist, she steps in and tracks them down. The again story: The unique Barneys closed in 1997, and vogue’s loss grew to become this movie’s blessing. “That was our fundamental location and it was big,” Sweeney says. “It was already a retailer. We negotiated and had been going to have it for about a 12 months.” That’s, till the agency behind Barneys pulled out, leaving manufacturing scrambling. The studio stepped in, sweetened the cope with extra money and, satirically, saved Fox Books. The Store Across the Nook 106 W. 69th St., between Columbus Avenue and Broadway (now La Mode Natural Cleaner) Stefano Giovannini 2 View Slideshow The scene: Kathleen’s quaint youngsters’s bookshop with the magical inexperienced facade is proven in a number of scenes, from storytime to gossip classes together with her worker friends. The again story: In contrast to most administrators, who shoot a actual exterior after which construct an inside to shoot in, Ephron wished to make use of Maya Schaper’s Cheese and Antiques store in and out. “She wished it to be as actual because it could possibly be,” Sweeney says. “We utterly emptied it and redressed it into the bookstore. We had it for a actually very long time.” One scene was shot within the winter however came about within the fall, so the crew pasted autumn leaves on timber throughout West 69th Avenue. Zabar’s 2245 Broadway, between 80th and 81st streets Getty Photographs Stefano Giovannini 2 View Slideshow The scene: Kathleen’s procuring in that legendary market throughout the pre-Thanksgiving rush and spots Joe on his method in. Flustered, she hops onto the cash-only line however solely has a bank card. Joe spots her and charms the cashier into permitting her to make use of her card. The again story: Proprietor Saul Zabar wished nothing to do with the filming, so Sweeney needed to enlist Ephron’s assist to influence him to permit them in. “Nora would say, ‘Give me the quantity.’ She was so wonderful that method.” Zabar relented, with one caveat: “There was no method they had been going to close down for even 5 minutes.” As an alternative, the crew filmed the scene at nighttime, for a number of days. Grey’s Papaya 2090 Broadway, at 72nd Avenue Stefano Giovannini; AP Photograph/Warner Bros. Residence Video The scene: Kathleen and Joe chat within the window of the enduring New York low cost scorching canine joint. And Kathleen, who nonetheless doesn’t know Joe is her pen pal, excitedly tells him that her love curiosity requested to satisfy in Riverside Park. The again story: When Sweeney noticed the script, it already had Grey’s Papaya written into it. “It was like Zabar’s and Barney Greengrass. Nora wished that location. It wasn’t simply known as any previous scorching canine place.” Share this: https://nypost.com/2018/12/14/how-youve-got-mail-made-nyc-a-rom-com-star/ The post How ‘You’ve Got Mail’ made NYC a rom-com star appeared first on My style by Kartia. https://www.kartiavelino.com/2018/12/how-youve-got-mail-made-nyc-a-rom-com-star.html

[sinchileysincebolla-blog]

Exploring tracks and overcoming stereotypes

I’ve always been fascinated by Scandinavian countries. It could probably be traced to the fact that I come from a place where 30° degrees is the regular temperature for the most part of the year. But it could also be because two personalities ago, when I was a hipster, I began listening to Swedish and Danish bands. I was too attracted to the vibe and lyrics. And their languages! What’s with all the ¨ and ° above their letters and consonants in words?

Of course the stereotypes also reinforced my attraction to those cold places. I like Scandinavian aesthetic in housing interior; I like the fact that they pay attention to their look; and apparently they have been doing a good job with their society organization because Scandinavian countries are on top of ranks such as happiness and well-being. And let’s not forget the good-looking people stereotype. But I am not that superficial as this whole paragraph made me sound.

For this spring break, my study association organized a study trip to Stockholm in Sweden. I immediately got excited about it. It would be my first time visiting one of the countries that I’ve been so interested. We would visit the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and work on study cases for the pretty interesting companies tellus.news and Plantagon.  From 18th to 26th of February memories, experiences, and inside jokes were made. I will briefly describe my days getting to know Stockholm in accompanied with wonderful people. I would probably write a series of short stories that this trip inspired. 

                                                You are here

Stockholm trip log:

Day 1: Departure. I was in the dutchies van. Seven Dutchies and a Mexican. I would definitely sharp my dutch during this trip (spoiler alert: among other words I learnt gezonheid which is the “bless you” for when someone sneezes). We had hamburgers in Hamburg. We crossed the Danish border. The first thing I noticed was the illumination. A lot of lights. It even seemed like going into a night club, but nope, Danes just like lights that much. On the road, I noticed again the logos of business and how well illuminated they were. Then the trees and lakes. They reminded me of crime scenes settings on mystery books or crime series. 

                                   Reaching the Danish border

Day 2: We reached Stockholm in the morning. After checking in the hostel we went exploring the city. We visited the nearest church: Sta. Klara kyrka. The architecture reminded me of the dutch churches I’ve been to, and lately I read that it was indeed a dutch architect behind the planning. Then we went to Old Town. First superficial stereotype was broken: <superficial view>“where are the good looking people?! is it because is Sunday?”</superficial view> I expected a runway of tall blonde people, but again, #stereotypes. Who creates and spreads these views? And how do we buy them? This was a silly superficial stereotype, but what else is there assumed and not explored? 

We had dinner at an amazing place named “Chutney”. It was a vegan restaurant where I had the best burguer and potatoes of my life. Usually I don’t remember burguers but this one was memorable. Probably I just miss eating burguers. But it was really good. I also had my first encounter with the pitchers of natural water with fruits that I would keep drinking during the week at different places and restaurants. Water is free and delicious. We went back to the hostel and my first impression of Stockholm was thinking of it as a big city with a lot of stores but with buildings like the Postal Palace of Mexico city everywhere.

                                           Water and architecture

Day 3: During the morning we visited the National History Museum. My favourite sections were the dinousaurs, the local flora and fauna, the evolution section and the human body section. In these last sections I felt as if I was looking in a mirror. I liked that there were a lot of kids at the museum. Second steorytipe was broken: wasn’t this a country of elderly? (Spoiler: later a local friend would clarify that they indeed have this problem in cities more to the north, and the reason that I noticed many kids and pregnant women was because I was in a big city, where most of the jobs are and therefore people live. Here some statistics.) 

At noon the tellus.news team presented their case. They did a really cool and professional presentation. People from tellus were genuinely interested in the worked presented and it was a good feeling to experience how philosophical perspectives can help to the development of meaningful experiences. For lunch we had tacos with the tellus team at “La neta”. I certify that they were really good and are close to an experience in a mexican taquería. Salsas and totopos included.

Later in the night we went for a beer at a local bar. The most expensive beer of my life. 65 kroner = around 6.5 euro = around 150 mexican pesos (though the average beer would be 80 kroner in most places). It was good though and the company was the best. I got to know more of my pals and they got to know me and it was a good feeling. 

I stole a flyer from a street. Thanks to my partner in crime. Now I have a memento from Stockholm in my room and a story to tell.

                                             Tacos in La Neta

Day 4: We experienced a snow storm. We had to take the metro to reach the KTH university. We were received and introduced to Profr. Babbi Frödig. Then we met Profr. Sven Ove Hansson and discussed the relevance of philosophy and its relation to other disciplines. Philosophy seems to be a discipline we cannot explain. When people ask me, “so what do you do as a philosopher of science and technology?” Depending on the context, I usually go with the “I do technology assessment” card or “Have you seen Black Mirror? I basically write those episodes or prevent them to happen”. On a more academic response I would refer to this publication of Profr. Sven. We later discussed information privacy moderated by Björn Lundgren, who shared his PhD research. The take home message: the battle is lost but still, data is not necessarily reliable data. It may lead to false positives due to the nature of its complexity. But at least we could be aware of what is at stake and consider the information we share.

We had dinner at “Meny”, a fancy restaurant near the KTH metro station. I had rissoto, a small portion because apparently the cheese and rice came directly from Italy. If I had known this I would prefer to order the meatballs, which was a more generous dish. So now you know in case you go there. Luckily they served us a lot of bread and crackers. And the delicious water. 

After dinner we went to the Opera house. We had tickets for a ballet but we didn’t know what kind of play it would be. It turned out to be a contemporary one. My dualistic mind was challenged to appreciate this form of art. I didn’t enjoy the music because it was just noise. But I did enjoy the movements. The strength of the dancers and their discipline to come up with such assembly. It was like watching a scene from the Pina Bausch movie. I confess my lack of knowledge in relation to contemporary works, but I enjoyed the experience as a naive participant.

               Baroque room at the Opera house (photo by Patty)

Day 5: At the KTH we were introduced to the Live-in Lab project. One of their aims is to conduct research that would help to upgrade regulations in terms of dictating design to consume energy in a sustainable way. 

After the workshop we visited the architecture department and had a talk with architects. At first we were like “sooo.. philosophy of science...” “This building is nice”... “did you know that values are inscribed in technologies, and buildings?”, and from there we engaged in discussing design, ethics, sustainability, power, structures, experiences, how the tools we use influence the outcomes, etc. We learned from each other. We agreed to go for a drink afterward. We didn’t go for that drink. 

We had dinner at an oriental restaurant. My dish had different types of tofu that I haven’t taste before. I had to struggle with chopsticks.

                          KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Day 6: We visited the faculty of History at KTH. We met Profr. Sabine Höler and Johan Gardebo. They presented their research on remote sensing technologies and how we interpret the earth. PUM. Just the topic we are writing for our Technolab project. We discussed issues when translating measurements into images and compose representations. Because again, having data doesn’t mean having the information. Data needs to be processed and implications about this abound.

After lunch we visited the Visualization lab where they work with different VR technologies. We explored our home (planet Earth), the dark side of the moon, Saturn, and the universe; we reached the Big Bang and came back home. Incredible journey. 

For dinner we bought a calzone at a 7 eleven and went wandering in the city at night.

                                            Visualization Lab

Day 7: In the morning we head to Plantagon. Before we presented our case we were given a tour in their office and get to know their projects. We ate traditional swedish pastries (Semla and kanelbullar) and had coffee and tea. Not every day you are given the opportunity to present to decision makers of an important company your insights from a philosophical perspective about their developments. We all were delighted with the relevance of the information presented and got the opportunity to continue working together. 

We had the rest of the day as free time to explore the city. I wandered in the center. Visited record stores and bookshops. I ended at the dansemuseet. There was a workshop and I danced to some drums rhythms. 

Then I hung out with a local friend. We went for a cup of tea. I had a tea with framboise and lime in the biggest mug I ever hold in my hands. Later we went for dinner. Apparently there are no “swedish” restaurants in which to have “traditional” food. But they do have lots of different types of pastries. We ended in an italian restaurant. Swedish pizza is good. It was funny trying to explain to her where was the place where I had the best hamburguer of my life: “It was a sloping street. We crossed a bridge. There was water. There were posters in the street. We passed by the central station”. With that given description it could basically be anywhere in Stockholm. I felt like Marshall of HIMYM. Then we came back to the hostel and continue with our non-stop conversation. Eventually she had to leave. May we meet again.

                                                  Record store

Day 8: Checking out of the hostel. Last wandering in the city. I went to a comic store. I got some second hand books: a vikings book for kids, the tao te ching in swedish, and a small book with images from Florence, Italy. I also got a nice small notebook and postcards with cool designs. I ate leftovers of pizza in a bench. 

We went to the History museum. The vikings exhibition was my playground. And they also had this section about historiography with lots of philosophical questions and how history is interpretation. I visited three museums in Stockholm and this one was one of my favourites. I hope I can come back for the summer, to get to know other places and all of the trees in its splendor.

We had dinner at “Prime burguer”. We started with burguers and ended with burguers. Life cycles.

                                             Historika Museum

Exploring different tracks in philosophy, self-knowledge, and overcoming stereotypes were the overarching themes for this trip. I am just grateful for being able to be part of this experience. Thanks to all who made it possible.

* Doing the dance of the contemporary play * (Inside joke)