#ok so this was supposed to be like a quick 5 min experiment thing but then i got stuck in the trap of | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thebaddie96-blog · 3 years ago

Text

Once In A Life Time

~Chapter 5~

“ He can’t think I’m wearing that”

“What? I think it's cute. He knows you well; red is definitely your color.”

“I personally think she would look good in anything.”

“Of course you would.” So-eun whispers under her breath.

Yesterday was filled with nothing but greatness. After my victory beer in the park I met up with So-eun and Min-oh for lunch to fill them in on the big news, not that they had any doubts in my abilities. They too had invitations to the black tie gala. Z met up with us later at a pool house near my air bnb. So-eun to say the least was not a fan of Z from jump. The first moment she met her, her face immediately went cold. Z, who I've come to learn a lot about in the 20 hours I’ve known her, is childhood best friends with Jay’s little sister and a recent college graduate. She's a psychology major per her parents request with a passion for photography. She says she's working for Jay till she can make a name for herself and travel the world snapping pictures.

We were currently sitting in my living room studying the dress Jay picked out for me. It was beautiful, gorgeous but I'd be lying if I said I didn’t think Jay was tryna show me off.

“You're sure this is the dress, you didn’t pick up the wrong one?” I ask Z.

“Honey, when you walk into a boutique that houses dresses like this, and say you're here to pick up for Jay Park, you don’t get it wrong.”

“It pains me to say, but I agree”

“Well thank you, to the both of you, and Jay I guess. I’ve got the contract over here, let me get it to you before you go.” I grab the contract and walk her to the door.

“We’ll send a car to pick you up around 7. Will there be others traveling with you?” She trails off peeking behind me.

“Haha yeah So-eun and Min-oh will both be with me. You should ride with us.”

“I don’t think So-eun would like that very much.”

“Don’t worry about her, she's just grumpy and old.”

“Ok, well I’ll see you tonight.”

Shutting the door I walk back in to see So-eun scanning a magazine.

“Really So-eun?”

“What?” She doesn’t even look up from the magazine. I roll my eyes sitting next to her on the couch

“You know what. Why are you so mean to Z?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about. I have nothing against her”

“Ok sure and what about last night.”

“What about it?”

“I’m serious So-eun, you wouldn’t let her get a word in, in any conversation we had. Not to mention your intense pool energy whenever she went up to pot a hole.”

“Ok, so I get a little competitive.”

“What about just now ‘Of course you would’, it ‘pains’ you to agree with her.”

“I was joking.” Deflection from the real problem.

“Don’t you think that after all these years I would know when you're joking or when you're being hostile?”

“Stop gilling me, I don’t have a problem with Z.”

“Mmhmm well she’s coming with us to the event tonight.” She shoots me a tight smile obviously fake.

“Great. Enough about me and your suspicions. How are you feeling, really?”

“Honestly, it all feels so surreal. None of it has sunk in yet. I mean I just got off a plane 5 days ago, I'm out here for a completely different project I just-- I just don’t wanna fuck it up you know.

“You’ve always done your best when you follow your heart. Don’t let the fear of chasing your dreams stop them from coming true because of self doubt. You are one of the most talented people I know; next to Min-oh, and if anyone deserves this opportunity it you 100%”

“Thanks So-eun.”

I pull her in for a hug. as we pull away she notices a small piece of paper on the coffee table.

“What's this?” she asked as she picked it up.

“Oh it's the business card of the guy I met when I first got in. Mr. Yo? I think his name was.”

“Yu? Christan Yu? Christan Yu was the fuckboy who splashed you with his car?”

“Well I don’t think he meant to.”

“Did you call him yet?”

“No, why would I?”

“He gave you his card. He obviously wants you to.”

“ No he doesn't, his driver gave it to me.”

“ He gave it to you, told his driver to give it to you, it's the same thing. No?”

“Absolutely not, and it's been damn near a week, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t remember who I am or the situation that happened.”

“How could he not? Imma call the number.”

“What? So-eun no stop.”

She quickly punches in the number, throwing the phone at me after she presses speaker. It rings 3 times before a deep voice answers.”

“Hello?”

I just sit there staring at the phone.

Say something. So-eun mouths.

Like what.

I don’t know anything.

“안요?” He asked again but in Korean.

I hesitate, rushing out a quick “Sorry wrong number.” then hanging up.

“Smooth babe smooth.”

“Shut up. No one told you to do that.”

“I was just tryna help you out. You could get some good Korean Dick while you're in town. And knowing your sex drive we will need to find someone soon.”

“ I have traveled in preparation thank you very much. And how would you know if his dick game was good?” She looks at me surprised then guilty. “Oh my god. Did you sleep with Christian?”

“Let's get ready for the Gala. We only have six hours till the event starts and if you're still the same girl from college it's gonna take you forever to get ready. What time are we supposed to be leaving?”

“Oh this is great. Does Min-oh know?” She’s stuck in it and she knows it.

“No, it was before we started dating.”

“Oh this is great.” I get up heading to the bathroom.

“Where are you going?”

“ To shower.”

“You won't tell Min-oh right?” I just continue walking to the bathroom whistling a tune “Right B?!?!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This dress was tight as fuck, my feet hurt, everyone who's anyone in South Korea is here, and oh, I’m the only one in a bright red dress. The fact that I don’t like big events like this isn’t helping my mood. I need to smoke ASAP. Lucky for me I smuggled a blunt in my bra at the airport. I just have to find the right time to sneak out. I scan the room from the corner I was standing in near the stage. A perfect view of everyone in the event but still hidden in the shadows.

When we arrived Jay swooped me away from So-eun, Min-oh, and Z. We spent almost an hour working the room. He introduced me to some of the label's top artists, producers, and stylists. Even some artists from H1GHER music. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun getting to know the people I'm gonna get to work with but this is all new experiences that I'm just gonna have to get used to.

"So here is where you're hiding" So-eun sneaks up next to me leaning on the wall.

"Ha, yeah I just need a break. So Many 'hellos' 'nice to meet you' and 'the pleasure is mine'. Did Min-oh talk to his guy?"

"Yeah we can pick up after the Gala."

"Ugh, ok I'm gonna head outside for some air."

"So you sneak away, leaving me to deal with Loopy and Nafla's drunk asses on my own. And you--" Min-oh turns to me, shaking his finger. " Why are you in a corner in the dark all alone?"

He was clearly tipsy, he gets a little clingy and bossy when he's under the influence.

" You guys were only talking to each other. What was I post to do, stand there like a deer in the headlights?"

"Yeah and I was just going to get some air, I'll leave you two to talk. Where is Z."

" With her people." "With the AOMG guys'' They both said at the same time. I shoot So-eun a look for her comment and start to walk off.

" Ok, cool. I'll be right back."

Heading off toward the exit, I clutch my bag housing my soon to be smoked blunt. I'm close. I can see the exit in the clear, bodies start dividing, allowing me to pass. I've got one hand on the door ready to open. At the same time I push, the door is swung open and I come stumbling out colliding with the feeling of soft velvet against a firm chest.

"Sorry I didn't know someone was on the other side." That voice.

I look up, stepping back. It's him, the guy from the airport, I mean Christian Yu, and he was looking good. Fashionably late but fashionable he was. He was wearing a slim fit crimson velvet blazer jacket with silk black slacks and crimson velvet loafers to match, his hair was styled back making his jaw line pop. I stood there just staring at him.

" Are you ok?" No realization is present in his voice. He doesn't remember me. I mean I was covered in street water, but this is the second time we've had a forced interaction and I'd be lying if I say it didn't hurt my ego a bit.

" Yeah, sorry I was in a bit of a rush. Thanks for breaking my fall tho’ I don't think this dress would have survived." He scans my body taking in the silhouette of my dress lingering a little longer than need be. "Excuse me."

I step to the left, walking past him and heading out the door. Yeah, that blunt will be nice right about now.

#fanfic #BWAM #amnw #aomg #once #in #a #life #time

4 notes · View notes

cavesalamander · 4 years ago

Text

My brief thoughts on this season of anime!

Just a quick review of the ones I’d recommend and/or keep watching. I managed to find all of the below on Funimation or Crunchyroll or Youtube!

Horymia: (Yes) This is looking to be a very funny romcom slice of life style anime, and seems to be a fairly good one! Had me laughing a lot. The Main couple are a nerdy quiet boy who’s actually dumb as a sack of bricks using his disheveled appearance to hide his tattoos and piercings, and a popular pretty girl who’s actually a total homebody. Their friends seem to have a lot of potential to be fleshed out as the series progresses and I look forward to seeing how it goes!

So I’m a Spider, So What?: (Yes) Whooo another isekai (excited)! This time a girl and her entire class!? Get isekai’d in a massive explosion. The main character reincarnates as a trash monster in a dungeon and must fight her way up the food chain just to survive. Meanwhile her friends who have mostly reincarnated as Cool Humans or the occasional elf or baby dragon, have mostly found each other, and want to figure out what happened/why and if they’re all okay. It’s genuinely pretty funny, though leans a little too hard sometimes on the gamey aspects of this new world. I think it may get darker as it goes along too.

Mushoku Tensei: (No) Whooo another isekai (derogatory). 34 yo old man gets reincarnated and uses his worldly experience to Learn Magic Fast and creep on his mom and prepubescent tutor. If you can stomach that stuff, it actually has a fair amount of potential? It did set itself up to touch on some interesting stuff down the road, but I’m kind of Over the horny toddler/young boy trope and it kinda just seems like the protagonist is Just Awesome At Everything but not in a remotely charming way.

Cells at Work Code Black: (Yes) If you liked Cells at Work, this is that but dingier, and is able to tackle some darker themes - like what stress, smoking, drinking, and probably eventually STDs can do to your body.

Kemono Jihen: (Yes) I don’t wanna explain TOO much about the plot of this one because it looks to be a mystery series, and the first episode sets it up the characters very very well. A man from the city is called to a rural town where animals are being mysteriously killed and found rotting. He’s tasked with finding and killing the perpetrator, assumed to be a monster of some kind. It does the horror very well, and even in the first episode manages some twistyness.

The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter: (No) Even for a blatant fan service anime this one is just......... stupid. It might have a scrap of joy to it if the protagonist were anything other than a boring sycophant. His harem just all seems to be random girls who’s singular personality traits are to be in love with him in various stereotypical ways, that he just uses to min max his Cool Stats. But like, it’s not even self aware enough to make that into an interesting premise.

Sk8: (Yes) It’s a racing anime that seems super stylish and fun and very well animated. The protagonists have some cool chemistry already, and it really leans into the Underground Illegal Racing part of the fun - all the various characters who battle in death defying races through this abandoned mine, all have seemingly ordinary day jobs. Definitely worth a shot if that sounds up your alley.

Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies moved to a starter town?: (Probably) Okay so the premise is just there in the title and is actually pretty fun. Think: a random NPC who is considered pretty weak where the monsters are lv 50 moving somewhere where the monsters are scary at lv 5, shenanigans ensue. The MC boy is hilariously oblivious to the fact that anyone with a shred of sense can see he’s insanely over leveled to the area, and just trying to be nice and polite to everyone ^u^. The tentative nature of my recommendation is that it is kind of leaning harder on the Girls are Obsessed With Him train than is ideal. How much it depends on that as opposed to utilizing the premise to its fullest extent will have an enormous bearing on how fun the show is to watch going forward.

Ex-Arm: (Absolutely not but yes) It’s a fucking train wreck.

Heavens Design Team: (Yes) God decided to outsource creating animals to a team of angels, and works as a client giving weird ass requests for the angels to fill. Hilarity ensues, and it is peak edutainment to boot. It’s so much fun learning weird shit about animals, or trying to guess the animal these seemingly random train of failed attempts leads to.

Dr. Ramune -Mysterious Disease Specialist-: (No) It has a promising premise and some good moments. The main characters are solving these weird “diseases” that people get by finding the actual emotional cause and using magic of some kind to monkey paw it into a resolution. This could be really fun and interesting, but something about the execution just... falls flat? Like maybe it picks up as the season goes on but for now it’s not rly worth it.

Vlad Love: (Yes) I was going through the list of anime this season and was like wtf is this and literally just now watched episode 1. It’s about a girl with a blood donation kink and her vampire girlfriend. Literally. It’s rly funny and over the top ridiculous but like, gay vampires.

Back Arrow: (No) It’s like... fine. It’s about these two warring kingdoms surrounded by a wall with a mountain range between. They worship the wall as god, and occasionally get gifts from beyond it, in the form of mech suits they use to fight each other in. One day a boy shows up from beyond the wall in one of those suits and no memories of anything and he wants to get back. Which... could be promising I guess? But something about the show just didn’t grab my attention.

Skate-Leading Stars: (No) It’s like Yuri on ice if it was less gay and less well written I guess...? The first episode set up the Drama competently enough, but I just... couldn’t give a shit.

Project Scard: (No) For some reason part of Tokyo has been turned into a post apocalyptic hellscape where people just murder each other. They also have super powered tattoos and use them to fight each other. Animation is very similar to Handshakers - which is an Aesthetic that may not appeal to some. The first episode didn’t rly do much for me but I could see it going somewhere if it tries.

Wave!!: (No) Might have been a tentative yes if I hadn’t gone on and watched the second episode. First ep went hard with the queerbaiting cause they want to be the new Free! but with surfing, but Ep 2 just forgot all about that entirely. Dialogue is mostly boring and there’s like 3 sets, which becomes painfully obvious very quickly by ep 2.

Idoly Pride: (No) Literally looks like they ripped off the waifus of a bunch of other more popular anime and made an idol anime with the most basic ass idol plot. Nothing exceptional here.

Gekidol: (undecided) It’s an idol anime... set after a mysterious apocalyptic event? It’s mostly so far seemed intriguing as hell but not my jam. Mysterious craters destroyed parts of Japan, and its rebuilding and the MCs wanna bring light to the world. Maybe aliens exist? Idk! I’m intrigued.

I*Chu: (No) Another idol anime but this time it’s cute boys! Idk maybe this is a decent idol anime but it rly didn’t grab me and idol stuff isn’t usually my jam. I couldn’t tell anything exceptionally unique about this one from just the first episode.

WIXOSS Diva: (No, but) I don’t normally watch spin-offs of series but I didn’t realize until halfway into this that it was one cause Crunchyroll didn’t attach it to the core line. It’s like... magical girl battle idols in VR! Which honestly if you’re a fan of that it might actually be worth checking out.(edited)

Idolls!: (No) Another idol anime! But this one uses mocap 3d models. Phoned in plot line delivered by a weird tiki statue that tells the girls what to do. Seems extraordinarily low budget, and more just a way to sell music. The whole episode happened in a single set and was basically just... girls want to make it big as idols... oh no... gotta book a stage! Yay they got one! Now must get an audience! Like... ok

Hortensia Saga: (No but) Sword and sorcery fantasy setting that’s mostly sword, main character is a princess masquerading as a male knight alongside the son of her dead parents’s also dead bodyguard. The first episode is very lore heavy and felt kinda like the prologue to a video game. So it ended up feeling a little expository and trope laden, but it has potential. Seems a bit Game of Thronesy? Wasn’t like... bad or anything, so if it’s your thing you might enjoy it.

Otherside Picnic: (Yes) I think it’s gay first of all, two girls going exploring / treasure hunting / monster hunting in a bizarre mirror world to their own. Girls are cute, it’s very interesting premise and writing seems solid.

Wonder Egg Priority: (Yes) It deals with some HEAVY themes? But it’s... a bit of a psychological horror but in a way that feels very like it’s dealing with some of the real life issues. The main character girl comes across as neurodivergent, and it’s just... idk man the first episode was good and left me wanting more.

#Winter 2021 anime #Its of course flavored by my personal preferences but idc

1 note · View note

ajholdsamb · 6 years ago

Text

Petra- A world wonder that is truly deserving of the name

We have spent the past two days in Petra, a 2,000 year old Nabatean city that is carved out of ancient sandstone cliffs and looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It is the most famous site in Jordan, receiving over half a million visitors a year. Many people travel to Jordan just to see this site and I can see why. Made famous in modern times by movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Petra was famous long before that as the Nabatean capital city. The Nabateans came from nomadic tribes of desert people, who became extremely wealthy by controlling the trade routes between the Graeco-Roman kingdoms to the west and Indian and Chinese empires to the east. AJ want to insert more backstory here?

[Guy AJ: OK! Petra is to me a reminder of how fortune comes and goes and how it can build but also reduce empires. About 2,300 years ago a group of nomadic Arabs, later to be called the Nabateans, occupied parts of Southern Jordan and happened to be at the right place at the right time. The world was getting smaller and cultures were coming into contact with each other unlike ever before. Alexander the Great had just introduced half a continent to Greek society, sometimes after razing a town to the ground then building it back up with more floral patterns in their columns. Anyway, all this cultural exchange meant people wanted more things from further away places.

And what better place to be at that time than Jordan? It is located at the converging point of Africa, Europe, and Asia, a crossroads of significance since the first of our species left Africa. The Nabateans controlled trade routes through this important hub, and were able to acquire great wealth from Indian spices on their way to Alexandria and Greek statues passing through to a Red Sea port. They used their wealth to construct massive and awe inspiring tombs in Petra, which AJ and I stared at in amazement over 2,000 years later, but Petra is so much more than a valley for the dead.

Petra is thought to have been a city of several tens of thousands of people, who bartered over goods in markets, practiced religious rites in temples, and debated public policy in the city’s civic center. The remains of these institutions are mostly in rubble in Petra’s basin area, but the thousands and thousands of potsherds we observed walking around are testimony to the many people who lived here in the literal shadows of the dead from the tombs that ring the city.

Petra was incredibly cosmopolitan - the tombs incorporated stepped motifs from Mesopotamia, obelisks from Egypt, and ornate entablatures from Greece. The columns at Petra are distinctly Nabatean, however, with tops that point out like bull horns unlike any other classical style I’ve seen.

If fortune created Petra than a loss of fortune eroded it. By the time Petra was absorbed by the Roman Empire in the first century AD, new trade routes and greater confidence in seafaring made Petra increasingly obsolete. Although several earthquakes destroyed parts of the city in the following centuries, it is a ruin not from natural disasters but from money drying up and people gradually leaving to find better prospects elsewhere or to return to the way of life of those who founded Petra, herding in the Arabian desert like descendent Bedouin communities do to this day. Petra is a reminder that the good times don’t always last forever, cough, cough USA.]

Now that you have a little backstory, I’ll go into our experiences. Because we saw SO MUCH during our time in Petra, I’m going to write this blog post a little differently. Rather than chronicling everything, I’m going to narrow it down to the top five sites we saw and our top four practical tips. This should give a good overview of our experiences but also not take twenty years to write. Let’s start off with the practical and then get into the fun!

Top Four Practical Tips for visiting Petra

1)Go for more than one day, and stagger your entrance times

This probably increased our enjoyment of Petra tenfold. Through our Jordan Pass (which is a great deal by the way- it includes your visa fee and the entrance fees for every site we are going to visit in Jordan?!) we had bought two days in Petra. If you’re into archaeology, geology, nature, or just like to take it slower I recommend going for at least two days, because Petra is unique and wonderful and huge and there is just so much to see. You can check off the biggest of the sites in one intense sweaty day, but it is so much more enjoyable to take your time.

We decided to start off our first day super early, so we got into the park at the opening time of 6:00. Petra can get really crowded, but at 6:00 the only person there was the one sole ticket taker (we even got confused for a second, thinking that maybe the site was closed). This was such a good way to start off our first day because during the 40-50 min trek in we were often BY OURSELVES. This was especially cool during the walk through the siq, a box canyon with 500 ft. tall walls that meanders magically through to take you to the reveal of Petra’s most famous site- the Treasury. As we were leaving at 1:30 pm this walkway was packed with people and speeding carriages and decidedly less magical.

Getting in early we were also able to appreciate the main sites without being inundated by other tourists or salespeople. We actually got photos of the Treasury without other people in them! At one point on our first day I was like “wow AJ we’ve done so much already, it must be time for lunch” but it was 8am.

Starting early, we were able to do the intense hike up to the ceremonial high place while the weather was still cool. During the downhill hour and a half meander through the Wadi Farasa trail it started to get hot, so I was very happy to not have to climb a bajillion stairs again. After that we we saw a couple more of the big tombs, but then during the hottest and most crowded part of the day we were able to peace out without guilt because we knew we had another day. It was only 1 pm when we began the hour trek home, but by that point we had already had a full 7 hour day.

On our second day, we slept in and got started at 10. We actually began at the museum (which is really well done!) so we didn’t make it into the park until 11:00. Because we had already seen a lot of the main sites we were able to walk straight through to the parts we hadn’t seen and take our time. Then in the mid afternoon we began our all uphill hike to Petra’s Monastery.

I was worried about hiking uphill during the hottest part of the day but because we had gotten a late started we had energy, and a good chunk of the path was shady (side note-this is supposed to be one of Petra’s low seasons because it supposedly gets so hot, but it was in the 80s for us- not too bad!). We were able to have a picnic and enjoy the views, and then walk back through Petra during golden hour right before sunset. Again, there were almost no people! I think many visitors do a quick one day tour where they come in between 10-11 and only stay for a couple of hours. It was so nice to have the full two days in Petra, to get it when it was not crowded, and to see it in the different types of sunlight.

2) Think of the practicalities (you’re going to be doing a lot of hiking)

So real talk, AJ and I looked like dorks in Petra. We were wearing long sleeve tactical hiking gear with pants and had backpacks on with 10 liters of water and snacks (& when I say WE carried 10 liters of water I really mean guy AJ did, he’s such a beast). And yet we saw people in fancy dresses and high heels with no water?? Granted not everyone has to hike for 8 hours a day like we did, but it’s still at least a 50 min hike in through the dirt. You can buy water in the site, but it is way overpriced and it was nice to never have to worry about getting stranded somewhere without it. Plus we drank all of it and never got dehydration headaches👌🏻. It’s also fun to pack in a picnic to enjoy in the park. There are a couple restaurants in the site, but if you bring your own you can pick your spot (with lots of awesome views to choose from). There are also toilets on site, but it’s good to bring tp and handsanitizer because they are often not well stocked. Since it gets super sunny, wearing pants and a long sleeve t-shirt was clutch for the rocky trails, sun protection, and out of respect because despite tourist short shorts, we are still in a Muslim county.

If nothing else, at least wear tennis shoes and bring water.

3) Climb to some high places and get some views!

We did two uphill hikes while in Petra, one to the Ceremonial High Place (for ceremonies) and one to the Monastery. We took both slowly, and while they were steep & straight up hill, there were steps that made them doable. Each climb took about 45-60 minutes one way, with lots of breaks. The views at the end made them all worthwhile. It allowed us to pull back and really see the landscape of the wadi (valley). Both hikes ended up being two of our favorite aspects of Petra- so I’ll talk more about them later.

4) Don’t just try to check off all the main sites- go off the beaten path

Maybe because I had only really seen pictures of the Treasury, I didn’t realize before visiting how large Petra is. Since it was a complex city, the site is spread out and there are SO many places to see. On our first big day I realized just how exhausting trying to check off all the big ones in one day truly is. Some of our favorite aspects were going off the beaten path and exploring random less famous aspects of Petra. It’s fun to find your favorite tomb or take a rest on a side trail, all of which you don’t have time for if you’re trying to power through all the greatest hits.

Now on to the fun stuff!

Top Five Sites of Petra

5)Exploring the unnamed tombs

This fits in very well with our last tip from above. At around 7:15 am after hiking through the siq and spending some time at the treasury, we wandered off the main path to explore some of the unnamed tombs. Each tomb is different, it is fun to pick out your favorites and think about the people who would’ve been buried here or celebrated in these smaller places. They are more intimate than the larger tombs, and it feels really adventurous to get to walk around in these ancient buildings. The sandstone is often gorgeous, and it was really peaceful to take a break in these cool chambers. Also AJ named one the tomb of the drunken sailor cuz it was slanted.

4)Wandering through the Siq

Walking through the siq was a magical experience every time it happened, but especially without crowds and in the light at dawn and dusk. The first time it came as a surprise. We were hiking down from the visitors center when all of the sudden the landscape changed and we were at the entrance to the Siq, a 500 ft. tall canyon with imposing walls that almost block out the sun. Running along the path you can still see the distinct curves used for the Nabatean irrigation system. There are sculptures hidden along the pathway including the remains of what would’ve been a 10 ft. tall camel carving. You can see why the Nabateans would have chosen this geologic feature as their grand entrance, and it served to create a sense of magic for entering this special place.

3)Hiking the Wadi Farasa Trail

On the first day after I thought we’d be in Petra for months but it was only 8 o’clock, we started our hike up to the Sacrificial High Place. I’m glad we started early because it was a steep 45 minute hike and at 8am it wasn’t too hot. After a brief kerfuffle with a donkey (a Bedouin woman was trying to call it to her but we kept accidentally scaring it uphill), we made it to the top! There are panoramic views of Petra, including Aaron’s tomb. This was a sacred place where the Nabateans worshipped the sun and moon with a built in blood drain for sacrifices. It’s easy to tell why it is sacred- up there it’s so easy to feel close to the sky. AJ and I took a moment to lie down on the top to worship the celestial deities as the sun and morning moon faced off above us. Also, it was a tiring hike and we needed to lie down. Next, rather than going back down the steep way we came, we took the Wadi Farasa trail. There was all sorts of cool archaeology (a giant lion fountain!) and geology (sandstone with manganese and iron stripes!) to see on the way down. My favorite part was the the combination of the tomb of the Roman soldier and the garden triclinium because they are directly across from each other, and with the rubble from the column lined promenade it was easy to picture how the ancient people would’ve used this beautiful space.

2)The hike to the Monastery/the end of the world

Our second favorite site was on our other high place trek. This one we did in the late afternoon, and since it is through a canyon it was often shaded. We had a picnic lunch at the top in front of the monastery (one of the largest tombs in Petra that was later turned into a church). However, my favorite part was a spot beyond the monastery. We hiked 15 minutes further to the edge of the mountain to this little Bedouin tent & the views were INSANE! We could see so many mountain ranges come together to into this steep valley, with a convergence of different types of rocks. Guy AJ liked it because, in his words, “we’ve finally reached the edge of Petra.” In other words it was the first time we looked out and didn’t see any archaeology; we had found an end to this seemingly endless site. It was one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen.

1)The Treasury reveal

The treasury (or the Khazneh) is the most famous site in all of Petra. Its location is featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, as well as countless other movies. In person the detail and scope is awe inspiring, and made all the more impressive by the long walk we had just had through the Siq. The first time the canyon opens up we saw this amazing 2,000 year old building. It was wonderful to get it almost to ourselves in the morning, and we also got to say goodbye without the crowds on the last day. It’s the most famous part of Petra, but for a good reason.

All in all Petra is one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen, a highlight of this trip and of my life.

Love,

The very impressed Ajs

5 notes · View notes

mrkwonandmrchoibabygirl · 7 years ago

Text

50 SHADES OF KWON JI YONG PT 2

A/N LISTEN UP BEACHES I EDITED THIS WHILE EATING SKITTLES AND DUPLINGS SO YOU KNOW I WASNT NORMAL WHILE EDITING I HOPE I EDITED EVERYTHING IF NOT I’LL CORECT THIS LATER

Genre:Fanfiction/Romance/Erotic Romance

Type:Rated-r(later chapters)

Word Count 5,084

PT.1 , PT2 PT.3

My heart is pounding. The elevator arrives on the first floor, and I scramble out as soon as the doors slide open, stumbling once, but fortunately not sprawling on to the immaculate sandstone floor. I race for the wide glass doors, and I’m free in the bracing, cleansing, damp air of Seoul. Raising my face, I welcome the cool refreshing rain. I close my eyes and take a deep, purifying breath, trying to recover what’s left of my equilibrium. No man has ever affected me the way Kwon Jiyong has, and I cannot fathom why. Is it his looks? His civility? Wealth? Power? I don’t understand my irrational reaction. I breathe an enormous sigh of relief. What in heaven’s name was that all about? Leaning against one of the steel pillars of the building, I valiantly attempt to calm down and gather my thoughts. I shake my head. Holy crap – what was that? My heart steadies to its regular rhythm, and I can breathe normally again. I head for the car.As I leave the city limits behind, I begin to feel foolish and embarrassed as I replay the interview in my mind. Surely, I’m over-reacting to something that’s imaginary. Okay, so he’s very attractive, confident, commanding, at ease with himself – but on the flip side, he’s arrogant, and for all his impeccable manners, he’s autocratic and cold. Well, on the surface. An involuntary shiver runs down my spine. He may be arrogant, but then he has a right to be – he’s accomplished so much at such a young age. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but why should he? Again, I’m irritated that Hyo-Rin didn’t give me a brief biography

While cruising along the I-5, my mind continues to wander. I’m truly perplexed as to what makes someone so driven to succeed. Some of his answers were so cryptic – as if he had a hidden agenda. And Hyo-Rin’s questions – ugh! The adoption and asking him if he was gay! I shudder. I can’t believe I said that. Ground, swallow me up now! Every time I think of that question in the future, I will cringe with embarrassment. Damn Min Hyo-Rin! I check the speedometer. I’m driving more cautiously than I would on any other occasion. And I know it’s the memory of two penetrating Brown eyes gazing at me, and a stern voice telling me to drive carefully. Shaking my head, I realize that Kwon’s more like a man double his age. Forget it, y/n, I scold myself. I decide that all in all, it’s been a very interesting experience, but I shouldn’t dwell on it. Put it behind you. I never have to see him again. I’m immediately cheered by the thought. I switch on the MP3 player and turn the volume up loud, sit back, and listen to thumping indie rock music as I press down on the accelerator. As I hit the 1-5, I realize I can drive as fast as I want. We live in a small community of duplex apartments in Gangnam-gu, close to the Gangnam campus of GAU. I’m lucky – Rin’s parents bought the place for her, and I pay peanuts for rent. It’s been home for four years now. As I pull up outside, I know Hyo-Rin is going to want a blow-by-blow account, and she is tenacious. Well, at least she has the mini-disc. Hopefully I won’t have to elaborate much beyond what was said during the interview. “Y/N! You’re back.” Rin sits in our living area, surrounded by books. She’s clearly been studying for finals – though she’s still in her pink flannel pajamas decorated with cute little kittens, the ones she reserves for the aftermath of breaking up with boyfriends, for assorted illnesses, and for general moody depression. She bounds up to me and hugs me hard. “I was beginning to worry. I expected you back sooner.” “Oh, I thought I made good time considering the interview ran over.” I wave the mini-disc recorder at her. “Y/N, thank you so much for doing this. I owe you, I know. How was it? What was he like?” Oh no – here we go, the Min Hyo-Rin, Inquisition. I struggle to answer her question. What can I say? “I’m glad it’s over, and I don’t have to see him again. He was rather intimidating, you know.” I shrug. “He’s very focused, intense even – and young. Really young.” Rin gazes innocently at me. I frown at her. “Don’t you look so innocent. Why didn’t you give me a biography? He made me feel like such an idiot for skimping on basic research.” Hyo-Rin clamps a hand to her mouth. “Jeez, Y/N, I’m sorry – I didn’t think.” I huff. “Mostly he was courteous, formal, slightly stuffy – like he’s old before his time. He doesn’t talk like a man of twenty-something. How old is he anyway?” “Twenty-eight. Jeez, Y/N, I’m sorry. I should have briefed you, but I was in such a panic. Let me have the mini-disc, and I’ll start transcribing the interview.”

“You look better. Did you eat your soup?” I ask, keen to change the subject. “Yes, and it was delicious as usual. I’m feeling much better.” She smiles at me in gratitude. I check my watch. “I have to run. I can still make my shift at Clayton’s.”(a/n let’s imagine that this store is in korea ok?!) “Y/N, you’ll be exhausted.” “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you later.” I’ve worked at Clayton’s since I started atGAU. It’s the largest independent hardware store in the Gangnam area, and over the four years I’ve worked here, I’ve come to know a little bit about most everything we sell – although ironically, I’m crap at any DIY. I leave all that to my dad. I’m much more of a curl-up-with-a-book-in-a-comfy-chair-by-the-fire kind of girl. I’m glad I can make my shift as it gives me something to focus on that isn’t Kwon Ji Yong. We’re busy – it’s the start of the summer season, and folks are redecorating their homes. Mrs. Clayton is pleased to see me. “y/n! I thought you weren’t going to make it today.” “My appointment didn’t take as long as I thought. I can do a couple of hours.” “I’m real pleased to see you.” She sends me to the storeroom to start re-stocking shelves, and I’m soon absorbed in the task. When I arrive home later, Hyo-Rin is wearing headphones and working on her laptop. Her nose is still pink, but she has her teeth into a story, so she’s concentrating and typing furiously. I’m thoroughly drained – exhausted by the long drive, the grueling interview, and by being rushed off my feet at Clayton’s. I slump on to the couch, thinking about the essay I have to finish and all the studying I haven’t done today because I was holed up with… him. “You’ve got some good stuff here,Y/N. Well done. I can’t believe you didn’t take him up on his offer to show you around. He obviously wanted to spend more time with you.” She gives me a fleeting quizzical look. I flush, and my heart rate inexplicably increases. That wasn’t the reason, surely? He just wanted to show me around so I could see that he was lord of all he surveyed. I realize I’m biting my lip, and I hope Rin doesn’t notice. But she seems absorbed in her transcription. “I hear what you mean about formal. Did you take any notes?” she asks. “Um… no, I didn’t.” “That’s fine. I can still make a fine article with this. Shame we don’t have some original stills. Good-looking son of a bitch, isn’t he?” I flush. “I suppose so.” I try hard to sound disinterested, and I think I succeed. “Oh come on,Y/N – even you can’t be immune to his looks.” She arches a perfect eyebrow at me. Crap! I distract her with flattery, always a good ploy. “You probably would have got a lot more out of him.” “I doubt that,Y/N. Come on , he practically offered you a job. Given that I foisted this on you at the last minute, you did very well.” She glances up at me speculatively. I make a hasty retreat into the kitchen. “So what did you really think of him?” Damn, she’s inquisitive. Why can’t she just let this go? Think of something – quick. “He’s very driven, controlling, arrogant – scary really, but very charismatic. I can understand the fascination,” I add truthfully, as I peer round the door at her hoping this will shut her up once and for all. “You, fascinated by a man? That’s a first,” she snorts. I start gathering the makings of a sandwich so she can’t see my face. “Why did you want to know if he was gay? Incidentally, that was the most embarrassing question. I was mortified, and he was pissed to be asked too.” I scowl at the memory. “Whenever he’s in the society pages, he never has a date.” “It was embarrassing. The whole thing was embarrassing. I’m glad I’ll never have to lay eyes on him again.” “Oh, Y/N, it can’t have been that bad. I think he sounds quite taken with you.” Taken with me? Now Hyo-Rin’s being ridiculous. “Would you like a sandwich?” “Please.” We talk no more of Kwon Ji Yong that evening, much to my relief. Once we’ve eaten, I’m able to sit at the dining table with Rin and, while she works on her article, I work on my essay on Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Damn, but that woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong century. By the time I finish, it’s midnight, and Hyo-Rin has long since gone to bed. I make my way to my room, exhausted, but pleased that I’ve accomplished so much for a Monday. I curl up in my white iron bed, wrapping my mother’s quilt around me, close my eyes, and I’m instantly asleep. That night I dream of dark places, bleak white cold floors, and Brown eyes. For the rest of the week, I throw myself into my studies and my job at Clayton’s. Hyo-Rin is busy too, compiling her last edition of her student magazine before she has to relinquish it to the new editor while also cramming for her finals. By Wednesday, she’s much better, and I no longer have to endure the sight of her pink-flannel-with-too-many-kittens PJs. I call my mom in Jeju to check on her, but also so she can wish me luck for my final exams. She proceeds to tell me about her latest venture into candle making – my mother is all about new business ventures. Fundamentally she’s bored and wants something to occupy her time, but she has the attention span of a goldfish. It’ll be something new next week. She worries me. I hope she hasn’t mortgaged the house to finance this latest scheme. And I hope that Bob – her relatively new but much older husband – is keeping an eye on her now that I’m no longer there. He does seem a lot more grounded than Husband Number Three. “How are things with you, Y/N?” For a moment, I hesitate, and I have Mom’s full attention. “I’m fine.” “Y/N? Have you met someone?” Wow… how does she do that? The excitement in her voice is palpable. “No, Mom, it’s nothing. You’ll be the first to know if I do.” “Y/N, you really need to get out more, honey. You worry me.” “Mom, I’m fine. How’s Bob?” As ever, distraction is the best policy. Later that evening, I call Ray, my stepdad, Mom’s Husband Number Two, the man I consider my father, and the man whose name I bear. It’s a brief conversation. In fact, it’s not so much a conversation as a one-sided series of grunts in response to my gentle coaxing. Ray is not a talker. But he’s still alive, he’s still watching soccer on TV, and going bowling and fly-fishing or making furniture when he’s not. Ray is a skilled carpenter and the reason I know the difference between a hawk and a handsaw. All seems well with him. Friday night, Hyo-Rin and I are debating what to do with our evening – we want some time out from our studies, from our work, and from student newspapers – when the doorbell rings. Standing on our doorstep is my good friend Mino, (dont hate Me)clutching a bottle of champagne. “Mino! Great to see you!” I give him a quick hug. “Come in.” Mino is the first person I met when I arrived at GAU, looking as lost and lonely as I did. We recognized a kindred spirit in each of us that day, and we’ve been friends ever since. Not only do we share a sense of humor, but we discovered that both Ray and Mino’s Father were in the same army unit together. As a result, our fathers have become firm friends too. Mino is studying engineering and is the first in his family to make it to college. He’s pretty damn bright, but his real passion is photography. Mino has a great eye for a good picture. “I have news.” He grins, his dark eyes twinkling. “Don’t tell me – you’ve managed not to get kicked out for another week,” I tease, and he scowls playfully at me. “The Gangnam Place Gallery is going to exhibit my photos next month.” “That’s amazing – congratulations!” Delighted for him, I hug him again. Hyo-Rin beams at him too. “Way to go Mino! I should put this in the paper. Nothing like last minute editorial changes on a Friday evening.” She grins. “Let’s celebrate. I want you to come to the opening.” Mino looks intently at me. I flush. “Both of you, of course,” he adds, glancing nervously at Rin. Mino and I are good friends, but I know deep down inside, he’d like to be more. He’s cute and funny, but he’s just not for me. He’s more like the brother I never had. Hyo-Rin often teases me that I’m missing the need-a-boyfriend gene, but the truth is – I just haven’t met anyone who… well, whom I’m attracted to, even though part of me longs for those trembling knees, heart-in-my-mouth, butterflies-in-my-belly, sleepless nights. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong with me. Perhaps I’ve spent too long in the company of my literary romantic heroes, and consequently my ideals and expectations are far too high.(a/n ME THO) But in reality, nobody’s ever made me feel like that. Until very recently, the unwelcome, still small voice of my subconscious whispers. NO! I banish the thought immediately. I am not going there, not after that painful interview. Are you gay, Mr. Kwon? I wince at the memory. I know I’ve dreamt about him most nights since then, but that’s just to purge the awful experience from my system, surely? I watch Mino open the bottle of champagne. He’s tall, and in his jeans and t-shirt he’s all shoulders and muscles, tanned skin, dark hair and burning dark eyes. Yes, Mino’s pretty hot, but I think he’s finally getting the message: we’re just friends. The cork makes its loud pop, and Mino looks up and smiles. Saturday at the store is a nightmare. We are besieged by do-it-yourselfers wanting to spruce up their homes. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, John and Patrick – the two other part-timers – and I are all rushed off our feet. But there’s a lull around lunchtime, and Mrs. Clayton asks me to check on some orders while I’m sitting behind the counter at the till discreetly eating my bagel. I’m engrossed in the task, checking catalogue numbers against the items we need and the items we’ve ordered, eyes flicking from the order book to the computer screen and back as I check the entries match. Then, for some reason, I glance up… and find myself locked in the bold Brown gaze of Kwon Ji Yong who’s standing at the counter, staring at me intently. Heart failure. “Miss Y/L/N. What a pleasant surprise.” His gaze is unwavering and intense. Holy crap. What the hell is he doing here looking all tousled-hair and outdoorsy in his cream chunky-knit sweater, jeans, and walking boots? I think my mouth has popped open, and I can’t locate my brain or my voice. “Mr. Kwon,” I whisper, because that’s all I can manage. There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips and his eyes are alight with humor, as if he’s enjoying some private joke. “I was in the area,” he says by way of explanation. “I need to stock up on a few things. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Y/L/N.” His voice is warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge caramel… or something. I shake my head to gather my wits. My heart is pounding a frantic tattoo, and for some reason I’m blushing furiously under his steady scrutiny. I am utterly thrown by the sight of him standing before me. My memories of him did not do him justice. He’s not merely good-looking – he’s the epitome of male beauty, breathtaking, and he’s here. Here in Clayton’s Hardware Store. Go figure. Finally my cognitive functions are restored and reconnected with the rest of my body. “Y/N. My name’s Y/N,” I mutter. “What can I help you with, Mr.Kwon?” He smiles, and again it’s like he’s privy to some big secret. It is so disconcerting. Taking a deep breath, I put on my professional I’ve-worked-in-this-shop-for-years façade. I can do this. “There are a few items I need. To start with, I’d like some cable ties,” he murmurs, his gray eyes cool but amused. Cable ties? “We stock various lengths. Shall I show you?” I mutter, my voice soft and wavery. Get a grip, Y/L/N. A slight frown mars Kwon’s rather lovely brow. “Please. Lead the way, Miss Y/L/N,” he says. I try for nonchalance as I come out from behind the counter, but really I’m concentrating hard on not falling over my own feet – my legs are suddenly the consistency of Jell-O. I’m so glad I decided to wear my best jeans this morning. “They’re in with the electrical goods, aisle eight.” My voice is a little too bright. I glance up at him and regret it almost immediately. Damn, he’s handsome. I blush. “After you,” he murmurs, gesturing with his long-fingered, beautifully manicured hand. With my heart almost strangling me – because it’s in my throat trying to escape from my mouth – I head down one of the aisles to the electrical section. Why is he in Gangnam? Why is he here at Clayton’s? And from a very tiny, underused part of my brain – probably located at the base of my medulla oblongata where my subconscious dwells – comes the thought: he’s here to see you. No way! I dismiss it immediately. Why would this beautiful, powerful, urbane man want to see me? The idea is preposterous, and I kick it out of my head. “Are you in Gangnam on business?” I ask, and my voice is too high, like I’ve got my finger trapped in a door or something. Damn! Try to be cool Y/N! “I was visiting the GAU farming division. It’s based at Gangnam. I’m currently funding some research there in crop rotation and soil science,” he says matter-of-factly. See? Not here to find you at all, my subconscious sneers at me, loud, proud, and pouty. I flush at my foolish wayward thoughts. “All part of your feed-the-world plan?” I tease. “Something like that,” he acknowledges, and his lips quirk up in a half smile. He gazes at the selection of cable ties we stock at Clayton’s. What on Earth is he going to do with those? I cannot picture him as a do-it-yourselfer at all. His fingers trail across the various packages displayed, and for some inexplicable reason, I have to look away. He bends and selects a packet. “These will do,” he says with his oh-so-secret smile, and I blush. “Is there anything else?” “I’d like some masking tape.” Masking tape? “Are you redecorating?” The words are out before I can stop them. Surely he hires laborers or has staff to help him decorate? “No, not redecorating,” he says quickly then smirks, and I have the uncanny feeling that he’s laughing at me. Am I that funny? Funny looking? “This way,” I murmur embarrassed. “Masking tape is in the decorating aisle.” I glance behind me as he follows. “Have you worked here long?” His voice is low, and he’s gazing at me, Brown eyes concentrating hard. I blush even more brightly. Why the hell does he have this effect on me? I feel like I’m fourteen years old – gauche, as always, and out of place. Eyes front Y/L/N! “Four years,” I mutter as we reach our goal. To distract myself, I reach down and select the two widths of masking tape that we stock. “I’ll take that one,” Kwon says softly pointing to the wider tape, which I pass to him. Our fingers brush very briefly, and the current is there again, zapping through me like I’ve touched an exposed wire. I gasp involuntarily as I feel it, all the way down to somewhere dark and unexplored, deep in my belly. Desperately, I scrabble around for my equilibrium. “Anything else?” My voice is husky and breathy. His eyes widen slightly. “Some rope, I think.” His voice mirrors mine, husky. “This way.” I duck my head down to hide my recurring blush and head for the aisle. “What sort were you after? We have synthetic and natural filament rope… twine… cable cord… ” I halt at his expression, his eyes darkening. Holy cow. “I’ll take five yards of the natural filament rope please.” Quickly, with trembling fingers, I measure out five yards against the fixed ruler, aware that his hot brown gaze is on me. I dare not look at him. Jeez, could I feel any more self-conscious? Taking my Stanley knife from the back pocket of my jeans, I cut it then coil it neatly before tying it in a slipknot. By some miracle, I manage not to remove a finger with my knife. “Were you a Girl Scout?” he asks, sculptured, sensual lips curled in amusement. Don’t look at his mouth! “Organized, group activities aren’t really my thing, Mr. Kwon.” He arches a brow. “What is your thing,Y/N?” he asks, his voice soft and his secret smile is back. I gaze at him unable to express myself. I’m on shifting tectonic plates. Try and be cool, Y/N, my tortured subconscious begs on bended knee. “Books,” I whisper, but inside, my subconscious is screaming: You! You are my thing! I slap it down instantly, mortified that my psyche is having ideas above its station. “What kind of books?” He cocks his head to one side. Why is he so interested? “Oh, you know. The usual. The classics. British literature, mainly.” He rubs his chin with his long index finger and thumb as he contemplates my answer. Or perhaps he’s just very bored and trying to hide it. “Anything else you need?” I have to get off this subject – those fingers on that face are so beguiling. “I don’t know. What else would you recommend?” What would I recommend? I don’t even know what you’re doing. “For a do-it-yourselfer?” He nods, brown eyes alive with wicked humor. I flush, and my eyes stray of their own accord to his snug jeans. “Coveralls,” I reply, and I know I’m no longer screening what’s coming out of my mouth. He raises an eyebrow, amused, yet again. “You wouldn’t want to ruin your clothing,” I gesture vaguely in the direction of his jeans. “I could always take them off.” He smirks.(A/N BOIIII!!!!) “Um.” I feel the color in my cheeks rising again. I must be the color of the communist manifesto. Stop talking. Stop talking NOW. “I’ll take some coveralls. Heaven forbid I should ruin any clothing,” he says dryly. I try and dismiss the unwelcome image of him without jeans. “Do you need anything else?” I squeak as I hand him the blue coveralls. He ignores my inquiry. “How’s the article coming along?” He’s finally asked me a normal question, away from all the innuendo and the confusing double talk… a question I can answer. I grasp it tightly with two hands as if were a life raft, and I go for honesty. “I’m not writing it, Rin is. Miss Min. My roommate, she’s the writer. She’s very happy with it. She’s the editor of the magazine, and she was devastated that she couldn’t do the interview in person.” I feel like I’ve come up for air – at last, a normal topic of conversation. “Her only concern is that she doesn’t have any original photographs of you.” Kwon raises an eyebrow. “What sort of photographs does she want?” Okay. I hadn’t factored in this response. I shake my head, because I just don’t know. “Well, I’m around. Tomorrow, perhaps… ” he trails off. “You’d be willing to attend a photo shoot?” My voice is squeaky again. Hyo-Rin will be in seventh heaven if I can pull this off. And you might see him again tomorrow, that dark place at the base of my brain whispers seductively at me. I dismiss the thought – of all the silly, ridiculous… “Hyo-Rin will be delighted – if we can find a photographer.” I’m so pleased, I smile at him broadly. His lips part, like he’s taking a sharp intake of breath, and he blinks. For a fraction of a second, he looks lost somehow, and the Earth shifts slightly on its axis, the tectonic plates sliding into a new position. Oh my. Kwon Ji Yong’s lost look. “Let me know about tomorrow.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out his wallet. “My card. It has my cell number on it. You’ll need to call before ten in the morning.” “Okay.” I grin up at him. Hyo-Rin is going to be thrilled. “Y/N!” Paul has materialized at other the end of the aisle. He’s Mr. Clayton’s youngest brother. I’d heard he was home from Princeton, but I wasn’t expecting to see him today. “Er, excuse me for a moment, Mr. Grey.” Grey frowns as I turn away from him. Paul has always been a buddy, and in this strange moment that I’m having with the rich, powerful, awesomely off-the-scale attractive control-freak Kwon, it’s great to talk to someone who’s normal. Paul hugs me hard taking me by surprise. “Y/N, hi, it’s so good to see you!” he gushes. “Hello Paul, how are you? You home for your brother’s birthday?” “Yep. You’re looking well, Y/N, really well.” He grins as he examines me at arm’s length. Then he releases me but keeps a possessive arm draped over my shoulder. I shuffle from foot to foot, embarrassed. It’s good to see Paul, but he’s always been over-familiar. When I glance up at Kwon Jiyong, he’s watching us like a hawk, his brown eyes hooded and speculative, his mouth a hard impassive line. He’s changed from the weirdly attentive customer to someone else – someone cold and distant. “Paul, I’m with a customer. Someone you should meet,” I say, trying to defuse the antagonism I see in Kwon’s eyes. I drag Paul over to meet him, and they weigh each other up. The atmosphere is suddenly arctic. “Er, Paul, this is Kwon Ji Yong. Mr. Kwon, this is Paul Clayton. His brother owns the place.” And for some irrational reason, I feel I have to explain a bit more. “I’ve known Paul ever since I’ve worked here, though we don’t see each other that often. He’s back from Princeton where he’s studying business administration.” I’m babbling… Stop, now! “Mr. Clayton.” Ji Yong holds his hand out, his look unreadable. “Mr. Kwon,” Paul returns his handshake. “Wait up – not the Kwon Ji Yong? Of Kwon Enterprises Holdings?” Paul goes from surly to awestruck in less than a nanosecond. Kwon gives him a polite smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Wow – is there anything I can get you?” “Y/N has it covered, Mr. Clayton. She’s been very attentive.” His expression is impassive, but his words… it’s like he’s saying something else entirely. It’s baffling. “Cool,” Paul responds. “Catch you later, Y/N.” “Sure, Paul.” I watch him disappear toward the stock room. “Anything else, Mr. Kwon?” “Just these items.” His tone is clipped and cool. Damn… have I offended him? Taking a deep breath, I turn and head for the till. What is his problem? I ring up the rope, coveralls, masking tape, and cable ties at the till. “That will be forty-three dollars, please.” I glance up at Kwon, and I wish I hadn’t. He’s watching me closely, his brown eyes intense and smoky. It’s unnerving. “Would you like a bag?” I ask as I take his credit card. “Please, Y/N.” His tongue caresses my name, and my heart once again is frantic. I can hardly breathe. Hurriedly, I place his purchases in a plastic carrier. “You’ll call me if you want me to do the photo shoot?” He’s all business once more. I nod, rendered speechless yet again, and hand back his credit card. “Good. Until tomorrow perhaps.” He turns to leave, then pauses. “Oh – and Y/N, I’m glad Miss Min couldn’t do the interview.” He smiles, then strides with renewed purpose out of the store, slinging the plastic bag over his shoulder, leaving me a quivering mass of raging female hormones. I spend several minutes staring at the closed door through which he’s just left before I return to planet Earth. Okay – I like him. There, I’ve admitted it to myself. I cannot hide from my feelings anymore. I’ve never felt like this before. I find him attractive, very attractive. But it’s a lost cause, I know, and I sigh with bittersweet regret. It was just a coincidence, his coming here. But still, I can admire him from afar, surely? No harm can come of that. And if I find a photographer, I can do some serious admiring tomorrow. I bite my lip in anticipation and find myself grinning like a schoolgirl. I need to phone Hyo-Rin and organize a photo-shoot.

boi i swear he...ugh he as a rich ceo....just yasss,also i didnt change the paul name because its the only time he appers in the book so yeah tommorow i will upload another part!!!!

163 notes · View notes

vvnm · 4 years ago

Note

he thinks about taking a selfie for just a split second, but decides against it. it’ll be more fun this way, plus, he really doesn’t know how to take good pictures of himself. bertholdt always used to do it for him back in germany.

who knows, maybe i have three eyes, too? you can either believe me on this or not. people tell me my eyes are hazel? we don’t really use this word in german so take this with a grain of salt. in german i just say ich hab hellbraune augen. hazel does sound cooler than that.

i don’t know about the wrinkles on the brain when i’m the one getting lost at every corner (even tho i’ve lived here for about 2 months now). i think moving from a small village by the sea to this huge city does that. 😩

oh no, you found me out. i’m actually 76, thank you for making me older than i already am. 💀 (jk, i’m 27, how old are you? for all i know you’re the 80 y/o one) would be cool tho, an 80 year old granny who plays animal crossing??

rn? i’m just trying to figure out how to work my way around your subway. i’ve managed to get lost today, i wasn’t even supposed to be on the train where you wrote your number down. maybe we were destined to meet? who knows. i’m finally back home now, i ordered some poutine? is that how you spell it?? we don’t have it in germany but on the picture it looked amazing. i will let you know if i liked it.

it’s not even all that bad. i do miss my best friend, but we facetime. at least sometimes.

tschö mit ö!! 🖖 you’re a quick learner, huh? maybe you have the wrinkly brain and not me??

5 minutes later

[image of poutine with cheese AND bacon]

it’s delicious?? why isn’t this a thing in germany?

- german reiner

(mod: yeah i just noticed i never even signed off as reiner so. i'm definitely not the one with a wrinkly brain.)

Are you an alien??? 👽👽👽 spoooooky. Hmm, you've been told they're hazel by Canadians then? Don't take anything Canadians say seriously. I think most of us are colourblind. So maybe your eyes really are hellbraune augen 💀 I guessed that thats what the colour was. I did some deductive shit, and I deduce that was the colour part of what you just said.

Two months and you're still on your own? 😩 have you tried plenty of fish?? I'm sure a nice lil canadian guy or gal would show you around

I'm 53. Aw you're a strapping young lad, aren't you! I do play animal crossing with my grandkids

wait is 53 too young for grandkids??? 😳 okay FINE. I'm not a milf or a gilf 😩 i'm 25 and don't even have a pet to mother.

ouiiiii. c'est de la poutine. lmfao jk i can't speak french 😩 also stop. not ur best friend :(((( its ok if it makes u feel any better mine lives in germany, so we have the same problem, huh?? they live hours ahead of us 🧍🏻‍♀️ she's out here waking up smetimes when it's like midnight for me 🤡🤡 the audacity cause then i cant go to sleep i gotta stay up and talk

tschö mit ö!! yea i got tons of wrinkes wanna see????

[5 min later cos of poutine]

stop im so hungry 😳 did u go to a poutinery?? u gotta hit up the ma and pa places ok?? otherwise ur not getting the full experience here.

ah maybe the germans just don't know what they're missing 😩

#ur brain is so wrinkly mod #REINER REINER REINER #THE BRAIN

0 notes

webdesignersolutions · 5 years ago

Link

This was my 5th conversation with support in 30 days after they once again suspended my account due to their inability to remove an add on that they added as a “Free Trial” to my account which is now trying to charge me $100 extra. As I refuse to pay it and they are unable to remove the add on. They’ve now taken my hosting down. I apologies for surely being rude to the person in support and it’s not their fault, but this is infuriating that….read the chat.

DUE TO YOUR ISSUE MY SITES JUST WENT DOWN AGAIN BECAUSE MY CPANEL IS SUSPSENDED!!!! I’VE JUST SENT OUT 30,000 EMAILS FOR A SALE. PLEASE FIX NOW.

9:57 am K Karthikeya joined Hello, Jason. I’m Karthikeya. Welcome to Chat Support. I’m sorry that your website is down. I’ll definitely try to resolve this for you. 9:58 am J The database just dropped on all my sites, https://incredimask.com/ when I try to enter Cpanel, it’s suspended, I just spoke to someone 30 mins ago about this account this is madness 9:59 am K I totally understand your concern. I will try my best to get this resolved for you. To maintain high security standards, please authenticate with the token number sent to the registered email on your account. 9:59 am J 067384 9:59 am K Thanks for authenticating. Thank you for clarifying the issue. I need about 2-3 minutes to check a few things. Is that okay? 10:00 am J ok please hurry 10:00 am K I will try my best to fix it as quick as possible. 10:01 am J can you unsuspend the account beofre you do anything 10:02 am K I have checked and could see that the the account has been expired for non payment. Please renew your hosting to fix this issue. 10:02 am J we’ve got 30,000 emails just sent and another 100,000 go out in 10 mins 10:02 am K I can understand your concern. 10:02 am J no, please check the last issue, I can’t pay because your billing team won’t remove site lock I just spoke to someone 20 mins ago about this a ticket was sent to your billing team and the account unsuspended untl the issue is fixed but now its suspended again 10:03 am K Thanks for the information. Please give me 2-3 minutes to check it. 10:04 am J can you please do something or else I’m going to have to mail my entire 500,000 email list and tell them, plus our clients, that everything is down because BLUEHOST cannot fix a simple issue

10:04 am K I’m really sorry about this, Jason. 10:05 am J ok 10:05 am K I have checked and could see that the case has been escalated to our admins. This will take around 24-48 hours for the case to reach our admins and for them to get this resolved. They will email you once the issue is resolved. 10:06 am J OK but can you unsuspend my account in the meantime I need our stuff online while we wait! I was told it would be unsuspended until it was resolved 30 mins ago and now it is down again! Also they were supposed to resolve this last month and they still haven’t 30 days later! 10:07 am K Thanks for letting me know. Let me check it for you. Please give me 2-3 minutes. 10:08 am J ok 10:08 am K I’m still trying to check if I can do something. Please give me 2-3 minutes. 10:11 am J ok 10:11 am K I have checked and spoken to the previous agent and he has told that his supervisor working on it still. He will be fixing it at the earliest. 10:13 am J I need the sites online NOW I’ve paid for nearly 500,000 emails to be sent for a promotion today and I can’t get my sites online due to your issues?? 10:14 am K I can understand that it is very important for your website to be online. 10:14 am J surely they can unsuspend until the issue is resolved 10:14 am K This is an issue because the account was not renewed and I’m really sorry about it. 10:15 am J But I can’t renew the account because of Bluehost’s billing issue, that they haven’t been able to fix for 30 days now 10:16 am K I’m really sorry about that, Jason. 10:17 am J That’s what I explained last month, this morning and now again. For some crazy reason your team can’t fix a simple billing issue. Now I’m going to be down $800 for an email campaign today, because your team can’t unsuspend my account while they fix what should be a simple issue I understand you’re sorry, but what I need right now is the account to be active while Bluehost fixes the issue 10:17 am K I’m really sorry about that. One of our supervisor is actually working on it right now to fix it temporarily. 10:18 am J How long will this be? 10:18 am K Unfortunately, I cannot give you the exact ETA but he should resolve this in a couple of hours, since he will be having other issues as well but he is still trying to temporarily resolve this for you. 10:19 am J Couple of hours??? 10:20 am K I’m really not sure of the time frame it can be done before that as well. 10:20 am J the last guy was able to unsuspend the account in 2 minutes, why will this take a couple of hours now, I can’t wait that long. I literally have thousands of emails being sent… any update? 10:24 am K I can understand it, Jason. I agree even I would be pissed at this point, and i wish I could help you but this can be done by our admins, and our supervisor is trying to fix it temporarily. 10:25 am J I just don’t get why he’s “trying”, when he or someone can just activate the account 10:26 am K This is an issue that has to be escalated and done by our admins only, but he is still trying it resolve it since it is urgent. I hope you can understand. 10:27 am J Yea, I need to start looking for new hosting companies, this is madness 10:29 am K I’m really sorry about this, I do understand this is important for you and we are trying our best to get his resolved at the earliest. 10:30 am J Yea I get that, but I’ve never had a hosting company at any point in the last 20 years that can’t fix a simple billing issue, or can’t just keep the server live while they are having an issue. 10:31 am K I totally understand it and we would have resolved it if it was a simple fix, Jason, we really would. I hope you can understand it. 10:32 am J ok, the next emails are going out in 25 mins, I’m gonna have to change them to say the website we built is down due the Bluehost inability to resolve a billing issue after 30 days because otherwise, I look like an idiot sending traffic to an account suspended page and clients are calling about their websites now, need to tell them the same thing this is crazy, it really is 10:35 am K I’m really sorry about this. I do apologize for the inconvenience that you had to experience. Thank you for contacting Chat Support. Resolving your concern is important to us. Due to inactivity, I am going to close out this chat and update your account with my notes. When it is convenient for you, please initiate another chat session with us. We are available 24/7/365. 10:39 am J so I just need to wait now? No certain timeframe etc? 10:39 am K That’s correct, please wait. 10:39 am J so no timeframe? 10:41 am K Unfortunately, I cannot give you a time frame. 10:42 am J ok I’m gonna go change the emails and chat about this everywhere, I sincerely cannot believe a company as large as yours can’t fix this issue.

Submitted July 30, 2020 at 08:44AM by jayhassett89 https://www.reddit.com/r/webhosting/comments/i0obha/why_im_moving_to_siteground_after_30_days_and_5/?utm_source=ifttt

from Blogger http://webdesignersolutions1.blogspot.com/2020/07/why-im-moving-to-siteground-after-30.html via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

0 notes

elaniadventuresinlondon · 5 years ago

Text

Week 2: March 24-31

Meeting the body of believers

I didn’t know that the folks here weren’t plugged into a church body here. They have a “home church” model, however it’s not plugged into anything larger. Back then the lock down wasn’t enforced yet, so some folks showed up to “house church” in person while others showed up over zoom. (I’m using parenthesis on “house church” because things aren’t defined...yet)

Anyhoo, I was excited to meet the body of believers and experience how they do things here. I had a chance to introduce myself and to my joy, I actually knew like 3 other people from last year when I was here. (I actually forgot I was here last year at the exact same time!)

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone.”

During introductions I had a very rude encounter with someone on zoom who accused me of bringing corona over here after someone in the group coughed once. “Who coughed!? Wait someone over there coughed! Why did you come from America and bring corona here? Now we are all going to get it! How do you know Collin and Lyndsey? Why are you here?” No one stuck up for me but as I tried to stop the guy’s spewing mouth they just said “let the girl speak.” I was the token Asian girl, and completely understand the way people see Asians as bringing corona.

Lord take control of my tongue.

I was bombarded with questions and accusations from this dude and I tried my best to speak with faith but I was getting angry! And my anger turns into tears when I hold it back so I literally started crying in front of everyone. Ughh... what a lame introduction and first impression. I actually was so mad that I sat in the corner and pushed the computer away signaling to everyone “I’m done with you!” I was able to guard my tongue but not my emotions or thoughts.

“God, why didn’t you bring me here? To this? Wow Lord, this is not the kind of spiritual body I thought I’d be walking into. Is this who I’m supposed to run with in this season? This was not worth giving up my lease for and packing up, and taking risks for, etc etc”

My thoughts went on and on and I was “done with this.” I had massive judgements and my lens of discernment was on against everyone. Thankfully, Grace asked me privately if I would like to talk more about what just happened in another room. I knew that if I didn’t I would still and be mad the rest of the night. So I nodded yes. She empathized with me and asked me how I felt and I let it out. She then asked if we could pray together and also if I wanted to, to forgive that guy for the way he spoke.

As I was praying, God showed me a glimpse of that guy’s past and his heart and his fire and his giftings, and told me He’s working on him, and that while it’s not ok what he said, that this guy is going to be used mightily for His kingdom and he doesn’t want to lose him and to give him grace and forgive him. Grace covered me in prayer also. After praying I felt better and rejoined the group, just in time for communion. Collin had found a box of free fancy bread!

It was delicious bread. We spent some time praying for each other. It was a very organic time where it was clear there was no agenda but simply to break bread with one another and pray for each other.

Then Collin asks me if I’m still willing to lead worship, and I was down, but I felt like God asked me to worship publicly. So we all got our coats and walked to this awesome building nearby where it’s like a big empty hall. Keep in mind I haven’t led worship in a long long time and I haven’t practiced, but I really just wanted to encounter the Holy Spirit and I missed how thick His presence feels at the Ark.

A lady recorded us while worshipping and we prayed for her and her son. She stayed the entire time.

The lady then posts a 4 min edited version of our worship night on her Facebook feed and sends it to us. Praise the Lord!

Send me more intercessors

I asked God to send me more friends and specifically intercessors. People I could go to war with in the spirit. And literally a day after I prayed that I was walking by the canal and saw this girl trying to take a selfie. I jokingly said “would you like me to take your photo? I’m a professional.” She exuberantly said yea! And handed me her phone, not quite afraid of germs yet. She asks me if I’m American or Canadian lol, and asks me how long I’ve been here,etc. I end up telling her a brief testimony of why I came just last week to follow God’s voice here and that my heart is just to worhsip and pray for folks until God tells me more.

She gets really excited and says “no way! I was just walking up and down the canal interceeding for the boat community! Yea I was speaking in tongues and everything!”

Rosie went to Bethel’s SWM, plays keys, is into creative art expressions and plugs me into an intercession group here on WhatsApp. God answers prayers quick!!

She mentions a dude named Sean has a Kings Cross house of prayer here somewhere. So she gives him a call but no answer, so we hang out the rest of the day. Thank you Father for sending me friends who like to pray!

God sends me more friends

Collin and Lyndsey we’re leaving for their 5 year anniversary so I was going to by by myself for a week, so I asked God to send me more friends. People I could run with. And as Collin and Lund we’re going to the train stay they messaged us saying “there’s a guy at the station doing open air preaching and he’s pretty good! You should join him!”

So I literally run out the door with guitar in hand. I see him there preaching at the train station and it seems like no one is listening. I jump onto scene like a sidekick to a superhero and say “hi! I’ve come to join you!” Hahahahahah!! What a weirdo.

He says, “well alright, I was about to buy this man some food, but I’ll come back then. Maybe you can worship and intercede here.” Thankfully my friends Kenny and Grace were there so I had courage and did not feel like an idiot. I just worshipped and prayed, as they spoke to people coming up to us.

The preacher dude comes back, his name is Joshua, and he says how about you sing a few songs then I’ll preach? Ok! His preaching is good, in a calm, kind, Bristish accent tone. He seamlessly preaches about the last song we sang “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” After he’s done preaching something came over me, and I start praying and interceeding, loudly! Oh dude it get ugly like tears and shouting, repenting loudly, on behalf of the people, asking God to heal our land and then I start to invite people to come and receive prayer if no one has prayed for you lately, if you have fear or anxiety or worry, or depression! If you want freedom and joy and peace, etc and surprisingly I open my eyes and there are 2 people there wanting prayer. We each take one and pray, and the dude I’m talking with really wants freedom from fear, and he’s so afraid of being sick. I share with him the good news that we need not fear sickness or even death because of Jesus Christ! He invites Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. We spend a good amount of time praying and declaring truths and he takes a bible and I feel he needs to keep reciting truths. He asks about church but now everything is online, and he needs a computer to join. He didn’t have one so I said God will be with you when you read His word.

I didn’t take a photo of any moments but Kenny had filmed some of the preacher dude before I got there, and he eventually makes this video:

https://vimeo.com/406276698

vimeo

0 notes

scottgw62 · 6 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://coachscottworswick.com/lets-check-out-cambodia/

Let's check out Cambodia

After around 19 months in Thailand I felt it was time to look for new pastures and decided to move to Cambodia. Some of you may be thinking, ‘What!! why would he do that’, moving from one of the most developed countries in Asia, to a very small and under developed country without the many facilities offered by a more advanced nation.

Stay tuned and I’ll let you know.

So I arrived in Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia traveling by coach, an experience in itself!

Some of the roads were filled with deep pits and holes and it had been raining so muddy too, however we eventually arrived safely in Phnom Penh in the late evening in October 2014.

Fortunately, after only a short walk I was able to find a hotel for temporary accommodation while looking for a job and a more permanent apartment.

It did not take long to acquire a new position and I started work as a Tutor for a company run by an English owner. This involved some one on one tutoring and some small group work with local companies, again at a fairly low level. I continued working here until I met a guy in a local bar one evening and he told me about a language school run by IDP called ACE (Australian Centre for Education) and that I should apply there.

I suppose I should add a rather funny story (although not so funny for me at the time), one day my boss invited me to meet for lunch this was about 2 hours before my lesson with a Korean guy, very good in English but he wanted to improve even more and learn many of the idioms we have in English as well as converse with a native speaker. Anyway so at lunch my boss ordered some pizza and we had a pleasant time eating and drinking. However, unknown to me was the fact that this was commonly known as a ‘happy pizza’ in other words it was laced with cannabis.

I now had to proceed to my lesson with an executive client who spoke very good English and try to provide a good session. But that was not to be, I found myself feeling very drowsy and unable to concentrate eventually after about 30 to 40 min’s he ended the class. I’m sure he must have realised what had happened, but I put it down to not feeling very well. For me a terrible experience, as I would never drink or take mild drugs like that knowing I had a lesson to do, but quite funny looking back. What a boss right!!

This I did and after an interview, I was accepted to stat in a new branch in an area known as Toul Tom Poung. It was a brand new building with about 7 floors. This was to begin in the New Year January 2015.

All the teachers that started in this branch were new teachers and we had induction training before we started. Very professional and although they did have classes for all ages we were able to stipulate our preferences. So I chose to teach at level 4 and above which was at an intermediate level and with teenagers and adults.

Quick note; IDP is an organization in Australia I believe its government run to encourage foreign students to study in Australian Universities. They are one part of the team that makes up the IELTS exams with the British Council.

I was very please to find this position as it was my first experience of working in a well run and organized school, it also took care of our visa’s and working permits and provided medical insurance after a 6 month probationary period. We had all the necessary tools and equipment to plan our lessons and a structured curriculum using English course books. So whilst it was still required to make lesson plans they were developed around the lessons from the books, these included audio and video material.

Cambodia Expat Lifestyle

OK, so what about Cambodia, I found it a very nice place not too much traffic compared to other major capital cities, which made it easy to get around, here I did buy a second hand scooter rather than renting as they are very cheap here. Most of the traffic is motorbikes and bicycles not so many cars as the population is still relatively poor and cars here are very heavily taxed, they cost more here than in western countries.

The driving is not so good, they do go through red lights and drive on the wrong side of the road and you have to watch for vehicles coming from all directions, but they tend to drive quite slow, so just be careful.

About the traffic police if they stop you there will be a fine, even if you have done nothing wrong, but if you keep your eyes open they are avoidable and if you keep to the outside lane a go faster it’s difficult for them to stop you. It’s also acceptable here to ignore the police if they are flagging you down, they never pursue you.

I bought my scooter and never had a license in Cambodia, didn’t have any insurance. The only expenses were the petrol, about $1 a litre and any repairs, punctures did occur quite frequently but they have many places to repair and not very expensive.

Cuisine in Cambodia mostly revolves around rice and noodles just like all the other Asian countries, meals could be bought at local restaurants for around a dollar, a can of beer about 70 cents in a store for the local brew or if in a bar $1.50 to $2. That’s if you wish to be on the economy side. But like Thailand being the capital city they have many different kinds of foods including, hamburgers, chips, Kebabs, Chinese, KFC and as in Thailand some western owners of bars and restaurants.

Of course if you venture into the small towns and villages you can only find the local foods.

Things to do, they had some small shopping malls and also one big AON mall that had just been built, with cinema that catered for blockbuster movies.

I also found a gym not as modern as the one in Thailand and no air conditioning which actually I prefer. But it had all the weights and equipment for me to work out a circuit for myself and it was only a dollar per visit.

Cambodia has many holidays, so the students and the school closed quite a bit and I decided to travel to the beach at Sihanouk about a 4 hour mini bus ride from Phnom Penh during any of the longer holidays. It was here that I noticed the scuba diving schools and being an adventurous person. I began by having an introductory course at a PADI diving school close to the beach at Sihanouk. After getting into the diving, I made my mind up to complete my open water certificate, this entailed buying some books and doing some study as well as the diving.

The centre I used had a place on an island, so we went by boat to this Island known as Koh Rong Sanloem and although there were some other small resorts it was almost a deserted beach, especially when it was out of the main season for tourists. However, on the other side of the Island, there were larger resorts and I occasionally took a walk over the hill to the other side, quite a steep climb and took about 30 to 40 min's, through a dense overgrown forest and a few streams to cross quite a nice little hike.

I got hooked on diving and went on to complete my advanced diving and also a rescue and first aid course. I thought about becoming an instructor but in the end decided against it.

I was also able to get involved with the school 5-a-side football team, we went to a local venue and played against the local teams, in my first 6 month contract we had two young guys teaching with us who were quite good footballers. So when the school had a 5-a-side competition we had a good team, even at 58, I was able to play in the side and we managed to win the competition on penalties in the final. Not bad for an old geezer.

As for the cost of living, a bit less than Thailand especially for accommodation, although I have to say, I was very blessed to find a 3 bedroom two floor apartment fully furnished, for $200 a month. Most of the rented apartments were more in the region of $250 to $300 depending on what kind of facilities you were after, Oh! and with a balcony.

Food to buy in the markets are cheap and varied you can get most vegetables that you might be used to, as well as many you have not seen before in your home country, unless you’re from another Asian country of course.

Scott Worswick

#EFL teaching #expats #living abroad #living in Asia #teaching a foreign language #travel

0 notes

therainbowjen · 7 years ago

Text

vow

his casket was the first casket that I spoke to in earnest.

I have been to a lot of funerals. Funerals had been peppered throughout my life: mostly anticipated, mostly older folks. grandparents, great aunts, great uncles: those funerals were tear inducing but platitudes of “they had a long life” , “they’re not suffering anymore”, and “They’re with God, now” usually seemed to be enough. Watching death, to me, was always worse than the actual dying bit for folks, as I watched my grandmother deteriorate on my couch over a summer. Sitting mutely alongside a woman who would openly curse God on her deathbed after watching her experience a full, rich, relatively blessed life was far more painful than stepping up to her casket for the last time. Even my cousin who died in his late 20s, although unexpected and far too early, felt predicted through the rationalization that due to his habits, past drug abuse, and crimes, he would die much earlier than we would hope for him. It was painful, traumatic to be sure, but rationalized. I had never been to a funeral in which I felt the seismic shift that would never be undone, and a weight in responsibility that I knew was officially mine. Not mine alone, but mine, regardless.

This was the first death in which I felt a before and an after.

I got the phone call at work. My phone buzzed in my scrub pocket, and I casually flipped it to see the name. My ex-boyfriend. I internally rolled my eyes at him calling me during work hours (professionals do not roll their eyes, after all), sent him to voicemail and used Apple’s “Can’t talk right now!”. I sent a quick text. “What do you need? I’m at work. Can’t talk. Call again if it’s an emergency.” I put my phone back into my pocket and apologized to my patient, a Cornell man who always made sure I knew that he was better than me, but he liked me well enough due to my massage skills. I couldn’t have been any less concerned.

My phone buzzed again. He was calling.

I apologized to my seated patient and stepped behind the door as my boss continued the treatment plan. Picking up the phone, slightly irritated, I asked sharply, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Papa D just died.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I need Kayla’s number, I have Jeff, we are at the hospital but we didn’t make it in time, what is...”. I can’t begin to describe how derailed he was, even if I had every word in the world. He wasn’t just panicked. He was rabid. He was a mess.

His chatter faded in my mind. I answered everything he asked in an even voice. I calmed him down, I spoke with reason, he asked me what to do and I gave out orders. It only worked that way because I was on autopilot in that conversation, too occupied with the real script running in my head. My base instincts screamed. How is Chris? How is he? Does he know? He has to. He is alone in California. He is in California. I am in Chicago. He is without me. I am not there. How do I get there? How fast can I get there? I am not in the right place right now I need to GO, I need to go NOW, I needed to be gone a minute ago, I ranted internally. The words running through my head were spinning like a windmill after rain - absolutely nothing could stop my thoughts now.

I stepped back into the therapy room, absolutely shocked. Most of my co-workers were deeply alarmed. “Is everything okay?”. I spoke with a tiny, steady voice I didn’t recognize.

“My best friend’s Dad just died.”

Wednesday, June 14th, 2017. texts outgoing.

3:07 CST: I am here

3:07 CST: you do not need to pick up but I am calling you in 5 mins and leaving a message okay so you can hear my voice. I know you are overwhelmed and shocked and everything I can’t even imagine and getting a thousand calls ok. So you do exactly what you need right now and you call me day night anything doesn’t matter. You tell me exactly what you need and I will do it whenever you figure out what that is. take your time I love you

I went to work on Thursday. The funeral and calling hours weren’t until Friday and Saturday, and so I knew I couldn’t miss work without reason. Thankfully, my boss and team were incredibly understanding. I left right after my last patient, flying along 80 through Indiana. I called my other best friend. He filled me in. He told me everything he knew. We tried to process. We discussed what would be best for our friend. How could we be the most help? Then I asked the question that I was dreading to ask, because I feared the answer.

“What’s she doing?”

“I haven’t seen her. Maybe she’s been there when I wasn’t, but I haven’t seen her yet.”

Typical, I thought. Of course. I prayed that he had just missed her when he was over. I prayed he just didn’t know how much she had been doing. But I knew the truth. I knew she wasn’t doing enough. My heart simmered in rage. I prayed my rage was misplaced.

It wasn’t. But she deserves no more space in my memoirs. As far as I saw, she let down my best friend in the lowest point in his life thus far. It wasn’t good enough. And I will never, ever forget that as long as I live.

I came to the calling hours with my ex and my best friend. When we got there, there was already a swirling line nearly out the door of the funeral home. To say that Papa D was loved was an understatement, as they received guests for hours upon hours. We waited in line with some other friends and chatted about trivial things as we waited. We looked through the memorial photos and my heart cracked.

Every photo only spoke of love. He loved his wife more than anything, he loved his children more than life, and he loved everything around him with an unique perspective dipped in humor that his children acquired in their own ways. He went car part hunting. He worked harder than anyone. He was irreverent in the most wonderful way, honest, intelligent, humble, and very kind. He was truly a good man. And his wake was a testament to it.

A lot of things broke me that weekend. But the first one was looking at photos of them all together. Younger versions of a family that I adopted as my own through love. Camping photos where it was evident that the glitter in Papa’s eyes was from holding his (oldest) son in his lap, and the returned love and joy in his eyes through just being with his Dad. All 5 of them with the dogs - Papa with cars - Papa with his sons, building their cars - love, love, love, and more love. Happy. And it was over for him. And for them, it would never be the same.

Even today, I think of my best friend a lot and how he is doing, but more than anyone, I think of Mama. I think the words “58 is too young to be widowed” at minimum once a week. I think the words “How does the rest of her life feel to her? What does she see?”. I think of how I checked her facebook page to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating the space in between her first name as I addressed a card, and I think of how in her most recent photos, her eyes never matched her smiles and how absolutely exhausted she looks. I bawled alone in my kitchen in New York. I want to carry her every single day. But I can’t.

We finally got to them. First it was Papa’s sisters. I re-introduced myself to them; one of my best friend’s aunts exclaimed to me that she “knew me through facebook” and knew me well, even though I’m pretty confident we had only met once before. It felt so Papa that my heart swelled a bit. And then it broke when I got to Kayla and Charlie.

Charlie was devastated, keeping it together but devastated. It was obvious that his answer to me was part of the script he had rehearsed to say to everyone through the line. I wasn’t even slightly offended. I just wanted him to take care of himself, to breathe, to autopilot through this and survive, just for today, and if that meant I got a canned response that 450 other people got, then prattle away. Besides, it was his fiance that killed me, anyways.

“It’s my fault.” Kayla said to me, immediately after “hello”. “I should have made him go to the doctor. He had chest pain but ignored it. He might still be here if I took it seriously and made him go.”

I immediately spoke with a tone so firm and mixed with pure love that I felt like it didn’t even come out of my mouth. I never realized I could mix those two feelings, but I suppose my next words only could be spoken in that tone. “It is not your fault. Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare make yourself to blame for something that you couldn’t have known about. He wouldn’t want you to, anyways.”

I look over and that’s when I see Mama. She is sitting on a high chair in a dress with no sleeves, telling her current person-in-line that it was too cold in the room. In a breath, it was as if the funeral director materialized out of air to hear her request to raise the temperature. I knew it didn’t matter what the room temperature was, because she would be frozen, numb, and in shock regardless, but I felt so grateful in that moment that they catered to her immediately. This was the minimum they deserved in my mind, blind devotion and maybe miracles.

I believe I had thought of a really great thing to say to her. I went up to her, to try to be myself, to try to lighten things up as I always did, but it never happened. Instead she looked at me and I broke. I croaked ,“Mom”, and hugged her hard. I didn’t even call her Mama, like I normally do, as I try to reserve the term Mom for my actual mother. It didn’t matter. She was Mom. She is Mom. And looking at her like that, that’s all I could get out.

Jeff was next to her in line. A pure mess, but somehow not bawling his eyes out. I hugged him and made some sort of bizarro, dumb joke that simply filled the air as a I patted his head. I immediately moved to Chris. Finally.

I have no idea what I said to him. I’ve been trying to reach through the dark to remember the words I spoke, but I haven’t the faintest recollection. I just know I hugged him for as long as I could. And it felt like my every part of my insides were pulling at the seams as I had to leave him in that receiving line. All I wanted to do was stand next to him. I wouldn’t of spoken for hours, I wouldn’t of minded, I would have been good. But I knew I couldn’t, I knew it wasn’t proper, and I didn’t want to be selfish. So I let my body scream as I walked away, every inch building on the magnetic pull I felt to go. back. and. never. leave. him. ever. again.

Instead I willed my body towards the casket. Usually, my spirituality stops me from speaking to dead bodies, whether they are in caskets or graves, as I don’t believe they’re in there, anyways. I know it makes people feel better, and I don’t judge by any means, but to me the shell is the least important part of that person. You can speak to a spirit anywhere, and you don’t need to physically be next to their bodies to whisper to the wind. But this time, I didn’t do that.

I knelt in front of the casket and spoke to him softly. “Hi, Papa”. I then thought, “I can’t believe I saw you last week and said we’d catch up next time. There was no next time, huh? I guess this was it.”

My thoughts paused for a millisecond. And then I spoke in a voice that was otherworldly. I didn’t recognize my voice at all as I spoke in the softest tone I had ever used in my life that was brimming with absolute devotion and conviction:

“Don’t worry, Papa, I’ll take care of them. And I’ll never stop.”

#personal

0 notes

webdesignersolutions · 5 years ago

Text

Why I'm moving to siteground, after 30 days and 5 different conversations, Bluehost still cannot fix a simple issue.

This was my 5th conversation with support in 30 days after they once again suspended my account due to their inability to remove an add on that they added as a "Free Trial" to my account which is now trying to charge me $100 extra. As I refuse to pay it and they are unable to remove the add on. They've now taken my hosting down. I apologies for surely being rude to the person in support and it's not their fault, but this is infuriating that....read the chat.

DUE TO YOUR ISSUE MY SITES JUST WENT DOWN AGAIN BECAUSE MY CPANEL IS SUSPSENDED!!!! I'VE JUST SENT OUT 30,000 EMAILS FOR A SALE. PLEASE FIX NOW.

9:57 am K Karthikeya joined Hello, Jason. I'm Karthikeya. Welcome to Chat Support. I'm sorry that your website is down. I'll definitely try to resolve this for you. 9:58 am J The database just dropped on all my sites, https://incredimask.com/ when I try to enter Cpanel, it's suspended, I just spoke to someone 30 mins ago about this account this is madness 9:59 am K I totally understand your concern. I will try my best to get this resolved for you. To maintain high security standards, please authenticate with the token number sent to the registered email on your account. 9:59 am J 067384 9:59 am K Thanks for authenticating. Thank you for clarifying the issue. I need about 2-3 minutes to check a few things. Is that okay? 10:00 am J ok please hurry 10:00 am K I will try my best to fix it as quick as possible. 10:01 am J can you unsuspend the account beofre you do anything 10:02 am K I have checked and could see that the the account has been expired for non payment. Please renew your hosting to fix this issue. 10:02 am J we've got 30,000 emails just sent and another 100,000 go out in 10 mins 10:02 am K I can understand your concern. 10:02 am J no, please check the last issue, I can't pay because your billing team won't remove site lock I just spoke to someone 20 mins ago about this a ticket was sent to your billing team and the account unsuspended untl the issue is fixed but now its suspended again 10:03 am K Thanks for the information. Please give me 2-3 minutes to check it. 10:04 am J can you please do something or else I'm going to have to mail my entire 500,000 email list and tell them, plus our clients, that everything is down because BLUEHOST cannot fix a simple issue :( 10:04 am K I'm really sorry about this, Jason. 10:05 am J ok 10:05 am K I have checked and could see that the case has been escalated to our admins. This will take around 24-48 hours for the case to reach our admins and for them to get this resolved. They will email you once the issue is resolved. 10:06 am J OK but can you unsuspend my account in the meantime I need our stuff online while we wait! I was told it would be unsuspended until it was resolved 30 mins ago and now it is down again! Also they were supposed to resolve this last month and they still haven't 30 days later! 10:07 am K Thanks for letting me know. Let me check it for you. Please give me 2-3 minutes. 10:08 am J ok 10:08 am K I'm still trying to check if I can do something. Please give me 2-3 minutes. 10:11 am J ok 10:11 am K I have checked and spoken to the previous agent and he has told that his supervisor working on it still. He will be fixing it at the earliest. 10:13 am J I need the sites online NOW I've paid for nearly 500,000 emails to be sent for a promotion today and I can't get my sites online due to your issues?? 10:14 am K I can understand that it is very important for your website to be online. 10:14 am J surely they can unsuspend until the issue is resolved 10:14 am K This is an issue because the account was not renewed and I'm really sorry about it. 10:15 am J But I can't renew the account because of Bluehost's billing issue, that they haven't been able to fix for 30 days now 10:16 am K I'm really sorry about that, Jason. 10:17 am J That's what I explained last month, this morning and now again. For some crazy reason your team can't fix a simple billing issue. Now I'm going to be down $800 for an email campaign today, because your team can't unsuspend my account while they fix what should be a simple issue I understand you're sorry, but what I need right now is the account to be active while Bluehost fixes the issue 10:17 am K I'm really sorry about that. One of our supervisor is actually working on it right now to fix it temporarily. 10:18 am J How long will this be? 10:18 am K Unfortunately, I cannot give you the exact ETA but he should resolve this in a couple of hours, since he will be having other issues as well but he is still trying to temporarily resolve this for you. 10:19 am J Couple of hours??? 10:20 am K I'm really not sure of the time frame it can be done before that as well. 10:20 am J the last guy was able to unsuspend the account in 2 minutes, why will this take a couple of hours now, I can't wait that long. I literally have thousands of emails being sent... any update? 10:24 am K I can understand it, Jason. I agree even I would be pissed at this point, and i wish I could help you but this can be done by our admins, and our supervisor is trying to fix it temporarily. 10:25 am J I just don't get why he's "trying", when he or someone can just activate the account 10:26 am K This is an issue that has to be escalated and done by our admins only, but he is still trying it resolve it since it is urgent. I hope you can understand. 10:27 am J Yea, I need to start looking for new hosting companies, this is madness 10:29 am K I'm really sorry about this, I do understand this is important for you and we are trying our best to get his resolved at the earliest. 10:30 am J Yea I get that, but I've never had a hosting company at any point in the last 20 years that can't fix a simple billing issue, or can't just keep the server live while they are having an issue. 10:31 am K I totally understand it and we would have resolved it if it was a simple fix, Jason, we really would. I hope you can understand it. 10:32 am J ok, the next emails are going out in 25 mins, I'm gonna have to change them to say the website we built is down due the Bluehost inability to resolve a billing issue after 30 days because otherwise, I look like an idiot sending traffic to an account suspended page and clients are calling about their websites now, need to tell them the same thing this is crazy, it really is 10:35 am K I'm really sorry about this. I do apologize for the inconvenience that you had to experience. Thank you for contacting Chat Support. Resolving your concern is important to us. Due to inactivity, I am going to close out this chat and update your account with my notes. When it is convenient for you, please initiate another chat session with us. We are available 24/7/365. 10:39 am J so I just need to wait now? No certain timeframe etc? 10:39 am K That's correct, please wait. 10:39 am J so no timeframe? 10:41 am K Unfortunately, I cannot give you a time frame. 10:42 am J ok I'm gonna go change the emails and chat about this everywhere, I sincerely cannot believe a company as large as yours can't fix this issue.

Submitted July 30, 2020 at 08:44AM by jayhassett89 https://www.reddit.com/r/webhosting/comments/i0obha/why_im_moving_to_siteground_after_30_days_and_5/?utm_source=ifttt from Blogger http://webdesignersolutions1.blogspot.com/2020/07/why-im-moving-to-siteground-after-30.html via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

webdesignersolutions · 5 years ago

Text

Why I'm moving to siteground, after 30 days and 5 different conversations, Bluehost still cannot fix a simple issue. via /r/webhosting

Why I'm moving to siteground, after 30 days and 5 different conversations, Bluehost still cannot fix a simple issue.

DUE TO YOUR ISSUE MY SITES JUST WENT DOWN AGAIN BECAUSE MY CPANEL IS SUSPSENDED!!!! I'VE JUST SENT OUT 30,000 EMAILS FOR A SALE. PLEASE FIX NOW.

Submitted July 30, 2020 at 08:44AM by jayhassett89 via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/webhosting/comments/i0obha/why_im_moving_to_siteground_after_30_days_and_5/?utm_source=ifttt

#IFTTT #reddit

0 notes