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uterusclub · 5 years ago

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The very moment we discovered Moulin Rouge was being made into a stage production, we KNEW we had to see it! Unfortunately, the debut occurred in Boston, which well, was expensive to fly to, but we were also, unsure of the ‘reviews’ for the show. It was decided, thereafter that whence it went to Broadway in NYC, we would make the trek. Thus, our adventure begins . . .

Our kick-off to NYC was not without it’s complications. My parents, fortunately, informed us that ‘work’ was being done on the blue line and therefore, offered a ride to an open station with which to catch the ‘el to the blue, then orange line (damn you Southwest for being so damn far). Rousing at 2:30 a.m. was fairly delirious due to Christmas Eve-ed sleep but we rallied as best we could and eventually arrived at Midway Airport with approximately 1/2 hour until boarding. It is at this point; we thanked the transportation Gods or rather, ourselves, for being pre-check TSA members as we quite literally waltzed through security in a matter of minutes. Booyah! Chicago to New York travel time is not terrible – approximately 2 hours. We amused ourselves by using the on-flight, Wi-Fi entertainment to watch Crazy Rich Asians, which was good enough to pass the time.

Off the plane and on our way to public transportation, I left all the work to Sharon who had watched a video about catching buses from the airport to travel into the city. First step, get a ticket to catch a bus to a connecting bus/train. Next – get on appropriate bus to take us to . . . oh wait – is this the correct bus? Yep, immediate confusion. Sharon’s phone kept re-routing which caused her ultimate reaction to be ‘let’s just go one more stop’ as we could see our pinpoint on a map begin to divert from our destination. Long story short, we got off in, who knows where, and caught an Uber already housing a very nice couple who bid us well in our travels once they departed.

We were dropped off at our first, essential stop – a gift and luggage store in Times Square to relieve ourselves of our burdensome baggage. Sketch-tastic to say the least but the concern grew less worrisome as we noticed a multitude of said shops along the streets of Times Square. Luggage-free, we headed to our first endeavor: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum! There was quite a line outside but surprisingly, it moved along quickly and we entered without a hitch (thanks Groupon). Naturally, we grabbed a bunch of awesome pictures – despite the fact that I was unfamiliar with a good portion of the figures we observed. It was delightful surprise to see a commemoration of Cats since we’d seen the production recently (refer to previous blog), however the best part of the entire exhibit was most definitely the Phantom of the Opera shtick where you could pretend you were singing as Christine and also stand/sit on a fake chandelier! Let me not forget the mirror maze as well which, at one point, I lost Sharon and careened into glass with my phone on several occasions.

Following our wax museum adventure, we walked next door to the conveniently situated Ripley’s exhibit (again, thanks Groupon). Now I’ve never, personally been a huge fan of these since I don’t care to reach much but I guess this is a Sharon nostalgia thing. In any case, it was pseudo interesting. We took a few pictures and Sharon disappointingly found a Zoltare machine that provided no physical fortune. There was a cool, trippy, tunnel in the middle of the exhibit, which was cool for a minute but nothing to write home about (irony). Towards the end of our walk through, it became pretty apparently that we were both STARVING. We had made reservations at a little French restaurant down the street; however, we were a bit early but proceeded there anyway.

Le Rivage was our first food stop for our trip! I did minimal research on this place but based on location, reviews, and the fact that they did a show pre-fix meal option, was pretty much sold. We were both pleasantly surprised that the restaurant appeared casual and ‘classic’ – if that makes sense. This place was definitely not ‘hopping’ and had a more ‘old-school’ feel to it that we both dig. Upon being seated at our table, I noticed a can-can picture in an adjoining seating area and made my way over there to grab some pictures. We pre-faced our meals with mimosas and indulged in a French Onion Soup Burger and Boeuf Bourguignon – both DELICIOUS! Swooning in culinary satisfaction, it was now time to get MORE physical uncomfortable. Up to this point, I have failed to mention our ingenious plan on packing our Moulin Rouge-designated outfits in our purses. A much-debated discussion, it made much more sense to dress sensibly for the plane ride and then change into said outfits right before the show – especially since mine involved a tulle skirt and corset! Post-meal, we both took turns walking downstairs to the restroom to change. I’m not sure how Sharon’s transition went but it was quite the production getting in a corset and tulle shirt in a tiny, bathroom stall. Once I excited the stall and begin adding my accessories at the sink, an older lady entered and quite literally gawked at me. She complimented me and just continued to stare before mentioning that she’d heard the producer of the movie Moulin Rouge raved that the stage production was ‘spectacular.’ Transition complete, I headed upstairs to rejoin Sharon and was met with silenced stares all around the dining room. Quite honestly, I did NOT think the outfit was THAT unusual. It probably didn’t help that I was filming the entire area for the duration of the stare-down. Almost felt like I should have choreographed something as part of my exit! Next time.

Get-ups secured, we were now set and ready for Moulin Rouge situated just about a block or two down the street. It was about an hour til show time but upon arriving at the Al Hirschfield Theatre, there was already a line down the block. For the next 40ish minutes, we stood in line with beaming hot sun and bellowing scalpers antagonizing our wills to live. At one point, I peered into the restaurant we stood outside of and saw a girl conveniently dressed in what I’d consider Moulin Rouge attire. She would eventually be seated nearby us like some groupie conspiracy. Once inside the theatre, complete chaos ensued. Sharon immediately went to grab some very expensive sippy-cupped drinks while I perused the gift-shop area – convinced I would pay anything for something Moulin Rouge-inspired. But a $100 hoodie was not in my budget. So I opted for a magnet. When we finally entered the seating area, our minds and eyes were BLOWN! The stage was BEYOND gorgeous! I was most impressed and grateful that everyone was allowed to take as much video and pictures as they liked – although that eventually became annoying when we attempted to take a selfie with no one in the background (impossible)! We received MANY compliments on our outfits and ended up sitting towards some like-minded Moulin Rouge fans who raved about it being their favorite movie. As the minutes neared show time, performers began slowly slinking about the stage in scantily clad outfits – staring Legolasy at the audience.

Once the show was underway, it was magic – but with some drawbacks. Sharon and I would later have a full-blown, extended conversation about the show but to summarize our feelings on it, it could have been better or perhaps, different. As purists, we honestly just wanted a replication of the movie on stage. This, was not as such. The main story line was there, sure, but the adaptation felt a bit forced – almost TOO much freedom was taken with it, I fear. To be more specific and assuming you’re familiar with the movie, the original does throw-backs to a few contemporary songs. This show took that concept and multiplied it by a thousand ie there were a lot MORE snippets of a lot more RECENT songs which, again, I feel lost any sense of integrity. Every time a throw-back clip was initiated, audience members laughed in recognition, which to me, makes a mockery of the movie. Sharon internally lost her shit when Satine began singing Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ and I couldn’t agree more. I wont knock it and say there weren’t SOME good additions – for instance, Christian singing Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ but all in all, it didn’t work for either of us and I’m fairly sure we were the only ones in the theatre feeling that way.

With a slightest defeatist attitude, we made our way back to the gift and luggage store to re-burden ourselves with our belongings. It was at this point, Sharon realized one of the wheels on her luggage bag was defective and not moving. Scraping her back down the street, she ultimately began carrying her entire case in her arms like a massive, dumb baby. While we were, fortunately, not going too far, the walk, still in our uncomfortable outsides, felt long. We eventually arrived at our next stop: Bibble & Sip which is an ADORABLE coffee/tea/pastry shop that is Alpaca themed! With the combination of luggage frustration and scrunchiness, Sharon remained in the distance while I got in line to grab some goods to go. I opted for a Good Luck Hazelnut Alpaca dessert and Black and White Mouse cake which were, oh my god, AMAZING!!

Our desserts weren’t consumed until we arrived at our Airbnb which again, was trekked to under blistering heat, faulty luggage and air-constricting clothing. But we made it! Sharon had found this joint situated at 50th and 3rd Avenue in East Manhattan. The ‘renter’ was a Japanese man who, based off of the amount of signage and locks on things, appeared to be a bit OCD but it tolerable. We had a bed and couch, ability to access a/c and well, minimal tv capabilities. All in all, not a bad set-up and for the price and location, no complaints! After arriving, we changed and ‘regrouped’ for a minute before deciding NOT to venture out for a late-night, rooftop silent-disco we had acquired tickets for. Instead, we decided to slum it for the remainder of the evening – and by ‘slumming,’ I mean grabbing drinks and getting some dinner.

During the course of our very, extensive research, one of us had come across a place called Ophelia Lounge that was conveniently located a few blocks from our Airbnb. We headed there for a celebratory, evening drink and were very impressed with the elevated view, delicious cocktails and unpretentious hospitality! We had only wished it had been later in the evening for an even more spectacular, night view. Following our drinks, we attempted to pre-order our food for pick-up but the restaurant we called was busy so we walked over to Hide-Chan for ramen that I’d read wonderful things about. The restaurant was confusingly situated next to another Asian restaurant that we accidentally venture into first. We then headed next door to the ascending stairway at which time, the hostess informed us they didn’t do ‘take away’ requests. Huh. Odd. We then asked if the adjoining restaurant was there was well but couldn’t exactly make out the response but upon going next door, the men was most definitely, NOT ramen. We then decided it was in our best interest to hike back UP the stairs and just eat there and I’m very glad we did. This was the first time I’d ever seen/ordered garlic butter edameme and it was AMAZING! This was also the first time I’d been asked about the firmness level and shape of my noodles. In any case, food was STELLAR. My only complaint would be the SUPER boisterous, young Asian men seated next to us who were having the time of their LIVES! Ramen in bellies, we headed home and passed the eff out. Day one = complete!

The next morning, we roused fairly early with plans of walking to Central Park, which was about 30 minutes away. After heading out, we grabbed coffee at a Dunkin Donuts and made our away to Central Park Zoo to see their red pandas and penguin feeding. The zoo, while quaint, was comfortable and their employees, very helpful. While in line for our tickets, Sharon inquired if there were any bats and were told yes! Making our rounds once inside, we up the bats first which was nothing short of a glassed, dark room with flittering figures. At one point, I asked Sharon to use her phone flashlight to see if the bats were hanging on the ceiling and sure enough, they were! Walking clock-wise, we hit up the red pandas next but sadly, saw nothing. We continued on our way to came across the seals that were super adorable and rambunctious. We then circled back to the red pandas and were pointed out one, hidden and barely moving, shrouded in foliage. Our last stop off was the children’s petting zoo, which contained guess what – an Alpaca – and some sheep’s that were cool. Sharon was offended the Alpaca walked away from her after supplying some food.

After our fill of animals, we now headed through Central Park in order to see Belvedere Castle. On the way, Sharon bought a hot dog from a vendor who attempted to up-charge her. She was offended with both the hot dog and the altercation. Once we reached the castle, we were both pretty underwhelmed. The joint was swarming with people and it was a clusterfuck attempting to ascend the narrow, winding staircase to get to the view-top. Continuing on our way through the park, we were now headed towards Astro West Fine Minerals, Fossils and Meteorites shop, however finding an exit out of the park became problematic. We kept walking, soaked in our own, hot juices, for what felt like forever. On several occasions I suggested scaling the walls in order to reach actual ‘street.’ And of course, once we asked where an exit was, it was a few feet ahead of us.

Making our way to the streets, we eventually found Astro West Fine Minerals, Fossils and Meteorites, which, our sole purpose was to split a geode for a souvenir. I had called the shop a few days prior to inquire if they had an ‘abundant’ available since I’d read complaints about them being out of stock. When we arrived, there were maybe 15 available – all ugly blobs situated inside a marked barrel. I selected one based off solely based on its symmetry and we watched the machine in action that was really just a glorified saw. Once split, the attendant showed us the inside which he described as a ‘light blue.’ I’d describe it as a bunch of bullshit, personally. Definitely NOT worth $25. But I guess you win some, you lose some.

Next on the agenda was Grand Central Station. Arriving in style via Uber, we immediately made our way upstairs to the Campbell Bar, which is allegedly haunted. Our bartender was pretty awesome and gave us some free shots. The decor was outstanding. To keep on schedule, we then headed back downstairs to find the Jacque Torres Chocolate shop on ground level. On our way, I caught an amazing ceiling in my peripheral view and followed it to an outstanding, horoscopial view! We then continued on our original journey, found the chocolate shop and nibbled on some free samples before grabbing another Uber for our next venture!

Remember Stomp? Yes, I know, it’s definitely been a minute. I haven’t thought or heard of it in a very long time but it is most definitely alive and kicking! I should know. We bought tickets. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect with this show – not that I wasn’t familiar with the basis for the show – but the longevity of its existence made me a bit leery. When we arrived, we were told no photos or videos were allowed. Ok, fine. We took our seats at the far, back end of the theatre but were eventually upgraded for ‘good behavior’ to the second row! Once the show began, I was in COMPLETE awe. I think that a good portion of the show, I was imagining myself a part of it – like, I actually started considering trying to audition for it! I was blown away by the talent and attitudes of all the performers. Everyone appeared to be having such a good time with each other but also as solo performers. Talk about an inspiration! Next time you’re in NYC, definitely make a point to see the show!

Just around the corner from Stomp was our highly anticipated dinner reservation at Beetle House! Which reminds me, I dressed for the occasion – ie I bought and wore green, light-up suspenders for a good portion of the day. In any case, we were far too early upon arrival and as such, loitered outside the restaurant a bit. Eventually we were let in and seated. The restaurant was cool, yes, but very tiny and a bit understated for what I had anticipated. We had both seen video clips promoted the restaurant that entailed costumed performers. We saw none of this, which sure, it was still relatively ‘early’ but nonetheless, the emo-inspired work staff didn’t really convey much of a Burton feel to me. Our meal option was a pre-fix appetizer and main course that we were both pretty underwhelmed with. We did order some cocktails, which apparently all come with dry ice for major points for smokey drinks! All in all, disappointed. I’d go back – but only for the drinks.

Following our dissatisfied meal, we then took a transit-commute from hell in hopes of reaching Brooklyn. After being given opposing directions from pedestrians and Sharon’s wonky, ever-changing GPS assistance, we eventually ended up at a witch store and then eventually at Urban Jungle – a thrift store. Again, unimpressed with this underwhelming Ragstock wanna-be, we continued onto Brooklyn Cider House. This place, well, seemingly pleasant, left us wanting in terms of customer service AND cider. Our waiter was less than helpful with recommendations and most of the drink options appeared to be ‘dry.’ As our spirits continued to dwindle, we then headed to the bookend for the evening – Theatre XIV for burlesque! And if you haven’t yet caught the trend, we were again, far too early to be admitted so we walked down the street to a bar called the Johnson for some $6 ‘Painkillers’ ie. frozen, pina colorado concoction. Four drinks later and claw-machine defeated, we were buzzed back to a state of satisfaction. Making our way back to the theatre, we entered and marveled at the Fifty Shaded Wonderland surrounding us.

Adorned to the nines, this show, Queen of Hearts, was eccentric, to say the least! I have NEVER seen such a mind-boggling burlesque show in my LIFE! There were obvious, classically trained dancers involved, not to mention, MANY male performers. Dancing, singing, hooping – there was no end to the extravagances our eyes beheld. Speaking of, we spent a good portion of the show staring at the couple seated in front of us which entailed a very uncomfortably, molesty dude who we could only assume, was sloppy rich. We discussed trying to corner his companion in the bathroom to find out what the deal was but we were both far too lazy. Sharon bought me an expensive, gingery cocktail that was god-awful. We followed up the rest of the night’s consumption with canned ciders from which we both got pretty blitzed! While we awaited our Uber, we saw the aforementioned creepoid with his girl being photographed by police officers. We can only begin to wonder whatever came of them but I’d be very confident picking him out of a lineup. For the duration of our Uber ride home and still beaming from booze, we spent the entire ride arguing over the virtual trivia game situated in the backseat area. Sharon doesn’t recall giving me bad/wrong answers and/or giving me crap for being incorrect but it was boisterous and most likely, very annoying, fun.

Ah, good o’ hungover Monday. Yikes! With a slightly rough-start to the morning, we took our time getting ride in order to avoid the hectic, rush-hour commuter traffic. After pre-GPSing our route, we successfully public transited to Supermoon Bakehouse for some blueberry and Pomegranate croissants! Sharon was mind-blown by this place – simply based on not only the aesthetic peel of their goods but also, the deliciousness! High recommendations for this joint – although, I’d suggest taking your food items to go since the tables and chairs were that of children.

Continuing our route, we now headed towards what would appear to be Chinatown for a confusing stop-off at a gorgeous, Jewish Temple museum called Eldridge Street. I’d literally come across this place during research and noted that Mondays were their pay-what-you-can. Being non-religious and certainly non-Jewish, my interest was all about the glorified ambience and were were NOT disappointed. There was a calm, safe, feel to the temple. Definitely one of the more beautiful things I’d high recommend when visiting NYC.

Next on the roster? Catacombs! Oh but wait, this isn’t what it sounds like, unfortunately. The description was giving us Catacombs by Candlelight, which we both assumed, would somehow involve ghosts. This was not as such. We were met with quasi-interesting, New York history involving politicians and rich families that were memorialized in the underground passageways. The highlight of the tour was the Australian couple we spoke with briefly about koalas – duh. I’m sure under different circumstances (not tired, hung-over, bored, hot, wanting ghost stories), one would find this tour highly interesting (my mother) but ‘twas not as such. The tour even ran a bit over-time so we bounced early to catch an Uber to our lunch at Thai Villa.

I researched this restaurant and loved it solely based on its gorgeousness. Unfortunately, we caught this place during the boisterous, lunch rush and weren’t entirely able to enjoy any sense of calm. We could barely speak due to the deafening sound – including the pretentious, vapid couple next to us. I did not enjoy my pai thai but was also suffering from post-laxative discomfort, to be fair. We ate as quickly as possible and headed out towards the next item of our agenda: Rose Wine Mansion.

Once again, with reservations at 2pm and us far too early, we killed a minute or two buying an I Love New York, pink onesie for Bear (yeah, yeah, he loves it) from a souvenir shop before standing restlessly in line for admittance.

When we were finally hustled in, accompanied by an ear-drum throbbing, security alarm, we took an elevator to the entrance of the exhibit. As we were basically the first people in ‘line,’ we got first dibs on every single room. We also didn’t care too much about the ‘interactive elements’ of most rooms, which killed a lot of time. We pressed on fairly quickly as we are want to do, indulging in our favorite, Cleopatra-endorsed red wine, Banfi Rosa Regale. Case in point, we drank some last night (8/2/2019) as you can buy it at Binny’s (SO good)! Other than that and taking a bunch of free photo-booth pictures post-exhibit, it was a quick in and out for us.

Making our way down the street, we stopped off at the free Houdini Museum situated, strangely, inside a high-rise building. The ‘museum’ was quite small, though we were told it was the second largest in the world. We took a once-around stroll while some magic nerds exchanged card tricks in the center of the room. Disinterest in tact, we caught another Uber with a delightful, Asian man who almost got pulled over for running a light but played off his foreignness to get out of it and eventually showed me his uncompleted dragon tattoo. He dropped us off near Enchantments – an occult store we’ve previously ordered, personalized candles. The store was awesome – cute, black kitties sleeping and hilarious, witchy employees who seems very down to earth. We requested personalized, carved candles and hung out for the duration of their creation. Once obtained, we headed over to one of the many bars on our roster for the afternoon: Mother of Pearl. Hawaiian-themed, this joint, wasn’t, again, open when we arrived so we pre-drank at a hookah lounge down the street. Once we re-attempted Mother of Pearl, was ordered their well-known ‘Shark attack’ drinks which I found unimpressive. I also can’t recall what type of alcohol they entailed but definitely, not my jam. Our bartender though, was pretty awesome.

The evening continued with an Uber back to where we had been for the Rose Mansion for two more bars: The Magic House Rooftop Bar & Lounge and The Fleur Room. Now the Magic House Rooftop Bar & Lounge sounded and looked very impressed from the videos I’d watched. There’s rotating carousal seats, mini-golf and an awesome view. But in all reality, the in-person was not up to snuff. All the carousal seats were ‘reserved,’ the ‘mini golf’ consisted of maybe four rounds revolving around sexified animal statues and the drinks were, well, at least mine, expensive and just terrible. Waste of time and money – not to mention all the effort to actually get UP to the joint! Security is completely elaborate and unnecessary – I felt like the goddamn FBI was running the entire thing! Not a fan. Next up – The Fleur Room. To be fair, we were both kind of at our wit’s end at this point in time. Once we made our way up to the bar, again, beautiful, poshy views and the decor was GORGEOUS but after looking at the drink menu, I just couldn’t do it. I was super over the expensive, elaborate drinks that sounded and inevitably, tasted like garbage. Maybe I’m not sophisticated enough to get the appear or maybe these places are just trying too hard. Either way, we refused to spend more money on drinks we’d end up hating and just took our necessary pictures and videos to supply to ya’ll.

As our final stop-off and NOT on our original agenda (we cut a bunch of stuff), Sharon researched a pizza joint nearby our Airbnb for an easy, chill dinner at the home front. She came across Patsy’s Pizzeria. I called in a large, garlic and cheese pizza for pick-up during which time; a lovely Jamaican woman named Diana who complimented my tattoos and pants accosted me. This woman kept on talking about her brother being a dance choreographer and professional in Milwaukee and eventually tried to network us. I gave minimal interesting and effort in the exchange on account of exhaustion and hunger. Eventually, pizza was on hand and we made it back home to consume said pizza that was actually pretty decent.

Our final day in NYC was quite a doozy. We woke up fairly early and again, killed time to avoid the rush hour, commute traffic. Luggage in tow, we caught some pre-GPS-ed public transit to NYC’s Magic Jewelry to get aura photographs. After once again, standing in line, waiting for the place to open, a little crowd began to form behind us. Eventually, one snap and a brief explanation later, we were done! Side note: Sharon is now obsessed with purchasing the equipment to start her own business. We then walked over to the nearby Ghostbusters Fire Station that became a clusterfuck due to the gapping tour crowd and the fact that the firehouse is ACTIVE. We stood and waited for a truck to pull into it before snapping a few pictures and heading immediately away.

After once again, catching pre-GPS-ed public transit, we now headed towards of lunch-stop: Cafe Colette. This place got awesome reviews and also had beautiful pictures of the inside. When we arrived, the staff obligingly took our luggage from us for storage. I was once again, underwhelmed by the atmosphere, however, the food was definitely on point! Sharon apparently ate some orgasmic chicken sandwich while I consumed some delicious, fish tacos. We were both quite satisfied. Trudging along with our luggage we continued on our way to the Williamsburg Hotel for their Hightea Teapot cocktails we’d seen advertised videos for. When we arrived at the bar, our bartender, Angelo, advised that it was not available during weekdays. After a polite plea by Sharon, he agreed to make us a cocktail anyway which we shared and was MOST delicious! With time to kill and dessert on my brain, I suggested we find a place for dessert. Sharon quickly googled a nearby French pastry shop by the name of Caprices by Sophie. We shared a delightful, chocolate éclair before ultimately deciding that we should forgo any additional, scheduled plans and head straight to the airport.

One very long Uber ride later, we were at LaGuardia several hours early for our flight. Once we again, fast-tracked through security via Pre-check TSA and began to get settled, Sharon noticed our flight had been canceled! And queue confusion and anxiety. Never have I had this happen to me before. As we had already checked into our flight, I was unable to attempt a reschedule on my phone. We ended up lining up at the Southwest desk in order to speak with an attendant. Throughout the chaos, we realized there was an earlier flight boarding for Chicago. With attempts and determining if the flight was booked, Sharon called Southwest and was told, they could not advise as such. We were, safe-net, booked into a later flight that would eventually connect in St. Louis with an arrival in Chicago at midnight; however, we were still hoping to hope on this flight about to leave. Eventually, amidst the chaos and confusion and annoying and anxiety, we were allowed onto the earlier flight home which, with it’s own delays; brought us home at approximately the same time we were originally scheduled to arrival. The hellish commute involved sitting on the runway for takeoff for god knows how long and my discomfort with a very antsy, obnoxious, Alabamian seated next to me. Despite the very, very long commute, the dadness grabbed us at the Montrose blue-line, accompanied with Bear whose distress meowing ironically comforted me. When we reached our wonderful, sweet, home, we showered to rid ourselves of the New York stink, downed some food and barely absorbed some background television.

It’s crazy to think about how fast-paced Chicago is and yet, New York feels even faster! Or perhaps it’s the abundance of things and people and the distance between places that makes it feel so much more arduous. It could also have to do with our inclinations of packing in as much funness as possible into every single trip. Regardless, Chicago was most definitely missed. We were a part of you, New York, New York, but you can keep your hot, street garbage.

Where the Streets Have Hot Garbage The very moment we discovered Moulin Rouge was being made into a stage production, we KNEW we had to see it!

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telltheworld-phff · 7 years ago

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Chapter 13: Undesirable surprise

Thursday morning came and Carol spent more time on bed than she needed. She intended to sleep in, lulled by the sound of rain in her window but Harry had other plans for them. He knocked on her door a few times before opening it.

"You still in bed? Come on, up we go.", he said opening the curtains to allow the light to enter the room. "Let me sleep, Harry.", she said in a sleepy voice. "I didn't invite you here to sleep, Carolina. Come on, get up.", he had his hands on his hips and was fully changed and ready to leave. She sat on the bed and looked at him without really opening her eyes. "You have ten minutes."

He left the room and she yawned a couple of times before getting up and ready, she went downstairs and Harry was waiting her by the door.

"Where are you going?", she asked him and putting on her coat. "We're going to have a bit of fun and I'm particularly inclined to help you to make a dream come true." he said and that was enough for her to fully awake.

They ran to his car trying to no get wet because of the rain and Bill joined them on the back seat. Harry was out of the palace in no time and drove to the Madame Tussaud's museum. Carol started laughing right away.

"Wax museum, Harry, really?", she asked him amused. They arrived there before the opening time and had the place all to themselves. Harry and Carol ran from figure to figure and took lots of pictures. At first Bill was embarrassed by them but it didn't take long for him to join and take silly selfies with the wax figures. They took pictures with almost all of them, from Kim Kardashian to David and Victoria Beckham.

Harry burst out laughing when Carol walked the catwalk like a fashion model. She totally had the body for it, he thought at first. She was trying to walk like Gisele and he couldn't stop laughing at her. She actually screamed when she saw there was an Audrey Hepburn figure in there, dressed like Holly Goolightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's.

"Oh my Goodness! That's my favorite movie.", she went there and took lots of pictures with "Audrey" before walking around to see if there was any figure left for her to take pictures with. That's when she saw the "Royal" part of the museum.

"No... Carolina, no way." Harry said but she had already left him alone and asked Bill to take a picture of her with Harry's figure. And pictures she took. She would "poke" his nose, pretend to kiss his cheeks, she posed saluting him (the figure was dressed in camo clothing). Harry simply watched from distance and had one of his hands on his face and he shook his head from time to time.

They left the museum and Carol said that Harry's wax figure was way funnier and nicer than him. He rolled his eyes (a common habit whenever he was around her) and drove to their next spot. They visited the Royal Albert Hall and she could walk on the stage and backstage of one of the most beautiful theaters she had ever seen. They left before noon and both of them were hungry. He drove them to Notting Hill and Carol recognized that road from the movie as soon as Harry parked.

"I can't believe you're taking me to Portobello Road.", she said in awe. "Well.. we're already here. Another movie set in London for you, miss Carolina.", he said. "Thank you, Harry. Come on, we've got to find that bookstore." she said getting out of the car.

They found it and Carol spent at least two hours searching for books and bought a lot of them and gave them to Harry to carry for her, she was too busy taking pictures. They walked the streets, even though the market wasn't set up, the neighborhood had a lot to offer for them to see. She bought most of the gifts to her mom in there and they only walked back to the car because it started to rain, again, and because it was already getting dark outside.

They were back in Kensington and both headed to their bathrooms to take a shower and change clothes. Carol finished first and went to the kitchen where she found Gerard. She greeted him and asked if they had some condensed milk, he went to the pantry and looked for it. He gave it to her and she thanked him. Being a daughter of a cook, she knew that nothing pissed them off more than someone rummaging and messing their kitchen, so she asked if she could make a Brazilian sweet and asked for the other ingredients. He didn't want her to do it, but accepted anyway. She thanked him and started to make brigadeiro, a Brazilian sweet sent from heaven. Harry entered the kitchen and saw her singing a Brazilian song he didn't know and cooking.

"What are you doing?", he asked her. "Brigadeiro. Have you tried it?", she didn't look at him because she didn't want to mess the sweet. It was about to get ready and one of brigadeiro's tricks is to turn off the heat when it "pops" and when you can see the base of the pan. "No, I haven't. I wonder how you convinced Gerard to let you use his kitchen.", Harry sat on the counter near her and was admiring the scene before him. "Well... I asked nicely.", she smiled. When the sweet was ready, Carol set it on a plate to let it cool and tidied the kitchen the best she could. She looked at him and smiled. "Well... in parties, one usually roll this with sprinkles, but I really prefer eating them like this.", she grabbed two spoons and the plate and made her way to the living room. Harry followed her and they sat on the couch, she put the plate on one of his cushions and gave him one spoon. She waited for him to try and he did fearlessly. "This is so good.", he said eating spoonful after spoonful. They decided to watch a movie and Harry, trying to be a gentleman, asked her to pick one. They soon were watching a Harry Potter movie. They watched the first one and stopped to find something to eat. Carol fried some bacon and cheese and made them sandwiches. They were drinking Coca-Cola and still had lots of brigadeiro left over for them to eat.

(...)

Meghan felt she had to make more effort in her relationship with Harry. They had started earlier in the year, pretty much like any couple. They'd fly over whenever they could, they'd call every free time, they'd surprise each other, they'd send gifts and they'd Skype almost everyday. But soon the distance and their schedules started to weigh on them. She had a hectic routine and so did he. At this moment, she didn't want to think about how she felt about Harry's new best friend. She accepted her part of the blame and accepted that she had do better, just like he was doing, to make this work. She genuinely liked him and thought he was the one for her. So, after Christmas she worked non-stop to be able to get her free time earlier. She didn't tell him she was on her way to London, but she had bought lots of sexy lingerie to use with him. No one recognized her at the airport, she hired a cab and anxiously waited for the ride to arrive as close as one could get to Kensington. The driver only noticed who she was when he parked close to the gates. Meghan thanked him and, presented her passport to the guard who granted her entrance to the Palace Ground. One of the officials helped her with her luggage and Meghan walked her way to the cottage. She searched for her keys, the ones he had given her a few months ago and opened the door as silently as she could, because she saw the TV was on in the living room. She quietly thanked the official and he just left her baggage close to the door. Meghan took out her coat and looked in the mirror to see if she was presentable for him. She missed her boyfriend and wanted to be as close to him as possible. She was smiling wide and walked until she stopped mid way.

Harry wasn’t alone.

Harry was with her.

They were watching a movie, sitting on the couch and under the same blanket. They were eating something and laughing now and then. But why would she be there? Harry had told her that his friend would only arrive in time to his party and leave right after. But that clearly wasn't the case. Meghan's lips quivered a bit and she breathed in and out. She wouldn't cry now. She wouldn't be weak. She watched that scene for five minutes. Five fucking minutes without none of them noticing she was there. She was invisible for them. Harry wasn't missing her as much as he told her he did. She in that moment thought her relationship was over and her jealousy and anger tried to lead her actions. She thought about screaming, slamming the door, hitting her or simply leaving and booking any hotel near the palace without him ever knowing she was there. The reason she waited that long was a masochist way to see if they would kiss. Meghan wanted to know if Harry was cheating on her. They looked like friends, the logical part of her mind told her. But they might not be just friends, her jealousy spoke. And in a moment where her inner battle was taking a toll on her, she left her purse fell to the floor startling both of them.

They turned at the same time.

She smiled wide and Meghan thought she was being pretentious. He only looked at her with wide eyes and a face expression that pretty much translate as “I can't believe you arrived sooner than I thought”.

(...)

"Fuck!', that was the first thing Harry said when he heard a small noise behind him and turned to see it was Meghan there. He knew he was fucked. Meghan was looking at him like she'd kill him. And he had kept Carol in the dark about how his girlfriend really felt about their friendship. He quickly got up the sofa and went to Meghan. He had to do damage control before things heated up. "Babe...", he started when he was in front of her. "You're... early." "I can see that you weren't missing me at all.", she tilted her head to see Carol that was seated but looking at them. "Of course I missed you, babe.", he said trying to touch her face. She dodged his hand and crossed her arms. "Start explaining Harry.", she said between clenched teeth.

They were in silence for a moment. Harry was trying to read her and figure out how the hell he'd come out of this situation. Meghan was unpredictable for him. She had always been and that was one of the things that most attracted him to her. But right now he wished he could read her and not let her make a scandal in front of his friend.

Before he could say anything, Carol was out of the couch and timidly as always approached them. She was unaware of the couple's upcoming fight. She was finally meeting Meghan and she really wanted to get to know her. "Hi... I'm Carolina. Nice to meet you.", she said outstretching her hand. Meghan looked at it with disdain and didn't make a move to shake it. She looked at Carol from head to toes and then stared at Harry before answering coldly. "I could figure it out myself." Carol was shocked by her behavior and words, but decided against starting an argument. She just looked at Harry and saw when he mouthed "I'm sorry", she just shrugged at him and started to tidying the living room.

That was when Meghan noticed that she was familiar with the place. She didn't surprise him by arriving early. She knew that place because she knew where to put away the remotes to the TV, she knew where to put the blanket they were sharing, she knew the way to the kitchen when she took the plates and glasses and she definitely knew where the stairs were when she climbed it leaving them alone.

"What the fuck, Harry?", Meghan said not worrying about being loud. "What is she doing here?" "She's my guest here, Meghan.", Harry said. "Well... why is she here? Can't she afford a hotel?", Meghan said entering the living room and stopping by the sofa. "She can, of course. But I invited her to stay here." Meghan was shocked by how simply she said things to her. "So you just invited a single woman to stay at your house for God only knows how long and never crossed your mind that I maybe should've been informed about it?" "Well... it's my house. I don't owe you explanations about who comes over and who doesn't.", Harry knew he had taken the wrong path by answering that. Meghan only got angrier and she was starting to be louder. He only thought about Carol upstairs. She'd probably hear everything his girlfriend was saying. "I worked my ass off to be able to take my free time and spend more time with you. I tried to surprise you but when I get here, your fucking friend is already here. How can you be so blind, Harry? She wants to fuck you." "STOP IT!", Harry yelled at her and took her by surprise. "She doesn't. And even if she did, it takes two to tango. I'm fucking tired of you accusing me of cheating on you. I am in a relationship with you, not with her. So you better treat her well because it isn't Carol's fault you're a crazy bitch.", Harry cheeks were hot and red. He knew it was his fault that he didn't tell Meghan that Carol was arriving on the 27th. He wanted to avoid a fight. But right now, the fight had come his way. "I told you I'd only be in this relationship if there were only the two of us. Why do you keep opening space for her?", Meghan said. "I'm not opening space for anybody. She's my friend. She's my friend just like all the others you've met. There's no reason for you to be jealous of her. I just won't stand and see you mistreating her like you just did.", Harry said making his way to the stairs. "Where are you going?", she asked with her hands in fists. "I'm going to check on her and sleep. I'm tired and in no mood to have this stupid conversation with you.", he said disappearing on the upstairs corridor. "GO FUCK YOURSELF, HARRY.", she yelled and grabbed her purse and bag. She was definitely booking a hotel room for the night.

And the drama has started. I just want to clarify that I have nothing against Meghan. But she has to dislike Carol for my plot to work, so...

I added two links about the two ways of eating brigadeiro in the middle of the chapter, go check it out and if you haven’t tried it, you totally should.

#when you tell the world you're mine #prince harry #phff #chapter: 13

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teresaleenz · 6 years ago

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27.12.18 - 02.01.19 SYDNEY

Flight to Sydney - Standard, watched lots of American Dad. Mr Stonepot - We ordered about 10 dishes! Each were varying flavours of MSG. Waldorf Woolloomooloo Apartments - Funny to be serviced in a serviced apartment instead of servicing a serviced apartment. Ironic. St Mary’s Cathedral - Beautiful as are most historical cathedrals. A random side note is that I would greatly appreciate knowing where the donations are spent - are they only on maintenance? Hyde Park - This isn’t going to sound very scientific but they have these big white and black beaky birds everywhere and this was highly exciting for every member of my family. Including me. Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck and 4D Cinema - Imagine the Auckland Skytower Observation Deck but there are actually cool things to look at. Sydney Tower Buffet - I typically adore buffets. This one was DISAPPOINTING. It was extremely average and I would not recommend spending your money here. Aiyah. Sealife Sydney Aquarium - Farm Girl/Animal Lover/Dog Whisperer, call me what you want but I am always infatuated with animals. How could I not enjoy the aquarium? Madame Tussauds - We decided to take my Grandma to see wax figures since she had never seen any before. She must think our generation is crazy. Actually, she probably knows our generation is crazy. Chinatown Night Market - My blog is starting to become a Sydney vs Auckland competition. In terms of Chinatown and night markets… Sydney 1 Auckland 0. Westfield Sydney - Sydney 2 Auckland 0... Train to Thirroul Station - Jamaica is currently based in Woollongong so I took this three hour train to meet her and it was just the most lovely train ride. It could be a tourist attraction in itself. Bulli Beach - Nothing beats an Australian beach on a sunny day. Train to Kings Cross Station - Long public transport trips really bring out my love for books and podcasts. Perhaps cars are not only destroying the environment, they’re also destroying opportunities for reflection and learning! Big Bus - Dad and I went for a spin around Sydney on the Big Bus. We both had a pretty good time and I think I tanned more on the top deck than I did at the beach the day before. Opera House Tour - The Opera House is like a female. Not just pleasant to look at, lots to learn about and learn from too!!! Amazing #feminism. Chinese Garden of Friendship - What a spot!!! The garden really felt quite traditional and I started feeling like I was in a Chinese TV series about emperors and empresses… until I got interrupted by an Australian lizard in the middle of nowhere. Grounds of Alexandria - Fantastic! White people sometimes do have great ideas. Sydney Fish Market - I’m a big fan of seafood so it was awesome to both see the range available and also to taste some freshly fired up scallops and fish! Kirribilli Airbnb - You know those Tumblr pages dedicated to great living spaces for the young working professional. This was a prime example. Move over New York or London, this quaint Kirribilli apartment was perfect. Sydney Fireworks - SPECTACULAR!!! Our view was beyond amazing and the fireworks were a carefully curated performance. That is, besides the typo “Happy New Year 2018”… someone definitely got fired. Bondi Beach - I suspect that Bondi Beachgoers are not only sunscreened, they’re also screened on attractiveness. If Australia collected data with beautiful humans as a demographic, Bondi Beach would definitely have the highest density of beautiful people in one area. Myer - Farmers or Smith and Caugheys or David Jones… but so much better? Maybe I’m too impressionable when I’m in Australia. There are a lot of better things in Australia. Don’t stress, New Zealand is still CLEARLY a lot better. After all, we invented the pavlova. North Sydney Olympic Pool - That’s right, I became a wake-up-early-go-for-a-swim kind of inspirational figure on this day and it was empowering. Doesn’t mean it’s become a habit or anything. Let’s not get carried away. Flight to Auckland - Back to reality and back to realising all the things I need to do in 2019! Eek!

#sydney travel family beach harbour operahouse

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alulawings · 8 years ago

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Ask the artist : 5, 6 and 11, please.

5. What is your favorite piece that you have done in 2017 so far and why?

This one (incidentally also my current blog header picture):

It was wonderful thing to work on, from start to finish. Even now, though I can spot some flaws in it (hmm...something about Zayn’s face don’t seem quite right if I tilt my head to look, hahaha), I still have the same fuzzy, warm feeling in heart looking at it as I did when I first had the inspiration of Zayn meeting the dinosaur on his shirt. Distilling everything into a single tender moment - that was creatively challenging, and emotionally rewarding. I am proud of the composition and especially the colors - coloring is my cursed weakness, but here, in a rare moment, the color scheme actually worked to be cohesive and engaging!

A close runner-up would be the drawing I did for Harry’s birthday, where he wears the Spaceboy jacket, and is on a Le Petit Prince-styled planet with a Space Frog. It strikes the same combination of whimsy and warm but not overwhelming colors as this dino drawing.

A special mention must be made for my Octopayne and Zayntaur comic, which has a special place in my heart. It’s bittersweet, you know? It makes me miss ziam interacting. It’s hard for me to let go of them, but the sadness also makes it hard for me do the characters based on them justice. But I feel so much fond drawing them though - they brought me some of my happiest days in my fandom stint.

6. What is your least favorite piece that you have done in 2017 so far and why?

Uhh I will have to go with this one, and I think you’ll understand immediately:

When I first drew it, I thought it was an amusing joke, but who would have thought Liam would actually live up to it? I “hate” it because it cursed me!

(Also, on the technical side, I colored this drawing on a different computer than I normally do, whose different screen configuration threw my coloring off. Liam’s skin ended up oddly more olive-toned and less vibrant than in other drawings. Moral of story: don’t switch devices/computers for art!

11. Is there a One Direction member you can draw very easily?

Now that would be Zayn! I feel at ease drawing with him without reference photos, and those for not just cartooning but also realistic drawings. His features are just so very real-life manga, and is forgiving in my style. Louis comes in at second - as long as I get the jawline and arched eyebrows right, everything else falls into place. Nowadays I’ve gotten a lot more practice with Harry, so I am a bit more confident with him too!

As for Liam and Niall, it always takes a couple of tries for me to get things the way I want them to be. Particularly Liam - I am under the curse of Madam Tussaud’s Wax Figure Liam, forever and always, it seems.

Thank you for asking me!

Ask the Artist

#alulaanswers #ask the artist #ask games #Anonymous

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thecineastes-blog · 8 years ago

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Grand Prix RPDR RuView: Fractured Fairy Tales (S06E03)

Who wants to live happily ever once upon? For Grand Prix RPDR RuView, we’ll be giving you the top moments of each episode, the shadiest moment of each episode, our favorite queen of the each episode, our least favorite queen of each episode, best looks on the runway, and our predictions for next week.

So the episode opens with the 13 queens entering the workroom and seeing Jaymes Mansfield’s mirror message. Alexis Michelle and the other queens congratulate Valentina on winning the first maxi challenge. Some of the queens admitted they underestimated her, mistaking her inexperience for weakness. Then Trinity Taylor opens her big and bemoans not winning. She’s acting like the drunk, bitter bridesmaid, envious that it was not her “special day”.

It seems that queens like Trinity, have to be the bride at the wedding or the corpse at the funeral (aka the center of attention).

The next day RuPaul enters and has a rather odd discussion about her wax figure, on loan from Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I didn’t understand her hinting there may be a hidden camera, all of them are already followed around constantly. She then informs her legendary children that the episode’s Maxi Challenge will be having to create their own Fairy Tale princess character, as well as a cool sidekick creature, which they will be performing as well...

I find it odd RuPaul is still referring to it as a “Maxi Challenge” as the last time (to airdate) that there was a mini challenge was in All Stars 2. I wish the producers would bring those back.

The queens are free to use the materials from the Fabric Planet kiosk. Aja believes with her sewing skills that her creation will be so avant-garde and amazing, that she is a force to be reckoned with. Farrah plans on doing a water/mermaid based princess...until she finds out Trinity is doing something similar. Kimora decides on a jungle motif for her princess; she also laments that she does not sew and is dreading doing it. Eureka collects all the rats and cockroaches for her idea, a sewer themed princess. Alexis Michelle, was inspired by her personal hastage #SubwayFish, since she rides the subway to and from events.

For their one on one with Ru, Farrah explains her princess is an underwater celebutante. Farrah tells RuPaul that her sewing proficiency is not up to par, but will try her hardest. Aja tells Ru that her princess, Distastah a volcanic inspiration and her confidence will sell the look. Valentina, dressed as a young Norma Desmond (that’s not exactly the best career reference) describes her princess from the ice planet Azula.

Trinity begins to discuss her princess and sidekic....but then digresses into complaining about Valentina winning.

Farrah Moan has gone into full Blonde Benet Glamsey mode when trying to make her ensemble. Eureka, who was moved to pity, decides to help her as much as possible. It may have been just to shut her up, but hey whatever works! The next day, Kimora has Cynthia explain what exactly “cucu” means, she informs that it’s an alternative to the spanish work “culo” (which is a pejorative). Trinity and Cynthia talk about their connection to the Pulse massacre. The daughter of Trinity’s friend was killed, after just finishing school. Cynthia having to reschedule her appearance there had her good friend die after going to Pulse to see her, and deciding to stay to have a fun night out. The queens affirm they must be strong, proud, and have synergy to have the world. it was a really great positive moment in the episode’s drama.

So this week RuPaul walks down the runway in a look that would give Cinderella a run for her money! Her makeup and outfit are much better this week, I think she may have finally called her Fairy Godmother. The guest judges are the princely Todrick Hall and Broadway baby Cheyenne Jackson. This marks the only time what RuPaul has let anyone in the nine seasons and +100 episodes who has performed in drag on the judge's panel.

Fashion Over-Ru:

Category is Princess fantasy! Leading the runway was Cynthia Lee Fontaine as Princess Cuculina in an ensemble that was essentially an embellished pageant gown. It wasn’t bad, just a bit boring and safe. Her rabbit sidekick was far more entertaining. Peppermint’s fiery Princess Carcinogenetta was half DC villain Volcana and Disney’s Hades.

Her “flaming” sidekick, Petey the pilot light was funny and complimented the look well. Farrah Moan’s Princess Pacifica was a cute idea but poorly executed, as she can’t sew and apparently can barely handle a hot glue gun. The bra/fabric wrapped around the waist look was straight out of Season 8 courtesy of Derrick Barry.

(Anytime you get Queens that say they can’t sew; I hear Bianca Del Rio saying, “really Queen?”) The best part of her Princess look? The wig. Charlie Hides’ Princess Climaxica was very futuristic Hanna-Barbera in a metallic copper gown and spangled headpiece she reminded me of something out of ‘The Jetsons’. Her sidekick, Isabella SnatchPacker, reminded me of the Great Gazoo. Eureka’s sewer princess, was much better looking than I expected it to be, and her story was funny, but I can see the #wigtopiary is still an ongoing look.

I really liked Alexis Michelle’s makeup and hair as Princess #SubwayFish, but felt the more simplistic ensemble wasn’t as exciting. Her sidekick, #subwaytadpole’s makeup on the other hand reminded me of a cross between Insane Clown Posse, Ornacia, and New York guido. Going for a skimpy ensemble when you can’t sew isn’t a bad idea, but Kimora’s Princess Banana Lady was so uninspired and expected that it couldn’t save her lackluster sidekick and less than sensemaking story. Also cut the jungle banana princess motif, Josephine Baker did it first and MUCH better!

Princess Zathena, Nina Bo’nina Brown (Pinkett Smith’s) martian princess was out of this world! Another stunning makeup job and a cohesive storyline pulled this look together. (I kept laughing at her sidekick because she was essentially boobs on a unicycle) Sasha Velour, had one of the more serious stories, as Princess Uglina and her imaginary troll Lump. The looks was a little hodgepodge, but it correlated with her story and sidekick. Shea Coulee’s Princess Aquaria reminded me ALOT of of Latrice Royale’s Pride Boat look on Season 4, minus the bejeweled lips and sculpted blue updo. It again wasn’t a bad look, just safe and a bit boring.

Valentina’s chilly Princess Vira was a strong look, I only wished it was a gown, and not a leotard. I think it's safe to say her sidekick, Niddy, was inspired by Navi from The Legend of Zelda. In a look best described as a cinnamon pimp straight out of Candyland, was Aja as Princess Disastah. This look was a disaster from head to toe! From the Heat Miser wig to the chaps (what princess do you know that wears chaps?) to the harsh and ridiculously overdrawn makeup-this look was a hot mess of volcanic proportions. It was if Xtina was thrown into a volcano and bestowed super powers.

Lastly was Trinity Taylor as Princess AquaPussy. Her look was well executed and was far stronger than the other two queens with oceanic/underwater themes. Her sidekick, Stanky the starfish was especially entertaining. The first sewing challenge showed us who has the strong ideas and creative skills and who has questionable taste levels and inexperience.

Alexis, Nina Bo’Nina, Charlie, Sasha, Eureka and Shea were safe and excused to the backstage. Peppermint confesses she used the princess challenge to face her fear of fire. Farrah’s mermaid ensemble did not make waves, and Kimora’s jungle princess did not have the judges going bananas. Valentina’s icy princess was totally chill. Unfortunately Aja’s creation Disastah went up in smoke. It was way too many things being done at once.

Trinity won the maxi challenge, and Farrah was given a lifesaver by Ru. Aja and Kimora lip synch to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” which is more than appropriate. Aja’s death drops and true raw emotion shined through in the lip synch. So it was Kimora who had to sashay away. Kimora was rather pragmatic, “I did my best, and I looked gorgeous, and now I’ll be known as one of the pretty ones.”

On Untucked it was Alexis, Shea, Charlie Nina, Sasha, Eureka, and Cynthia go backstage and joke being excited to see fanart about their princess looks. They also open about who they would Kai Kai with, which refers to when two drag queens engage in dating, sexual activity or “hook up”. Who should they try to Kai Kai with? Easy, his name is Jesus.

Eureka seems to have learned from last episode and is actively being more reserved and respectful in her intensity. All the queens are sure that Aja will be safe (which is a surprise to us!).

The other queens come to join the others backstage and Aja is on the warpath, clearly upset that she may end up having to lip sync. Trinity tells the queens that Michelle commended her on thinking outside the box and not being afraid to look unpretty (especially for a pageant queen!) When asked about her critiques Valentina begins to tell them, but is interrupted by Aja berate Valentina on all the positive things about her. Cinderella has come back from the ball, and her stepsister is having sour groups as a midnight snack.

Aja explains why she was so hostile to Valentina, projecting her anger and frustrations. And I commend Valentina for taking the high road and not clapping back at what Aja was saying.

Farrah puts her two cents into Aja’s costume, but she should keep the stones for her own glass house. Trinity chimes in that the judges want to see that the critiques they give are being implemented. Kimora and Farrah have a nice heart to heart, and how Kimora relishes being able to conquer the world with her Las Vegas sister. Alexis, Shea, and Sasha go over and give a pep talk (and some much needed wig glue) to Aja. We see Aja listen and rehearse to the music before heading out for the lip sync. Kimora goes backstage to pack and sees all the letters written to her from the other contestants. Now with only 12 queens left, the Drag hunger games will that much more treacherous!

Jonny’s Favorite Moments:

Grimm: I always loved fairy tales and folklore as a kid, so this challenge definitely was very exciting for me...unfortunately I think it fell flat. I do give the contestants props for creating their own characters...but it is times like these I think they would have benefited from having to do their own takes on established fairytale and storybook characters. Or they needed someone to come in and help them EDIT their overall ideas. Many of them forgot that a fairytale is a story, and that is what you need to sell to the people. Queens like Charlie, Alexis, and Nina had such strong looks but did not have th best story or sidekick. Or queens like Farrah and Aja had stronger stories, but their outfits were rather basic.

Fairy Dragmother: I really liked that Eureka was so helpful to Farrah and Nina when it came to helping them sew their garments (Nina’s tutorial was one of the extra scenes on the Logotv website). I have a love/hate relationship with Miss O’Hara. She is strong with her aesthetic is solid, although her behavior can be rather abrasive. I was hoping for some Tracy Turnblad’s cockroach dress for dirty glamor for her princess.

Jonny’s Favorite Shadiest Moments:

Sewing Circle: Charlie Hides, the senior of the group was anxious about the next maxi challenge: “I’m still sore from cheerleading, so I’m hoping it’s not anything physical.” Nina Bo’Nina Brown chimes “A knitting challenge?” #LovedIt

Daughters of Triton: Four underwater/mermaid looks? This was somewhat like Kimono Gate. If you (Farrah) know at least one other person wants to do the theme look you are and are much better at sewing and tailoring clothes, think of something else! Because if you don’t look better, you will be read to filth!

Jonny’s Favorite Queen:

Alexis Michelle, her Princess #SubwayFish look was amazing...I just wish she had a better story and sidekick that connected it.

Jonny’s Least Favorite Queen:

Kimora, jungle princess did not have us going

I was hoping that maybe we could have seen something with Vietnamese cultural flair with your princess. Instead we got George of the Jungle’s chickenhead. Also her first-world problems of not wearing padding (and expecting the judges to sympathize with her?!) was just really odd.

Predictions for Next Week:

It looks like an acting challenge with Naya Rivera...why didn’t they have her for the Cheerleader challenge, since she actually played one #JustSaying

Anais’ Favorite Moments:

Twist in the tale: I enjoyed the challenge and totally agree with Jonny that it should've been the queen's interpretation of established fairytales-if they had a mini challenge to determine who would assign the queen's which fairytale, I feel they could have concentrated more on their looks and less on creating a rushed story and sidekick.

Back to Basics: RuPaul looked more like RuPaul this episode...was her glam squad on vacation last week?

Anais’ Favorite Shadiest Moments:

Modern day saint: Michelle reading Kimora’s lame excuse of not wearing padding was HILARIOUS. #FirstWorldProblems

Silence is Golden: Valentina’s silent glare at Aja’s tantrum in Untucked-like Shea said “she's definently feeling a little bit bitter.”

Anais’ Favorite Queen:

Charlie Hides, I thought she pulled out a great look and (funny) cohesive story for the maxi challenge this week.

Anais’ Least Favorite Queen:

Aja, who (show wise) I feel wasn't as conceptual and innovative as she thought she was. She honestly reminded me of Serena Cha Cha this week with talking a big game and pulling out a disappointing look-then throwing a hissy fit because the judges didn't like it.

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lodelss · 4 years ago

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Soraya Roberts | Longreads | January 2020 | 10 minutes (2,378 words)

It’s taken two years for #MeToo to wake up France, but at least it did. The country appears to finally see the men it has created, which is more than can be said of North America, trapped in the cancel culture stage, calling out everyone except itself. That lack of self-awareness is easy to miss, though. There’s a lot of wokeness floating around these parts — we even have a “woke” princess, although Meghan Markle’s self-appointed royal defection alone could never really loosen the monarchy’s grip on Britain. And for all the hand-wringing by Hollywood stars over diversity, there is once again an established structure above them that resists the change they represent, one that inevitably rears its head in heavily white male awards seasons. France appears to know this now, but only because it was told so by a woman it nearly destroyed.

“I’m really angry, but the issue isn’t so much me, how I survive this or not,” French actress Adèle Haenel told Mediapart in November. “I want to talk about an abuse which is unfortunately commonplace, and attack the system of silence and collusion behind it which makes it possible.” The 31-year-old Portrait of a Lady on Fire star was talking about her alleged abuse from the ages of 12 to 15 at the hands of her first film director, Christophe Ruggia, who was in his 30s at the time. In a follow-up sit-down interview with the same site, Haenel emphasized that she wasn’t canceling anyone; this wasn’t about censoring individuals, but about calling attention to an entrenched society-wide ill and the culture that upholds it. It was this depersonalization that seemed to free up France to reflect, something still largely missing from U.S. conversations — from #MeToo to inclusivity in entertainment to royal affairs — that are all rooted in a foundational hierarchy the entire population is complicit in preserving. “When we come up against the control of the patriarchy,” explained Haenel, “we talk about it as though it were from the outside, whereas it’s from the inside.”

* * *

Barely a week into the new year, two of the most celebrated members of the most prestigious institution in the U.K. turned their backs on it. On January 8, the Sussex Instagram account dropped a shot of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with 195 words that defied centuries of British tradition. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” it read. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent.” The announcement, which also stated the couple plans to split its time between the U.K. and North America, came not long after the airing of an emotional ITV documentary in which Markle admitted, “I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair.” Anyone who watched her say that, who saw the same defeat in her face that they saw in Princess Diana’s decades prior, who saw Harry’s frustration at the thought that it could all happen again, who saw the royal family barely ripple in response to Prince Andrew’s association with a registered sex offender, would not only understand this separation, but expect nothing less. How else to exercise your opposition to a patriarchal empire than to forsake its number one emblem?

But the media took it personally — it was a door slammed and shut tight in the face of their badgering, which had become as much of a presence as the royals themselves, a constant reminder of British society’s supplication at the feet of an outdated overlord. Piers Morgan expressed his preference for the old prince, the fratty drunk who cosplayed a Nazi, amid reports that Madame Tussaud’s had swiftly relocated the royal couple’s wax figures from its esteemed collection. The local response reeked of personal injury, as though the duo had turned its nose up at the greatest gift the country had to offer, rather than what they actually did: kicked off a long-awaited internal confrontation with the colonial inheritance of a populace that insists on running on its fumes. As Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, told NPR, “Instead of taking this as an opportunity for introspection as to what is it about the upper strata of British society that is hostile for a person of color like Meghan Markle, what we’re seeing now is the British media just lashing out again and blaming everyone except themselves.” “Everyone” being “non-aristocratic, non-white interlopers,” which is to say, the people who actually populate Britain.

If Prince Harry is the future, Prince William is the past, and it’s fitting that he not only presides over the kingdom (or will, one day) but its version of the Oscars. The day before his brother’s adios, the BAFTAs announced that for the seventh year in a row, no women were nominated for best director, and in addition, all 20 of the acting nominees were white. In an internal letter, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ chief executive Amanda Berry and film committee chair Marc Samuelson called the lack of diversity “frustrating and deeply disappointing,” as though it were entirely out of their hands. Yet the 8,000-member committee is chaired by Pippa Harris, who cofounded a production company with Sam Mendes nearly two decades ago, which may explain why 1917, the war epic Mendes directed and coproduced with Harris, was the only nominee for both best film and best British film. This sort of insularity may be unspoken but it is not inactive, it has repercussions for which films are funded and how they are marketed and ultimately rewarded.

“BAFTA can’t tell the studios and the production companies who they should hire and whose stories should get told,” Samuelson told Variety, deflecting the blame. But the academy’s site claims it discovers and nurtures new talent and has a mission that includes diversity and inclusion, so why does its most recent Breakthrough Brits list appear to be three quarters white? As former BAFTA winner Steve McQueen observed, there were plenty of British women and people of color who did exceptional work in film this year — in movies like In Fabric, The Souvenir, Queen & Slim, and Us — and were nonetheless overlooked, implying a more deeply ingrained exclusion, the sort that permeates British society beyond its film industry and keeps the country from actually perceiving non-white, non-male stories as legitimate art. Snubbed Harriet star Cynthia Erivo confessed to Extra TV that she actually turned down an invitation to sing at the BAFTAs, evoking Markle’s absences from a growing number of royal engagements. “It felt like it was calling on me as an entertainer,” Erivo said, “as opposed to a person who was a part of the world of film.”

Awards as a whole are representative of industry-wide limitations, which, as ever, are tied to the dominance of a particular group in the larger society. The Oscars, dating back to the ’20s and established to garner positive publicity for Hollywood (while extinguishing its unions), seem to persist in the belief that that is tied to white male supremacy. I probably don’t have to tell you the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just elected another middle-aged white man as its head (David Rubin) and has a member base that is 84 percent white and 68 percent male. And that’s an improvement after April Reign’s viral 2016 #OscarsSoWhite outcry. “It’s not about saying who is snubbed and who should have been nominated,” Reign told The Huffington Post at the time, “it’s about opening the discussion more on how the decisions were made, who was cast and who tells the story behind the camera.” And yet the response, as always, has been tokenism — one black nominee here, an Asian one there, a one-for-one reaction to cancel culture which provides momentary relief but no real evolution. The individual successes of Moonlight and Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman and even Parasite, not to mention Spike Lee being named the first ever black Cannes jury head, can’t ultimately undo more than 100 years of white male paternalism. The Oscar nominations this year, dominated by four movies that are very pale and very violent — Joker, 1917, The Irishman, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood — encapsulate the real soul of Hollywood and the society in which it was forged. It is no mistake that, as The Atlantic outlined, the ceremony neglects “domestic narratives, and stories told by women and people of color.” Harvey Weinstein, who turned awards campaigning into a brutalist art form while allegedly brutalizing women behind the scenes, may no longer be the Oscars’ figurehead, but his imprint endures.

À propos, Les Misérables, a gritty drama about a bunch of men facing off with a bunch of other men (oh, and some boys too) in a poor neighborhood in Paris, was the French submission to this year’s Oscars instead of Haenel’s critically preferred film, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a lush period romance about two women in love. It was that film’s director, Céline Sciamma, for whom Haenel returned to acting in 2007 with White Lilies (and with whom she had a romance off-camera) years after her experience with Ruggia drove her from the industry. Though she opened up to Sciamma about being sexually abused, Haenel didn’t go public until she was firmly established with two Césars (the French Academy Award equivalent) to bolster her legitimacy — she knew that otherwise society, French and otherwise, sides with men. “Even if it is difficult to fight against the balance of power set out from early adolescence, and against the man-woman relationship of dominance, the social balance of power has been inversed,” Haenel told Mediapart in November. “I am today socially powerful, whereas [Ruggia] has simply become diminished.” This was a crucial but deemphasised aspect of the shift in America which took place after a slew of A-list white actresses — women who were held up by society and thus listened to — accused Weinstein of abuse, a shift which did not take place after a slew of lesser known women, many of them women of color, accused Bill Cosby. (That the latter is black no doubt also played into the country’s lingering racist belief that all black men are latent criminals, so obviously he was a predator, right?) With none of these longstanding prejudices addressed, however, they risk being repeated, as the system which permitted these men to abuse their power prevails.

“What do we all have as collective responsibility for that to happen. That’s what we’re talking about,” Haenel said in her sit-down interview. “Monsters don’t exist. It’s our society, it’s us, it’s our friends, it’s our fathers. We’re not here to eliminate them, we’re here to change them.” This approach is in direct opposition to how #MeToo has been unraveling in the U.S., where names of accused men — Woody Allen, Michael Jackson, Matt Lauer, R. Kelly, Louis C.K., Weinstein — loom so large on the marquees that they conveniently block out reality: that they were shaped by America, a place that gives golden handshakes to abusers, barely takes them to trial for their alleged actions, and sometimes even cheers them on. It’s not that women here have not been saying the same thing as Haenel, it just seems to be that their message is lost in the cacophony of proliferating high-profile cases themselves. Haenel’s resonance sources from not only the relative anomaly of a French woman of her stature making such claims, but also the fact that she is so much more famous than her alleged perpetrator and that her age at the time makes it a clear instance of abuse. Perhaps it also has to do with her disclosure coming amidst the ongoing yellow vests movement, which has primed France’s citizens to call for all manner of accountability.

Haenel’s alleged abuser has since been charged with sexual aggression against a minor, though she initially refused to go through the justice system, which she saw as part of a deeper systemic bias that resulted in her abuse. UniFrance, which promotes French films internationally, has openly backed the actress and is in the process of creating a charter to protect actors, and, in a historic move, the French Society of Film Directors dropped Ruggia, its former copresident. Meanwhile, Gabriel Matzneff is also being investigated following the publication of a memoir by Vanessa Springora in which the publishing head describes her teen sexual encounters with the then-50-something-year-old French writer who has always been open about his affinity for underage girls and boys. And the same country that supported Roman Polanski in the aftermath of child sexual assault allegations several years ago is now protesting him in the wake of Haenel’s disclosure. As she said when asked about the Oscar-winning filmmaker on Mediapart, “the debate around Polanski is not limited to Polanski and his monstrosity, but implicates the whole of society.” The French media calls Haenel’s #MeToo story a turning point, one which highlights not the individual — even she expressed regret that it fell on one man — but on a society which believes victimization is in any way excusable.

* * *

“It’s possible for society to act differently,” Haenel said. “It’s better for everyone, firstly for the victims but even for the torturers to look themselves in the face. That’s what being human is. It’s not about crushing people and trying to gain power, it’s about questioning yourself and accepting the multi-dimensional side of what a human being is. That’s how we build high society.” Up until this point we have been primarily concerned with identifying the bad seeds and having them punished and even removed, without really wrestling with the environment in which they have grown — doing that means facing ourselves as well. We name names and call out institutions — like Hollywood awards and the British royal family — and then what? What remains is the same system that produced these individuals, these same individuals simply establishing new institutions with the same foundations. Identifying what’s wrong doesn’t tell us what’s right. It wasn’t until Haenel was introduced to a filmmaking crew that was entirely female, that listened to her and supported her, that she could identify not just what shouldn’t be, but what should. “What society do we want?” she asked. “It’s about that too.”

* * *

Soraya Roberts is a culture columnist at Longreads.

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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What to Know About Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Stepping Back

On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a big announcement. We are still figuring out exactly what it means.

What exactly are Prince Harry and Meghan doing?

It’s not fully clear and it depends whom you ask.

In a message posted to both the couple’s Instagram page and their new stand-alone website (one of two websites they have introduced in the last few months), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intentions to “carve out a progressive new role within” the “institution” of the British monarchy; to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family”; to “work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen”; to “balance” their time “between the United Kingdom and North America”; to “honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”; to launch a “new charitable entity”; and “to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge, and all relevant parties.”

The message seemed to suggest a desire to relinquish some (public) lifestyle funding in order to be less beholden to the strict protocol and de facto traditions of the royal family without sacrificing titles, influence or access.

According to a frosty statement from Buckingham Palace, this is all still being negotiated:

“Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”

No bad ideas in a brainstorm.

Is “senior” royal a job?

No. It’s a designation applied to those adult members of the royal family closest to the throne in the line of succession, and their spouses, who tend to carry out the majority of public engagements alongside and/or on behalf of the queen. It currently refers to Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip; Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla; and Prince William and his wife, Kate. One could argue that, since Prince Harry has neither removed himself from the line of succession nor given up his title, he and Meghan remain senior royals.

Announcing a plan to “step back” from being a senior royal is sort of like declaring an intention to recuse oneself from being famous.

Why are they stepping back?

Specific reasons mentioned on their website include enabling themselves “to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing,” and handling their own media relations. On that second point, they particularly emphasized their decision to operate independent of the so-called Royal Rota — a key feature of royal family press relations that grants perpetual special access to journalists from seven British publications, including some tabloids.

Harry has long been critical of the British press. In October, he and Meghan initiated legal proceedings against the publishers of multiple British newspapers. He explained their decision in a statement posted on one of the Sussex websites, in which he excoriated the media and drew a connection between the royals’ treatment at the hands of the press and his mother Princess Diana’s death.

And let’s not forget the 2017 interview with Newsweek in which Prince Harry mused, “Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.” Not a glowing endorsement of the enterprise.

Has anyone in the royal family ever done this?

Not exactly. The last couple to reject senior royal life was Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, the original divorced American duchess for whom he relinquished the throne in 1936. But he was, you know, the actual head of state, so the decision prompted a full-blown constitutional crisis.

Other family members have also scaled back their public duties for a variety of reasons. Prince Philip retired from public life in 2017, at the perfectly reasonable-to-retire age of 96. After her divorce from Prince Charles, Princess Diana gave back her HRH title and quit her role with 93 charities. And this January, Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties after an interview with the BBC about his friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

What does the British public think?

More Britons currently appear to have a view on Megxit than they did on the royal wedding itself.

At first, there were clear and loud rumblings of support. Then a few questions arose about cash, given that quite a lot of it had been thrown about in the last few years. The wedding. The house. The bodyguards.

What really roused Brits was the statement from the palace, which implied that couple had not fully discussed their retreat from royal life with the queen, whom we love. How dare they?

The tabloids, however, had a field day. “They didn’t even tell the Queen!” fumed the Thursday front page of the Daily Mirror. “Queen’s fury as Harry and Meghan say: we quit!” read the lead headline of the Daily Mail. (Other institutions got in on the drama, too: Madame Tussauds in London separated its wax figures of Harry and Meghan from those of the rest of the royal family.)

The term “Megxit” got a lot of airtime. “Harryverderci” has yet to catch on.

What was public sentiment toward the Sussexes like before “Megxit”?

Mixed? Very positive around the birth of baby Archie. Less positive around all the private jet hopping last summer. But most Brits haven’t been paying much attention. Between the recent general election, Australia being on fire and Brexit, the prospect of Megxit had not crossed many people’s minds.

Please tell me no one’s birthday was ruined because of this.

Harry and Meghan made their bombshell announcement on Jan. 8. Seeing as Jan. 9 is Kate Middleton’s birthday, and multiple members of the royal family were photographed arriving at Kensington Palace, for what multiple British websites described as a planned birthday celebration (in the middle of the day, on a Thursday), we cannot state with full confidence that no one’s birthday was ruined.

How many royals does one royal family really need?

Some say: not so many. Last year, the Swedish royal family streamlined its ranks; the king announced that five of his grandchildren would no longer bear titles or be expected to carry out royal duties. They would also no longer be paid the sum royal family members receive each year.

Being royal is expensive, and income inequality is a hot topic. The idea of trimming the royal fat, if you will, is to keep the focus on those in the direct line of succession and minimize the degree to which the family can be criticized for using public funds.

How much does the British royal family cost taxpayers?

Members of the British royal family are fond of sharing the following statistic: The contribution from U.K. taxpayers toward the full overhead of the British monarchy is equivalent to approximately £1 per British person per year.

For argument’s sake, one could note that the French royal family costs French taxpayers nothing, because it was abolished. One former royal palace became the Louvre.

Will Harry and Meghan keep their titles?

They have expressed no intentions to relinquish their titles. Their new website consistently refers to them as “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

Where will they live?

According to their statement, Harry and Meghan will split their time “between the United Kingdom and North America.”

Earlier this week, the couple visited an official Canadian residence in London “to thank the High Commissioner Janice Charette and staff for the warm hospitality” they enjoyed on a private vacation over Christmas, according to their Instagram page. The caption of the post included multiple neutral statements about Canada seemingly intended as compliments: “The Duke and Duchess have a strong connection to Canada. It’s a country The Duke of Sussex has visited many times over the years and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of The Royal Family.”

For those reasons, and because it’s part of the British Commonwealth, Canada seems like a safe bet for a North American base. There is also speculation that the family could spend more time in Meghan’s home state of California, where her mother resides.

This story will be updated.

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chloebassettx-blog · 7 years ago

Photo

I have been doing the ‘Less is More’ project now for a couple of weeks now. I have learnt a lot about movie posters and vector graphics already and still have a lot more to discover. At the beginning of the project I researched different movie posters for different movie genres and annotated them. I found that this helped me to get a strong understanding of the different elements found in particular movie posters for different genres. I created 4 mood boards, each for a different genre and wrote about the conventions found in the movie poster for them. This helped me to know exactly what I would need to include in my own movie poster if I were to do that movie genre. I looked into different conventions and persuasive techniques in advertising, which I found very interesting and believe that it helped me massively as it taught me different ways to present movie posters to the audience. The next step of my research was looking at Modernism, Post Modernism and the different movements in the history of Graphic Design. This information was key as I learnt that it was what formed Graphic Design, this helped me when it came to looking at printing techniques as I was then able to relate to different movements, such as using Cubism for my Lino work. Looking back at my Lino Cubist piece I think that it worked as I was able to achieve the style of it looking like a Cubism piece. I found that I didn’t really like using the Lino as I found it very difficult to cut and it made me very frustrated. The two vector artists I have been researching are, Tom Whalen and Dan Mumford, I have looked into them as my project is based around Tom Whalen and will also be following the same technique of which they do. I learnt a lot about how they actually produce their posters and this will help me a huge amount when I come to do my own. After I have done all of my research I looked at 3 different movie posters of which I could use for my final poster. By doing this, it helped me to narrow down all of my choices and get an idea of what different movies will work. Out of the 3 I looked out I believed that the strongest was Suicide Squad, as the colours and characters would look nicely in Tom Whalen’s style. The next process for my project was producing a project proposal, as I wasn’t entirely sure how to do one I did my research and found out about what to include in it. This helped me massively as I had a strong understanding of how to make my own. As part of this project we visited Madam Tussauds to get photographs of the wax figures. I enjoyed this trip as it was very fascinating as well as beneficial; I got loads of photographs of the celebrities in many different angles. All of this research was essential as it has made me feel much more confident in this project and has taught me so much which I will be using in the future.

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touristguidebuzz · 7 years ago

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Bangkok: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Experience

Out of Town Blog Bangkok: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Experience

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Experience in Bangkok

Want to meet Justin Bieber, Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg in Bangkok? Go to Madame Tussauds at Siam Discovery, the center of Bangkok’s shopping district.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum Experience in Bangkok

What is Madame Tussauds?

It’s basically an interactive wax museum of famous local and international personalities, dead or alive.

I also learned that Madame Tussaud’s is one of the oldest attractions in the world as its first ever museum opened more than two centuries ago.

Personally, I guess what makes this museum successful is solely based on people’s desire to be one with the rich and famous and see how they would look like up close and personal.

About Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

This particular branch has about a hundred life-sized wax figures of famous personalities and is divided into separate themes such as history, world leaders, arts, sports, music, film and TV.

What I love about this museum are its interactive displays and true-to-life sets which would surely unleash your inner creativity.

It’s basically great for the whole family and I guess it’s a perfect way to spend those harsh midday hours between 10AM and 2PM. It’s also in a mall which makes it accessible to shopping and eating as well.

My Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok Experience

Instead of just posing the same way for every wax figure that caught my eye, I tried to have some fun with some of the famous personalities.

Albert Einstein at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Albert Einstein: Pretending that I was more knowledgeable than him about relativity, I tried to correct his equations on the blackboard.

Bruce Lee at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Bruce Lee: To beat his one inch punch, I only used my pinky finger to break the three layers of concrete.

Ice Age 4D Experience at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Ice Age: I tried to stop the end of the world by protecting the nut stuck in ice from this adorable little fellow. There’s also a fun short 4D clip about Ice Age that was included in our package.

Justin Bieber at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Justin Bieber: To lovingly mock him, I did his signature pose on his controversial Calvin Klein ad.

Khaosai Galaxy at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Khaosai Galaxy: Since I know that I’ll never beat him in Thai kickboxing, I tried to do a surprise attack.

Leonardo DiCaprio at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Leonardo DiCaprio: Because he’s always been just a nominee of major acting awards in Hollywood, I decided to give him one being a huge fan of his movies.

Ludwig Van Beethoven at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Ludwig Van Beethoven: I really loved his facial expression upon listening to me play a single key on the piano as if I was a musical prodigy. Well at least I know he can’t hear me.

Mark Zuckerberg at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Mark Zuckerberg: Seeing him check his Facebook account, I wrote him a funny status update.

Michelle and Barack Obama at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Michelle and Barack Obama: Doing the former president’s duties at the White House even for just a day really gave me a huge headache.

One Direction at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

One Direction: Time to activate my fan girl mode with these boy band heartthrobs.

Oprah at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Oprah: She asked about the story of my life and I told her that there’s really not much to know.

Queen Elizabeth at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Queen Elizabeth: I just found out from her majesty that she’s retiring so bow down before me peasants, I’ll be taking over the throne.

Tiger Woods at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Tiger Woods: We’re both actually looking for the golf ball after my perfect swing in the meadows.

Wolverine at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Wolverine: Logan’s ready to battle our mutant enemies while I’m right beside him texting.

Yao Ming at Madame Tussaud’s Bangkok

Yao Ming: I did my best but I guess my best wasn’t good enough so I had no choice but to do this.

Final Thoughts

Is the Philippines ready for this kind of attraction? I guess so.

But I think a survey on which local and international celebrities would appear in our museum would be appropriate. I’m sure Manny Pacquiao and President Duterte would be on top of that list.

Was the experience worth it? I think it was because it was our first time and we spent a good two hours at this particular branch in Siam Discovery and we had a lot of fun taking pictures as souvenirs.

Would I recommend Madame Tussauds to my friends? Definitely, why would I write about it?

How to get to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Bangkok?

BY BTS SKYTRAIN – Madame Tussauds is five minutes walk from BTS Siam station. BTS Siam station is right in the middle of the city and easy journey from anywhere in Bangkok.

BY MRT – MRT Silom or Sukhumvit or Chatuchak Park station transfer to BTS Sky train; BTS Siam station (See By BTS)

BY BUS – The following bus numbers travel to Madame Tussauds: 15, 16, 25 (Paknam-Thachang),40, ??.40, 48, 54, 73, 73?, 79, 141, 159, 162, 183, 204, 501, 508.

BY CAR – Siam Center Car Park; Rama 1 Road, Siam Paragon entrance 2 and turn left to Siam Center car park.

BY TAXI – Siam Discovery, 4th Floor, 989 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan. Stopable in front of Siam Tower building.

Madame Tussauds Address: Siam Discovery, 4th Floor, 989 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok Thailand 10330

Where to buy Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum Online Tickets?

You can easily book your tickets via Klook.com to enjoy the interactive features at every exhibition. The Museum has hundreds of wax figures where you can enjoy endless photo ops and get your chance to have photos with various well-known personalities.

Click here to get up to 40% discount on tickets.