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xxisxxisxxis · 6 years ago

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Gateway Drug | Part Three

Part One , Part Two , Part Four

Pairing: Douglas Booth!Nikki Sixx X OC

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Language

Tag list: @fandomshit6000 @lilmou5ie @tamedhearts @divaanya @allieburakovsky @kingbouji3 @evrsncnewyork @6ixx6ixx @ratedrkohardychick91 @floregrohlssard @oldschoolimagineblog @thanks2pete @abaldboi @swoopygorl

**Let me know if you want to be tagged**

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“And Dirty Stripper Viv is back!” Vince exclaims as I stare at the ceiling over Tommy’s shoulder.

“Tommy,” I start, catching his attention.

“Yeah?” He asks me as if nothing is wrong at all and I close my eyes briefly.

“You’re shirtless. I’m shirtless. There’s skin-to-skin contact and I don’t like it.” I say as calmly as I can and he frowns.

“I’m trying to defend your honor.” He tells me and I raise a brow.

“I’m naked, laying on a grungy floor, with an audience.” I point out. “I don’t have much honor left to defend at the moment so it doesn’t matter who sees me put clothes on.” I explain and he furrows his brows slightly before getting off of me.

I pull the dress on as fast as I can, ignoring Vince and Nikki’s prying eyes as Tommy still lingers between me and them, trying to block their view as best as he can until I’m clothed.

“Are you ready or not, man?” Nikki asks him with a sense of lost patience and I get Tommy to zip my dress as he answers:

“Gimme two minutes and I’ll be out.” He tells him, which causes Nikki to roll his eyes and turn to leave.

“What’s up with him?” Tommy asks Vince once Nikki’s out of earshot and Vince shrugs.

“Probably has blue-balls after that show Vivian gave us.” He suggests and I shoot daggers at him with my eyes as he steps closer, pulling a piece of lint off the bottom of my dress before looking me in the eyes. “Who can blame him though, right?”

“No.” Tommy and I say at the exact same time.

Tommy’s idea is that I’ll stay a virgin until I die.

My idea is that I don’t die a virgin, I just stay one until I’m married.

Vince grins like an idiot before looking me up and down, shaking his head a little.

“You keep clinging to the ‘Holy Child of God’ image all you want to, Viv. I give it a year before it wears off and you’re begging for one of us like a bitch in heat.” He states as if it’s a fact.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Vince.” I say dismissively, sitting down on the worn out couch to put my heels on. “As pretty as I think you or Devil-Spawn or any of these rock guys are, I have self-control. Which means I can acknowledge the idea of wanting to do something, but also recognize it’s a horrible idea, so I don’t do it. It has saved me a lot of trouble in my life and maybe, just maybe, if you had even the slightest amount of this magical self-control, I would be able to tolerate you more.” I get my heels on and stand, taller than his height by a few more inches.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Viv.” He replies smugly, giving me one last signature Vince Neil look before he steps out of the room.

Tommy pulls his boots on and stands up, putting his hands on my shoulders.

“I think we might sell out tickets tonight.” His excitement matches a puppy’s and I nod, agreeing with this prediction.

With the way they’ve been playing the past several weeks and the buzz going on, it won’t surprise me if they do sell out tonight.

“I know.” I feel his same giddiness, proud of his success so far.

“Drummer!” Mick’s distinct voice sounds from the other side of the door.

“Kiss your girlfriend bye and come the fuck on!” Nikki says next and I stare at Tommy, who shakes off their rushing with a shrug and gives me two thumbs up before opening the door.

I push past them, avoiding Vince’s wondering hands trying to grope me by sliding between Nikki and Mick with a quick “excuse me”, hearing the sound of Tommy smacking Vince’s hands away from me.

I hold back a chuckle at the sound and continue walking.

Once I join the crowd around the stage, I’m side by side with a blonde that shows particular interest in Vince once he starts singing “Take Me to the Top.”

I’m tempted to shove her off of him when he leans down, singing to her, merely inches from her face as her hand comes up to rest on his bicep.

“Swine.” I mouth to him, earning me a wink.

It doesn’t take long for his girlfriend to find her way to the front of the stage between me and the blonde he’s currently turning himself out to. With one swift shove from his girlfriend has the other one out of the way, becoming Vince’s focus point.

Before he goes in to the chorus, he gives her a brief kiss, causing other girls to scowl at her and I can’t help but laugh.

I try not to hate much of anything unless it’s blatantly disgusting. But groupies...I really, really, really, don’t tolerate very much.

Once the show is over, me and Vince’s girlfriend head backstage.

Tommy meets me eagerly, bouncing up and down, running to me full speed, like a buffalo.

I brace for impact, laughing when his hands capture my waist and he picks me up.

“We fuckin’ sold out!” He shouts cheerfully, gently shaking me.

“That’s awesome!” I exclaim as he hugs me, and I give Vince the benefit of the doubt, holding the palm of my hand out over Tommy’s shoulder for him.

“We fucking did that shit.” He says proudly, giving me a high-five with his other arm draped around his girlfriend.

“I say we celebrate.” Tommy states, putting me down but keeping his hand locked around mine. “Booze and chicks.” His afterthought matches Vince’s, but with Vince’s girlfriend beside him, he won’t admit it. “And you’re coming with us.” Tommy nudges me and I laugh, thinking he’s joking. “I’m being serious.”

“Tommy, I have a curfew and what not and—”

“You are eighteen fucking years old. You’ve been the perfect child for, like, your whole life. It’s time you flap your little wings and leave the fucking nest.” Tommy tells me and I hold back a smile.

“He’s right, Viv. If you don’t try to fly, you’ll leave us no other choice and we’ll just have to throw you out the damn thing.” Vince agrees with Tommy.

“My parents are the ones who’re supposed to throw me out of the nest when they’re ready.” I argue.

“We’re not talking about leaving your house. We’re talking about the little bubble you’ve been living in.” Vince informs me. “The ‘No Fucking Fun’ bubble.”

“I thought it was a nest?” I ask, confused.

“It can be whatever the fuck you want it to be.” Vince goes on. “Point is, we’re popping that bubble tonight.”

“Fuck yeah.” Tommy backs him up.

“We’re kicking you out of the fucking nest tonight.” Vince says next.

“We sure fucking are.” Tommy echoes.

“We’re popping your ‘No Fucking Fun’ cherry.” Vince only gets worse.

“Damn right.” Tommy nods and I try to think through this, not sure whether I should be mortified or laughing.

“See, the thing that happened sophomore year was foreplay, Viv. It is time to let your fucking freak-flag fly.” Vince doesn’t know when to shut up and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“My freak flag is as existent as your boundaries.” I speak up, noticing Mick and Nikki coming towards us, and I look at Tommy. “I love you,” I kiss his cheek quickly. “I’m gone.”

“Viv, come on!” Tommy calls after me as I head to the dressing room to change clothes.

I toss my heels to the side once I get through the door, stepping further in to the room. The door suddenly bursts open and shuts and I roll my eyes at the sight of the bass playing Devil-Spawn leaned against it, bottle of Jack Daniels in hand.

“What do you want?” I ask, pulling my curled hair in to a low ponytail, trying to pull the zipper from between my shoulder blades, to no avail.

“Get your fucking shoes back on,” he orders me and I raise my brows.

“Excuse me?”

“If you’re so prude that you won’t even be seen out in public with us then fine. But Tommy’s supposedly your best friend. Put your shit aside and act like it. He wants to have fun with his best friend. So get your damn shoes back on,” He slurs slightly, kicking my heels towards my feet. “And get your ass back out there and put your fuckin’ holier-than-thou morals aside, and stop pretending hanging out with us is like shoving a wasp nest up your p—”

“You’re drunk.” I hiss. “And chewing me out, for the umpteenth time this month.”

“And you’re a cunt. Scolding me for the umpteenth time this month.” He mocks me, taking a large gulp of Jack.

“I’m not scolding you. You can drink until your liver shuts down and your kidneys fail. Not my health. Not my problem.” I snap at him.

“That’s a very christianly way of thinking, Saint Vivian.” He argues. “And I’m not drunk. I’m tipsy.”

“Good then you’ll remember me telling you to kindly screw off.” I gather the clothes I wore here, deciding to change in my car. I step to the door, waiting patiently for him to move aside so I can open it and leave.

He steps away from the door knob, letting me open it, but his fist collides with the door just as soon as it opens ajar, shutting it again.

I feel his Jack-laced breath on the back of my neck and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to avoid turning around due to how close he is.

I relent, turning to push him away, but I stop myself. Hazel eyes dusted by strands of teased, black hair, lock with my green ones and I feel a lump in my throat forming.

I can’t seem to form words, and he notices, his ego getting a good rub down by my flustering.

My back sinks into the solid wood of the door when he moves closer to me, his nose brushing against my hair as his lips graze the shell of my ear. With an arrogant voice that could give Vince a run for his money, he whispers:

“Just making sure I can get under that holy-roller skin of yours whenever I want.” He says lowly and I snap out of my trance and push him away from me, causing him to chuckle as I scowl at him. “Your self-control needs a tad bit more practice.” He teases, and I realize Vince put him up to this. “But hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. Even Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit after that snake made it look so good.” His tone is like smooth molasses as his eyes move from mine, down my body, and ho again. I swallow the lump in my throat.

“It was Satan. Not just some snake.” I say harshly, opening the door and slamming it shut.

I should have run after that night. I should’ve stopped being friends with Tommy. I was lying to myself by saying I was prepared for everything that was bound to happen. I had a feeling they would get a record deal, their careers would get bigger and they’d be 24/7 rockstars. Meaning tons of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll or, in my mother’s words, “a diseased ticket straight to Hell, a psychedelic ticket straight to Hell, and a loud ticket straight to Hell.”

I never drank a drop of alcohol since that incident at Vince’s pool party, never took drugs in my life, and once the band made it big, that’s all they did while being accompanied by beautiful women and song writing every now and then.

I was proud of myself for staying sober despite being surrounded by all kinds of opportunities to change that.

I didn’t realize people could be just as addictive, paralyzing, euphoric, and toxic, as any drug. I should have run that night, but I didn’t. And that sealed my fate. Little did I know my intuition would soon be drowned out by the Devil-Spawn and his many demons, enticing me with his never ending ways of sinful seduction.

#nikki sixx #vince neil #tommy lee #mötley crüe #douglas booth #machine gun kelly #mgk #daniel webber #colson baker #the dirt #the dirt movie

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investinpak-blog · 5 years ago

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Business Ideas in Pakistan 2020: Complete Roadmap

Pakistan has world’s fifth-largest population (212.2 million or 21 crores) in the world. A consumer’s market this big is an opportunity for all sorts of businesses. Numerous studies show that several markets within Pakistan are still untapped. These untapped markets present a sublime business opportunity. Covering all of the business ideas in Pakistan within this blog post was not an easy task. After working for several days, I have this complete list of small to medium business ideas.

The best thing about this list of business ideas in Pakistan is that I have divided it into several slabs. For example, business ideas according to budget, education, age, expertise and according to interest. You won’t find a more comprehensive list anywhere else.

Just click on the following tabs and you will find business ideas that suit your budget and expertise.

Business ideas from 1 to 5 lakh contain all businesses that can be started within this range. I have invested a lot of time in this section because huge number of people have a budget in this range. Bear in mind that I am going to describe the requriements of each business in detail and these details will contain the major slabs that I mentioned earlier.

Let’s start with the most common business ideas.

Business Ideas in Pakistan from 1 lakh to 5 lakh Rupees

1- Homemade Food Delivery Business

This is a business where you can cook one or more dishes at home and can deliver to the customer’s doorstep. The dishes could be desi food, special cakes, kinds of pasta or fast food. The choice of dishes may be defined by your expertise and the budget you have. Do you want to start food delivery business?

i- If you have about 5 lacks in your pocket, you can deliver a different yet better Pizzas or Burgers via one of the food delivery networks. For example, Foodpanda, EatOye, Careem or Bikea. De Macho’s Pizza works on this model. They might start a dine-in soon but the current profits are coming from Foodpanda.

ii- If you have a budget of 1 lakh in your pocket, you can start with one special dish. For example, Sarang Sindhi Cuisine in F-11 Markaz Islamabad started their business via special Sindhi biryani at home. The owner is a lady and she runs a pretty good setup in F-11 Markaz now.

iii- You will find several housewives selling these fantastic cupcakes and event cakes online. The business could be started by creating a facebook page and displaying some of your creations. Just keep in mind that if you do not like Foodpanda, you will need someone from the family or from the neighborhood to deliver your dishes to the customers.

Requirements: You will need the budget, yourself or someone who can cook, a kitchen. Education: No education required. Expertise Level: Entry level, the dishes must taste very good. Time: Part-time in most dishes. Area: Nearby your kitchen. For example, an area of 20km around your home kitchen.

2- Local Food Stalls

If you are thinking that a huge number of stalls are already there on the streets, you are right. However, we at Investinpak are suggesting our readers to be innovative. Let’s see how innovative you can get.

i- I found this small local food stall business idea online and I think it is pretty much untapped in Pakistan. This is by all means innovative and looks pretty tasty. Everyone is selling potato chips, you just need to be innovative.

More business ideas in Pakistan related to Food Stalls

You do not have to be a vendor yourself, you can get someone to sell them for you. One of my buddies started this in Lahore and he is absolutely sure to invest more in this business. These local food stalls could be seen as a startup experiment that require minimum setup budget and time. Once the startup starts generating profits, you can get a shop nearby and start a full-fledge restaurant.

I would advise against starting a restaurant without prior experience. Most people having 5 lakh in their bank tend to start a fast-food restaurant. I have seen dozens of people failing and losing their money. You need to introduce something new and you need to do it small to get some experience.

Requirements: Equipment for spiral potato. Someone who could sell for you. Education: No education required. Expertise Level: Entry level. Time: Mostly in the evenings or at night. Area: Nearby market, institute or office buildings.

3- Online Business like eCommerce

This is where you will require at least some knowledge of computers. You will find a huge list of software houses that are ready to create these eCommerce stores for you. All you need to do is find a product that you can purchase at a wholesale price and then can deliver to the customers at a retail price.

You can also buy running businesses from Flippa and start earning from day 1. You will need extensive knowledge of online businesses to be able to buy a profitable business.

i- If your budget is around 1 lakh then you will be restricted to purchasing products from local markets. Because a good software house will charge at least 50,000PKR to create a sustainable eCommerce store. A bad looking website will only help you lose the rest of your money.

ii- If your budget is around 5 lakh, then you can consider ordering products from Alibaba and then selling them in Pakistan. This is profitable if you can choose a product that can help people. You will need to do extensive research on selecting a product and a vendor from China.

Running an ecommerce business from local products or from Alibaba products is tricky. If you are interested in doing this business, leave your contact details in the comments and I will contact you.

Requirements: A website or a Facebook page, products from local markets or from Alibaba. Education: Basic computer knowledge. Good knowledge of import incase of Alibaba. Expertise Level: Mid-level. Time: Online businesses are 24/7. Call timings can be managed. Area: The city you are living in, to begin with.

4- Fresh Milk and Related Products Home Delivery

This is one of the most profitable business ideas in Pakistan. The reason behind is that Milk, Butter, Desi Ghee, and Cheese are required in every kitchen. On top of that, we know that 99% of the local vendors are not providing pure milk and related products.

All you need is to establish a Facebook page to start delivering these products. The question is, where do you get them and how much money do you need for this?

Let’s evaluate the business in detail.

All of these tools and essentials can be bought within one lakh, but if your budget is near 5 lakh, you can increase the quantity.

A cow or a buffalo, someone who can manage the same. A person who can deliver milk at doorsteps. If you have more than 3 cows or buffaloes, you can start extracting butter, desi ghee or cheese. You will need an expert who has the experience of doing so. These people can easily be hired from your nearby village.

Trust me, anybody who finds out that your products are actually pure will never end doing business with you. On top of that, you will get regular appraisals and customers from these references.

Requirements: Cow or buffalo, a person to manage them, delivery guy. Education: No education required. Expertise Level: Mid-level. Time: First half of the day. Area: Nearby colonies, Muhallas.

5- Organic Farming Business (preferably Greenhouse)

Greenhouse farming is different from the regular farming we have been witnessing in Pakistan. A greenhouse refers to a space where certain conditions of temperature and humidity are specified for certain plants to grow faster and better. Organic farming is where all plants and fruits are grown without using modern chemicals and Fertilizers.

This is a unique business idea in Pakistan, you are going into an untapped market.

The reason I am suggesting a greenhouse organic farming business is that the need/demand for organic food is increasing by the day. Have you heard about BioMonde? It is the biggest organic food store in France owned by a Pakistani Entrepreneur.

Similar startups are required in Pakistan as well. These stores can make a hell lot of money if you do it right. The first thing you need is a greenhouse organic farm to grow these products. Once you can create a circle of supply and demand, you can go for your own organic food store in one of Pakistan’s largest cities.

Requirements: Land, at least 5 marlas. Education: No education required. Expertise Level: Mid-level. Time: First half of the day. Area: The target market could be any city near you, the bigger the better.

Business Ideas in Pakistan from 5 lakh to 10 lakh rupees

There are numerous fields wide open if you have a budget of 5 to 10 lakhs and are trying to start a business in Pakistan. All the businesses I have mentioned in the previous tab are doable within this budget as well. There are some businesses that I am going to mention for this particular scale of investment.

6- Themed cafe or coffee shop

As I promised I will be mentioning businesses that a majority of investors can start. A coffee shop or a themed cafe is one of them. We have seen hundreds of coffee shops and cafes failing within our city. Just rule them out. Try this new business model and you will find it very attractive.

i- Nobody is going to buy your coffee or cupcakes at extremely high prices if the environment is not upto the mark. You need to hire a startup interior design group to create a fantastic theme according to the city and market. Maybe, follow a trend. I saw a cafe in Islamabad following the Rikshaw art as the base theme. You might have seen these new DHABA style cafes with decorated trees, bone fire and a music band for the weekends. There is a cafe in Bahria Town Rawalpindi that has LUDDO on every table and it seems to have a lot of people hanging around in the evenings.

ii- So, the point one elaborated on the interior and some lucrative ideas that would attract consumers. Once the environment is set, then you can focus on the services, the menu, the naming convention and finally the prices. If you need related ideas and further elaboration, I am happy to assist you. Just right your query in the comments below.

Requirements: Idea for a themed cafe, service staff, a brilliant chef. Education: No education required. Expertise Level: Mid-level. Time: Mostly in the evenings. Area: Untapped market or a market with a higher financial scale of customers.

7- Mug printing, T-shirt printing, Pillows and what more

Mainly the printing business. It depends on the budget and handling capacity of orders. If you have ever heard of AliExpress, you can easily order a machine that can print Mugs, Caps, T-Shirts and more. The prices of these machines start from as low as 40,000PKR and they work extremely good.

Once you have ordered the machine, the second step would be finding the stuff that you can print. You can go to the nearest wholesale markets to see unprinted T-shirts, Mugs and related products that your machine can print. Once you have the prices or the products in your range, you are then all set to launch the marketing campaign.

Did I say marketing? Oh yes! this is the most important part. No business can succeed without some sort of marketing. This business, in particular, relies on online marketing the most. You can create a facebook page or even a website and start posting some of the creations from your inventory. If you do not want to spend too much on creating these samples, just hire a graphic designer to design them first and then you can start taking orders.

You can find a good number of these websites and facebook pages that are selling printed products at phenomenal prices. All you’ll need is to compete with them in terms of price and quality.

Requirements: Printing Machine, Graphic Designer, Online presence. Education: No education required. Expertise Level: Entry level. Time: Online orders or a shop that works 10:am to 8:pm. Area: Your city to begin with.

8- Services company

This might be the best thing if you can handle sales. There are numerous options in terms of services. We know how poor most of the individual service providers in Pakistan are. Talk about smaller ones like plumbers, electricians, carpenters, home exterior like whitewash workes, etc. We can also talk about the bigger firms like software or hardware firms, tax consultants, tour and travel consultants, event managers, etc.

Let’s list the ones that are possible within the budget you have.

i- Software Firm

As difficult as it might sound, starting a software house in Pakistan has never been so easy. If you have IT background or can manage those with IT expertise, this is one of the best businesses you can start. Here is what you need to know all about software business.

– Your first priority should be to set up an office at the lowest cost. Then decide if you are going to take orders from local markets or from the international markets. Hire a marketing team accordingly. For the local market, a team of a male and a female would do great. For international markets, a Bidding expert would be helpful.

– Once you have the sales and marketing setup complete, start hiring programmers. Hire for limited technologies first. For example, provide the web development services in the first phase. Make sure the technologies you go for are updated. I would suggest MEAN or MERN stack as these are currently high in demand.

– Do not rely on services. Start a product. It could be an online store or one of the online businesses that we discussed previously. You will need a steady income to grow in the services business.

ii- Household Services

Talking about the business ideas in Pakistan and not mentioning these services would be an injustice. We really need professional household services company.

Every house and office needs a plumber, an electrician and probably a carpenter. What you can do is create a team of either all of these experts or just start with one of them. Make sure you have a uniform or a badge that suggest the experts are from your company.

You can keep fixed rates for different services or can fix them on an hourly basis. This way, you will be able to present yourself as a professional service provider.

Keep getting regular feedback from all of the clients you serve. Never allow your team to sabotage your business.

iii- Tax consultancy

Tax recovery is constantly growing in Pakistan. A lot of businesses are registering themselves with the related authorities. Thus, tax consultancy firms are going to be very important in the near future. If you can tap into this market in the early days, you will be able to get the best out of it in the future.

Requirements: Experts according to the related service, an office, and a sales team. Education: A degree in the relevant field would be great. Expertise Level: Expert level. Time: Office timings 9:00am to 6:00pm. Area: Your city or an open market if you opt for Software House Business.

9- Fish Farming Business Ideas in Pakistan

Fish farming is a highly profitable business idea in Pakistan. The theme is that you grow fish in a pool/farm and once they grow up, you sell them in the markets.

In order to start this business in Pakistan, you will need a pool where you can farm. The size of this pool may depend on the budget you have. You can easily get about 1 Kanal of land in any nearby village for 1 lakh rupees. Then the expense of creating a suitable pool and managing fish could be from 2 to 4 lakh.

Here is a great idea, if you do not want to feed them yourself, you can use nightlights below the water that would attract a lot of insects into the water. The fish would be able to have a nice and fresh dinner. This way, not only that you will save some time, but also some money that you would otherwise spend on buying food from the market.

Requirements: A pool, night lights. Education: Not required. Expertise Level: Entry level. Time: manageable. Area: Nearby to your pool.

10- Beauty Salon business idea in Pakistan

We see a huge number of local beauty salons in our native cities. We see that most of them are for ladies. There are only a few classy beauty salons for men. Why not introduce a modern beauty salon and introduce some fancy hair cuts? We see these barbers in the US and EU are innovating the industry. Why not follow the footsteps and make a fortune ourselves?

You see, a salon does a lot more than just a hair cut. You can introduce multiple services (keeping quality and innovation intact) and be a brand yourself. I have seen these videos of transformation where some creepy looking people are being transformed into very attractive professionals.

You can start this business yourself and hire certified people to work under your supervision. Make sure you beat your competitors in rates and quality of services.

This may not be a unique business idea in Pakistan itself, however, introducing unique and innovative services would definitely make it highly profitable. You just have to act wisely.

Requirements: A shop or an apartment. Education: Not required. Expertise Level: Mid-level. Time: Preferably morning to evening. Area: A market with higher traffic and lower competition.

Details of more business ideas in Pakistan Coming Soon

#household goods #marketing services

Business Ideas in Pakistan from 10 lakh to 20 lakh rupees

This scale of budget suits all the businesses we discussed in the previous tabs. The following businesses I am going to share with you are the ones that are only possible if you have an investment of 5 to 10 lakh rupees. Let’s get to the point then.

11- eCommerce with Amazon FBA

We have discussed the eCommerce business previously, right? This one is different. Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is a facility that Amazon provides to the customers. The facility includes maintaining the inventory, delivery and customer services on behalf of the vendors.

You are not familiar with this business idea in Pakistan because of a reason. Selling online on Amazon is not possible if you are a Pakistani citizen. However, FBA allows Pakistanis to use their platform.

The process includes sending all your products to the Amazon FBA office. Your inventory and delivery will be handled by Amazon. Your orders will be served from the USA to the customers in the USA or the target country you choose.

The reason it requires a budget of about 20 lakh is that FBA is an expensive process. It requires an initial 50,000PKR for setting up a company. The fixed monthly fee that starts from 40,000PKR and then the product dispatch that could cost somewhere near 12 to 16 lakh rupees.

If you need help related to this business, write your comments below and I will send you a complete roadmap.

12- Education Sector Business

You will have to think twice if this business suits you. I have seen a hell lot of talented youngsters who can make a difference in the education sector. If you are highly qualified, talented in a special way, have vision and exposure or are familiar with some modern techniques of teaching. You should start a business in the education sector. This is one of the safest business ideas in Pakistan.

Let me enlist the types and kinds of business ideas in the education sector.

i- Start a school. Not an ordinary one, present something special. Either hire someone with experience or do the research of modern-day schooling yourself. I have a bunch of friends with their kids who are schooled in Dubai. These schools were run by Indian administrators. Enmity aside, I was fairly impressed by the methods they used to teach their kids. These kids from class 5 were way sharper and knowledgeable than our FSs students. If you need further details about this business, just write in the comments and I will guide you.

ii- If not a school, you can start an academy. I am not talking about a regular FSs or CSS academy. These academies are already there in the market and most of them are not producing any results either. I am talking about something different. An academy that teaches skills. The skills that lead to a job in the market. This could be a better and more practical version of Digiskills. I am not against this academy or similar ones. But I will be honest, they are not teaching the kids anything. Most kids from these academies are as blank as those without their certificates.

iii- Your budget is not enough to start a university. It is, however, enough to start a technical institute. Unlike an academy, an institute could be affiliated with a university. This adds authenticity to your business. Start low and slow, start providing courses that get your students jobs. Focus on practical work and invest on the labs. You can beat Pakistan’s top institutes if you have the right approach. It would not be much difficult as the state of affairs in current institutes are messy.

13- Ridehaling with Uber or Careem

This is the business if you want to play safe and get a steady income of around 1 lack plus. Your budget of about 20 lacs is enough to enroll around 5 Mini cars or about 3 Go category cars in Careem or in Uber. One car would save an average of around 40 thousand PKR for you. This amount I mentioned is the actual profit that you get after paying your driver/captain and paying for the rest of the taxes, fuel and maintenance.

The hazards in this business are that these ride-hailing companies are available only in the major cities, though Careem has expanded to smaller cities as well but there is a chance that your city does not have this service. In this case, you have two options. Either move into another city or start a ride-hailing service of your own. If you have a small town or a small city, you can get things working pretty quickly. If you need help and guidance in starting your own ride-hailing business in Pakistan (a particular city) then you can write your email or contact in the comments below. I will recommend some of the experts in this field.

14- Stock Exchange Business

If you are thinking that the complexity of businesses is increasing with the budget. You are actually right. There is no point in investing 30 lacs for a homemade food delivery business. If you have more, you need to do more to start a business. Since this budget is enough to hire professionals, you do not need to worry about the skills.

The stock exchange might be an alien concept for many. Very few people tend to invest in the stock market and the major reason is that they do not understand this business.

If you are one of those who do not understand, you do not have to ignore this idea. There are agents that can invest on your behalf and can take care of the profits as well. All you would have to do is establish some PR and goodwill in the stock exchange and find someone who is good at investing.

Read about the shares, the latest spikes, and drops in the market, the parameters that affect the stock market and so on. This is just so you can find the right agent to invest your amount for you. If you go to the agents without basic knowledge, you might not get the profits you expected.

The graph below shows how good the Pakistan Stock Exchange performed in the year 2019. The current government is doing all it can to stabilize the country’s economy. This might be a good time to invest in the stock market before the shares go out of proportion and you are no longer capable of buying the expensive ones.

15- News Portal with Youtube and Web

This could be a novel idea for most of the readers. If you have not been looking at these growing YouTube channels in Pakistan, you would be surprised to see how much they actually earn on YouTube.

I have worked with a few news portals and YouTube channels to know that this business works pretty well every time. We have to take the basic steps with some caution though.

The idea is to create a website and a YouTube channel. Hire some writers for the website and a reporter or two for the YouTube channel. Start writing about the local news in your city and conduct some interesting interviews for your YouTube channels.

We have seen multiple TV channels that actually started their business with a website and a YouTube channel. Have you seen Urdupoint or DailyPakistan?

This business requires an initial setup cost of about 2 to 3 lakh and then a maintenance/running cost of about 1 lakh a month. You would be able to start earning in about 3 to 6 months depending on the quality of your work.

If you are interested in this business, write your name and email in the comments below, I have some fantastic people in my circle who can help you grow.

More business ideas in Pakistan coming soon

#agriculture – growing profitable items #crypto currency exchange #Import export #garments

Business Ideas in Pakistan from 30 lakh to 50 lakh rupees

Most people with this scale of investment are looking for something safe yet innovative. I can understand the feeling and can tell you that most innovative businesses are not safe. You have to hit and try as long as you tie the right knot.

15- Animation Studio

This is a billion-dollar business idea if you get it right. Have you watched cartoons in your childhood? What’s your favorite character? Tom, Sigma, Doremon, Motu Patlu, Commander SafeGuard, Super Man and a lot of these characters stormed the internet. If you can create an interesting character, send in some interesting videos to the internet using YouTube, you could be making millions in the first few months.

Animation studio creates animated movies or short clips. You do not have to create a complete movie in the first go. You need to work on a character first and then start creating short clips for YouTube.

An idea for such clips could be taken from any inspirational character from your childhood. Have you read “Imran Series“? It has enough content that could be highly additive for any age group. What about “Umro Ayar“? You will find dozens of these characters that most of us loved in our childhood. Millions of people would love to watch these stories online.

Perhaps, this would be a favor for the country as well. Promoting our culture and cultural characters will not only bring you a lot of respect, but you will also be rich very quickly.

If you are thinking about why you need about 5 million for this business. Just read the requirements below.

Requirements: At least 4 high tech desktop PCs that can process these heavy animations. A content writer, a director, and animation experts. Education: If you have the amount, you can find the experts. Basic education is enough. Expertise Level: Managerial skills and expertise required. Time: Any office hours that suit you and your employees. Area: Pakistan in the first phase, global in the second phase.

16- Model Institute in Parallel with Services Company

Oh boy! Do you have about 5 million rupees? Skip everything and start this business in Pakistan. This is by far the most profitable business idea in Pakistan if you like working offline.

Let’s focus on the steps and the core idea here.

i- Establish an institute on modern grounds and teach students the technical skills that would get them a job

ii- Hire local experts who can teach them the practical side of these courses

iii- Run a services company in parallel, use your own trained students to work for you on a commission basis or on a salary.

#Small Business Ideas In Pakistan #Business Opportunities #Business Opportunities in Pakistan #Business Ideas In Pakistan #Invest In Pakistan

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rgr-pop · 6 years ago

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I need an ENTIRE afternoon wall of noise. 4/3 music library on shuffle until I hit a killdozer song.

the thermals - “god and country” reset - "double cross" nirvana - "polly" (1986-88 home recording) nirvana - "radio friendly unit shifter" (2013 mix) peterbuilt - "sateliteyes" the dickies - "got it at the store" apocalypse hoboken - "box of pills" fiona apple - "slow like honey" tex & the horseheads - "big boss man" everclear - "the drama king" anti-flag - "america got it right" neil young - "tonight's the night, pt. ii" everclear - "brown-eyed girl" noooooooooo oh my god no please millencolin - “israelites" listen you know that i'm p tolerant when it comes to this subject but why specifically did you boys do this. specifically you useless id - "note" never accuse me of pop punk nationalism again! that's three of global pop punk the selecter - "selling out your future" built to spill - "some things last a long time" holidays - "proof" let's wrestle - "bad mammaries" radhos - "one breath" ween - "boing" bracket - "g-vibe" local h - "'cha!' said the kitty" sublime - "40oz to freedom" failure - "saturday saviour" blink-182 - "don't leave me" (tmtts live take) why did they make this live album, they were so bad live shrimp boat - "melon song" interpol - "not even jail" the ataris - "angry nerd rock" 50 million - "superhero" skankin pickle - "violent love" the breeders - "put on a side" all - "honey peeps" the commandos (suicide commandos) - "weekend warrior" suicide machines - "friends are hard to find" the eclectics - "laura" good ska block! love this band pansy division - "jack u off" rocket from the tombs - "ain't it fun" dynamite boy - "devoted" young pioneers - "downtown tragedy" the breeders - "so sad about us" fenix tx - "jean claude trans am" fuck i love this song nofx - "bob" hickey - "happily ever after" bob dylan - "tangled up in blue" (bootlegs vol. 2) gas huffer - "king of hubcaps" tullycraft - "crush this town" atom and his package - "goalie" faith no more - "the real thing" carly rae jepsen - "tell me" bis - "listen up" one direction - "still the one" mtx - "she's no rocket scientist" eugene chadbourne - "roger miller medley" grouvie ghoulies - "carly simon" white town - "thursday at the blue note" gas huffer - "moon mission" rx bandits - "sleepy tyme" everclear - "rocket for the girl" failure - "kindred" blood on the saddle - "johnny's at the fair" the distillers - "red carpet and rebellion" cruiserweight - "dearest drew" stp - "plush" everclear - "wonderful" (live, from the closure ep) (don't hate it) new found glory - "sonny" everclear - "otis redding" (impure white evil demo) (BEST song) stp - "adhesive" incubus - "have you ever" cub - "tell me now" everclear - "short blonde hair" i simply do not hate it letters to cleo - "happy ever after" amazing transparent man - “the ocean is a fuck of a long way to swim” nerf herder - “(stand by your) manatee” kitty kitty - “ab tokeless” osker - “the mistakes you made” perfume genius - “hood” radhos - “shut up & deal” (welcome to the jungle take) osker - “the body” gas huffer - “the sin of sloth” the fall - “bombast” excuse 17 - “code red” mad season - “lifeless dead” unwritten law - “differences” hanson - “two tears” the eyeliners - “anywhere but here” moby grape - “lazy me” brian wilson - “wonderful” 88 fingers louie - “something i don’t know” sicko - “wisdom tooth weekend” the replacements - “love you till friday” suicide machines - “green world” midtown - “another boy” hickey - “cool kids attacked by flying monkeys” the roman invasion suite - “carnations” the beat - “tears of a clown” local h - “24 hour break up session” okay i’m awake i want to end this now toots & the maytals - “funky kingston” local h - “strict-9″ his name is alive - “her eyes were huge things” nirvana - “frances farmer will have her revenge on seattle” slapstick - “almost punk enough” urge overkill - “bionic revolution” janet jackson - “you want this” piebald - “long nights” small brown bike - “now i’m a shadow” the story so far - “left unsaid” crj - “more than a memory” tracy + the plastics - “my friends end parties” liz phair - “6′1″“ fastbacks - “555, pt. 1″ this mix is feminist now swindle - “one track” shockabilly - “burma shave” temple of the dog - “say hello to heaven” amazing transparent man - “shove” cool soul asylum cover from dekalb illinois :)) the vindictives “eating me alive” midwests only!! the judys - “radiation squirm” gulfs only!! frogpond - “sleep” flipp - “rock-n-roll star” throwing muses - “red shoes” everclear - “santa monica” throwing muses on summerland??? mekons - “atone & forsaken” holidays - “take me home country roads” this is a good tone to lead up to killdozer... true believers - “all mixed up again” prince - “adore” beulah - “queen of the populists” eveclear - “rocky mountain high” (99x live acoustic--I don’t have a date for this actually) of montreal - “dustin hoffman thinks about eating the soap” heatmiser - “stray” rickie lee jones - “woody and dutch on the slow train to peking” tar - “viaduct removal” common rider - “carry on” the frogs - “u bastards” mudhoney - “this gift” hammerbox - “outside” fuck my mom would have loved this song if it had gotten the airplay it deserved in 1993... hammerbox on summerland!!!! letters to cleo - “little rosa” kay hanley on summerland!! nine pound hammer “wrongside of the road” hanson - “with you in your dreams” (3cg demo) hamson on summerland!!! fastbacks - “555, pt. 1″ again... fastbacks on summerland!!! face to face - “sensible” soul asylum - “happy” soul asylum on summerland!!!! television - “see no evil” pinq - “careful not to mention the obvious” the dickies - “nights in white satin” tar - “mel’s” truly - “chlorine” babes in toyland - “deep song” hole - “berry” hellbender - “half driven” hammerhead - “new york? ...alone?” everclear - “malevolent” guzzard - “last” archers of loaf - “tatyana” hum - “stars” hum on summerland die kreuzen - “don’t say please” this is not fair joanna newsom - “sadie” down by law - “peace, love and understanding” nirvana - “aneurysm” (1990 demo) hovercraft - “endoradiosonde” modest mouse - “cowboy dan” rage against the machine - “born of a broken man” skatalites - “scandal ska” pylon - “driving school” the vindictives - “babysitter” jimmy eat world - “ten” the get up kids - “lowercase west thomas” oh we’re doing this now? hot rod circuit - “knees” fine triple fast action - “the rescue” FINE full disclosure i do skip emo diaries tracks at my discretion the amps - “bragging party” everclear - “am radio” this is not fair mxpx - “middlename” MXPX ON SUMMERLAND chokebore - “your let down” bob dylan - “you’re a big girl now” helmet - “primitive” pond - “filterless” blink-182 - “all the small things” local h - “ralph” tar - “over and out” pearl jam - “black” the gits - “sniveling little rat faced git” local h - “eddie vedder” >:) tar - “flow plow” i always misremember this as a subpop single so i’m like “i’m not amphetamine reptile biased?” but it was an a/r release, lol. brad wood produced it. lake michigan as hell unicorns - “jellybones” this song makes me sad ever since i didn’t get to adopt the jellybones cat oblivion - “clark” desmond dekker - “jeserene” veruca salt - “one last time” veruca salt on summerland!!!! dead moon - “dead moon night” extremely dead moon on summerland fishbone - “i like to hide behind my glasses” dead moon - “on my own” paw - “sleeping bag” tar - “goethe” doc dart - “casket with flowers” smashing pumpkins - “zero” i don’t want billy corgan on summerland and i am sorry for that kicking giant - “&” kicking giant on summerland lmao shockabilly - “pile up all architecture” ween - “sorry charlie” sublime - “april 29, 1992 (miami)” heatmiser - “blackout” the clash - “pressure drop” hellbender - “pissant’s retrospective” the queers - “i won’t be” the vindictives - “circles” the beat farmers - “selfish heart” screaming trees - “end of the universe” 7 year bitch - “second hand” bourgeois filth - “above” nirvana - “scoff” the breeders - “cannonball” saturday looks good to me - “save my life” cara beth satalino - “good ones” communique - “dagger version” soul asylum - “sometime to return” sublime - “jailhouse” tullycraft - “twee” nuns - “wild” beyonce - “countdown” the replacements - “sixteen blue” living colour - “what’s your favorite color” britney - “why should i be sad” mdc - “church and state” alice in chains - “junkhead” rage against the machine - “mic check” everclear - “nervous and weird” soundgarden - “fresh tendrils” helmet - “army of me” the gits - “it all dies anyway” pansy division - “smells like queer spirit” mtx - “i’d do anything for you” 5 year sentence - “just a punk” pennywise - “nothing” mudhoney - “thirteenth floor opening” yesterday’s kids - “eighteen” mxpx - “punk rawk show” small brown bike - “zerosum” incubus - “trouble in 421″ hanson - “speechless” incubus - “circles” dead moon - “my time has come” (!!!!) first of all is this killdozer blink-182 - “here’s your letter” everclear - “electra made me blind” (nervous & weird take) saves the day - “through being cool” groovie ghoulies - “don’t go out into the rain (you’re gonna melt)” babes in toyland - “never” husker du - “target” guzzard - “biro” fairweather - “next day flight” mcr - “house of wolves” broadcast - “until then” liz phair - “never said” the dicks - “rich daddy” quasi - “the iron worm” mustard plug - “not again” janitor joe - “boyfriend” snapcase - “new academy” neil young - “someday” blindsided - “spaceman” placebo - “without you i’m nothing” the creeps - “lakeside cabin” solomon grundy - “time is not your own” the clash - “the card cheat” silversun pickups - “common reactor” lagwagon - “leave the light on” denali - “where i landed” system of a down - “highway song” sprinkler - “personality doll” the vindictives - “structure and function” unplugged” the queers - “ursula finally has tits” we’re entering no repeats territory buffalo springfield - “expecting to fly” hit squad - “pictures of matchstick men” cows - “almost a god” hop along - “young and happy” pixies - “i’ve been tired” the fall - “spoilt victorian child” camper van chadbourne - “knock on the door” queens of the stone age - “tension head” choking victim - “war story” cool that we have gotten to drop by the greatest song ever recorded :) guttermount - “happy loving couples” audio karate - “nintendo 89″ tad - “pork chop” the kelley deal 6000 - “where did the home team go” colorfinger - “hateful” :} man or astroman - “evil plans of planet spectra” pere ubu - “arabian nights” accepting repeats for new found glory - “my friends over you” cool moving on american steel - “optimist” tom petty & the heartbreakers - “even the losers” meat puppets - “another moon” black cat music - “wine in a box” wallside - “ready” crucifucks - “pig in a blanket” the bananas - “my charmed life”

KILLDOZER - “EARL SCHEIB,” UNCOMPROMISING WAR ON ART UNDER THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT, 1994. KILLDOZER ON SUMMERLAND

#music

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spinayarnindia · 6 years ago

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The Goldsmith’s Fortune

Once upon a time there was a goldsmith who lived in a certain village where the people were as bad and greedy, and covetous, as they could possibly be; however, in spite of his surroundings, he was fat and prosperous. He had only one friend whom he liked, and that was a cowherd, who looked after cattle for one of the farmers in the village. Every evening the goldsmith would walk across to the cowherd’s house and say: ‘Come, let’s go out for a walk!’

Now the cowherd didn’t like walking in the evening, because, he said, he had been out grazing the cattle all day, and was glad to sit down when night came; but the goldsmith always worried him so that the poor man had to go against his will. This at last so annoyed him that he tried to think how he could pick a quarrel with the goldsmith, so that he should not beg him to walk with him any more. He asked another cowherd for advice, and he said the best thing he could do was to go across and kill the goldsmith’s wife, for then the goldsmith would be sure to regard him as an enemy; so, being a foolish person, and there being no laws in that country by which a man would be certainly punished for such a crime, the cowherd one evening took a big stick and went across to the goldsmith’s house when only Mrs. Goldsmith was at home, and banged her on the head so hard that she died then and there.

When the goldsmith came back and found his wife dead he said nothing, but just took her outside into the dark lane and propped her up against the wall of his house, and then went into the courtyard and waited. Presently a rich stranger came along the lane, and seeing someone there, as he supposed, he said:

‘Good-evening, friend! a fine night to- night!’ But the goldsmith’s wife said nothing. The man then repeated his words louder; but still there was no reply. A third time he shouted:

‘Good-evening, friend! are you deaf?’ but the figure never replied. Then the stranger, being angry at what he thought very rude behaviour, picked up a big stone and threw it at Mrs. Goldsmith, crying:

‘Let that teach you manners!’

Instantly poor Mrs. Goldsmith tumbled over; and the stranger, horrified at seeing what he had done, was immediately seized by the goldsmith, who ran out screaming:

‘Wretch! you have killed my wife! Oh, miserable one; we will have justice done to thee!’

With many protestations and reproaches they wrangled together, the stranger entreating the goldsmith to say nothing and he would pay him handsomely to atone for the sad accident. At last the goldsmith quieted down, and agreed to accept one thousand gold pieces from the stranger, who immediately helped him to bury his poor wife, and then rushed off to the guest house, packed up his things and was off by daylight, lest the goldsmith should repent and accuse him as the murderer of his wife. Now it very soon appeared that the goldsmith had a lot of extra money, so that people began to ask questions, and finally demanded of him the reason for his sudden wealth.

‘Oh,’ said he, ‘my wife died, and I sold her.’

‘You sold your dead wife?’ cried the people.

‘Yes,’ said the goldsmith.

‘For how much?’

‘A thousand gold pieces,’ replied the goldsmith.

Instantly the villagers went away and each caught hold of his own wife and throttled her, and the next day they all went off to sell their dead wives. Many a weary mile did they tramp, but got nothing but hard words or laughter, or directions to the nearest cemetery, from people to whom they offered dead wives for sale. At last they perceived that they had been cheated somehow by that goldsmith. So off they rushed home, seized the unhappy man, and, without listening to his cries and entreaties, hurried him down to the river bank and flung him–plop!–into the deepest, weediest, and nastiest place they could find.

‘That will teach him to play tricks on us,’ said they. ‘For as he can’t swim he’ll drown, and we sha’n’t have any more trouble with him!’

Now the goldsmith really could not swim, and as soon as he was thrown into the deep river he sank below the surface; so his enemies went away believing that they had seen the last of him. But, in reality, he was carried down, half drowned, below the next bend in the river, where he fortunately came across a ‘snag’ floating in the water (a snag is, you know, a part of a tree or bush which floats very nearly under the surface of the water); and he held on to this snag, and by great good luck eventually came ashore some two or three miles down the river. At the place where he landed he came across a fine fat cow buffalo, and immediately he jumped on her back and rode home. When the village people saw him, they ran out in surprise, and said:

‘Where on earth do you come from, and where did you get that buffalo?’

‘Ah!’ said the goldsmith, ‘you little know what delightful adventures I have had! Why, down in that place in the river where you threw me in I found meadows, and trees, and fine pastures, and buffaloes, and all kinds of cattle. In fact, I could hardly tear myself away; but I thought that I must really let you all know about it.’

‘Oh, oh!’ thought the greedy village people; ‘if there are buffaloes to be had for the taking we’ll go after some too.’ Encouraged by the goldsmith they nearly all ran off the very next morning to the river; and, in order that they might get down quickly to the beautiful place the goldsmith told them of, they tied great stones on to their feet and their necks, and one after another they jumped into the water as fast as the could, and were drowned. And whenever any one of them waved his hands about and struggled the goldsmith would cry out:

‘Look! he’s beckoning the rest of you to come; he’s got a fine buffalo!’ And others who were doubtful would jump in, until not one was left. Then the cunning goldsmith went back and took all the village for himself, and became very rich indeed. But do you think he was happy? Not a bit. Lies never made a man happy yet. Truly, he got the better of a set of wicked and greedy people, but only by being wicked and greedy himself; and, as it turned out, when he got so rich he got very fat; and at last was so fat that he couldn’t move, and one day he got the apoplexy and died, and no one in the world cared the least bit.

#children #Short Story #storytelling #Audiobooks #Podcast

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danbily · 6 years ago

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Goodbye Vietnam

This is a true story about a winter camping trip that I went on.

As a chubby little boy, I was the perfect fit for Cub Scouts. We built birdhouses, sang silly songs, and, best of all, baked cookies. What I lacked in ambition was more than offset by the snacks at the end of each weekly meeting. My small blue uniform was stretched to its limits as I neared the end of my tour of duty. It was time to move on to Boy Scouts.

My first night at Boy Scouts was shockingly different from Cub Scouts. Mr. Cordy, our scoutmaster, made us suck in our guts as we stood at attention in a straight line while he inspected our uniforms. My scarf tie was on crooked and I could feel that Mr. Cordy was unhappy about my chubby physique. “You will benefit from our exercise program, young man,” was his terse remark as he departed for the next scout in line. I knew then that we were not ending this meeting with cookies and milk, and I was right.

My pack included my best friend, Charlie, my neighbor, Art, my fellow Cub Scout, Paul, and Donny. Donny was the son of our pack supervisor, Mr. Lynn, who’d been an officer in World War II. In addition to our regular troop meeting at the new rec center, we would often meet at their home. The Lynns owned one of the first color TVs in 1958. We would all gather around it and gaze in amazement at actual color film. We compared it to our drab black and white sets at home and laughed. Mrs. Lynn would make us snacks as well. It was so much better than a troop meeting with mean Mr. Cordy.

Just after the New Year, Mr. Lynn announced that he together with Mr. Cordy were planning a winter father-son campout. Each pack would pick their own date and camp just south of Holland, New York, a town known for its lake effect snow.

I was eager to test out my new scout-approved, two-man tent that I’d earned by selling Boy Scout Christmas cards. It was a canvas tent complete with poles, stakes, and a canvas floor. It also had a mosquito net door that would be a nice feature in the summer. The only thing I lacked was an air mattress for the underside of my sleeping bag. My dad and I needed to go shopping for air mattresses as soon as possible.

The following Saturday, we visited our local sporting goods shop. It was located in a small plaza and had a limited selection. The clerk showed us an air mattress made in France, but made no personal recommendation; he fully admitted that he wasn’t into camping. My father ultimately bought two of the ugly blue contraptions. The clerk smirked as he rang them up on the register. I knew this wasn’t a good omen. On the drive home, I opened one of the boxes and tried to read the instructions. My dad looked over at me in disgust. “Don’t they teach you kids how to read at that school I pay hefty taxes to send you to? Hand me those instructions.” I did as requested and my father pulled over to the curb. After a minute, he turned to me. “Damn things are written in French,” he said. “Mom can read Polish,” I said, “Is that close?” Needless to say, it wasn’t. We struggled with the few crude drawings and I understood why the clerk had smirked.

The week of the camping trip was filled with the promise of a new adventure in my young mind. I loved watching Walter Cronkite and The Twentieth Century on Sunday evenings. The film footage of the mighty German army grinding to a halt outside Moscow in the brutal Russian winter was a fresh memory. Would our pack succumb to the same fate in the heavy snow south of Buffalo? Then there was my image of Napoleon sitting inside the Kremlin, burning furniture in order to keep warm. Was Mr. Lynn aware of just how awful George Washington had it during that winter at Valley Forge? As an officer from our military, I hoped he was well versed in the hardships of a winter campout, especially one that involved the greenest of troops known as the Boy Scouts.

That Saturday arrived with clear skies and bountiful sunshine for our two hour drive to Scout camp. We had six carloads in all, as many of the fathers had volunteered to accompany their sons on this make believe Arctic adventure. The local weather forecast never came up in conversation. The radio stations were all based in Buffalo and would not have mentioned any snow this far south of the city. It was still sunny and birds were chirping as we unloaded our camping supplies in the parking lot. We had two toboggans with tow ropes for our tents. Our cooking gear and food was in our Scout regulation knapsacks. We all opted for snowsuits and rubber boots versus any regulation uniform, a wise choice for this ragtag little army of greenhorns. Mr. Lynn took out his map and pointed to a trail leading from the edge of the parking lot to a wooded hillside. “Boys, I mean MEN, we will proceed this way.”

The snow had been packed down on the trail from previous use. It wasn’t difficult to follow. We found a tree sheltered hillside after a one hour hike. Mr. Lynn and Art, our only Eagle Scout, declared that we’d “arrived at encampment.” I personally felt it had more to do with the heavy wheezing now coming from many of the fathers prone to smoking. We were assigned small areas and told to pitch our tents and help with a general mess area for our evening meal. The snowpack was shoveled clear in a twenty foot circle and we started a fire in the middle. We went on a scavenger hunt for every downed tree limb on that hillside. Our fire soon blazed like a blast furnace and our bodies cooked on one side and froze on the other. I understood why the Indians had danced around the fire, they were simply rotating in the heat like chickens on a spit.

The evening meal consisted of beans and weiners emptied from large institutional cans into a five gallon enameled steel cooking pot. We made Scout biscuits by rolling a twig in Bisquick and water. After a dough ball had formed on the end of the twig, it was held over the fire until it turned light brown. We enjoyed the folly of keeping the biscuits on the twig and out of the fire. You either mastered the technique or ate only beans and weiners. I ended up the expert in this bizarre food misadventure and became camp baker for the less able. I must have baked three dozen biscuits that evening. They were served with huge slices of butter. Rounding out our frontier dinner party was hot chocolate and Hostess cupcakes. We all liked to suck out the cream filling first, then eat the frosting.

By the time dinner ended, the wind had picked up and snowflakes were appearing in ever increasing numbers. True to the Buffalo curse, the flakes were blowing parallel to the terrain and entering our tents through the tiniest of cracks in the flap doors. Art, our Eagle Scout, suggested that we lower the mosquito netting once inside, and the screening would catch any snow that made it through the canvas flaps. This indeed proved to be an effective solution, and my dad and I turned in early to the sound of what now seemed like a blizzard and the songs of a rock station on my six transistor radio. Dad only liked “Harbor Lights,” an old song by The Platters that had been recently redone for my generation. Battery life was short in those days and we were soon left with only the wind and our thoughts. My mind focused on those newsreel clips of the mighty German army snowbound thirty miles from Moscow and helpless. That was just about our distance from Buffalo.

Attempting to sleep in the dead cold of winter with the wind whipping the pines above us was a no go from the start. My sleeping bag had been advertised as containing two pounds of genuine goose down. I’d been light on funds at the time and had passed over the deluxe bag with three pounds of goose down. Like the German army, I’d underestimated what cold really means. My father had opted for several dark green woolen army blankets he’d purchased years ago when he and my mother went tent camping in Canada. They were scratchy but warm. So there we lay, me with my teeth chattering from the cold and Dad itching from the coarse army issue woolen blankets. He told me a story about camping in Northern Ontario in early June and having it snow. Even though the fishing went well, my mother never forgave him for the poor timing. I understood her resentment as my own carefree attitude toward camping was waning.

Halfway through our no sleep night, the hot chocolate caught up with my bladder. My dad was in equal need of a nonexistent bathroom in the forest. We struggled with our flashlights to find our boots and untie the many straps that secured both the canvas door flaps and the mosquito netting. We also observed that our brand new French air mattresses were no longer plump and firm. What could be the problem? My dad suggested that the cold had reduced the air volume and it was of no concern to us. The trek up into the pines revealed a full blown lake effect blizzard had descended on our little party of novice campers. The yellow snow we made was covered instantly by the fast falling fresh white variety. “I hope Lynn remembers the way out. There’ll be no tracks to follow by morning,” my father said, not sounding all that confident.

It wasn’t the morning sun that woke us, it was the sting of cold ice water on our backsides. Remember those deflating French air mattresses? Well, they continued to deflate as the night went on. This in turn put our body heat in direct contact with the snowpack beneath our tent floor. The rest was simple physics. We had to stand up and try to dry ourselves as best we could. My dad restarted the campfire with much effort put into finding the kindling and pine logs now buried under a foot of fresh powder. A squirt of charcoal lighter fluid brought the fire to life. So much for the Indian method we’d seen in our handbook. They were smart enough to have long houses, animal pelt clothing, and all the time in the world to make it work. We stood with our backs to the flames as a small group of teeth chattering scouts joined us in a circle of distraught ignorance. Humility was earned one mistake at a time.

Mr. Lynn soon appeared and announced that the smarter option would be to hike out and have breakfast in town at the local diner. I heard no dissenting remarks from the red faced, booger nosed tiny army of boys that had been labeled MEN just twelve hours earlier. Art, the Eagle Scout, got out his map and compass and showed us what he thought was our path out. He was wrong, but our luck held. The snow had abated enough to spot the camp mess hall on the hilltop near the parking lot. With our goal in sight, we broke camp and trudged off in knee deep snow. Each step took a deep breath of effort and the fathers who smoked dearly paid for that extra push. After an hour in the Klondike of Southern Erie County, we all reached the parking lot. Here the vast majority our pack fell down in a snowbank to rest. Thankfully, the Scouts had a full time manager that kept the parking lot and service roads plowed. We brushed the snow off of our caravan of 1950s iron and off we drove to Holland, New York.

Over my pancakes and hot chocolate at the Zider Zee Diner, I could clearly see that the military was not going to be in my future. Mr. Lynn had failed to secure an accurate weather forecast, our equipment was a joke, and Art was incompetent. As a final note, Art went to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. He got so many of his men killed that he returned stateside and entered the priesthood. I became a salesman and stayed at five star hotels. So much for winter camping!

#boy scouts #cub scouts #winter camping #true stories #holland new york

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mooglebunny · 6 years ago

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let’s make green fashion the new black

the other day I watched a BBC documentary called Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets. I highly recommend it to everyone—it opened my eyes and, in a way, changed my life (or at least my consuming patterns).

I think many of us are at least vaguely aware of the unethical labor practices involved in the production of “fast fashion” pieces, but I had no idea the extent of the fashion industry’s devastating environmental impact. the apparel industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, making it the second biggest industrial polluter after oil. so before we go out (or go online) and blow our paychecks on piles of clothes we most likely don’t need, it’s important to be aware of the true cost of continuous—or even compulsive—clothing consumption.

here are some tips for limiting our environmental destruction as individuals when it comes to our wardrobes:

invest in pieces that will last years, decades, or lifetimes. the modern western cultural landscape we live in is, in many ways, designed to keep us wanting more. glossy ads and our own personally-tailored conveyor belts of Instagram posts tease us with trendy products and often trick us into thinking, if I had that thing, I’d be showered with “likes” and validation and I need to buy more to be more. but trends that catch on like wildfire soon burn out along with yesterday’s social media frenzy. so, in instances where we feel we must buy something, it’s important to consider both quality and style. not only should we be looking for pieces that are not going to fall apart or disintegrate in our hands, but we should also consider whether we might like them ten years, or even ten months, from now. we’d all truly be fine if our wardrobes held a few key pieces we love, rather than a mess of disposable expired styles. consumer trends are generally bad for the environment, and largely fueled by hive mentalities, so a solid way to fight back against the fashion industry’s mass destruction is to collectively build a new, anti-materialistic mindset.

beware of misleading marketing and environmentally harmful materials. cotton is marketed as “the fabric of our lives”: totally pure, clean, natural, and breathable. but the truth of the fabric is a dirty secret. it takes 20,000 liters (about 4,400 gallons) of water to produce just one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cotton, thereby contributing majorly to the planet’s freshwater crisis. to put it in perspective: a single pair of jeans takes 10,000 liters (about 2,200 gallons) of water to make. in the previously mentioned documentary, Dooley traveled to Kazakhstan to see some of this cotton-related devastation firsthand. one scene of the documentary featured old Super 8 footage of cheery boaters on the bright blue waters of the Aral Sea, which was once half the size of Great Britain. in the next scene, Dooley and a guide drive across miles of sandy desert dustbowl where the sea used to be (it is now only a sliver of what it once was). the disappearance of the sea has caused a health crisis and killed the once-flourishing fishing industry in its surrounding areas—and this is just one example of cotton’s impacts. when water is not being dried up by industry giants, it’s being contaminated with deadly chemicals by toxic waste from factories. instead of opting for “pure” cotton over “impure” synthetic fabrics, let’s weigh our need for hip-hugging Levi’s against people in developing countries’ need for usable water.

shop sustainably. ethical fashion is becoming its own trend, but it’s important to be aware of which labels use sustainability as a gimmick to shift more product rather than as a genuine mission. brands like Reformation, Everlane, and People Tree make conscious efforts to use fair labor, recycled fabrics, and transparent practices. but consumers should research companies’ methods and materials, even if they’re branded as ethical or sustainable, because they may not be. H&M Conscious and ASOS, for example, advertise their so-called “sustainability,” but are deceptive and elusive about what exactly they do to help the planet—so chances are, they’re doing far more to harm it.

better yet, shop vintage and secondhand. time to put down this September’s Vogue and look instead to everlasting icons like Anita Pallenberg, Jane Birkin, and Audrey Hepburn for inspiration. vintage and secondhand threads have a backstory, are unique and chic, and (most importantly) do not contribute to the demand for—and therefore the growth of—the $3 trillion, exponentially growing, and environmentally destructive fashion industry. we can be fashionable and ethical; we don’t necessarily need to stop shopping altogether, but focusing on clothing exchanges, charity shops, and vintage vendors minimizes our adding fuel to the industry’s fiery path of destruction.

get crafty. we can start with what we already have: there’s always the option to upcycle, customize, and repurpose tired pieces. we can cut old fraying jeans into a skirt, sew expressive patches over that hole-ridden denim jacket, cut baggy shirts into modern crop tops, or fashion old dress fabric into a headscarf. that way, the pieces will be truly one-of-a-kind expressions of us, the process might be kinda fun, and we may not need to spend a penny. hello, Pinterest.

dispose consciously. earlier this year, luxury fashion house Burberry was exposed for setting unsold stock on fire to preserve the label’s exclusivity (the label’s CEO has since announced it would put an end to the practice, but the damage had been done). this practice is believed to be widespread among fashion giants, but we can do our part as individuals to keep perfectly wearable clothing out of landfills. if we grow out of old pieces or decide to downsize (because we probably don’t need all those once-trendy pieces we’ve accumulated over the years), there are several ethical ways to say au revoir, including selling on websites like DePop, Poshmark, or eBay; donating to our local Buffalo Exchange or Goodwill; or hosting a clothing swap with family or friends for a mutually beneficial wardrobe refresh.

if ethical fashion practices become en vogue, fast fashion giants will have no choice but to listen to consumers and change their ways. let’s make green fashion the new black. ☆

(excerpt from my blog pastaangel.wordpress.com)

#fashion #ethical #sustainable #green #reformation #tips #list #trends #environment

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bike42 · 4 years ago

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Kentucky Derby Weekend April 29 – May 2, 2021

Wednesday evening, we took Sox the cat downtown to Bailey’s condo, then came home to pack (the cat hates to see suitcases). I can pack for a hiking trip with my eyes practically closed, but this kind of trip took some thinking! I had to match shoes, purses and jewelry to all of my outfits, and then of course there was my hat. Since we’d decided to drive the 6+ hours to Louisville, space wasn’t an issue and we were able to load our car with hat boxes, a large bag of snacks, yoga mat, pillows and suitcases!

We were up at 6am on Thursday, anxious to get going, and we were on the road just after 7am. As we were packing last night, Jeff wondered if our iPass was in the new Audi – I thought it was, but we didn’t check. We had decided to travel straight down through Illinois and skip the Chicago madness so I was thinking tolls wouldn’t be an issue anyway. But as we got to Janesville, we recalled we still had the one toll near Rockford, so I checked the glove box – the iPass was not there. It had been in our old Audi, so I thought it was odd that we’d have moved it to the other car – we haven’t travelled to Illinois since February 2020. Then Jeff said he thought he remembered that our new Audi has a built-in toll pass?! I got out the manual and sure enough! It led me through the steps to get it activated, and I was able to get it set up just moments before we hit the Illinois border.

We had rain through most of Illinois, but decent traffic and no major slowdowns even though there was a lot of road construction. We turned east at Bloomington toward Danville, IL which started us reminiscing about our 2013 cycling trip down the length of the state.

The trees were more leafed out than ours and it seemed to get greener with every mile we traveled. As we got south of Indianapolis, we saw our first Waffle House, so we stopped the Waffle House in Taylorsville for our favorite breakfast (regardless of the time of day) when we’re in the south (waffles, eggs over easy, split a side of bacon).

We arrived in Louisville and checked into the downtown Hilton Garden Inn just before 3pm. That left us ample downtime for yoga, naps, catching up email from the day, and showers before our 7pm dinner reservation at Vincenzo’s.

So many experiences already on the trip feel novel, packing last night, a six-hour road trip, and now checking into the nicest hotel we’ve stayed in since February 2020. Once upside to the pandemic and its quarantine is the pure appreciation I have for the ability to travel again!

The restaurant was an easy walk from the hotel, and even though we’d checked the weather app before we headed down from our room, we were surprised to have sprinkles on our faces when we stepped out onto the sidewalk. No worries, Jeff had his rain coat and I had my beautiful poncho that I’d bought in Paris two years ago on a rainy April day.

We had a great leisurely dinner, four courses and a bottle of wine. It was nice to be dressed up and out together again. The staff and service were amazing, and we tried to chat a bit with the gentleman we thought was the proprietor (Vincenzo?), but he seemed to have limited English (or hearing). We’d heard on the local news before going out that that town of Louisville was so excited about this week-end – several hotels and restaurants were booked full – and that’s news!

After dinner, we walked through the Fourth street party area, which was fairly subdued at 6:30pm but we expected it’d be hopping later. There was a friendly guy on the street having a cigarette, he was a beer salesman named Scott from Appleton, WI. He was excited to tell us all about what to expect at the derby, how crowded this area should be right now (in a normal year), all the famous people he’d previously partied with here, etc. He’d have gone on all night, but his wife was calling him from a nearby table telling him his dinner was getting cold!

We had a lazy Friday morning, then we were out on the street at 9am to walk to waterfront park. Our hotel was a great location, and we found it was a beautiful day. It wasn’t long before we were peeling off layers. We walked along the Ohio river, east to the converted railroad bridge called the Big Four Bridge, the headed back. The river itself is muddy and filled with debris, but the Waterfront Park was fabulous. All of the people we encountered were so friendly – many greeting us with “Happy Derby!”

We had tickets to tour the Louisville Slugger factory and museum at 11am, so we walked back along the waterfront and found it in a funky part of old town (Main Street) – the area that had been known as Whiskey Row at the turn of the century. We really enjoyed the tour. Since I’d booked it last week, I had this song lyric with “Louisville Slugger” trying to work its was to the front of my brain. I took to google when we were having lunch later and figured out its from Mary Chapin Carpenter’s song “The Bug.” It goes: “sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug … sometimes you’re the Louisville Slugger, baby, sometimes you the ball … “

After lunch we wandered into the Evan Williams Experience, where we sampled Peach Mint Juleps – yum. Back to the hotel, we had a nap, then showers – ready for our next event at 3:30pm. This was an event booked by the group where we got our tickets: Princeton Sports Group. It was billed as “Derby Eve at Buffalo Trace,” but we weren’t sure what to expect. We got to the lobby and found we were a busload of people, and we were headed to the Buffalo Trace Distillery, about an hour away in Frankfort! Our guide and driver were great, they plied us with cocktails and information about bourbon and the trip went fast.

When we arrived at the distillery, there were three other packed busses, so we had a wait a bit to get through the temperature screening and get assigned to a guide. The distillery had a policy that everyone wear masks (except when seated in the tasting room), even outside, and some in our group were pretty vocal about thinking that requirement was ridiculous (especially the group from Texas!).

While I enjoyed the tour of the rickhouses (3-4 floor buildings where whiskey is aged after its barreled), and the room where the empty barrels were stored, I was disappointed that we didn’t get to tour the actual distillery – I wanted to see the chemistry! None-the-less, we had an enthusiastic tour guide and it continued to be a beautiful day and we enjoyed the beauty and the history of the property while we waited our turn to enter the tasting room. There we were socially distanced at spots with 5 shots laid out for each of us – a vodka (too strong for me just straight), and three bourbons with progressively better quality: Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and Blanton’s Single Barrel (we’d been introduced to that last month by our nephew Calvin, a far superior bourbon). We thought the tasting finished with their Bourbon Cream (like a Bailey’s) which was yummy on its own, but they served it with a shot glass of root beer and when we combined the two – we found heaven! Since it was Derby time, they finished the tasting with a demonstration of making Mint Juleps, and we each were served a large portion of that!

After the tasting, we had some time to shop, so we headed to the store and bought a bottle of their Bourbon Cream (they sell out of Blanton’s as soon as its bottled, or we’d have bought that too). By then we were mildly buzzed and in need of food.

Back on the bus, we travelled about 20 minutes before stopping at Jeptha Creek – an event center where we had dinner, more drinks, dancing to a bluegrass band and playing a little corn-hole in the yard. During dinner, we sat with two couples that had arrived on another bus – also their first Derby experience and we enjoyed trading stories with them.

On our bus back to Louisville, our guide decided it was time for bus Karaoke (using the music on his phone and holding it up to the microphone). One guy, who didn’t seem particularly gregarious, got up to sing, and sang very well as the bus lurched along the interstate. We sang all the way to the hotel, a fun night.

We awoke Saturday morning to another beautiful day, and had a leisurely morning with a hotel room workout and breakfast. We had the local NBC affiliate that had full time coverage from Churchill Downs and we watched the first two races on TV before heading out. The gates opened at 10am, but that felt too early to go, yet there were plenty of partiers already there.

We headed out of the hotel about noon. It was a bright sunny day and neither of us were prepared with sunscreen, so we walked around the corner to the CVS drugstore. As we walked down the street, we were greeted with shouts of “Happy Derby Day,” and nearly every vehicle driving by stopped as asked if we wanted a “shuttle” to the track. Our hotel offered a shuttle for $40 per person (which I thought was excessive), we could have driven our car and parked at the University lot and walked from there, but we’d decided we were going to take an Uber (I really want to think the best of people, but it seemed like a bad idea to jump into a car with someone who’s just taped a “Derby Shuttle” sign to his car for the day).

As we walked into CVS, a confrontation broke out between a store employee and a young black man who was accused of having stashed something inside his coat. You could feel the tension in the store, and it put me on edge too. Other employees were suggesting the manager hold the guy until the police arrived. We grabbed a bottle of sunscreen and went to the checkout, where the clerk was almost too distracted to check us out.

As we walked out the door, the managers had wrestled the man outside and the police had arrived. The scene quickly was surrounded by others that were taking videos on their cell phones. We moved around the corner, and didn’t see how it resolved, but it went quietly. Perhaps the manager was wrong?

Last month, we both got new iPhones, and are still struggling with having to sign into apps we haven’t used!? Ugh. We both really struggle trying to recall passwords that our phones have been so diligent about remembering, or allowing us to use face recognition. After a bit, Jeff succeeded in getting into his Uber app, but then his credit card had changed since we last used Uber, probably in NYC in 2019. My nerves were still on edge, and I was a bit panicked about standing here outside CVS with both of us focused on the phone, Jeff with his wallet in his hand and his credit card out. I pulled out my phone and was able to log into my Uber and my credit card was still active, so I said “I’ll order the Uber and you can work on your account another time!”

We had a great Uber driver, Onfraus. He had a Green Bay Packer emblem on the front of his Jeep. His girlfriend is from Wausau and he knew a lot about Madison. He asked if State Street was still the place to be, and was shocked when we told him of the devastation after “protests” turned violent last year when windows were smashed and businesses looted after the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis. We all agreed it didn’t make sense - the wrong people in the wrong place, with a demonstration of anti-police effort. His calm wonderful manner helped calm my frayed nerves. A lifelong Louisville resident, he was helpful in explaining where he had to drop us, and how to walk to the track from where he dropped us, and also where to find the Uber pickup lot to get our ride back to the hotel after the Derby. It was just over three miles - $45 with tip (surge pricing).

It was easy to figure out the way to the track, we followed the colorful crowd. Lots of young adults - many of them quite drunk already. I was surprised that many people had chairs, headed for the infield lawn which is where the party really happens, we’d heard. We followed the crowd to the gates, went through security, but our tickets wouldn’t read in the scanner - oh no. Our panic was relieved when a supervisor told us we had Clubhouse tickets, and we were at the infield gate, the wrong gate. They led us out and we worked our way against the crowd for a bit, and felt like was walked all the way around the outside of the track until we found our gate. I’d worn shoes for comfort and was glad to be walking before sitting for the next six hours or so.

At the Clubhouse entrance, things were more civilized and the crowd was scarce. In fact, due to COVID, they’re operating at about 40% capacity - so for someone like me that likes my personal space, this was perfect!

We found our seats - the first two seats in a box that was set up for just four, but could accommodate six. Every other box was blocked out with a tarp to maintain physical distance, so we had perfect sight lines to the finish like right in front of us. We were in the covered section, so no need for that sunscreen after all (but we saw quite a few people who could have used it).

There was a race roughly every hour, so we fell into an easy pattern of watching a race, then exploring the grounds in between races. This year for the first time, all food and drink were included in the ticket price, so we grazed on food and I sampled most of the specialty cocktails: Mint Julep, Whiskey Spire (cranberry) and the Lily (vodka and grapefruit).

For me, the neatest part about being onsite was standing at the edge of the paddock. Not only was the people watching amazing, but it gave us a close look at the horses. They’d be led around the circle, some seemed proud to be on display, some were fighting being led around, then they’d pull them into a cubicle where magically the tiny saddle would be strapped to the horse, then another lap or two, photos with the owners / VIP and one last parade past with the jockey onboard. How cool it was to see that up close. I’d never noticed their lightweight boots, and the small stirrups that seemed strung up too high. From the paddock, the procession would move under the grandstand and out onto the track where they’d parade by, before heading around the track to the starting gate (which was out of our view, but we could see it on the large video screen). The only downside to being there in person is the race happens so fast and with the crown noise and the garbled speakers, we couldn’t really tell how the horses we’d selected we’re doing!

We were joined in our box by a dapper young man, Jackson and his girlfriend, Danni, from Miami. Jackson split his time growing up between Middleton WI with his dad (attended Edgewood High School), and Louisville with his mom. He’d been to the derby many times before, but this could have been his first time trying to impress a girl with his knowledge. They were cute.

In the box kitty-corner to our front right, there were Louisville police officers. They primarily spent their time scrolling through their social media feeds on their phones. Later in the evening, two started smoking cigars and snapping photos of themselves. It seemed inappropriate and was noxious to be around, but the smell of cigar smoke was pervasive throughout the day regardless. As we were heading out to explore between races, we stopped to ask them if it’d be safe to walk the three miles back to our hotel after the race. They looked at us like we had two heads!

The actual “Derby” the twelfth of fourteen races during the day. It was the only race we actually bet us, choosing Hot Road Charlie (Jeff pick which finished third), and my pick, Rock Your World, finished in seventeenth place. We’d added the favorite pick of the day, Essential Quality to our trifecta bet (it came in fourth). Almost, but that doesn’t count in horse racing, so we lost our $200 but had fun doing so!

We hung around for a bit, enjoying some last-minute people watching, then joined the stream of people heading out of the main gate. We turned right, towards the Uber lot, which meant we were once again walking against the crowd leaving the infield – many were now very drunk, most were sunburned, and some were being carried. It seemed to be a zoo at the Uber lot, and the app showed our same driver, but it’d oscillate between 20-30 minutes away. The crowd and the noise of the Jesus Freaks yelling at the crowd through bad speakers was making me crazy, so I lobbied to start walking.

We walked with a smaller crowd, but many of them pealed off as we strolled through the U of L campus. We walked past large house parties, still going strong. After a mile, there were only a handful of us still walking towards downtown, but it felt good to move and the neighborhood felt ok. Several people that we’d pass would shout out friendly greetings, and we just kept moving, only slightly creeped out by the recommendation from the police that we don’t try to walk back to the hotel.

It started getting dark as we got close, but by then, it felt like a normal evening stroll. It felt great to get to the room though and jump into the shower to wash away the dirt and cigar smoke from the day! We were probably both sleeping by 9pm!

On Sunday, we were up before our alarm, so we got dressed and finished packing up and we were crossing the Ohio back into Indiana before 7am. An uneventful drive, and great to be home in the early afternoon and still enjoy the day.

#KentuckyDerby

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sellmyhome384 · 2 years ago

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sciencespies · 4 years ago

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Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

https://sciencespies.com/history/christmas-across-indian-country-during-the-pandemic-and-before/

Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

Smithsonian Voices National Museum of the American Indian

Christmas Across Indian Country, During the Pandemic and Before

December 22nd, 2020, 11:00AM / BY

Dennis Zotigh

“Hogan in the Snow,” ca. 1985. Painted by Robert Draper (Diné [Navajo], 1938–2000). Chinle, Navajo Nation, Arizona. 26/6481 (National Museum of the American Indian)

The introduction of Christianity to the original peoples of the Americas can be controversial in Native circles. Europeans brought Christianity to this half of the world and imposed it on Native communities, knowingly replacing existing spiritual beliefs with the beliefs taught in the bible. Cruelty and brutality often accompanied the indoctrination of Native peoples. Yet it is also true that some tribes, families, and individuals accepted the bible and Jesus’ teachings voluntarily.

Music played an important part in converting Native people, establishing their practice of worship, and teaching them how to celebrate the Christmas season. Perhaps the earliest North American Christmas carol was written in the Wyandot language of the Huron-Wendat people. Jesous Ahatonhia (“Jesus, He is born”)—popularly known as Noël huron or the Huron Carol—is said by oral tradition to have been written in 1643 by the Jesuit priest Jean de Brébeuf. The earliest known transcription was made in the Huron-Wendat settlement at Lorette, Quebec, in the 1700s.

During the 1920s, the Canadian choir director J. E. Middleton rewrote the carol in English, using images from the Eastern Woodlands to tell the Christmas story: A lodge of broken bark replaces the manger, the baby Jesus is wrapped in rabbit skin, hunters take the place of the shepherds, and chiefs bring gifts of fox and beaver furs. A much more accurate translation by the linguist John Steckley, an adopted member of the Huron-Wendat Nation of Loretteville, makes clear that the carol was written not only to teach early Catholic converts within the Huron Confederacy the story of Jesus’ birth, but also to explain its significance and to overturn earlier Native beliefs.

Here are the first verses of the carol in Wyandot and Steckley’s complete English translation:

Estenniayon de tsonwe Iesous ahatonnia onn’ awatewa nd’ oki n’ onyouandaskwaentak ennonchien eskwatrihotat n’onyouandiyonrachatha Iesous ahatonnia, ahatonnia. Iesous ahatonnia.

Ayoki onkiennhache eronhiayeronnon iontonk ontatiande ndio sen tsatonnharonnion Warie onn’ awakweton ndio sen tsatonnharonnion Iesous ahatonnia, ahatonnia. Iesous ahatonnia.

Have courage, you who are humans; Jesus, he is born Behold, the spirit who had us as prisoners has fled Do not listen to it, as it corrupts the spirits of our minds Jesus, he is born

They are spirits, sky people, coming with a message for us They are coming to say, Rejoice (Be on top of life) Marie, she has just given birth. Rejoice Jesus, he is born

Three have left for such, those who are elders Tichion, a star that has just appeared on the horizon leads them there He will seize the path, he who leads them there Jesus, he is born

As they arrived there, where he was born, Jesus the star was at the point of stopping, not far past it Having found someone for them, he says, Come here! Jesus, he is born

Behold, they have arrived there and have seen Jesus, They praised (made a name) many times, saying, Hurray, he is good in nature They greeted him with reverence (greased his scalp many times), saying, Hurray Jesus, he is born

We will give to him praise for his name, Let us show reverence for him as he comes to be compassionate to us. It is providential that you love us and wish, I should adopt them. Jesus, he is born.

All throughout Indian Country, Native people have gathered in churches, missions, and temples to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by singing carols and hymns in their Native languages. In some churches, the story of Jesus’ birth is recited in Native languages. Some Native churches host nativity plays using Native settings and actors to re-enact the birth of Jesus Christ. Among Catholics, Christmas Eve Mass traditionally begins in Indian communities at midnight and extends into the early hours of Christmas Day. In tipis, hogans, and houses, Native American Church members also hold Christmas services, ceremonies that begin on Christmas Eve and go on all night until Christmas morning.

In contemporary times, traditional powwow singing groups have rearranged Christmas songs to appeal to Native audiences. A humorous example is Warscout’s NDN 12 Days of Christmas, from their album Red Christmas. Native solo artists also perform Christmas classics in Native languages. Rhonda Head (Cree), for example, has recorded Oh Holy Night, and Jana Mashpee (Lumbee and Tuscarora) Winter Wonderland sung in Ojibwe.

Native communities host traditional tribal dances and powwows on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Among the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest special dances take place, such as buffalo, eagle, antelope, turtle, and harvest dances. The Eight Northern Pueblos perform Los Matachines—a special dance-drama mixing North African Moorish, Spanish, and Pueblo cultures—takes place on Christmas Eve, along with a pine-torch procession.

In an earlier year, Grandson Maheengun Atencio and Grandmother Edith Atencio prepared for the Matachines Christmas Eve dance at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico. Due to the pandemic, many ceremonial dances across Indian Country have been postponed, as Native people are very concerned for the safety of their elders. (Photo courtesy of Maheengun Atencio, used with permission)

For Native artisans, this is traditionally the busy season as they prepare special Christmas gift items. Artists and craftsmen and women across the country create beadwork, woodwork, jewelry, clothing, basketry, pottery, sculpture, paintings, leatherwork, and feather work for special Christmas sales and art markets that are open to the public. For the 15 years before 2020, the National Museum of the American Indian held its annual Native Art Market in New York and Washington a few weeks before Christmas.

In many communities and homes, Christian customs are interwoven with Native culture as a means of expressing Christmas in a uniquely Native way. The importance of giving is a cultural tradition among most tribes. Even in times of famine and destitution, Native people have made sure their families, the old, and orphans were taken care of. This mindset prevails into the present. Gift-giving is appropriate whenever a tribal social or ceremonial gathering takes place.

In the same way, traditional Native foods are prepared for this special occasion. Salmon, walleye, shellfish, moose, venison, elk, mutton, geese, rabbit, wild rice, collards, squash, pine nuts, red and green chile stews, pueblo bread, piki bread, and bannock (fry bread) are just a few of the things that come to mind. Individual tribes and Indian organizations sponsor Christmas dinners for their elders and communities prior to Christmas. Tribal service groups and warrior societies visit retirement homes and shelters to provide meals for their tribesmen and women on Christmas Day.

According to the Urban Indian Health Commission, nearly seven out of every ten American Indians and Alaska Natives—2.8 million people—live in or near cities, and that number is growing. During the Christmas holidays, many urban Natives travel back to their families, reservations, and communities to reconnect and reaffirm tribal bonds. They open presents and have big family meals like other American Christians.

For the last few years, Native friends have shared their families’ Christmas plans and traditions with the museum. This extraordinary year, we asked how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting their families and communities. Those replies are given first here, then the answers we received in 2019 and 2018. Thank you to everyone who took time to tell us a little about their lives.

I live in Upstate New York. Most of my adult life I hardly had Christmas with my family, because I was deployed, stationed overseas, or too far from home. It’s nothing new to be with just my immediate family. So, for anyone who says they can’t have Christmas with family, please consider the men and women in uniform who can’t this year and ones before who weren’t able to.

Topeka, Kansas: I’m a middle school history teacher, and we are in remote education. Our Covid numbers are some of the highest in the country. No churches are open, so no services. Most stores close early, and there is a restaurant and bar curfew. No congregating of any sort is allowed, and we have not only mask mandates, but other rules that have curtailed any events.

The saddest thing I saw today was that our Prairie Band Potawatomi neighbors just a few miles north of us can’t sell enough of their meat, so they are advertising selling it at the Rez gas station in bulk. They’re hoping to break even, but likely will take a loss. Covid is taking a toll everywhere, but here in Indian Country it’s so real. Many of my students, including my tribal students, are facing a very difficult Christmas. Our school has adopted a family whose parents asked only for a kitchen trash can, storage container, and cleaning supplies for gifts. It truly is a hard Christmas.

Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico: We will be fasting for the winter solstice as usual here in Zuni. No change for us, the whole village will be in seclusion and praying for 10 days. So no big change from the lockdowns. Stores and business are usually closed during that time.

Elgin, Oklahoma: My husband is in the hospital with Covid, pneumonia, and blood clots in his lungs. I am trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive for our kids. We cannot go to the hospital to see him, and that is driving me nuts.

I usually host a family Christmas cookie exchange party each year. It’s a time our relatives come together, despite our busy lives, to spend a day of fun, laughter, and love during Christmas, and it was canceled this year due to the pandemic. I cannot spend Christmas with my sisters or dad because of the pandemic. I just have to drop their gifts off at the porch. We cannot get together on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to exchange gifts and partake in the Christmas holiday.

When I get on social media, I see so many people asking for prayers because someone they love has tested positive for Covid, or their loved one is in the hospital because of Covid, like my husband, or they lost a loved one due to Covid. I just pray for everyone.

Garden Grove, California: With California in another lockdown, we will be stuck in our homes for Christmas. We will only be able to call our relatives this year and wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Unfortunately most gifts have to be mailed out and not hand delivered, so we can’t really see the excitement our gifts give to others. I’m hoping next Christmas will be way better for all of us.

Cherokee, living in Spain: I do not celebrate Christian ways but respect the ones who do. My kids, grands, and I had covid-19 by early March, without much trouble, so we hugged all year through. Sending much love and many prayers to each and all back home.

Duluth, Minnesota: No impact. We’re still making homemade gifts and will gather like we do every other day. We have a social contract.

In Manitoba, Canada, we are under a Red Zone, which means a lot of restrictions when it comes to gatherings. People from this province have traveled to Kenora, Ontario, and Yorkton/Regina, Saskatchewan, to shop for the holidays. Toys R Us is the go-to place, but some orders are not filled, and you’re given a rain check. Places such as Walmart stopped selling anything outside of essentials.

As for my home, my child is not traveling this year to spend the holidays with his dad’s side of the family. Flying is out of the question, and driving would be hazardous, not to mention each province has its own high numbers. We can’t even go home to our reserve due to limited access to the communities. Outside of our own home, we have declined dinner invitations due to social distancing and have made alternate plans to stay home and have a hot meal.

No matter what, I am with my child, and that is all that matters to me. I don’t really care for the commercialization of Christmas. I think it’s best to have money in case of an emergency. We had a major storm that took down power lines last year. Who knows what this year will bring?

All in all, I wish everyone a safe holiday. Prayers to those who lost loved ones or have loved ones whose lives have been impacted by Covid. My gift is spending the holidays with my li’l sidekick and creating our own memories. Be safe!

On the eastern coastal lands here in North Carolina, no friends are sharing the rides to the winery for the Christmas decorations and lights. Celebrations have been thrown out the window, and, as restaurant gatherings are gone, so is the laughter and good cheer with friends while sharing a memory of the past year. Hibernation is occurring as no doorways are opening. Shopping and wrapping gifts are gone, even the homemade ones—the pandemic has closed employment. Less making cookies and cakes–the oven surely won’t be used for just li’l ole me.

And it’s okay. Life is going to turn around. What Christmas will bring is to celebrate with more phone calls, including a face-to-face; chatting on social media; wishing all the best of the holidays; dreaming of a new world in 2021. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Gloucestershire in the UK: All Christmas and solstice plans involving travel are canceled as the virus is still spreading. The government was allowing travel for Christmas period, but we don’t trust what they say. If people travel, it will be out of control again.

New Hampshire: Typically I take baked goods and homemade Christmas presents to friends. I will often spend time with them catching up. I also send out 50 or so Christmas cards. None of that this year. I will see my children and granddaughter though, as we live in the same town and have been seeing each other since the beginning. I am sad I can’t spread my usual greetings this year when we all so need it.

Fort Hall, Idaho: We generally have a Christmas Eve gathering with family. Not this year.

Del Muerto, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation: The 76th year of family hosting a community Christmas has been canceled. Treats, toys, and winter jackets will not be provided, but it’s all for safety precaution.

South Dakota: I have not done Christmas or any holidays for over 24 years as part of my de-colonization. We are so brainwashed from childhood. The real tests are triggers like certain songs. It’s a hard journey to undertake. It’s another level of healing the traumas of Christianity and family beliefs, however, and I made it.

Louisville, Kentucky: Well, as Christmas comes around, I always look forward to going to my last living grandmother’s. Like 90 years old. Normally we would go to see her and the whole family—all the cousins and, yes, even aunties. Ayeee. Lol. We would all eat and open presents and chat. But this year presents are being sent in the mail. We may have a family computer time face to face. It isn’t the same as giving my grandmother a hug and her seeing all her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. It saddens my heart. She is at an age, and we never know when it’s time to be called home. So I know these times are important. The pandemic as made a saddened Christmas time.

Manitoba, Canada: First time ever not all congregating at Mom’s house. We are having our smaller dinners in our homes. However, this Santa will be delivering gifts Christmas Eve.

Living in Southern California has made celebrating or doing anything for the holidays nearly impossible. We are on total lockdown. Even going out to buy decorations has not happened for me. Many family members have been unemployed for five or six months, so we are all financially unable to help each other. And because of the lockdown, we can’t even get together in person to support each other. We are blessed, however, to all be healthy.

Cloquet, Minnesota: We are not having a family get together. First time ever in my life.

Edmonton, Alberta: No travel to family in the north and south. My 75-year-old mom is depressed. My grandbaby will not see his dad’s side, which affects bonding. Normally we have a big Christmas meal and share with others. Not this year, though.

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin: No visiting from friends and relatives on Christmas Eve, and the big Christmas dinner feast is just for immediate family. Once again, I can’t show off my baby grandson, who still hasn’t met some of his relatives.

Tualatin, Oregon: We are already isolated and have been practicing social distancing and wearing our masks because it is mandated, so we plan to have our Christmas as usual. Our children and grandkids will be with us to celebrate. We are a very small family and living here all these 30-plus years, it’s no different than before. It’s always been just us. We’ve grown from a family of five to ten. God has blessed us so. Aho Dawkee—thank you, God!

Holiday ornaments created by schoolchildren for the Capitol Christmas Tree Campaign to decorate a holiday tree at the museum on the National Mall. From left to right: Three ornaments made by unnamed Pikumi (Blackfeet Nation) students, 2008. Blackfeet Reservation, Montana. 26/7446, 26/7451 and 26/7454. An ornament representing a rattle made by Shelbey (family name not recorded, Yavapai), 2009. Prescott, Arizona. 26/7716. A snowman ornament made by Ayanna (family name not recorded, Tohono O’odham), 2009. Arizona. 26/7717 (National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian)

White Swan, Washington, sent on the winter solstice: “This is NDN New Year (the shortest day of year), but it’s close to Christmas so we still have gift exchanges. Santa shows up at our longhouse; he also has 2 with him, our version of Krampus. I’m not sure how far back this goes. Maybe it’s Bigfoot and is s’posed to scare the kids into being good. My dad used to dress that way and come in with Santa. I don’t know who does it now. Some of my family thought it was me, but I think it’s two of my cousins.”

Miami, Oklahoma: “Seneca–Cayuga social dances with horned rattles and supper at my sister’s house. Oh, can’t forget our coins for playing some Indian dice and playing Cards against Humanity! Lol. Lots of fun and laughter.”

Albuquerque, New Mexico: “Spending Christmas Eve in the village of Taos Pueblo, building and then watching the bonfires burn, and watching the procession of the Virgin Mary.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota: “Honoring our relatives with a memorial horse ride called the Dakota 38 + 2. On December 26, 1862, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in Dakota County, 38 Dakota men were hung all at once. It is recorded as the largest mass execution in U S. history. This is how most of us here in Mni Sota celebrate this time of the year.”

Southern Manitoba, Canada: “Last year we as a family spent the day together and went to a movie theater all day. On the 26th, we made a meal and set out a spirit dish for the Dakota 38 + 2.”

Nevada City, California: “I’m a Choctaw Jew, so I celebrate by having a gift-card drive, and going to temple and Christmas church! My grandfather is in a home, so I spend time with him and whoever else is close.”

Kents Store, Virginia: “We don’t do Christmas, but we have a solstice celebration and teach Abenaki farming at a local school. It’s part of their winter festival including other people and faiths into their curriculum.”

Phoenix, Arizona: “I will go to my reservation, Eastern Band if Cherokee in North Carolina, and exchange gifts with my family. My dad is 84 years of age, so I always make it a priority to go back there. Everyone will come to Daddy’s house to eat turkey and ham. And whatever else my sister cooks.”

Disautel, Washington: “Leading up to Christmas we take grandson out to chop down a tree. Let him help pick it out. Hunt for a deer. Then a family dinner at home. Kids come to visit to get their presents. Tree’s lit up. Decorations. Candy and snacks.”

Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico: “Spending time at the Pueblo plaza house, watching the winter dances, being with all the family, sharing wonderfully prepared food by the women in the family. There is always laughter, kids running around, and friends dropping by. The usual! Lol.”

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: “We’ll spend Christmas with family, sharing a meal and putting out a feast plate for our loved ones who passed away.”

Montross, Virginia: “My family recognizes our elders community members and recalls those who, though gone, have impacted our lives in a good way.”

Edmondton, Alberta, Canada: “Now that I’m a grandma, I spend it with my grandbaby. Usually my daughter, mom, and nephew, too. If I can, we cook (a lot) and eat together. In the past, we have shared with police officers or corrections staff where I used to work. If there is a round dance close, I go there.”

Portland, Oregon: “Donate time at the local veterans shelter.”

Warm Springs, Oregon: “I usually stay home with my granddaughters. We spend the day with each other and enjoy a nice hot fire with delicious foods. We understand that this is not our holiday, but we have adapted it to suit us.”

Apache, Oklahoma: “Christmas Eve: Attending Petarsy Indian Mission in good ol’ Richards Spur, Oklahoma. We get greetings from the Indi’n Santa who brings all the good lil Indi’n boys & girls presents. We sing Comanche hymns, and everyone receives a brown bag of fruit, hard Christmas candies, and nuts. Then we go home to eat Uthivah (Mexican) food and play monopoly till some gets mad. In the morning the kids must sing a Christmas carol before they are allowed to open presents, and we only hope no one sings the Twelve Days of Christmas! The day will be followed by a Christmas dinner.”

Santa Fe, New Mexico: “Since we aren’t Christians, my mama called it Big Winter Give-Away Day. She always put up an NDN tree full of Native ornaments made by her friends—tiny beaded moccasins, little pottery angels, wee cradleboards, miniature painted rawhides, and a very special felt beaded turtle that her mother made. Our angel was always one of us girls‘ little Indian dollies.

“Now that Mom‘s footprints have joined the others in the Milky Way, I put her tree up. She taught us to be generous, ‛to give until it hurt.’ It is this lesson that I pass to my sons, not only for one day, but as a way of being in this world.”

Winter Haven, California: “With my little family. We don’t do gifts just have a feast and spend quality time.”

Hood River, Oregon: “We spend Christmas centered on our Creator, whose name is Jesus Christ, who brought our people to this great promised land. As an Elder, I gather and teach my children my life’s lessons and the reality of resurrection and life after this mortal life because of this Jesus Christ. I cry out of gratitude for his tender mercies. I smile because I see the light of this knowledge in my children’s eyes.”

“After we put the star on the tree, open our simple gifts for one another, eat and laugh with one another, we kneel and pray as my father and grandfather did, carrying on our tradition of gratitude, the tradition of knowing of a greater power. My children have learned that Christmas is not the only day for prayer and sincere repentance. We follow after our Creator, Jesus Christ, with all our imperfections, and because of him we can be forgiven. How holy is His name! We prepare to meet Him, for He will come again, soon.”

Hąwe Wakąndeyinge Tųnye Girorisge! (Merry Christmas!) This Native nativity scene took place at the Otoe–Missouria Tribal Complex near Red Rock, Oklahoma, as part of their Light up the Encampment Grounds event. The animal figures represent the seven clans of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. Instead of a manger, a cradleboard holds the newborn Jesus. (Used with permission, courtesy of Johnnie Dee Childs)

Tama, Iowa: “As a special day of feasting, we first set aside prayer and food offerings in the sacred fire for relatives before our own indulgence. The respect is that you allow your remembrances—those who have passed—to eat first. Oftentimes with the greater ghost feasts you are also sending prayers for good health, long life—for yourself as well as for your family, plus any others. It is promised that your requests will be granted.”

Southern Maryland: “Our Elders Council (Choptico) have our winter gathering and feast close to or on the day of winter solstice. This year’s menu: Seafood and root veggies. We still have a traditional Christmas dinner for the extended family. Historically Maryland Natives were proselytized by Jesuits and many, if not most, tribal members remain Catholic today.”

Barona, California: “This year I’m doing tamales, meat pies, and empanadas! Someone else made tamales and I’m making the rest.”

Carnegie, Oklahoma: “I remember when we would camp at Red Church or White Church Christmas week. There would be snow on the ground. We slept in the tent with our Ah-Pea (grandmother), and people would get up and cook in the dining hall all three meals. All those paper sacks would be lined up in the church and filled with fruit and Christmas candy. Everyone got a treat sack and missionary gift. Church ran late; sometimes we’d sleep on the floor.

“I wouldn’t trade anything for those days. Singing and praying in Kiowa. Some beautiful memories. They have all gone on now. Thank you for letting me share.”

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: “On Christmas eve my grandkids have a sleepover with their cousins and we have singing and dance contests (the best steps win a prize) with the kids to encourage them all to sing and dance. Food-eating contests, too (who can eat the most fry bread). We wind up having a little powwow in the house. It tires them all out, too. Breakfast is a big pot of sofkee (seasoned grits). I cook fry bread, three sisters [corn, beans, and squash], salmon, turkey, ham, corn-on-the-cob, cornbread, bread pudding, sweet potato pies, wild rice, string beans, other vegetables. All fresh, nothing from a can. My mother this year started a new tradition: She wants us to write down on a paper and bring it to Christmas dinner to speak on what we are all thankful for and how our year went. My mom also leads us in the traditional holiday songs everyone knows.”

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin: Christmas was introduced to certain families back in the late 1920s, early 1930s by my grandfather (choka) George Lonetree and his cousin, Sister Kate Massey, who was a priest. They both were in boarding school in Toledo, Iowa, when they first knew about Christmas and the art of giving presents to people. So my choka decided to gather families who were curious about Christmas. These Christmas gatherings happen near Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. We always have some Native food on the table. My mother always made sure of that. It could be Indian corn soup, fry bread, cranberries, duck, rabbit, and sometimes wintergreen tea. Right around Christmastime, the Eagle Clan of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin will have their Winter Clan feast. The winter solstice, yeah, like the first day of winter.”

Parker, Arizona: “Sheep ribs cooked over the coals, tortillas, vegetable and mutton stew. Roasted Hatch chili salsa, yeast bread, coffee, and maybe empanadas.”

British Columbia, Canada: “We try to include Native-inspired dishes—salmon, berries, roots, deer meat. I only cook turkey for the kids. But if I cook a turducken (turkey, duck, and quail) it seems more inspiring lol.”

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico: “At Ohkay Owingeh the Turtle Dance is the driving event. Everything else is second or worked around the dance.”

Crystal Falls, Michigan: “Gotta have some wild rice and venison is we what have. It is always good, and turkeys are native to here, though I’m not a wild turkey fan lol.”

Tappahannock, Virginia: “Dinner is mostly the regular holiday foods except we have to have potato salad and corn pudding. Our Christmas breakfast is oyster stew and watercress if we can gather enough.”

Chicago, Illinois: “Ten years ago we would cook up ham and turkey with all the side dishes. For years the American Indian Center had a Thanksgiving dinner and a Christmas party. We would decorate the tribal hall. I would hear people talking about how traditional they were and still celebrating these holidays and not caring about their cultural teaching. So I decided to change it. I just reworded it to a “giving thanks feast” and encouraged everyone to write what they were truly thankful for. We had a “winter feast.” No decorations, and we shared the teachings of how we celebrate the seasons and why each is important to us. I had many positive comments, and it seemed like they were listening and questioning the religious beliefs. It wasn’t about shopping and presents. Unfortunately they have not been doing any of these events since I left. Everyone wants their urban rez back.”

Ardmore, Oklahoma: “Our church plays have Christmas hymns in Choctaw language, and we always get that brown paper bag filled with fruit, ribbon candy, and orange slice candy. Our church is the Ardmore Indian Baptist Church, in the Chi-Ka-Sha Baptist Association.”

Maui, Hawai’i: “We cook pigs underground here on the Islands. It’s called imu. This year we are going to do it for the homeless. We pretty much go around and see if everyone is fed.”

Dennis W. Zotigh (Kiowa/San Juan Pueblo/Santee Dakota Indian) is a member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan and San Juan Pueblo Winter Clan and a descendant of Sitting Bear and No Retreat, both principal war chiefs of the Kiowas. Dennis works as a writer and cultural specialist at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.