#so its. 1: koi + pearl

[89thalice]

i dont feel like fighting with instagrams formatting so heres my mermay day 1-9

[renewed-abyssal-metro]

CHAPTER 1

It had been two to three days since Tartar had awakened once more, he was on his human ‘hunting’ quest of sorts, but first he made sure everything around his base was still mostly intact. The lab's part was indeed intact yet the upper levels of the whole sanitization lab’s process was destroyed from Pearl’s blast. Not like he was gonna need that part of the labs anyways! Currently he was in the main offices section plotting his next move to find the possibly singular human. Got to find the human before those damn cephalopods find them first. 

“Okay what to do to find that human…” They tapped their receiver on their head while trying to think, “I would imagine it would be difficult to find them since it wouldn’t be as simple as finding any sea creature… trying to find the needle in the haystack, ...but wouldn’t they stick out like a sore thumb? ...I wonder if the news would happen to help me in this category?” As Tartar grabs a remote off the shelf, someone enters the room!... Tartar looks at the intruder of the room. “Ah!...Oh...oh its just you C.Q.” Meanwhile CQ just stares at him back, surprised. “C...Commander??? You're..alive? What the hell it's been months! I heard what happened to you through some intel sources, and i've been thinking you have been dead this entire time.” “....I was, BUT C.Q. listen to this, a human revived me... I don’t know how they survived these 12,000 years but they survived! I feel like i'm not seeing things my optics wouldn’t betray me like that-” The phone began before being interrupted by the sea cucumber. “Woah woah woah, you say a human, are you sure you didn’t just go into a deep sleep mode or something? And how do you know your eyes won't malfunction?” 

“Awww come on C.Q., second in command…. You don’t believe me?” C.Q. went silent for a moment while looking around the room. “Well,” the sea creature began. “It’s a possibility, but I do need proof that this so-called human is around. So it proves you're not hallucinating.” Tartar stands tall, holding the remote still. “Well I will!” He gives a short huff sound before clicking the TV on. “I'm just looking for evidence, is all…” They both hear a different jingle from the television set. Not like one from the Squid Sisters or like Off the Hook. Seashore Surge was the opening screen this time.. A new idol group by chance?

Low and behold the two new idols showed themselves on screen not even a minute later, greeting the viewers.

“Welcome to The Inktropolis News, Brought to you by Seaside Surge! So it’s been a couple of months since Feb 17th! The date we three joined in the news.” The inkling began speaking. “Well more technically the two of us but Chip is our camera man basically, but sometimes he will join us over here depending on the day. But he will ask us both questions on occasion.” The octoling chimed in afterwards. “So you both haven’t really said too much on yourselves, Koi and Nori, mind if i ask some for the audience?” A voice behind the camera said who is presumably Chip. “Yeah sure! what’s the first question?” Koi asked with a pretty chipper tone. “First off How come you keep your eyes closed a lot of the time? People have been wondering your eye color.”  “Well... hehe, funny enough they are a type of blue. But uh as for why i keep em closed, is because i really don’t like people seeing my eyes i get rather nervous and that I have an eye condition, but don't worry, its not spreadable.” Meanwhile Tartar and C.Q. were both talking to each other as the chatter goes on. “Uh huh.... so where’s your evidence?” C.Q. looks up to tartar. “Well it’s not really here on the news, I thought for sure they would make an announcement for sure if they saw something. Like anything even a small glancing one. ....” The both go silent. “Welp, time for plan... uh B.” Tartar said. “Plan B? What do you have up your sleeve...?” C.Q. began after him. “I was working on something just in case, so i can move like a human would and not be hopping around constantly, its kind of noticeable to see a phone doing that.” Right on cue tartar began hopping to somewhere else. “I see...” C.Q. thought this was a little strange of what he was planning. Tartar also turned off the TV and put the remote back. Then hopped out of the room, he began heading to the labs area, or well what was intact. With C.Q. following behind. [C.Q., Koi, and Nori are available for interactions!]

[maggiecheungs]

2020 ~everything~ wrap

i finally have time to do all of the tag games that people have tagged me in over the past month or so! i cannot for the life of me remember who tagged me in which one, so i’m just putting ~everything~ in one huge post. if i tag you anywhere then consider it a standing invitation to do whichever of these you haven’t done :) in fact, this is me issuing a standing invite to any of my followers who wants to do it :) also, thank you all!

Creator Wrap: Favourite Works

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

this collection of philosophy quotes paired with thai bl series, (and its sequel) which is possibly my favourite thing i’ve ever made. for, uh, nerd reasons.

these gifted text post memes i made still make me laugh sometimes

this fic about green from 2gether, which i wrote in the notes app on my phone and published the same day. not my absolute best writing but i am very fond of it <3

i have a bunch fof friend zone dangerous area edits/shitposts which i like, but i’m particularly fond of my fzda as satire headlines (which now has a sequel!)

i also love my crisgood-walmart-lesbian post. i might send it in to gmmtv to try and convince them to do a crisgood-bffs spin-off

+ bonus: since i wrote this list i made this gifset (my first ever!) of jennie panhan in the shipper and i love her too much not to include her on here

+ extra nerdy bonus: this niche meme about Chinese philosophy, which still makes me crack up whenever I think about it

Favourite Creators/Follow Forever

i’ve completely lost track of who’s following who from which blog, so this is just going to be a haphazard, non-exhaustive list of people who i adore/admire/am vaguely intimidated by, mutuality be damned. maybe we talk all the time! maybe we’ve never interacted! maybe i am constantly there in ur tags... lurking... 👀... but if you’re on this list you have made me smile at least once this year and i love you for that alone <3

@wjmild kylie!! you make gifs of arm & tay & lee (separately or in various combinations) & the shipper & and kapook & random fluke pusit cameos & school rangers so i don’t have to <3 ilysm

@janeramida vianey, you have such impeccable taste in general, but your sizzy gifset in particular is so gorgeous it lives in my mind rent free

@applelapis bri, this post was a callout and i want you to know that it haunts me at night as i lie awake staring at the ceiling :((((( i hope you are happy

@gigiesarocha cata, i love it when you show up on my dash bc you have!! such taste!! also, every time you gif gigie i gain five years of life <3 pls continue doing the Good Work

@pvrrish​ eleni, i remeber legit thinking that this was an official poster when i first saw it, it’s so beautiful

@ahysopae​ juliette your khaithird fic is so good and it literally changed the way i think about khai (not an easy feat)

@kurosawadachi angel, whenever i think about grace’s speech i remember your gifset and get literal chills

@doctorbahnjit alexa, you have no right to be as funny as you are. your friend zone edits give me life

@khaotungthanawat sam, you’re probably sick of getting tagged in these lists by random strangers, but i just had to bc your gifsets are Pure Art

@tanwirapong roa, all your gifsets are so ✨iconic���

faiza @asianmelodrama and rahul @petekaos! yours were the first two thai drama blogs i followed and for ages i lowkey thought of you as my fandom parents.

and some more blogs that make me happy: @curlykytta / @lee-thanat  / @fck-inspector-m / @pangwave / @tichawongtipkanon / @tawanv @kimmonv (violet istg i have spent more time this year trying to figure out how many blogs you have than i have spent admiring your gifsets. & i spend a lot of time admiring your gifsets) / @taytawan / @1akorn and @yihwas (and your radiant lovechild @lakornladies ofc) / @teh-ohaew / @vihokratanas (mel your gifsets are just so gorgeous) / @tootiredtoosadtooangry / @headcompletelyempty / @demiromanticmickey​ / and there are definitely more but my brain is a sieve so apologies if i’ve forgotten anyone!! i love you all!! 

2020 HIGHLIGHTS ✨

rules: list your top 10 shows (bl or not) you watched in 2020 (doesn’t necessarily have to be shows that came out in 2020 though!)

1. 2GETHER & STILL2GETHER

my first thai drama, and even after all the amazing shows i’ve watched this year, it still has a special place in my heart. watching 2gether was the first time i’d ever seen a queer romcom that just... was. for me, by the simple fact of its being, 2gether was revolutionary. and then still2gether came along and took all the best things about the first season and gave us something beautiful and quiet and lovely and just proved to me, once and for all, that queer happiness doesn’t need to justify its own existence. there can be gay cuddles on the beach for no other reason than that we want them. 

2. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

i don’t really have the words for this one but. it makes my heart so very soft.

3. FRIEND ZONE 2: DANGEROUS AREA

season one was mindless fun because everyone was an absolute trashfire and it was hella cathartic to watch, but season 2... wow. i love it for so many reasons: it has messy and authentic queer rep; the characterisation is excellent and i somehow care about all of the characters; amazing women taking centre stage(!); a wlw relationship with lesbian, ace and bipolar rep; multiple interesting plotlines; actual character development; arm weerayut as a chaos gremlin... absolutely one of my favourites of 2020.

4. CHERRY MAGIC

i don’t think i need to explain this one, which is fortunate, because i have no idea how exactly i’d describe the happy-warm-fuzzy-queer-seen-loving-affirmed-profound feeling that rises in my chest whenever i think about it. 

5. THE GIFTED: GRADUATION

confession: i liked season 2 more than season 1 (with the exception of the ending, which we don’t talk about). season 1 was enjoyable and interesting, but for me it was season 2 which made me love this series. it did some incredibly interesting and complicated things (even if it didn’t quite nail the landing): it pushed characters to the breaking point and wove so many layers into the story and questioned its own underlying themes. plus, watching it alongside everyone in the fandom made it 200% better. i love all of you and i love this show. egg girl 5eva.

6. THE SHIPPER

i 100% understand why so many people didn’t like this show, or found it problematic, but through some fluke it absolutely worked for me (even the ending). one day i will write an essay explaining my rationale, but for now i’ll just say that it’s one of my favourite shows about adolescence and queerness and identity and compassion and friendship and love that i’ve ever watched. 

7. YYY

this series is absolutely off its rocker, and it somehow managed to be one of the most affirming shows i’ve watched. it shouldn’t have worked by it did, and i love it so much.

8. 3 WILL BE FREE

absolutely iconic. amazing plot, stunning visuals, great characters, canon polyamory, jennie being incredible... what a series.

9. MANNER OF DEATH

i love the fact that this show exists; i love the mix of crime and romance; i love maxtul’s acting; i love the central relationship; i love bun. i know we’re not even halfway through yet, but this show is doing something special and i’m so grateful that i get to watch it unfold in real time. 

10. CHIHAYAFURU (SEASON 3)

odd one out on my list, but I had to include it. chihayafuru is my all-time favourite anime and it finally got a third season, which is somehow even better than the first two. mashima taichi is one of my favourite characters of all time and his storyline hits me on such a profound level. plus, in the years since i first say this show i’ve fallen in love with classical japanese literature (particularly heian poetry) so i had newfound appreciation for the karuta matches (aka i cried every time someone recited one of my favourite poems)

other favourites: together with me, he’s coming to me, sotus and sotus s, my dear loser: edge of 17, why r u, theory of love, wake up chanee!, gameboys, pearl next door, uta koi (anime), three kingdoms (2010), blood and water (netflix). (itsay would almost certainly be on my list if i’d had time to watch it. same with dark blue kiss, which i had to pause so i could do my assignments)

Final Thoughts

well, it’s been... a year (i don’t think anyone needs a reminder of the details) but writing this post has reminded me of all the amazing shows and people I discovered over the course of it.

thank you to everyone for being so lovely and creative and funny and quirky and kind and passionate. you’re all incredibly awesome people and i wish all of you the very best xx

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: and sings the tune without the words, ch. 3

Relationship: Jiāng Yànlí & Jīn Zǐxuān, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn

Characters: Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian

Additional Tags: Epistolary, Food, Music

Summary: An epistolary follow-up to “the thing with feathers.” Exchanged letters.

Notes: See end.

Previous fic in the series: “the thing with feathers”

Chapters: 1 | 2

AO3 link

--------------

To Jin-gongzi,

I sincerely apologize for the delay in writing back. A-Xian had an episode, like the one you saw, but he was unconscious for two days and very frightened and confused after he woke. I had a letter started before that occurred but am writing a new one now. 

I am glad you like Zihuang’s design. When a-die took me to the luthier, we discussed the various options available for both sound and decoration. Since my practice instrument was a shoo konghou, they recommended I choose the same, but the fong shou design called to me. 

I decided on the mother of pearl instead of a precious metal or jade because I liked the shine of it, but also for another reason. Before A-Xian fell ill, he and A-Cheng always brought me lovely shells they found while swimming in the river. They used to compete with each other to see who could find the most diving. So the nacre reminds me of them. I don’t know if A-Xian remembers this—perhaps I should mention it to him. 

I confess I am still a little distressed over A-Xian’s episode, so I apologize if I go off on tangents.

As a result of my childhood illness, I sometimes have dizzy spells. Largely it is under control, but Healer Kang said that improving my core might also improve my health. I’m happy that I can find a way to contribute to Yunmeng Jiang even with a weak body. I agree that there should be more avenues available to young cultivators who may not be able to fight monsters—if the sects encouraged such disciples to utilize their cultivation to heal or engage in other activities that would enrich the sect, it would only strengthen the sects!

Cooking is an activity I quite enjoy, and I would be happy to serve lotus root and pork rib soup sometime when you visit. My soup was the very first thing he remembered, actually. When A-Xian first came to us, he was scared and so malnourished, and I always cook it for him and A-Cheng, especially when they’re sick or troubled. I’m happy cooking it for him meant so much to him that it broke through his amnesia. 

Your suggestion about handstands was something I tried. It was very difficult, and I was so involved in trying to do one that I forgot Lan-xiansheng was coming to give me a music lesson. It was so embarrassing to be caught, as I was a little disheveled. But he smiled—I think he almost laughed, even, especially after I explained. 

He said your idea is sound, but I will need to work my way up to an actual handstand. For now, he showed me several exercises I can do to work on my muscles, and recommended I do the arm motions of sword forms with a light practice wooden one. I can move to heavier ones as my strength increases, and eventually I will be ready for handstands. Thank you for the suggestion. I am glad I can speak of this with you. 

I was unable to find a konghou score in our library, but I can write to Lan-xiansheng to ask if there is one in theirs. I, too, enjoy that song, though there’s a sadness to it, since it’s a farewell song. I may not be at the level where I can play it yet, but it is good to know what music you like. 

One of our cooks is from Lanling, but not near the capitol. I asked her about those dishes, and she knows them and will be happy to prepare them next time you visit. She’s also willing to teach me how to cook them! She cooked up basi pinggou for dessert once A-Xian recovered, even, and we all very much enjoyed it. It’s so sweet, and the texture is very pleasant. A-Xian and A-Cheng competed to make the longest thread of sugar.

Yunmeng cuisine is indeed known for its spice—but never take food from A-Xian, since he goes overboard with the spices. He dumps chili oil on everything, except my soup which he insists is perfect. 

I am very fond of re gan mian (hot dry noodles), and I like pianpiya (Hubei duck) which you might enjoy since one of the dishes you mentioned is a duck dish. As a dessert, I am very fond of sweet doufunao (tofu brains/pudding). 

A-Lian was a gift from the lotuses, our beautiful lotus meimei. A-Xian’s illness changed quite a bit for us. A-Niang became protective of him, and she started talking to a-die more. She also decided that we should seek orphans and street children and educate them so they may become cultivators, if they have the capacity, or take on a trade. She’s also made it her personal mission to rescue women enslaved at brothels so they might also be able to be educated and learn trades. Our family has grown, as has our sect, and we’re all very happy. 

I think a-niang is happy to have found more purpose, and to have reconciled with a-die. They had deep misunderstandings, I think. A-Xian’s illness forced them to talk, and things are much better now. 

I am including some of the rose petal candy you enjoyed with this letter. I hope it finds you and your family well.

Jiang Yanli

  To Jiang-guniang,

Your gift of rose petal candy is much appreciated. 

I am sorry to hear of your brother’s illness; you obviously care deeply for all of your siblings, so I have no doubt it was distressing for you. When I was there, he passed out for no more than a ke, which seemed from the reaction of everyone to be more typical. Yu-furen mentioned he was attacked and fell into a coma for weeks. It is quite understandable that you are distracted. Is he recovered?

The choices behind your konghou are interesting. I have not engaged in music beyond a rudimentary grasp of the suona as a pursuit of the six arts, but perhaps I should refine my skills and consider music more carefully. As you stated, we need not limit ourselves to the sword as cultivators. 

As such, I agree with you on pursuing cultivation for healing and perhaps the arts. I wonder if cultivation could be utilized in the visual arts, as well. I tried to speak of it with fuqin but he seemed disinterested and called the idea “quaint.” I believe it is a good idea—no one thinks the Lan quaint for pursuing musical cultivation, and I have heard a branch of the Wen sect is known for its healing cultivation. In fact, you might look into them, though I don’t know what branch it is. 

It sounds very much like you have used cooking almost as a healing art for the benefit of your brother. I wonder if, like with medicine, qi can be infused in food somehow. Maybe not for healing, but for other things like comfort. I have never considered this before, and I am enjoying this discussion. I may research it in the library here, but I would like to know what you find if you look into it as well. Regardless, your cooking sounds powerful on its own. 

I had not considered the status of your body, which you mentioned was weakened by your childhood illness, and I am relieved you did not injure yourself in the attempt. That is a very real consideration if you push your body too much; I once tried one of the more advanced Jin sword techniques before I was ready to and wound up hurting my shoulder. I’m glad Lan-xiansheng prevented any harm from coming to you. 

I will see if there is a konghou score for it in the Jin library, but it could probably be adapted for the konghou by a musician, perhaps with different levels so you can start with a simpler version and then progress as you improve. That’s usually how I learn footwork and sword technique. I’m not sure if your sect trains the same way. 

Your description of your brothers eating basi pinggou made me smile, as I do the same thing. It’s part of the fun of eating it when it’s hot. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, and I hope you also enjoy the other dishes when you get to try them. 

Some of our cuisine is spicy, but I can scarcely imagine eating something spicier than Yunmeng dishes—your brother must like strong flavors. 

I have been living in Koi Tower my entire life, but somehow had never gone to the kitchens before. The cooks were very startled to see me. I asked about the dishes you mentioned, and one of the cooks was familiar with Yunmeng cuisine. She cautioned me that the spice can be quite strong but can be adjusted to taste. In Lanling, our doufunao is salty, so I was surprised it could be a sweet dish. 

The cook kindly made a small bowl of it and allowed me to watch the preparation. She used ginger in the syrup. It was a little strange at first, since I’m used to it being a savory dish, but it was quite good. I asked if the kitchen would consider occasionally serving it for dessert with dinner and making it when you and your family come to visit, and they were amenable. 

I don’t quite understand what you mean by “a gift from the lotuses,” but it is not my place to pry. Yu-furen stated she was Jiang Wuxian’s adopted sister, so it makes sense that she would also become your sister upon his adoption. 

Yu-furen’s idea about orphans and street children seems sensible, especially given your brother’s past. Some gentry may be concerned about elevating the status of such children, though. She may face criticism for this, and for the other. I know a-niang hates prostitutes, but I don’t think it’s their fault if they’re slaves. What else can slaves do but obey? Rescuing them seems just. 

Your parents’ relationship has turned quite positive, and it seems good for you and your siblings. 

I am including some of my favorite malt candies in several flavors, and enough that your family can try them as well. My favorite is the date walnut candy. I hope you enjoy them. 

With best regards,

Jin Zixuan

---------------

Jin Zixuan is a little jealous that Jiang Yanli’s family is so happy and his, well, isn’t. He’s also tentatively fascinated by their discussion of cultivation, and a little mad that his shitty father won’t discuss it with him. He’s also aware of why his mother hates prostitutes but is not willing to say so. 

From fan-created maps, it seems Lotus Pier is in Hubei province, so I used several dishes from there as Jiang Yanli’s favorites. Doufunao is called tofu brains but is a kind of soft pudding tofu. In Shandong province it would be made with savory flavors, but in Hubei it’s made with sugar. Cantonese cooking apparently uses ginger with it, and the recipe I found also does. I also found a recipe for date walnut candy that looks divine. 

Also, apparently the suona is popular in Shandong province, but also kind of sounds like the mating call of a peacock and I just couldn’t help myself. Music is one of the six arts young gentlemen would be expected to have some proficiency in, so it makes sense that he has at least rudimentary competence. 

Jiang Yanli upped the ante by sending him the candy he noted enjoying. And Jin Zixuan is not one to be outdone, so of course he sent some back, and enough for her siblings to boot! This is a matter of pride!

[arisgamer2000]

Mermaid Melody - Dubs Judge

Hi!! Today, I will share with you my opinion for dubs of the Mermaid Melody anime. Credits @hikayagami for the idea!! Soooo, let's start? (P.S. English ADV and Turkish dubs are not released)

Best Mermaid Melody dubs

Cantonese Dub

This dub (like every Anime/Cartoon Cantonese dub) has subtitles at the bottom of the screen for the whole episode which I find really useful! The acting and actors are GREAT and if I had to watch a dub for 24 hours a day, I would choose this dub! Most of the songs are left in Japanese except Koi wa Nandarou, Ever Blue and Taiyou no Rakuen in episodes 1, 16 and 34. Although it suffered cuts on TVB, TVB kids aired it uncut.

French Dub

The French dub I could say is one of the best ones because I love how powerful the voices of the actors sound as well as the improved scripts. Also, there is a songs dub for all the songs that appeared throughout the series. A thing I didn't really like is how songs that were sung by villains or (super) idols were given an echo. I can also appreciate how some names were changed such as Lucia becoming Lucie. As for the French DVDs, they're really HQ! X3

Hebrew Dub

The Hebrew dub is a faithful one to watch. The acting is mostly good and the actors did a great job! However, there was a laziness in the dubbing as you could hear the actors open their mouth and etc. All the 31 songs of the series(included opening and ending themes) are dubbed and sometimes even two translations existed. A Video-on-Demand service of the dub also existed and instead of using the original opening sequences, 4 new ones were made. Sadly, episode 23 is omitted and episode 6 has a cut. The TV version has Hebrew subtitles inserted which I find really respective!

Korean Dub

The Korean dub, ahhhh!! The acting is perfect and nothing is omitted!! Like the Mandarin Taiwanese dub. The songs are all dubbed along with the opening and ending themes. Also, this dub is one of the four ones around the world to make two translations of several songs.

Serbian Dub

This is a European dub I can show respect because of how different it is from other European dubs. First of all, Koi wa Nandarou is used as the opening theme for all episodes and Splash Dream as and ending theme beginning with episode 29. The songs are all dubbed but something I found weird about this dub is how episodes 52 and 91 had two ending sequences, the actual ones and Splash Dream. Pretty stupid huh? Also, when Sara reformed in episode 51 and sang Return to the Sea's second part the dubbers listed it as a separate song making Serbian Sara having two image songs! The voices sound iconic for me but the acting is fairly okay. Another reason I can show respect for this dub is that it dubbed over the original Japanese version instead the English one or the Spanish one. It followed the Japanese version closely. The Serbian dub, due to its succesion has been shown in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia. 1 DVD was released in Serbia containing episodes 1 - 3 and a CD with all the songs of the first season was released too!

Taiwanese Mandarin Dub

The Taiwanese Mandarin dub is probably the most faithful dub ever! The actors and acting are the best and the songs are translated twice! All songs are dubbed along with openings and endings with none to be omitted. This is also the only dub to have Kaito voice by a woman LOL! Several songs had a new title in CD releases.

Average Mermaid Melody Dubs

Castilian Spanish Dub

Oh well, thanks to this dub, we got a Greek, European Portuguese and Turkish one and even the half English opening theme. But... it feels kinda off, I mean the acting is partially okay and many of the singing voices are nice but uhh some were fairly old but there were new actors hired even for minor characters!

European Portuguese Dub

Err... the acting is not really good but I can award the dubbers for trying their best! Also although it was dubbed over the Castilian Spanish dub, it looks like they followed the Japanese version as well. Songs were also dubbed but the songs sounded too off.

Greek Dub

Well... whil I am Greek and also love how this dub is the only European dub to have two translations for each song(like Hebrew, Taiwanese Mandarin and Korean dubs) and the acting is really really good but there were so many mistakes in the songs dub that feel weird. As in the Portuguese dub, some songs were recorded only once or given an echo in solo parts to sound like all 3 sing(like in Super Love Songs and Kizuna). At least I can say the voices are the most iconic ones X3

Least Favourite Mermaid Melody Dubs

Thai Dub

Oh well, the Thai dub kinda disappointed me. The acting barely exists and it is weird how the Japanese phrases are kept(e.g. Aquamarine Pearl Voice is pronounced as Mizuiro Pearl Voice XD) the songs are not dubbed but subtitled are inserted instead. Though the Thai DVD quality is not and the best one.

If anybody has episodes of the Albanian, Bosnian, Indonesian, Malay, Malaysian English, Tagalog dubs please don't hesitate to send me :)

[travelcenter-uk]

A Holiday Guide to USA Quad City 2021

Are you looking for ideas for that ultimate holiday? This time around, do something unique; get ready for the great USA Quad City trip with our multi-centre holidays. But this is not just any road trip; this one’s situated across the West Coast and East Coast of the United States believed to be amongst the most gorgeous places on Earth.      

The United States of America is a massive nation, packed with various sceneries and cultures. Because of all the contrasts across the different areas, it could be helpful to separate some places and discover more about what truly makes them so different. On your USA Quad City trip, you’ll find that the East Coast and West Coast are tremendously diverse places when it comes to the way of life, and each one serves various kinds of people.    

The West Coast is famous for its stunning beaches, its flourishing cities, and young, diverse occupants, and no matter what kind of traveller you are (explorer, artsy, family, historical, or relaxed), you’ll discover an ideal holiday in one of the many East Coast states as well.

Promising the best entertainment from morning till evening, this trip to the great USA Quad City gives you the chance to experience the best of the East and West Coast on your multi-centre USA holidays. These four destinations are the most famous cities that you could explore during your USA Quad City tour, here’s what each of them is famous for.

New York

New York is known as the city that never sleeps, is famous for the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge, you can shop at designer stores, and reward your taste buds with some of the world’s most delicious cuisines. When you’re done with all of that, you’ll have to make time for the museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, Guggenheim, and the American Museum of Natural History all top the list.      

Gourmet restaurants, well-known tourist appeals, and marvellous street art – New York has all of it and so much more. Whatever you’re searching for, you’ll come across it in the Big Apple. The one issue you’ll encounter is not having enough time to see and do everything.

San Francisco

One of the most famous and distinguishable metropolises in the world, San Francisco is home to fashionistas, hippies, and techies while also consisting of brilliant summers, monuments, architecture, fog, and rolling mountains.

It’s famous for the emblematic Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, San Francisco cable cars, as well as its wealthy and varied culture.

Los Angeles

Recognized as the biggest city on the west coast, Los Angeles is famous for its huge amusement parks such as Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Legoland, and Pacific Park (Santa Monica Pier).

One of the other things that Los Angeles is known for is its TV, Movie and Music Industries. LA is the perfect destination for movie buffs, as there are several movie studio tours, as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And, music fans would enjoy touring the music-themed attractions situated all over the city.

Las Vegas

Well-known for exhilaration and fun, this city in the desert offers up all types of options for travellers. The Strip, Las Vegas‘ popular resort-bordered street, shines with lights and reconstructed glitzy locations from cities all over the world. The Grand Canyon is just a brief helicopter ride away, and the adjacent hills and mountains are home to all sorts of leisure opportunities.  

Las Vegas is a globally recognized resort city, famous mainly for its gambling, shopping, excellent dining, entertainment, and nightlife.

Top Trendy Restaurants in the Cities

Anton’s, New York City – The rustic previous space of West Village’s Frankies 570 Spuntino has turned into Anton’s, a throwback European restaurant from Nick Anderer. The chef — who used to head the kitchens at Marta and Maialino — goes into his Italian food training with a pasta section titled “macaroni,” with choices like a bucatini amatriciana and linguini with clams. Elsewhere, discover raw oysters, salads, and entrees such as roast chicken or barbecued pork rib chop with apple sauce. Cocktails are variants on classics, which include pre-batched martinis that come directly from the freezer.

Holy Ground at 109 W Broadway, New York City – The next time you need a meat-heavy dinner in a refreshing-space, but didn’t plan far enough ahead of time to grab a table at 4 Charles or Minetta Tavern, visit Holy Ground. It’s an underground spot in Tribeca where you can envision Duke Ellington relaxing in a red leather booth having an old-fashioned and porterhouse. This place isn’t a customary steakhouse though – the Old Fashioneds are prepared with mezcal and tequila, and the menu concentrates on slow-smoked meats such as pork shoulder and wagyu brisket.

Dragon Beaux, San Francisco – A blend of classic and modern dim sum is on the menu at this always-packed Richmond District restaurant from the team behind Bay Area Stalwart Koi Palace. Everyone enjoys taking Instagram worthy pictures of the soup dumplings with coloured skins, but those in the know fill their tables with the type of inventive, accurately executed dim sum specialties you’ll come across at forward-thinking places in Hong Kong: blood-red rice rolls packed with fried fish, the city’s top sugar-crusted baked pork buns, and, for good measure, destination-worthy crackle-skinned roast pork belly. Try the winter melon hot pot with roasted squab during the night, when Dragon Beaux moves over and turns into a hot pot restaurant.

Pearl 6101, San Francisco – This restaurant has gained the hearts of metropolitan diners far past its warm, suburban Richmond neighbourhood location. In an exquisitely-tiled corner dining room, chef-partners Mel Lopez and Joyce Conway, offer customers handmade pasta and hefty wood-fired pork chops, accompanied by drinks such as the not to be missed Pearl Martini from partner/bar manager Nahiel Nazzal (it’s Oakland-distilled “sea gin” with Italian vermouth and pickled sea bean).

Olivetta, Los Angeles – There may not be a trendier restaurant in Los Angeles than Olivetta at the moment. The attractive space has four separate rooms with diverse auras, but the chief dining room with its luxurious sitting area, extravagant design, and modest noise level is the ideal spot to experience Michael Fiorelli’s welcoming but refined take on California Italian food. Try the grilled branzino, rye macaroni, and kale salad.

Found Oyster, Los Angeles – LA can always use more seafood restaurants, and this jewel of an oyster bar in East Hollywood has a compact menu from chef Ari Kolender that pulls from his East Coast upbringing. Find everything from steamers and shucked oysters to an enormous lobster roll.

Jing, Las Vegas – Downtown Summerlin’s new Japanese restaurant focusses on sushi, shareable wagyu hot rocks, and wok dishes with a menu from Joseph Elevado, the previous executive chef at Social House at Treasure Island and Andrea’s at Encore Las Vegas. Fire and water features equip the space that comprises of a courtyard and live entertainment.

Pepper Lunch, Las Vegas – A anticipated inclusion to Shanghai Plaza, the self-described “DIY Teppan” restaurant is already attracting crowds who are excited to cook their own dishes on the Japanese fast-casual chain’s signature iron hot plates, which go up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. After ordering at the counter or through an app, the iron plates are filled up — with the chain’s signature pepper rice, Hamburg sizzling curry, dry-aged steak, or pasta, to name a couple of choices — and brought to the table, where customers could decide the final temperature of their meal.

Top Travel Tips for Travelling Within the Cities

When you’re in New York, remember the hot zones for foot traffic so you can keep away from them.

Taxis are normally very expensive in New York and if you’re in a hurry, traffic will make it about the same speed (or slower) than the subway. Sometimes, walking is even quicker.

When in San Francisco wear comfy shoes. You would be doing plenty of walking on steep hills.

Locate the oyster happy hours – There are plenty of restaurants all over San Francisco that has an oyster happy hour at least once a week for around $1 per oyster. Ichi Sushi, Waterbar, and Waterfront Restaurant are great places to begin.

Spend Smart: There are some shocking ways to save money in Los Angeles. Dining on the best of food doesn’t have to break the bank as several amazing restaurants provide lunchtime specials on their most famous dishes. How about tours that cost nothing at all? Tourists could get complimentary tickets to places like television tapings, museums, and cultural events.

Know what to look forward to in Hollywood and Beverly Hills: In Hollywood, you’ll come across museums consisting of souvenirs from Hollywood’s past, the Walk of Fame, and the renowned footprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theater.

In Las Vegas distances are further than they seem, The Strip is four miles long, and because the buildings are so close together, they look closer than they really are – a two-building stroll from, say, Bally’s to Planet Hollywood is achievable, but any more than that, and you’ll ruin your walking shoes.

Plan your Attack – As with any new travel destination, you’ll get the most out of your Las Vegas holiday when you acquaint yourself with your surroundings first. After your check-in, take a stroll around your hotel and casino and remember where the vending machines, restaurants, restrooms, and seating areas are.

The Best Hotels in the Cities

Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Queens/Queensboro.

Holiday Inn L.I. City Manhattan View, New York.

Holiday Inn Express San Francisco Union Square.

The Cova Hotel, San Francisco.

Queen Mary Hotel Los Angeles.

The Main Street Station Hotel and Casino.

The Luxor Hotel and Casino.

OYO Hotel and Casino Las Vegas.

Read More:- https://blog.travelcenter.uk/a-holiday-guide-to-usa-quad-city-2021/

This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright) :- https://blog.travelcenter.uk

[tirsaroundtheworld]

Hawaii

After a 3-movies-and-a-far-too-short-nap flight, we arrived in Honolulu. The change of scenery could not have been more different; jackets changed to boardshorts, scarfs and hats to sarongs and snorkel sets, hot tea to icetea, pinetrees to palmtrees and 10 degrees to 25. Yet, on first sight, we also found quite some similarities between New Zealand and Hawaii. The ancient Hawaiians share their Polynesian descent with the Maori and different aspects of their initial culture are still visible in both countries, though evolved differently over time. Both the Hawaiians and the Maori make use of a ‘tiki’ as a symbol for strength, their languages are similarly phonetic, they brought the same types of produce, have similar tattoos and generally have a similar look. Just as in New Zealand, the population now merely consist of transplants and people with partial Hawaiian descend, but the culture is still alive.

We arrived in Oahu, the 3rd largest island that, as we later learned, is referred to as ‘the city’. It also seems to be the least favourite island, which could explain the fact that we were slightly dissapointed. With the presence of the state’s busy capital city, its many highways filled with pressing traffic, its neverending supply of airconditioned superstores, its skyhigh pricetags and its honestly not that impressive scenery, Oahu came nowhere near our experiences in New Zealand (which, as must be said, had set the bar incredibly high 😂). After backpacking in cheap Asia and basic campinglife in New Zealand, we were now forced into a very American lifestyle, complete with a decadent rental car to get around, crazy supersize food portions, an instant cold due to the strong airco and staying in pricey accommodation, which asked for quite some getting used to. Luckily we stayed with a very nice couple in a centrally located airbnb, the mega cheap car rental deal that we had found turned out not to be a scam and got us rolling around in nothing less than a bright red Volkswagen Beetle convertable and we quickly got the hang of finding the most local spots to get a better feel of the island. We spent 5 days cruising all around the island and these where the highlights of our adventures:

# One thing one can absolutely not miss when on Oahu is Pearl Harbour. We rewatched the movie for the occasion and spent hours exploring the memorial ground and museums to learn more about the painful events that happened almost 70 years ago. An interesting experience!

# One of the downsides of traveling with a rental car is the need for parking space. Probably 99% of Hawaii has plenty of that, but we happened to stay in that 1% where finding a spot is a true struggle. Needless to say we were surprised to find a free spot, almost too conveniently close to home! A few hours later a nice and shiny fine on the windshield explained why no-one had parked there (and that the car’s rego was overdue).. Note to self: do not park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or it will cost you. 😂 Gotta learn the hard way I guess, at least we managed to remain fine-free from there. 💪

# Oahu is Hawaii’s hikers’ paradise and we tried a selection of tracks, with the memory of our 3728272 breathtaking hikes in NZ still fresh in our minds and muscles. From all the hilltop views, emerald waters and dramatic coastlines we mostly enjoyed the hike to deserted Makapu’u Point with its beautiful views, from where we spotted two great whales jumping up and showing us their mighty tails. Awesomeee! 🐋

# Speaking of spotting sea life; we spotted our very first wild sea turtle while snorkeling in the beautiful and preserved Hanauma Bay. The very pretty and gracious fellow gave us quite a show too; for what seemed like hours he swam peacefully around the reef, going up to get air, going down to nibble on some tasty-looking algae (not) and getting up very close, seemingly interested in us too. And as if all that wasn’t enough, we shared this wonderful experience with another tourist who happened to be holding a HUGE super pro underwater camera. A big thanks to Richard for the photo-proof of this magical encounter! 🐢💖

# To end our time on Oahu in style, we went to watch the sunset at the famous and overcrowded but beautiful Waikiki Beach with our nice Airbnb hosts. The plan was to watch the weekly fireworks from the terrace where we had dinner, but it turned out that we were on the wrong side of the beach for that so the many tall buildings along the coast blocked our view.. The fireworks sounded beautiful though! We ended the night with a few drinks and dances in a very happy Hula bar, of which we never realized that it was a gay bar until we left. 😂 Time flies when you’re having fun!

In under half an hour we flew from Oahu to Kauai, ‘the garden island’. This beautiful island, the 4th in size and 2nd in highest prices, offers some of the most eye-popping scenery and is a lot less American and commercialized than Oahu. Forced by our last-minuteness, we booked the most expensive accommodation we had stayed at all year (and probably even EVER) but spent the next 7 days sleeping like royals. And this is what we did:

# One of the island’s main tourist attractions is the Wailua waterfall. With reason; the falls are truly beautiful and you can drive up all the way to the lookout platform for a magnificent view. Less touristy is the climb down to the actual bottom of the falls, which follows a muddy and steep drop down through thick jungle after you made your way over the fence that’s there to keep you from going there. Once we reached the pool at the bottom we were all alone (apart from some 38393738373 asshole mosquitos) and enjoyed a refreshing swim around the falls and its magical rainbows in the sunlight. 🌈💦

# As if celebrating your birthday with your bum on a stunning beach, dipping in crystal blue seas, staring at palmtrees and sipping from a cooled fresh coconut isn’t enough of a present, we treated each other to one of the most adrenaline rushing experiences we ever had: a skydive! After a first attempt was canceled due to the strong wind, we got up super early, drove to the tiny airport in pretty Port Allen, signed the piles of papers preventing us to have any possible reason to sue the company, got on board of the plane, enjoyed a short scenic flight over the Southern coast of Kauai, jumped and 3 minutes later gently landed back safely on the ground. Doesn’t sound like much, but WOW, what an experience!! I wish that moment of free falling had lasted forever, tumbling down and piercing through clouds, rain and even rainbows before the most amazing sights of the ground below open up in front of you. I was lucky enough to be given some control of the parachute by my ‘buddy’ who I was with in this tandem jump, so I could make turns and see all around while we slowly descended and the harness’s wedgy started to be increasingly more uncomfortable. Quite an exciting start of our 28th and 30th years on this beautiful earth! 🎉

# Along the line of extremities, hidden in the middle of Kauai is the extremely beautiful Waimea canyon - one of the most unexpected sights we found on this trip. Perfectly American we followed the stunning Waimea Canyon Drive all the way up to the step of the central lookout. Just before a stream of tourist busses arrived we took our time to soak in the breathtaking sight of steep cracks of land descending into a deep and colourful valley with beautiful waterfalls and perfectly snaky rivers as silver lining. For the first time Hawaii came close to some of New Zealand’s spectacular sights! We tried to lose the better parts of the crowds by hiking deeper into the valley, passing dense forests, exposed ridges, rocky slopes and countless sick views. We chased waterfalls, balanced on fallen trees and got off the beaten track; what a good day! 💖

# It took some time, but we finally accepted that Hawaii is much more of a place for a holiday than to travel around in. And as soon as we switched to holiday mode, we started to appreciate the comfort we found ourselves in rather than bothering the high pricetags while we could do with so much less. We adapted a slower pace and lined up right next to the seals to chill on Kauai’s stunning Tunnels Beach, found the most beautiful Secret Beach and snorkeled its amazing reef filled with bright fish and turtles, indulged in typical koi burgers and poke bowls, visited farmers markets and hung out in in our lovely Airbnb.

# Any visit to Kauai is incomplete without an encounter with the most amazing and historically important Na Pali Coast, famous for its sheer cliffs and lush green valleys. We found ourselves in the middle of the crowds marching along the muddy Kalalau track that goes rights through the Na Pali Coast state park, until we reached the beautiful Hanakapi’ai Beach, 4 miles into the track. Unfortunately, the views along the track were not as breathtaking as we had hoped and expected, and the crowded beach wasn’t a peaceful oasis to experiece the serene beauty of this special place at all. Nonetheless it was a stunning walk, but we realized that it is hard to experience a majestic place like this from right in the middle; it can better be enjoyed from a helicopter or by boat to see it as a whole. Oh well, at least we saved hundreds of Dollars by just exploring the area by foot. 👍

Warming up to Hawaii more and more we flew to The Big Island, obviously largest in size - it is as large as the size of all other islands combined - but also the youngest of them all. 8 of the world’s 13 climate zones exist on this island, and to us it seemed to be the most ‘Hawaiian’ with less tourists and commercial areas, more ancient Hawaiian sights and a lower pace of life. Upon arrival in Kona we were surrounded by black, solidified lava, which doesn’t look too paradise-y, but we ended up extending and extending our stay as there is so much more around and the highlights kept on coming:

# Going to Hawaii is equal to going surfing, so we had to hit the surf at least once. We were lucky enough to stay with a nice, retired local on Airbnb who took us and his surfboards to his favorite beach where we spent all morning being thrown around by the waves. Right away we were done with surfing, so instead of cruising the island in search of the best surf we got under the waves in search of the best snorkeling spots. Just for the record; the beautiful and insanely colourful reefs and fishes at Two Step won!

# Aiming for a slow afternoon, we went to Kiholo Bay. This peaceful bay is to be found at the end of a not so slow hike along the coast, passing several beaches, a beautiful Balinese house, some private mansions and a field of lava. But once there, it was all worth it; we found a stunning black sand nook and crannie that we shared with just sea turtles (many of them though 😍) to soak in some sun and test our new GoPro. All afternoon we didn’t see another human soul, which felt like a true miracle on Hawaii!

# The first few nights we stayed in Kona with the surfer host, who had ensured us that it barely ever rained on that side of the island. Ironically, we woke up the third morning (and actually already a few times during the night) in the middle of terrible rain and storm. We decided to move to the ‘Hilo side’ of the island, all the way to the east, where the weather is usually a lot wetter but the Airbnb’s a lot cheaper. We ended up in a perfect place on a hill just outside hippy-town Pahoa with the nicest hosts, who we ended up staying with for 12 days. They shared the best places to go and see, where to eat, what to do and what not to do and they took us to the local weekly food festival where we enjoyed local and nonlocal foods, live music and hula dancers. Spending some more time in one place allowed us to find our own favourite supermarkets, beaches, cafes and bars, plus get the hang of the directions! All the right ingredients to blend in and experience a more authentic side of Hawaii; we loved it!

# One of the most interesting and varied national parks of all of the USA is Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. We spent a day exploring this widespread wonderland of craters, lava tubes, thermic activity, ancient petroglyphs, rainforests and spectacular coastal formations and special it was for sure! Especially our drive down to the Southern coast, when the sky cleared, the sun started setting and reflecting on te solidified lava and we could see as far as the end of the coast, was one to remember. And as if we hadn’t seen enough beauty, the park completely changed in the dark! We went back to the star feature of the park, the massive Halema’uma’u crater, the home of Pele, goddess of fire, that seemed all peaceful and quiet during the day but was now spurting burning, bright red lava!! Now that’s a seriously unusual sight for us Dutchies, wow!! 🔥

# Another unusual thing that we went to see is the summit of Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest mountain. What struck us as most unusual about it is the fact that you can just drive up to the summit, at 4.200 meters! Half way up the drive we made an half hour stop at the visitor center, to acclimatize to the altitude and to make a short walk up one of the cones. From there it took us under half an hour to reach the summit, where we got an out of this world panoramic view over the slopes of the mountain, the beautiful surroundings and over the incoming clouds. Unfortunately, it wasn’t clear enough to see any of the other islands - but hey, we were expecting less visibility after recent persistant bad weather! Being that high feels a bit weird, so we didn’t stay for too long before we returned - right in time to avoid the crowds that were coming in to settle for some star gazing. Sometimes you spend the afternoon in the supermarket, sometimes on top of the world’s tallest mountain! A ma zing! 🗻

# Another special place on The Big Island is Waipi’o Valley, which can only be reached by a steep road leading into the valley. One option to go down is by shuttle (a 15 min ride at max), which would cost us nothing less than 60$ a person, so we decided to ‘just’ walk down. Once we reached the valley floor, we found ourselves right in the middle of a blooming green oasis, the most fertile grounds, an abundancy of fresh fruits growing from the trees in and around the gardens of the hippy locals - who aren’t that approving of them curious tourists -, lushy cliffs all around, the smell of weed and free roaming ponies. No wonder the locals are really pressuring the governments to keep their policies out of this valley; time stops here. We continued to walk deeper into the valley, aiming to find a huge waterfall, but a few miles of walking, millions of mosquito bites (on my side) and a slip and fall in the river we had to cross later we learned that we had gone the wrong way and had to turn right back around… In the end we never found the waterfall, but we did end up at a beautiful beach where we enjoyed a picnic on the black sand before we struggled our way up the steep road out of the valley. An adventurous way to keep our summer bodies in shape! 💪

# We ended our stay on the lovely Big Island with a night trip to see Puna’s lava stream. Here, lava from the Kilauea volcano flows down into the ocean, which should be a spectacular sight. To get to the flow, we rented mountainbikes to bike 6 km into the volcanoes national park, from where we continued by foot. The flow was not strong enough to reach the ocean, so we started walking landward as we could see smoldering lava in the dark distance. We walked and walked and walked over the sharp and crunching solidified lava from previous streams, which must be the most deceptive surface in the world as we just did not seem to get any closer. Finally, after an 1,5 hours walk, we literally felt heat under our feet and started to see burning lava through the cracks of the lava we were walking on. Scary!! And just when it all started to feel slightly too dangerous for our taste, we bumped into the actual flow of burning, glowing lava! Wow, that truly was one of the most special things we have seen!! And very very hot, so after we took a really good look and some underlit pictures we decided to start making our way back. It took forever before we finally got back home, but whát an experience! 😱

Sort of sad to move on but ready for new adventures at the same time, we made our way to the airport. The rental shuttle dropped us at the smallest airstrip at the side the airport, where it turned out that we had booked two seats on a tiny 7 seat plane! Though the windy weather made the short flight significantly less comfortable, the stunning views we got while flying over the Big Island’s extraordinary landscape to and over Maui completely made up for it. We had heard a lot of good things about Maui and we had saved our last week on Hawaii to find out for ourselves:

# We were off to a great start when we checked in to a conveniently located Airbnb where our hosts happened to be a very fun couple of our age with who we really clicked! Even though they had adapted the ‘Maui midnight’ routine, which meant that they would go to bed at 8 pm and wake up at 4 am, we managed to spend some time together and really became friends. They had a reaaally cool dog too, awesome!

# One of the main attractions on Maui is ‘the road to Hana’. This road leads from the ‘commercial’ centre around Kahului to Hana in the rather remote and natural side of the island, passing beautiful, thick rainforest dotted with countless waterfalls, rainbow eucalyptus, lushy cliffs, stunning coastal views and food-trucks with local treats. After the ‘secret’ Bamboo Forest that we heard about, to be reached by climbing through the fence around the 6,5 miles marker along the road, turned out not to be the ‘hidden oasis’ that we expected to find, we continued to Hana with just a single stop for some fabulous banana bread, straight from the oven; a treat that cannot be missed on this road! Though honestly beautiful at times, the road was just dreadfully crowded with countless tourists including reckless Asian drivers. Hana itself is a tiny, sleepy place, where we just stopped for some chili dog before we continued our roadtrip along the coast. Even though it is a lot longer in miles, we decided to continue driving around the island, rather than driving back the way we came, and that was the best choice we could have made! Even though ‘the road to Hana’ is supposed to be the main attraction, we were blown away by the beauty of the road on the other side of the island! It took us along the most stunning coastal views - from where we could actually see almost all other Hawaiian islands! -, around a range of stunning, lushy cliffs and beautiful rivers floating through while the sun was setting and the sky turned fifty shades of pink. Where we drove the road to Hana almost in one go, here we literally stopped around every corner! Wow! 💖

# One of our absolute highlights on Maui was catching the sunset at the beautiful crater rim of Haleakalã. On the way to the top we enjoyed some seriously beautiful views, though they weren’t as impressive as Mauna Kea. We settled down on the West side of the of the crater rim, from where we watched the sun going down, through the crowds into the ocean behind the hills, completed by the sky’s brightly changing colours. Will sunsets ever get boring?

# All the way at the Eastern end of the Haleakalã National Park we went for a walk along the Pipiway Trail, which led us through thick forest, past a gigantic tree that looked all magical with the sun roaming through its many branches and into the most amazing Bamboo Forest that not even the ones in Japan could compare to. We kept following the path that got more and more narrow as we continued, with tons of branches of bamboo bending over us and closing us in. At the end we reached an opening with a waterfall and millions of mosquitos, so we quickly made our way back into the jungle. Hawaiian jungle must be the most beautiful we’ve seen!

# Maui seems to have it all; there is a commercial center with resorts and high-end shops, there is a quiet and natural side with countless waterfalls and thick jungle, there are beaches of all sorts and densities and there are many small and rather authentic villages as Kihei, Paia and Lahaina. We loved to spend our time roaming the tiny streets with cute shops, artist markets and peaceful parks, visiting museums to learn more about Maui’s whaling and settlers history and feel the vibes, while indulging in fresh smoothies, açai bowls and shave ice. We did save one of the bests for last!

# Our favorite beach on Maui was Big Beach, where we were lucky enough to meet some nice people to play beach volleyball with. We came back for the weekly beach volley ‘competitions’, which is a gathering of people who spend all day playing volleyball, chatting, swimming and drinking. Gotta love islandlife! 🤙

# As recommended by our new Airbnb friends, we made a beautiful hike along the Waihe’e Ridge. In under two hours, we climbed higher and higher, following the ridge and enjoying the most beautiful views over the ‘Iao Valey, the coast and the other side of the island. How I wish we would live in a place like this and could do this as our daily exersize! 💫

# We had our first couchsurfing experience! It took us a year, but we finally signed up and were accepted to be hosted by a lovely couple on the island. Other than with Airbnb, these people really invested in getting to know us a little bit, we had dinner together and we shared travel experiences. It is really interested to see how an experience changes when the influence of money is taken from the equation! Our stay really added to a genuine and authentic experience of Hawaiian life on Maui, and we hope to be able to return the favor one day as our lovely hosts come to visit us in NL!

And then, all of a sudden, those 5 weeks that seemed so long at the start had flown over and our date of departure arrived. Still sandy from our last day at the beach, we changed into our warm winter clothes on the airport and checked in. Bye bye summer, beachbums, palmtrees and coconuts; time to get used to some winter temperatures in Chicago! ❄️🇱🇷

[shark-bit]

Ok I think it’s time for me to pull up my big girl panties and set this out for the world...we’ll just the first chapter cuz I’m getting antsy to post it

Under the Sun and Sea

Chap 1- Under the Seas waves

Screaming spilled out of the castle windows. Peter held his three dearest friends close as he cried out of happiness.”He said I can go!! I can go!!!” Peter shot up from his friends and spun around sending little bubbles out from disturbing the water around them.“Really! Like he really said yes?!” Gwen smiled and giggled as she watched Peter. Dark ruby red scales danced a crossed Peters waist fading down his tail to a dusty dark purple. Piercing blue shot out across the rose red bottom fins the tips kissed black. Red Sea glitter kissed his skin and his forehead had a ruby red tear drop gem at the center and pearls wrapped around his head, he had a small net tied around his waist. Peter always loved collecting shells always making sure he had netted bag with him to save away anything he found on his walks with this fathers. White scales formed around Gwens waist and faded out down to a dark purple almost black tail and her fins flared out to a blinding teal blue. A seaweed tub top covered her breast, a jewel stamped into her navel and sea glitter graced her arms and cheeks.”Oh Peter your going to love it we have this shemps...” Mary Jane slapped a hand over Gwens mouth and laughed awakardly. ”Gwendolyn honey please it’s a suprise remember.”

Mary Jane smiles and bites her lip looking to Peter. “ Tiger fish please we are all very happy but what did your father actually say?” She titles her head, her cherry red hair swayed perfectly in the currant. Fire red and orange scales fell down her hips along her tail and fired out into a beautiful flame with white tips. Two clams pressed against seaweed wrapped in netting and pearls tied around her neck and back.Peter took a deep breath and sighed his body movement making him swim back a bit”My Father said that now that I’m 18 I’m free to wonder the sea floor freely and go as I please... SolongasInevergracethetop” Peter mumbled fast. “So let’s go” he tried to swim off but Harry got a hold of his arm and pulled him back to the group before he could make his escape.

Harry’s green eyes flickered across both girls face before landing on Peters and he smiled. “What was the middle part Pete?” Harry’s black scales doted with electric sea green tail and a striking black and green fins swam them over to the door none the less. Peter blushed and puffed out his cheeks. “ I said I just can’t go to the surface is all” he sighed and looked down pushing open the doors as the girls swam after them. “I just wish he would let me be free like the other mer-people, I wanna feel the sun on my skin, the breeze through my hair, and my song on the seas winds.” Peter swam around and looked up to the surface and shook his head as he painted a smiled across his lips. Coming to a stop at the castle walls. “But about this surprise now?” He smiled and turned to MJ and titled his head his brown eyes shining with curiosity. MJ giggled and swam ahead” Oh nothing just a sunken ship...with human things.” She smirked and watched out the corner of her eye as Peter came racing to her and tackled her sending them tumbling through the water. “ A ship a sea ship oh Guys this is the best birthday adventure ever!!” Peter back flipped through the water as MJ giggled and grabbed Gwen’s hand, pulling her along. “Gwendolyn thought about it our cute little nerd saw some interesting treasures” MJ winked and leading the way.

Swimming after them Peter soon slowed as he looked back to Harry.” You don’t seem as excited about this as those two do.” Harry frowned looking down and let out a breath and then looked to Peter with worried eyes. “ You’re safer behind the castles walls Peter you know how I feel about this, I’m going along to make sure you stay safe.” He laced his fingers into Peters and pulled him closer his hand going this his waist. Harry’s other hand tip Peters chin up.” I care about you Your highness I never want to see you in danger.” He whispered softly to Peter. Peter blushed as he held eye contact with Harry, he opened his mouth to speak when Gwens sassy voice cut through them” Hey you two koi fish done making out we would like to go to the ship!” Peters face blazed red as he pushed away from Harry and raced after Gwen” WE WHERE NOT KISSING!!” He screamed as MJ stared at Harry and Harry just swam past her” lead the way” he spoke. Mary Jane seemed to snap out of her daze and race to the front of the group.” It’s a swim but we should be there soon!” Gwen swam up beside her blowing out bubbles getting the red head to giggle some.

“It’s just up ahead!” Mary Jane called you the others as the sea floor dipped down and they laying at the bottom was a ship cracked in two. It almost looked hunted the salt water taking claim over the wood, sand and muck covering some of the ship and Peters eyes shined” oh wow you guys” he whispered as if any loud sounds and the ship would just crumble into the sea floor. Gwen and swam over to a window and poked her head inside, she swam in the other trailing behind her. Harry bringing up the rear and frowning as he looked around” Not for nothing but this doesn’t seem safe....what id sharks come or a giant squid” he huffed and stayed close to the window they slipped through his eyes going over to Peter every now and than. Peter smiled seeing all the jewels and paintings the furniture that was broken along the floor, ghosting over the rubble something caught his eye and he reached down moving some wood out of the way and saw a music box laying on the very bottom level of the ship. Looking up at his friends to see them oohing at their own treasures he smiled and slipped between the floor bored and swam down to grab the music box.

He never notice the tentacle pulling back into the darkness as he descended the boat. Once his fingers reached the music box Peter grabbed it tilting his head to the side and moved it around his hands” what a beautiful box” he smiled and opened the sky blue box with gold lining and it played a beautiful melody Peter smiled as he hummed along with the tune but all to soon his happiness turned to fear as he let out a gut wrenching scream. Tentacles wrapped around his body and tail covering his mouth and pulling him into the darkness the music box dropped and forgotten. Harry laughed with the girls as they looked at a painting of fruit” humans are so weird I wonder when they have time to eat when they are stopping to draw it first.” The girls erupted in giggles again and he smiled turning his head to tell Peter his joke, but Peter was there....he wasn’t anywhere in site for that matter and Harry’s heart dropped as Peters scream sliced through the giggles and everything got quite. “Peter!” Harry yelled as he took off swimming as fast he could to the hole Peter slipped through Gwen and Mary Jane right behind him

Peter wiggled and groaned as he tried to break free of the giant octopus that had him. Peter was in a state of panic, he looked around and tried to cry out for help but with a suction cup in your mouth it was kind of hard. The only plus side to all of this was that the giant octopus was sleeping, or so Peter thought cuz he couldn’t see its eye open just moving around under its lid in a slumber. Relaxing a bit Peter let his body weight go, letting the octopus hold his weight, the sleep sea creatures tentacle that was holding Peter flopped to the floor knocking Peter lose some.Taking the little chance he had he pulled his arms free and pulled the suction cup out his mouth and gasped letting a a breath and flared to the sleeping giant. Right at that time Harry swam in seeing the monster and held out his arm to stop the girls” hey Harry what the....,” Gwen frowned but once she saw the octopus she covered her mouth and her eyes go big” Hey Guys” Peter said quietly and waved over to them a helpless smile on his face” some help would be nice” Harry swam over to Peter and frowned grabbing his arms trying to pull him free.

After 30 minutes of pulling, pushing, tugging and wiggling Peter was over it and sighed.” This is impossible I’m going to die here” he huffed throwing his hands up and blowing out bubbles. MJ sighed and looked to Harry as she stroked Peters hair” I’m so sorry Tiger Fish we will get you out if it the last thing we do” Harry held MJs gaze then looked away and swam over to the head of the octopus looking over the sleeping monster” Maybe if we just find the right tentacle and cut it off it would be fine” Gwen rolled her eyes and shook her head” so you want us to all die geez Harry think a little” she snapped and swam away from the group. Harry growled and yelled” I am you don’t think I want to get Peter out?!” As the last words left his lips the octopus woke up with a start and threw Peter across the room. Screaming he hit the far wall and sunk to the floor, Harry MJ and Gwen swimming as fast as they could to get away.

Peter didn’t know he passed out till he was being shaken by Gwen” Peter please we have to go!!” She cried as the ship was being torn apart by the giant octopus. Wood splinters flying everywhere, the ground shook with rage as the octopus began moving and thrashing about. Harry has gotten MJ out after a wooden bored almost crushed her. Peters eyes popped open and he looked around and shook his head, he couldn’t hear anything and his head was pounding. All he could hear was the melody of the music box and when he looked down it was by his finger tips. Grabbing hold of the beautiful song Peter shoved it in his net bag at his waist just as, Gwen looked behind her and screamed holding Peter close as a tentacle shot out to grab them, a hand grabbed on to Peters arm at an almost bruising grip and the both of them where pulled out and hugged into the chest of Steve Rogers”Are you kids alright” Gwen and Peter had their body’s tangled in a ball but once Gwen heard Steve’s voice she pushed away from Peter and bowed” Yo-Your grace” she stammered and bumped into Harry’s chest. Peter sighed and looked up to his father and nodded” yes...but I be now I’ll be locked away forever”

Looking between the four young mer-teens and sighing, Steve pulled Peter in for a hug”What your father doesn’t know won’t kill him.” He said with a soft smile and brushed some of the wood from Peters hair” Now let’s be back before he find out what you’ve been up to and you will really wish you where back in the boat” He laughed and lead this four back to the castles walls.

*******************

Music spilled out of the castle windows. The beautiful merman spun and dance around with his friends and laughed as he pulled Gwen and MJ close. The night was filled with laughter and song, everyone dancing and having a good time Peter gasped as he laughed holding his sides as Harry smiled fondly at him grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the other” Harry you really do have the funnest stories” he sighed out following the merman all the same. Out to the balcony” I just love hearing you laugh” Harry said softly and caressed his cheek. Peter blushed and looked away and then back to Harry” Harry... I thought” he bit his bottom lip looking back to the party” I thought we talk about this....we are friends and I just....can’t ” he softly swam back and held his arms over his chest looking down. Peter knee Harry liked him, he knew that Harry was the best of the best but he wanted to keep Peter locked up, keep him hidden away and Peter didn’t want that. He wanted to see all of the sea and maybe some of the sky! Peter wanted adventure and fun. Harry wanted to play safe keep Peter insight always. Harry shook his head getting closer to Peter” I care about you Pete you know I do. But all you do is run” Peter bit his lip and let out a shaky breath” I care about you as a friend Harry I’m sorry” he whispered just as Harry went to say something Gwen and MJ tumbled out giggling and bumped into them” you to Koi fish so cute but you guys are missing the party!!” Gwen giggled and pulled Peter back inside. MJ looked to Harry giving a small smile and Harry sighed and with a sad smile went back to the party.

The night ended with a bang, a big one Peter was covered in seaweed confetti and sea glitter and giggling as he swam back to his room with Gwen” so your staying the night right” he turned swimming backward” I can go home if you want” the mermaid smirked at the gasping prince and swam over to his bed and plopped down as Peter closed the door and locked it” so......let’s sneak out” he turned to her and then swam over to his window and bit his lip” and go to the surface” Gwen gasped and fell off the bed” Peter!!!! What is wrong with you!!!” She yelled and Peter frown swimming over to her and covered her mouth” Stop yelling” he hissed whisper yelling” you owe me remember Sara” Peter smirked as the left his lips. Gwens went wide and then she glared at him” fine asshole” she pushed him away and grabbed the chair that sat at his vanity mirror and jammed it under the handle and looked the the prince” so what’s your crazy plan because this is crazy” she whispered.

Slipping out the window and into the court yard the two Mer-teens swam around. The young prince giggled and spun around” The night sea water is amazing I always wished about swimming through the oceans current” Gwen kept looking over her shoulder and sighed” great good wish granted now can we go back please Peter the king will kill us” she grumbled following after the carefree prince. Humming softly he ignored her plea and swam ahead anyway.”Don’t be a spoil sport Gwen I would have brought Harry along if I wanted a mood killer” Peter huffed. Giant booms could be heard muffled through the water. Jumping back Peters head snapped up to the surface. A ship sailed over the two the light of the moon casting as shadow over the pair as the boat inched along. “It’s a boat” Peter gasped in awe and bit his lip.” No no no! Peter are you crazy!” Gwen yelled after him as she let out a groaned and looked around then sped after the mer-prince.

Peter broke the surface, cold night air filled his lungs and he coughed a little. Gwen came up a few second after him hissing” we are so dead I swear I’m never sleeping over again” she whisper yelled. Peter just shook his head and made a face that said as if you don’t live fore this. The ship passed by them and Peter sighed in awe. bright colors started to explode in the air and the pair jumped and sunk underwater holding each other” What is that” Peter asked as he broke the waters surface again. Gwen shook her head and looked around” We should go Peter please!” Gwen pulled around his arm and bit her lip.

The water turned from a calm sea to aggressive and angry waves. Peter and Gwen got swept up in a wave being carried closer to shore than she had hoped for. The ship rocked back and forth the men on broad yelling and trying to hold. A wave slammed into the ship sending some of the men flying and falling into the sea. Peter and Gwen watched in horror as the men tried with everything they had to reach the surface. Then a blond man jumped into the sea and started pulling the men but to the surface and helping them on board. Gwen pulled at Peter trying to get him to leave, but Peter was transfixed, he watched the man save six men. Once the last of the men where out of the water the blond man started to climb the side of the ship. Once again the ship was slammed into as rain poured from the sky, the shock from the wave went the man flying, crashing into the water. The impact was so hard it knocked him out. Peter gasped and rushed to save the sinking man. Wrapping his hands arms around his middle pulling up.” Oh no no no we have to help him!!” Gwen bit her lip looking around”Peter you can’t!....I mean he’s just.....for the love of....” Gwen ran a hand down her face and grabbed at the man and help Peter pull him to the surface” Now what oh wise one” Peter glared at her and looks to the blond man between him the ship now long gone.” To shore” Peter pulled and Gwen followed begrudgingly.

( this is the first chapter please tell me if anything is wrong! This is my first time writing a fic I’m so scared of messing up hehe, also I write and post everything from my phone right now. Um I’m working on the second chapter now and it’s going to be from Wades point of view. No beta we die like men 😭 so any grammer error please tell me and I’ll try and go in and fix everything)

[sing-it-out-anonymous]

Open Letter 14

At some time now, daghan na sad nag ask about wedding plans sa ako. I totally understand coz that's how to start a conversation, maybe they really tried their best to make a good one. And at some point i really consider ilang question. But I'm not good at giving answers maybe i like it when i keep everything in private since this is my life anyway. Right?

Talking about tumblr, i would love to be super honest, i would love putting everything here and stay being anonymous. Yeah, what about wedding plans. The truth is, i'm planning (me and my partner) to get married not 1 or 2 years from now and not definitely over 29 yrs old. I can't give definite date/s, but we're really hoping before we turned 29 or 30 yrs old. Hopefully, God willing.

Second, what are my plans on the said wedding. Well dili ko ana ka extravagant (comparing myself to fb post na makita nako na wedding occasions). Siguro dili palang jud kaayo nako ma picture out na ako kaslon, parang kahapon lang bata ko na dili gusto maligo haha. For now and wala ko naga storya og patapos, i'm not into very expensive weddings i guess. Very reason: " expensive". Tong nag start na kog work, naga-ipon kog money siguro almost 4 yrs nako naga ipon. 4 yrs of hardship and dili jud ana kadako akong ipon kay gastador pud kong dako. Wala ko nag ipon para naa koy ma-ambag sa among kasal. Pero naga-ipon ko kay like an ant gud, wala pay storm naga prepare og makaon. Kanus-a pa diay ka mag prepare kanang wala nay ika prepare? Duh. And so balik sa topic, wala jud na sia sa akong ideology kanang fancy stuffs. Magsakit akong buot ana, among kwarta na focus sa kasal. I just like real stuff kanang tinud anay lang kanang less drama and fake faces. I just want a " what you see is what you get" thing. Literally, dili ko gusto naa pay flower girls; dili ko gusto anang typical na program nga daghan pag acheche-ang gusto nako na program kanang Ptr cheka sia then ingon mig I-Do, kaon and uli; next dili sad ko gustog sabitan kog kwarta sa akong gown, sa kinsa may gusto muhatag og kwarta, panghatag lang, mu accept kog donation butang sa sobre with no self-interest attach sa naghatag haha; dili sad ko ganahan anang games na sensual or kanang maghatag og kwarta pinaagi sa patas-anay nga linya; next, sympre gsto gihapon ko na comfortable ko sa akng gown haha sumpre nice dapat akong make up; dili sad ko gusto naa pay mag bridesmaid, useless kaayo para sa ako, kung gusto jud mo mutabang sa ako, tabang lang kung kanus a ta mo kelangan dili nga tungod gi invite ta mo sa wedding; next sympre gusto gihapon kog naay mag assist sa ako oy kalisud anang kami ra, siguro ok na ng isa ka maid of honor ( kanang naa juy initiative ha) og kanang best man/ or pwede pud mubayad nalang kog mag assist sa ako kanang experienced na; next, mas prefer na ko na ang mag host kay duol sa among heart sa akong part, bet nako akong sister; dili ko ganahan taas nga program; og wala koy plano manghatag og souvenirs sa mga nangattend--kay wala mi nagpakasal para ganahan mo, nagpakasal mi kay gusto mi mag uban nga legit haha; sa tanan gusto mag donate para sa amoang future, gina accept nako na whole heartedly; dili na need daghan ninang dili man jud na sila manabang sa imo, kung naa kay problema kung mudagan ka sa ila, they'll just blame you for choosing that for yourself; ok natong 2-3 witnesses, mao man jud na ang requirement sa law; kung gusto jud ka mag ninang/ninong e sure lang jud na e check mi ninyo dili nga kadramahan lang tanan; ganahan pud unta ko naay manghatag og regalo kanang magamit sa panimalay like kutsilyo, karahay, plato, kutsara hahaha ok ra pud fridge, tv, tables and chairs. Haha. Kung walay ikahatag, dili nato pugson. Optional ang wedding singer, pero prefer nako ang actual singing kesa audio lang, mas ok pud kung kaila ko sa mag kanta. Haha. So far kani akong gusto mahitabo haha

And then next, mas gusto ko mag focus sa among financial para sa first year sa among marraige kesa sa padaghanon namo among wedding expenses. So far mas gusto pud nako na dili mangutang para lang makasal. Mas okay sa ako gastusan ang honeymoon kesa kasal. Kung naa mi chance nga makagawas sa philippines para maghoneymoon, bet nako tong cold places. Ok ra pud ang singapore pero perting iganga and inita sa jud. Iba pang alternative: mas ok ko sa pearl farm samal, nice didto ang food ang ambiance.. ang dagat so far dili ka mag sisi nigasto kag mahal. Mas prefer siguro nako nga dili jud mag airplane or travel para less hectic ang sched para relax lang tanan. Isa pa, daghan pa man muabutay nga days uban naman jud mi ana permi. Char nag imagine haha

Unsa pa man, hmmmm sa wedding, so far gusto gihapon ko nga eingon among history sa akong partner: how we met, how we fought, and how we end up together, i think it's worth telling to everyone. Gusto pud ko mag speech akong parents og parents sa akong partner. Note: pwede man walay hilakay, chill lang gud mura man di na magkita. Nice pud kung, apilan namog sermon sa ptr about purity and how it will glorify God, para maka inspire ta sa mga single na mangadto, sila man ang importante sa tanan, to make a point just like the verse nga gina hold on namong duha: Eccls 3:11. God makes everything beautiful in its perfect time. Dili kelangan e control tanan. Dili kelangan pugson ang dili. Dili magpatakag buhat sa butang na dili pa jud pwede. Kung obedient lang jud ka sa Ginoo, naa juy peace sa tanan decisions nimo.

So far, dili ko ma intimidate sa akong kaugalingon about ana na mga butang. Kung naay mangutana sa ako, i'm just cool. So far wala pa ko na annoy. Wala sad ko naga dali-dali. And thank God, i'm not desperate (as far as i observed). Being single is a blessing for me, og gina enjoy nako ang every day na single ko. And kung mahimo man kong married woman, i would really love to have a child. Hahaha

Whatever i'm talking here, nobody knows who i will end up with. But for sure, every day i chose him. And kung dili kami and dili diay siya akong gina picture out na husband nako, unta makabalo nako karon coz i don't want to invest further. Since day 1 until now we've been together ( unofficial and official) for almost 6-7 yrs, wala koy reason nga dili siya akong pilion. I hope i'm his happiness. And if we depart kadjot (LDR), i hope he still choose me; or otherwise, gusto lang ko na happy me both. Kung kaslon man ko sa iya, kung kami jud, unta wala siya napugos tungod lang kay dugay nami. Coz i could live without him kung napugos lang siya ana. I can't take his freedom if it's not mine to take. Masakitan man jud ko, pero at least not for the rest of my life. I don't want to force love. I remember someone told me that, marrying the wrong man could really make you miserable, imagine the 50% sa imong life, that you thought happy ka and then it turned out opposite. Buhaton nako akong best na in accordance sa Ginoo with His help of course coz I can't do it on my own. Wala ko kabalo unsay mahitabo sa future. Daghan man sad og tao nga gibuhat ang tama pero na fail. So dili lang ta magsalig sa nabuhat nato na tama, dili lang sad ta mag regret sa pagbuhat sa tama. I believe that God already loved me and He saved me. That's more than enough for me--trusting Him for my whole life. He took the initiative in everything, I doubt He will leave me. I think trusting God in all circumstances especially in this issue, is conquering fear; diri nakasabot ko na LOVE CONQUERS FEAR. And it's all by the Love of God.

[itsonlyaurl]

HEWWO!! ITS ME KOOM!! Have some: warm milk, woods, chicken feet, sunflower, spit, mushroom, eyebags, whisper, wild boar, heart-shaped, mud :lennythink:

A KANE 👀

warm milk: when do you usually fall asleep?Pass midnight, usually 1-2am in the morning. 

woods: where do you feel at peace?When there is no one home and I do not need to worry about completing any assignments/work, so I can just lie down and relax :’D 

chicken feet: what is your emotional "flaw"?I GUESS overreacting to minor problems? Like I tend to get troubled and annoyed at really small and unimportant issues. And I am usually too stubborn to immediately accept I was wrong//sobbles

sunflower: what do you love and cherish?I DONT KNOW WHY BUT THE FIRST THING THAT cAME TO MY MIND IS MY mechanical pencils. I treat them very well and make sure they are daijoubu. As well as my jackets, especially those with hoodies, I love soft comfy hoodie jackets with pockets big enough to put my phone 👌����A Kane

spit: do you get jealous easily?As much as I want to disagree, I am probably the kind who gets jealous easily. SOBBLES, I try to not let them get the better of me thou. I think it fails most of the time vUv

mushroom: list unique things you like about yourselfu-u-u-unique things? I am a living potato how bout that 🥔

mud: something you're insecure about but trying to love//i moved this question up My appearance :’) I am half comfortable and half uncomfortable about it

eyebags: what do you think makes a person attractive?Personality and how they feel comfortable in their own body? Ish? Throw on a black hoodie and you get bonus points, because everyone can rock a black hoodie 👀👍

whisper: do you have any secrets?Who doesn’t have secrets? Come come I will let you in on a secret 👀I’mgay

wild boar: which person do you feel closest to?//sighs 这个 Kane 啊

heart-shaped: do you believe in love? are you in love?//sighs 这个 Kane 啊 You know I do believe in love. I love Koi, have you drank it before. This bubble tea is fecking good shit and I am in love with it. $3.40 for delicious milk tea with golden bubble pearls just 10/10 good shit Nono I am joking, have you heard of Michelangelo’s David sculpture made out of Marble 👀 It stands at 5.17m tall and have the ideal figure similar to the Greek athletes back in the day as he awaits to slingshot a giant with a rock-

SOBBLES I AM KIDDING

Let me save that line for another time, you know cause YOU CANT BELIEVE I SAID IT IN A T UMBLR MEME

:lennythonk:

[dyreatic]

DIVER Magazine May 2017 - Aqours Special Feature ENGLISH Version

[Raw] [EN Typeset]

Team ONIBE has fully translated and typesetted the key parts of the Aqours Special Feature in the May 2017 Edition of the DIVER magazine, featuring Anchan, Rikyako and Suwawa! The trio goes around Osezaki and Numazu, giving an introduction to recommended spots in Numazu as well as the diving spots of Osezaki!

If you’re planning or have already planned to go to Numazu in the future, do check out the Numazu feature for some places you could stop by on your trip!

TL: Dyrea TLC: Lucia(@luciahunter6​) QC: Mega, MarcoPolo TS: Eter (Thanks a lot!)

Page 1

Osezaki Part. 1

Aqours becomes real sea girls!

First dive in Osezaki & Numazu Pilgrimage

The school idol project Love Live! Sunshine!!, set in the seaside stage of Numazu, Shizuoka, where the youth story of the high school school idols Aqours unfolds. Because Numazu was the stage, it received popularity and proceeded to acquire an unstoppable boom by fans who endlessly continue to visit it after the series. And in the middle of that, 3 members from the cast of Aqours have transformed greatly into real sea girls! They challenged Osezaki, a sacred spot for divers, by personally taking part in diving, and travelled around the recommended spots in the hometown of Numazu.

From the left, Aida Rikako, performing as Sakurauchi Riko, Inami Anju, performing as Takami Chika, and Suwa Nanaka, performing as Matsuura Kanan, all from Aqours. They are at the eye-catching lighthouse at the tip of the cape.

Page 2

Introduce

In the small high school within Uchiura in the neighboring area around the sea in Numazu, Shizuoka, the 9 member school idol group Aqours was formed. It is the youth story of the struggles and growth of the girls who dream of participating in the school idol festival Love Live!. (TV Anime Season 1 aired in 2016. Season 2 is confirmed for this Fall.) One member of Aqours, Matsuura Kanan, is a diver and also helps out at her family’s diving shop. Because there are a lot of important scenes in the story that take place near or in the water, a collab with this magazine was soon realized.

Photo taken at Wannai, the location of this SPECIAL EDITION’s cover. The diver-look suits the cast well.

Page 3

Successive heart-clenching feelings from the underwater world and fish viewing.

March has arrived, with the gentle rays of the spring sun falling down. Within Suruga Bay, Osezaki Cape juts out from land. Looking out at the magnificent Mt. Fuji, which stands out distinctly in the background, made it a great start for the three. Osezaki is an outstanding diving spot within Izu, with an abundance of topology and biodiversity, so divers from all around the country come to visit.

This time, the three of them are aiming for a half-day diving course that can be done even without a license (C card*). All the equipment is rentable, and one session of freely exploring the sea starts from around 10,000 yen.

The diving point is Wannai. Being calm all year round, both popular and rare species exist in this wonderful field. The trio is tense at first, but thanks to the lectures from the experienced instructors Takao Masayuki-san from Divers Inn Fujimi and Horiguchi Kazushige-san from Osezaki Marine Service, both prominent long-standing diving services in Osezaki, their worries were put to rest. “Take it slow when breathing and moving underwater, okay?” was the careful support given to the divers as they entered Wannai. They gently descended to medium depth and enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness, and seeing schools of black rockfish, spottedtail morwong, pearl-spot chromis and others in a once in a lifetime encounter excited them to no end. As they approached 10 meters deep, there were objects scattered around relating to Suijin and Pooh. Since it was a rare chance, they paid a visit to Suijin-sama, and they thus ended their first dive with a smile.

“It was so fun that I didn’t want to surface. It was like a dream~” said the girls captivated by Wannai, a place where Yellow Pygmy-gobies and other popular species are present. The wide open sea of Suruga Bay boasts Japan’s deepest depths, and also has monkfish and other deep-sea fish frequenting it, making it a newsworthy super beach.

“I want to come next time to get my license!” “I want to meet Pooh next time!” bursted the trio with dreams of strolling under the sea.

After you become a diver, you will surely have a desire to dive in the open sea. Although it will require the additional skill of dealing with the tides, but there are beautiful coral fields and schools of fish, and you will get photogenic scenes.

Takami Chika

With her feelings of aspiring towards school idols, she is a protagonist who gathered the other members with her natural forcefulness and cheerfulness. Her family runs a ryokan.

Inami Anju

I love both the sea and fish ♡

Matsuura Kanan

With her outstanding reflexes, she is excellent at diving and boating. She helps out in her family’s diving shop. A mature 3rd year who is also Chika’s childhood friend.

Suwa Nanaka

This is my second time diving!

Sakurauchi Riko

A transfer student coming from Otonokizaka in Tokyo. A graceful 2nd year whose skill is in the piano. She composes music for Aqours, which is brought to life by her musical talent.

Aida Rikako

I yearn for the world within the sea!

Page 4

Osezaki Cape is full of scattered important spots! What are some spots to explore after diving?

Small fish can be barely seen living within the colorful coral in the open sea, and schools of half-lined cardinal are all over the place.

For their diving experience, they are learning how to use the equipment as well as how to swim underwater. The trio are smiling as they are preparing for their first time.

Ose Shrine, where the people of Suruga Bay worship the guardian deity of the sea. It is also a designated Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.

A large undersea Shinto shrine archway! In addition to Ose Shrine, you can also pay your respects to Suijin here.

Wannai has gravel to make entry and exit simple. Because it’s a wide shallow beach, even beginners need not worry.

Seeing the sunlight streaming through from undersea in Wannai, and being spellbound by the silhouettes of the fish swimming back and forth

Into the admired undersea world. Their smiles are perceivable even through the masks.

Beside the sea lies one of the Seven Wonders of Izu, Kamiike freshwater pond. Tens of thousands of koi and other freshwater fish live there, and specialized food is available for all to enjoy feeding them.

The cape is abundant with Juniper trees, and their twisted trunks are a featured natural memento within the country. The girls are receiving power from this honorable 1500+ year old tree!

Divers Inn Fujimi’s famous Mikan jiruko, made from the hometown’s specialty mikan blended into sweet white bean paste. The sourness of the mikan and sweetness of the red bean paste matches very well, and the trio have such high praises that they have gotten extra helpings.

Page 5 + 6

Aqours is off! We love Numazu ♡

Love Live! Sunshine!! is set in Numazu. In the work, the corresponding locations and scenery are faithfully reproduced, and many fans come to visit, in order to personally experience the place that Chika and the others are living in. The trio will are going around the locations related to Love Live! Sunshine!!.

Anchan: There are also a lot of gourmet spots

A diver’s holy ground

(1) Osezaki

Suwawa: They became our instructors!

Their perfect support and hospitality shines bright Divers Inn Fujimi (Ocean View - Fujimi) 993 Nishiuraenashi, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0244 Tel. 055-942-3052 Hours: 07:00 - 18:00 / Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: 07:00 - 21:00 Open daily Website: ose-fujimi.com

A long-standing diving service open for 50 years. It is a complete facility situated in a location with easy access to Wannai as well as the open sea, with staff offering perfect support and hospitality with warm hearts, resulting in many repeat customers attached to it. The meals in the renewed lodging location made with the abundance of local ingredients are also popular. Personal dive: 10,000 yen + tax / 2 beach fan dive: 9,000 yen + tax / Diver 1 night 2 meals: 7,200 yen + tax

The guides and complete facility that even pros depend on Osekan Marine Service 325-1 Nishiuraenashi, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0244 Tel. 055-942-2725 Hours: 08:00 - 17:00 (Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: 06:30 - / Night diving dates until 21:00) Unspecified closing dates Website: fuji.ne.jp/~osekan

A top class complete facility in Osezaki that has set up a long-standing diving service. It also manages the large lodging facility Seaside Inn Osekan. Horiguchi Kazushige-san (center) leads a group of capable young guides who are stationed there, and they freely use all the latest information regarding the biology there to guide both veteran divers and famous cameramen, all of whom place great faith in them. Half day personal dive: 10,000 yen + tax / 2 beach fan dive: 9,400 yen etc.

Exquisite lunch & sweets amidst the atmosphere of a boat trip

(2) Seaside Cafe, Umi no Stage 768-9 Nishiurakishou, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0231 Tel. 055-946-2801 Opening Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 Closed on Thursdays (Except during Summer)

Opened 17 years ago by an owner who loves the sea and boats above all else. There is also a museum about the cruise ship Scandinavia, which used to moor at the bay at the shopfront but now lies at the bottom of the sea near Wakayama. This serves as a conversation topic among its fans. Pictured up top is umami condensed into the “My Lunch Steak” set, while pictured below that is “Sea Grotto”, a delicious mix of Tokoroten with ice cream that is a product of Osezaki. These two are some of the popular dishes here.

A member’s luxurious ocean harvest

(3) OH!MOS Farmers’ Market 14-10 Uchiuraomosu, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0225 Tel. 055-943-2136 Hours: 08:30 - 17:00 Open daily (Except end and beginning of the year)

A shop directly selling Numazu’s fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a collection of other products. It carries the locally branded Jutarou Mikan, harvested in January, which is special for its rich taste. It was also featured in episodes 1 and 6 of the TV anime, and fans from all over the country have rushed over to buy it (The original Takami Chika cover illustration edition in the photo has sold out).

An established ryokan also loved by the great author Dazai Osamu.

Anchan: It’s Chika’s home!

(4) Yasudaya Ryokan 19 Uchiuramito, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0223 Tel. 055-943-2121 Hours (Baths): 11:00 - 21:00 Open daily Website: mitoyasudaya.com

Started in Year 20 of the Meiji era. It is a genuine Japanese-style Sukiya-zukuri building that has been designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, and Awashima and Mt. Fuji are also visible from within, and you are able to bathe in the famous Yunohana Onsen even if you’re on a day trip. In the anime, this was featured as a ryokan managed by Takami Chika’s family, so this is a place fans continue to visit even after the anime.

A member’s luxurious ocean harvest

(5) Restaurant Rikyuu 186 Uchiurashigedera, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0221 Tel. 055-941-3126 Hours: 11:00 - 16:00 (Last Order 15:30) Unspecified closing dates

A seashore dining spot within Awashima Marine Park. Freshly harvested seafood is prepared in a luxurious manner and assembled into a donburi that you are able to taste, and thanks to the anime featuring Awashima island, the Aqours Donburi (1800 yen, Karaage and soup not included) exploded in popularity. The seaweed with members printed onto it is also irresistible to the fans.

Fine coffee in a classic dining area

Rikyako: Calm down and relax

(6) Coffee Specialty Shop, Azumino 2976-2 Shimokanuki, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0822 Tel. 055-932-5444 Hours: 08:30 - 22:00 (Last Order 21:00) Closed on Mondays (Except public holidays)

Opened in 1975 and specializing in traditional Nel Drip coffee, the shop-owner makes coffee with vertical drips. Clear and smooth, the dense, mellow coffee infused with sweetness is an original blend, which is available along with other types of rare coffee in abundance. There is also a grand piano inside, so there are also plenty of things suited for Riko-chan.

If you were totally immersed in the Anime’s world

(7) Yudai SUN! SUN! Sunshine Cafe 3 Chome-1-1, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0801 Tel. 055-955-7111 Hours: 11:00 - 20:30 / Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: 10:00 - 20:30 Open daily Website: yudai.co.jp

A Love Live! Sunshine!! collab cafe in front of the south exit to Numazu station. The food and sweets are related to the members, and you can take the drink coasters with you. There are also special menus during the members’ birthday months, so you can satisfy yourself with seeing the anime world!

Focusing on brightly colored cakes seasonally

(8) Shunsaisouka Kanan 926 Higashishiiji, Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-0302 Tel. 055-926-0511 Hours: 10:00 - 19:00 Closed on Tuesdays

This is a cake and baked sweet shop whose owner, Ootake Yoshiki-san, is a pastry chef who won an award at the winner East Japan Pastry Exhibition Grand Gateau division. Plenty of fans drop by because it shares a name with Kanan, and the featured sweets “Ootake Shoe” and “Torokeru Burin” draw in repeat customers.

Page 7 + 8

Aqours speaks! Special Interview

Shining while facing their dreams, their failures and successes, their friendships and bonds… Those are Love Live! Sunshine!!’s many radiant messages. The trio talks about the work’s charm, and also that of Numazu, where they dived.

The maturing members add the gleaming ocean to their list of stages

What was your impression of the underwater world after diving for the first time?

Inami: I had more fun than I ever imagined, and it felt like I was in a dream underwater for much longer than I actually was! I’ve loved the sea ever since I was small, and I was good at free diving and high diving. I also practiced swimming for 6 years, and I love fish to the point that I often went to aquariums too, so I feel really blessed that I was able to dive after yearning for it all along!

Suwa: In elementary school, I went diving in Okinawa during the summer, and it was really fun this time too. “Since we’re going underwater today our eyes will probably be opened to what diving is like!” I said to everyone else, and while I was actually diving, I suddenly thought, “I want Kanan to teach me”.

Inami: Yeah, really~! I also want to get my license and start diving normally! I was uneasy at first, but as I learnt more I got more comfortable, and by the time I had realized it I was smoothly breathing in and out without my nose, and was able to keep my mask clear of condensation.

Aida: Ah~ that was really great! Water isn’t really my strong point, so I was nervous at the beginning, but as expected, the experience and scenery underwater was completely different from up on land! There was also a scene in the anime where Riko was diving with Chika and Kanan, so I had a desire to dive as well, which made this a truly valuable experience. And also, there were so many cute fish!

Inami: “I’m truly diving, and the fish are really there!” was something I felt with each consecutive encounter. Osezaki is a rare sea that even has a shrine underwater. Anyone can explore shrines on land on foot, but the underwater shrines are quite inaccessible, so it’s even more interesting.

Suwa: Even the feeling of being suspended while swimming underwater is something that cannot be done on land, which feels really great. I can feel at ease and relax.

Inami: Yeah! I had a dream of becoming a mermaid, and I was able to swim freely underwater just as if I had turned into one!

Suwa: It was great! These are Kanan’s words, but the greatness of the sea and diving as well as “It feels great to be able to clear your head while swimming in the sea” as she had said within Sukufesu (Love Live! School Idol Festival, the smartphone game from the same series) and also “Let’s stroll in the sea!” have made me able to enjoy diving with the hope that I will be able to stroll in the sea with everyone~.

Inami: That would be great! This story revolves around the sea as an important keyword, where the name Aqours was also decided from, and everything also started from a sandy beach. A lot of hints came from the sea.

Aida: Riko was able to overcome her piano slump because she dived into the sea.

Inami: Yep, that was the case. Chika was also lost and frustrated, and went into the sea in search of something. And there, she was able to take one step forward once again, and I really felt the support that the sun, the sea, and all of Numazu’s nature gave to the girls. This time, I tried diving in the sea with the thought, “Having seen a sight like this, I wonder if the words from that time would come out”, and I felt that I got closer to the girls’ feelings more than ever before, so I ended up loving the sea more and more!

How was hunting around Osezaki and Numazu?

Aida: I’ve been to Numazu multiple times, but this was my first time in Osezaki. I was especially moved when I saw Mt. Fuji from the cape; it was the first time I was able to see such a beautiful sight all the way down to the base of the mountain. I really felt like I received great power and energy!

Suwa: My memories of Kamiike are also strong. I wanted to try counting the large number of koi that drew near me (laughs). I cannot forget the mysterious atmosphere that felt as if the lord of the pond was dwelling there.

Inami: I know, right? As for me, Ose Shrine, with the tengu decorating it all over, left a mysterious impression on me (Ose Shrine worships tengu and has a lot of it remaining). It’s as if those history and legends were unfurled, and my curiosity made me excited, while I pray for everyone’s future.

Aida: Every time I visit Numazu, I think, “Such a wonderful place exists!” and am able to discover new attractions.

Suwa: There’s still a lot left, so I want to discover more.

Inami: When we go to the locations or the scenes in the casual town that appeared in the anime, we also happily go, “Ah, that scene is here”, while merely thinking, “If the girls were here I wonder what they would do”, which makes us excited. These feelings are the same as the fans’, and I believe that because everyone is coming down to visit, this has once again become a special place.

Aida: I would be happy if from here on, people could come visit all these places, and meet all these warm people while experiencing Numazu.

What kind of existence is Love Live! Sunshine!! to the three of you?

Inami: 2 years have passed since I met the girl known as Takami Chika, and I think that I really changed a lot. Back then, our personalities were complete opposites. I was pessimistic and naive, but Chika was a bottomless pit of cheerfulness, and she gave me the courage to take a step forward with her smile and energy. Chika’s undauntable way of looking ahead was really radiant. She expressed her emotions straightforwardly, and her foundation of unwaveringly facing her dreams really empathized with me.

Aida: I too, really respect Riko in a lot of aspects. Even though she wasn’t the type to take initiative, ever since she became a school idol, she didn’t stand out, but was still an indispensable part of Aqours, acting as a strength from below. She was pessimistic, and while she didn’t have confidence in herself, she worked hard to give her support to the other members when they needed it most. I admire Riko for being this type of girl.

Suwa: Even though Kanan was separated from everyone else by being away from school in the beginning, she made her appearance in a scene in the sea, and she is the sort of leader who would lead everyone along in exercising, calling out to everyone to follow her to bond by the sea. Kanan placed #1 in the center elections, and she took the center spot for the new song HAPPY PARTY TRAIN, and even though I was astonished I was also really happy! Season 2 of the TV anime is also airing this Fall. All 9 members were gathered together in Season 1, and from Season 2 onwards they can have activities as a full group from the very start, which I’m really looking forward to!

Aida: Mhm, in Season 1 Episode 13 they were able to participate in the preliminaries of Love Live!, which was their heart’s desire, and so we were able to welcome the “shine” that the girls had become. And that’s precisely why from here on, I want them to also aim to become the top school idols in the country within Love Live!. I was able to see the ways that they have matured in Episode 13, so I want to see the 9 of them mature more and more.

Inami: I feel completely the same, and just as I thought, Chika’s goal is Love Live!, so I wonder how the outcome will be. And because of that, I want to face that and go and see more of the girls who are shining even brighter.

Suwa Nanaka Debuted as a seiyuu in 2013’s Aoi Sekai no Chuushin de. Voices Matsuura Kanan in Love Live! Sunshine!! from 2015 onwards. She is taking on the center role for Aqours’ 3rd Single HAPPY PARTY TRAIN, released on April 5th.

Inami Anju Debuted as a seiyuu in Hinata no Aoshigure, released in 2013. She takes part in activities as a seiyuu, actress and singer. She voices the protagonist of Love Live! Sunshine!!, Takami Chika, from 2015 onwards.

Aida Rikako A girl who returned from overseas after living in Los Angeles for four years during elementary school. Debuted as a seiyuu in Pac-world in 2014. After that, she voices Sakurauchi Riko in Love Live! Sunshine!! from 2015 onwards.

[mmwm]

A list of thirteen things. This week, from the Boston Flower & Garden Show which I attended last week. The theme was “The Beauty of Balance.”

1… My overall impression: Fewer and less interesting garden landscapes than ever (a total of eight, and none you could enter — all the walkways were closed off), no tiny houses, teepees, or other dwellings his year, yet more vendors and sales kiosks, virtually no edible gardens and nothing remotely permaculture on display. I didn’t discover any new plants for my own garden. All in all, fairly disappointing.

2… But, the smell of dirt and the sight of plants can’t help but be cheering in mid-March, while my yard remains entirely covered in over a foot of snow. And there were some bright spots: one garden display labelled its lichens and mosses, the first time I’ve noticed that; another used moss instead of grass as landscaping material, quite exquisitely; and, I ran into a permaculture friend I haven’t seen in a few years at the show!

3… One surprise: Two or three vendors, for the first time, were selling CBD in various forms. CBD is one of the 113 cannabidiols in the cannabis plant, said to be helpful for anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain relief without giving the “high” associated with THC, another cannabidiol in marijuana. (802 Hemp Oil; Whole Harmony — they don’t show their CBD tonic on their website yet; and I think there was at least one other)

4… Another surprise was preying mantis egg cases for sale!

5…  I mentioned that one garden used moss extensively as landscaping material. It was my favourite garden exhibit, the creation of Interiors by M.S. [Maria Sadeck] in Lakeville, MA, a teahouse with koi pond.

Her design statement read,

“The spaces that surround us should reflect our values in life. That could be defined as a moment … or simply the way we choose to live from now on. Equilibrium, beauty and rhythm are fundamental when it comes to outdoor living spaces that transmit peace and tranquility.”

The simple spacious teahouse, the moss, the large stepping stones, the weeping katsura tree(s) and others, and the rectangular koi pond all worked well together, I thought. It would have been even better if we could have walked into the teahouse and viewed it from there.

6… Spouse liked the rather orderly landscape of Paul Massad Landscaping (Boylston, MA; he’s the one who labelled some mosses and lichen).

‘Charles Joly’ Lilacs

7… Pink azaleas were everywhere!

Samantha’s Gardens

not sure which exhibit, shown with an umbrella pine

‘Blaauws Pink’ azaleas (which look a bit orange), Heimlich Nurseries

pink azalea, pink dogwood, and Blue Atlas cedar tree (plus lavender and daffs), Heimlich Nurseries

Paul Massad Landscaping

8… I did love the pink dogwood in the Heimlich Nurseries (Woburn, MA) garden.

9… The Calceolaria crenatiflora aka pocketbook plant, an annual (USDA zone 10-11), was catching a lot of eyeballs in the TerraScape Design (Sudbury, MA) exhibit.

10… I think this was in a Massachusetts Horticulture display (they’re the show’s sponsors). I like the icy blue stone subbing for water, though insects and other animals would not feel the same, I imagine. I could have both.

11… I’m not the only one who wanted to know what this unusual (for New England) plant was; I was glad to find the makeshift label — Naranjilla — on it. This subtropical perennial plant’s scientific name is Solanum quitoense, a nightshade genus whose species name indicates it hails from Quito (Ecuador, South America).  Wikipedia says that its “fruit has a citrus flavour, sometimes described as a combination of rhubarb and lime. The juice of the naranjilla is green and is often used as a juice or for a fermented drink called lulada.” Yum.

12… Joseph Gray Stonework (aka Graystone Sculpture & Masonry) of Pittsfield, NH, traditionally offers a display with a bit of a spiritual bent. I particularly liked the stone lattice waterfall with meditator atop and the stone circle in this year’s design.

His design concept statement is titled “Spiritual Awakening” and reads in part,

“Yin Yang is the most symbolic of all designs for balance in our universe. The meditating man is at peace pondering the beauty of water, nature, and wildlife.”

13… What could be cuter that this Hudson Valley seed packet for German Thyme?

Hudson Valley’s seed packet artwork is always amazing.

Milkweed seeds

Pollinator Petal Patch seed mixture, with monarch and bumblebees

Mother of Pearl Poppy

This catnip art is stunning.

*

As lovely an interlude as the flower show was from the winter exhibit outside its doors (and even more so outside my doors in central NH), I was just as excited to see this Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite) blooming along the Greenway the next day when we walked to the Aquarium.

*

New Thursday 13 meme Featured image from Garden Up (Boston) display at the flower show

Thursday 13: Boston Flower & Garden Show A list of thirteen things. This week, from the Boston Flower & Garden Show which I attended last week.

[tellytantra]

Mishti rukho. Abir called out to a rushing mishti who just ran out of the car without giving a damn to the thunderous rain.  Abir ran behind her and finally caught hold of her hand just before her house's door. Abir: No mishti.Not today.U can ignore me about anything, u can avoid me for all my ajeebness.But not this.U have to answer my this question today. Why you said sorry back there?What was that crazy stunt u pulled off back there?Before everyone mishti!u just apologised for something u never did  Mishti,humiliating yourself.  Mishti: Tum cop ho? Hindi serial ki angry young hero ho? Iss society ka security guard ho? To phir mujhr aise kyun pakad ke rakha??  Abir: I'm doing what is right and I dont care if I look like some roadside romeo or some bigshot criminal.Right now I'm doing what a Guy  have to do for his....for someone he cares.1 And I care about you Mishti.Tell me what happened.U are not a person who'll do whats not right.And u know very well it was not right to beg pardon for something u never did. Kuch to baat hain. Areh,If someone told me I did something wrong, i would agree even if I have no idea about it .Because I dont have that much confidence in me.   But Mishti.If everyone, i mean everyone around me starts shouting mishti did something wrong , I wont believe that.Thats just not my mishti. Lips trembling with the rainy shower,Mishti looked upto the guy with reverence."What is this guy made of?How much more he can sweep her off her feet?” Some more tears leaked from her eyes.    Abir could still see those pearls amidst of all the raindrops. Abir:And now you are crying like those abla nari type which clearly shows u also dont agree to ur own action.  So now tell me why u made my mishti do something she wont ever do?  Suddenly there was a thunder and Mishti grasped about their situation .With great inhuman strength she uttered something to get her out of this emotional turmoil.       Mishti: I'm not your mishti.chodo mujhe. Abir: main tumhe pakad kaha rahi hu? Shocked,mishti looked down to find Abir had let her hand go,perhaps long ago. Abir: I never hold onto something which is not mine.areh,I could not even hold onto things that were mine by birth right.    That last line got Mishti go wide eyed.Damn her mouth.What did she just say?How could she made Abir remember all the thing which made him feel less about himself. Then just like that there was a switch in the whole surrounding.    Abir: Why wilI I hold onto u?Tum koi kitkat ka box ho ki pakad ke rakh du? I just wanted to stop u and make sure u are Alright.I wanted u to share ur pain.I knew u were upset that's why I kinda charmed ur driver.umm.dont scold him,oka? Us bechara ka koi galti nehi.U know nobody can easily escape my charm?Haina?  Abir added with a trademark abir smile.    Mishti's face was loosing color by seconds.She can see through that smile now.How many times he did that in his life?How many times he covered his agony under this smile? Oh my God. The guy she knew as a happy soul,whose smile was his most constant thing,how many of those moments were real in his life? Mishti shivered with the thought. Noticing mishti's pale face,Abir hurried her towards her door. Abir: Enough for today angry chorni.Just go and change. U will catch cold in this rate.       Mana ki tum violent ho par aj ka barish tumse bhi zyada violent hain.Jaldi ghar jao.   And with a boyish smile which broke every corner of Mishti's heart,Abir Rajvaans turned around.  Mishti :Sunoo.. Abir turned back and there was the longest seconds of silence Between them. Abir waited some few more moments expecting to hear their customary "kuch nehi,jao" and quirked his eyebrows as if waiting for that sentence only. Gulping down her emotions,Mishti mumbled, "U are totally drenched Abir.Come inside hurriedly.You can catch a cold too." As soon as Abir opened his mouth to deny Mishti gave him the LOOK. Mishti:Maine puch nehi rahi hu,bata rahi hu.Jaldi aao. Abir meekly followed his angry chorni knowing very well her violent avatar. Changed into a kurta-pajama of bade papa,abir came out of the bathroom to find Mishti in kitchen and approached her. Hearing the footstep mishti turned back and scowled immediately. Mishti: Abir.I told u to dry yourself unless u wanna get a damn cold. Are u a kid?Cant u even dry ur hair? With a stern voice she added,"Just go back and get a fresh towel from the cabinet and get rid of the damp..... " Abir:Jaa raha hu meri ma and raced back to the bathroom,too afraid of her scolding.  1 After some minutes,abir came  to the kitchen massaging his head way too vigorously with towel  to ensure it was clean of any dampness and found mishti pouring hot chocolate in two mugs. "She is just like a flower." Thought an enthralled Abir.  "Fresh,Newly bloomed,full of purity,few dew drops here and there...wait a minute.drops!water!” Abir looked closer to find out water dripping from her long hair wetting her changed new dress again .  Exasperated,Abir exclaimed loudly," mishtiiii!",grabbed her close and  started wiping her hair,the towel of his hand in action again.   Startled out of her wit,Mishti's hold on the mug's rim tightened.This sudden invasion of her man in her very personal territory shook something inside her.     Totally unaware of her condition,Abir went on ranting. Abir: What's this Mishti?U have been getting so hyper over my condition,what about u?Why u are always taking care of others?Take care of u too sometime.Whats all this ruthless behaviour?Jumping into fire,going inside a soon to be explosive car,fighting the goons even before guns.Pagal ho kya?Aur aab?now u are even doing things against ur own character.Maafi mangne chali gayi?aur kunal ko thikse jawab tak nehi de rahi ho,woh bhale bure kuch bhi keh de.areh Tum to apni courtship ka waqt mein bhi itni meek nehi thi.kyun kar rahi ho aisi harkate?kyu khudko vul rahi ho? Mishti:Tumhara liye. Abir almost missed that soft whisper with his continuous rant but one soft touch of mishti's hand on his hand stalled him. Mishti loooked into his eyes and replied firmly again, "Because of you.I'm doing everything Mishti never did because of you. Because of you I said that sorry.I wanted to apologise to your mother and keep ur brother satisfied with that.I dont care if its kunal,munal or joynal.I dont care whom I'm bending to.I dont care if its related to kuhu,barsa aunty,bade ma or anyone of the world.Areh,I was not even interested in the whole kuku rishta.I just helped them coz u thought they are good together. I only care because its related to u.I needed to ease the tension with your family.I didnt want u to feel bad about ur family member's plight due to this party or worse,I dont want you to fight for me against them.  I know u are very much capable of that.I know MY ABIR that much. Abir's eyes sparkled at that. Mishti: kyunki baat tumhara hai Abir.jabtak baat tumhara hoga,maine aise hi aag main,dariyo main kya toofan main jump karne wali ho.Tumhara violent Mishti hoo na?Mujhe bhi dekhna,kaise meri samne se tumhe kisi cheej se chot poucha ta hain. Because of you I can do anything  as I know u can do way much more beacuse of me. Abir kyunki baat jab hamara hota hain,tab hum dono bas samne wale ko bare main soochta hoon.Now dont u even think of denying that.Its a fact. Well established one actually.  Watching Abir gone mute,Mishti smiled a little and offered him the hot chocolate. Abir took the mug,drank it,took his bag of wet clothes and rushed out.Just as he stepped on the thershold of Maheswari sadan,Mishti gripped his hand and said, Mishti: Areh,ajeeb rajvaansh.Take the umbrella this time.wanna get drenched again? As Abir tilt his head towards her,Mishti was blown away by the vulnerable look on his face.He looked like he could crumble down anytime.    The shayeer in him couldn’t do Justice to the storm of emotions  inside his heart. Believe it or not,Abir was never a greedy child.He learnt to share,to let go,to get even neglected since the very begining of his childhood.He knew he cant have the world at his service. He had been bereft of everything over and over that it doesn’t even surprise him anymore.    All the time he had been asking his silly questions to mishti,it was just to get a signal.Something which allows him to the way of her heart.Something which ensure him that perhaps this time he can get something instead of nothing at all.     He wasnt expecting something way out of ordinary from the girl who is anything but ordinary.Abir just wanted a drop of her affection,he just wanted her to acknowledge his presence in her life,he just wanted to bask in her sunshine like warmth,he wanted to be a part of her soothing aura,he just wanted to get a space beside this shiny star of universe named Mishti. But instead,she just declared him her universe. With all the adoration of the world,Mishti crooned in a thick voice, "Abir!” And the dam broke.     Abir Rajvaansh,not the happy go lucky guy abir but the 7 years old lonely,abandoned,ignored and forgotten boy named abir fiercely hugged his precious and burst into tears.Tears of years of longing,tears of separation,tears of all the blame-lie-betrayal game,tears of gratitude,tears of hope.   1 Tomorrow he will scold mishti about all the self destructive proclamations she uttered few moment before.  Tomorrow he will make sure nobody dare change his mishti.  Tomorrow he will make hundreds of poetry and  woo mishti. Tomorrow he will hold her hand and let his heart bare before her.+ Tomorrow he will put his life on her mercy.     But,today the banjaara just cried in his home... ItsFlora

http://jodifiction.blogspot.com/2020/08/mishbir-os-wajah-tum-ho-yeh-rishtey.html

[jessicakehoe]

FASHION’s Guide to Portland, Where All Things Local Truly Shine

Portland is a city for many tastes, proclivities and interests. If you’re the outdoorsy sort, rejoice in all the trails, slopes and lakes. If you care about the environment, you’ll be guaranteed to meet kindred spirits at every turn. If you’re a fan of local, small-batch goods, well I feel sorry for your wallet. And if you’re into food, saddle up, because there is SO much ground to cover. One through line you’ll probably pick up on by the end of a visit to Oregon’s largest city is the emphasis on all things local: whether it’s the restaurants that source their meat and produce from nearby farms or the stores that carry goods from homegrown businesses and retailers or the bars that champion wine from Oregon’s own biodynamic vineyards. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the spots I explored on a trip to Portland over the summer, which should serve as a handy guide for whenever you’re headed to the City of Roses yourself.

SHOP

Wildfang You may have spotted their hugely popular ‘Wild Feminist’ t-shirts out on the street or on social media. The female-founded company specializes in menswear-inspired clothing for women and female-identifying people but it’s their politically-driven feminist messaging that gets the most love. Most recently, they put out a special collection encouraging people to vote in the midterm elections, and over the summer, raised $250,000 for refugees at the US-Mexico border with their “I really care, don’t you?” jacket. Swing by either of the brand’s two Portland locations for some badass goods.

View this post on Instagram

WHO'S READY TO GIVE A LITTLE HELL TOMORROW?!

A post shared by WILDFANG (@wearewildfang) on Nov 5, 2018 at 7:00am PST

Frances May This impeccably curated boutique in downtown Portland carries a slew of local designers with an eye on sustainability, from their own in-house line fashioned out of vintage fabrics to Kate Towers, whose pieces are hand-dyed and made of natural fibres, to Older Brother, a brand known for its eco-friendly, gender-neutral separates. In addition to clothing, Frances May carries shoes, sunglasses, bags and jewellery from local and international labels like Rachel Comey, Another Feather, Batsheva and Common Projects.

View this post on Instagram

Plenty of light and foliage and fall fashions in the shop RN. Come soak it all in today 11-7 🍂

A post shared by Frances May (@francesmayshop) on Oct 27, 2018 at 11:31am PDT

Schoolhouse Electric The headquarters of Schoolhouse—purveyors of eclectic furniture, lighting and home decor—are in a 115-year-old brick factory building. Not only are their one-of-a-kind pieces made onsite, but the building is also home to the brand’s flagsip store, a homey space where you’re likely to walk away with all manner of great finds, from quirky lamps to cool art.

View this post on Instagram

In our Portland flagship store you’ll see beloved vintage finds we’ve collected over the years. Our hope is that one day, our own Schoolhouse pieces will live on similarly as treasures for the next generation to cherish. #schoolhouseliving.

A post shared by Schoolhouse (@schoolhouse) on Aug 13, 2018 at 9:39am PDT

EAT

Tusk “Locally sourced, aggressively seasonal” boasts this Middle Eastern restaurant, and they deliver on both counts. The airy, light-filled restaurant is the ideal space for brunch, where you can enjoy dishes like The Cypriot (halloumi and spicy lamb sausage with eggs) and Mujadara (a combination of rice, lentils, crispy onions, labneh and sumac). Pretty much every single thing about this restaurant is Instagram bait, from the fresh, vibrant food to the earthy plateware to the space itself, awash in millennial-approved pastel hues.

View this post on Instagram

Kibbe Naya with green wheat, endive, raw lamb, turmeric yogurt, chips || #ayerscreekfarm #tuskpdx

A post shared by Tusk (@tuskpdx) on Oct 29, 2018 at 6:40pm PDT

Tasty n Alder One of the most beloved restaurants in the city, Tasty n Alder’s food is legendary. Carve out a solid chunk of time to dine here, so you can enjoy a range of dishes at leisure. A few items you mustn’t miss: their chocolate potato doughnut (trust me), the radicchio salad with bacon lardons, manchego and a six-minute egg, and the steak and cheddar eggs with cornmeal pancake and jalapeno butter.

View this post on Instagram

Tasty Steak N Cheddar Eggs. 🍳 . . . #tastynalder #portland #pdx #pdxeats #tastyfood #brunch #regram from @relishedafrica.

A post shared by Tasty N Alder (@tastynalder) on Aug 1, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

Pepe Le Moko A great spot for late-night eats and cocktails, this below-ground speakeasy seats just 36 people, so be sure to call ahead for a reservation. Oysters are their specialty, but I highly recommend ordering their cumin-roasted pistachios as a table snack. They’re seriously addictive.

Heart Coffee Roasters Portland’s no stranger to great coffee, and Heart’s one of the best specialty roasters in the city. They source their beans from countries like Guatemala, Ethiopia and Colombia, and have three locations in the city where you can get your fix.

View this post on Instagram

Shelves are stocked with a great selection of beans! Stop by any of our locations and grab yours for the weekend✌🏼

A post shared by Heart Roasters (@heartroasters) on Aug 10, 2018 at 7:58am PDT

Salt & Straw If you leave Portland without sampling the ice cream at Salt & Straw, you may as well not have visited at all. This small-batch ice cream shop with multiple locations has some of the most interesting flavours you’ll ever try: pear and blue cheese, Arbequina olive oil (apparently Oprah’s fave!), and even salted caramel Thanksgiving turkey.

View this post on Instagram

Behold, Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey! The main course of our Thanksgiving menu, this creamy, salty-sweet ice cream is full of delightful, finger-licking flavor—we fold sweet and buttery turkey brittle into a turkey fat caramel ice cream, creating an astoundingly authentic flavor you’ll want to wrap up and take home for leftovers. Get your tail feathers in here and dig in!

A post shared by Salt & Straw Ice Cream (@saltandstraw) on Nov 5, 2018 at 12:02pm PST

Food trucks Portland has over 500 food trucks, most of which are clustered into areas locals refer to as “pods.” Check out a pod or two to sample foods like Korean bibimbap, Thai chicken and rice, falafel wraps, tacos, crepes and more. To help narrow the scope, it might be wise to consult a list like this one by Thrillist or to peruse this site dedicated to Portland’s food trucks before venturing out for your pod adventures.

VISIT

Powell’s Books Be sure to spend an afternoon at Powell’s, the world’s largest independent purveyor of new and used books. There are four locations in the city, but the one to visit is certainly the flagship in the Pearl District, which spans an entire city block and contains over one million books! Don’t leave without popping in to the Rare Book Room, which contains an impressive collection of autographed first editions and other collectible volumes.

View this post on Instagram

November 6 is around the corner. Get ready to vote! (link in bio) #powellsrecommends

A post shared by Powell's Books (@powellsbooks) on Oct 18, 2018 at 10:58am PDT

Portland Japanese Garden This five-hectare traditional Japanese garden, complete with koi ponds, a bonsai terrace and mini pagoda lanterns, is a joy to wander around. I recommend getting a guided tour because there’s so much to learn about the various Japanese traditions and styles that have been incorporated into the garden, which was built in 1963. While you’re in the neighbourhood, be sure to go across the street to the Rose Garden, the longest-running rose test garden in the United States, home to over 650 different varieties of roses.

View this post on Instagram

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."- Albert Camus — We're still awaiting the arrival of autumn, but in the meantime, share your favorite pictures of fall colors! — #fallcolor #fallcolors #portlandjapanesegarden #japanesegarden #japan #strollingpondgarden #lantern #travelportland #traveloregon #oregon #portland #pnw #oregonpnw #travel

A post shared by Portland Japanese Garden (@portlandjapanesegarden) on Oct 6, 2018 at 9:01am PDT

Natural wine bars Portland is having a major natural wine moment, which helps explain the proliferation of natural wine bars like Dame, Ok Omens, Sardine Head, Bar Norman and Ardor. Natural wines are made with minimal intervention, which means they’re organic and sans chemicals and additives. Wines can be intimidating, especially a whole new category of them, but these bars make it all fun and approachable. Want a particularly casual wining environment? Head to Sardine Head, which is Portland’s first natural wine dive bar.

View this post on Instagram

we love the whole world of wine, but this month we’re celebrating the talented, kind people making wine in our own backyard. more delicious by the year…with an expanding view of what can be grown. we’re pouring all of these wines by the glass! come sip or gulp.

A post shared by DAME (@damerestaurant) on May 3, 2018 at 5:24pm PDT

Mount Tabor Head to Mount Tabor, which is technically a dormant volcano vent, for a not-too-strenuous hike among Portland’s lush landscape of firs, maples and cedars. Be sure to check out one (or all) of the three reservoirs in the park, and halt along the way to take in the impressive view of the city down below.

View this post on Instagram

Hood. 🌲🌲🌲⚘

A post shared by Diane Rios (@dirios8) on Oct 27, 2018 at 12:25pm PDT

The post <em>FASHION’</em>s Guide to Portland, Where All Things Local Truly Shine appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

FASHION’s Guide to Portland, Where All Things Local Truly Shine published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

[lindyhunt]

FASHION’s Guide to Portland, Where All Things Local Truly Shine

Portland is a city for many tastes, proclivities and interests. If you’re the outdoorsy sort, rejoice in all the trails, slopes and lakes. If you care about the environment, you’ll be guaranteed to meet kindred spirits at every turn. If you’re a fan of local, small-batch goods, well I feel sorry for your wallet. And if you’re into food, saddle up, because there is SO much ground to cover. One through line you’ll probably pick up on by the end of a visit to Oregon’s largest city is the emphasis on all things local: whether it’s the restaurants that source their meat and produce from nearby farms or the stores that carry goods from homegrown businesses and retailers or the bars that champion wine from Oregon’s own biodynamic vineyards. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the spots I explored on a trip to Portland over the summer, which should serve as a handy guide for whenever you’re headed to the City of Roses yourself.

SHOP

Wildfang You may have spotted their hugely popular ‘Wild Feminist’ t-shirts out on the street or on social media. The female-founded company specializes in menswear-inspired clothing for women and female-identifying people but it’s their politically-driven feminist messaging that gets the most love. Most recently, they put out a special collection encouraging people to vote in the midterm elections, and over the summer, raised $250,000 for refugees at the US-Mexico border with their “I really care, don’t you?” jacket. Swing by either of the brand’s two Portland locations for some badass goods.

View this post on Instagram

WHO'S READY TO GIVE A LITTLE HELL TOMORROW?!

A post shared by WILDFANG (@wearewildfang) on Nov 5, 2018 at 7:00am PST

Frances May This impeccably curated boutique in downtown Portland carries a slew of local designers with an eye on sustainability, from their own in-house line fashioned out of vintage fabrics to Kate Towers, whose pieces are hand-dyed and made of natural fibres, to Older Brother, a brand known for its eco-friendly, gender-neutral separates. In addition to clothing, Frances May carries shoes, sunglasses, bags and jewellery from local and international labels like Rachel Comey, Another Feather, Batsheva and Common Projects.

View this post on Instagram

Plenty of light and foliage and fall fashions in the shop RN. Come soak it all in today 11-7 🍂

A post shared by Frances May (@francesmayshop) on Oct 27, 2018 at 11:31am PDT

Schoolhouse Electric The headquarters of Schoolhouse—purveyors of eclectic furniture, lighting and home decor—are in a 115-year-old brick factory building. Not only are their one-of-a-kind pieces made onsite, but the building is also home to the brand’s flagsip store, a homey space where you’re likely to walk away with all manner of great finds, from quirky lamps to cool art.

View this post on Instagram

In our Portland flagship store you’ll see beloved vintage finds we’ve collected over the years. Our hope is that one day, our own Schoolhouse pieces will live on similarly as treasures for the next generation to cherish. #schoolhouseliving.

A post shared by Schoolhouse (@schoolhouse) on Aug 13, 2018 at 9:39am PDT

EAT

Tusk “Locally sourced, aggressively seasonal” boasts this Middle Eastern restaurant, and they deliver on both counts. The airy, light-filled restaurant is the ideal space for brunch, where you can enjoy dishes like The Cypriot (halloumi and spicy lamb sausage with eggs) and Mujadara (a combination of rice, lentils, crispy onions, labneh and sumac). Pretty much every single thing about this restaurant is Instagram bait, from the fresh, vibrant food to the earthy plateware to the space itself, awash in millennial-approved pastel hues.

View this post on Instagram

Kibbe Naya with green wheat, endive, raw lamb, turmeric yogurt, chips || #ayerscreekfarm #tuskpdx

A post shared by Tusk (@tuskpdx) on Oct 29, 2018 at 6:40pm PDT

Tasty n Alder One of the most beloved restaurants in the city, Tasty n Alder’s food is legendary. Carve out a solid chunk of time to dine here, so you can enjoy a range of dishes at leisure. A few items you mustn’t miss: their chocolate potato doughnut (trust me), the radicchio salad with bacon lardons, manchego and a six-minute egg, and the steak and cheddar eggs with cornmeal pancake and jalapeno butter.

View this post on Instagram

Tasty Steak N Cheddar Eggs. 🍳 . . . #tastynalder #portland #pdx #pdxeats #tastyfood #brunch #regram from @relishedafrica.

A post shared by Tasty N Alder (@tastynalder) on Aug 1, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

Pepe Le Moko A great spot for late-night eats and cocktails, this below-ground speakeasy seats just 36 people, so be sure to call ahead for a reservation. Oysters are their specialty, but I highly recommend ordering their cumin-roasted pistachios as a table snack. They’re seriously addictive.

Heart Coffee Roasters Portland’s no stranger to great coffee, and Heart’s one of the best specialty roasters in the city. They source their beans from countries like Guatemala, Ethiopia and Colombia, and have three locations in the city where you can get your fix.

View this post on Instagram

Shelves are stocked with a great selection of beans! Stop by any of our locations and grab yours for the weekend✌🏼

A post shared by Heart Roasters (@heartroasters) on Aug 10, 2018 at 7:58am PDT

Salt & Straw If you leave Portland without sampling the ice cream at Salt & Straw, you may as well not have visited at all. This small-batch ice cream shop with multiple locations has some of the most interesting flavours you’ll ever try: pear and blue cheese, Arbequina olive oil (apparently Oprah’s fave!), and even salted caramel Thanksgiving turkey.

View this post on Instagram

Behold, Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey! The main course of our Thanksgiving menu, this creamy, salty-sweet ice cream is full of delightful, finger-licking flavor—we fold sweet and buttery turkey brittle into a turkey fat caramel ice cream, creating an astoundingly authentic flavor you’ll want to wrap up and take home for leftovers. Get your tail feathers in here and dig in!

A post shared by Salt & Straw Ice Cream (@saltandstraw) on Nov 5, 2018 at 12:02pm PST

Food trucks Portland has over 500 food trucks, most of which are clustered into areas locals refer to as “pods.” Check out a pod or two to sample foods like Korean bibimbap, Thai chicken and rice, falafel wraps, tacos, crepes and more. To help narrow the scope, it might be wise to consult a list like this one by Thrillist or to peruse this site dedicated to Portland’s food trucks before venturing out for your pod adventures.

VISIT

Powell’s Books Be sure to spend an afternoon at Powell’s, the world’s largest independent purveyor of new and used books. There are four locations in the city, but the one to visit is certainly the flagship in the Pearl District, which spans an entire city block and contains over one million books! Don’t leave without popping in to the Rare Book Room, which contains an impressive collection of autographed first editions and other collectible volumes.

View this post on Instagram

November 6 is around the corner. Get ready to vote! (link in bio) #powellsrecommends

A post shared by Powell's Books (@powellsbooks) on Oct 18, 2018 at 10:58am PDT

Portland Japanese Garden This five-hectare traditional Japanese garden, complete with koi ponds, a bonsai terrace and mini pagoda lanterns, is a joy to wander around. I recommend getting a guided tour because there’s so much to learn about the various Japanese traditions and styles that have been incorporated into the garden, which was built in 1963. While you’re in the neighbourhood, be sure to go across the street to the Rose Garden, the longest-running rose test garden in the United States, home to over 650 different varieties of roses.

View this post on Instagram

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."- Albert Camus — We're still awaiting the arrival of autumn, but in the meantime, share your favorite pictures of fall colors! — #fallcolor #fallcolors #portlandjapanesegarden #japanesegarden #japan #strollingpondgarden #lantern #travelportland #traveloregon #oregon #portland #pnw #oregonpnw #travel

A post shared by Portland Japanese Garden (@portlandjapanesegarden) on Oct 6, 2018 at 9:01am PDT

Natural wine bars Portland is having a major natural wine moment, which helps explain the proliferation of natural wine bars like Dame, Ok Omens, Sardine Head, Bar Norman and Ardor. Natural wines are made with minimal intervention, which means they’re organic and sans chemicals and additives. Wines can be intimidating, especially a whole new category of them, but these bars make it all fun and approachable. Want a particularly casual wining environment? Head to Sardine Head, which is Portland’s first natural wine dive bar.

View this post on Instagram

we love the whole world of wine, but this month we’re celebrating the talented, kind people making wine in our own backyard. more delicious by the year…with an expanding view of what can be grown. we’re pouring all of these wines by the glass! come sip or gulp.

A post shared by DAME (@damerestaurant) on May 3, 2018 at 5:24pm PDT

Mount Tabor Head to Mount Tabor, which is technically a dormant volcano vent, for a not-too-strenuous hike among Portland’s lush landscape of firs, maples and cedars. Be sure to check out one (or all) of the three reservoirs in the park, and halt along the way to take in the impressive view of the city down below.

View this post on Instagram

Hood. 🌲🌲🌲⚘

A post shared by Diane Rios (@dirios8) on Oct 27, 2018 at 12:25pm PDT

[vietnamfoodinparis-blog]

The Vietnam War Weblog

Frequently they can be the most effective way to see particular sights, conserving you time in organising it your self. Vietnam excursions provide you loads of choices regarding methods to commit your time in this fantastic state and also you might consider your determine on from river cruises, journey vacation seasons to cycling or comforting inside the seaside. En route have a appear at the well-known Danang Seaside and go to Cham Museum which consists of the best assortment of Cham sculpture in the globe.

I am at a cocktail celebration at The Nam Hai , probably Vietnam's leading luxury resort, situated in the UNESCO Globe Heritage Website of Hoi An. Therefore, Hue has been 1 of Vietnam's primary cultural, religious and educational centres. A number of various visas to Vietnam can be obtained. Lately, the village has been acknowledged as “a trade village that sculpts the biggest amount of statues and worshipping objects for Buddhists” by Vietnam Record Guide Center.

In specific, Cat Cat village also retains a great deal of distinctive customs that you can't discover in the other areas. Then consider a nearby boat to Lan Ha bay and biking at Catba nationwide park, to go to VietHai village, in the valley of the heart of Cat Ba Nationwide Park. Appreciate a rowing boat trip along the creeks. All through the day, you can spot locals consuming coffee on the streets or at nearby cafes.

Verify out our post on Vietnamese coffee manual for a novelty caffeine encounter. In 1966 the North Vietnamese taped an interview with him. With our Grand Chefs, participants will entertain a "Hands-on" cooking of Vietnamese conventional dishes. Thomson is about thirty miles west of Fort Gordon (Augusta), and as they say in the South, if you are in our community quit in to say hello and we will share a glass of SWEET ICE TEA with you.

Situated 3 kilometres (two miles) from Cholon, the Giac Lam Pagoda is believed to be the oldest pagoda in the city and is a calm location to go to. With an older sister, and a younger brother, the family members quickly moved 10 miles south to Nekoosa, Wisconsin, exactly where Mike, as he was known as, completed higher college in 1933. He did not enlist till following Pearl Harbor, 9 many years later on.

I disagree: Right here are my seven very best seashores in southern Vietnam….

And I knew a great deal of people coming via higher college. I noticed a great deal and these are my suggestions for locations you should go to. I disagree: Right here are my seven very best seashores in southern Vietnam…. If you are traveling North, your subsequent quit is Hanoi. Study our Manual to Street Vendors in Hanoi and know exactly where to go. Be suspicious of everybody who approaches you on the street. I did some research and asked an additional buddy who was in a position to do backpacking prior to for suggestions on exactly where to remain and who to get in touch with.

Guests who will favor to remain on the surface can attempt the jet skiing. Walt receives a cancer diagnosis that he fears will bankrupt his family members, and meth is a way for him to depart them sufficient cash to survive prior to he goes. Travelling at this time can be tough due to heavily booked trains and flights, as nicely as hotels and other accommodation charging much more costly prices.

Even even though I cycled numerous active highways this time about, other than on QL26 I usually felt totally secure & by no means feared for my security. Bai Chay is crowed all the time throughout summer time due to its close to distance from the capital city and a number of Northern Province. The charming Thanh Toan Bridge, also recognized as the Japanese Bridge, lies a couple of kilometres outdoors of the city centre.

We bought a stroller/carseat, and a couple of twelve month previous gender nuetral sleepers. thirty,000 U. S troops consider component. In a town so charming, it only tends to make sense to remain at a location super charming…and that is why we chose to remain at the KOI Resort and Spa. North Korea has declared it intends to abandon its "parallel policy" of financial and nuclear improvement in favor of a concentrate on development, and it is anticipated to look for sanctions relief and other worldwide assist utilizing denuclearization as bait.

The citadel is an sophisticated complicated consisting of 3 concentric enclosures and developed by application of Chinese geomancy. For much more information and if you are interested to guide, click the hyperlink beneath. By Gao Giong, guests entrance charge of ten,000 dong / individual. It is stated that Nha Trang appears like a image sporting cosmetics. I eschew a lot of the contemporary things, like computer systems except at function. Stored crying when I approached him.