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jaegeraether · 1 year ago

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Sunsets and footballers (Part 20)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (20)

Masterlist (other parts here)

YFN had just received an email from the company she now worked for, Lumos. She tried to research the company and the first thing that popped up was a popular charity, followed by several other companies sharing the same name. Eventually she found her company which had nothing beyond a basic internet site and new social media accounts, so she knew they were being honest when they said they were brand new and starting up.

The salary they’d offered her was already high, with the promise of increase based on performance, both hers and Lumos’. The amount of money they were putting into the business and expenses were also much higher than she expected. Someone really wanted this to work.

She looked over at Lucy who was making her own sandcastles and smiled. Once the email had come through, Lucy had insisted she read it and took her time to mull it over. YFN loved that she was doing anything she could to let her make a future in the country, and especially around her profession. That was her Lucy. Always three steps ahead.

She took her phone out to film a little snippet of her as she made her giant sandcastle. She couldn’t help the smile on her face looking at how happy she was. Lucy’s big kid was shining through. She looked up and saw YFN filming her and grinned, gesturing to her sandcastle as if to show it off. YFN ended the video and put it away, looking at Lucy sitting in the sand, a leg either side of her creation. She was wearing black shorts, her whole body tanned from Spain, abs shining with the sunscreen YFN put on her, regardless of the clouds. Her heart felt full just watching her.

“Admiring the view?” Lucy grinned.

YFN felt her face reddening, though she didn’t know why. She wasn’t ashamed to look. She nodded, pressing her lips together to hide a cheeky smile.

“Can you send me that video, little one?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She sent the video and went back to the email on her laptop. The email was promising, and she found herself excited at everything she read.

Her phone rang and she looked at the number, Lumos. She answered it, putting it on speaker, knowing Lucy would be interested.

“YFN speaking.”

“Hi YFN, it’s Joe, how are you?” She sounded lovely, like a mum.

“Hi Joe, lovely to hear from you again. I’m great, just at the beach soaking in all of the sunshine the UK has to offer.”

She laughed. “I dare say it’s nothing compared to what you’re used to in Australia. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”

“No, not at all. I was expecting this today, I’m free to chat.” She smiled at Lucy who gave her a supportive thumbs up.

“Excellent. Okay, well I thought we’d just go through the basics of what we’re hoping to accomplish as a company, our goals and along those lines. If you have the email open, we’ll just run through it together. Also, how’s the work Visa coming along?”

“Perfect, I have it open now. I’ve also spoken to my Visa agent and he’s confident they’ll have it approved by tonight. They’re happy with the contract and 6-month minimum guarantee that you’ve sent through.”

“Outstanding, that’s what we want to hear! Just send that through as soon as you receive it, or if you need any other information. Fingers crossed! Okay, let’s get started. So firstly, as you know, I’ve wanted to start this company for quite a period of time. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in and around the industry, and we’re not seeing the movement in female football that we’ve wanted, so Lumos is a plan to change that. Now, the World Cup has been brilliant for progress, and we plan to latch onto that and keep the momentum building. Over the past year and especially the past few months, I and my friends in the industry have put our feelers out, gotten some feedback and have established interest by a lot of the players. Now, I understand it will start slow, but we’re willing to put the work in and definitely also put the funding into it.”

Lucy looked impressed, nodding as she was talking.

“That sounds fantastic, Joe..”

“I’m glad you agree! To be quite honest with you, YFN, you’ve been the lynchpin I’ve been looking for. I’ve been looking for someone with your experience and after reading your columns and seeing the interviews you’ve conducted, I’m beyond impressed. The research you put into your work, and the way you speak and ask questions to your interviewee’s are smart, and incredibly respectful. I can see that’s important to you, and it’s very important to me. We shouldn’t be asking the same boring questions, or we’ll get the same media trained answers.”

“Oh I completely agree. I was a bit worried at first that this job would encourage me to ask those simple and sometimes far too personal questions, so I’m really happy to hear you say that because people don’t realise that we can go beyond the norm of interviewing, and still remain just like that. Respectful. Not only that, but players will be more willing to open up, accept interviews, and request us if they’re comfortable around us. They’ll also want to use us to get their messages across and I know that if we do this right, the momentum will build and more players will be using us to fulfil their media duties.”

“Outstanding, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear! We’re so, so lucky that you happened to meet Katie so she could recommend you to us. We’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”

YFN was a little embarrassed, she didn’t know how to accept compliments and blushed. Lucy reached over and squeezed her leg in support. “Thanks Joe, that’s lovely to hear. I hope I can live up to your expectations, and I’m excited to get started! It’s a blank slate which means so much opportunity for the company.”

“100% agree. Any chance you’ve found our website and social media accounts?”

“I did just before you called..”

Joe laughed again. “Of course, you have. Straight into work! Excellent. We’re going to get along so well, I already know it. Our IT guy is Noel, and his contact details are in the email. Right now I’ve asked him to make the accounts all bare minimum, as I imagine you’ll want to create a theme to follow..”

“Yes! Absolutely, so I plan on organising a meeting with the whole team for Monday, I just wanted to make sure you were happy with that first..”

“Yes, please! And just for the future, this is your team, your baby. Anything involving the creation of this, meetings, team logistics, etc, all of that is yours. Obviously I’ll still like to be kept up to date with the progress and the plans, but to be completely fair with you, YFN, I run several businesses so I’m quite busy. This company is still in its start-up stages, so I’ll have much more time for it, and I do have a soft spot, this is always going to be one of my priorities, however I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page with this.”

“That’s perfect, I’ll send you through weekly updates and expenses, planning, coverage and everything we change or create along the way. I appreciate the honesty and the communication also, I think until we establish that solid footing, you and I will have to be in a lot of contact to ensure we’re achieving the expected goals, and keeping everything in budget.”

“You don’t know how much this is music to my ears.”

YFN laughed, feeling positive and happy with the plan thus-far. Joe seemed perfect, offering her everything and having the blind faith in her to start up the business almost from the ground, up. “I think we’re starting at a good time, though. We’re catching the start of the seasons, so it gives us time to iron out any issues before the finals for both the WSL and the Conti Cup. A good timeline will be for us to have full coverage by Round 5 on the Conti Cup, and January for WSL, covering both through to the Final. Then we should be fully prepped and running smoothly for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.”

“That’s a very respectable timeline and exactly my thoughts. January will be perfect if we can have full coverage by then.”

“I think it’s achievable, I’ll have a better idea after I research a bit more and talk to the team. I’m sure everyone’s keen to get started! Also, it’ll be quite a heavy work period as we start up, and then when we finally start to get footing, we’ll be expanding to make sure we have the people to cover all games and the email also says you’re hoping for international team and coverage of the other leagues in Europe?”

“Yes,” Joe sounded a litte sheepish. “I know, I know, it’s quite a high expectation, but we’ll get there eventually. Let’s start with the WSL and Continental Cup. Definitely want to be all over the UEFA Women’s Champions League, that’s the first major goal. From there, you and I can talk about expanding to cover Tier 2. Then, depending on the timeline, we want to cover Tier 3 and Tier 4 so we can encourage grassroots and young girls upcoming through the leagues. Then we want Liga F, Serie A, Feminine, etc, also following the national teams, NWSL in the US, A-Leagues in Australia and onwards.”

“Very large goals! That’s great, a lot to look forward to and to aim for. We’ll make sure to split the goals up to feel more achievable for the team, but I think if they know the long-term goal, it’ll make everyone determined and ready to settle down into the job.”

“That’s exactly what we want. The team building and team trust in each other is vital to make this business a success. Anything you need, let me know and we’ll work through it together, that includes extra positions or professionals. I imagine a recruiter may become useful if you become inundated with the logistics.”

YFN nodded, even though she couldn’t see her. She was taking notes eagerly, excited by the conversation as she responded, a little distracted as she typed. “I’ll definitely let you know if we need anything to help us expand..”

“I heard you’re meeting some of the players, also?”

YFN stopped typing and tilted her head. Lucy groaned. She looked over at Lucy who had a frown on her face, gesturing to the phone. “Um… Joe I have Lucy close by who wants to say something I think?”

Joe was aware that YFN was dating Lucy. YFN had made sure she’d told Joe, fearing a conflict of interest, especially with the need to visit Spain. Joe had had the opposite reaction. She thought it was great that YFN was so involved in the industry, knowing that dating Lucy made her closer with the inner circle of football than just being part of a media group. As for Spain, she’d encouraged her to go, offering to pay for flights and knowing that the more she was involved with Barcelona, the easier it would be to expand into Liga F and onwards. She was particularly interested in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati as they had so much influence in the sport. Joe’s ambition was multi-faceted, but positive on all fronts. She wanted to encourage the young female footballers of tomorrow, give women strong rolemodels to idolise, and to bring much needed attention to all of women’s football in general, all around the world. Popular footballers like Lucy, Alexia, Aitana, could help expedite their growth and influence.

“Of course! I assumed she was there with you and then Lucy’s post confirmed it.” She laughed.

Lucy’s post? She looked at a now cheeky looking Lucy as she passed her the phone and stole Lucy’s to check on said “post”. She’d posted the video of her building sandcastles on the beach and grinning at the camera, but more importantly, she’d posted a selfie Lucy had taken of the two of them, YFN sat in-between her legs and being pulled back by Lucy who was kissing her cheek as she smiled. Her mouth dropped open. Hard launch. She looked at the caption.

“Happy place with my happy little Australian” *red heart*

She’d tagged her and YFN looked at the phone in Lucy’s hand, unsure how it hadn’t blown up from all of the notifications it must have had. Lucy winked at her as she moved next to her, resting her hand on her thigh and stroking her thumb there.

“Hey Joe, it’s Lucy.. funny you should mention that, I actually hadn’t told YFN that just yet..”

“Hi Lucy… oh, I’m sorry! I’d heard a few little whispers from a few friends..”

Lucy laughed. “That’s okay, she had to find out eventually.” She looked at YFN who looked curiously at her gorgeously tanned athlete. She couldn’t help reaching out and playing with a few strands of Lucy’s hair that were wildly playing in the wind. “I might as well tell you both.. YFN said a while ago that one of the first things she’d want to do is to have a get-together with a few players to ask them what they want, their likes and dislikes and to start building those relationships.” YFN’s fingers stroked down the side of Lucy’s face from around her temple, down to her jaw as she watched her speak. Lucy leant into her as she did. “So a few of the girls and I made a few phone calls to get some players together for dinner tonight.”

YFN’s fingers paused on her jaw, her eyes softening and heart filling. How did she get so lucky?

“That’s fantastic! A very strong start to everything! Relationship building is the most important thing for us, we want to build and maintain those special relationships with all of the players, so this dinner tonight is going to be the perfect start for that. I speak for our whole company when I say a big thank you to you, Lucy. This is just… beyond the start I was expecting.”

“You’re welcome, and to be fair, I know a lot of the players are excited for this. As you said, word has been spreading for a while now and heating up in the last few months so we’re all excited to see this come to life. The girls I’ve spoken to have been so under represented and misrepresented for so long that they’re excited for this to happen. YFN’s going to have a lot of work, but I know she’s going be the most amazing asset for you and create magic, like she does with everything else.”

YFN’s hand dropped and she looked at Lucy with an embarrassed but thankful expression. Lucy touched that little dimple, her eyes unable to leave it. She handed the phone back to YFN who was almost crying. So much work. She wondered how busy she would be in 13 days when she needed to head to Spain. Joe was aware of it, of course, and immediately approved, reminding her that she didn’t need her permission.

They spoke for a little while longer, talking about the email and the team members they had. The call ended and YFN folded up her little note taking book, pulling the band over it. Lucy’s mouth on hers was surprising, but not unwelcome. She kissed back eagerly, tilting her head and their tongues meeting. It grew a little bit more desperate as their hands tangled in each other’s hair, and Lucy pulled her on top, straddling her in a sitting position. YFN groaned into her mouth at the feel of Lucy’s body against hers. Then her phone rang again.

She jumped, assuming it was Joe calling back and looked at the phone.

“Nan calling. Baby bro calling.”

“Oh shit, Joe really distracted me.” She answered the phone on loudspeaker, sliding off of Lucy, noticing her confused expression. “Hi Nan, hey bro.”

Lucy understood and settled herself behind YFN, legs either side of her and pulled her back to lean on her body. She pulled a blanket around them.

“Hello!”

“Hey sis.”

They changed to Facetime and it was impossible for them to not see Lucy. YFN’s nan adjusted her glasses to better see and her brother looked surprised and unbelieving.

“Oh shit, you weren’t joking.” He choked.

Lucy laughed. “Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you both. I’ve heard so much about you two.”

“Oh, YFN, she’s stunning.” Her nan said, making her choke out a little of the water she was sipping. Lucy and her brother laughed as she coughed the water out of her lungs.

“It’s not just about looks, nan!”

“No, but it certainly helps, doesn’t it?” She laughed.

YFN could feel Lucy’s whole body vibrating as she laughed behind her. She rolled her eyes knowing that Lucy loved compliments.

“Oh and I saw the photos online, very nice!”

Her nan was far past retired, she was a pensioner who spent most of her time playing games on the iPad YFN had bought her, and looking through Instagram and Facebook she’d installed on there for her. She had no idea how to use them and only had a few friends and followers, but that’s all she needed. After that, Lucy took out her phone and followed them both, making sure it was okay first and warning them about random follows that would ultimately pop up.

They spoke for a while, Lucy immediately loved by both, of course. Everybody loved Lucy. Lucy and her brother clicked surprisingly well, perhaps even better than YFN did with him, though she suspected a part of it was his idolisation of athletes and Lucy was nothing if not an athlete. She felt Lucy’s abs against her back, her strong biceps cradled around her own arms and she held her and laughed with her family like this wasn’t the first time they’d all spoken. God, that woman.

By the end of the phone call, Lucy had already managed to convince them both to come over and watch a game, offering to pay for their flights and accommodation. YFN made a mental note to argue with her about that later, or pay before Lucy could. Somehow she’d even convinced her nan who had always said she was too old for flying, Lucy managing to sweet talk her about first class and how much room and food you got. She was excited at the prospect of seeing them both. She’d seen her nan only a few weeks before, but the distance was cruel. Also, she hadn’t seen her brother in 8 months as he was living in Japan, exploring and doing god knows what.

They ended the phone call after a good period, both agreeing to come and watch England play at some point in the near future. She was excited at the thought of seeing her family soon and wriggled back into Lucy to show her happiness.

When the call disappeared from the screen, she saw the notifications and groaned nervously. She opened the post.

*Lucy Bronze MBE tagged you in a post*

*Caitlin Foord liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Caitlin Foord commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Alexia Putellas liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ruesha Littlejohn liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Millie Bright liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Leah Williamson liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Mariona Caldentey liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

She didn’t finish reading the notifications before she cleared them and put her phone away. She’d look later. Right now, she was with Lucy, and she was more than aware that she only had her for one more day. Lucy hummed her approval and kissed her temple.

“Busy third date, hm?”

“Cute lunch, majestic sandcastle, exciting work call, successful first meeting with my family… I’d call that a brilliant third date.”

Lucy nodded against her. “It’s getting late, little one. We need to go; I want us to get unpacked and showered before we go out for dinner.”

“Okay…”

“What’s on your mind? I can hear you thinking.” Lucy nuzzled behind her ear.

“I was just thinking about how I need to say goodbye to you in a day..”

“Don’t think about that.” She whispered. “Let’s enjoy it.”

“I am. My heart is starting to feel sad already though..” She turned slightly to look at Lucy. “Also, just out of curiosity, are we going to not have sex tonight, or just be quiet so Jordan doesn’t hear us?”

Lucy’s head fell back as she laughed. It was one of YFN’s favourite sounds. “Oh, we’re having sex tonight. As for the noise… I’m going to make sure you’re thinking about it for the next 13 days so… good luck staying quiet.”

#lucy bronze #jordan nobbs #lucy bronze x reader #woso #engwnt #lionesses #lucy bronze imagine #womens football #woso community #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso x reader #woso soccer

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corvid-language-library · 7 months ago

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Future Plans

This is mostly me thinking aloud (or rather, writing shit down), so feel free to ignore (it's gonna get long).

Basically, I'm trying to decide what to do in regards to staying in Japan/moving on.

I love living here. I love my job. After a year of doing it, I've learned from my mistakes and I feel like I've become a much better teacher. With the new school year I've implemented some changes in my approach that I know are going to have positive outcomes, and I want to see it through. I want to keep working with these kids, I want to help them grow.

But... I have reasons for wanting to go back to the UK (never thought I'd say that):

Top of the list is my nan having quite severe dementia. That in itself doesn't affect me greatly as I've not seen her for years and was never close to her. However, I know my mum is struggling to look after her. She frequently drives 3 hours to see her, then spends a week caring for her, and while she tries to put a humorous spin on the stories she tells me I can tell it's hard for her. I want to be there for her, maybe even go with her to help look after my nan just to take the burden off of her.

Related to that... I worry that my mum will develop dementia later on and I'll regret not spending the years we could've had together with her. She's the only family member I'm close to really and honestly, I miss her.

Also family-related... I'm missing my niece growing up. I'm not a part of her life at all and that makes me sad.

I'm still considering studying Education Psychology in the city where my brother lives. It would be expensive and I'd need to rely on my dad's money, which I don't really want to do, but it would set me up nicely to either go into research or then apply to do a teaching Masters degree in Norway (plus I'd get to actually be a part of my niece's life for a bit).

I miss having a fucking oven oh my god I want to bake so fucking badly you have no idea.

At the moment I intend to see my contract out for at least the rest of this year. After that, I'm not 100%. I might continue another year and stay until my visa expires (depends on the situation with my nan I guess).

Another plan would be:

Go back to the UK either when my contract reaches its end at the end of January or when my visa expires at the start of January

Come March, apply to university in Norway

Move to Norway the following summer if I get accepted

I'm also considering transfering away from Yamagata if I decide to stay on for a third year, but I'm in two minds. As mentioned above, I want to continue working with these kids and see through what I've started. I also love Yamagata and my team are great and I'm finally making friends! But I also want to explore more of Japan. It's so expensive to travel here from Europe and I doubt I'd be coming back anytime soon, but it's difficult to get to different areas of Japan from Yamagata. If I were in, say, Osaka, it would be much easier for me to go to new places.

Other options:

Just stay in Yamagata and get my visa renewed and settle down properly

Go do TEFL in a different country that's slightly closer to home (maybe Spain or France)

So yeah, those are some thoughts I'm having. I don't really know what to do at the moment and most people just politely listen and then say "well, it's down to you really" and that doesn't help lmao. Thankfully I've got quite a while to decide anyway.

#chough chatterings

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ccohanlon · 1 year ago

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how i live

I woke at midnight, last night, to a hard sou’westerly and the floor moving in three directions at once — pitching, rolling, rising-and-falling. Now, six hours later, the wind has moderated. Everything is still. The rest of the world is obscured by grey mist and sporadic showers, as if the sky has fallen across the shore.

I climb up a short ladder to the companionway to check that all is well on deck — it’s the first thing I do every morning — then I return to my bunk to download email and read a couple of news sites on a laptop before my wife wakes and we have a cup of coffee together across the varnished teak table that separates our bunks.

We talk about what we want to do today and waste a minute or two trying to agree a time-table before giving up. For half a decade, we have scraped by with a minimum of routine or planning. We are singularly unadept at making lists or coordinating diaries. We end up doing most things together. Today, we will pick up some paint and shackles at a chandlery and find a local metal fabricator to repair or replicate a damaged stainless steel stanchion. We also have to buy some groceries. But first I want to repair our rubber dinghy.

My wife and I live on a 32-foot sailboat. It is a life-raft of sorts. It is also an island on which we are trying to regain an unsettled but sheltered freedom after several years of being homeless. Most days, we feel like castaways, with no hope of ever being rescued.

It’s hard to explain how we ended up here. Moving aboard was not a ‘lifestyle choice’ but an act of quiet desperation. We had dropped out of a life in which I had somehow ended up running two well-known, medium-sized companies, one of them publicly listed — before those roles, I had been a musician, gambler, seaman, smuggler, photographer, magazine editor, and governmental adviser — and we had taken to wandering slowly across Europe, the UK, and North Africa. After a year holed up on the southern coast of Spain, a few miles east of Gibraltar, riding out the worst of the pandemic, we moved to southern Italy, where we acquired, and set about restoring, a small ruin, part of servants’ quarters attached to a 16th century Spanish castle, in a village not far from Lecce, in Puglia. We had just completed the work, two years later, when the local Questura, the office of the Carabinieri that oversees Italian immigration, rejected our third application for temporary residence and issued a formal instruction to us to leave Italy — and Europe’s Schengen zone.

The boat was not something we thought through in any detail. I had spent a lot of time at sea in my youth and had lived on sailing boats of various sizes on the Channel coasts of England and France, as well as in the Mediterranean. Which is to say, I had an understanding of their discomforts. But the prospect of resuming a life that, before we ended up in southern Italy, involved moving every three months — not just from one temporary accommodation to another but from one country to another, so as not to contravene the terms of our largely visa-less travel — had exhausted us. I made an offer on a cheap, neglected, 45-year-old, fibreglass sloop I had come across online and organised a marine surveyor to look it over for me. He gave it a cautious thumbs up.

I won’t forget my wife’s dolorous expression, a month later, when she saw the boat for the first time. It was in an industrial area of Southampton, on a dreich morning in early spring — bitterly cold, windy, and raining. Around us, the Itchen River’s ebb had revealed swathes of black, foul-smelling mud. Raised far from the sea, on the plains of north-eastern Oklahoma, my wife told me later she had been praying that our journey to this glum backwater was part of some elaborate practical joke.

There is a whole genre of YouTube videos created by those who live on sailboats full-time and voyage all over the world. The most popular, the so-called ‘influencers’, are young(ish) couples or families with capacious, often European-built, plastic catamarans or monohulls. Their videos focus less on the gritty, day-to-day grind of boat maintenance and passage-making and more on sojourns in ancient, stone-built harbours in the Mediterranean, white, sandy beaches and palm-fringed cays in the Caribbean, or improbably blue lagoons and solitary atolls in the South Pacific, where they barbecue fresh fish, paddle-board, kite-surf and practice yoga and aerial silks for the envy of hundreds of thousands of followers. My wife’s and my life aboard together is nothing like any of this.

We are both in our sixties — I am just a year away from seventy — and we have spent more than a decade on the move around the world, at first following eclectic opportunities for employment then, when those opportunities receded, in search of somewhere we might be able to settle with very little money. Four months after moving aboard our boat, we still think of ourselves as vagabond travellers, our boat a shambolic, floating vardo that we haven’t yet managed to turn into a home. We’re not really ‘cruisers’, despite the sense of community we sometimes find among them, but we are seafarers — historically, a marginal existence driven by necessity. A recent, 150-nautical-mile passage westward along the south coast of England was a shakedown during which we learned how to make our aged, shabby vessel more comfortable and easier to handle and to trust her capacity to keep us safe at sea.

She bore the name Endymion when we bought her — after my least favourite poem by John Keats (“A thing of beauty is a joy forever…”) — but we re-named her Wrack. Depending on the source, ‘wrack’ describes seaweeds or seagrasses that wash up along a shore or the scattered traces of a shipwreck, either of which might be metaphors for my wife and me in old age. It is certainly how we feel when we’re not at sea. Life aboard Wrack is spartan — fresh water stored in a dozen polyethylene jerry cans, no hot or cold running water, no refrigeration and when the temperature drops, no heating either — so, from time to time, we concede the cost of berthing in marinas to gain access to on-site laundries, showers, flushing toilets, and wi-fi. Whether we’re berthed or anchored somewhere, we shop for food once a week — mainly vegetables, fruit, bread, pasta, and rice but little dairy and no meat — and eat one meal a day, cooked in the mid-afternoon on a two-burner gas stove.

The days we spend in close proximity to others’ lives ashore remind us how disenfranchised ours have become. We were homeless before we acquired Wrack, but now we are without a legal residence anywhere, even in our ‘home’ countries. We enter and exit borders uneasily as ‘visitors’, our stays limited to 90 or 180 days, depending on where we are. We have no access to banking, insurance, social services or, with a few exceptions, emergency health care. Even the modest Australian pensions we have a right to can only be received if we have been granted residence in countries with which Australia has reciprocal arrangements — and we haven’t. It’s hard even for other live-aboards to understand how deeply we are enmired in this peculiar bureaucratic statelessness. It’s harder for us to deal with it every day.

But life afloat provides consolations. We are ceaselessly attuned to the weather and our boat’s responses to subtle shifts in the sea state, tide and wind even when we are tethered to a dock. We appreciate the shelter — and surprising cosiness — the limited space below decks affords us but the impulse to surrender to the elements and let them propel us elsewhere is insistent. Our best days are offshore, even when the conditions are testing; the world shrinks to just the two of us, our boat and the implacable, mutable sea around us. Whatever problems we face ashore become, at least for the duration of a passage, abstract and insignificant. We sail without a specific destination — ‘towards’ rather than ‘to’, as traditional navigators would have it — and without purpose. Time drifts.

At least half of every day is spent maintaining, repairing, or re-organising the boat, an unavoidable and time-consuming part of our days, especially at sea. When we’re at anchor or berthed in a marina, we do what we can to sustain ourselves. Most afternoons are spent prospecting for drips of income from journalism and crowd-funding — a source inspired by those younger YouTube adventurers — or adding a few hundred words to a manuscript for a non-fiction book commissioned by a Dutch publisher, whose patience has been stretched to breaking point. Because of our visitor visa status, we can’t seek gainful employment ashore, and we have long since lost contact with any of the networks that once provided us with a higher-than-average income as freelancers. Our existence, by any definition, is impoverished and perilously marginal, we have little social life, yet we make the effort to appreciate our circumstances, even if it’s just to sit together in silence and absorb the elemental white noise of wind and sea, to do nothing, to not think.

Our precariousness burdens our four adult children, who have scattered to San Diego, Sydney, Berlin and Rome: “Where are you now?” our youngest asks. “How long will you be there?” We speak to each at least once a week. Not all of them long for fixedness but they do want desperately for us to have a ‘real home’, somewhere we can assemble occasionally as a family. We will be grandparents for the first time, soon. Like our few friends, our children worry that we might become lost — in every sense.

My wife and I are uncomfortably aware of our financial and physical vulnerability but at our ages, we can no longer cling to the faint hope that there’s an end to it. We have committed to an unlikely, reckless voyage. All we can do is maintain a rough dead reckoning of its course and embrace the uncharted and the relentless unexpected.

First published in The Idler, UK, 2023.

#life #living #poverty #sea #seafaring #memoir #theidler #uk #vagabondlife #liveaboard

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thailandimmigration · 3 months ago

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Thailand Visa Exemptions

Thailand, a popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, offers visa-free entry for citizens of many countries. This makes it easier for travelers to plan their trips and enjoy the country's stunning beaches, vibrant culture, and delicious cuisine.

Countries Eligible for Visa-Free Entry

The list of countries eligible for visa-free entry to Thailand changes periodically. However, as of 2023, many nationalities can visit for a certain period without a visa. Some of the countries that typically qualify include:

Asia: Most Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Europe: Most European countries, such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

North America: The United States and Canada.

Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.

Please note that visa requirements can change. It's always recommended to check with the Thai Embassy or Consulate in your country for the most up-to-date information.

Duration of Stay

The duration of visa-free stay varies depending on the nationality. Most travelers can stay in Thailand for 30 days without a visa. However, some nationalities may be eligible for longer stays.

Important Considerations

Passport Validity: Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival in Thailand.

Purpose of Visit: Your visit should be for tourism, business, or a short-term stay.

Departure Ticket: You may be required to present a return or onward ticket.

Visa Extensions

If you wish to stay in Thailand for longer than the visa-free period, you can apply for a visa extension within the country. The process typically involves submitting your passport and required documents to the Immigration Office.

#thailand #immigration #immigration in thailand #immigration lawyers in thailand #thailand immigration

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thecpdiary · 5 months ago

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The Unseen Costs of Brexit

Brexit has undeniably altered the UK’s relationship with the EU and had significant consequences on various aspects of daily life, from travel and living abroad to education and employment opportunities. Through writing, I focus on the points that drive home the message of the tangible impacts of Brexit and the need for progressive leadership.

A Call for Change Brexit was sold as a move to reclaim sovereignty and control, but the reality for many has been a profound loss. As we navigate the aftermath, it becomes increasingly clear that the promises made have led to unforeseen consequences for all citizens.

Political Reaction

Immigration became a central issue in political debates. Parties and movements advocating for Brexit, such as the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Leave campaign, capitalised on public concerns about immigration. They argued that leaving the EU would allow the UK to regain control over its borders and immigration policy.

Loss of Freedom to Travel and Live Abroad

The ability to travel and live freely across EU countries has been curtailed. For many, this has meant giving up dreams of retiring in sunny Spain, pursuing careers in cosmopolitan cities like Paris or Berlin, or even just experiencing the richness of European cultures firsthand. Travel Restrictions

Visa requirements and limited stays in EU countries have replaced our previously seamless travel experience.

Relocation Barriers

Moving abroad now involves complex immigration processes, impacting those who once planned to retire, study or work in the EU. Education and Employment Opportunities

Younger generations, who were just beginning to explore their futures, have been particularly hard hit. The opportunities to study, live, and work in the EU, which were once easily accessible, have become complicated and prohibitively expensive. Erasmus Withdrawal

Students have lost access to the Erasmus+ programme, which provided opportunities to study across Europe, enriching their academic and cultural experiences.

Job Market Challenges

Employment in the EU now comes with additional hurdles, limiting career prospects that were once easily accessible and attainable. Economic and Social Impact

Brexit’s economic fallout has led to job losses and business closures. The promise of newfound economic prosperity seems hollow as industries struggle and communities face financial uncertainty. Trade Barriers

New tariffs and regulations have disrupted supply chains, increased costs and have created many challenges for businesses, especially small enterprises.

Social Division

The referendum and its aftermath have deepened societal divisions, with communities becoming polarised and national discourse often mired in conflict. Politicians' Disconnect

While many politicians who championed Brexit continue to lead comfortable lives, still enjoying the benefits of EU residency or citizenship, ordinary citizens are now facing the brunt of the fallout. The Hypocrisy of Brexit

David Cameron, Nigel Farage, and Boris Johnson who appear to remain unaffected, highlighting a glaring disparity between the rhetoric used to amass votes, and the reality for the average person. There is a growing need to hold leaders accountable for the promises made versus the outcomes delivered. A Call to Action: Make Your Vote Count

As we approach the General Election, it is crucial to advocate for politicians who recognise the damage done and are willing to pursue policies that can repair and rebuild our connections with the EU. We need leaders with vision and a commitment to reversing the detrimental impacts of Brexit. Support Forward-Thinking Leaders

Choose candidates who are focused on restoring opportunities, enhancing economic stability and fostering unity both within the UK and with our European neighbours; advocate for policies that will ease travel, education and employment barriers, ensuring that future generations do not miss out on the opportunities we have taken for granted. Brexit has undoubtedly changed the landscape of the UK. By voting and demanding accountability, we can strive towards a future that reclaims the lost freedoms and opportunities, ensuring a brighter and more inclusive path moving forward. This approach underscores the concrete impacts of Brexit while appealing to a sense of agency and the need for action, encouraging us to vote for much needed change in the upcoming election.

Informed Writing for Democracy I hope my efforts to write about these issues will contribute to a more informed electorate. Writing about important topics can inform and educate the public, which is essential for a healthy democracy. By sharing my perspectives and insights, I aim to spark conversations, challenge prevailing narratives and encourage others to think critically about the issues that matter when choosing the party they vote for.

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

#thecpdiary #blog #Brexit #Costs #hypocracy #divisions #beproactive #yourvotecounts #general election #UK

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cipherexists · 6 months ago

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been looking up immigration laws and generally getting a residence permit so i can go live with my partner at some point and. uh. oh no.

germany require a B1?? proficiency level?? in german?? and, uh, woah that also expensive and the standard for finacially stable is high there

okay well we were thinking about the netherlands anyway, what about that- what is this. why is this. what do you mean i have to be a skilled worker in order to move there, i dont have a degree ?? should i go as a student? but i would Not be able to afford a degree ngl oh and students can only stay for duration of course

okay uh, what if they move to the UK, we are planning on getting married so marriage visa or family visa, yeah. huh. its realitivly simple to get but it costs hoW MUCH??? FOR JUST AN APPLICATION???

just out of curiosity, how difficult is it to settle in spain, i speak Spanish pretty well, i have family there. spanish immigration authority: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. ALL YOU NEED IS TO APPLY FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT IT COST €20. YOU CAN STAY HERE. IF YOURE NOT FROM THE EU THEN ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS STAY HERE FOR OVER 3 MONTHS AND BOOM, YOU QUALIFY FOR RESIDENCY PLEASE.

#cips talks #probably a lil inaccurate but im just. what. we wanna be able to live together but both oir countries are like #if you immigrate? you pay :)#despite the fact thier family are immigrants in the first place who did not have go through the trails 3 #but yeah #spain isnt as open as i described but it is realitively easy to move there and i already have people willing to let me move in

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cathkaesque · 2 years ago

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One thing that doesn’t add up in my research is how small the estimates for numbers of UK seasonal agricultural workers are. I’ve seen figures that range from between 70-60,000, and the Seasonal Worker Visa (the world’s worst managed temporary migration system) allows for 45,000 workers. What I don’t understand is in Spain Huelva and Almeria alone both account for 100,000 workers each. The production in these areas is huge, true, but I find it very strange that two regions of Spain alone completely dwarf figures for the whole UK

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upstartly · 1 year ago

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I was going to hire my friend to do the coding for my games tbh but he was in charge of getting me a job in italy

Basically cause of Brexit I can't just rock up I need like visas and shit and it's confusing from the UK end so he looked into it from his end and was like 'ok so just come here and we'll make you a part time work contract as our nanny and you can use that to get residenza and look for other work' and I was like 'i don't think that's how it works but you know better than me!' And moved to Italy and found a place to live and we were supposed to go get my work contract the first week

And then the second week

And then the guy was busy

And then it had been 6 weeks and I was like '!!! When the fuck are we going??? You made the appointment weeks ago! '

And he's like oh uh we'll go tomorrow

So we go and they're like 'oh that's not how it works lol'

So I wasted a bunch of money and time and may have developed skin cancer while there I'm still waiting for results but moles usually don't double in size and go from light caramel to dark chocolate in a week

And so now he can get fucked I'm going to code this shit myself and maybe I'll move to Spain instead

#a rant do excuse

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spainvisas · 11 months ago

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How To Get Online Spain Visa Appointment From London, UK?

Discover the streamlined process of securing your Online Spain visa appointment from London, UK. Follow our concise guide to navigate the online system, schedule your appointment, and kickstart your Spain visa application effortlessly. Unlock the gateway to your Spanish adventure with ease! Here you can check and Apply Spain Visa according to your needs. Fill out a simple online Spain visa application form and avail round the clock support to get your preferred visa to Spain online in just 3-4 days. For more information visit our site and stay tuned with us.

#spain schengen visa #apply spain visa uk #spain visa from uk #visa to spain #spain visa online #spain visa london #UK to Spain #Spain visa appointment #Spain visa application #Spain visa uk

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nameification · 1 year ago

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okay now even if I've been shadowbanned I've recently learned from my mom that if I want to study in spain, the visa or citizenship applications will be easier or smth like that since the philippines was a former colony and now my international study options have turned to: Australia, germany, uk, spain, and maybe france

#viv.txt #I'm definiprob gonna do tech stuffs and I'll take like extra classes in the creative writing stuffs #my mom wants me to study in france so the family gets an excuse to go to france on vacation but in france you have to *speak* french #shadowban saga

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torreviejatranslation · 5 days ago

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TorreviejaTranslation: The Perfect Moving to Spain Guide

Moving to another country is like restarting your life. You have to start learning from the basics. For example, moving to Spain from UK might sound easier, but it isn't. It involves complications, barriers, etc. You must go through the legalities and adapt to the culture, norms, etc. All of this might feel challenging at the time. In these situations, every individual need guidance and assistance. TorreviejaTranslation supports every individual planning to move to and out of Spain. The company provides essential services to lift every challenge from the process. Here's how it can help. Spanish Legalities: You might have already learned Spanish before moving to the country. But still, you can encounter complications. The most challenging part is legal regulations and documents. Your official documents should be in Spanish. Otherwise, authorities might reject or hold your applications. TorreviejaTranslation can assist you in such circumstances. The experts from this company can translate your original documents from any language to Spanish. Moreover, they can guide you in complying with Spanish legalities, like Spain Residence Permit, visa, NIA number, etc. So, give this service a try to eliminate your concerns. Useful Knowledge: People move to Spain for better education, work opportunities, tours, retirement, etc. The purpose can differ from individual to individual. But they all might have to gain useful insights before moving to Spain. For instance, they should know about education, healthcare, insurance, properties, taxes, immigration, etc. For this, you can rely on TorreviejaTranslation. The service brings you a Spain 101 guide with every critical detail you need in the country. You can read this guide to gain knowledge and find answers to your questions. Saving Money: Moving to another country involves unavoidable challenges. One of these challenges is expenditure. Whether you have applied for a Spanish residency visa or any other requirement, you might have to pay a certain fee. You should know about the right amount to be paid. This way, you can protect yourself from financial exploitation. TorreviejaTranslation knows about your requirements well. Therefore, experts from this company guide you to save more money throughout the moving process. You can ask them about anything and get the right piece of information. Moving to Spain will be easier if you choose this service. You can buy guides or get in touch with experts from this company. They will share every detail and make you aware of requirements. Check out more at https://torreviejatranslation.com/ Original Source: https://bit.ly/3Ofq8FA

#moving to Spain from UK

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head-post · 18 days ago

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China’s list of visa-free countries expanded

China’s visa-free travel list continues to grow, with five more European countries added to the list.

Citizens of Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovakia and Finland have been granted visa-free entry to the Asian country.

Tourists from these countries as well as South Korea will be able to enter China without visas from November 8, 2024 to December 31, 2025.

This comes after the addition of Norway was announced in September and Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Greece, Portugal and Slovenia in October. This brings the total number of European countries granted visa-free access to 24. In July, travellers from Poland, Australia and New Zealand were also granted unrestricted entry to China until the end of 2025.

The scheme was announced in phases from the beginning of 2024, and various European countries and Malaysia have also been granted visa-free access. The programme aims to attract more people to China for business and tourism purposes, and to promote exchanges between Chinese citizens and foreigners.

The full list of European countries now includes Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. Tourists from these countries will be allowed to enter China for short stays without a visa until the end of next year.

The aim is to “promote the qualitative development of exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel and open up the outside world at a high level,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a briefing on the initial announcement in November. Under the trial programme, visa-free entry will be granted for up to 15 days.

China’s international travel recovery continues

According to statistics, the country recorded 35.5 million foreign tourists in 2023, up from 97.7 million before the pandemic. Experts estimate that in the three years that the country was closed to the outside world due to the pandemic, the loss of revenue due to the lack of tourists totalled $362bn.The target for 2024 is to reach a level of 50 per cent of total entry in 2019.

Europe is recovering faster than some other markets, according to travel websites. Trip.com statistics show that growth in total bookings from Europe to China is up more than 6 times in 2023 compared to 2022 and almost 29% compared to 2019. Germany and the UK are in the top 10 most active inbound markets. Shanghai remains China’s most popular destination for Europeans, followed by Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Encouraging entry works. According to Trip.com, the most recent holiday – the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, which starts at the end of January and lasts officially 15 days but actually a whole month – saw twice as many tourists from the named 11 European countries travelling to China as in 2019.

China is also doing a lot to facilitate payments, infrastructure development. But according to experts, while the country has made significant strides in developing advanced technology and transport infrastructure for domestic travel, foreign tourists often face problems travelling around the country. For example, to book seats on high-speed trains or museum tickets, it is necessary to use the local WeChat service.

Many establishments accept WeChat Pay or AliPay exclusively, putting foreign travellers in a difficult position if they rely solely on cash or credit cards. And many hotels in China are not allowed to accept foreign travellers at all.