#thanks for making my hk experience a positive one

[fly-sky-high-bug-games]

Anyway hk community is amazing and folks who work to create something out of love for this game and share it with other fans be it a big project or a loving fun doodle you're all awesome and I care you

[silksongeveryday]

Drawing Hornet everyday until Silksong comes out - Day 365!

1 year! One whole year of daily doodles!!

Honestly?? Idk how to feel, so much has happened since I first started this blog.

I guess I’ll just write what I’m thinking right now??

(Everything under the cut, this thing is longer than I expected)

A lot of this text probably isn’t going to make sense. I’m writing this at 1 am. If there’s any mistakes or errors that’s why. I’ll fix them in the morning maybe.

So like. This whole thing kinda started as a joke, I wasn’t intending to actually draw for a year straight lmao. Like I even used a completely different art style from my regular one that was simple, quick and intentionally dumb. Not that I’m upset by it, I’m actually quite proud of myself that I managed to stick to something for an entire year. That’s pretty unusual for me believe it or not. My original intention was to stop at maybe 20 days because I really wasn’t expecting for this blog to get as much love as it did.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so so much to everyone who has followed and supported this silly little idea I had, you guys are the biggest reason my experience has been so positive and worth it. (Sure it’s not original but I hope it’s at least been interesting!)

I’ve said this a few times now but I’ve mentioned wanting to take a break. I’ll admit that even though it’s been fun it’s still pretty tiring to keep up with this blog sometimes since some recent life events have made it so hard. After some thought, I’ve decided that I’ll likely take a break sometime in the coming months. Maybe toward day 400 or so. As of right now, things are at a lull so I’ve been okay enough mentally and physically to keep up this daily streak I think. Though this could change in an instant for whatever reason.

Overall I think my burnout has kind of gone away I think?? Or at least I’ve been reinvigorated recently after replaying a few runs of hk randomizer and steel soul. No promises it’ll stay away but I silly expect it to come in waves.

Ok but call me crazy or delusional or whatever, but my hopes are up that Silksong will release this year. (which means slowing down/not doing daily doodles yay) I genuinely believe big news is coming since I’ve been getting a lot of dreams lately about something happening with Silksong in March. Idk, I could be wrong but after doing this for a year I’m literally clinging onto anything right now lol

I’d obviously still make the occasional doodle or two when HKSS releases but not daily. This stuff is tough to keep up sometimes, I would never do daily posts like this again once it’s over

Oh yeah also I have an actual big drawing I’m still working on, expect that in sometime in the next few weeks I think!

Anyway, I can’t think of anything else to say right now so I guess that’s it for now!

Thanks so much and here’s to more doodles!

[mofffun]

Gira at the mall 2024.02.25

feels like I'm going backwards when I met the actors first then g-ro then now wazawaza go to a mall event alas

So if you notice the date is when kingoh's finale ep50 airs. But I was very well-adjusted then (lie) having just come back from my g-ro trip completed the farewell ritual of sending the cast thank you cards. But like, um, it was the closest geographically before HK's theoretical events roll in at least four months so I just, chuck it up and go.

I have no idea what to expect. I don't remember when Donbros have our event last June. I thought it's not going to be much more than the ones here even though ours are termed "photo session" and theirs a (proper) "meeting".

sidenote: I hadn't brought any cash that day so I can't take any public transport. I walked like, 15 minutes from the border.

The mall looks too clean like a CBD one. Somehow there's a Toysrus on the 4th floor. Idk man, for a Sunday afternoon the sleek marble framing those brand names made perfect sense to me why only a handful of kids were present.

It was pretty much all young adult fans yeah, 20-30 people or so. The store was already small (surprisingly smaller than ones in HK!) It was a corner out in the front but at least there's a pull-up banner backdrop. There were a group of 3 very stylish teen girls in front of me (gira/mie stans I believe) whose accent does not sound like locals, but I can't confirm anything. There was a guy dressed as S1 Gira and his mates were hyping him up to get noticed by Kuwagata Ohger.

sidenote: you are advised to NOT cosplay at official events lest mistaken as staff (like Disney). But I suppose small-scale meetings like this is fine.

First there's a host (we don't have that). She introduced Kuwa and they began demonstrating the calibur and the mecha. The host named the shugods one by one and that became the quiz later on.

Music starts and Kuwa did the OP dance. Hands raised and you get picked to dance with him or have him teach you a bit. You get a souvenir in a mainland-china exclusive plastic fan. Then it's the paid two-shot session. HK have it written down that you get 2 whole picture with nothing but your phone but the staff here was laser-firing that camera button lol. Then it's Kuwa's solo posing time for us. The area was so small almost everyone got to high-five with Kuwa before he left.

It was a very positive experience! Although it's a very small-scale event, the staff are well prepared and the fan meet even come with section (ads) instead of just a walk around. Maybe it's the crowd's cheers that made it more enjoyable.

On the same day there was a Gotchard session too. First time I saw him IRL. It's a pretty suit and the actor was just as active as Houtaro. A cute and fun day even though I stood there for 3, 4 hours haha.

---

It's the first time I attend a mainland event, official or otherwise. I wanted to go to one of the cons last year when i missed HK's. My schedule always ended up clashing.

No, it's not the first time I've been to a kingoh event, but it feels weird when you're suddenly lifted of the language barrier to make friends I'm actually more scared to talk to people? Well, not that I go and greet everyone when I was in Japan, it was I was in awe of how good the japanese fans are having and how much they in return respect the occassion... I also don't know how to open conversations (in general) I guess...

Four months later, early June, I went to another mall event with all 5 members. to be continued.

[boss323michalmiskovic]

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[potteresque-ire]

Hi I posted an ask regarding your view point on GGDD's safety by people shipping them openly by bus designs, digital hoardings in their country and various other ways. I am not sure if you have already replied because I can't seem to find it. If not, please notify in case you would be interested in posting, there is no pressure or complaints if the answer is not affirmative. Also, I am hoping to read your piece on current issue DD is facing in relation to Nike. I am sure a lot of people enjoy your straight, detailed and analytical thought process and information presentation. A lot of people especially ifans needs to understand the perspective and position an actor or any national level influencer/celebrity is in when they are a citizen of totalitarian regime.

I would love to read, if you decide to write.

Thank you for your blog. It is highly appreciated and welcomed.

Hello Anon! I sincerely apologise ~ my ask box has been very full, and I answer based on time availability (which isn’t much) and “urgency” of the matter (for example, the recent post on Dangai/WoH skipped the line because it’s current). My whim too, occasionally and admittedly; sometimes I’d like to take a breather and talk about something a little more fannish and fun (like window cleaning robots!) Above all, I prefer giving delayed but responsible, or even no answers over irresponsible ones, given some of the subject matter I touch upon. I’ll ... probably have to write up an ask box policy at some point.

Now, my thoughts about Dd’s current situation ... or maybe, my thoughts about the things around it ...

I should explain where my highly disorganised thoughts this time come from first. I’m a Hong Konger by birth, and I grew up at a time when it was still conventional for Hong Kongers to refer themselves as Chinese, following the tradition of referring to the (believed) origin of one’s paternal family as our own origin. I’ve never, however, sworn allegiance to the Chinese government; the two citizenships I’ve ever held are 1) United Kingdom (Hong Kong was still a British crown colony when I was there), and 2) United States.

The distinction between China, the country, and Chinese government, as the country’s rulership, has therefore always been clear to me. You can love, feel a bond with the country, its people and culture and its 5,000 year old history, without having feeling anything with its 71 years-young government with foreign (soviet) roots. To quote Hamilton: Oceans rise, empires fall, and just the central plains of China alone went through a total of 13 recorded dynasties, during which its border waxed and waned, often splitting what is now Chinese territory into multiple countries under different rulership that sometimes split along ethnic lines—China, in that sense, isn’t even historically a country as we define one today; it’s a piece of land in East Asia where different countries have taken over, risen and fallen. And the major ethnic group, Han, which also includes the vast majority of the current political elite, wasn’t always in control. The Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) was famously built by Mongolians; the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), Manchurians. Beijing, the current capital of China, began its illustrious history as The Capital City for the non-Han based, north-of-central-plain dynasties of Liao and Jin. Liao people were believed to be either Mongolic or Tungusic. Jin people were Tungusic, and would eventually become Manchurians. Xinjiang (新疆), meanwhile, was only under the influence of the ancient Chinese empires sporadically, and its formal conquest / incorporation by a Chinese dynasty didn’t happen until ~ 1760, and by the (Manchurian) Qing dynasty. Its late incorporation is also reflected in its name that means, literally, “New Territory”.

What does this all mean? It means: 1) Loving China =/= loving the Chinese Communist Party;  2) Chinese culture =/= Han culture; especially the Han culture infused with “Core Socialist Values” as defined by the Chinese Communist Party; 3) X dynasty’s territory (where X = one of the ancient Chinese dynasties) =/= What has to be People Republic of China’s territory.

And by writing down these three =/=, which I’d argue are simply conclusions from historical facts and logic, I’ve committed an act of subversion in the eyes of the current Chinese government. Remove the “/” in “=/=“, and you’ve got three of the most important talking points of Chinese propaganda.

The sacred, un-violatable rules the Chinese government tells its people.

Why do I mention them? Because the scrutiny, the attack on Dd read familiar to me, and is probably familiar too to all those who’ve kept even a brief eye on Hong Kong and Taiwanese entertainers who work in China. When a topic that violates one of these propaganda points makes news (for example, the HK protest, Hong Kong/Taiwan Independence), entertainers from Hong Kong / Taiwan—anyone who’ve achieved name recognition—are often placed under immediate scrutiny by Chinese netizens to see whether and when they’ll confirm their loyalty towards the Chinese government. The argument is that only those who display absolute loyalty to the Chinese government deserves to earn China’s money, and the main motivation behind this scrutiny, in this case, is mistrust: Hong Kong, after all, is crawling with British loyalists and rioters according to Chinese propaganda, with separatists who’re conspiring with foreign governments to overthrow the Chinese government; the democratic island nation of Taiwan, meanwhile, is supposedly a rogue child who has escaped its mother (China) ’s arms for the past 70+ years—the child who, by the way, shall be brought to their knees (along with into their mother’s arms) by military intervention. Both places, in other words, are serial violators of =/= 1) and 3), and not to be trusted. If their entertainers fail to affirm their loyalty towards the Chinese government, or if the timing of their patriotic display is perceived as off, vicious accusations—similar to those Dd has endured—will fly, and calls for boycott begin. 

Here’s a related observation, while I’m at it ... no one in c-ent is really allowed to keep their political views quiet, even if they’re not particularly well-known. No one can say, politics isn’t for me, it’s too ugly/too complicated/doesn’t fit my image and shove it under the proverbial carpet. Under an authoritarian government, control is exerted via politics, via propaganda that seeps into day-to-day language. It’s an oil slick that taints and swims in even the smallest crevice of life—there’s no where to hide.

And Dd is far more famous than almost all of these HK and Taiwan based entertainers. 表態 — a public announcement of his stance — is the only option left for him when he becomes the centre of a sensitive political issue such as this one. And there’s really only one stance he can take.

In that sense, what happened to Dd isn’t something I’m too worried about—this kind of attack under the guise of a “loyalty check” isn’t new; and the motivation behind the scrutiny of Dd is the safer to-take-down-his-career rather than political mistrust. I believe this storm shall pass soon, as long as his team doesn’t make an unexpected, big mistake. His non-fan fellow country people will probably view him with a more positive light as well: he walked the walk and did what he believed is patriotic — breaking a contract like this is no lip service when in China, performative patriotism is often lip service — reportedly even among the top Chinese Communist Party officials.

If I must find more defence for his stance ... please forgive me, Anon, but I don’t have much more to say than what I said last night, what I said before about China’s access to information—

—because, admittedly, following, talking about this incident is difficult for the Hong Konger in me, even if I’ve expected this kind of incidents from the moment I joined this fandom, even if I’ve expected, as I’ve learned from RL experience, that most people I adore in China will at some point support causes that I deeply disagree with. The online patriotic rally by c-motors and c-turtles under the associated Weibo tag, while impressive and good for Dd, is nonetheless heartbreaking/frightening for me to watch. Why? Because I know this can easily turn into a call to persecute all Hong Kongers involved in the democracy movements sometime in the future. Because I know the rally will probably be as impressive if this has been a call to persecute all Hong Kongers involved in the democracy movements. Frankly, I stopped thinking about Nike as I scrolled through the posts — I was thinking about the now impossibly wide gulf that separates most Chinese and a Hong Konger like myself; I was thinking about why a Gg / Dd performance can trend on Twitter in 10+ countries all over the world but makes almost no noise in Hong Kong or Taiwan, places that should’ve most easily fallen in love with Gg / Dd with their closeness in language and customs. 

As it turns out, the closeness has only driven HK and Taiwan away; the closeness only brings them more insight of the beast—the government that looms over, cast a long shadow over everything that lives under it, including Gg and Dd.

I was reminded of the fact that many young Hong Kongers probably see me as a traitor just for being a turtle — young Hong Kongers who are n>1 generation immigrants from China, who never spend years reconciling the conflicting viewpoints, the even more conflicting emotions when it comes to this ... almost irreconcilable difference now in political beliefs north and south of the China-HK border. Unlike the older generations who often have immigrants/refugees from China for immediate, un-severable family, who often don’t have the option to walk away from the conflicts, to simply point to the other side and call it evil.

And here are my even-more-conflicting emotions: 

While, over the years, I’ve learned to harbour no ill feelings to the vast majority of supporters of pro-CCP causes—I reserve blame for those who conceal the truth, who’re involved in its policy making, or people who live outside the Firewall and should know better (such as every HK entertainer who’ve expressed support)—I’ve also learned, over the same years, to be fully, painfully aware that every endorsement is still an endorsement for the regime to carry on its ways, and the damage is real, is significant even if the endorsers may not know about the true nature of their endorsements. 

A simple thought experiment: the sheer size of China’s population means it can easily control the narrative on English-speaking social media. The Chinese government already has a history of mobilising its people to scale the Great Firewall and spread its propaganda on, for example, Twitter. It has also mobilised fan circles for propaganda purpose. Again, as a thought experiment *only* (ie, SJD!), imagine the Chinese government mobilising Dd’s Weibo supertopic fans to spread misinformation about Xinjiang.

Dd’s supertopic has 5+ million members—all savvy social media users and many skilled in the art of comment control (a collective effort, performed by fans to bury critiques/dissent on message boards); the total number of Uyghurs in Xinjiang is ~12 million, but their communications are heavily scrutinised and they can’t really talk. Just for the sake of argument, we’ll add the ~ 70% pro-democracy HK population to Uyghur’s side: that’s another 5 million, but most of them aren’t good at raging a battle on social media.

Which side will control the narrative in the end?

And so: I understand why Dd’s statement is what it is. I don’t fault him for making it. Still, I can’t in good conscience say to anyone, myself included, that the statement is a personal opinion and doesn’t matter. It matters a lot. His announcement is another stab to the Uyghurs, and the knife is sharp because of Dd’s social influence.

(Today, I saw Dd’s name for the first time in a Hong Kong pro-democracy online news site.)

The statement carried this sentence:

國家尊嚴不容侵犯，堅決維護祖國利益 The dignity of the country is not to be violated; the interest of our motherland is to be resolutely defended. Firstly: it’s character-for-character propaganda language. Secondly: even if we do not consider the labor camps, this is the condition in Xinjiang’s city of Urumqi. Where’s the dignity of the people who’re living there and who’s preventing that from being violated? The interest of the motherland—what kind of motherland answers an allegation of human rights violation with “interest” (利=profit, advantage; 益=benefit)? What kind of motherland has “protects its interest” being synonymous with surveillance and abuse of its own people?

I have a motherland, but it’s not the one in this narrative.

The issues of Xinjiang and the Uyghurs have also become even closer to Hong Kongers since 2019, when the fates of Hong Kongers and the Uyghurs became intricately tied—as dual examples of Chinese government’s human rights violations and indeed, these two populations who previously had very little in common have shown solidarity with each other against all odds. Their connection being this one simple, awful fact: both having what they value most stripped away by the same government—the traditions, religion and culture for the Uyghurs, the promised freedoms and hopes for democracy for Hong Kongers. As an online meme goes: “Today’s Xinjiang; Tomorrow’s Hong Kong” — expressing the fear that Hong Kongers may soon be subjected to the same surveillance as the Uyghurs today, for the same reason of having put up a fight against who they saw as their oppressors (this article offers an objective summary of what led to the 2009 clash between the Uyghurs and the Chinese government, which precipitated the former’s treatment as will-be terrorists today)(Note the role the US played in this.). 

As such, I cannot look away from Xinjiang. As such, I cannot look at our two beautiful stars, Gg and Dd, without also seeing the flag with its blood red looming behind with its own five stars—the biggest of them symbolising the Chinese Communist Party.

How do I reconcile all the feelings? As I said, it’s a constant work-in-progress, possibly a lifelong one. Re: Gg and Dd, that’s what I tell myself at the moment: that my being an i-turtle shall not sway my view or silence me on any sociopolitical issues, that my being a fan of anything, anyone shall not mean any other human life is suddenly worth less to me, or its suffering, something I shall suddenly look away from. The moment this becomes true—that I find myself depreciating human lives, or ignoring the pain of others for the sake of my fannish pursuits—that’s when I must leave my fan identity until I find my discipline (I do understand the lure of a happy fandom bubble, and I’m far from immune to it). I’m a person before I’m a fan.

These are the rules of my world.

我的世界不退讓。

[scripttorture]

Hi. I'm working on a story set in the mid 1950s, taking place in Hong Kong, and this is a bit complicated. I am looking for some help on a torture that will not work, and a method of torture that was used in WW2 to various effects. The situation is that my protagonist is a freelance investigator and he is captured by a rich Western idiot who honestly believes in "civilised" torture, which is the bit that I know cannot and will not work 1/HK

2/HK The person holding him prisoner decides to use some sort of clean, civilised, and scientific (all the things that do not work and do not exist) as a form of torture. Basically the type of guy who has watched one too many movies. He has a couple of flunkies to help him, who think he is an idiot too, but he pays well. What is going to happen is that after a few sessions of the unworkable my Protag basically laughs in the antagonists face and it ends up with him just losing his temper and3/HK and just starting beating on the protagonist with a lump of wood. The reason the protagonist not only finds the previous "civilised" torture to be ludicrous is that they were previously a POW of the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in the war. So, having set the scene I am asking if you can please give me some info on what my protagonist may have suffered during those years from Singapore to the time of liberation. And4/HK And also, and I acknowledge you might not be able to help here, maybe some ideas for what the antagonist might use as a form of civilised and scientific torture. The sort of thing that is ineffective and which is something that someone raised on the idea of being above such inelegant matters as just trying to beat information out of someone with a lump of wood, until they lose their temper. The antagonist is in their mid 20s and Upper Class English, my protag is in his mid 40s. Thank you.

Ithink I can help you out here. :)

Sofirst off I think you should look Ronald Searle’s book of wardrawings Tothe Kwai and Back.Searle was captured in Singapore shortly after he’d joined theBritish army and he drew his experience, both of the fall ofSingapore and his time as a Japanese POW. This includes depictions oftorture, mutilation, death and starvation.

Manyof the drawings are available online. Sometimes they’re accompaniedby Searle’s summation of the picture and a date. Sometimes not.

Obviouslythey only record one man’s experience, but as a quick visual primerto the experience of Japanese POWs they work very well.

Oneof the things Searle records is that he was moved about quite a bit.Between both prisons and forced labour projects. Searle ended up inChangi at first, but I’m unsure how many non-Western prisoners wereheld there. He also records that an estimated 20,000 Chinese andMalay civilians were killed when the Japanese invaded Singapore. Someof them were shot, others were beheaded and beatings even outside ofimprisonment seem to have been common.

Idon’t know a lot about the cultural factors behind the racistviolence Japan engaged in at this time. But I do know that ethnicChinese people often seem to have borne the brunt of it. It’spossible that particular targetted abuses were used againstparticular groups of people. From the sources I have at the moment Ihaven’t seen anything as a repeated pattern, at least not alongcultural, linguist, religious, racialor ethnic lines.

Thatsaid I know I could have more detailed sources dealing with thatperiod of history. I could be missing something.

Asit is I’m going to suggest things based on a combination of whathappened to people arrested in Singapore at the time and whathappened to captured troops in Singapore.

Starvationwas widespread. Unsanitary and overcrowded prison conditions werecommon. As a result of this combination disease was rife. Infections,parasites, dysentery, diarrhoeal diseases and diseases ofmalnutrition were particularly common.

Unethicalmedical experimentation occurred in Japanese occupied areas but I’venever seen any mention of it in Singapore.

Rejalidescribes the following as reported in Singapore during World War 2.Burning tortures with cigarettes and heated irons, forced kneeling onsharp objects, pumping with water, beatings, suspension, floggingwith knotted ropes or bamboo and electrical torture using a magneto.All of those were common throughout Japanese occupied territory.Additionally there was the practice of putting needles underfingernails, seated stress positions and ‘twisting of limbs’which I’m guessing was similar to the British practice of ‘dorsalflexing’.

There’salso a description of putting ‘sharp edged wood between fingers’but the description isn’t detailed enough for me to feel confidentI know how this was done.

Someof those probably require a little more explanation.

Asfar as I can tell pumping, kneeling on sharp objects, burningtortures and suspension all had a long history in Japan.

I’mnot confident that suspension was analogous to the Italian practicebut I could do with more native Japanese descriptions of the practiceto confirm that. The impression I get is that in Japan victims werebound with their hands in front of them, hoisted up and left there.In Italy victims were bound with their hands behind their backs,hoisted and dropped which dislocated the shoulders and causes furtherdamage as they were hoisted again.

Themethod I think the Japanese were using would also have dislocated theshoulders but this would have happened more slowly.

Kneelingon sharp objects often occurred with weights placed on the top of thevictim’s legs (the upper line if you picture their legs as a

Pumpingis forcing a victim to swallow large amounts of liquid. To the pointof causing visible and very painful swelling in the abdomen. Victimswere sometimes beaten around the gut afterwards or had their legsbent in front of their chests and pressure applied. This could cause-basically liquid to come out of just about every orifice. This is amessy, smelly, painful practice that could be done without leavingobvious outward marks or scars.

Searledoesn’t report pumping. Which doesn’t mean it didn’t occuraround him.

Hedescribes (in Singapore) beatings, starvation, summary executions,forced marches, forced labour, forced standing, exposure to theelements and unsanitary conditions. He notes that the jail he was in,Changi, was not run by the Kempei-tai who controlled Outram Road.Searle’s impression was that few people survived Outram Road.

Ihaven’t got anything definite on Outram Road.

Takingthe general practices Rejali and Searle reports I think it’s safeto say that your torturer character probably wouldn’t considerburning, pumping, beatings or flogging, ‘clean, civilised andscientific’.

Butthere’s a few things the Japanese used that your character wouldprobably consider to be these things andoverlap with British torture practices at the time.

Forcedexercise and stress positions have been practiced by the British fora long time. I’vegot a description of some of the more modern variants here.

Electricaltorture isn’tgenerally common British practice, but a character in this timeperiod, with this background may well consider it more ‘advanced’and want to experiment with it. Which could result in him doingexactly the same thing as the Japanese.

Magnetoswere still relatively common in the 50s. They’re… big metalthings with cranks on the side that were used to generate power forfield telephones and other equipment. As a result they were common inpolice stations and any army units during this period.

Magnetotorture was common in France (and used by the French). It was alsopretty common in America. The result is that a British villain whodidn’t know much about Asian history (recent or otherwise) mightthink of magneto’s as a ‘European’ and ‘advanced’ form ofabuse.

Theexact positions the British tend to use for forced standing aredifferent to the Japanese, but the entire thing is similar enoughthat the victim could easily see his attacker’s posturing as acomplete joke.

Thestress positions and forced exercise in particular have a longhistory in the British army. Which is relevant to your characterbecause many members of the ruling classes in Britain do some armytraining which would expose them to these practices. They were often(and unfortunately still are) used against new recruits.

It’sunlikely the character would realise just how old these practices arein the British army. My experience is that most Brits now aresurprised by how old these practices are. History lessons that are….let’s say concerned with a narrative of progression- tend toemphasise the bloodier punishments of the past and gloss over whenexactly they were phased out.

OverallI think you've got the makings of a good scene here. And potential touse the shared points in Japanese and British modernhistorical torture to further support the scene.

Ihope this helps. :)

Disclaimer

[faithfullyfishing]

The Rise Above Experience: SERVE

Uncertain.

If you asked me how I was before going to WYC, I would answer uncertain. Currently, I am working on my internship at a hotel (which ends in June) and I was uncertain about what I would do after. Two weeks before WYC, I had an admission interview with a school I really want to get into and I’m uncertain if I will be admitted.

Even going to WYC, there were a lot of uncertainties if I would go or not because I didn’t know if I had the time and money to go. There were so many more things that added to that uncertainty and it caused a lot of stress. But thank God that I was given the opportunity to go WYC. That weekend allowed me to clear my mind of everything I was going through, and it allowed me to talk to God on a level that I haven’t been able to. From everything that we heard and learnt, there were three things that stuck in my head. Things that I felt God was trying to tell me for the longest time.

Rise. Before WYC, happiness felt like a chore. Being a servant and working at a hotel, I constantly needed to be joyful because I was always surrounded by people. I felt like I was wearing a mask and behind it, there was someone who was tired and disingenuous. The Lord reminded me that we are made in His image and likeness, made for greatness! And that greatness doesn’t mean pretending to be happy just for the sake of it; but rather, being truly happy, lifting everything that I do at work and service to the Lord and being a blessing to the world. Yes, it’s tiring but God has made me realize that I gain my genuine happiness through making other people happy.

Be strong. Earning money through my internship and being the Unit Servant for the HK/KLN Unit, I felt a sense of accomplishment, that I had done enough and that I was comfortable in the position that I am now. But after hearing what God had to say to me, I was wrong. If I kept that mentality of being comfortable and not trying to improve myself, I will never be able to truly live out a life of greatness. The Lord reminded me that the world’s offer of greatness is what I am experiencing now, but we have to be strong because true greatness comes from serving Him; By loving and serving His people through leading them to be empowered members of the community and doing actions in work and service with integrity and truth.

Do not be afraid. One of the biggest hindrances when it comes to service is that I am too afraid to let people outside of the community or people who don't have the same faith as us know about our great God. But this year’s WYC prompted me to think about it. It would be selfish of us as a community to keep all the blessings and greatness that the Lord has shared to us, so it is only right that we share this with everyone. God has called all of us to share the Good News, to build each other up, to strive for excellence, to speak up and proclaim His Word even if it’s different from what the world sees.

Doing good things and having faith in the Lord is good, but the Lord wants us to share it with everyone.

It was truly a blessing for me to experience this year’s WYC. But, if you asked me how I am now, I would still say, uncertain; about my future, my internship, my school, service and many more things on top of that. However, WYC has allowed me to return home with a heart full of hope and a soul reinvigorated to strive for excellence in both work and service.

Through the doubts and uncertainty, I know that the Lord has equipped me with everything I need to get through these circumstances and that He will be with me to #RiseAbove the challenges that lie ahead.

By Axel Rivera

[tvrdwmorse]

Star Wars: Knights Of No Republic / Star Wars: Vitiate Rising / Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire / Stars Wars: The Shadow Of The Sith

Meetra gazed out at the stars. They were silent for the first time since reconnecting with the force, a blessing in disguise considering what she knew was out there. It was still more preferable to the screaming that filled the ship behind her. The ship drifted through deep space, avoiding major hyperspace lanes to isolate the sheer dark side force contained within the freighters thin hull. 

               Though they had destroyed Darth Nihilus some months earlier, there was no illusion that the death of his body was anything but. As Meetra swung her lightsaber through the frail and patchwork body of the Lord Of Hunger, inside a ship held together through his sheer will, crewed by thousands of beings subjugated by his power in the dark side, Visas was quick to ward her away from Nihilus’ robes and mask. They are where he now resides. And They’ve been locked in the cargo hold ever since.

               There was a pang of guilt whenever Meetra passed the door of the east bunks, where Mandalore had fashioned a prisoned for Meetra’s former master, the decaying body of a woman who refuses to respond to a name other than Traya. She earned her title, The Lord Of Betrayal. Surik took no joy in severing her connection to the force once again, leaving her nothing but a broken and bitter old woman. Still, Trayas lessons echoed throughout Meetras head, and she longed for the guidance of her old master. Her absence in the force caused pain to the former Jedi as it fought the darkness emanating from Darth Nihilus.

               There was one final artifact aboard, something far more orthodox of a relic than robes; The saber of Darth Sion, Lord of Pain. Traya refused to come aboard without it, and though, now powerless, she was in no position to negotiate, Meetra retrieved the lightsaber herself, though Visas vocally opposed this. It was the only indication remaining that Sion had ever existed. The ground where his body once lay was bare, save for a scattering of ash and dust. It was not a particularly ornate lightsaber. In fact, it was barely a saber at all. The casing was rusted and the crystal in the core was not only exposed, but cracked all across its surface. The hilt itself was aged and warped, almost unable to withstand the hateful grip of the Lord Of Pain. Meetra succumbed to the temptation to ignite it more than once, yet it would never activate. It had died with him.

               Her hand wrapped around the hilt once again. Meetra knew the dangers of letting herself succumb to the dark force emanating it, but each attempt left her more and more infatuated.

“Put that down!” Trayas voiced echoed from behind the bulkhead, and Sions lightsaber dropped to the floor, yet made no noise. “You never listened to my teachings, but listen to me when I tell you not to play with weapons you will never control!” How did she know?

               “You chose this, Kreia-“

               “Do not call me that!” Traya boomed.

               “You are lucky to be allowed on my ship. You should be thankful I stayed my blade on Malachor.” In truth, she almost didn’t. The face of her former master, now no longer hidden behind a mask, terrified Meetra.

               “Then you still have not listened, you still have not learned. You should have killed me, but you were weak, and I wasted my time on you.” And there stood the contradiction that had haunted Meetra. The Mandalorian Wars were brutal, but she had moved past the horrors and the innocents. It was in peace time that her Jedi teachings were challenged. The image of the refugees mutilated corpse on Nar Shaddaa stuck with Meetra. He was killed because of the teachings she grew up with. But it was something else Traya had said that unsettled her, especially now. “And would that be a kindness? What if by surviving another day, he brings a greater darkness onto another.” Those five credits did not slip through his hands like sand. They cost him his life and were likely used to purchase blasters and spice. Meetra had acted with Altruism, but caused only despair.

               “You’re remembering my lesson on Nar Shaddaa, aren’t you?”

               Meetra tried to block her out.

               “What if I should escape and kill again? What if the Nihilus is lost or even recovered? You should have killed me. You should not hold on to these things. Especially considering whose ship this is.” It was only after Meetra had failed Traya that she began to recount the story of Darth Revan in greater detail, again and again. the Jedi war hero who fell to the dark side, only to become something more and wage war once again against his own friend, until he struck him down. Traya had not forgotten Meetras history with Revan. Meetra served under him, fought with him, mourned his passing and celebrated from exile as she heard the stories of how he killed Alak on the star forge. Kreia may have assumed the role of his master, once, but Meetra bore witness to his power. Imagine their surprise when they received a message from Revan himself.

               Shortly after the destruction of Trayus Academy on Malachor, before the Ebon Hawk could reach the newly reformed Jedi Council to deal with the special cargo, a massive force disturbance rocked the crew and T4 suddenly drew up a set of co ordinates. Despite his apparent memory wipe, something had triggered a buried protocol in T4, and soon the crew was making way towards an uncharted system on the edge of Wild Space. It was the last recorded location of Revan. As they journeyed closer, Tee-Four recovered more and more memories about Revans last days. A recording was found in the ships logs that contained a broken hologram of Revan himself and a message for Meetra Surik.

               “You have a journey to complete, my old friend, but once you’re done, come to the location Tee-Four has given you”

               The ship made one final jump through uncharted space, a fact that made Atton both tense and calm. It didn’t help that now he could was in tune with the force and could feel the pain aboard the ship. Malachor changed him. His body kept failing to adjust to the prosthetics that replaced the arm Sion had amputated, and Meetra was a sore excuse for a teacher to help him focus his force sensitivity. It wore on him, and as they made one uncharted jump towards potential oblivion after another, his scoundrels demeanor disappeared behind quiet frustration and isolation. He showed no joy as they dropped after hyperspace and drifted towards the barren world orbiting a dying star.

               “Nathema.” A voice crackled over the speakers. “You should leave your crew, it’s not safe for them to be down here.” Meetra recognized the voice immediately, and could feel the danger the planet possessed. It hurt her, just looking at the world. She remembered the pain she felt when she activated the Mass Shadow Generator. She remembered how it felt to physically experience millions of lives die violently in the massacre she instigated. The pain, then, was enough to cut her off from the force itself, but this was something more horrific. The planet itself had been stripped of the force. But this was the result of no machine, no weapon. There was almost nothing left on the surface, just a gaping wound in the force that eclipsed Malachor. “We won’t stay here long, but there’s something you must see”

The intercom opened with another voice that followed Revans.

“STATEMENT: My masters, together again! Do hurry, there are other meatbags down here for us to hunt!”

 Chapter 2? I guess? Feels like a good place to start a new chapter.

 He never removed his mask. Meetra remembered the promise he made, the persona he assumed, during the Mandalorian Wars. The mask of a fallen Mandalorian who stood against her brothers, and was executed for it. Revan vowed to wear it as long as the threat remained, and Meetra knew that a new threat was arising. She stepped off the shuttle carrying the mask to give to Revan once more. It was assumed lost after Darth Revan fell to the strike team, but Bastila Shan confided in Meetra that she had hidden it. Surik felt the weight of the mask in her hands one last time as she approached Revan for the first time in years. Every step she took tore from her life as the barren dirt begged for her force. It was the longest walk she’d ever made, and it took every ounce to not collapse. Such weight was pressing down, pulling, only by focusing wholely on Revan and what the mask represented could she continue to move forward. Meetra held out the mask, but Revan pushed it aside and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder.

She felt much of the weight and the pain lift from her, and she straightened her back to look him in the eyes for the first time. Even during the war, she had only ever served under a symbol. She served under the mask and her code, but she had never truly seen his face.

“OBSERVATION: Masters, we have much to do. Perhaps we should seek out the meatbags on this world.” Meetra was happier than she expected to be to see HK again, despite his extensive modifications he had acquired in such a short span of time.

“You fixed his trigger finger, I see.” Meetra commented on the stillness of HKs digit as it lay across the blaster trigger. It used to twitch and stroke the gun, like it was ready for a kill, which HK always was.

“HK conceded to many upgrades, but I thought you fixed his trigger finger? Something about a new line of Hunter-Killer droids?” It was hard to forget the destruction that HK and his descendants left behind during their battle with G0-T0 on Malachors surface while Meetra sought out Traya further in. Most of the droids were presumed to have been destroyed with Malachors destruction, but Meetra kept an ear to the ground for news about silver assassin droids going rogue on organics.

[bigyack-com]

Fiji Beat South Africa to Win First HSBC Sydney Sevens

Fiji beat South Africa 21-19 in a thrilling cup final on Sunday, to claim their first ever HSBC Sydney Sevens title. Fiji nearly had the dream start in their first Cup final of the season, but JC Pretorius and Selvyn Davids managed to hold Meli Derenalagi over the line. It would only be a temporary respite, though, because as the rain began to fall again the ball skewed out the side of a breakdown and Napolioni Bolaca reacted quickest to score the opening try. A barnstorming run from Zain Davids created the momentum for Pretorius to score with Fiji suffering a double blow with Josua Vakurunabili yellow-carded for a tackle earlier in the move. Fiji managed to hold out in his absence and then increased their advantage when a powerful hand-off from Bolaca gave him the space to run-in his second of the final.

Zain Davids crossed for South Africa midway through the second half but his namesake Selvyn was unable to add the conversion, leaving the Dubai champions trailing by two points. They were unable to find another score, Fiji and their huge contingent of fans in the crowd able to celebrate after South Africa knocked on in their own 22 with the final play. Fiji captain Derenalagi said, “First of all I would like to thank the almighty Lord for giving us the strength and the power to come and deliver what we have been planning. Before we entered the field the message I told my team was just to go out there, enjoy it and do the job. We delivered that and I want to thank the soldiers behind me for that great effort you saw here today. Shout out to all the fans here in Sydney for coming out in numbers and for supporting your national team – this win is for you too.” New Zealand still the lead the standings with 76 points after four of the 10 rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020, although now only by nine from South Africa. France are third on 56 points, just ahead of England (54) and Sydney champions Fiji (53). The next stop on the men’s series will be the HSBC LA Sevens at Dignity Health Sports Park on 29 February to 1 March – the newest destination on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Set to be the largest rugby event in the United States, the HSBC LA Sevens follows the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco and will take place in the same venue that will host rugby sevens at the 2028 Olympic Games. Rugby pictures: Pictures from 2019 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2018 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2016 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015, Pictures of the Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Qualifier in Hong Kong, Pictures of Singha Thailand Sevens 2015, Pictures from the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour in Hong Kong, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2014, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2013, Pictures of Chartis Cup 2012 and Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Rugby, Fiji, Sevens. Headlines: Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 375.5m Int. 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[royal-kard]

Multi-Fandom Hidden KARD Tag

@kingkardmattthew Thank you for the tag sunshine!! 💖

1. How’d you get into KARD?

They had just released Don’t Recall, and I recall (ha.) that they kept showing up on my dash, so i decided to watch the video because the video looked really interesting. Also I had never actually seen an active co-ed group, so I watched Don’t Recall, and I was hooked!! The song was/is amazing, the group dynamic was fantastic, and now I’m here haha!

 2. Who’s your bias (if you have one)?

I like all of them equally. They all bring something unique to the group, so I really love all of them because of that. Their group dynamic is so amazing, and they’re all so chill and sweet, so it really is difficult to say I love one of them more than the others. Still, I did tell Matthew that I loved him in LA, so maybe I’m like a tiny bit more biased towards him??? But only a bit. I love all of KARD so much; it’s really hard for me to just choose one. 

 3. How long have you been a Hidden?

Since Don’t Recall. That song just snatched me up and said, ‘Hey we’re in this for the long run now. Good luck.’

 4. Any ships you’re interested in in the group?

Not really. I’ve never been one to ship people, so yeah. 

 The Other/Relevant Questions 

1. Which kpop groups/bands do you like? 

Besides KARD, I really love SHINee, EXO, f(x), VIXX, Monsta X, Red Velvet, The Rose, Day6, BTS ; honestly, the list is pretty long. 

 2. What other fandoms are you in?

I’m a Shawol, Starlight, and MeU (alongside the Hidden KARD fandom, these are the only ones I’m super invested in. I guess EXO-L too. )

 3. Boy group or girl group stan? 

Both. I used to be more of a boy group stan, but the girl groups have so much to offer, and they are really talented. I have to give the girls my love too!!!

 4. Which of your favorite groups would you like KARD to interact with? 

I would love for them to interact more with EXO, now that they mentioned they liked KoKoBop (also because B.M was jamming to KKB so hard haha!)

 5. Which group got you into kpop? 

So technically it was Brown Eyed Girls with their song ‘Sign,’ but SHINee was the first group I really got into. I followed all their varieties, live performances, interviews, etc.

 6. Who did you 1st listen to in kpop? 

Brown Eyed Girls, SHINee, and 2pm were my first K-Pop groups.

 7. Do you like any solo artists?

Park Hyo Shin is my main man, but I really like Dean, Ailee, IU, Zion.T, Heize, and Eric Nam.

 8. Do you like any other artists from DSP? 

I’ve seen a couple of April things because of Somin, but I don’t really follow any other DSP artists like I follow KARD.

 9. Besides KARD, are you into any other co-ed groups (both currently active or disbanded)?

I don’t.

 10. Have you tried showing any friends kpop? If so, how’d they react? 

I have showed two friends K-Pop things, and both have quickly become fans! Most of my friends were already into K-Pop though!

 11. Which concept has been your favorite out of any group you stan? 

I really loved VIXX’s Voodoo Doll concept ( I like dark concepts in general). I think they did a phenomenal job at pulling off the gore. I hope that KARD will explore more varying concepts in the future too! I think KARD has the potential to pull off many kinds of concepts!!!

 12. If your biases from the different groups you stan were all in the same room, who would you try to speak to 1st (y’know, after most likely freaking out)? 

It would definitely be Jonghyun from SHINee. He’s my ultimate bias, but I would really love to thank him for his music and his words because they’ve been of such great help to me during hard times. He and his work mean so much to me, so I would love to just let him know that.

 13. Aside from ‘Hola Hola’ (pff obviously), which debut/comeback has been your favorite in 2017? 

The Rose’s debut with ‘Sorry’ has been one of my favorites, along with ‘Hola Hola.’ They are such a talented band, and their song is such a heartfelt one; I’m really hooked on them too right now.

 14. Is KARD your bias group? If not, then who? 

KARD is definitely up there! But my top group is SHINee; they really mean the world to me.

 15. If you could hang out with any kpop group for a day, who would it be?

KARD. I think they would be so much fun to hang out with! Just watching them in Secret KARD, and seeing how they find enjoyment in even the smallest things makes me really just want to spend the day with them. They’re also pretty laid back, so I know they wouldn’t be difficult to get along with from the get go! 

  16. Do you have any favorite fansites out of all the groups you stan? 

All of the other KARD blogs I follow (you are all so amazing. I love you all!). 

 17. In anticipation for KARD’s future lightstick to be made/released who-know-when, whose lighstick do you like most? 

I really like and want VIXX’s lightstick. The color is so pretty, and I like that it has the star design in the lights as well. I really want to know what the KARD lightstick will look like. I also want to know what our official colors will be!! 

 18. Fandoms can be problematic and make it difficult to show pride in being in them. Which fandom are you most proud of being a part of? 

Hidden KARD!! Honestly, all of the HK’s I’ve seen and interacted with are so chill (just like KARD), loving, and talented! You have all shown so much positive love to our KARD, and you are all so supportive; it’s such a beautiful thing to see!! You are all so amazing. I really do love being a part of this fandom so much!! Thank you for making being part of this fandom such a great experience!!

 19. Which fandom name do you like the most? 

Hidden KARD because we are the ‘d’ that completes the group (which I think is the sweetest thing on the planet!) I like that sort of sentiment, so I really love the name. I also really like Starlight because it’s just such a pretty name, and again the sentiment behind it warms my heart.

 20. If you could only listen to one kpop group for the rest of your life, who would it be?

I love KARD with all of my heart; I really do, but I have to go with SHINee. 

I’m going to tag: @jellyseph @1somin @kard-j-seph @blacksomin @kawaii-shoujo-anime-palace @voonbora @coedkard @96jwoo

If anyone else wants to do it, feel free to consider yourself tagged as well!! Thank you again for tagging me! 🌻

[itsgravygrady-blog]

Hong Kong surprised me in so many ways, taught me and offered me so much. The university was so different in it’s teaching structure, attitude and approach and overall atmosphere. At times it felt a lot like a high school, but the teaching was very thorough and student involvement was essential which was positive. It gave me a lot of new knowledge and skills, and a lot to consider and be grateful for, I have noticed my attitude toward my own work really change, I feel more confident in what I do, I’ve really developed new skills and interest in media such as moving image which I will take forward into my final year which I am super excited for.

The experience of exchange as a whole was so incredibly worthwhile, I’m still surprised that so many with the opportunity don’t even consider it. I would 100% recommend doing an exchange to anyone, it really has given me so much over the five months being away.

It teaches you to see how big and eclectic the world is, learn new culture and ways of living, and can also give you a new appreciation for where you come from and how privileged you are, being away opens the world up to you, as well as learning the country you are in, you get to meet people from all over doing exchange also. The teaching in UWE is mainly different because it’s come under just one degree, with various tutors (all with different background, skills and traits) teaching under the same degree subject. Illustration is a broad term, and everyone in the degree has different direction with their work and lives. The tutors accommodate that, that’s what I love about UWE, somethings are mandatory, thought the way we can approach them is open. 

It has been such a positive time in my life, and has given me a new creative energy I am very glad to have. After my time in Hong Kong, I spent a month in Japan with my friend Moeko, who did the same illustration degree in Bristol, and then spent just under two months in Nepal traveling and painting with Harry who is on the same degree, and did the same exchange in HK. 

I’m writing this conclusive post now after seven months away and just before coming home in a week, reflecting back on everything I’ve been able to experience I am so grateful, and so looking forward now to being back in the lovely city of Bristol to finish my degree. 

I deferred my place to UWE back in 2015 to travel, so I’ve watched many of my friends graduate online yesterday, and the whole concept of this degree has changed in my mind. I know I am so privileged and want to make the most out of the rest of my time studying before going onto the next thing in my life. 

I would say do mix around as much as you can, try not to just make friends with other exchange students, cause you might miss out on experiences and knowledge of the country you’re living in. Do take the opportunity to travel around the part of the world you are in! Though don’t just see exchange as a holiday, I met people on exchange who knew they would get a pass or fail, so didn’t view their time as too important. I advised that was a shame and a waste of time to learn. As well as travelling, taking one long weekend, and a week during easter break, I spent a lot of my spare time in the studio enjoying the facilities available to me. Do learn the city you’re in, you’ll learn your favourite spots and qualities, and will begin to feel you have a place there.

It think the hardest part for me was living in halls in a shared room. Not having privacy ever became irritating, and also checking in and out of the halls building was very controlled and formal, I also learnt through my friends that there are hall representatives (popular students who campaign for this position) who determine which students can live in the halls again. Though for me it became tiresome, for a Hong Kong student where house price far exceeds the cost of anywhere else in the world, living in halls in the only form of independence form the most likely small family apartment home. And his being decided by the popular students was rather annoying. I’m sure I wouldn’t of been chosen to stay again, so back to the family home for me! Though coming from the UK i’m lucky enough to be able to go back to my student house, just five minutes from my campus, a front door key is the only security I will be needing. Though this sounds like a complaint I don’t mean it as such; parts for sure I don’t like, but it was a great experience and lesson for me, and would never suggest not going because of this, it’s kinda cool to experience something so different. 

Thank you for this experience and all the help I received, if any students happen to look over this blog and are considering an exchange please do not hesitate to have a chat or ask whatever you like > maddiewalsh@hotmail.co.uk

All my best >:) x

[anghelitareyes]

2017

Dear 2017,

I really want you to know that you are one of my best year so far. Not just because of the new and unexpected experiences I had with you, the goals I achieved so far, but because of the lessons you taught me. 

There are a lot of things happened to me this year. However, with those things, only some are considered a life changing happenings in my life throughout the year. I would like to start with me being a jobless woman. (big deal for me) Yes, and up to now I still I am. I have a job (fyi) but because of some unexplained reasons, our team has to leave. Position Dissolved issue. Perhaps surprisingly, they don’t need us anymore? During that time, I really don’t know what to do. All I know is that I have this bittersweet kind of feeling I have to endure

Being jobless wasn’t just the issue here. Maybe because I honestly felt that we’re not really belong there in the first place. (well won’t elaborate it anymore) Followed by the fact that I won’t be seeing my workmates for like (srlsy, I’m used to see them daily) & of corz, I don’t have income. I have to leave my dream company, the people, the things and the life there. Addition to that are the holidays that I always looked up to. I won’t be experiencing corporate parties this year which saddens me so bad as December approached

 However, Life wasn’t good everytime but it is still just so good to me. (Thanked God)  It never fails to let me realize things while I’m in this moment of my life. God made me realize that everything indeed happened for a reasons and life has no limits. Everything that happened to you/us should not stop us to what we want in life.God let me maximized the things I taught I can’t do. I felt like me being a jobless woman, gives its way for us to start our new business. Yes! The business that my sister and I wanted for a long time. New learnings (impressing I swear), new goals & new self were built. Amazing! Amazing to the fact that it helps me moved forward to what happened. I get to trust and love myself even more. (sarap)

I’m also glad that I have my pets with me who give me a kind of happiness that only them can give, true friends and a very supportive and understanding family that helps me.

Achieving some goals:

Aside from starting one of our dream business, (Yes, we have lots) I also got to visit different countries and cities. (very mayaman ako kala mo talaga haha) The places we wish to visit for a long time ago. (Nakakakilig hanggang ngayon kapag iniisip ko). Travelling isn’t really our priority since we only have enough. But this year, it made all possible. The experiences were surreal. God is just so good to me and my family! He is so generous for letting us do what we want which is to travel. (I’ll blog on my travel experiences soon). 

My Family and I visited HK last August! I also got to visit Thailand and some local places. 

Me being jobless before, isn’t my fault nor anyone I’ll say. But me being still jobless is now on me already. However, I do not regret anything because everything is in my hand. This is my life tho that whats happening in my life right now, is the choice I am making. As I looked back, there’s these days where I covered myself with the reasons that it is okay that I don’t have a job because in the first place, I don’t need any tho (not boasting here or whatsoever). That I have my shop, I’m a freelancer, considered now as my Dad’s secretary, started our new business, etc. that I’m still earning. 

But TBH, I know that I still don’t have a job because I chose my plan trips more than getting a job. Setting priorities wasn’t easy but choosing what will makes you happy is.Probably my main reason why I chose travelling over having a new job. (HAHA) But still, I do not regret anything. Even one percent. :) 

(Ngumit huwag mag-alala) Won’t let this month pass without me being jobless. *Prays

This year wasn’t perfect, but I’m glad that it ended well. I still don’t want to end this year because of the good things that keeps on happening, but ofcorz, its time already. My family is happy and healthy which marks a perfect end for this year. I’m wishing everyone a happy and blessed new year! May God bless you with the desires of your heart. 

2018, I’m so ready for you! Let’s rock en roll!

P.S. 

Had this unexpected new year photo format this year but still, it went so well.

Year of our babies too! 

Happy New Year from our growing family. <3

*insert Coby, Batman, Bob & Kiro the Cat (the pets outside the house)

[kaitemariz]

#BaKaiteList: Hong Kong Day 1 and 2

Lots of Firsts in my 2nd time in Hong Kong

Finally blogging about my (somehow) recent trip to Hong Kong! Let me warn you as early as now that this is going to be one helluva long blog post. To those of you who’ve already visited my blog before, then you know that I always write long posts because I always got lots to say. And to those of you who are visiting my blog for the first time…now you know! HAHA! The K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) principle isn’t very effective to me.

I’ll be doing a series of blog posts for our Hong Kong trip. First is this one, Hong Kong Day 1 and Day 2. Second will be specifically about our budget, itinerary, expenses, and all other details that I think would be helpful when you’re planning your HK trip. I think this is the blog post that would be highly interesting to you since I’ve been receiving a lot of messages already asking me how I booked our hotel, the commute, food, etc.. Third is about Hong Kong Day 3, 4 & 5. Lastly, a blog post dedicated to all my DISNEYLAND photos! I swear this is what I’m really excited about. LOL

It’s only my 2nd time to leave the country. My first was back in 2012 wherein I also went to Hong Kong. I was with my family back then (but went home solo, ahead of everyone) but now I went with my love, his cousin – Ate Karen, and his cousin’s boyfriend – Kuya Mark. It’s by far the fanciest double-date I’ve ever experienced. HAHA!

Fun fact: It was my love’s first time to leave the country! Was he nervous? Well, I could tell that he was but he was really good at hiding it. (LOL Hi, Love!).

I experienced a lot of firsts in my second time out of the country. First in my list is financing my entire trip expenses – from plane tickets to pocket money. I’ve always had my parents pay for everything all my life so you have no idea how fulfilling this trip for me is. 

The main reason why Barry and I decided to go on an out-of-country trip was to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. We chose Hong Kong because since it was Barry’s first time flying out, we wanted to go somewhere one of us has already been to and where at least one of us personally know a resident or a local. I’ve already been to HK and my Tito Bobet has been working there for – if I’m not mistaken – a decade now (he’s one of the first dancers in HK Disneyland!! Cool, right?) so obviously, HK is the only option! LOL

Plus, I really think that it’s the perfect and most convenient “practice destination” for Filipinos who are flying out for the first time. No change in time zone, the weather and neighborhood are pretty much the same, so on and so forth. 

Barry and I arrived first in Hong Kong. Our flight was at 7 in the morning while Ate Karen and Kuya Mark’s flight was in the afternoon so we just met with them at the hotel. We stayed there for a total of 5 days and 4 nights. For our itinerary, it was entirely a DIY made by yours truly. I made sure that our itinerary isn’t that full because I don’t want us to be running like headless chickens because we have a train or a bus to catch. I wanted us to have ample time to enjoy every tourist spot in our list.

First that Barry and I made sure to settle was our hotel room. We booked our rooms through www.Booking.com. We didn’t know how to reach our hotel for confirmation so we just put our full trust on Kuya Mark since he vouched that the website’s legit. LOL!

Luckily, it really was. Another website added on my travel-trusties list!

(for full itinerary details, please wait for my Hong Kong blog post Part II)

We stayed in Silka West Kowloon Hotel. It is located in Anchor St., Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong. About 10mins away (by walk) from the night market and about 3mins away (by walk) from the Olympian MTR station, Olympian City Malls, and the HSBC Centre. The neighborhood was fine. It felt like we were only in Binondo and it was like we’re living like a local. Just a block from our hotel, there’s a Shell gas station, 7-11, Mcdonald’s, and lots of really good local restaurants.

Our agenda for the first day was just settle in in our hotel and familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood and most importantly the transportation. And of course, gain all the energy and tons of good vibes that we will be needing for the entire trip. HAHA!!

We also went to check the night market on our first day. It was quite a long walk and we only had a map (yes, a traditional a.k.a printed map that we got from the airport) to help us since most locals aren’t so good at communicating in English. Unfortunately, stalls were closed that night I think because they’re preparing for the peak of the ghost month which is the next day, Sept. 5th. There were incense and fruits on every corner and on every stall in the night market.

The night market with stalls on the street is located in the same area as the one shown in the photo above but in a different street, it’s in the Tung Choi Street. It’s a looooong stretch of stalls. It was super duper tiring to go shopping in that kilometer of stalls. I swear I could hear my feet cursing me when we went there. LOL! The one in the photo above, it’s the part of the night market that I like. We had to keep coming back here almost every night because Ate Karen and I can’t help ourselves with all the makeup and skin care products! My personal favorite is the Sasa store! So many super affordable products. I think I hoarded a lot of face mask sheets. LOL! The stores here are open until 11pm. The “Sneaker Street” is also located here. Just be careful when buying shoes though. There are a lot of replicas which really look a lot like the original shoes.

As for the stalls in the Tung Choi street, it’s very much similar to our very own Divisoria. I didn’t bother buying clothes there because we got better shops here in Manila and it’s also the same price, some are even much expensive.  If you’re planning to go shopping in the stalls in the night market, I got a lot of tips for you. Let’s go on the positive first.

NIGHT MARKET TIPS!!

1.       Make sure you’re wearing super comfy shoes. I was wearing my go-to sandals and I thought they’re gonna break right then and there.

2.       Put your haggling skills to test! If you don’t know how to haggle, then you better bring with you your master-haggler friend. I thought my haggling skills are already major but my competitive boyfriend just can’t help putting up a good fight. He was able to buy a 150 HKD bag for only 20 HKD!! Ugh.

3.       Always have a change with you. You can’t haggle and say “no more money” or “not enough money” or “out of budget” and hand the seller a 500 HKD bill, right?

4.       Every seller is your Pengyou (Pangyaw)! Every seller is your friend! I noticed their bright smiles and positive reactions to tourists calling them Pengyou. Besides, it’s a plus if a foreigner knows a word or two in your language, right?

5.       To my Filipino readers, listen to this. They know the word “Ate”, “Kuya”, and most importantly, “MAHAL” and “MAGKANO”! So you know what to do? Hehe don’t fail your haggling ancestors!

Now let’s go to the cons side. You better keep these in mind.

1.       As much as possible, don’t ask for the price of the product if you’re not so decided to buy it. Of course we would want to know the price first before buying, right? But the sellers easily get pissed off. I got told “Always ask, always ask! Don’t buy!” and got the hand gesture of being told to go away. Yeah, kinda rude.

2.       A number of sellers were – sorry for this – rude. Some are really really rude. In my experience, I was checking on these cute purses and the lady seller were saying something in Chinese and was putting the purses inside the plastic bags I was carrying. When I told her that I wasn’t going to buy a lot, just one, she didn’t take this lightly and got a little mad and told me to go ahead and buy somewhere else.

3.       Here’s my scariest experience in the night market. Barry and I were looking at a really nice toy (Barry’s a huge toy aficionado. He got a huge toy collection). When we found it too pricey (we forgot how much it costs exactly), we just smiled and politely said “Okay, thank you.” (this is what we usually say if we’re not going to buy) and walked away but the lady got so furious! She followed us and grabbed me on my right arm, saying something in Chinese and dragging me back to her stall. All I could understand is “How much?! How much?!” I think she was asking me how much would I like to haggle for the toy. But since I was already scared of her, I repeatedly said no and this got her more furious. She held on my arm much tighter. For a moment, I felt weak because I was shocked. My arm was really red for a while but I got no bruise. So to those of you who’re planning to go shopping in the night market, please be really really cautious.  

4.       This isn’t my personal experience but it’s something that Ate Karen witnessed when we were shopping in the night market. Another tourist (she’s not sure of the nationality) was shopping for slip-ons. The lady was trying the slip-ons on display first and asked for a new stock of the pair that she wants to purchase. After checking the new stock handed to her, she gave it back to the seller so the seller could put it back in the box and put it in a plastic bag. Ate Karen saw the seller put the on-display slip-ons in the plastic instead of the new stock while the lady tourist was busy checking out other slip-ons. The poor lady had no idea that the pair of slip-ons handed to her wasn’t new at all. So please be mindful when shopping in the night market.

After all, I guess we always have to be extra cautious when travelling, right? Just always bring with you an open mind when travelling. Keep in mind that their culture could be different from yours so as a tourist, you’ll definitely have to adjust at all cost.

Day 2: DISNEYLAND!!

For our 2nd day, we allotted this entire day just for Disneyland. We booked our tickets through www.Klook.com. I was kinda hesitant to try Klook since I haven’t tried it before and I don’t personally know anyone who has already tried it but since I’ve been seeing a lot of good reviews online, I tried my luck. Plus, Barry’s sister said that Klook’s office is in the same building as their office so that’s added security for me since I know where to protest once I get scammed. HAHAHA!

If you’re planning to go to Hong Kong Disneyland anytime soon, I highly and strongly and seriously recommend that you book your tickets through Klook. We were able to avoid the long ticket ques and went straight to the entrance of the park. We just showed a printed copy of our voucher and into the funland we go!  

You can either print your klook voucher or save it in your mobile phone.

We all felt like we were 10yrs old again. Bestest double date ever!!!

  They say 1 day isn’t enough to tour the entire park but since I got an architect with me, it’s expected that he’s really good at “planning”, so he plotted our entire Disney itinerary on-the-spot. He just has his map and his marker. We were able to try all the major attractions in the park. Can’t wait to post my Disneyland photo diary!!

Magical place with my “magic”. (Only the two of us know the really cheesy reason why he’s my magic. Haha!)

It’s a dream come true! A huge fill to our #BaKaiteList. Can’t find the words to describe how I feel. My tummy’s filled with rainbows and bunnies and butterflies.

Will save up all my Disneyland stories for the last leg of my Hong Kong blog post series! 

We ended our 2nd day by having dinner at a local restaurant just a block away from our hotel. We were all tired and starving, we didn’t bother documenting our dinner. Bad blogger, Kaite! Bad blogger! HAHA!

But thanks to my memory for serving me well and of course to my dear friend, Google, I was able to find out the location of the restaurant.

I was able to remember correctly the name of the resto, it’s Mak’s Kitchen! It wasn’t fancy but it was really nice, clean, and the food was to die for especially their iced milk tea!! For the price? It wasn’t expensive at all! Just 40-50 HKD per meal, the average price per meal in Hong Kong. The serving was huge too, per meal was good for two. Big serving per meal is actually usual in Hong Kong. Just like other local restaurants, the attendant wasn’t really good at speaking in English so you’d have to point the photo of the food you’d like to order but we didn’t have a very hard time since the attendant was nice and the (we think) owner was there to assist. We all highly want to recommend it also because the owner was so nice! He actually gave us free desserts.

It’s located in Li Tak Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong.

That’s it for the first leg of the Hong Kong blog post series! I’ll try my very best to finish the part two ASAP for those who are messaging me regarding our trip budget, itinerary, expenses, etc..

Hope you liked Part I! ‘til the next one!

Ciao!

[h3-digital-cinema-audio-lights]

Building Your Own Home Cinema Business

I was recently approached by Roland from SimpleHomeCinema.com and asked a few questions about setting up a Home Cinema business and how we did it, here in Thailand.  Here is the interview, link is at the bottom.

"Ben Hobbs, Managing Director of H3 Digital kindly offered to do an interview for SimpleHomeCinema. I welcomed the idea as I believe in supporting each other in this line of business and our readers who may be passionate about starting their own business might well take encouragement to do the same. The interview has been printed below. Should you have any other questions for Ben, please use the comments area below the post and I’ll see if we can get Ben to help us answer them.

Roland: Ben, please tell us a bit about yourself so our readers can get to know you. Where are you from originally? Where did you grow up? 

Ben: I’m from the UK originally, I was born in Brighton and then moved to Milton Keynes when I was young.  I moved to Thailand when I was 26 years old. 

Roland: What made you move to Thailand at 26? Is there much of an English community where you are?

Ben: I’m into technology and after the dotcom crash it just felt like there wasn’t going to be much growth in that sector in the UK for a while. Yes there is quite a big expat community of people from all over the world here,  Thailand is a great place to live or holiday.

Roland: It does sound like an great place to live and work. Was audio-visual science and home cinema a passion for you from a young age or did you fall into it – so to speak – later on?

Ben: Yes, very much so.  I keenly remember applying for a Student Loan when I was at University and spending more time, and being more excited by planning what HiFfi gear I was going to buy, than on my college work.  (Sherwood CD Player, Sony Amp and Mission 732 speakers if anyone is curious).  It was then that I knew I had the bug.

Roland: How and when did the idea of making a business out of it come to you?

Ben: It was always a hobby of mine, I had always had a very special interest in Home Cinema and Music – It wasn’t so much that I listened to music a lot or even saw a lot of movies, instead it was piecing it together that I enjoyed, planning it and hearing and seeing what amazing setups I could build.  It never occurred to me that I could do this as a living.

Roland: That’s really awesome, Ben. It sounds like you share the same passion as me and some of our readers. How did you find your first paying client?

Ben: After the dot com bust in the UK I had a choice to make, either stay in the IT industry – I was in recruitment, pays well but not particularly fun – Or come to Asia, Thailand in particular.  My Father lived in HK and some of his friends were building holiday homes in Phuket, the problem was there wasn’t any Technology expertise.  My Brother and I came over and helped design intelligent cabling and systems into those holiday homes.

Roland: So it sounds like you kind of fell into it through connections that you had?

Ben: Going into business for yourself is a big life decision. We saw an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, the safe thing would have been to stay back in the UK.  Moving abroad and starting a company at the same time is fairly risky for anyone – it was useful that we had some insight into prospective work.

Roland: Were you successful straight away or did the business grow slowly?

Ben: We were always busy, that doesn’t necessarily mean success. We have had our ups and downs.  So we grew slowly, then quickly, then shrank after the Global Financial Crisis and then grew again in a slower more measured manner.

 Roland: What were some of the challenges you faced as you were growing the business? 

Ben: At first when you start a company there is so much to do to get the ball rolling, then once you come up with the processes, products and have staff it’s all too easy to become complacent. You have to make sure you keep busy. Constantly find new ways to make yourself useful and relevant in such a fast moving industry.

 Roland: Did you have to have much of a capital investment initially?

Ben: There was some outlay to get the company up and running, mainly involving getting the company started, work permits, vehicle, etc. We’ve always tried to keep it as organic as possible though.  My advice here: be as sparing as possible with startup money – if you start with a big lump of cash it’s more than likely going to get wasted.

 Roland: What were the critical success factors in getting the business where it is today?

Ben: Not giving up.  Running your own business can be really tough at times, sometimes you just want to roll over and give up – You can’t, so you make sure to fight through the hard times and you learn constantly through the whole process.  We’ve tried to keep it as much fun as we can, I didn’t get into this industry to get rich, I do this job because I love it.  That helps.

Roland: That is a great attitude to have, Ben. What is your business model? Do you charge clients for the man hours / consultancy or can you also make money on the equipment by getting wholesale prices? Did the business model change over the years?

Ben: We make some money on equipment and some on the installation, it’s probably around 50/50.  Initially we started out by billing labour as a percentage of the equipment cost but later we moved over to a per unit install cost, where we charge a set integration price on equipment install, That way our customers are fairly charged according to our time rather on how expensive their equipment is.

Roland: How do you make sure the business can be sustained? How do you get new clients coming on board?

Ben: Easier to keep your current and past clients coming back than advertise and market for new ones constantly.  We’ve done two or more properties for more than half of our clients now, sometimes the same property twice! When we first started iPhones weren’t even around so many customers have used us many times to keep their properties up to date.

To do that you must give good service, never cheat people and do your best to make your customers happy.  As a company there has been quite a few times that we’ve ended up losing money on jobs, through no fault of our own – perhaps a supplier let us down or raised their prices.  The customer though is our client, he is dealing with us and we have always been fair.

Roland: What are your plans for the business in the near and mid-term? How do you intend to grow it?

Ben: We are currently building a brand new office which will feature better demo facilities, a coffee shop, better staff facilities and more room for us to stock products.  In addition to designing and installing home cinema, audio and lighting systems ourselves we also distribute some audio and cinema products to other companies.  We hope to include great training facilities and warehousing for those products.

Going forward we are making sure we keep it fun, make sure our clients are happy and look forward to all the great new technology that will be coming out in the future.

Roland: Finally, is there any advice you’d like to give to our readers who would like to get into the business?

Ben: Do it!  If you like home cinema and audio as a hobby, you will more than likely enjoy setting up big systems for others.  Look into if there is a CEDIA in your country and try to get some certified training. Even if you don’t have experience, I think if you know your stuff and have a CEDIA qualification you could probably walk into a junior position in the industry.

I’d like to thank Ben for his time to answer my questions and I’d like to wish him – on behalf of all our readers – good luck with his business."

https://simplehomecinema.com/2017/08/15/building-your-own-home-cinema-business-interview-with-ben-hobbs/

[vacaywithhk]

Making Miami Happen...

14 Travel Enthusiasts. 6 Days. 1 Mission: MIAMI, BABY!  🌴

Planning has been the easy part, with such a wonderful group of dedicated and hard-working individuals making up our travel team. It is waiting for the trip to begin that I am genuinely struggling with! So in anticipation of what is going to be the road trip of my life, I am bringing you this blog post as a little teaser of what is in store.

What We Have In Store…

On Wednesday morning our travel team will be picking up our rental vehicles and bringing them to the team base in Kitchener. We hail from all over Southern Ontario (Guelph, The Tri-City, Uxbridge, Toronto and Meaford to name just a few team locations) so meeting as a group in person is always exciting to begin with but add in the road trip of the lifetime and anyone can agree this will be an absolutely life altering experience. After packing up the vehicles we’ll cue up the playlists that have been carefully curated and perfected in order to kick off our day long journey to Florida right. One of the only details the group has yet to finalize are the stops along the way. We will be passing through our own home province of Ontario, and the States: New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in order to arrive in Florida. Any suggestions for stops along the way would be much appreciated by us – from restaurants to silly things to take pictures with- we would love to make the most out of every little aspect of this trip!

Once arrived in Florida, we will be heading to our accommodations in Fort Lauderdale; which like our car rentals were found for us through Rovia. Big thanks to Rovia for helping a bunch of millennials travel easy and affordably! Without their booking engine there is no way whatsoever we could have booked this trip for the price we did. On night one you would think we would be recovering from the road trip but I am near certain knowing the group of adventurers we are that nothing will stop us from exploring the beach, pool, fitness facilities and great big bedrooms that we have been provided with. Fort Lauderdale will not know what hit them when we roll through!  

On July 21st our conference commences! Words cannot describe how much I am looking forward to the World Class Training we will receive from Mark Accetta and the rest of the WorldVentures leadership team over this week at Millionaire’s Bootcamp. What I am looking forward to even more than the training itself though- being an introvert who feeds off of positive energy- is the familiar wave of awesome vibes that will hit me as soon as I enter that American Airlines Arena first thing that morning. I have previously attended a regional training event with WorldVentures in Toronto, Ontario with trainers Sarah Walker and Scott Ross and the positivity in that room is 100% what encouraged me to begin this journey in the first place. I cannot wait to be amongst that once again! I recall those ace vibes were definitely at their strongest for me when the efforts of the strong women in our company were being recognized. One thing you will always find me saying is that I love strong women who get. shit. done. Two of the boss women I heard speak that day had picked up and moved across the world to strengthen their businesses with WorldVentures and it payed off immensely. They both struggled at first with the adjustments but hearing what they overcame to get to where they are today was nothing short of inspiring. It was that day I decided I was going to be another one of those women in the near future, encouraging and empowering other women with my own story of perseverance and success. The Miami Bootcamp Event boasts ladies only training in addition to the included training events for representatives and I am certain the Legacy Ladies will be getting the absolute most we can out these sessions. The women I have met through WorldVentures are some of the most caring and supportive individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and I cannot accurately express how wonderful it will be to grow and bond with them even more over the course of this training event.

Aside from the conference, I have a long list of Bucket List items to cross off in Miami as well as goals I hope to meet over the trip for my own personal and professional growth. I hope to visit Little Havana and immerse myself in Cuban culture. As of right now I really appreciate that it seems to be a blend of so many cultures existing in harmony. I hate to get political but perhaps the rest of the USA could learn a lesson from Little Havana right now. Secondly, I would like to explore what DreamTrips Local has to offer in the USA as we are just getting running with it here in Canada and I adore it not only for the special offers I receive but the money back in points! I also hope to check out all the beautiful works of street art that Miami is praised for. As an amateur artist myself, witnessing the different styles should not only be aesthetically pleasing but hopefully inspire me to add new elements into my own works when I return home. (Like any true artiste however, I will have my sketchbook and camera with me if it simply cannot wait!) Last but not certainly not least, I cannot wait to relax and enjoy various water sports on the Miami beaches after all the hard work that is sure to take place over this trip.

My Personal Goals For Miami

I have been preparing for this trip since May 22nd when I discovered WorldVentures. I have been preparing my notes diligently and noting any questions I may have for our esteemed leaders over the duration of the week in my handy dandy notebook! On page one of my Miami travel journal section I immediately set out my goals for the conference.  My first goal, as briefly mentioned earlier, is to further build my network with mentors and contacts from various walks of life to not only improve my skill set as a representative but to help support them in doing the same. Secondly, I hope to take beautifully detailed notes so I can not only get the most out of this experience by elaborating on the ideas being shared but have the ability to recall all of the extremely valuable information shared with me down the road. Finally, I hope to document the entire experience for you! Why? So you can experience Miami with me- either getting ideas for a trip of your own or collaborating on our team’s trip by providing comments along the way or suggestions for our itinerary -  and see how you yourself can make a living… LIVING!  

What Are We Missing?

Whether you’re a Miami local, avid traveller or staying in the States along the way, what do you think would be a tragedy for us to miss on this incredible journey? Is there something we absolutely cannot forget to pack? Let us know by responding to this post or sending me a message in my ask box! Til we meet again, xx HK

[bigyack-com]

NAC Orders 20 Airbus A220 Aircraft

Airbus has confirmed that Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) signed a firm order for 20 A220 Family aircraft at the end of 2019. “NAC’s order for the A220 shows this aircraft is just as relevant in the regional world as it is in the mainline one,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “We are delighted to work with NAC going forward, we thank them for their confidence and congratulate them on their new offices in Limerick.”

NAC is today the largest lessor of regional aircraft in the world, managing and owning 500 aircraft on lease to 78 airline customers in over 50 countries. The A220, powered by Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines, is purpose-built for the 100/150-seat market. The aircraft, formerly known as the Bombardier C Series, currently comes in two variants, the A220-100 and the A220-300, with a range of 6,297 km and 6,204 km respectively At the end of December 2019, the A220 had accumulated 600 orders and over 100 aircraft in service with seven operators worldwide. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: NAC, Airbus, A220, A220-300. 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Visitor Arrivals into Asia Pacific by 2024  Green Light for Garmin G5000 Avionics Upgrade on Learjet Aircraft  Four Seasons Silicon Valley Installs High-Tech AI Gym in Select Rooms  Assistance Requests for Airline Pax with Intellectual Disabilities up 762%  Accor Opens Mercure Resort in Vung Tau, Vietnam  Vietjet Launches Flights Between Dalat and Seoul  FlyArystan Reports First Year Load Factor of 94%  Amadeus Looks at How Technology Will Shape Airports of the Future  CALC Signs Purchase Agreement for 40 A321neo Aircraft  Daniele Polito Joins Four Seasons Seoul as Boccalino's Chef de Cuisine  Charlotte Svensson to Join SAS as EVP and CIO  Airbus Helicopters Appoints Head of External Communications  Ascot: Pictures from Matchbook Clarence House Chase and Raceday 2020  Mövenpick Resort Opens in Cam Ranh, Vietnam  Sky Bridge Delivered to Final Position at HKIA  Airbus Performs First Fully Automatic Vision-Based Take-Off  Manchester Signs Tourism Collaboration Agreement with New York City  CWT Appoints Scott Hace as Vice President - Enterprise Strategy  United to Launch CRJ550 Shuttle Service Between Washington and New York  Perth Airport to Upgrade T1's Aerobridges  Thomas Krooswijk Appointed GM of Four Seasons Marrakech  American Appoints Brian Znotins as VP of Network and Schedule Planning  Pools - World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Chile 15-16 February  British Airways to Refresh First and Club Lounges at Chicago O'Hare Airport  Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways Expand Codeshare  Onyx Signs Second Amari Hotel in China  Air Canada's First Airbus A220-300 Enters Commercial Service  Hyatt Signs Regency Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Bangkok to Host 30th Global Summit of Women in April  One Championship Appoints Jonathan Anastas as CMO  IHG Signs Deal for 1,200+ Rooms in Thailand; First Hotel in Chiang Mai  HK's Airport Authority Appoints Ricky Leung as Executive Director  Trenchard Makes Donation to Aerobility - The British Flying Charity  Chu Yuet Hung Joins Four Seasons Hangzhou as Director of F&B  Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals Down 14.2% in 2019  Hotel Ritz Madrid to be Rebranded by Mandarin Oriental  Sabre Appoints Karl Peterson as Chairman  Muralilal Armugum Joins Aloft KL Sentral as Director of F&B  Traxof to Automate Talent Acquisition of Airbus' IM Organisations  Vie Hotel Bangkok Selects Organika Products for Renovated Spa  Europ Assistance Opens Office in Bangkok, Thailand  Gulf Air Partners Etihad Guest  Team GB Selects British Airways as Official Airline for Tokyo 2020  Emirates Targets Chinese Travellers with Trip.com MOU  Thailand: Did Strength of Thai Baht Affect Number of Arrivals from UK in 2019?  AirAsia to Launch Flights Between Penang and Chengdu, China  Marriott Appoints Bart Buiring as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer APAC  Airbus' BelugaXL Enters Service  Vietjet Launches Flights from Can Tho to Taipei and Seoul  Air New Zealand's Chief People Officer Resigns  Whitbread Installs Defibrillators in 800 Premier Inn Hotels  Air France Invites Customers to Vote for Preferred Carbon Offsetting Project  Calhoun Becomes President and CEO of Boeing  Accor to Take Over 581-Room Hotel in Rayong, Thailand  Travelport Appoints John Elieson as COO  Full Roll-Out of myCWT China to Commence in Q2 2020  Terry Kavieris Returns to Bali as RM of InterContinental Bali  Eaton Hotel in Hong Kong Earns EarthCheck Gold Status  Mandarin Oriental Launches Tea Roasting Experience in Taipei  Chubb Partners Grab to Launch In-App Travel Insurance in Singapore  Steady Growth Forecast for Mainland China Hotel Markets in 2020  Artyzen Hospitality Signs Habitat Hotel in Yubei, China  Pictures from Ascot United vs Colliers Wood United on 11 January  What Does TAT Have Planned for Thailand Travel Mart (TTM+) 2020? Exclusive Interview  Aviation: Stable Passenger Demand Growth in November  CWT Appoints Dale Eastlund as VP Supply Chain Partners  Dassault Falcon to Hold M&O Seminars in 8 Cities Around the World  Expat in Phuket Donates Two SV14 Dinghies to Disabled Sailing Thailand  Bangkok to Host Asia Destination Film Forum on 30 January  Wizz Air Becomes First in Europe to Deploy SITAOnAir's ACARS Over IP Service  Airbus to Increase Aircraft Production in USA  Sanlorenzo Appoints Simpson Marine as Distributor for Bluegame Yachts in Asia  Global Air Freight Demand Down 1.1% in November 2019; APAC Down 3.7%  IHG Expands Thailand Portfolio with Holiday Inn and Suites Siracha Laemchabang  Asia Pacific Airlines Flew 30.3 Million Int. 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Airport Served Record 38,786,422 Pax in 2019  British Airways Starts Offsetting Carbon Emissions on All Flights Within UK  Marriott Opens Second JW on Hainan Island, China  Airbus Partners Aston Martin for Special Edition Helicopter  Dassault Aviation Appoints Charles Wemaëre as VP Worldwide Spares  Boeing Appoints Niel Golightly as SVP of Communications  Jayson Goldstein Joins Four Seasons Boston as F&B Director  Vietjet Takes Delivery of Two More Airbus Aircraft  Two Executive Appointments at Bombardier Aviation  Air India No Longer Available on Sabre GDS  Thailand Targets Tourism Revenue of 3.18 Trillion Baht in 2020  Seaplanes in Thailand? Interview with Dennis Keller, CBO of Siam Seaplane  Seven HD Videos from IATA Airline Industry Retailing Symposium 2019 in Bangkok  Vietnam Airlines Signs EngineWise Service Agreement with Pratt & Whitney  Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA  Cambodia Airways Interview with Lucian Hsing, Commercial Director  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  Travel Trade Shows in 2019, 2020 and 2021  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News  Read the full article