#the importance that someone's religion culture food and language has to literally every other character

[tea-n-ink]

Homesickness is where the heart is

[thoughtsofanexcitedspacechild]

25 more things I learned during a global pandemic from your Local Teenage Train wreck :) (Pt. 2)

1. Gaining weight is okay. Losing weight is okay. Bodies fluctuate and are inconsistent. Just make sure that you’re trying your best to be healthy, whatever that means for you. 

2. School is hard, especially during a global. freaking. pandemic. Don’t beat yourself up if it’s harder to get up in the morning or your grades aren’t as high as they usually are. It’s hard right now. 

3. You’re mental health comes above all. School, responsibilities, and personal projects are not worth your time if it’s affecting your mental health. If your gut is telling you to take a break, take a break!

4. If you feel lonely, get a plant to keep in your room. Do some research as to that plants do best with the type of lighting in your room, and figure out some basic care instructions. Have someone to take care of besides yourself. Name your plants, and take care of them. 

5. Even if you’re not good at writing, I suggest you keep a journal during this time. It kept me sane over the summer, and even though I eventually stopped because of limited time with school starting back up, it helped to keep me sane in the worst of the pandemic. 

6. If you’re spiritual (or even if you’re not) learn how to do shadow work. This isn’t anything that has to be spiritual or done in just one religion. It’s basically giving yourself a chance and a space to be open and honest with yourself and to learn what you might need to work on through writing. If you google it, you can find a more in depth explanation, and prompts to start doing it. You basically give yourself a prompt. They can be questions like “What’s the biggest lie you’ve told someone else or yourself?” or they can be a little less heavy like “What are five non physical things that you genuinely like about yourself?”. This can be pretty heavy, and can dig up some unwanted emotions, but that’s the whole point; to deal with the emotions you may have been repressing and letting fester inside of you. 

7. On days when you’re not feeling well mentally, take a break. It’s okay to drop everything and get an extra hour of sleep, read, or do something else to make yourself feel better.

8. After hard days, I know the last thing you want to do is get up and continue on, but here are some ways to do it:

- lay out an outfit that’s put together, but not as over the top. No sweat pants or crappy clothes, but it doesn’t have to be your usual put together outfits with a full face of makeup. A nice crewneck and a nice pair of black athletic leggings can go a long way. 

-wear your comfort jewelry. I wear my beaded necklace that I bought for myself,  the silver ring my grandma gave me and the gold cross ring that my mom gave to me when I got confirmed. 

-eat breakfast. A handful of cereal will do. Anything. But eat something. I like to make oatmeal. It sounds boring but if you make it right, it tastes just perfect for mornings when you don’t feel hungry but know inside that you are. Recipe is next on the list :)

-go to school. I know you want to lay in bed. I know the last place you want to be is a crowded building full of pubescent teens that aren’t nice, but go. Go to learn. Go to absorb knowledge like a sponge, and don’t worry if you fail and lose some of the water, because you can always soak it up later. 

-if you have practice, rehearsal, a game, whatever, be gentle on yourself. Today might not be your best day physically, because the brain controls everything. Forgive yourself if you can’t land that double pirouette, get to the high note, or make that assist. You’re abilities are stagnant, and they’re going to change depending on how you feel

-When you get home, turn off your phone. Friends, social media, etc. can wait. Set a timer for one hour. Do work for just that hour. When the timer rings, finish what you were doing and then stop. Now have a 20 minute break and do something that’s not screen related. Read a book, draw something; heck, stare at the wall for 20 minutes and space out. When the timer rings, do another hour and repeat the same process until it’s all done. 

-have a playlist you listen to to heal you. Sad boi hours are ok, just make sure to have a playlist of songs that get you moving again. 

-Sleep. Even if that means putting off work for tomorrow. It’s ok. You really need it. 

9. Oatmeal seems gross until you know how to prepare it. When you do, it’s revolutionary. It’s a high volume, low calorie food, so you’ll stay full for a while without overeating, all while consuming less calories than you would with a traditional breakfast cereal. 

The right way to make it: 

-measure out half a cup of old fashioned oats. Not steel cut. Those aren’t as good. 

-MOST IMPORTANT STEP: add half a cup of water and half a cup of milk of your choice. I personally like almond milk because it’s kind of sweet already even when it’s unsweetened. 

-SECOND MOST IMPORTANT STEP: add a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and allspice, and a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. This is what makes it taste palatable. It’s less sugar than store-bought, and tastes amazing. 

-Microwave that shit for one minute and stir. It should look kind of lumpy, but not a ton. Then, put another minute on. Stir at every half increment. (After 30 seconds, every 15 seconds, and then every 7) This is so it doesn’t boil over. Then, take it out, stir it one last time, and let it sit for a second. 

-Wash up some berries to put in it. I love blueberries and or blackberries. 

perfect oatmeal every. single. time. Feel free to add more toppings like nuts or if you wanna treat yourself chocolate or substitute the spices, but this is honestly one of my favorite breakfasts that keeps me full throughout the day. 

10. Learn a new language. Yes, Duolingo is annoying, but do it. Find one that you’ll like to learn and that’s easy for you. Try them on like old clothes and find one that fits just right. For me, it’s French. Expose yourself to that language. Listen to music, read books (or try to) and watch movies with subtitles. Soon enough, you’ll be eager to learn more. 

11. Learn how to use notion.com. It’s super amazing. You can literally keep track of your entire life there. It’s pretty fun to use as well. I made schedules for each day after school, a reading log, a want to read list, a personal habit tracker, etc, and they’re all extremely helpful. 

12. Make a list of things you weren’t allowed to do as a kid and do one every day. Heal your inner child by finally itching the spot that may not have been scratched for years. 

13. Learn how to make origami stars. They’re really easy, and I can’t recommend Maqaroon’s (Joanna’s) video on how to make them enough. Once you’ve got it down, get yourself a nice big jar and write down things you’re grateful for on the slips of paper you’re going to fold. Fill up your gratitude jar and make a wish once it’s full. It will come true. 

14. Have 30 minutes a day to put your phone down and read. Yes. You will have to sacrifice something to do this, but it’s so important and good for not only information retention and learning, but for mental health as well. Even if you have to get up half an hour earlier to do it, it’s worth it. 

15. It’s okay to be alone, but learn to recognize the difference between alone and lonely. If you’re lonely, here are some things to do:

-write a letter to a friend. It’s something nice you can do for yourself and others, and it’s not feeding into the toxic instant reply culture that we live in

-read a book or watch a show that gets you to connect with the characters, even if that means (I've said it before and I’ll say it again) rereading a favorite ya series or binging atla for the fiftieth time. It’s good for the soul.

-take a walk and smile at the people you see coming past. Again, it’s good for the soul. 

-go to the coffee shop and ask the barista to make you a drink that tastes like “_____” (insert whatever you want there. It could be a color, song, feeling, etc.) It’s weird and uncomfortable, but it gives you a conversation starter and 9.9 times out of 10 a really good drink. (Also helpful for when you think the barrista’s cute)

-Reading in general. It opens up so many new worlds with the turn of a page. 

16. Monitor your food intake. No, don’t restrict your food intake, monitor it. This means first seeing exactly what your putting in your body and altering it to gradually improve to a clean diet. Humans weren’t built to process all the preservatives, additives and sugars found in most processed food (cereals, chips, anything in a foil bag that’s either really sweet or really salty) and it’s important to cut down and if possible eliminate as much as you can of it out of your diet. Food is fuel, and you truly are what you eat. You’ll notice that by increasing your vegetable intake, reducing white processed sugars and carbs*, and cutting out sodas/extra sugars, that you’ll feel better. This isn’t a weight loss thing, but you may start to trim down a little bit once you go more intense with it. You don’t have to eliminate anything fully, and please enjoy your favorite “bad” foods! Everything in moderation is perfect! Just make sure that you’re getting the good stuff in there too! *Side note, do NOT cut out carbs! See my post on how I’m losing weight to get more into depth on this. 

17. Buy fresh flowers for yourself. Who says that you have to wait for someone else? That’s completely false, and you should totally treat yourself to a nice bouquet on occasion, especially in the dead of winter. 

18. The whole idea of self love is flawed. Loving yourself has nothing to do with the way you look. Loving yourself comes with genuinely loving your life. If you don't love the way you’re living, change it. Make and set goals. Fail at achieving those goals. Get back up and try again until you finally get it, but make sure that whatever you’re doing, you’re doing to love the life you live. Life doesn’t live you. You live life.

19. Have candles and incense. (Or a diffuser if you’re not allowed to burn stuff) Making your environment smell good makes a huge difference

20. Once you turn 18, get a tattoo. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Pick something small and get it behind your ear, on your ankle, wrist, fingers, whatever. You’ll love having the memory when your old. 

21. Realize your worth. We often put ourselves down because we think that valuing ourselves is equivalent to selfishness. It’s not. At all. You are just as important as everyone else. Your voice matters too. 

22. Go to art museums

23. Go to free concerts in the park

24. Expose yourself to new art, ideas, and literature

25. Life is gonna suck sometimes. It’s just how it is. That doesn’t mean a bad day’s gonna last forever. As cheesy as it is, keep your head up :)

[neonpiegon]

Japan

Research Essay - missing some pictures from the original document.

Japan is an archipelago on the eastern edge of Asia, formed by 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, plus nearly 4,000 other smaller islands. It has a population of 126,168,156 people, and its area is comparable to that of California or Germany. As a country, it is completely sea-locked, with its nearest neighboring countries being the Siberian region of Russia to the north, North and South Korea and China to the southwest. Almost four fifths of Japan’s land is covered with mountains and forests – the largest mountain range being the Japanese Alps. Japan has about 200 volcanoes, 60 of which are active, with Mt. Fuji being the most famous one and the highest mountain.

Japan has 47 prefectures contained within 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Humanity in the Japanese archipelago can be traced back to 30,000 B.C. However, the country’s history in itself would rather be explored some time before the 2nd century, during the Jomon and Yayoi Periods, where communities first begin to establish and see the appearance of metallurgy and agriculture. This is the foundation of Japan. The Kofun Period, before the year 538, was when the Yamato clan had great control of the island of Honshu. From 538 to 710 came the Asuka Period, in which the history was enriched with and influenced by the already established Chinese civilization. This period saw the introduction of Buddhism, writing, architecture and sculpture. After that, with the Nara Period came the affirmation of the central power of the emperors, plus the construction of the first capital in Nara and its great temples. The Heian Period came after Nara, from 794 to 1085. The capital was relocated to what is today known as Kyoto. Japan was heavily influenced by China and adopted its style of power, where the clan Fujiwara ruled. With the Kamakura Period, which ran until 1336, the imperial court’s power faded to give place to the samurai clans and the first government of warriors. The Muromachi Period (1336-1491) introduced Japanese feudalism and the fusion of the culture of the samurai and the court, resulting in arts such as the tea ceremony and Noh theater. However, the central power disappeared in The Sengoku Jidai (1491-1603), due to repeated civil wars. Here appeared the Daimyo Warlords, the first contact with Europeans and the introduction of Christianity. In the Edo Period, from 1603 to 1853, Japan was unified under the 3rd Tokugawa Shogunate (government of warriors) and the power was installed in Tokyo. The borders of Japan were completely closed to foreigners and Christianity was prohibited. The country was urbanized and rich merchants developed, just like the Kabuki theater and Nihon printmaking. At the end of Edo, The Bakumatsu (or Late Shogunate, 1853-1868), Japan was forced to open its borders by the Americans, leading to the overthrow of the Tokugawa. This began modernization and industrialization in Japan. The Meiji Era, from 1868 until 1911, restored imperial power and relocated it to Tokyo (previously known as Edo). That is when electricity and the railway first arrived. Japan conquered Korea and Taiwan and was victorious against the Russian Empire and China. In the Taisho Era (1911-1926), the democratic system was first implemented. The Showa Era (1926-1989) began the imperialistic politics and military government and the expansion policy towards China, which involved Japan’s entry in WW2. After its defeat in 1945, the reconstruction of the country was managed under American trusteeship. The Heisei Era (1989-2019) is marked by economic crisis and natural disasters, but also the influence of Japan over the rest of the world. On May 1st, 2019, Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne, beginning the Reiwa era.

Logically, the official language of Japan is Japanese. The language is based on writing syllables in Hiragana, the traditional set of symbols, and Katakana, mainly used for words that do not exist in traditional Japanese (for example, the word “television” is written as “terebi.”). Japanese also uses Kanji, which is a set of thousands of Chinese characters that have been imported to the Japanese language. Most of the meanings remain the same, but their pronunciation has been adapted to being read in Japanese syllables. Kanji is used to “simplify” Hiragana (i.e. instead of writing two or three characters in Hiragana, you would write only one character of Kanji,) and for proper names.

The most predominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism, respectively. Buddhism was introduced through mainland Asia in the 6th century, but Shinto is almost as ancient as Japan itself. Even though these are the two major religions in Japan, religion on its own does not play a heavy role in the everyday life of Japanese people. Shinto literally means “the way of the Gods;” Japanese gods are called “Kami.”

The core of Shinto are beliefs in the mysterious creation and harmonizing power (musubi) of the kami, and the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words because the kami transcend the cognitive faculty of humans. Parishioners of a shrine believe that kami are the source of human life and existence. Each kami has a divine personality and responds to truthful prayers, and may reveal makoto to people and guide them to live in accordance to it. In Shinto, it is commonly said that “man is kami’s child.” First, this means that people are given life by kami and that their nature is therefore sacred. Second, it means that daily life is made possible by kami, and, accordingly, the personalities and lives of people are worthy of respect. Individuals must revere the basic human rights of everyone (regardless of race, nationality, and other distinctions) as well as their own. The concept of original sin is not found in Shinto. Purification is considered symbolically to remove the dust and impurities that cover one’s inner mind.

In Shinto, all the deities are said to cooperate with one another, and life lived in accordance with a kami’s will is believed to produce a mystical power that gains the protection, cooperation, and approval of all the particular kami.

Notable kami revered at Shinto shrines include: Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun goddess), Inari Okami (god of rice and agriculture), Izanagi (the first man), Izanami (the first woman), Tsukuyomi (the Moon god), Raijin (god of lightning, thunder and storms), and many more.

Shinto is also described as a religion of tsunagari (continuity or communion). The Japanese, while recognizing each human being as an individual personality, do not take each to be a solitary being separated from others. On the contrary, one is regarded as the bearer of a long continuous history that comes down from one’s ancestors and continues in one’s descendants.

In practice, Shinto does not have a weekly religious service like in Christianity. People may visit shrines at their convenience. Some may go to shrines on the 1st and 15th of every month, and on rites or festivals (matsuri) several times a year. Devotees may pay respect to the shrine every morning. The Japanese usually have their wedding ceremonies in Shinto style and pronounce their wedding vows to kami. Shinto funeral ceremonies, however, are not popular. Most of the Japanese are Buddhist and Shintoist at the same time and have their funerals in Buddhist style. A traditional Japanese house has two family altars: one, Shinto, for their tutelary kami and the goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and another, Buddhist, for the family ancestors. Pure Shinto families, however, will have all ceremonies and services in Shinto style.

Each Shinto shrine has several major festivals each year, including the Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri), Autumn Festival (Aki Matsuri), Annual Festival (Rei-Sai), and the Divine Procession (Shinko-Sai).

At festivals, Shintoists may perform different types if rituals at the shrine, such as: Purification, Adoration, Offerings, Prayers, Sacred Music and Dance, Feast (naorai), etc.

As history has shown, Japanese people are very proud and respectful in their everyday life, as such many customs and manners have been developed that many foreigners may think of them as strange or unnecessary. At the start of a meal, it’s common to say in a brief prayer pose “itadakimasu” (I humbly receive). When eating dinner, it is inappropriate to eat directly from common dishes (where everyone can grab a portion of food), as you should put your portion on your plate first, and to reach for the item closest to you and at the top of the plate. If someone else is picking food from a common dish, give them some space. Also, playing with chopsticks, or using them for anything other than eating, is considered disrespectful, because the chopsticks may contain your saliva or traces of food and so they should be flung around in the air as little as possible; use chopstick holders whenever you’re not eating. Do not try to stab food with your chopsticks. If a chopstick is messy, let it be messy, and do not try to pass food chopstick-to-chopstick, as it resembles a funeral. At dinner parties, it’s somewhat rude to pour your own drink. As such, you should pour everyone else’s drink except yours, someone will notice and pour your drink. Walking and eating is seen as sloppy. “Gochisosama Deshita” (It was a feast) is used to thank someone for preparing a meal or for paying the bill (someone else paid) and compliment good service (paid yourself). The traditional Japanese diet consists of minimally processed, seasonal foods served in a variety of small dishes. This style of eating emphasizes dishes’ natural flavors rather than masking them with sauces or seasonings. The diet is rich in steamed rice, noodles, fish, tofu, natto, seaweed, and fresh, cooked, or pickled fruits and vegetables but low in added sugars and fats. It may also contain some eggs, dairy, or meat, although these typically make up a small part of the diet.

Keigo (honorific language) is a polite level of speech that includes different levels of humble, formal and respectful terms. It is complicated to master this level of speech, even for native speakers of Japanese, as some situations may not require it or the incorrect term was used. However, it is considered very rude to avoid using keigo. It is most appropriate to address someone by their last name followed by the polite suffix “-san.”

Oseibo and Ochugen are winter and summer gifts respectively given at year-end and around Obon (Festival of the Dead) given to relatives, neighbors and anyone who has helped you out in the past year, such as a doctor or teacher.

When greeting, the Japanese understand that foreigners tend to shake hands; nonetheless, shaking hand is more usual for business introductions. The usual way to greet is a bow, the deeper the bow, the higher the respect given… or the higher the shame felt by the person bowing, according to the situation. Bowing can go from just slightly nodding your head downwards, to being in a 90 degrees angle directly looking down, and a lazy bow is considered disrespectful. Getting on your knees (seiza) with your head down is used in deep prayers or when begging for forgiveness, as if you are experiencing intense shame. Bowing and shaking hands at the same time is seen as awkward. The formal bow is usually 45 degrees.

Try not to touch another person, as the Japanese are generally uncomfortable with physical interaction. Pointing is also considered rude and threatening. Instead, people tend to indicate directions with an open hand or even avoiding gestures at all. When feeling uncomfortable, the Japanese tend to be indirect and try to avoid conflict where possible, dropping subtle hints about their feelings rather than direct, bold statements. Japanese people are very patient and resist honking at other drivers out of irritation. Brief honks and light flashing is most often used in friendly gestures, such as warnings. When accepting a call, try to be discrete and very quiet, and not to talk on the phone on a train or in a café. In an elevator, the person closest to the buttons operates the doors and should help people select their floor. The person nearest to the door should also be the last one to get off. It is customary to take off any backpack on a crowded train and hold it in your hands. Many taxi doors in Japan are automatic, and the driver will get a little upset if you operate the door yourself. Tipping servers at restaurants or taxi drivers can be considered insulting or at least confusion. Walking and smoking is viewed as dangerous and inconsiderate, being the idea that you could accidentally burn someone on a crowded street. In Japan this is taken very seriously, and it might even be illegal to walk and smoke in some areas.

When entering a home and many establishments where you can rest, the entrance will have a space to change your shoes for indoor slippers. This is done as to not to bring the impurity and uncleanliness of the world into your home. Tatami floors (made from rice straw or compressed wood chips) are common on traditional households, and no kind of slippers or shoes should walk upon them. Bathroom slippers are exclusive for use in washrooms and bringing them into other rooms in considered shameful. In Japan, bathing is seen as a relaxing leisure activity rather than an act of cleansing. One must completely shower with soap before entering a bath; this applies for home baths and public hot springs (onsen). There may also be available garden slippers for balcony, garden or outside use. Japanese cultural activities, such as theatre and tea ceremony tend to require formal wear. Restaurants and office work usually do too.

Because the Japanese have a deep philosophical approach to graphic designs of all kinds, they value their national flag for its simplicity, striking contrasts, and appropriate symbolism. The “hot” red of the sun symbol contrasts with its “cool” white background, and the circle of the sun contrasts with the rectangle of the flag itself. The pole on which it is to be officially hoisted is rough natural bamboo, while the finial at the top is a shiny gold ball.

It is considered extremely racist and disrespectful to compare a Chinese person, or any other person of Asiatic features, to a Japanese person, as it is done so by so many ignorant people. One of the main reasons for this comes from an event during World War II, when the Japanese army invaded the village of Nanking (or Nanjing), resulting in the mass murder, burning, looting, and rape of its villagers. This event is infamously known as the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking.

After World War II, Japan had a radical change to its whole country and people. All large cities (except for Kyoto), the industries and transportation networks were severely damaged. Japan basically lost all the territory acquired after 1894. In addition, the Kurile islands were occupied by the Soviet Union, and the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, were controlled by the USA. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972. Over 500 military officers committed suicide right after Japan surrendered, and many hundreds more were executed for committing war crimes. A new constitution went into effect in 1947: The emperor lost all political and military power, and was solely made the symbol of the state. Universal suffrage was introduced and human rights were guaranteed. Japan was also forbidden to ever lead a war again or to maintain an army. Furthermore, Shinto and the state were clearly separated. Especially during the first half of the occupation, Japan's media was subject to a rigid censorship of any anti-American statements and controversial topics such as the race issue. With the peace treaty that went into effect in 1952, the U.S. occupation ended. Japan's Self Defense Force was established in 1954. After the Korean War, and accelerated by it, the recovery of Japan's economy flourished. The economic growth resulted in a quick rise of the living standards, changes in society and the stabilization of the ruling position of the Liberal Democratic Party. Japan's relations to the Soviet Union were normalized in 1956, the ones to China in 1972. The 1973 oil crisis shocked the Japanese economy which was heavily depended on oil. The reaction was a shift to high technology industries.

After previous bans for publishing and censorship from the fascist period of WWII in Japanese media were lifted, the animated film industry and manga (basically, Japanese comics) began to flourish, but not before having to deal with the repercussions of the war. Gojira (Godzilla) was created as a metaphor to represent the use of nuclear weapons against the Japanese at the end of World War 2 and has now developed to be recognized as an official citizen of Japan. Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and known in Japan as the God of Manga and Godfather of Anime, led the manga explosion of what would one day become one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world. Animation mainly took off in the 60’s and 70’s, when technology made it more accessible to produce the shows and to consume them. In contrast to western animation, which is generally directed to be “family friendly,” Japanese animation and manga can virtually explore any theme imaginable, from daily life as a middle school student to the psychological repercussions of war crimes while attempting to kill God to cleanse yourself of all sins and restart the universe.

In the modern day, Japan is known for being one of the most technologically advanced and civilized countries in the entire world, with even the crime rates being virtually null. Japan is naturally beautiful, with enough forests, mountains and lakes for a lifetime, and the metropolises of Japan are no exception to being astonishing, vibrant, and adventurous. Just the history of the country and learning its language are enough reason to gain interest in this wonderful land. After someone experiences the land that brought to life Godzilla and Mobile Suit Gundam, nobody would think about leaving. It’s the nest of the whole anime industry, with the most kawaii (cute) of souvenirs and , which I would one day want to visit myself.

Bibliography

Toyoda, Takeshi; Notehelfer, F.G.; et al. (1998-2020). Japan, history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/History

Hirai, Naofusa. (1999-2019). Shintō. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (1998-2020). Nanjing Massacre. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre

Spacey, J. (2009). 50 Japanese Manners and Customs. Japan Talk. https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/japanese-manners-and-customs

Lonely Planet. (n.d.). History. Lonely Planet. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/narratives/background/history

Japan Experience. (2020). Timeline of Japan’s History. Japan Experience. https://www.japan-experience.com/to-know/the-history-of-japan/history-of-japan-timeline

Petre, A. (2019). What Is the Japanese Diet Plan? All You Need to Know. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/japanese-diet

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Geography. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1000.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Religion in Japan. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Japanese Language. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e621.html

National Geographic. (n.d.). Japan. National Geographic Kids. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/japan/

Japan Rail Pass. (n.d.). Regions of Japan. Japan Rail Pass. https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/regions-of-japan

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

I’m having too many feelings about Arya’s characterization on the show, so here we go:

I feel really, really strongly that D&D decided that Arya was going to be the “Strong Female Character” trope, and they took away all of her...softer character development/relationships and grafted them on to Sansa. It kind of reminds me of book Hermione and Ron vs. movie Hermione and Ron--by removing one character’s flaws and giving them another’s strengths, it shortchanges both.

So let’s just dive right in, shall we?

"I will remember, Your Grace," said Sansa, though she had always heard that love was a surer route to the people's loyalty than fear. If I am ever a queen, I'll make them love me.  -A Storm of Swords

So, Sansa knows that fear is no way to rule. That’s important. The thing is, this is pretty much the first time we’ve seen this sort of awareness from Sansa. I don’t know that, apart from Joffrey, we’ve seen her worry about gaining the love of others. She gets along well with other lords and ladies, so it’s never really been an issue for her, though at this point in her story, she’s being shunned by the court. Still, it’s interesting to see her realize that she should observe what Cersei does, and then do the opposite of it. 

How do you make people love you--specifically, people you rule? The phrasing of this is interesting, too. “I’ll make them love me.” Make is a forceful word. Compared to later in the series, when the Tyrells bring carts of food to win the love of King’s Landing for Margaery, make implies a certain amount of fear, or compulsion. 

The Bread Riots are the first time Sansa is forced to reckon with the reality of poverty in King’s Landing, and the first time she’s really confronted with the fact that people who have never even met her hate her. In a lot of ways, you could say it’s the first meaningful interaction she’s had with people below her station. She has maids and servants, of course, but up until this point I don’t think Sansa truly comprehends how fortunate she is. She still faces danger in the Red Keep. Any wrong move could result in being beaten and humiliated, but that’s danger of a different sort than starvation or rape or death.

Arya, on the other hand, is, from the beginning, defined by her ability to connect with people who are different than her. Unlike Sansa, who enjoys the people at court, nobles and knights and lords, Arya loves the smallfolk. Blacksmiths and butcher’s boys, cooks and horse masters. Not only is this important enough that Sansa comments on it, it’s so different from Sansa’s own worldview that it is spoken of with derision.

Sansa knew all about the sorts of people Arya liked to talk to: squires and grooms and serving girls, old men and naked children, rough-spoken freeriders of uncertain birth. Arya would make friends with anybody. This Mycah was the worst; a butcher's boy, thirteen and wild, he slept in the meat wagon and smelled of the slaughtering block. Just the sight of him was enough to make Sansa feel sick, but Arya seemed to prefer his company to hers.  -Game of Thrones

Everything Arya has done since this observation was made has only driven the point further home. Arya can make friends with anyone--from her tentative friendship with the Hound to her friendships with the Brotherhood to Lady Smallwood--as she continues on her journey, she has started to learn better how to interact with nobility, something Sansa has always excelled at. In Braavos, Arya is quite literally putting herself in someone else’s shoes. 

Cat had made friends along the wharves; porters and mummers, ropemakers and sailmenders, taverners, brewers and bakers and beggars and whores. They bought clams and cockles from her, told her true tales of Braavos and lies about their lives, and laughed at the way she talked when she tried to speak Braavosi. -A Feast for Crows

Arya’s ability to make friends isn’t just a casual thing, either. Maybe it’s the wolf in her. Maybe it’s the nobility in her--chivalry in the classical sense--but she protects people. She looks out for others, to the point where she knows she might do better on her own, but they wouldn’t, and she can’t leave them. This holds true for people she knows:

She would make much better time on her own, Arya knew, but she could not leave them. They were her pack, her friends, the only living friends that remained to her, and if not for her they would still be safe at Harrenhal, Gendry sweating at his forge and Hot Pie in the kitchens. -A Storm of Swords

"You leave Weasel alone, she's just scared and hungry is all." Arya glanced back, but the girl was not following for once. Hot Pie must have grabbed her, like Gendry had told him. 

The roof was gone up too, and things were falling down, pieces of flaming wood and bits of straw and hay. Arya put a hand over her mouth and nose. She couldn't see the wagon for the smoke, but she could still hear Biter screaming. She crawled toward the sound...Jaqen saw her, but it was too hard to breathe, let alone talk. She threw the axe into the wagon. -A Clash of Kings

And people she doesn’t:

"He is not a lord," a child's voice put in. "He's in the Night's Watch, stupid. From Westeros." A girl edged into the light, pushing a barrow full of seaweed; a scruffy, skinny creature in big boots, with ragged unwashed hair. "There's another one down at the Happy Port, singing songs to the Sailor's Wife," she informed the two bravos. To Sam she said, "If they ask who is the most beautiful woman in the world, say the Nightingale or else they'll challenge you....”

...Don't do that either," said the barrow girl, "or else they'll ask for your boots next, and before long you'll be naked." ...And suddenly there was a knife in the girl's left hand, a blade as skinny as she was. The one called Terro said something to his fair-haired friend and the two of them moved off, chuckling at one another. -A Feast for Crows

Arya’s training arc in Braavos is simply giving her better tools to do what she has always done: defend people. Superficially, yes, she’s learning how to kill people. The show seems to think this is the most important thing she learned in Braavos, but there’s more to killing people than just killing:

"Are you some butcher of the battlefield, hacking down every man who stands in your way?" -A Dance With Dragons

As a Faceless Man in training, Arya is learning discretion, patience, and temperance. Particularly with what she saw as she traveled Westeros, this emphasis on the value of life, and the importance of not taking more than is needed, is pretty profound. 

Sansa’s character growth is leaning more towards political savvy--just her proximity to Littlefinger would lead to that conclusion, but she’s taking part in his plans, she’s learning how to play the game, and far more convincingly than she ever did at King’s Landing. In the books, she’s learning how to manage a household--managing the resources at the Eyrie--and how to interact with people whose default is not to treat her with respect. As Littlefinger’s bastard daughter, she doesn’t have the protection of being a lady.

In the books, this is a really important part of Sansa growing as a person, something the show doesn’t give us.

It wasn't fair. Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older; maybe by the time Arya had been born, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way. Sansa could sew and dance and sing. She wrote poetry. She knew how to dress. She played the high harp and the bells. Worse, she was beautiful. Sansa had gotten their mother's fine high cheekbones and the thick auburn hair of the Tullys. Arya took after their lord father. Her hair was a lusterless brown, and her face was long and solemn. Jeyne used to call her Arya Horseface, and neigh whenever she came near. It hurt that the one thing Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse. Well, that and manage a household. Sansa had never had much of a head for figures. If she did marry Prince Joff, Arya hoped for his sake that he had a good steward.  -A Game of Thrones

Arya has practical skills, Sansa the glamorous ones. I think it’s important to note that, as Arya lists off the skills Sansa has, she does not deride them. Arya isn’t maligning the things Sansa is good at--Arya just knows that she’ll never be as good as Sansa at them. And even though “managing a household” is tacked on at the end there, as if Arya herself isn’t too impressed with this skill, it’s so incredibly important, particularly when paired with other foreshadowing we get about her future. Having a head for figures, being able to connect with the smallfolk--these are all skills rulers need. 

Of course, in the show universe, we don’t see Sansa learning these skills--it’s just sort of assumed that she has them. Again, this undercuts the importance of her book training arc and completely disregards certain things, like Robb striking Sansa from Winterfell’s succession line and the fact that, with Bran and Rickon presumed dead, Arya not only has a claim to the North, but the ability to rule it. 

Sansa is cultured. She’s a proper lady, the kind of girl who would do well at court, who has the potential to become great at court politics. In some ways, given her stated affinity for children, GRRM might be leading her to becoming a Master of Whisperers. A little bird commanding a flock of little birds.

"Nothing happens in this city without Varys knowing. Ofttimes he knows about it before it happens. He has informants everywhere. His little birds, he calls them. One of his little birds heard about your visit." -A Game of Thrones

Arya reads, and writes. She rides, and can fight with a sword and a dagger. She’s learning to speak different languages, and she was raised with the old gods and her mother’s faith, and has a respect for all religions that she is learning through being a servant of the Many-Faced God. She’s hunted and cooked worked for her food and been hunted. She has lived with people who wanted her dead, she’s gone hungry and begged and hang on a minute. 

This sounds familiar. 

"He is here. Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows that kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them."  -A Dance With Dragons

In the books, it seems pretty clear that Arya is the one being groomed to rule. The show (D&D) seem intent that Sansa will take that role. A lot of Arya’s defining character traits have been reassigned to Sansa, leaving Arya as just an assassin. The show truncated book!Sansa’s journey to becoming a political operator for a reason I don’t get, and in the process managed to completely eliminate Arya’s interpersonal skills as well as her and Jon’s bond.

In the books, the oldest Starks (or Stark-adjacents, if we’re operating under the assumption that R+L=J) are, or have the potential to be, highly complimentary. 

Jon has command experience. He’s dealt with military, with strategy, with battle. Sansa has political experience. She has seen and lived with some of the shrewdest minds in Westeros, and has the potential to be a diplomatic link between the North and the South. Arya suited to the boring, hum-drum aspects of ruling, the day-to-day. She is a good listener. She is learning the value of patience in the House of Black and White as well as humility. She’s sweeping floors and scrubbing dead bodies. She’s not afraid of hard work, and since she started her dancing lessons with Syrio, has been learning that change only happens if you keep working at it. It doesn’t happen all at once. She knows what life is really like for the average person in Westeros. 

More than that, she’s seen firsthand the cost of war. This is so, so important. Arya has fought, she has walked through burned fields and castles, she’s been on the run, she’s killed, she’s saved people. Of all of the potential queens--Daenerys, Sansa, and Cersei--Arya is, I would argue, the only one who has truly experienced the horrors of war. Cersei and Sansa survived the Blackwater, true, but they weren’t fighting in it, and neither of them have seen the extent of damage the war as a whole has had on Westeros. Daenerys has seen more--she has waged war, but she has not fought, or killed, though she has seen the devastation of war.

Now, I’m not saying that hand-to-hand combat is required for someone to be a good ruler; I just want to point out that, of all the nobility who currently have the ability to angle for a throne, only Arya and Stannis have actually witnessed the toll war takes on the land and the people. Arya being disguised as a commoner would also vastly change what she and Stannis saw.

When show!Sansa walks through Winterfell, coming up with a plan for the surrounding areas to send grain, when she notices the armor being made should be covered with leather--these are not things Sansa would know. We’ve never seen her in a situation where she would have this knowledge, unless simply being raised in the North is enough of an explanation.

Book Sansa is a selfish character. There’s no way around this. She’s selfish, and petty, and shallow, and her journey is so poignant in the books because she comes to realize that the things she thought were important actually aren’t, and the people whose approval she once yearned for are terrible and she’d really just rather be around her obnoxious siblings. Even then, her thoughts of her siblings tend towards...well, snotty.

Sansa had once dreamt of having a sister like Margaery; beautiful and gentle, with all the world's graces at her command. Arya had been entirely unsatisfactory as sisters went. 

A Storm of Swords

That’s...Sansa, your sister could be dead, for all you know. The fact that GRRM includes this thought is, again, interesting. As much as Arya and Sansa disagree, Arya’s thoughts never have this sort of flavor to them. When Arya thinks of Sansa, it is more often with worry, or regret, and occasional bitterness. It’s fascinating to me how immature Sansa often is in comparison to Arya. Of course, Arya has her moments. I’m not denying that. 

Honestly, rereading Sansa chapters--I’m not sure if we’re supposed to like her in the beginning? She never strays into hate territory, but she does some pretty crappy things. She thinks some pretty crappy things. The fact that GRRM shows us these things and lets us be privy to these thoughts is important. I didn’t like book Sansa until she escaped King’s Landing. This is when her life takes a pretty sharp turn from “pampered and scared” to “lying for survival without the comforts of home”. Her journey to the Fingers is the first time she’s started to experience the things all of her remaining siblings or presumed siblings (hi, Jon) have been experiencing since the first book in some cases. She’s lying about her identity. She’s around people who can overpower her and won’t care because they don’t know she’s a lady. Even then, she’s not starving, or begging, or freezing, or fighting for her life. 

Sansa’s journey is almost purely internal. It’s all about her mental and emotional growth. Maybe she’ll wind up in a place of compassion. Maybe she won’t. Maybe her ability to detach from a situation will help her family stay alive and they ante up for the game of thrones. 

Arya’s journey, by contrast, is very external. She travels all over Westeros, to Essos. She learns how to change her outward appearance. She learns how to physically protect herself. I would argue that this is because she already has all of the internal character traits she will need to reach GRRM’s final goal for her--compassion, understanding, and a genuine love for people. 

Arya’s importance to the narrative is undermined so much by D&D’s writing. I think it’s pretty clear that they don’t understand either Stark sister. Sansa does not need to be put through more pain to be compelling; Arya doesn’t need to be emotionless to be badass. 

Here’s the thing: GRRM doesn't write strong female characters. He writes female characters well. None of them are perfect paragons. Arya and Sansa, Brienne and Cersei, Catelyn and Melisandre, are all deeply flawed just like real people. They each have strengths and weaknesses. They are petty, or impulsive, or narrow-minded. They are naive or jaded or willfully cruel. They are kind and soft and honorable. this is one of the greatest weaknesses of the show--it’s unable to let its female characters be people, and it’s Arya and Sansa who suffer.

[mysticdrabbles]

hi, could i get RFA/V/Saeran when they find out MC is jewish? maybe they come home and she's preparing for shabbat (sabbath) or something? recent antisemitism (*cough cough* the "are jews people" segment from CNN) has been really getting me down and making me nervous and i'm just so tired lol i'm sorry if you want me to elaborate on shabbat i totally can, i don't mind

Eyyyy guess who’s a year late to this T_T I hope every Jewish person reading this is having a wonderful day. (Also, I learned all I know about this stuff via Google so if I got anything wrong please, please feel free to correct me!)

Happy Hanukkah! ^^ 

Zen: 

The first time it comes up is about a month into your relationship.

Once you reach the point where you’re spending practically every day together because his day isn’t complete unless he gets to see your beautiful face~

(insert Zen wink emoji)

You’re a little nervous the first time he comes over on a Friday evening

Not that you’re ashamed of your religion, of course! It’s just that the news lately has you kind of worried that he might be… you don’t know, but you’re worried.

When he gets to your place after his rehearsal is over he finds you cooking.

“What’s the occasion, babe?”

“Just preparing for shabbat.”

The word sounds kind of  familiar but he can’t quite place what it is please don’t be offended by his ignorance.

You explain to him that it’s the Jewish day of rest.

He’s basically kicking himself now, because he knew that. 

(He played a Jewish character once, he can’t believe he forgot!)

He listens respectfully to the rest of your explanation 

And he’ll be as involved with this and other traditions as you feel comfortable with. 

He personally isn’t religious but he has nothing but respect for you and your religion.

His own ignorance has also made him realize that he doesn’t really see much of the Jewish faith in films and musicals?

Congrats, Zen is now an official advocate for proper Jewish representation in media!

If ever he’s in a play or film where a character is Jewish, he’ll run everything by you to make sure it’s both accurate and non-offensive.

And when a director refuses to change something after you explain that it’s a not only a false stereotype but a harmful one 

He quits the play on the spot.

His agent warns him that it’s not a good idea to get publicly involved in any kind of political argument, but he doesn’t care

“There’s nothing political about whether or not to be a decent human being and respect others.”

Yoosung:

When he cooks a meal for you, he doesn’t think to ask if you have any dietary restrictions, religious or otherwise.

And of course, tonight he decided to try a pork bulgogi recipe he found online.

Which is… sweet and all. 

But unfortunately, you have to explain to him that you’re Jewish, and you don’t eat pork.

He immediately regrets the oversight, 

He’s sorry he didn’t ask first.

Honestly, he didn’t even think to ask you about your religion.

He isn’t really religious himself and he just doesn’t think of this stuff most of the time?

Now that he knows he asks you a bunch of questions to make sure he doesn’t do or say anything wrong.

(boy’s sitting on his computer googling “how to not offend my Jewish s/o”)

He looks up Jewish recipes and practices them until they come out perfect.

He also makes a list of the foods that you don’t eat.

He’s sitting at his computer taking notes as though there’s gonna be a test or something.

It’s not just fear that makes him want to learn about your faith though. He also actually likes the religion?

Jewish religion and traditions all sound lovely? You sound like such great people? And he already knows you specifically are a great person, so that’s one point in their favour.

He’s absolutely terrified to meet your family.

Are they going to hate him because he’s not Jewish?

Should he convert? 

(You assure him that he doesn’t need to do that.)

He’s also super fast to jump on anyone who makes anti-semitic comments, both online and in real life.

Someone on LOLOL makes a gross, offensive comment and he gets his guild to literally destroy the guy

The jerk can’t go anywhere without Yoosung’s guildmates immediately killing him

Yoosung and his guild are savage and they do not tolerate this kind of hatred and disrespect.

Jaehee:

Jaehee has come in contact with all kinds of people from various parts of the world during her time working for Jumin.

So she respects all faiths and all cultures.

Your faith in particular  comes up one morning, when she hears you praying.

She asks what it is you were just reciting

(She waits until after you’re finished, of course. She would never interrupt you.)

You tell her that it’s a Jewish morning prayer.

Unlike the last two guys, Jaehee doesn’t need to ask many questions. As mentioned before, she’s met with other Jewish people before.

She doesn’t know everything, of course.

Just the basics.

And she’s more than willing to ask you about the details and things she’s not sure about. 

Not because she’s worried about messing up or getting anything wrong

She just wants to know more because your faith is a part of you, and she takes interest in every part of you and your life.

And despite her being Catholic and you being Jewish, there won’t be any conflict. She has nothing but respect for your religion.

She finds devotion to faith admirable regardless of what faith it is. 

Each of you follows your own traditions and beliefs and you respectfully support each other.

She’ll accompany you to the synagogue if you’d like, and she’ll invite you to her church as well though it’s certainly neither an expectation nor a requirement for you to go.

Basically she just… understands 

And engages in healthy communication whenever possible.

Because Jaehee is like a pro girlfriend.

Jumin:

Like Jaehee, Jumin has come across people of all cultures thanks to his work. 

He’s even been to Israel on a business trip before, so he knows a bit about what Judaism is.

Actually, Jumin finds it quite fascinating to learn about other cultures and beliefs. He loves meeting different kinds of people with different ways of life.

He honestly finds everything about your faith interesting

And you can bet he’s going to ask tons of questions.

He wants to know everything.

He wants to know about all of your traditions and ceremonies and symbols…

Everything.

He’s not trying to interrogate you, or be intrusive. 

He just wants to know, both because of his personal interest in other cultures and his personal interest in all things related to you.

He offers to hire you the best cooks he can find to prepare you meals for shabbat

But you tell him that you’d rather do it yourself because it’s more meaningful to you.

He nods thoughtfully

“I see.”

He then calls Jaehee to clear his schedule for the day so he can stay home and help you personally

He’s not the greatest help

Read: he can’t cook for shit and he somehow set the deep fryer on fire

But he can do menial tasks and keep you company while you work.

He just wants to be with you and be part of your life.

Of course, he can’t take a day off every week.

(Jaehee would die of stress)

But he tries to at least come home early enough to help if you need him.

He doesn’t interfere or anything, especially if you don’t want him to.

Mostly he just sits with Elizabeth the 3rd and watches you.

He also likes being present during the Kiddish, when you say prayers over wine.

(He likes anything that involves wine.)

His father might be a little concerned at first about him being in a serious relationship with you.

(He has nothing against Jewish people. He’s just worried there will be conflict since you’re Jewish and the Hans are Christians.)

But you win him over with your respectful attitude and your love for Jumin.

And if anyone else comments on Jumin Han having a Jewish significant other, Jumin is cold and savage.

(“How can you be dating someone who believes that?”

“You shouldn’t speak about others beliefs as absurd when you’re the one who has the ridiculous belief that I care at all what you think.”)

No one messes with his love and gets away unscathed.

Seven:

Literally the first thing he says to you when you tell him you’re Jewish is “that makes sense, I always thought you Israeli great.”

(*finger guns*)

There will be cheesy jokes whenever he can fit them in 

(When he finds you cooking in preparation for shabbat he comes up and kisses you. You ask why. He grins. “Just wanted you to know that I like you a latke!”)

And then there’s the sweater he buys for the holidays that features a menorah and the words “It’s Lit”.

But in all seriousness, he absolutely respects you and your beliefs.

I know it might not seem like it, since he’s so nonchalant and joke-y about his own religion sometimes

But he actually has a huge amount of respect for all religions.

Well, all religions that aren’t cults.

After all, he lived a pretty miserable, hopeless life before he found his religion. In a way, that church saved his life.

So he definitely understands how important religion can be to people.

And honestly, Saeyoung loves hearing about other religions and beliefs?

He thinks that every religion has valuable teachings. 

He’s not the type of person who’s going to argue the details of which religion got everything right. 

For him personally, identifying as Catholic is more a show of loyalty to the church that saved him as a kid. 

Not that he doesn’t believe in Catholic beliefs! He does, for sure. 

He just personally believes that it’s unlikely any one religion got every detail right.

(But he respects people who do believe in their religion 100% too! Again, his beliefs aren’t law. Maybe he’s right, maybe you’re right. He’s not going to argue about it.)

Also, can you speak any Hebrew? He’s not perfectly fluent but he’s decent and he always loves finding foreign language buddies. 

(And let’s be real he could become a master at it if he wanted to just give him like a week or so he really likes languages)

If you can’t speak much, maybe he could teach you if you want?

He’s also pretty excited to celebrate Hanukkah with you.

(He’s super excited because he was planning on building you something for Christmas but since Hanukkah has eight days that means that he can build you eight things!)

“Saeyoung, no.” “SAEYOUNG, YES!”

This is after checking with you that you wouldn’t be offended or uncomfortable if he does, of course.

If you don’t want him to participate at all he will politely and quietly sit on the sidelines until you’re finished with your prayers and ceremonies. He’ll follow whatever rules you chose to impose on him.

And as for antisemitic news stories…

Whenever a headline like that appears he hacks the tv station to change the words to say things like “New Study Finds that Jewish People Are 70.7% Cooler Than News Anchors”

Saeran:

Saeran walks in one day to see you putting out candles around the room.

“What are you doing?”

If it comes off as a bit snappy, it’s just because not knowing things makes him nervous sometimes. He’s not annoyed, he’s just confused and curious.

You explain to him that it’s shabbat tomorrow and you have to prepare.

He’s heard you say that you’re Jewish before but he doesn’t really know what it means other than the general fact that it’s a religion?

It’s never really come up in his incredibly sheltered life

And he hasn’t gotten an opportunity to ask you yet, until now.

You explain the concept of shabbat to him, and answer his occasional questions

(Things like ”What are the candles for?” and “Why Saturday?”)

Saeran is…

Wary about religion, to say the least.

Unlike his brother, he has no positive associations with religion. Definitely not enough positive associations to outweigh the negative ones he had with Mint Eye.

Don’t get me wrong, he heard nothing but nice things about it from Saeyoung when they were younger

But even that might have also caused a bit of jealousy-based resentment?

So organized gatherings of religion are a pretty hard no for him. The very idea of churches (or synagogues) scares him.

He’s sorry…

And… he’s not sure about big family get-togethers either. He doesn’t know if he’s ready for something like that yet. Or if he’ll ever be.

He’s sorry he’s sorry he’s sorry

He won’t stop you from doing anything, of course.

And he’ll help out around the house as much as he can with any cleaning and cooking.

And once he stops panicking at the thought of being surrounded by people considered “believers” again

(He knows it’s different, he’s sorry again)

He finds the whole thing… calming?

He sits quietly while you light candles and pray and just… soaks up the positive atmosphere.

As long as he’s not expected to participate in everything and you respect that he might not always be up for joining you for things

Then he’s perfectly fine with it.

V:

V has mostly positive memories of the holiday season.

And the negative ones he as are mostly only negative because they were the years he spent alone. 

The years that everyone he loved was too busy working to celebrate with him.

But for the most part, he associates Christmastime with good memories

Having a rare sit down dinner with his father

Sneaking out to exchange gifts with his mother (she would usually buy him art supplies, of course)

Attending mass with Jumin and his family

Exchanging gifts with Rika…

So of course he wants to share those positive memories and make new ones with you as well, no matter how new your relationship may be.

So he asks you what you usually do for Christmas

(Jihyun it’s October.)

(Yeah, but he has to start planning now if he wants to find you the best gift possible ^^;)

And he asks if you would be interested in celebrating it with him, maybe going to mass together?

(He’s slightly ignorant, yes, he grew up in a Christian neighborhood, he’s used to just being right with this assumption.)

You take this as a perfect opportunity to tell him that you’re Jewish

…oh. Oops.

He feels like he’s messed up or offended you.

That was never his intention, he swears.

Has Luciel invented a time machine yet because he could use one right now

The invitation to go to mass with him is still open, of course, and in return he could join you in attending your synagogue if you’d like. 

But if you’re not comfortable with that, that’s fine too! He can go to church with Jumin and meet up with you after.

He offers provide you with anything you need.

Ingredients for food, the nicest wines he has, the most ornate and beautiful menorah money can buy, literally name anything you want and it’s yours.

He’ll also buy you small gifts for each day of Hanukkah. 

A book he thinks you’ll like, a puzzle with a picture that reminded you him of you…

Nothing too big.

Until the last day of Hanukkah, when he hands you a large frame-shaped gift

As you’re opening it, he tells you that it’s the first major painting project he’s completed since becoming a professional photographer and trading his paints for a camera. 

“So bear in mind that I may be a little out of practice.”

(He’s nervous)

“Not to mention I technically specialize in landscapes and scenic paintings. I haven’t drawn something like this in a while, let alone painted one.”

(He’s so worried it’s not good enough, you want to open it faster just so you can assure him that it’s great, whatever it is.)

And boy is it great.

It’s a portrait of you lighting a candle on the menorah

And it is beautiful

The expression of pure peace on your face, your slight smile softened further by the gentle glow of the candlelight

The warmth that both your skin and your expression radiate

The reflection of the flame dancing in your eyes and making them sparkle

It’s incredible. 

He calls it “Faith”

Aside from the obvious reason, he says it’s because you restored his faith in both love and himself.

He’s actually debating making it his first public painted work, if that’s something you’d be comfortable with.

If not, then you can keep it and do what you like with it.

He just wanted to capture the feeling of happiness and… well, faith, that he sees in you when you practice any of your religious traditions. 

Because it’s beautiful.

And so are you.

Vanderwood:

Vanderwood isn’t really religious

But they also couldn’t care less about what other people believe 

(As long as it doesn’t hurt or otherwise negatively affect those around them, of course.)

So when they come home to find you lighting candles and praying they’re not really all that concerned?

(Well, their first thought is “where do we keep the fire extinguisher again?” but that’s mostly just an instinctive reaction to seeing fire after working with 707 for so long)

They listen to your explanation about shabbat because they respect you and therefore respect your beliefs

And they will absolutely make sure they don’t do anything that could offend you

(Not that they would say offensive things in the first place.

Mostly they’re worried they might misunderstand something or read false information.)

They actually kinda like the whole shabbat thing?

It’s nice to have something that’s a guaranteed fixed schedule. 

It makes them feel… stable.

In their old life patterns like that could be a weakness, since they make you predictable.

But now it comforts them to know that every Friday night and every Saturday they know  where to find you and what you’ll be doing

Oh, but there is one thing that they definitely need to discuss

They read that you’re not supposed to do certain chores on the day of shabbat.

Does that apply to them too? Is it rude if they do those things? What if they only do it when you’re not in the room?

They absolutely will refrain from all cleaning if you would find it disrespectful in any way

They’ll sit down with you and make a list of the things they are and aren’t supposed to do.

Even if you say you don’t mind if they do it as long as you don’t do them yourself, they’ll still try to get most of the cleaning out of the way on Friday night

And it becomes a weekly tradition for them to come over and help you by cleaning up while you’re preparing and cooking

(They’ll help with cooking too, especially if you’re not good at it. They’re not a chef or anything but they do know the basics.)

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8 TV moms we'd love to have around in real life

Whether they're real or fictional, moms are the greatest.

While biological moms deserve major props for seeing us through our formative years, serving as role models, and literally giving us life, we must never forget all the comfort and wisdom that TV moms bestowed upon us over the years.

SEE ALSO: Best Mother's Day gifts for every kind of mom

Through our television, laptop, and phone screens, we've watched as mothers on our favorite television shows shared relationship, career, and life advice with their on-screen children. We listened to their words, taking them as seriously as we would our own mother's, and grew to love the characters so deeply that we wished they were real people.

From reliable matriarchs like Beth Pearson on This Is Us, to chill best friend types like Gilmore Girls' Lorelai Gilmore, here are eight television moms we'd absolutely love to have around IRL.

1. Beth Pearson, This Is Us

Image: Ron Batzdorff/NBC 

Fans of This Is Us might assume Rebecca Pearson, who raised the beloved "Big Three," would make this list, but now is the time to celebrate Beth.

While Rebecca will always hold a special place in our hearts, Beth Pearson, who's brilliantly portrayed by Susan Kelechi Watson, slays the mom game on a daily basis. Not only does she go above and beyond to take care of her husband and two biological daughters, Tess and Annie, but she extends her affection far beyond her immediate family.

Beth fiercely loves each and every member of her husband Randall's family and does her best to make everyone who enters her home feel as comfortable as possible, all the while remaining chill as hell. And after watching Beth work to connect with and empower her foster daughter, Deja, in Season 2, is there a single soul who didn't wish this mom could pop straight out of the TV screen and give us a hug??? Nope. 

2. Kristina Braverman, Parenthood

Image: Colleen Hayes/NBC

Before This Is Us was to blame for our weekly ugly cry sessions, the heartwarming NBC drama to watch was Parenthood. Though the show was chock full of great moms, looking back, the absolute angel that is Kristina Braverman reigned supreme.

Portrayed by Monica Potter, Kristina proved time and again to be a crucial star of the tight knit Braverman family. As a wife and mother of three — Haddie, Max, and Nora — Kristina handled every situation life threw at her with strength and courage. From taking care of her son with Asperger syndrome, to supporting her daughter’s coming out, and coming to terms with her own breast cancer diagnosis, Kristina was consistently caring and loving — the ultimate supermom.

3. Rainbow Johnson, Black-ish

Image: Kelsey McNeal/ABC via Getty Images

Tracee Ellis Ross shines as Rainbow Johnson on the ABC comedy, Black-ish. When she's not busy being a supportive wife or talented anesthesiologist, Bow is serving up a whole lot of mom realness, parenting her five (yes, FIVE) kids, and working hard to make sure they have better lives than she did growing up.

Tracee has even taken her Golden Globe-winning role to the Black-ish spinoff show Grown-ish, where she visited her oldest daughter Zoey at college to share some invaluable advice about love, sex, and the importance of education. You rock, Rainbow.

4. Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights

Image: Bill Records/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Friday Night Lights’ Tami Taylor gave the world ultimate #MomGoals. After her husband took on the demanding job of high school football coach, Tami, played by Connie Britton, took over maintaining the house and taking care of their (kinda snotty) teenage daughter, Julie. But she wasn’t about to sacrifice her own dreams of doing more meaningful work in the community.

As a high school guidance counselor and eventually principal, Tami constantly worked to positively impact the school community and encourage students to do their best. She later gave birth to another daughter, Gracie Belle Taylor, and essentially raised her on her own, as her husband and oldest daughter were ~busy~ living their lives. Over the years Tami served as a positive role model for many young women in her life, even helping Tyra and Lyla attend colleges.

She always kept her eyes clear and her heart full, which might explain why she never lost. 😎

5. Mindy Lahiri, The Mindy Project

Image: Jordin Althaus/Universal Television/Hulu

Mindy is fun, fierce, and fashionable, always keeps it real, and is an inspiring and accomplished woman in the workplace. In The Mindy Project we saw her wholeheartedly embrace motherhood and put Leo before herself. But as a mother she also admirably made sure to continue perusing her career goals as an OB/GYN and fertility specialist.

Sure, Mindy isn't always the best mom. I mean, she did accidentally lock her son Leo in the house alone when he was a newborn, and forgot to bring snacks to his school and dressed him in an offensive t-shirt — but hey, we'd still love to have her around.

If Mindy, who also goes by the warrior name Beyoncé Phad Thai, was our mom, there's no doubt we'd always be up-to-date on the latest celebrity gossip, learn a slew of invaluable life hacks, and always have someone to stay in with and watch rom-com marathons.

6. Sheila Hammond, Santa Clarita Diet

Image: netflix

Sheila Hammond is an, uh, different mom, but honestly she handles being undead as well as one could be expected. After learning she's essentially become a zombie, the Santa Clarita Diet mom makes a solid attempt to control her impulses to feast on human flesh so as not to be separated from her family. That's nice! 

Yeah she's slightly terrifying, but she's a confident mother with endless energy and an upbeat attitude. Despite the fact that she's basically half-living, we think having Sheila around would liven things up a little. 

7. Penelope Alvarez, One Day at a Time

Image: Mike Yarish/Netflix

Netflix recently brought the 1970s sitcom One Day at a Time back to life, and with this reboot we were given one of the most badass moms on television.

Justina Machado portrays Penelope Alvarez, an understanding and hard-working nurse, war veteran, and single mother of two, Alex and Elena.

Penelope, who openly suffers from depression and anxiety, isn't afraid to have serious and meaningful discussions related to mental health and other important issues like sexuality, immigration, religion, and more. But she's always down to have fun while inspiring her family.

8. Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls

Image: Mitchell Haddad/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images

Rory Gilmore is perhaps the luckiest daughter to ever exist on television, because her mother and cool as hell best friend just so happened to be the same person. 

While Gilmore Girls was full of complex mother-daughter relationships, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, was without a doubt the single most impressive mom on the show. She made sacrifice after sacrifice to ensure her daughter was happy, well educated, and had the freedom she felt she never did growing up. She gave great advice about boys, fashion, and food, and was fluent in a language that even the best of moms often fail to master: pop culture. 

And though Lorelai was always encouraging when it came to drinking an extra cup of coffee, lying to get out of dreaded plans, or deviled-egging someone's car, she wasn't afraid to play The Mom Card when necessary, calling Rory out when she made poor decisions — like dropping out of Yale, hooking up with a married man, or stealing a yacht, for example.

Who wouldn't want to hang with Lorelai on a daily basis?

Bonus: Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development

Image: FOX TELEVISION/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

When you think of an ideal mother your mind probably doesn't jump to Arrested Development's sassy and blunt beyond belief Lucille Bluth. But hear us out — wouldn't it be fun if you got to watch the character, portrayed by Jessica Walter, be someone else's mom?

As Mashable's MJ Franklin explained, Lucille's unconventional approach to motherhood, though sometimes flawed, can certainly teach us a lot. (Not to mention, serve as a quality source of entertainment.) So Lucille, we cordially invite you and your low-key intimidating parenting techniques to join us in the real world to provide laughs and keep us all in check.

Let's here it for the moms, everyone!

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