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sea-of-sunlight · 3 years ago

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A is for...

*This post was originally created for my employer’s intranet, and is intended as a launching point for people from all backgrounds and familiarities.*

Happy June!

Along with all the rainbows popping up in every shop window, and the full schedule of (digital) events hosted, there's also that tricky acronym (s?). LGBT+. LGBTQ. LGBTQIA+. QUILTBAG. LGBTQQIP2AA. Unless you're active in one of the communities represented by the letters, there's a good chance you get a bit lost in the alphabet soup. These lesser-known letters are considered invisible identities. I highly recommend learning about all of them, but today we're going to focus on just one:

A is for...

- Aromantic: a person who experiences little to no romantic attraction to others and - Asexual: a person who experiences little to no sexual attraction to others

A person can be just aromantic, just asexual, or both aromantic and asexual (aroace, for short. This is me!). And each of these words represents a huge spectrum of experiences. Some people engage in traditional relationships. Some seek out less traditional relationship models such as polyamory or platonic partnerships. And some aren't interested in relationships at all. The aromantic and asexual, or aspec, community is diverse! Just check out this glossary.

Since coming out, the most common misconception I encounter about aspec communities is that they are new, evolving alongside the internet. It's true that the internet, like for many people, helped consolidate and streamline language and build connections between aspec people around the world. But aspec people have been around for as long as there have been, well. People.

For much of Western human history, people have been considered either straight or not, which makes it tricky to separate out specific experiences. There are some clearer examples, though:

In 1995, "Dear Abby" answered a letter to a person worried about their lack of attraction by telling them they may be asexual and reassuring them that this is normal. Throughout the 80s and 90s, many aspec people considered themselves part of the bisexual community in studies and in community spaces - they both were "about equally homosexual and heterosexual" and "have no strong preferences for one or the other." Aspec people crop up throughout the 1970s - in trans liberation magazines, feminist manifestos, collegiate LGBTQIA+ recruitment booths, and more, referred to as explicitly asexual. In 1948, American sexologist Alfred Kinsey famously developed his Kinsey Scale ranking attraction along an axis between fully heterosexual and fully homosexual. However, according to Dr. Kinsey, between one and nineteen percent of people he interviewed expressed "no socio-sexual contacts or reactions," and therefore did not fit on his scale at all but instead into a separate group "X." Aspec people were present in the Spinster Movement in the 1870s-1940s; and in The Golden Orchid association from 1644-1949. And, although the language has evolved over time, there are so, so many more.

As an aroace person, I am constantly, critically aware of how the relative invisibility of my identity makes it difficult to advocate for my and my community's needs. But I also firmly believe the first step in advocacy is education. If you want to learn more, you can always ask me! Or you can use the following resources to launch your own learning:

Books:

The Invisible Orientation by Julie Sondra Decker Minimizing Marriage by Elizabeth Brake Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

Visual Media:

TEDx Talks with Yasmin Benoit Emi Salida on Sky News Sriti Jha narrates what being an asexual is like All About the A (in LGBTQIA+) ((*full disclosure, I was a panelist for this webinar))

Podcasts:

A OK Sounds Fake But Okay

Websites:

The Asexual Visibility and Education Network The Aromantic-spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy Seattle Aces and Aros The Trevor Project

#aromantic #asexual #aspec #aroace #pride #my writing

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theuntamedproject · 4 years ago

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"If the face says nothing, listen to the heartbeat" - Lan WangJi, Mo Dao Zu Shi (Weeks 3+4)

https://zhtheuntamedprojec.wixsite.com/theuntamedproject

... those who have read the novel know the real context of this line in the scene BUT taken out of context and used in a completely different (*cough* our) scenario..."If the face says nothing," translates to "Even if we seem calm on the outside,""listen to the heartbeat." translates to "we're so stressed to the point of ventricular fibrillation." (dunno if that's even a likely story but the overly exaggerated point still stands: we just handed our uni applications in and we're dreading admission tests and awaiting interviews...)

Quick overview

So aside from school work and university prep, TUP has taken up whatever spare moment either one of us has. However since Zara's Physics coursework began (good luck Zara!!) and both of us prepping for our respective admissions tests, we've decided instead of marching onwards with research on architecture and other food science related stuff, to settle on more relaxed Google seshes on MDZS (and totally not using this as an excuse to read the source text again) and beginning to design the buildings on CAD and paper.

So I'm going to introduce to you the barebones framework of what we plan to include in the design: characters, buildings and effects~ apologies in advance for not including the accents/tones in names (I cba tbh ;-; )

Characters

Because all these little dudes are just going to be cut out gingerbread men, we could include as many characters as possible (we did say we're making a universe are we not?). Those in italics are "maybe" characters depending on the dough remaining (or whether we like them to be part of the universe or not...) or how much gingerbread we're willing to eat ourselves (though huge shout out to everyone thats offered to eat our spare and broken gingerbread during materials testing - which I will get to a bit later :3)

Gusu Lan (the pretty sect)

Lan XiChen / Lan Huan (Sect Leader - simped so hard for his sworn brothers that both of them ended up dead)

Lan WangJi / Lan Zhan (repressed gay but we love him still)

Lan Yuan / Lan Sizhui (he's part of the Lan sect now goddamnit)

Lan JingYi (the most unLan Lan yet has the highest chance of being the next sect leader lmaoo)

Lan QiRen

Lan Yi / Lan An

QingHeng-Jun (Twin Jades' father)

Madam Lan (Twin Jades' mother)

Yunmeng Jiang (arguably the only "normal" sect here...)

Jiang Cheng / Jiang Wanyin (Sect Leader also an "angry grape" as put by Zara)

Jiang YanLi (OUR QUEEN)

Jiang FengMian (loved Wei Ying more than Jiang Cheng lol jk xd)

Yu ZiYuan (BAMF)

Wei Ying not included here since technically he defected from the Sect (; - ;)

Qinghe Nie (fans and sabers my bros)

Nie HuaiSang (Sect Leader - yeah, I can't believe it either)

Nie MingJue (noooooooooo)

Honestly, I swear this clan is either "big muscles or big brain?". If you have neither, you can't be part of their clique. I mean sect.

Lanling Jin (rich rich rich rich rich)

Jin Ling / Jin RuLan (Sect Leader - totally not named after Wei Ying's crush/ husband's family)

Jin GuangYao / Meng Yao (*smiles*)

Jin ZiXuan (peacock but JYL's husband nonetheless)

Jin GuangShan (gross)

Jin ZiXun (double gross)

Mo XuanYu (literally did not sign up to any of this. He just wanted to end his suffering at Mo Manor)

We decided against including everyone from Mo Manor since they literally died within the first few chapters of the novel / first episode of the drama so were kinda irrelevant. Also, we don't care about them like we care for the Lan Sect members either.

Off topic side rant, Zara has been on my case whenever I bring up Jin GuangYao. I have to say, he's way more lovable in the drama than in the novel (didn't really leave much of an impression on me in the novel, NHS did a better job at that). I'm here to briefly explain why this boy is misunderstood and deserved more than what he got (and also why you should love him because he deserves love).JGY is a poor soul who's goal in life was to please others because no one was ever satisfied with him. His mother wasn't satisfied. His father wasn't satisfied. Hell, even his sworn brother NMJ wasn't satisfied with him eventually. BUT GUESS WHAT Xichen the angel is the only person that showed any love or thanks to JGY that's why he didn't kill him in the end - he wouldn't kill people that actually cared about him. IF ONLY EVERYONE ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION TO HOW CLEVER AND CUNNING THIS MAN WAS, THERE MAY NOT EVEN BE WENS THREATENING THE WORLD. end of brief rant.

Qishan Wen (too hot, hot damn)

Wen RuoHan (Sect Leader - could have taken over the world if his children weren't incompetent)

Wen Qing (half the reason why included this sect)

Wen Ning / Wen QiongLin (the other half of the reason)

Wen Yuan (WE NEED THIS BABIE ALONGSIDE SIZHUI OK)

Wen Chao (questionable)

Wen ZhuLiu (also questionable but less annoying than Wen Chao)

Rogue cultivators (including people we didn't really know where to put)

Wei WuXian / Wei Ying (Can work out how to cultivate resentful energy, fight against the biggest cultivation clans in the world and gain a formidable reputation as the Yiling Patriarch yet can't figure out that Lan Zhan has a crush on him. Makes it look like cultivating resentful energy is easy as pie.)

CangSe SanRen (Wei Ying's mother)

Wei ChangZe (Wei Ying's father)

Xiao XingChen (honestly, the nicest guy ever. Could rival Xichen in terms of kindness. But then again... where did that kindness lead either of them? Moral of story: screw kindness)

Song Lan (Wen Ning's dead buddy~)

Xue Yang (he was cool in the novel, a bit questionable in the drama ngl)

A-Qing (didn't report her situation to the police...)

Baoshan Sanren (without knowledge of her existence, Jiang Cheng may have given up on life after he lost his golden core)

Ouyang ZiZhen (I didn't know who he was at all from the novel (ie he left no impression) but since he's technically part of the juniors, we have to include him)

Wang Ling Jiao / Jiao Jiao (just so Wen Chao has a friend perhaps... I don't know if we're that kind)

Su She (ew. just. He's not our favourite. The whole thing could have gone smoother if he didn't exist)

Luo Qingyang / Mian Mian (that one girl that made Wei Ying think Lan Zhan was straight)

Whew! That's all the character's we've considered! We have yet to come up with individual designs for the clothes and what not but at least we know there are going to be straight up cutting them out using the gingerbread man cutters.

Also! let's not forget:

Li'l Apple (didn't sign up for any of this either)

Fairy (gift from JGY to JL, also good doggo)

All the bunnies in Gusu (yes.)

All the fans and sabers in Qinghe (it's part of their aesthetic)

Locations and Buildings

This section's going to be MUCH shorter than the previous one haha since we've basically come up with 5 main buildings and in 7 locations. We're planning these buildings to be architectural masterpieces (okay, that's a slight exaggeration but that's the point). These buildings will take SIGNIFICANTLY more time than the gingerbread characters and is the reason we've put so much effort into researching what would make the most stable type of building. This is because we've planned to mirror the buildings as close as possible to the drama. We haven't yet drawn 2D sketches as I've left that job mostly to Zara (sorry!) so it's sort of hard to describe in words but by next post, we hope to have these down~ (though please see the mood boards from Zara's post previously)~

Gusu Lan - Cloud Recesses

The Wall of Discipline

The Courtyard

The Orchid Room (the main classroom/hall)

Yunmeng Jiang - Lotus Pier

The Main Pier

Lotus Pod Lake

Qinghe Nie - The Unclean Realm

The Main Courtyard and stairs

Lanling Jin - Koi Tower

Koi Tower

Qishan Wen - Nightless City

Main building and stairs

Yiling - Burial Grounds

The Mountains (and farms/Wen settlements)

Demon-Slaughtering Cave

And of course, Yi City.

We don't know if we want to include any more places but we'll let you know if there are any changes to this list. Plus the effects of LEDs and other arts and craft jazz besides gingerbread, we plan to make sure each Sect get's their own spotlight~

Please enjoy our baby Cloud Recesses, they're going to grow up and be a fine specimen of society worthy of the Lan name :D

The plan going forward

Although unfortunately, things haven't gone totally to plan due to fairly busy circumstances, we still have some major events along the way before starting to build the whole thing (which would probably be around mid-to-end of December) which have indeed started preparing for. Including:

Material testing gingerbread and icing (ie finally, bringing our research to the real world) - a lot of gingerbread will be made, so thank you to the willing volunteers who wanted to eat our failed experiments!

Finding / creating a suitable recipe for the gingerbread people

2D and 3D sketches of the buildings

Designing costumes for the gingerbread people

Another thing that we kinda want to do is to make this project benefit the wider community (we wanted to set up a GoFundMe at some point and raise some money for charity~). But we don't know how to do that as of yet T-T . Any ideas, feel free to contact us and let us know! We want to help others through this project (if at all possible haha)!

#mdzs #update #characters #gingerbread #gusulan #yunmengjiang #qinghenie #lanlingjin #qishanwen #weiying #lanzhan

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marketingadvisorvietnam · 6 years ago

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Scaling a peak and feeling new highs - Travel - Vietnam News | Politics, Business, Economy, Society, Life, Sports

Marketing Advisor đã viết bài trên https://www.ticvietnam.vn/scaling-a-peak-and-feeling-new-highs-travel-vietnam-news-politics-business-economy-society-life-sports/

Scaling a peak and feeling new highs - Travel - Vietnam News | Politics, Business, Economy, Society, Life, Sports

Viet Nam News

Getting to the top of Chiêu Lầu Thi Mountain is hard, dangerous and scary, but the reward is memories for a lifetime. Thanh Nga recounts the experience.

We did not expect that climbing a mountain would be as scary as it was thrilling, but atop Chiêu Lầu Thi, we felt it was the Everest we were standing on.

I know that this a bit of an exaggeration, but making it to the top of this mountain in the northern proince of Hà Giang had become an adventure full of danger that we hadn’t reckoned with.

The mountain, said to be the second highest peak in Hà Giang, stands 2,402m above the sea level. It is located in Hồ Thầu Commune, about 52km from the centre of upland border district of Hoàng Su Phì.

Not many tourists visit this place because the district only opened the road to Chiêu Lầu Thi two years ago. The road has been damaged seriously by landslides and floods, and is accessible only on foot or by motorbike.

“There are four milestones in my life. Getting married, two times that I welcomed my new-born babies and experiencing Chiêu Lầu Thi,” said my fellow-traveller, known to his friends as Mr Bean for his ability to laugh and make others laugh.

I could see from his face that he was not joking about the mountain.

The road snaked its way around the edge of several mountains as we covered about 300km from Hà Nội to Hoàng Su Phì.

Knows his way: We were very lucky to have a really good guide in Vũ Thế Phương. VNS Photo Trương Vị

A bath with natural water at the S��ng Chảy Hotel in Vinh Quang Town refreshed us and we enjoyed a local meal at the 666 Restaurant.

There are two ways to reach the Chiêu Lầu Thi Mountain – from Hồ Thầu Commune or Nàng Đôn Commune. We chose the second one.

We were lucky to have a good guide. One of our friends, Vũ Thế Phương, a district official, was born in the central province of Thanh Hóa but grew up in Hoàng Su Phì and knew the terrain well, including roads that aren’t on tourist maps.

Up early in the morning, we breathed in the cool air of a mountainous town. It felt good to be in such a beautiful place, home to the good-natured ethnic people of Nùng, Dao, Tày, Mông, La Chí, Hoa Hán, and Cao Lan.

We hired four motorbike taxis for the trip with a fare of VNĐ600,000 per person.

“You shouldn’t flinch, because the price is well worth it, for the skills of these drivers and the risks they take,” Phương told us.

The 30km from Vinh Quang Town to Nàng Đôn Commune is asphalted road, but narrow, winding and steep. Of course, the scenery is truly breathtaking.

The rice terraces, evidence of the agricultural skills of the ethnic communities, are stunning at harvest time as they turn a golden yellow with ripened rice stalks.

As we passed high mountains, deep valleys and many streams, we also met and befriended several Mông, Tày and Red Dao families. Giggling school kids on wobbly bicycles paid no mind to the traffic as they smiled and waved at us.

On these roads, herd of buffaloes or goats are prone to putting in guest appearances, we discovered.

It took us more than two hours to travel just 30km on a decent road as we stopped frequently to admire the scenery and take photographs.

But we had no inkling that what lay ahead was the real challenge.

Sentinel: There are tens of thousands of precious trees on Chiêu Lầu Thi Mountain. VNS Photo Trương Vị

From Nàng Đôn to Hồ Thầu Commune, the asphalted road gave way to a very rough path hewn on a mountainside. On one side loomed the mountain-wall, and the other plunged into an abyss. It was scary, but we were expecting something like this.

Phương carried me on his own motorbike. Our progress was very slow as small and huge rocks on the path made riding a bike more tiring than walking.

This was a muddy road, courtesy flooding and erosion. A landslide had swallowed a small road, so there was no question of riding the bikes. We had to walk, and the bikes had to be pushed on after another. The tension on the drivers’ faces was palpable. However, the worst was not over.

Another landslide had occurred along the next stretch. There was nothing to cling on to now, and to make things worse, a Honda bike had a puncture.

Phương kept us somewhat calm: “Don’t worry too much. Đường (one of the drivers) is a native here. He will know how to solve the problem.”

There were four motorbikes left for our five-member group. Phương suggested that he would carry one more person on his motorbike. There was no other choice.

With two persons riding pillion, Phương showed he was an expert driver, consistently getting ahead of the group and waiting for others.

As difficult as this trip was, it did not prevent us from enjoying what a very diverse ecosystem had to offer. There were tens of thousands of old and precious timber trees like pơ mu (Fokienia hodginsii) that grows only on Chiêu Lầu Thi.

The mountain is also home to rare, valuable medicinal herbs as well as many kinds of orchids.

We saw many tea trees, too. Phương told us they are San Tuyết tea. I picked a leaf and chewed on it: bittersweet and then a persistent sweetness in the throat. The tea buds are covered by fog through four seasons and kissed by winds from four directions at a height of 2,000m. They have medicinal values, we were told, and we could well believe it.

Wild boars, monkeys, snakes and deer live on the mountain. One specialty is the dầm xanh fish which can be found in the high mountain creeks of Hà Giang.

Rocky path: The way to the Chiêu Lầu Thi peak is not easy. VNS Photo Trương Vị

The occasional sight of a flock of goats sure-footedly strolling on the mountain slope was also one to remember.

And as we took in the sights, one of us Mùa Quýt Chín would let out a loud cry and make us jump. She is crazy about wild flowers and fruits, and each time she saw a beautiful strange flower or small wild berry, she would scream in delight.

At the height of 2,200m, the weather was foggy and the temperature dipped to about 15oC. We stopped a while before trying to conquer the Chiêu Lầu Thi peak.

A trail led to the top, but it was hard to find it because not many tourists visit and the place is covered with wild growth, including big trees.

We took a stick to balance and support ourselves, but Phương didn’t need one, even though the ground was wet and slippery, the trees were bathed in dew and, as always on this mountain, a chasm on one side. No handrails.

Phương went ahead to guide us, stopping sometimes to help us over the difficult parts.

Then we reached stone paths like ladders at the height of 2,327m. Each stretch was about 10m. Crossing nine such stretches, we reached the mountaintop.

Elated embraces were shared, but it was a misty day, and we were not lucky to see the sea of clouds and the stupendous scene that would have unfolded before us on a sunny day. We would have looked over the whole district of Hoàng Su Phì, its neighbour Xín Mần, and a large mountainous area to the northwest of Hà Giang.

Phương assuaged our wistfulness: “I have reached the Chiêu Lầu Thi peak 10 times, but only twice have I seen the sea of clouds stretching out in paradise.”

Chín, the most romantic of us, pulled out yet another surprise, emerging from behind a bush in a pink áo dài. She must be the only one with a photo of herself on top of Chiêu Lầu Thi in an áo dài, the long, traditional dress worn by Vietnamese women.

Going up was difficult, but climbing down the mountain was even more so. It was scary, and one of us decided to sit and drag herself on her bottom. After falling once, I became even more careful, but still missed my footing and went into a free-fall. I can’t bear to think what would have happened if I had not crashed against Phương, who was standing in the middle of the path and stood firm.

“I could hear that you were taking false steps, so I waited to help you,” he said.

After we got to where we could get on bikes again, Đường, was waiting with the motorbike repaired. The joy of conquering Chiêu Lầu Thi safely was enhanced on knowing Phương wouldn’t have to carry two people any more.

Not that the 10km path down was easy. Riding pillion, all one could do was hold tight and be as still as possible. After riding for a while, we reached a newly-built stop station at 2,100m above the sea level.

Here, there was a natural lake covered by fog all day. Scrubby trees growing in the middle of the lake gave it a sense of mystery that we gazed into, bodies numb with cold and breath turning into mist.

It began raining when when we left the stop station, slowing our progress, but an hour later, we reached the warmth of the Chán-Mủi homestay in Hồ Thầu Commune and enjoyed a meal of local specialties like sâu tre (bamboo worm) and wild vegetables.

Soft touch: A tree covered by moss. VNS Photo Trương Vị

Nine ladder layers

At the homestay, we met former chairman of Hà Giang Province Triệu Đức Thanh by chance.

He told us the story of discovering the stone paths like ladders at the height of 2,327m.

“Chiêu Lầu Thi or Kiêu Liêu Ti means nine ladder layers. Nobody new where it was. Five years ago, I asked local residents to find it, but they could not.

“Last year, I asked my nephews Triệu Chàm Chán and Triệu Chòi Hin to come and climb the mountain from a height of 2,200m. We looked hard and finally found the path with stone steps in the thicket.”

Thanh said the French colonialist troops had used this stone path when invading Hà Giang in 1887. After 1954, when they left, the steps were forgotten.

“I hope Chiêu Lầu Thi will develop like Sa Pa town in Lào Cai,” said Thanh.

I wish I could agree with him. I don’t want Chiêu Lầu Thi to become another Sa Pa.

I like it the way it is now. Wild, beautiful and poetic. VNS

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faimalogirl · 7 years ago

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short stories series

a few years ago i started to write short stories. First, because I was in school and it was required, and second, it helped me to escape sometimes. So I hope you enjoy. Feel free to let me know what you think.

May 09, 2011

Change of Plans

Sitting in a backroom of this church, a feeling of unease settles into the pit of my stomach. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, the moment every young ladies dreamt about. But it’s not. Over the last few weeks, this so call dream turned for the worst and became a nightmare no one person could have planned for. Looking out of the window, surrounded by creeping willows, are service people hauling arrangements of white orchids, white and yellow roses, and yellow chrysanthemums into the church. The day with its overcast sky and haze of an atmosphere seemed a bit off.

In the distance, leaning against one of the willow trees, is a man dress in a black suit. He looks haggard and in pain. His hair seems a little messy but his attractiveness never changes. He never fails to make my heart skip a beat. Placing my hand against the frosted windowpane, I feel the need to take away whatever is paining him. As I watch him pull out yet another cigarette, I can see his hands shaking as he‘s trying to light his cigarette. Is he nervous? Can he not perform in front of the mass forming inside today? But this day is not focused on him. It is on me. It has always been on me.

Always parading around for my family‘s sake, life has never been a fairy tale most would have pictured for a girl like me. Growing up as a “perfect child” in the eyes of those who do not see beyond a façade embedded in me, I lost part of who I truly was. Always being criticized by one person or another.

Wear this it is flattering.

Do not eat that it will go straight to your hips!

We do not associate with those out of our class!

That last one really got to me. I have always imagined people marrying for love, but like most of my so call friends would say, “Love doesn’t pay the bills! We don’t just marry for money, we marry for status and pedigree!” And if you marry out of your social class, you are basically shunned from our circle. Excommunicated!

A noise from the hall drags my attention away from my thoughts. I can hear my mother getting emotional again. Screaming at someone about something being out of place. I can just hear her saying, “I don’t pay you to think I pay you to do what I say!” I feel sorry for her current passenger on the train ride to hell. And I’m the one who grew up with her. Well technically it was the nanny, but I still dealt with her. Occasionally. This is about the third time this morning that she had broken down and started yelling at someone for absolutely no apparent reason. But then again, I guess that’s just her way of dealing with something she can no longer control. She can’t talk to me anymore. She hasn’t said one word or looked at me all day. She’s avoiding the inevitable, no doubt ashamed of what I have become.

Drifting closer to the door leading to the hall, I hear music from inside the church playing. I hear the softness of violins and harps soothing the audience, waiting for the service to begin. Peeking out of the door, I hear voices everywhere. Two men are arguing about the man from outside. Asking each other where he could have gone now. Finally someone tells them that he is just outside, trying to get some air and that settles the argument. The look that passes between the two men suddenly turns into regret and shame.

Attempting to slip out of the room, I head down the long hall that held other rooms. A few offices to the left, a few classes for Sunday school to the right, and some for counseling or just preparations like today. Gliding into the kitchen of the church, I hear some of the older women gossiping about the events that had recently taken place these past few weeks. And of course their main topic was me.

How could she have done this to her family?

What about the man she said yes to? What will happen to him?

What about the note she wrote? Do you know what she said?

She has always been selfish!

I really didn’t need to be in this kitchen, with these old thorny women who had nothing better to do than talk about me. As I turned to leave, I stopped because someone brought up the man from outside. I had to know what they were going to say about him. But I already knew what she would say as her eyes became kind and her voice reverent. That even though he loved me and I him, it was foolish to think we would survive in a society I was rooted in. It was a Titanic moment.

A knock sounded at the door, as a young man came in to tell everyone in the kitchen that the service was about to begin. Sighing, the older women look gravely at each other. No doubt thinking that I had made a mistake in life. Well, there was no going back. Things happened for a reason, mistake or not, we all end up with consequences that we rarely see coming.

Waiting for everyone to be seated, I look out into the audience from one of the side doors. The church was beautiful. And I am not just saying that because it was all for me, it truly was. The flowers cascading down the aisles of this historical church in white and yellow assortments. The pillars all adorned with florescent lights wrapped in tulle. The stage with its mahogany centerpiece adorned with even more flowers. I noticed that the church was filled with a lot of people I thought would not come, but they did. Even after all was said and done, I was truly loved. Or it could be all for show. Either way, I was glad to see friends and family I thought for sure would not make it.

As I began walking down the aisle, I can hear someone say how beautiful everything was, I see some people wiping tears from their eyes, and see that both of my parents were as stiff as nails. Shifting my eyes to the front of the church, I see the man from outside standing in front of all those present today, holding a piece a paper. He isn’t looking into the audience. He isn’t looking down at me. He just looks above my head through the stained glass window of a dove flying free into the golden sun. As he closes his eyes shut at my approach, I hear him whisper “Your free now…” Placing my hand slightly on his cheek, he opens his eyes, and it is then that I see how red and puffy his eyes are. Quietly he hiccups as if trying to grasp a breath.

Shocked by the sorrow in his eyes, I step back a little from him, not knowing what was happening. Looking past him I see that great mahogany centerpiece in the middle of the stage. Creeping closer to it, I see a beautiful face. I see me. And then I hear out of his beautifully haunted mouth, “Today we are here, in celebration of a life cut too short…”

#lifestooshort #short stories #love #sadness #wannabe writer #lost

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marketingadvisorvietnam · 6 years ago

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Scaling a peak and feeling new highs - Travel - Vietnam News | Politics, Business, Economy, Society, Life, Sports

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Scaling a peak and feeling new highs - Travel - Vietnam News | Politics, Business, Economy, Society, Life, Sports

Viet Nam News

Getting to the top of Chiêu Lầu Thi Mountain is hard, dangerous and scary, but the reward is memories for a lifetime. Thanh Nga recounts the experience.

We did not expect that climbing a mountain would be as scary as it was thrilling, but atop Chiêu Lầu Thi, we felt it was the Everest we were standing on.

I know that this a bit of an exaggeration, but making it to the top of this mountain in the northern proince of Hà Giang had become an adventure full of danger that we hadn’t reckoned with.

I could see from his face that he was not joking about the mountain.

The road snaked its way around the edge of several mountains as we covered about 300km from Hà Nội to Hoàng Su Phì.

Knows his way: We were very lucky to have a really good guide in Vũ Thế Phương. VNS Photo Trương Vị

A bath with natural water at the Sông Chảy Hotel in Vinh Quang Town refreshed us and we enjoyed a local meal at the 666 Restaurant.