#today i was late to work for the first time because of a huge tram accident

[exile-on-uwustreet]

gotta hand it to my parents, they were so bad about getting ready to go anywhere they successfully traumatised me into never being late ever. I am one of the most punctual people I know because my mother couldn't get out the door without screaming at every single family member and she was still at least 15 mins late everytime. my father wanted to be useful so he rushed me and my brother to do god knows what while we stood fully dressed in the doorway holding back tears. dog barking cats jumping on my already hysterical mother. hell on earth. I will do whatever it takes to avoid experiencing this stress again

[hermannsthumb]

I have a fun prompt I've been thinking about I hope you have time for one day! When Newt and Hermann meet actually things go really really well and they even get together. It's just they bicker so much and have huge science-based arguments that everyone assumed they must have hated each other on sight.

sure thing! i had fun with this one

----

"So," Newt says. "I was talking to Tendo today."

Across the mess table, Hermann hums in feigned interest. Newt knows it's feigned 'cause Hermann doesn't stop either thing he's doing: using his left hand to wind noodles around a fork, and using his right hand to scribble away a series of lengthy equations on the back of a paper napkin. His full attention has been hopping between both for about ten minutes now—no room for Newt to slip in there. He's testing his limits enough as it. Half of the last equation ended up scratched into the tabletop, and the last time he lifted his fork to his mouth, it was empty. And then he swallowed anyway. Newt kinda loves the guy.

"Yeah," Newt says, deciding to continue like Hermann responded the way he was actually supposed to respond, which would've been something along the lines of what an utterly fascinating story, Newton, do tell me more. I love hearing you talk, Newton. How marvelously smart you are, Newton, and how melodic and breathtaking your voice is. Now watch me bite down on an empty fork again. "Kinda funny. He was asking how we met."

Hermann finally looks up at Newt suspiciously over the rims of his glasses, which are slipping slowly down his nose. He stills them with the tip of his index finger before they land in his dinner. "Why?"

"I don't know, man," Newt says. "He just was. It was like, small talk, you wouldn't get it. He dropped by the lab when you were out this morning to let me know that there was extra space if we wanted it. Like, lab space." Hermann resumes scratching an equation into the table absently. Newt rolls his eyes. "As in, we could have separate labs if we wanted now."

Hermann knits his eyebrows together. "Separate laboratories?"

When Newt and Hermann first started at the Hong Kong Shatterdome, the k-scientist team was pre-existing and significantly bigger, and anyone who joined on later—like, you know, them—basically got shoved in wherever they fit. For Newt and Hermann, that happened to be Laboratory Space D, Basement Level 1 (the only basement level), along with a former marine biologist who was killed on a research excursion a month later when a kaiju made unexpected landfall, like, right on top of their chosen shelter. Bad luck. Anyway, Newt's known about the existence of other Hong Kong Shatterdome lab spaces in the vague and absent sort of way that you would an urban legend, but (similarly so) he never thought he and Hermann would actually ever lay eyes on one. And then Tendo stopped by to dangle it in front of Newt on a stick.

"The other labs were being used as storage for ages after everyone else—" Newt searches for a word tasteful enough to encapsulate got stomped by a kaiju and wised up and decided to live out what are probably our last few days before the world ends with their families instead of alone in a military bunker. "—left. Anyway, Tendo told me they've been going through shit like crazy this month, I think to see if they can salvage any old tech, and that the other labs are basically totally emptied out now. We just have to ask and they're ours."

Hermann sets down both his pen and fork, twisting his mouth contemplatively. He finally loses the battle against gravity with his glasses, and they miss his plate by an inch, swinging back on their chain and bouncing harmlessly against his chest instead. Newt briefly wonders if getting a chain for his own glasses would save them from their frequent fatal falls into kaiju organ cavities and buckets of non-neutralized kaiju blood, but decides not even the money he'd save on replacement pairs would make a fashion faux pas like that worth it. "You know I don't much fancy the basement," Hermann says.

"Your joints," Newt agrees. The damp of the basement sets Hermann's joint pain off frequently, something Hermann talks about just as frequently. Newt's not really a fan of the basement either, though for different reasons—he would kill to get some windows and natural, non-fluorescent light in there. Sun lamps can only do so much. He's pretty sure he'd fucking glow if he stepped outside right now. Also, it's cold down here.

"And it might be nice to be closer to LOCCENT, in case of an emergency," Hermann continues. "And closer to—oh, hang on. What has this got to do with us?"

"Huh?"

"How we met," Hermann says. "You said, that Tendo asked—"

"Oh," Newt says. It's his turn to play coy. He stirs his chopsticks through his own dinner, accidentally flicking a piece of tofu to the table. It lands on top of Hermann's etched equations. Hermann scowls, because that's how their routine goes: Newt gets Hermann's stuff dirty, and Hermann gets mad. "Well. It was just that Tendo was like you can finally be out of each other's hair, how the hell did you guys get stuck together anyway when you obviously can't stand each other, that kind of stuff."

"Ah," Hermann says.

"And I said that it was because we knew each other before," Newt says, "and that we transferred here together. And that's when he asked."

"And what did you say?" Hermann says.

"That we used to correspond professionally," Newt says, "and met at a conference way back in 2017." He adds, with a grin, "Also professionally."

This was technically true. Newt and Hermann did write to each other, professionally, and they did meet at a conference, professionally, but what went down after a long and public shouting match in the events hall of a very nice hotel—in Hermann's room, five floors up in that very nice hotel—was not very professional. The events of the week that followed—spent, intermittently, between Hermann's hotel room, several coffee shops, a bench under a tree in Newt's favorite park, a rotation sushi restaurant, brushing knees shyly on the tram, and, finally, clasping hands on the staircase of Newt's apartment and gazing deeply into each other's eyes—weren't very professional, either, but Newt likes to think that they were very romantic. Rom-com level shit. Newt revealed none of this to Tendo, who referred to the 2017 conference as that Infamous Day for the rest of their conversation. "Well, it was professional," Hermann sniffs.

But he reaches across the table, and, very timidly, crosses his pinkie over top of Newt's. It's the most blatant form of PDA Hermann ever willingly engages Newt in. Newt thinks if he ever tried to touch two fingers at once in anywhere but the lab, or God forbid, hold his whole hand, Hermann's ears might start emitting steam like something out of a cartoon. "It might be nice," he says again.

Laboratory Space D, Basement Level 1, is unique—Newt knows—in that Newt and Hermann's quarters are connected to it directly. None of the other labs have that luxury (and Newt has a feeling it's because Lab Space D wasn't actually intended as a lab space). He remembers being told that when they were shoved into it. Yeah, you have the darkest and tiniest lab space on base, but your rooms are right there! When Newt wants to go to Hermann's room, or if he's in Hermann's room and needs a sweatshirt or something from his own, he just has to step the three feet between their two doors. Moving labs could throw a wrench in that—they might be asked to move quarters, too, and might be shuttled to opposite sides of the Shatterdome, and though they could just bite the bullet and request couple's quarters already, it's nice to have their own spaces when they need it. That would never work. And, well, besides—the lab, their lab, feels like home to them at this point. Newt shrugs.

"On the other hand," Hermann says, and he taps Newt's pinkie lightly, "I quite like how things are. I can live with the damp, really."

"We can get a dehumidifier," Newt offers.

Hermann nods, and he gives Newt the barest hint of a smile.

Their monthly delivery of lab supplies—whatever they can afford with their shoestring budget, which, these days, mostly means chalk, rubber gloves, and nice instant ramen—comes three weeks later. Newt wouldn't exactly call the Shatterdome delivery guy a friend, seeing as he has yet to divulge his name to Newt (and also Newt's pretty sure he has a thing for Hermann, since he always seems to wait until Hermann is in the lab to stroll by with his package trolley and always calls him Dr. Gottlieb with big stupid heart eyes, oh, Dr. Gottlieb, that new sweater looks soooo nice on you!, so anyway, that makes him Newt's rival by default), but he, at least, recognizes and acknowledges Newt at this point. That's more than Newt can say for most people on the base. After his usual greeting to the two of them (hey, Newt, oh, hellllooo, Dr. Gottlieb, did you do something new with your hair?), he starts to unload their packages, also like usual.

"I was surprised to see that you guys are still down here," he tells Newt, not like usual. "Tendo mentioned something about you getting your own labs."

"He did?" Newt says, meaning to frown, but grinning instead. It's kind of fun to be the subject of gossip. He pulls off his gloves and tosses them in the trash to help with their supplies—the dehumidifier he requested should be in there, and it's fancy and definitely on the bigger side.

"Yeah," their delivery guy continues. He hands Newt a fuckin' massive brick of a package. Hermann's stupid chalk. The amount that Hermann tears through in a month really is astounding: Newt has a private theory that Hermann is an undercover space alien from a planet where chalk constitutes all of the primary food groups, and he secretly sneaks out here and eats it in the dead of night when Newt is asleep. "Anyway, sorry I'm late," the delivery guy says, as Newt imagines Hermann crunching on a piece of chalk like a carrot stick, "I went to all the other labs first."

"No worries, dude," Newt says. "Sorry for the confusion."

He lugs the package over to Hermann's desk, and drops it down on the only spot not over-cluttered with papers and books. Hermann complains about Newt's messiness a lot for a guy who is just as bad, if not worse. "Need any now?" Newt asks Hermann.

Hermann, scribbling away at his chalkboard, grunts. Newt decides that's a no.

"Hard at work, Dr. Gottlieb?" the delivery guy says, practically fluttering his eyelashes.

Another grunt. Newt snorts.

"I thought you guys would've moved right away," the delivery guy (obviously disappointed at Hermann's lack of attention) tells Newt. "Tendo mentioned you've been stuck together for a while, ever since some sort of dramatic confrontation at a conference ten years ago." he adds eagerly, "Did you really get thrown out? I don't know how you haven't killed each other yet."

"It's taken a lot of hard work," Newt says. Yeah, the whole being-ejected-from-the-conference-and-barred-from-all-future-ones-forever thing is technically true too, but everyone there was too stuffy and serious for Newt's fun vibes anyway, so he thinks it's their loss. The most important part of the scientific breakthrough process, Newt frequently thinks, was having someone there to challenge you and push back at you. Sometimes loudly. And in public. In the conference hall of a very expensive hotel, in front of all of your scientific peers, some hotel security guards, and a poor graduate student who made the mistake of asking you and your penpal-colleague for your joint opinion on something and got caught in the crosshairs. Besides—out of everyone at that stupid conference, Newt and Hermann were the only ones snapped up by the PPDC, so it's doubly their loss. "And, yeah, we got thrown out. Me and Hermann fight a lot, but we always make up eventually. It's no big deal. It's, like, our thing."

"Make up?"

Newt waggles his eyebrows and doesn't elaborate. The making up part is the best part of arguing with Hermann, honestly, but he's not about to go giving private details about stuff like that to his rival.

By the time Hermann finally descends his ladder, three hours have passed, and Newt is frowning over an email he's just gotten from Shatterdome HR. Hermann will probably see it in a second when he checks his own email—it was sent to both of them, after all—but Newt waves him over to his desk anyway. "Look," he says.

He draws out the spare chair he keeps by his desk (for Hermann), and Hermann drops into it gratefully, propping his cane up against the arm. Then Hermann pushes his glasses up onto his nose and scans the email with a frown of his own. Newt reads it aloud for him anyway. "'Subject: Quarters Reassignment,'" he says. "Dear Drs. Geiszler and Gottlieb: It has recently come to our attention that you will be transferring to Laboratories A&B. Should you wish to transfer quarters as well, you will find the necessary paperwork..."

"By Jove," Hermann groans, and pulls his glasses off again, smudging a bit of chalk on his cheek, "can't they just leave us alone?"

Newt laughs. "I'll tell them we're not interested. Wait, listen to this bit at the end: Congratulations—this must be a relief! Guess they were getting your complaint forms after all, Hermann." Both Newt and Hermann had long-since assumed that any and all official complaint forms stamped with a k-sci lab return address are filed right into the garbage. It's never deterred Hermann from sending them in, though.

"Hmph," Hermann says.

Newt carefully rolls his shirtcuff back down to his wrist and uses it to rub off Hermann's chalk smudge. When it's gone, or at least, mostly gone, he brushes his fingers back through Hermann's short hair. Hermann's eyelids flutter shut, and as he leans into Newt's touch, his creased forehead smooths just a little. "Mm. You're lovely," he murmurs. "We really ought to tell them we're married. It's gone on long enough."

"I guess," Newt says. "But it's kind of funny, isn't it?"

[onedoesnotsimplywriteafanfic]

Reunited at last (1/6)

Pairing: Sam Drake X Reader, Rafe Adler X Reader, Victor Sullivan X Daughter Reader.

Characters: Nathan Drake, Sam Drake, Rafe Adler, Victor Sullivan, Nadine, Elena, Reader

Summary: Losing someone you love takes a toll on someone. Especially when you find out that said someone isn’t really ‘’lost’’ after all. Separating yourself form family and friends abandoning what you loved to do most. Looking for treasures. But what was the use of those adventures without your best friend. Creating a whole new, boring life an old friend tricks you back into action. A friend that had betrayed you once in the past and will again in the future.

Warnings: character death, Spoilers for Uncharted 4,

Ever since I lost my best friend, with whom I was in love with, I started to lose myself. Beginning to hate the things I used to love because they reminded me of him. All those things we did together and without him, it was no use.

Never finding love again, I distanced myself from my family. Moving out to a new city, starting a new and boring ordinary life. Living alone in a two-bedroom apartment with no pets. I lost contact with my other best friend, who was like a brother to me, because I was jealous of his relationship.

For years, I’ve neglected myself and lived through a depression. That was until I started working in the local library. Little by little picking back up the broken pieces what once my life was.

Re shelving the books in the library was one of my many daily routines. The endless pile of books covering the trolley. It took me hours every day to place them back on their right shelves.

Two days a week I gave history classes to a nearby school. Because of a shortage in teachers, later this afternoon there was a class scheduled. It was a small group of fifteen students, all eager to learn. Most of the time we have I spent on teaching actual history books material. But the last half an hour I tell them a story, mostly, one of my adventures from when I was a treasure hunter. Other times the stories my dad had tolled me of his adventures.

Lost in my own thoughts I did not notice a man walking behind me. Grabbing another book from the trolley. I studied it for a second before turning around to place it back on the shelf.

The figure came in view and scared me lifeless. I let out a small scream and dropped the book I was holding. ''I am so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, love.'' The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it yet. ''It's oke.'' I said hastily, as I picked up the book. Looking back up at the figure I gasped.

A pair of green blue eyes looked back at me. ''What are you doing here?'' I asked him sternly. He looked hurt by my words. ''Please, let me explain.'' He started softly, a small hint of an American accent lurking in his voice.

Shaking my head I blew air out of my nose. ''No, there is nothing to explain, not any more. Please leave.'' I tried to hold back my tears, I was angry and lost feelings surfaced once more. He opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him. ''Save your speech Adler. Now leave, just like you did fifteen years ago.'' Toxic filled words left my lips.

I was surprised at how calm I said it and how much hate I still carried with me after all those years. ''Oke.'' His words were barely a whisper. Turning around he walked toward the exit. Looking back once, only to see that I've had already turned around and forgot about him.

Taking a deep breath and trying to collect my self I continued re shelving the books. I wanted this trolley to be empty before my class came.

It took me about thirty more minutes before the trolley was empty. Still having ten more minutes left before the students would walk into the library hall.

Taking that time to set up some things as extra paper and pens, some books and a rare artifact. The chapter we were working on was about the lost city of Tikal in Guatamala. This library was home to one of the daggers they had found.  

Slowly one by one the students came walking in. ''Good afternoon miss.'' They said by entering. Once everyone was seated I greeted them all at once. ''Welcome back every body. Today I want to tell you about the lost city of Tikal.'' All eyes were on me and a small whisper arose.

One of the students rose their hand. ''Have you been there too?'' A smile formed around my lips. ''No, I have not, but my father has and I will tell all about that later. First the history than the story.'' They all nodded in agreement, barely containing their excitement.

They were most interested in the dagger, it was used in rituals and offerings. This dagger was rare but the items my dad had found were even more astonishing. He had found coins, other knives and daggers. Some things he had found, he had kept and others he had sold.

As promised I talked about my fathers story the remaining half an hour. One of the students raised their hand. ''Yes, Tobias.'' I said to the boy who raised his hand. ''Why did you stop going on these trips, you clearly love it.'' I never tolled them why I had stopped. ''I lost someone dear to me, without him, it wasn't the same any more. After his passing I went on one or two more trips but it felt wrong.'' I never talked about my past and never about him.

A silence fell in the library, one more quiet than usual. ''But I still have plenty of stories left to tell.'' I tried to lighten up to mood. Before we knew it the time was up and the students had to go back to school.

My shift at the library came to an end, I was cleaning up and getting everything ready for the night shift. My follow up would be here any minute now.

Waiting for him or her to arrive I sat behind the counter. Filling in the last paper work and helping out people with their questions and checking out books.

Once my follow up arrived I gave them a brief summary of the morning. ''There is still a huge pile of books on the trolley that need to be re shelved.'' My follow up, Alica, looked at me frowning. ''Really?'' she asked dragging her words. ''I am so sorry, I hoped I had finished before you came but I had a class to teach.'' I didn't like it to leave my work for the next person. ''It's oke, don't worry about it.'' She gave me a forgiving smile.

Giving her the keys and saying my goodbye's I left the building. My apartment was a good twenty-minute walk from the library. I could take the bus or tram but on a nice sunny day like this I rather walked.

The sun shone still bright for this time of day and the soft summer breeze stroke my cheeks. Half-way through my walk I got the feeling I was being followed. To test my theory I took one turn after the other and see whether I was being followed.

In the corner of my eyes I could see the silhouette of a man dressed in a black topcoat with his head low. I picked up my pace, not because I was scared but because I wanted to get ahead of him a little more.

Turning around the corner and then in a nearby alley I waited for the man to walk by. Once he walked by I grabbed him from behind and dragged him in the alley pushing him against the wall. ''Why are you following me!'' I demanded to know.

The man was in pain, but I didn't care. ''Please let me go.'' He said with gritted teeth. ''Why are you following me?!'' I asked again, pushing his arm I held behind his back up. ''It's me, Rafe.'' The man said but I didn't let go. ''Last chance, why are you following me.'' I said this time trough gritted teeth.

Some people never gave up, and he was one of them. ''I want to talk to you.'' Rolling my eyes, I let go of him. ''So you follow me home like a creep.'' Rafe turned around to look at me. ''Yeah, I didn't really think that one trough.'' I let out a sigh, he did have my attention now. ''Fine, there is a café near here, If you buy me coffee we can talk.'' Sometimes in life you have to make compromises and this was one of those times.

Rafe was looking relived. ''Of course.'' we walked out the alley and headed towards the café. We found an empty booth near the window, I loved to watch the outside.

Watching as how the sun slowly disappeared in the distance making place for the moon and all the stars. How the shadows expanded into the night.

For the first few minutes neither of us spoke. Being near Rafe felt weird. Fifteen years ago he had left without saying a word, leaving me broken behind. At that time I needed him and he left. ''I am sorry I left.'' he started out of the blue.

Tears started to form in my eyes, burning and trying to fight their way out. ''It's a bit to late for a sorry, don't you think.'' my voice was shaking. ''I needed you, hell you even tolled me you were there for me. That I could always count on you. Have you ever considered how it could hurt me that you left.'' fifteen years of bottled up emotions finally came out. ''Waking up every morning thinking it was all a dream, hoping that when I walked into the kitchen that I would see him, but in staid I saw you, until I didn't. Realizing I lost you too.'' I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Avoiding eye contact, I looked out the window. A pair of hands touching mine brought me back from my thoughts. ''It was never my intention to hurt you, I thought by leaving I would do you a favor, because I was afraid you only liked me because I reminded you of Sam.'' My heart skipped a beat by hearing that name.

''Sam'' I whispered his name. I haven't spoken his name in years, even though he was always on my mind. ''But why did you came back now, after so many years?'' My voice was hoarse of crying. 

''Because the guilt became unbearably, and because I need you.'' I looked at him confused, why would he ever need me for.

I couldn't think of a reason and waited for his elaboration. ''Do you remember fifteen years ago, that Sam, Nathan and me were looking for Avery's treasure.'' I never forgot, it was how I met Rafe.

Rafe already knew the Drake brothers, the three worked together in order to uncover the location of Henry Avery's lost treasure. They paid a prison guard in Spain to get in and explore the old prison located on the same grounds.

In the early hours of the morning I was woken up by the sound of my phone. Someone was calling me. Sitting straight up in bed and looking for my phone I answered. ''Hello?'' My voice was sleepy. ''This is an automatic voice message. Do you accept the charges for this call from inmate S. Drake? Located Spain.'' I was confused and scared at the same time.

In an instant I was wide awake and cold sweat broke out. ''Yes.'' I said quickly. The line went silent for a second and then connected. ''Hey doll, It's me Sam, I don't have much time but I wanted to let you know, Drake and I are fine. We are in the Panamanian prison, Spain.'' There was so much going on through my head. ''How the hell did you get in there, you know what don't answer.'' I let out a big sigh. ''I will tell my father about it.'' At the time I couldn't see the humor in it like Sam did. ''Tell Sully hey from us will you.'' And before we could say anything else the line was cut off. Letting this all sink in for a moment before waking up my father.

Soon after we took the first plain to Spain. My dad was furious at the boys and it wasn’t the best idea if he went to see them, so I took it upon myself to pay them a visit in jail. I was escorted to the yard, there on a table sat Sam and Nate, along with a third person. A young man with slicked back brown hair, strong jawline and a permanent smolder on his lips. That was the first time I met Rafe.

I nodded to his question. ''Well, after we found the cross in Spain, leading us to a Cathedral in Scotland. It didn't bring us far, the cross was damaged and well Nathan was a grieving mess. But I found out that there will be an auction in the Rossi Estate with an intact Saint Dismas cross.'' It still didn't explain why he needed me for.

I knew how much this had meant for Sam and Nate all these years' ago. It was something their mother was looking for when she was still alive, and to somehow honour here they continued her search. ''But why do you need me?'' I asked him bluntly, not wanting to dance around it any longer. ''I could use your knowledge in architecture, archaeology and treasures.'' He had a point, I did know a lot about these subjects.

For a second I considered joining, because I did miss the adventures. ''I don't know, Rafe.'' I looked at him briefly before looking down at my hands. ''Please, I need you on this one and you can't always use his death as an excuse. Think about yourself for a change. He is dead, he is not coming back, so please don't let your love for exploring die with him.'' It was true, I kept using Sam's death as an excuse.

Ever since he died, I stopped doing the one thing I loved most and that was exploring. ''Please, one last time. That is all I ask and if you still hate me afterwards you will never see me again. I promise.'' Tapping my finger on the table I thought for a quick second before saying. ''Alright, I am in.'' With the biggest smile I could produce.

It took Rafe a minute to process what I just said. ''I understand and won't bother, wait what?'' He looked at me confused and happy. ''I'm in.'' I repeated my answer. Rafe smiled from ear to ear. ''You will not regret this.'' he said softly yet serious.

At that time I couldn't think of a reason why I would regret this. If only I knew what would be waiting for me.

Part 2 

Masterlist

[metalgearkong]

Half-Life Revisited

12/1/20

Developed by Valve, originally released November 19th, 1998

In the mid to late 90′s I wasn’t internet savvy enough to know when the next big PC games were coming out. Even if I bought a game from the store, I’d need my tech-friendly friend to install it for me. We didn’t have Steam or GOG or any host platforms back in the day. We’d play video games at his house all night many many weekends in a row, and its where he introduced me to several other games I love as well. Half-Life was one of those games. I hadn’t played a FPS much outside of the arcades, but Half-Life was intriguing enough for me to learn very quickly. Back then I was fascinated if a game made any effort in its story, beings a storytelling in games was still a novel concept at that time. I loved being in scenarios such as the resonance cascade where scientists were talking around me and stuff was happening like a movie in real time, even if I didn’t fully grasp what was going on. 

I remember my best friend was always the one who made major progress, and when I’d visit next, he’d be in an all new level or environment and let me take over for a bit. To this day one of my favorite parts of the game is the very beginning. This was the only game at the time to simulate “going to work” which helped establish the tangibility of Half-Life’s world and story. The long tram ride was a purely passive experience, but I loved watching all the little things happening in the distance. Stepping off and into the offices, corridors, and labs of the scientists was a novel concept and I loved it. It’s still my favorite gaming intro of all time. My other favorite underrated aspect of Half-Life is purely its sound design. For example, not having background music helps further the authenticity of the world, and added to the creepy factor at times. Hearing aliens or homicidal Marines idling around the next corner built up suspense. The sound of the first aid and HEV station is super unique and memorable, as are the other ordinarily mundane sound effects: running across metal, different sounds of the firearms, climbing a ladder, the sound of the PA system’s voices, or bashing a create with the iconic crowbar. If you’ve played the game you can hear all of these sounds and more purely from memory.

Half-Life is one of those landmark FPS games that everyone from the 90′s loved, and for good reason. Without it, we may not have seen the likes of Halo, or other mainstream story-driven shooters for a long time. It combined elements of earlier games of the genre such as Quake, Doom, or Unreal Tournament with groundbreaking tangibility and storytelling. Half-Life is far from perfect by today’s standards, and it wasn’t perfect in 1998, but it’s still a classic and deserves the pedestal it rests on. Replaying it again after 10 or so years, I still enjoyed all 9.5 hours of the experience. Some aspects haven’t aged as well as I remember though, such as the precise jumping needed in numerous scenes. However, I still love how when you fall down a huge pit you stay in-game all the way to the bottom, until your body crunches on impact. I think it added to my fear of heights, and the swimming sections added to my fear of deep dark water for similar reasons. The game embodies a visceral feel in almost every aspect. The Xen chapters were more annoying than I remember as well, and I think they got a major pass when I was a kid because it was such an accomplishment to get there, and it looked so unique. Half-Life is memorable, fun, and awesome; not only one of the best or most influential FPS games of all time, but my all time favorite of the genre. 

[weeniitze]

Activism and Protest

Meaning of "Activism" and "Protest" Activism: the use of straight and conspicuous action to attain a result, normally a social or political one ("ACTIVISM | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary", 2019). Protest: a sturdy complaint expressing disapproval, disagreement, or opposition ("PROTEST | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary", 2019).

The first time I saw the words "Activism" and "Protest", my first impression was that a large group of people, some of them might be holding cards, shouting, using violence, angry and even unreasonable. But after in-depth understanding, slowly with some online news readings related to activism and protest,  I get to know that activists and protests can be divided into online and offline, or people can also do other activities besides violence to run a protest or activism, for example, street art, singing, playing music. For this post, I would like to talk about an activist which happened in London and Australia in a few weeks ago, called "Extinction Rebellion". 

What is Extinction Rebellion and who are they? Extinction Rebellion (XR) hopes that the government will announce “climate and ecological emergency”  and take immediate action to deal with climate change. It describes itself as an international "non-violent civil disobedience activist movement".

The central idea of this activity is mainly to protest against climate change, ecological collapse, and the crisis of biological and human extinction in the world today, through non-violent resistance.

It was launched in 2018 and organizers say it now has agencies inclined to take action in dozens of nations. They use an hourglass inside a circle as its logo, to symbolize time running out for many species in the world ("What does Extinction Rebellion want?", 2019).

Three Demands List In XR's propaganda description, the truth facing the world today: We are in the midst of an unprecedented world crisis, and life on Earth is facing disaster. Many scientists agree that we are experiencing severe climate degradation and that our actions are triggering a huge extinction. And in terms of the story, XR also has its own "three demands list" which are: 1: Tell the truth -Governments must inform the public about the global climate and ecological crisis and highlight the extent of its serious crisis.

2: Act now -Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 0 by 2025 and immediately start saving the biodiversity that has died.

3: Beyond politics -Governments need to establish citizens' conferences and accept their leadership in the context of climate change and ecological equity.

What did they do? Most of the activities in the past, they blocked some of the city's busiest routes and traffics, some of them glued themselves to trains, some of the German protesters chained themselves outside Angela Merkel's Chancellery.  

This October in London and Australia, They also blocked the busiest roads again at peak.

The Protesters said "find out more about the severity of the ecological and climate crisis" to the people who angered by the protests, and some of them causing criminal damage like smashing windows, then they said they are "super careful" to not injure anyone around("What does Extinction Rebellion want?", 2019).  

Why Are they Doing this? "I’m an environmental scientist. I am a marine ecologist. I have studied this for all my adult life. And intellectually, I understand that we are at the very brink. And that is enough. I had to do something." --Martin Wolterding, 75, Environmental Scientist

“I am pretty much fairly new to activism. I’m not an extroverted person, it’s out of my comfort zone, but my confidence is building with it. Of course I’d rather be doing other things, like anyone else." --Ben Burdett, 40, Carpenter

“We know it can work. For 30 years the government hasn’t listened to scientists so we need them to start listening, telling the truth, and start acting on the truth.” -- Reem Ramadan, 41, clinical psychologist

(Taylor, Zhou & Smee, 2019)

Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOW9gLHLyKI

As we can see, most of the protesters joined the organization to stand for the next generation, to ask the government to tell the truth, to announce people about climate emergencies and take action to improve it.

Selfish Actions 

Even that the starting point and the reason for protests is good no wrong, but the actions are seriously affected some others’ lives,

On 7th October in London, terrified Londoners have dismayed by the chaos caused, including Adeline Adjei, who was forced to abandon her car walk through the crowds with a friend with cancer to the hospital for 20 minutes (Hawker, 2019).

According to Chung (2019), In Melbourne,  A woman, Sally, said that her mother died at her home in Spring Street on Sunday. She wanted to go there on Monday to collect her mother's belongings, but when she heard about the protests on Monday, she switched to Tuesday.

But she didn't expect that when she went yesterday, she caught up with the intersection of Spring Street and was blocked. Unfortunately, she couldn't walk past because of a knee injury. She tried to explain to those people that her mother had died after 12 years of fighting cancer and that she needed to visit her mother's house in the hope that they would let it go. But those people simply replied, "If we don't protest here, more people will die." 

After the reporter tried to explain to some of the protesters about Sally's situation, ask if they can let her pass, but when she drive through the crowd slowly, but there is a protester who suddenly jumped in front of her car not to let her go. 

"They think it’s so important but what is important is the everyday, good Australian people just trying to go about their everyday lives. It’s not fair.” She said.

The activity by XR makes the intersection is blocked every day, the tram is delayed, traffic is paralyzed from time to time, be late to work and school, a group of police in a state of disarray, everyone's life has been seriously affected! 

But then this group of people still said that they are no wrong, with a righteous look, they say they wanted to save the earth because they care! Care about the Earth, care about the next generation, care about humans' future!

Sorry to say this, but they don't even care about the lives of others now, they even sit back and ignore the grief of others now, and they don't care about the lives of others now, and what's the future?

In my opinion, I think it is important to stand out and tell our voice to the government or others because if we don't tell, the government might just ignore and continue on what they are doing, that is why activism and protest are important. However, I think that we can try to choose a non-violent action because it might not 100% effective even we used violence, then those people who were injured or sacrificed are not worth it. The next and important thing is I hope the protesters can think of others, even the reason and starting point of protesting are good, but I hope they run the activities in a way that won't disturb others' life, at least not causing the irrelevant person to get seriously disturbed even they are not injured.

Reference list:

ACTIVISM | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved 26 October 2019, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/activism

Chung, F. (2019). Climate protesters block woman from dead mother’s home. Retrieved 15 October 2019, from https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/its-just-disgusting-woman-breaks-down-as-climate-protesters-block-her-from-reaching-late-mothers-home/news-story/96e2bc2aeba0510da8371a8531779006

Hawker, L. (2019). Extinction Rebellion: Fury as cancer victim forced to WALK to hospital ‘selfish bast**ds'. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1187912/extinction-rebellion-news-latest-protests-london-climate-change-hospital-westminster

Home - Extinction Rebellion. (2019). Retrieved 25 October 2019, from https://rebellion.earth/

PROTEST | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved 15 October 2019, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/protest

Taylor, J., Zhou, N., & Smee, B. (2019). Extinction Rebellion: who are the protesters, and why are they doing it?. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/12/extinction-rebellion-who-are-the-protesters-and-why-are-they-doing-it

Taylor, M. (2019). The Extinction Rebellion scorecard: what did it achieve?. Retrieved 21 October 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/25/extinction-rebellion-assessing-the-impact

[180abroad]

Days 161-162: Munich

Two days after our brief dip into Germany, we dove in for good. Or for a couple weeks, at least.

Once again, we made it to our train with time to spare, but we had to split up anyway because almost all of the seats were reserved. Luckily it wasn’t a very long ride (less than two hours), but we vowed--not for the first or last time--to definitely get reserved seats for all of our long-haul rides in the future (spoiler: we didn't).

Our arrival in Munich went perfectly. We weren’t in any hurry, the weather was nice, we got some tasty sandwiches from one of the many appetizing eateries in the station, and when we found a ticket machine to buy our local transit passes, a couple stopped us and gave us their day pass that they didn’t need anymore. It was only good for the rest of that day, but definitely added to the day’s positive vibes.

We found our tram right where it was supposed to be, and half an hour later we were checked into our flat. It isn’t huge, but it’s much bigger than in Prague or Salzburg, and it’s below ground level. Meaning that it stays nice and cool during the daytime.

Not that we’ll be staying home all that much. We have a lot planned for our week in Munich, and we’re looking forward to all of it.

With most of the afternoon still ahead of us--and a free transit pass in our pockets--we decided to head back into town and wander about. We would need to head that way anyway if we wanted anything for dinner, since all the supermarkets in our suburb were closed for Sunday.

Munich suffered horribly during World War II. Almost all of the city center was damaged or destroyed by Allied bombing. But afterwards, the city worked hard to rebuild itself as closely as possible to what it had been before the bombs fell.

Jessica of course noticed the Bayern Munich FC store, and we found a display window full of cuckoo clocks. (I should clarify that Jessica is not a Bayern Munich fan; she roots for Dortmund in the Bundesliga.)

After stopping for some rest and refreshment at a street-side café, we continued on to Marienplaz, the square that has served as the historic heart of Munich for the past thousand years. It is named for the Virgin Mary, and a brilliantly polished gold statue of Mary stands at its center. Along the entire north side of the square is the spectacular Neo-Gothic New Town Hall, which was built in the late 1800s.

In one corner of the square is a fountain with a giant fish on it. We learned later that although this fountain was made after WWII, there has been a fountain in this spot since the 1300s, and the local fishmongers would actually keep their fish in it during market days.

By pure chance, we arrived just before 5:00 pm, when the New Town Hall’s bell tower glockenspiel show performs every afternoon. The performance lasts around ten minutes and includes bell chimes and dozens of revolving figures. They dance, joust, and feast in celebration of a real-life wedding that took place in Marienplaz in the 1500s.

(Also, Jessica and I still can’t help but be amused that the German word for town hall is Rathaus.)

Once the show was over, we simply walked around the old town for a little while longer. We saw some charming window displays in closed shops, the closed up food market, and the Old Town Hall. Even though pretty much everything was closed for Sunday, there was an intoxicatingly pleasant atmosphere about the place. And it wasn't just the beer everyone was drinking, or even that it was the coolest afternoon we’ve experienced since leaving Scotland.

Our wanderings eventually took us to the Munich National Theatre and Royal Residence, which gets to be called a royal residence because Bavaria was technically a kingdom for about a hundred years out of its much longer history as a German duchy and principality.

Between the Residence and the impressively yellow Theatrine Church is the Odeonsplatz, which was easy for us to remember because Odeon is also the name of major chain of movie theaters in the UK. The square also held a massive, statue-filled arcade--similar to the loggia in Florence. We would learn the next day that this was very much intentional and that Munich has even been called the Florence of the north.

As we wound our way back toward the train station to catch a tram home, we discovered a stark stone column topped with an eternal flame. After translating the inscriptions, we learned that it is a monument to the victims of Nazi tyranny.

We also found an interesting-looking Mexican restaurant, but for some reason Jessica wasn't interested. We were tired, hungry, and in need of a bathroom, so we pressed on in search of a grocery store

After way too long of a search in and around the central train station, we found the grocery store in the underground level connecting it to the city metro. It might have been the only one in the entire area that was open on Sunday afternoons, because it seemed like the entire city was standing in the checkout line. Seriously, the queue wrapped almost the entire way around the store and back to the entrance.

But the line moved surprisingly fast, and soon enough we were back home for a nice relaxing evening. Tomorrow, we would enjoy a guided walk through the city so that we could learn what everything we saw actually was. And we’d get to actually go into all the cool-looking shops that had been closed that day.

The next morning, we met up with our walking tour at the train station--again after a bit of slightly lost wandering. This was the first of several tours we'd booked with Radius Tours, one of two similar groups that Rick Steves recommends. We had a great time and would recommend them to anyone interested in good walking tours of Munich and nearby transit-accessible destinations like Dachau and Nuremberg.

Our tour guide was an Irish man with a golden tongue. It may just be selection bias, but almost every Irish guide we met in Europe was a natural storyteller and crowd-wrangler. There was another American woman in out tour group, and she and Jessica were instant friends.

Just outside the train station, our guide pointed out a courthouse known as the Justice Palace. It still functions as a German district court, but it is most famous as the location of the White Rose trials during WWII, in which anti-Nazi student protestors were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment or death. The trials were conducted by "People's Courts," which Hitler had empowered to condemn enemies of the regime outside the normal judicial process and without regard for constitutional rights.

The execution of peacefully protesting German students without a fair trial sent shockwaves throughout Germany and the rest of Europe. It didn't lead to any open revolts within Germany, but it was noted that people were much less inclined to report student protestors to the Gestapo after the White Rose trials took place.

Before heading into the Old Town, we stopped for a few minutes to admire the Karlstor, one of the city's original medieval gates. Back in the day, this was the edge of a walled city surrounded by a moat. A shiny plaque proudly dates the gate to 1302, but the current structure is far younger than that. Much of the gate was destroyed in an accidental gunpowder explosion in 1857, and the subsequently restored gate has been heavily modified in the years since to accommodate increasing levels of street and pedestrian traffic.

Thanks to the 1972 Olympics, however, Munich's Old Town is now almost entirely pedestrianized.

As we walked down the bustling Neuhauser Strasse from the gate to the central square, our guide pointed out the beautiful Baroque church façade we'd seen yesterday and identified it as St. Michael's, a Jesuit church. It was an important and influential church during the Counter Reformation, but today it seems mainly known for being under perpetual renovation since it was badly damaged during WWII.

We reached Marienplatz just in time to catch the morning performance of the Glockenspiel. Our guide explained that the moving figures are actually references to two different stories in Munich's history. The top level shows a joust that took place at the wedding of Duke William V of Bavaria--the man who founded the Hofbrau as the official court brewery--to Renata of Lorraine. One of the knights is wearing Bavarian colors, and the other is wearing the colors of Lorraine (or Lothringen, as it's called in Germany). The Bavarian knight always wins.

The lower tier of the display tells another story that takes place a few decades earlier during a plague year. When the city was gripped by fear and discontent, the coopers' guild got together and danced through the city to raise people's spirits and show their support for the duke. The "Coopers' Dance" has since become a symbol of perseverance and loyalty.

And as small as all of these figures look from from down in the square, all of the figures are actually life-sized.

We also learned that the New Town Hall was one of the few buildings that wasn't destroyed by the WWII bombings. Ironically, this means that the New Town Hall is actually far older than the Old Town Hall, which had to be rebuilt after the war.

We saw Munich Cathedral, also known as the Frauenkirche, which is visible from around the city with its distinctive bronze-domed bell towers. We learned that when the cathedral was constructed in the Middle Ages, Munich was just a small market town in the shadow of its much older and wealthier neighbor Freising. Over time--and thanks to some political shenanigans--Freising gradually fell under Munich's growing shadow, and today it is chiefly known as the home of Munich International Airport.

But in the 15th century, that was all still to come. Munich wasn't wealthy, so the cathedral had to be built out of bricks instead of stone. The cathedral's one extravagance was to be a pair of massive bell towers topped with sky-scrapping spires. But even that proved too much, and the builders ran out of money. So instead, they capped the bell towers with simple bronze domes to keep out the rain, and they have stood thus ever since.

As an aside, the name Frauenkirche literally translates as “Church of Our Lady,” exactly the same as the many Notre Dames scattered across France.

It was around this time that I noticed I'd somehow put my shirt on backwards that morning, and for the rest of the tour my mind was half-occupied with looking for an opportunity to fix it.

Retracing our steps from the previous day, we saw the Munich National Theater and Royal Residence. We also learned one of our favorite facts of the entire trip--right up there with Col. Shrapnel in Gibraltar.

A long section of the Residence's outer walls are flat with paintings of intricate architectural embellishments. Jessica and I had seen similar designs throughout Europe and had just assumed the day before that this was done out of a similar aesthetic style. But that's not it at all.

After the almost total destruction of central Munich during the WWII, the people of Munich were largely left to rebuild their city on their own. I had always assumed that this had been covered by Marshall Plan--an American program that lent billions of dollars to rebuild Germany and the rest of Western Europe after the war. But the Marshall Plan funds were earmarked for rebuilding Germany's industry and commerce, not its heritage. The rebuilding of all the historic structures in Munich was done with what little money the locals could put together themselves.

They did a fantastic job, but there was only so much they could do. And the Residence, with its extraordinarily ornamented architecture, was simply beyond their means. So the people of Munich did the next best thing: they painted the walls to show what the building would have looked like if they had been able to rebuild it the way it actually was.

Our guide also pointed out the statue-filled loggia and confirmed that it was inspired by the one in Florence. He also pointed out the two lion statues flanking the stairs leading into it. The loggia is directly between the Residence and the Theatrine Church, and the two lions were meant to represent the co-equal powers of church and state in Bavaria.

Turning back into the Old Town, we headed over to the Hofbrauhaus, the largest and most famous beer hall in Munich--as well as one of the oldest. It can seat 1,300 people at once, but for the first 250 years of its existence it was the private property of the Bavarian nobility and closed to the general public. Since 1828, however, locals and tourists alike have been filling its benches and drinking beer by the liter.

When Jessica mentioned that the main beers she enjoyed were wheat beers (hefeweizen or weissbier in Germany), our guide made sure to point out the nearby Schneider Weisse beer hall, where an unparalleled variety of weissebiers are on tap. There are seven different weissbiers in their main line, labelled "Tap 1" through "Tap 7," plus a further selection of seasonal and special-release weissebiers on tap at any given time. All are made by the family-owned Schneider & Son brewery in the nearby city of Kelheim.

Jessica's interest was thoroughly piqued. I had never particularly enjoyed wheat beers before, but I was willing to give it a try. We eventually did try it, and it was fantastic, but that's a story for a future post.

Our last stop was the Viktualienmarkt, a huge open-air food market centered around a massive beer garden. We learned that the beer garden is co-owned by the six Munich breweries, and they take turns so that all six make the same amount of profit. The current brand on tap was Spaten, which is generally considered to be the least-best of the bunch.

We also learned about Bavaria's beer garden culture. Before refrigeration was invented, beer kegs were stored in underground cellars to keep them cool, and trees were planted above the cellars for even more insulation. People soon realized that cool beer and shady trees make a perfect combination in the summer, so they started showing up at the breweries to drink beer and eat packed lunches.

When you visit the Viktualienmarkt or any other traditional beer garden, you will notice a mixture of tables with and without tablecloths. The tables with tablecloths are for traditional table service. You sit down and wait to be given a menu. But the tables without tablecloths are for the traditional picnic experience. You can get a group of friends, wander the market picking out tasty things to eat, then sit down at an unoccupied table and order a cool beer to wash it all down.

After the tour was over, went back to the Hofbrauhaus and had an excellent lunch at the nearby Augustiner restaurant. While Hofbrau is the most internationally famous Munich brewery, Augustiner is the oldest and most popular among native Münchners. While we never had a bad beer in Munich, we'll go along with the consensus that Augustiner is probably the best of the bunch. Which is sad, because they don't export their beer. It's hard to find it even in other parts of Germany.

I had their helles pale lager, and Jessica had their weissbeir. Both were top-notch.

For the food portion of our lunch, we each enjoyed the beer garden staple of liberkäse--a mixed-meat sausage similar to bologna, baked into a loaf and cut into thick slices--pan fried and served under a fried egg. It also came with Bavarian potato salad, which is very different from American potato salad. It is thin and a little vinegary, but light and refreshing on a warm day.

We struck up a nice long conversation with an American guy at the next table who was doing his own extended European trip. I also took the opportunity to run to the bathroom and fix my shirt.

After lunch, we strolled around the shopping area and found a lot of stores selling cute if touristy Bavarian souvenirs. I found a nice stoneware mug that I really liked, but I decided to hold off and think about it for a bit. There was also a nice stationery store where I was severely tempted to buy a bottle of limited-edition Mont Blanc fountain pen ink that was on sale for half the price it is in the US. I didn't need it, though, and I wasn't eager to add a heavy glass bottle to my pack. Plus, I already had my sights set on some bottled inks that were waiting for me down the road in the Netherlands.

Jessica had fun too. She found a new friend at one of the aforementioned Bavarian souvenir shops, and we also found a whisky store specializing in fine Scotch. It seems almost heretical to sell Scotch in this mecca of beer, but we couldn’t resist. Jessica ended up buying a bottle of the Little Bay she’d enjoyed so much in Oban.

Don't worry, though--we never drank Scotch instead of German beer or wine, just in addition to it.

Yes, there was quite a lot of drinking that got done during this week, and we may have gone to bed toasted more times than not. But that didn't stop us from seeing and enjoying a ton of what Bavaria had to offer--including some sites that were truly sobering.

Next Post: Neuschwanstein (and the story of Mad King Ludwig)

Last Post: Salzburg & Berchtesgaden

[peckhampeculiar]

A Peckham visionary

Words by Luke G Williams; Photo by Paul Stafford

In the world in which we live, the theoretical and the practical are often mutually exclusive.

Individuals who view the world through a theoretical prism can often diagnose the flaws in our society, but struggle to remedy them.

The reverse also often holds true: namely that those of a practical bent struggle to underpin their actions with a coherent view of the mechanics of human existence.

Eileen Conn – the visionary founder and co-ordinator of local community action group Peckham Vision – is one of that rare breed of human beings who combines a formidable theoretical intelligence with the practical ability to mobilise, engage and inspire social change at a grassroots level.

She is also one of the most remarkable and intellectually stimulating people I have ever encountered.

Eileen and I meet on the second floor of the Bussey Building on Rye Lane, on a grim December evening on which rain is being emptied from the sky as though from buckets.

It’s here that Peckham Vision is based, an apt location if ever there was one considering Eileen’s key role in the 2005-2009 campaign to save the building from being demolished and replaced by a tram depot. The fact the Bussey Building is now such a hub of vibrant community activity is due in no small part to her.

Eileen greets me warmly with the welcome offer of a cup of tea but beyond that, superficial pleasantries are not the order of the day.

Instead our one-and a-half-hour interview ends up resembling an exhilarating combination of a life lesson and a university lecture. Eileen speaks throughout with conviction and passion, but always underpins her theories and ideas with a keen sense of humanity. It’s rare that an encounter with another human being can challenge the way you view the world, but meeting Eileen was just such an experience for me.

Despite Peckham Vision’s many successes, Eileen is initially disappointed to hear that – despite my status as a longtime Peckham resident – I am not particularly familiar with Peckham Vision’s work.

��That’s so frustrating!” she sighs. “At Peckham Vision, like most organised community action, we’re often written out of the story, and so it’s as if things just happened.

 “That’s why we have this on the wall,” she adds, gesturing towards a sign upon which is written four simple but profound words: ‘Things don’t just happen.’”

 The path that eventually led Eileen to Peckham – where she has made more things happen than most – began on Tyneside where she was born in 1941.

 “I’m a Geordie,” she says. “I grew up in a provincial town, left school at 16 and went into the civil service in a very junior administrative and clerical role.

 “I came to London in my 20s as the first step in a planned trip around the world because I needed to understand the world from a different perspective.

 “I didn’t get beyond London, to start with anyway! Instead I went to evening classes, not because I wanted to pass exams, but because I was lonely and needed to find some way of getting to know people.

“As a consequence of that I ended up going to Oxford University at the age of 25 because I had a thirst for understanding the world.

“Why did I need to understand the world? Two things drove me: one was because I grew up as a proselytiser of a Protestant Christian sect but I then realised the world wasn’t as black and white as I’d been taught.

“The other thing that influenced me was that the job I had involved contact with people who were financially unable to look after themselves. I watched people fall into debt, lose their houses and eventually end up in prison and thought there was something very odd about the way in which this happened. Why had people come together to create such a crazy system that kept people in debt?

“After university I went back into the civil service, this time in Whitehall. By this time I understood more and I thought I could change things!

“It was the late 1960s and the civil service was undergoing great reforms under Harold Wilson. My job was mainly concerned with the way government operates, and reforming the civil service so it was fit for the 20th century.”

In the mid-80s, Eileen fell in with the Business Network working for a holistic approach to business and “stumbled into lots of new thinking about the human species and the planet”.

However, she admits that her quest for human understanding has never – and will never – be complete.

“I’ve answered a lot of the questions I formed in my teens and 20s but it’s been a slow, long process,” she says. “It’s a bit like getting to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, only to discover there are more rainbows with pots of gold to look for.”

As for Eileen’s connection with Peckham, that began in 1973 when a promotion in the civil service enabled her to buy a house. 

With her office in Whitehall being on the number 12 bus route, Peckham was a perfect place for her to settle and she has been here ever since.

“I felt really attracted by Peckham,” she recalls. “I liked the size of the houses and the fact that unlike Hampstead where I had a bed-sit lived the streets weren’t full of cars! Of course it’s very different now!

“Peckham also had a human scale which really appealed to me. I wanted my own space, with no one above or below me, where I could have my own garden and a cat. And I found it in Peckham in the house I still live in today!”

Eileen has been fascinated to observe the changes in the topography and demography of Peckham over the last few decades.

“What we see in Peckham today is a microcosm of the global community,” she says. “Many of the people who live here have come from countries with terrible conflicts, or places with economic and environmental problems. So Peckham is an extremely rich place to understand the 21st century dynamic of human society.”

Eileen’s entry point into community activism in Peckham came in 1975 when she teamed up with a group of neighbours to express concern about the noise and disruption caused by a local industrial site.

“We went to see our then MP Sam Silkin who earnestly told us that what we should do is a set up a residents’ association. 

“One night not long after a knock came on my door from a man called Bob Smyth and I was invited to join the Peckham Society. I attended meetings every month for about two years – that proved a huge education in civic affairs.”

It’s an education that Eileen has put to good use, with Peckham Vision being one of the direct results of her community work and activism.

A resident-led group of local citizens who live, work or run businesses in Peckham, the organisation’s stated aims are to promote and encourage citizen action to help Peckham town centre become thriving and sustainable, as well as to create and nurture ways of connecting people in Peckham who want the area to realise its potential.

“The roots of Peckham Vision started when I discovered how exciting email was as a way of connecting people,” Eileen explains. “I’m instinctively interested in connecting people. Then I began to take an interest in how the council was planning on turning this vast area of land in Peckham town centre into a tram depot.

 “Soon I had a network of contacts and people and email addresses which I could put to good use. Our strap line since the beginning has been ‘for an integrated town centre’ – that has never changed and all our work is informed by that idea.”

Over the years Eileen and others in Peckham Vision have been involved in community campaigns and activities too numerous to mention, from helping save the Bussey building and its surrounding area from being demolished and redeveloped, to challenging redevelopment plans around Peckham Rye train station, Peckham cinema and the multi-storey car park. 

“In each of our big campaigns, we relentlessly exposed and publicised the potential of these spaces in a way which the big institution [i.e. the council] in the end couldn’t ignore,” Eileen explains proudly.

“I think we have achieved something through several of our campaigns by enabling spaces we inherited from our predecessors – I get emotional about this – to show their life again!

“And how much better is that than these soulless and expensive 21st century buildings which we otherwise would have been left with?

“Peckham town centre is like a living museum, we’ve got buildings from the end of the 17th century right through to now and it’s beautiful. If you look up in Peckham it’s amazing what you see above the noise and bustle and shop fronts.”

If one quality of Eileen burns brighter than others it is undoubtedly her passion, most significantly her passion for changing the way the world works, and improving the outcomes of interactions between large institutions and local communities.

“The dominant experience of all the people that work in corporations and institutions is a form of organisational relationship that is very different from that in organised community action in groups like Peckham Vision,” she explains.

“What has kept me going and motivated is the feeling that there is often something not right about decisions that have been made at a higher level. For example, the real lived economy is being neglected across London.

“I’m also passionate about good order and organisation. When people come together to do things they’re more likely to achieve what they want. Helping that to be more effective drives me.”

Given the wealth of her experiences and her long and unending journey towards human understanding I wonder whether Eileen believes if the battle for more productive connections between local residents and their institutional overseers, can be won.

So I conclude with a simple question: “are you an optimist?”

With a rebellious twinkle in her eye, Eileen tells me: “I don’t like the work optimist, I prefer to say hopeful.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that many things are possible. I’m certainly hopeful there can be change and I’m a great believer that we can change things if we understand them better.

“But you might say I’m an emotional optimist and an intellectual pessimist!”

For more information about Peckham Vision visit peckhamvision.org, follow on @peckhamvision on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or visit the Peckham Vision shop in Holdron’s Arcade, 135a Rye Lane, 2-5pm on Saturdays and 7-9pm the first Thursday of each month

[the-entity-with-determination]

2. Entry (30.10.2018, 2:30)

Dear Reader,

Today was a simple yet nice day.

School

Chris has finally returned to school today and made everyone's day a bit brighter. (he had some sort of a throat infection)

In the first period I had German. I gave the teacher my homework which I partly have worked on with Naomi (God bless u for helping me bro) and the rest of the lesson just consisted of analyzing a Text.

Second period was English. I normally sit in the first row with one dude from the friend group, but I was too slow and my place got claimed. So I sat down next to the quiet girl from my class. Honestly I want to find out more about her. And maybe even befriend myself with her. I've always noticed that she's sitting alone in the class and never really speaks to anyone. And when some of the teachers tell her to read something, she speaks in a really quiet yet clear voice. And she also never really smiles. I feel like I just should start talking to her. Because it's also very important to have some kind of social life in school. Isn't it boring to just. Not talk to anyone? I think I'll try to interact with her tomorrow. Anyways, back to the period. We were doing some "used to and would" grammatical exercises and as always, it was kinda boring cuz I'm literally doing this thing the third time. My notebook didn't work so I looked at the text with the quiet girl's (let's call her Amanda) computer.

In third period I had IT. And in IT I'm in the first group, which means I always get to interact with Chris and Roxy. It's always very fun to talk with them. But today was even more fun cuz the teacher didn't upload any new exercises to moodle (a school plattform) and I've done all the exercises the night before lmao. Also, I've said before that my notebook doesn't work, and I've asked Chris if he could just delete everything on my computer and put it back to factory setting. (I hope that's what it's called) and he said he wouldn't mind. I just gotta go and search for the external dvd player after I finish writing this entry. Since it was basically a free period, all of us just fooled around and made meme references. I think that some meme was born out of it too lololol.

Then the big break started (which is 15 minutes long). I honestly didn't want to leave Roxy alone in class (Chris and all the other dudes normally go outside to smoke) so I decided to stay with her. We were mainly talking about music. I showed her a nice song, she showed me a nice song. Nice.

Then we had IT again. We've basically done the same thing as in the last period.

In the last two periods which were Biology and French nothing much happened.

After school

After school I tagged along with Roxy. Last time when I did we went to a nearby second hand shop and she found a framed Van Gogh picture (she's a huge Van Gogh fan) and she really wanted to buy it but didn't have enough money (cuz she bought a "rocky horror show" vinyl in the book store we also went to last time.) The bookstore was the weirdest yet coolest one I've ever seen. Like. There were books EVERYWHERE.

And today she finally got to buy the Van Gogh pic and was very satisfied. We also went to "Buttlers" (some sort of home decor store) and she bought some fairy lights that glow in a warm way.

After that we went to McDonald's to chat since she still had some spare time (her train would leave in an hour). We talked about school, friends, and also her smol crush on a dude from my class (he's a chill dude). I've found out recently that he's in a metal band. And she also seemed to know. Buttttt she didn't know that he's the Vocalist of the group. And when she listened to one of their songs she literally fangirled so much it was adorable.

Then we parted ways and I went home. Riding with the tram was rly uncomfortable since many people were inside. Sitting in the bus was less stressful und I also almost fell alseep (I didn't sleep on Sunday night). But once I got out of the bus it was very peaceful. The weather was slightly foggy, the yellow leaves were slowly falling down on the ground, and you could hear children laugh in the distance. I always feel very at peace when I walk in my small village I love it. I also took a lot of pretty pictures of trees, flowers and etc.

Home

I came home and was greeted by my parents and the amazing smell which I've known ever since I was a kid. The good ol' Russian beet soup called "Borscht". Man if only locals knew what they're missing. After I ate I went to my slightly messy room. I'll probably clean it after I come back from Roxy's sleepover. I watched some videos. Had some deep thoughts and fell asleep at 16 something. And then I woke up at 00:36. And watched some videos again. I didn't do any school stuff since I don't have to do any homework til tomorrow. So it's chill.

Now

Rn I'm laying in my bed, listen to a nice Lo-Fi mix called "everytime I see you, I fall in love all over again" and write this entry uwu.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'll be hanging out with Naomi in her dorm. We'll study some stuff, talk about some fun stuff, have band practice and will return home a little late. But it's nice. Oh and my mother gave me a really nice jacket which also looks vintage-y. I luvvvv. So I'll also look like a snack tomorrow too yaaaas.

That's pretty much it. I hope you had a nice day too, reader! 🌸✨

(03:38)

[emmybluefire]

Technology in WoW

Alright. So for some of you: the title might set off a few red flags. But please bare with me. I promise I’m not angry this time XD

For those of you who don’t know: A few months back I made a post on my main Tumblr @fuzzywuzzms regarding my opinions on the subject. In it though, I was too swept up with the irritation brought on by my pet peeves, that I did not leave the topic open for discussion. That was very immature of me and I apologize sincerely to everyone who had the displeasure of reading it. Today though: I wish to rectify that mistake. WoW technology, how does it work? Where is it seen? How advanced is it? Lets have a discussion shall we? >:D

Overview

Technology in WoW is... weird. To say the least. Much of what we see in the game is sloppily done, and likely put in by Blizzard simply because: “It’s cool!” or “It’s fun!” , regardless of their lore. This has left many players confused on, well... what all is possible? What are it’s limits? Timewise, where does WoW stand as an advanced civilization? Are we stuck in the smoke and soot ridden times of the late Victorian era? Where industry, mass production, and machines were a very recent and brand new reality? Or are we more based in the late 1800′s to the early 1900′s? Where advances in medicine and science made HUGE strides towards a better life; and Electricity had only just been discovered.

Are we an early civilization? Where the sword, axe, and mace was prevalent on the battlefield; And wealthy families lorded over massive swaths of land. Or are we a hyper advanced SiFi civilization, where space, time, and interdimentional travel are commonplace?

Blizzard has Never been clear on where we stand as a society. When they introduce new bits of technology, they explain it away as being “Gnomish” or “Goblin” ... or something from a highly advanced culture thousands upon thousands of years ago, the Titans. Sloppy, undeniable, scapegoats. It’s rare that they ever explain anything like, why this technology was invented. How it works. What purpose does it serve... other than just- being cool?

If machine guns and flying machines exist: Then why does everyone still rely so heavily on avian creatures and mele weapons? What is even the point of the armor we wear? Because it’s definitely not going to protect you against ballistics. You know, other than just- being cool?

If electricity exists, then why isn’t it being utilized? Why is every household depicted in game still lit up by torches, candles, and fireplaces? Other than jus- fitting the fantasy vibe?

How is World of Warcraft even still a fantasy game? Well. The simple answer is, that’s just how it’s creators want it to be. They want it to be a fantasy game with steampunk and magitech elements just because, it’s cool. And in my opinion they succeed. It’s fiction. Suspend your disbelief.

But where has this left us? The Roleplayers? The Creators? Those who delve deeply into the game’s lore and fictional history, to create something based in this medium we all enjoy. Something that gives other WoW players FAR more content to enjoy. Content that -feels- like WoW. But most importantly. How far can we go before we start... killing the fantasy vibe with elements that are far too real? Things like refrigerators, hot showers, computers, televisions, phones?

Well, my friends. It seems like it’s time for a ramble.

Transportation

Most of WoW’s technology, at least to me, reminds me of the Industrial revolution. A point in time where machines were just starting to be developed. A time where Steam engines were prevalent, and the internal combustion engine was a very plausible and testable theory. Horses and other labor beasts were still used commonly at this time, but were beginning to fall in relevancy, as steam powered trains, boats, and outlandish carriages were taking over the scene. But, as of this time period... Electricity had not been discovered yet. And hence, people still widely used candles, lanterns, and other fire-containing objects to illuminate their homes.

Established: In WoW we see examples of this technology all over the place. Alliance gunships, Zeppelins, trams, the Northrend steamboats. All falling under one term: “Steampunk.” , a technological and musical theme centered all around steam powered engines and clockwork. For long distance transportation, these seem to be the go-to. But... this all comes with a conflicting caveat. 

Conflicting: If WoW is indeed supposed to be within a steampunk era, then why does the more advanced gas-powered technology exist? Why hasn’t it replaced everything? Remember, gas powered engines were still in development during the industrial revolution. Planes, helicopters, motorcycles... everything. And what do we as Roleplayers consider when looking at all of this?

This is the confusing part.

Medicine

Established: Wow’s medical practices are also widely unexplained. For the most part, what I see NPC’s doing as far as medicine goes is well... alchemy. Healing potions, herbal remidies, magic, and the like. Something VERY medieval, VERY supernatural, and VERY fictional. And yet, for our characters, it works! Its real! It’s efficient! And if this is the case: why then, are modern IV bags, needles, and pills a thing?

Conflicting: If this stuff works, and is common... why then did us Azerothians find the need to develop modern medical technology? Obviously what we’ve known all along works better. So what was the point of spending resources on something less... well, efficient? It doesn’t make much sense.

Where should we lean more towards as Roleplayers? Clearly the modern medical technology in WoW doesn’t have much lore behind it. Unlike the supernatural cures we have.

Warfare

Established:There’s no denying gnomes are clever little fuckers. They’ve invented MANY of the “modern” weapons and machinery we see in the game. High caliber machine guns. Mechanized exosuits. Tanks, explosives, and flying machines. They are also the very first race to have discovered electricity lore wise. AND! They are part of the alliance. Humanity has SO much power at their fingertips now! They can improve their lives, decimate horde armies, power their cities... and just overall improve their quality of liveing! The alliance has the power to take over the world! And yet... do they?

Conflicting: No. For whatever reason, the Alliance seems content to outfit themselves in inferior attire, and leave their cities wrought with filth. Which... well. Doesn’t make, ANY sense! Are they jus- too stupid reverse engineer gnomish tech and mass produce it for themselves? Clearly they have the resources to do so! So why the heck don’t they? Do the gnomes hoard it all for themselves? If so, why hasn’t that sparked a civil war?

Where do we, as roleplayers, draw the line when it comes to Gnomish tech? It seems as though Blizzard purposefully keeps it gnomish to avoid dismantling the overall fantasy feel of the world, and prevent deus’ex machina filled writing. Making themselves out to be “Good” writers when in reality there’s some HUGE continuity errors. If you wanted a western fantasy themed game... why did you include such advanced technology? What should we, as roleplayers, and aspiring writers, respect? Fairness? Or consistency?

Conclusion

Blizzard’s biggest issue with it’s lore has ALWAYS been consistency. They’re more concerned with WoW as a game, then as a story. Which, at the end of the day... isn’t exactly a bad thing overall. Blizzard is a company who’s focus is on making fun -GAMES- not writing great stories. That’s their primary aim as a company. And while I -do- wish we could have both a great game AND a consistent story, I can’t exactly blame them for prioritizing one thing over the other. It just put’s roleplayers like us in very tight, and fickle positions when trying to determine what the best aim is for our character. At least if we want to try and abide by lore. Much is up to interpretation, and personal preference. What we want to be possible, and what we don’t want to be possible.

Every person is different, and interprets the game’s lore differently. So conflicts of rationals are bound to happen. At the end of the day... all I can say is respect each others opinions, and go with the flow. If someone doesn’t like the fact that you have a high caliber machine gun jus- on hand, then respect that. If someone would rather believe their fireplace keeps their hearth warm rather than some electric heating system, then respect that too. Agree to disagree, and walk away. Enough said.

After all, that’s what roleplay is all about... right?

Thank you everyone SO much for reading if you got this far :D , truly, gestures like this mean a lot to me. So please, have a good day or night, wherever you may be, and have fun :D

[evigevak]

Interview with Tarjei on radio P3 morgen June 7th 2017

Interviewer: You have been on top of my dream guest list for half a year Tarjei Sandvik Moe. Tarjei: So nice. I: Welcome to P3 Morgen. T: Thank you. I: Ok, there’s a lot of stuff to celebrate in your life lately. Two Gullruten awards, that’s cool. TV moment of the year and Publikumsprisen. The two awards the audience could influence, you and Henrik Holm won. A TV season that affected a whole world during fall last year. Here at home you’ve become 18, congratulations on your birthday.

T: Thank you. I’m alive. I: How did you celebrate? T: I… It was a Wednesday so I woke up and went to buy beer. I: In the morning? T: Yes, yes I think so. I: Was is a good feeling to finally be able to buy beer. Did they ask for an ID? T: Yes. I: Congratulations. Because I remember my 20th birthday. I went to the Wine Monopoly to finally buy legally, and they didn’t ask for an ID. T: Right. I: But did the person behind the disk notice that it was your birthday? T: No, I had to tell them. I: You did that. T: I tend to brag a lot about myself so I said: “Hi, this is the first time I’m buying alcohol. Look at my ID. It’s 24.05. today. You can’t stop me now. I: What did the shop person say? T: “That’s huge. I remember my own time. I’m going to remember your face. But I don’t do that anymore.” It was a nice intention though. I: What did you receive from your parents on your 18th birthday? T: They will pay for my driver’s licence. Traffic courses and stuff like that. I: That’s a pretty good present. Huge. T: Yeah, it’s a lot of money. But I’m very scared of traffic. So that’s.. crash. I: Traffic in general? T: Traffic is scary in general. I: Why? T: I have weird experiences with it. The traffic is like “Fuck you Tarjei”. So… I’m serious. I: What has the traffic done to you? T: When I’m going home, I take the 21 bus from Frogner. Once, I sat on the 21 bus and then the 19 tram came and “bam”, and I just “woah”.   I: Did you collide with the tram while you were on the bus? T: Yes, I didn’t get any physical… I: But you experienced it, wow. T: Yes. I: That’s impressive, but it ruined your experience. Is that the reason why you’re not getting a driver’s licence Tarjei? T: Partly, and that I once went on in Grünerløkka and was looking down on my phone, listening to music, and the tram went by right behind me. I nearly felt it in my back. I: I’m thinking Tarjei. You should not become a tram driver. T: No. I have bad experiences with trams. I: Perhaps project the aggression to the tram, or think positively about the traffic. Are you an inattentive person? T: Yes. That’s it. I’m all over the place and I can’t really keep track of what’s happening in my surroundings. I feel like that’s a bad starting point for a driver. I: At least you’re aware of it. T: Yes. I: Then you can do something about it. I: There are a lot of bad drivers out there. But for now, you’ve put the driver’s licence on pause. T: Yes. I’m doing the basic traffic course (trafikalt grunnkurs) next week. I: Then you are already on your way. T: Yes, I’ve started. I: Because you need more challenges, more things to spend time on in your life. We’ll talk about all the other stuff you do shortly. *Song starts playing* I: Me and Silje are visited by the person who has conquered the whole world, Tarjei Sandvik Moe. T: Hello. I: What a huge success season 3 of Skam is. What’s it like when there are people outside your school waiting for you all day, from another country? What’s that like? T: I feel responsible for taking a picture with them at least. “We have taking plane 13 hours.” Then I say “I can take 2 minutes of my time to take a picture.” I: How many minutes do you spend on a regular Wednesday, taking pictures with people? T: A regular Wednesday? Perhaps 15-20 minutes. It varies a lot. Suddenly they want to stop and talk. You have to have a conversation and stuff like that, so a lot of time. 20 times 365 is a lot of minutes. I: It’s fascinating how this fandom works. Because we announced on air a few hours ago, that you were coming. And right before 8 o’clock we received an email from Brazil, from Felipe Lima. I don’t understand how this works. Somehow, the fact that you’re here has reached Brazil, and now he has sent us an email. T: What’s Felipe saying? I: He wants.. He loves you. T: That’s nice. I: He loves Skam and Tarjei’s, your work, and he wants you to say “Hi Felipe” now. T: Hello Felipe. This is the T-man. I love that you love me. I: Say I love Brazil. T: I love Brazil. I’ve been there. I: You’ve been to Brazil, it’s not a lie? T: Of course. I was in Brazil when the world championship was held there. I watched a few football matches. I: Apparently it’s Instagram that does these things. I don’t know. It’s a universe of its own. Where you’re one of the main characters. T: Except I’m not in it myself. I: Exactly. Do you get a bit stressed thinking about it all the stuff that’s going on there? Stuff you’re not able to see? T: I think I’d be more stressed if I see it. It’s liberating to know that they have their own little playground where they can toy around with my face, and I can just stroll around in Oslo on my own, and not think about it. I: You do notice it right? Because you receive gifts in the mail. T: Yes. I: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve received? T: People send stuff to Nissen because they don’t know where I live. I: That’s good. T: There are a lot of messages from the office like “Tarjei, come to the office”. And I’m like thinking I’m going to get scolded and thrown out of school. Then I arrive and they’re like “Hey, someone has sent you a tie.” I: That’s nice. T: From China. I: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve received? T: I’ve received a stuffed animal that is supposed to be me. They’ve made a professional stuffed animal. It’s big and it’s me. Like… It’s me. I: Are you for real? T: Yes. I: You’ve received your own action figure in a way. T: Yes. I: Just that it’s a stuffed animal. T: It’s a big stuffed animal. I: That’s wild Tarjei. T: It’s too accurate. It’s Isak but it’s got the correct snapback tag on it. It’s wild. I: Who made it? T: It was from China Kosegruppe. I: Where do you put.. Is your house filled with figurines of youself? T: I just push them down into a box and try not to think too much about it. I: Why not? T: Because then you become self-obsessed. I: Okay. Before the summer you said on Skavlan that you think it’s awkward to talk to your parents about your character in Skam, about the Skam phenomena. What’s that been like after a fall where the whole world took the Isak figure into their heart? T: I gave up a bit. I talked to them about it now. I: It’s going well at home? T: Yes. They tell me “Tarjei you’re doing a good job”. I: Would’ve been weird if they said anything else. T: They tell me if I get a 3 in maths “It’s good that you’re not failing. You’re were good in that TV show Tarjei.” I: You’re playing in Grease this fall. T: Grease. I: On with the leather jacket and slick. From Skam-Isak to Grease. That’s quite a change. What will that be like? T: It’s still high school and… I: Those summer nights. You’ve seen the original? T: Of course. It’s a beautiful movie. I: What’s your relationship with the Grease universe? T: I think that universe is weird. People are weird, but it’s a musical. Teenager musicals are especially.. There are stereotypes. It’s a lot of fun. I: Are you going to be a cool car mechanic guy? T: No, I’m not. I’m one of the dorky guys in the group. I: I see. We’re going to test if you’re good at singing. You’re in high school Tarjei. You’re going through our school diary. Song starts playing I: We’re visited by Tarjei Sandvik Moe, also known as Isak from Skam. That adventure is over soon. Will that be weird? T: Yes. It’ll be weird. I: You’re moving on to playing in Grease. T: Yes, exactly. I: Still working, and in school, last year at high school. That will be awesome. Right now you’re going to fill out a page in our school diary. Yes. Age? You’re 18. We’ve already established that. T: Yes. I: Now on to the important questions. Favourite food? Don’t freak out. T: Balkan kebab. I: Balkan kebab. I’ll write that down. T: Pilestredet. I: What do you order? T: I order a kebab roll with extra sauce. I: Extra sauce? T: Extra sauce. I: Hotness level? T: Medium. I: Always medium. T: It’s a safe westside order. I: What’s your favourite subject in school? Because you’re still in school? T: Yes, I do drama so I’ll go with theatre. I: Yes. Theatre. What was it like with your character this Christmas. People came from China to say hi all the time. Did you get straight A’s in drama? T: I was on a 5, so I had to struggle my way up. I: So you’re not good enough Tarjei. That Skam stuff isn’t that good. T: My teacher doesn’t watch Skam. I: Of course not. T: What counts is your effort and if you can make theatre plays. I: If you had to choose between the general subjects? T: Norwegian. I: Okay. What’s your favourite TV show? T: Fargo on HBO. I: What do you enjoy about it? T: It’s a fascinating universe where everything works together. The characters are really interesting and you want to keep watching like all the time without an extremely structured Hollywood dramaturgy. I: They trick you with cliff hangers, but you still want to keep watching right? T: Correct. I: Sounds nice. Favourite type of music? T: Favourite music? I’m a huge deLillos fan. deLillos is my band. I: So nice/cozy. T: Latest music… I think Sigrid is awesome. I: Sigrid is awesome. T: That voice is like “what?!” I: Have you watched her live? T: No I haven’t. I just turned 18, there’s like 18 years old age restrictions. I hope she comes to Oslo. I: She’s coming to Øyafestivalen. T: She’s going there? I: Yes. T: I have to get a hold of a Øya-ticket. I: Good luck, I think it’s sold out. Not the one day tickets, just the week tickets. T: Then I’ll have to get a one day ticket. I: Go on. Then you’ll get to hear Sigrid. That’s good. Who’s your greatest idol? T: My greatest idol? Daniel Braaten. I: A football player? Why? T: I love the way he plays football. I: How is it? T: He seems like a laid-back guy who just enjoys playing football and doesn’t care about what the coach’s saying. And he’s really good. And he’s originally a Skeid-boy. I love Skeid, they make a of talents. Daniel Braaten is my idol. I: Were you a football talent once? T: I wouldn’t say talent, but I’m a previous Lyn player. I: That’s good. Let’s go straight to “this is the celebrity I’d want to hook up with”. T: Uhm… I: We ask this question to everyone. T: I’d have to say Sigrid then since she’s so good at singing. I: Yes. And that’s an answer that is realistic as well. Age-wise and location in Norway. Tarjei, hold tight. You will be song interviewed my Markus Neby soon. T: Woah. I: What’s your thoughts on that? T: Uhm, a bit excited. I: That’s how it should be. Song starts playing and the news I: We’re visited by Tarjei Sandvik Moe. He has charmed the whole world as Isak in Skam. Markus Neby is in the studio. He’s going to interview Tarjei by using music. Markus: Tarjei Sandvik Moe, you’re at an age where women are important, how’s it going now? T: I’m very very fine. M: How many are we talking? Do you have a girlfriend? T: No I don’t. M: How many women do you hook up with weekly? T: At least 5. M: Nice, nice, nice. You went on Jodel, to say that you’re single. T: That’s very embarrassing. I’m not proud of that. M: But it happened anyways. What are you looking for in a woman? T: That she’s kind to me. M: How do you want her to treat you as a good boy? What’s the nicest thing a woman can do to you? T: Give me coffee and tell me I’m pretty. M: Give you coffee and say that you’re pretty. How’s puberty going? T: I think I’m soon finished with that. M: The penis isn’t fully grown until you’re 20. T: Exciting. M: Nice to know. Nice to know if you have bad self-esteem. How’s your self-esteem? T: I try to keep it down. M: You try to keep it down. Isn’t it difficult? T: Yes it’s really difficult. I’d wish it was lower. M: You’re a cutiepie. You manage to be a humble humble cutiepie. What do girls think is your best trait? The ones that know you? T: They tell me that my hair is nice. M: Nice nice curls. Do they call you curly Tarjei? Do they call you that? T: No, but I’d wish that. M: You’d wish that. T&M: I’d wish that. M: I’d wish that. Call him curly Tarjei. T: Curly Tarjei. M: Curly Tarjei. (repeats) M: What do they call you? T: They call me Tarjei. M: Just Tarjei. T: Or TJ-Moe. M: TJ-Moe. Do people call you TJ-Moe? T: There are some people that call me that. Mostly because I tell them to do it. M: Call me TJ-Moe. I’m called curly Tarjei. I’m called TJ-Moe. T&M: Call me TJ-Moe. Call me curly Tarjei. (repeats). M: Good luck with that. I hope people will answer. Now we’ve gotten to know you better. This was nice. T: It was a bit scary, but it went alright. M: You were good curly Tarjei. Very good, curly Tarjei. T: Thank you, curly Markus. M: I’ve got really straight hair. T: I know. We should try to make some curls in it. M: Perhaps in the future. Thanks for now. Good luck with Grease. You’ve always been a naughty boy. A naughty naughty naughty boy. Let’s stop there. T: I didn’t hear the end. M: You didn’t hear the end? T: I didn’t hear the synth. Nothing. M: The monitors are a bit difficult here in the studio. I: This was beautiful nonetheless. And a very current genre. M: I agree. I: Calm R&B scenery. M: I suggest this could be the pause act in Grease. I: Great idea. M: Tarjei’s new nickname. I: People are gonna call you curly Tarjei from now on. Thank you for coming. Good luck with the final stage of Skam. Good luck with Grease. And not least, good luck with the russ celebration in your last year at high school. T: Thank you.

[pinelife3]

Sadness

The treatment of the breaking of the fourth wall in Fleabag is the most compelling thing I’ve seen all year. Throughout the first season, our protagonist Fleabag (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge who also writes the show) would look at the camera to make witty asides. Usually a sarcastic remark or eye roll to hammer home that she’s sardonic, insincere, perhaps a little underhanded. 

You’ve probably noticed how if you’re in a one-on-one conversation, it’s hard to rag on someone but that in a group it works (because you can pretend it’s good natured humour rather than a scathing attack on their very existence). In Fleabag, the breaking of the fourth wall is a way for Fleabag to safely ridicule whoever she’s speaking to. It’s also a succinct way of delivering backstory, revealing her intentions, and getting us on side. These interactions with the fourth wall are pretty standard, see: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Amélie, House of Cards, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Shakespearean asides, American Psycho. It’s an accepted device. But then in season two, when Fleabag speaks to us, someone takes notice, someone spots her dipping out of their diegetic reality as she speaks to us in ours. 

I thrilled at this. 

Sometimes I feel like I’ve seen everything - but I’d never seen this before. This is the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen on a TV show (forget the Red Wedding). This is a masterful trick, and great storytelling all at once - it demolishes a literary device. But most of the coverage of Fleabag has focused on how sad the show is:

People seem to like that: they like being crushed, enjoy being devastated. Why is that?

I’ve recently cried over two cowboy related things: Brokeback Mountain and Red Dead Redemption 2. 

I cried when I finished Red Dead Redemption 2 because I love Arthur Morgan so much: he was just the sweetest guy, and I was sad the story was over because we can’t go fishing anymore, or crash his horse into trees and fall, or fight gators in the swamps, or brush his horse while we cruise around the old west. I just felt so wistful for his life and the idea of bad guys working hard to be good in a changing world. 

And then I cried at the end of Brokeback Mountain because it is objectively very sad. The shirts tucked inside each other which Jack kept all those years. The possibility that Jack didn’t know how much Ennis loved him. The life they could have had together, and how much they loved each other - but the families and relationships they destroyed along the way as well, because no one ever said what they felt. 

I really liked both Brokeback and Red Dead, because they have great stories and characters. In Red Dead, I have so many fond memories - and for that reason it made me feel strong emotions. But I don’t like Red Dead because it made me feel strong emotions. I don’t like Brokeback because it was ‘crushing’ and/or ‘devastating’ - it was enjoyable because it was a beautiful story with tragic, poignant elements. I like the story - not that it made me cry. Most Fleabag reviews seem to focus on the sadness it made the audience feel as a way to recommend it to people. 

Watch Fleabag - it will make you feel something. 

Prepare to emote because Fleabag is preternaturally sad.

The discourse around the show on Reddit is similar:

Pffft want to feel really sad? Check out this scene from Synecdoche, New York:

It’s very moving, kind of irresistibly so. And I think that’s because it’s calling out to that scared, bitter, self-pitying part of you which is always cringing in the shadows, waiting for someone to invite it out of the garage into the living room. This speech is designed to frighten you: you’ll make misssssstakesss and ruin your life. You won’t even know you’re doing it until it’ssssss toooooo late. You might think your life is nice - but that’sssssssssssss only because you haven’t ssssssssssseen how bad it will get. It’s giving you permission to feel bad without providing any reason to feel bad, and then it’s allowing you to wallow in that bad feeling. It’s poison. 

I promise you, for 99% of people who watched Synecdoche, New York , life is not that bad. People in horrible, war torn places where they aren’t able to watch Charlie Kaufman films because no one dubs indie movies in Kurdish have it bad - and not just because they’re missing out on great films, but because they essentially live in a sandier version of Hell. Haven’t you ever sat in the sun with a dog and seen it look back at you and felt a perfect connection? Haven’t you ever fallen asleep, perfectly comfortable, tucked in beside someone you love? Haven’t you ever eaten pancakes with ice cream, or seen a huge mountain, or been really cold and then gotten into a warm bath? Haven’t you ever seen a baby fake-crying on the tram and then its mum tickles it under the chin and it laughs, and you see everyone around you smile because babies are so pure? Come on! You’re not Othello. Your life is pretty nice. Even Othello’s life was pretty nice right up until the end. 

Pretty nice.

But boring. Right? 

Pancakes? Cuddles?

How am I to thrill at sunsets and smiling babies? 

Good. Now I’m sad again. 

And if the realisation that you don’t have anything to be sad about (except for the ordinariness of the pleasures in your life) didn’t make you sad, check out this compilation of the 10 most depressing moments in Bojack Horseman (ranked in order from least depressing to most depressing!).

A major inconvenience of modern life is that most of us have supremely comfortable, happy, safe lives. And when something goes wrong, you can’t go on a tragic rampage and tear out your own eyes, beat your breast, or wail on the moor in a thunderstorm - even though that may be what you feel like doing. 

Work sucks, no one respects me, and I messed up that section of the Excel spreadsheet so maybe they are right to not respect me: take me to a moor where my tears can blend with rain and my howls will be swallowed by the wind! 

Ordinary people don’t get to live in a tragedy - and besides, there aren’t as many moors around as literature might have you believe. The most you can do usually is make a scene at a family dinner or isolate yourself at a party and then get drunk and walk home crying. Who would write a sweeping, romantic story about an embarrassing fuck up walking home drunk, feeling sorry for themselves.

Oh.

Wait:

And Now For That 2000 Year Old Mystery

Aristotle’s Poetics is the source of the word catharsis (in italics because it’s Greek which is the way I was taught to do it in high school - if only there were Greecian-alics, am I right?), which in common parlance today basically means any kind of dramatic release of emotions. Kickboxing is cathartic. Getting your eyebrows waxed is cathartic. Crying during an emotional episode of a TV show is cathartic. 

Because the word appeared in Poetics, it's original usage related to the theatre, in particular the experience of an audience watching a tragedy: the release of emotions they feel in watching things go seriously wrong for the hero. For this reason, catharsis is often tied to anagnorisis - the moment of tragic realisation. 

Oh god I killed my father and married my mother. 

Oh god, that’s my son’s head on the pike, not the head of a mountain lion.

Oh god, remember when I messed up that bit of the spreadsheet and everyone knew it was me. Existence truly is pain.

You get the idea. It’s not enough that the protagonist is a fuck up: that matter needs to be brought to their attention and they need to reflect on it.

(A more proper (read: academic) definition of catharsis is: “an imitation of an action ‘with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions.’” The emotions the audience feel echo what the people on stage are feeling. The jump scare in a horror movie scares the character on screen and the audience watching at home.)

Aristotle never clearly defined catharsis. So for all this time (2000+ years) people have been trying to infer what he meant from a couple of references to a pretty slippery concept. Even though the general public has their understanding of the word, academics still cannot agree on a definition. But we know what it means, roughly, because we’ve all experienced it. 

Over the weekend I watched Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s other other TV show (not Killing Eve) which had an exchange between an artist and a drunk girl on sadness and how it factors into art:

Character 1: He’s my muse!

Character 2: Your muse?

...

Character 2: Like an artist's muse?!

Character 1: Yes, he is! You think meeting someone like Colin happens to artists all the time?! He gives so much.

Character 2: Yeah, sure, and you just lap it up and just slap it on a canvas.

Character 1: Pardon?

Character 2: "His pain is so beautiful." You're using him to indulge yourself.

Character 1: I am indulging? And what is this? 

Character 2: This is a $4 bottle of wine.

...

Character 2: Sorry if I upset you, Melody.

Character 1: You don't upset me. You bore me. All you seem to want to do is drink and wank and drink and wank.

Character 2: Well, at least I don't have to wank other people's pain onto a canvas, and then shove it in people's faces and call it "my art."

Character 2 in this scene is played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I can’t be bothered to explain why it’s relevant. 

For the eternity of human brains, or at least for as long as preserved creativity, the most comfortable, secure people in the world have tried to experience the things tragic victims feel - perhaps so they can briefly know what it feels like to be a romantic figure struggling in an unjust world. A passport to feelings and drama we aren’t permitted in every day life. Catharsis is the word to express the reaction, but what do we call an audience who seeks out that sensation? Catharsis chasers?

It’s not insightful to say that people like to watch Fast & Furious movies because they’re exciting and perhaps audiences enjoy that excitement because their own lives are un-exciting. But commending a thing because it will make you sad seems aberrant in some way. A fast and dangerous car that will make you miserable. A roller coaster that will make you depressed. An incredible shootout in the streets of LA that will make you sob in the bathroom cubicle at work every time you think about it. I can’t explain the drive, but like Aristotle I will invent a new word, so that academics can never know what I meant but will still write at great length about it, so that it will slip into common parlance and be horribly misused until eventually, 2000 years from now, a girl can waffle on about it on her blog. And the word will be: scartharsio. Or maybe scorpithoniacs? Or sarcastiharsics? 

Sadness is entertainment for a scartharsio.  

ALL TIME HALL OF FAME: WAILING WOMEN AND MOORS

Nobody knows what it’s like to be me, a sad woman who weeps on moors! 

I’m not being overly dramatic!

[thebestintoronto]

53 Finest Points to do in Toronto-- A Total Overview to Top Destinations

There are many things to do in Toronto it can be hard to understand where to begin. Being among one of the most multiculturally varied cities on earth, there is something for everybody.

It's our hometown but we've also skilled Toronto as a vacationer and also right here and this detailed guide will certainly give you an excellent base to start preparing your trip to Canada's largest city.

Top Things to do in Toronto

Component 1: Ideal Toronto Traveler Attractions

# 1 CN Tower

The CN Tower is Toronto's a lot of renowned spots. Integrated in 1975, it reigned as the world's tallest structure until 2007 when it was taken control of by the Burj Khalifa in 2008.

Today it is still clinging on the Leading 10 in the 9th place, but it is no much less impressive standing at a large 553.3 m-high (1,815.3 feet).

You can consume supper at the rotating dining establishment, walk on the glass floor, take in the 360 degree sights of Toronto from inside and out, appreciate a virtual reality trip, find out about the making of the CN Tower and for a real excitement, head outside and lean over the edge of the tower on the interesting Edge Stroll.

Place: 301 Front Street, appropriate close to the Rogers Centre where heaven Jays play baseball. Instructions - TTC to Untion Terminal, then walk East on Front Road.

# 2 Ontario Science Centre.

Located north of the city, the Ontario Science Centre has been a favourite for years. There are wonderful hands-on science shows and stunning screens.

Walking through the Living Planet exhibits seriously feels like you are walking through a genuine rainforest.

It has Toronto's only Planetarium and also there is an OMNIMAX Theatre showing new films frequently.

Place: 770 Don Mills Roadway North York: Take the Subway Line 2 to Pape Station, transfer to Bus 25 North to Don Mills at St. Dennis. Or take an Uber, or ride a bike!

# 3 Ontario Area.

I am so delighted that they re-opened Ontario Area at Toronto's Waterfront. Situated at the CNE Grounds on the Lakeshore, it's an exceptional location to invest an afternoon.

It has one of the best exterior celebration stages in Toronto at Budweiser Stage drawing in heavyweights carrying out in an intimate setting (We've seen Aerosmith as well as the Killers below as well as it was awesome!) As well as there's an IMAX theater.

Enjoy the outstanding route for cycling or rollerblading that goes around 7.5 acres of green area. It is transforming annually and you never ever understand what will be new with each season.

Location: 955 Lakeshore West BLVD - Take the 514 Tram bent on Dufferin Gateway Loop. Or ride a bike along the waterside route.

# 4 Hockey Hall of Fame.

Canada enjoys its hockey and you can celebrate everything hockey at the Hockey Hall of Popularity located at the foot of Yonge and Front Road. It houses the Stanley Mug and also it gets on display screen when it's not exploring the nation.

It houses the globe's largest collection of hockey memorabilia, there are interactive screens as well as two theaters. Sports fans will like this area.

Location: 30 Yonge Street - Train Line 1 to King Terminal.

# 5 Casa Loma.

Toronto has a castle and also this is a beauty. It was integrated in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellatt; a regional financier to be made use of as his private home. It was an extravagant residence with 98 rooms at 64,700 square feet (6,011 m2).

There are stables as well as a trainer residence and today it is a preferred traveler attraction.

Dave and also I both operated in Casa Loma often times as Hollywood flicks typically movie on the premises. There is even an 800-foot passage resulting in the stables.

You can explore the several suites, the yard, as well as the premises, there's dining including great dining at the BlueBlood Steamhouse, a laid-back restaurant at the Balcony Grill as well as coffee as well as snacks free Café.

Place: 1 Austin Terrace - Take the Metro Line 1 to St. Claire Station and then walk West to Casa Loma.

Part 2: Ideal Toronto Museums.

# 1 Royal Ontario Gallery.

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is Canada's largest museum and also one of the top 10 social establishments in The United States and Canada. Located at the edge of University and Bloor, this remarkable gallery melds old and new. The modern style is a beautiful enhancement. It was contributed to the original structure producing a magnificent masterpiece.

It is suitable for a building that houses 13 million artefacts and art work featured in 40 various exhibit spaces and galleries.

You can get breakthrough tickets at Obtain Your Overview for $20. Place: 100 Queens Park - at the corner of Yonge as well as Opportunity Road. Line 1 or 2 Train to Gallery Station.

# 2 Art Gallery of Ontario.

The AGO underwent a significant makeover in 2008 with a stunning style by Canadian musician Frank Gehry. With new life comes brand-new events and also the AGO attracts some of the top displays on earth. The art gallery houses irreversible collections like the Team of 7, The Thomspon Collection and Contemporary Art.

It additionally has a wonderful cafe where locals like to fulfill for a drink or coffee.

Area: 317 Dundas Street West - Line 1 Train to St. Patrick Station.

# 3 Bata Footwear Gallery.

This is among one of the most one-of-a-kind galleries we've experienced with display screens of footwear with background. However you'll likewise get to see star shoes like Elton John's platform boots and also Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes.

Canadian tale Terry Fox's running shoe is on display screen from when he attempted to encounter the country for cancer research study after shedding his leg to cancer. He eventually succumbed to the condition, however he is a real Canadian hero.

Area: 327 Bloor Street West. Train Line 1 or 2 to St. George Terminal.

# 4 Fort York.

It's a ft in the middle of the city. Before Toronto came to be the huge city that it is, it was when called York. And this fort based on the shores of Lake Ontario to secure the city throughout the Battle of 1812.

This National Historic Website is open year-round offering led scenic tours, demonstrations, and displays. You'll have fun communicating as well as learning more about history.

Location: 250 Ft York Blvd. Streetcar 511 or 505 or 509 Road Car.

# 5 Aga Khan Museum.

Opened up in Sept 2014, the Aga Khan Gallery is among Toronto's most recent attractions. This museum located in the north of the city at the Don Valley as well as Eglinton features a collection of Islamic, Persian and Muslim Art.

It is The United States and Canada's very first museum dedicated to Islamic Art and also was begun by the private collection of the late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan that had been collecting considering that the 1950s.

The gallery residences 1000 objects going back 10 centuries housed in a remarkable distinctive building.

Place: 77 Wynford Drive - Subway Line 2 to Broadview Terminal after that take Bus # 100 to museum.

It's a great museum to visit in conjunction with the Ontario Scientific Research Centre as they remain in the very same area of town.

Suggested Toronto Tours.

Toronto Urban Adventures - Run by Toronto Indigenous and also our friend Jason. This excursion company has some wonderful alternate scenic tours of the city from Graffiti tours, Beer Make History Much Better Tours and also When Pigs Fry.

Obtain Your Guide is a trip company we have actually used around the world and also they provide led scenic tours of Toronto including:.

Toronto Bike Trip - This 3.5-hour bike trip takes you around the major views at a very easy rate. Leave the beaten course to see lots of sites that are not quickly reached by bus or car.

Toronto 5-Hour Ultimate Scenic Tour - This is the utmost Toronto highlights scenic tour beginning at the CN Tower monitoring deck, taking a Harbour Cruise and also a scenic tour of Casa Loma. See various other destinations like the Eaton Centre, Queens Park and St. Lawrence Market.

Distillery Excursion - The Distillery Area was as soon as the largest whisky manufacturer of the British realm. This excursion takes you with the historic area tasting beer and also chocolate.

Toronto Harbour Scenic Tour - A harbour cruise provides bird's-eye views of the Toronto Horizon. 1 Hour is just sufficient to take it all in and also proceed with your day.

Hop-on-Hop-off Bus - We enjoy a get on hop off bus when checking out a brand-new city. They're a good way to navigate, get your bearings and also quickly see all the significant visitor destinations. A 48-hour pass is just $49.

Component 3: Must-See Toronto Attractions.

# 1 City Hall/Nathan Phillips Square.

It's a gathering place for tours as well as meetups. It most likely brings in the most site visitors to Toronto because of the legendary Town hall Building. It is a prominent spot for events, art screens, as well as celebrations.

It's Toronto's Times Square as this is where we celebrate New Year's Eve and the fountain develops into a skating rink during the winter season.

Location: 100 Queen Road West - Metro Line 1 to Queen Road.

Stroll tour of Toronto to see all the significant sites with Get Your Overview.

# 2 Graffiti Street.

Graffiti Alley is picking up vapor with the appeal of Instagram.

Found at Queen as well as Bathurst offers 1 km of walls covered in Graffiti along Rush Lane. Canadian commentator Rick Mercer shot his Tirades along Graffiti Alley over the course of his 15-year program.

Area: South of Queenstreet Between Spadina as well as Bathurst.

# 3 Harbourfront.

Harbourfront has actually come a lengthy way given that we lived there in the 90s. It is now an incredible enjoyment location complete with theaters, galleries, songs places, as well as celebrations.

There are plenty of dining alternatives at Harbourfront and it is an outstanding place to walk along Toronto's beachfront, do some buying in the Harbourfront Centre as well as take some artisan workshops.

Area: Found on Queens Quay - Take the metro to Union Terminal and Walk South to the water. Or take the Spadina Tram all the way to Harbourfront.

# 4 Chinatown.

One of Toronto's the majority of vivid areas in the downtown Chinatown located on Spadina Avenue. Get your preferred Oriental vegetables for authentic cooking, consume extraordinary Chinese food as well as ask for a pot of tea after hrs (you'll get a pot of beer if you know where to go!).

You truly dropped as if you have actually stepped into little China with the sounds, scents and taste of Asia engulfing the senses at every turn. If you take a trip a great deal, this is a wonderful place to get that dosage of Asia you've been missing out on.

Found along Spadina Avenue in between Queen and University.

# 5 Yonge and Dundas Square.

It's our mini version of Times Square. This preferred public square in the heart of Midtown always has something interesting going on. Surrounded by billboards, purchasing, flick theaters as well as City TV, it's an occurring area.

There are constantly outdoor performances, events as well as also cost-free films in the summertime.

Location: At the crossway of Yonge as well as Dundas Road. Take Train Line 1 to Dundas Terminal.

# 6 The Path.

When we take a trip the world, everybody asks us concerning the below ground city in Toronto. Well, it holds true, we have a whole below ground world under the city known as The Course. Starting at Yonge and also Dundas Square it weaves with 30km of the midtown core completely to Union Station.

More than 200k daily site visitors and also travelers stroll the path filled with restaurants, shopping, cafés attaching 75 high-rises, train terminals, outlet store as well as hotels. When it's chilly outside in the winter it's an excellent location to roam and also when the summertime obtain too warm, it's a great getaway from the heat.

Situated: in the downtown core. Just stroll into any kind of structure as well as look for the Course indication. Go to Path.com for maps.

Toronto Day Tours. Niagara Falls Air, boat & Wineries - Niagara Falls is the celebrity attractions, however it has an outstanding wine area. This trip takes you to vineyards as well as you obtain a stunning picturesque plane trip plus a flight on the world-famous - Housemaid of the Haze (currently referred to as the Hornblower.

See The Most Effective Points to do in Niagara Falls. Algonquin Park 3 Day Trip - Algonquin Park is an unbelievable Provincial Park 3 hours north of the city. At 6356 square km (2955 square miles) It would take a lifetime to check out, but 3 days is ample sufficient to detect moose, remain in a cabin in the woods and get a feeling for the Excellent Canadian outdoors.

If you can drive yourself to Algonquin, we recommend a canoe and also outdoor camping scenic tour with Voyageur Quest Tours, the specialists in the location. We spotted 9 moose on our excursion with them.

The Bruce Peninsula - Tobermory is popular for its shipwrecks relaxing in shallow waters. You can either snorkel or if you dive, see the much deeper wrecks relaxing at the end of Lake Huron. Trek the Bruce Path, explore the grotto and take a jet watercraft bent on Blossom Pot Island.

Royal Prince Edward Region - Royal Prince Edward Area is Ontario's Second most prominent wine region and it coming to be extra prominent annually. See the areas found on the coasts of Lake Ontario as you drink a glass of wine and also delight in a regional lunch.

Stratford - Long prior to it came to be referred to as the residence of Justin Bieber's youth, Stratford was well-known for its festival. With 4 different theaters, Stratford showcases Shakespeare manufacturings as well as Broadway Musicals. It has actually attracted the similarity Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, Dame Maggie Smith, and also William Shatner.

See our experience at Stratford Celebration.

Part 4: Toronto - Things to do Outdoors.

# 1 Distillery Area.

The Distillery Area was as soon as residence to Gooderham as well as Worts alcohol distillery, making it the ideal location to exchange among the city's top home entertainment districts.

Walk via the pedestrian pathways along cobblestone roads as you browse the several shops and also art galleries. I enjoy the historical artefacts that are on display throughout the complicated.

In the summer season the streets come to life with outside road entertainers, songs as well as stage efficiencies.

In the winter, the Christmas Markets remain in full speed. There are lots of areas to eat as well as there are some bars as well as microbreweries to wet the palate.

Location: Situated on Mill Street between Parliament and Cherry Road.

A Segway tour of the Distillery is an enjoyable means to navigate as well as discover of its history.

# 2 High Park.

Situated in the West End, the city's largest park brings in site visitors from afar during cherry blossom season, yet there is a great deal more to high park.

Go To the High Park Zoo real estate residential animals like bison, highland livestock, as well as llamas. It's a wonderful park for hiking as well as cycling and in the summer season Shakespeare in the Park starts with online performances from the Bard.

There's Grenadier Fish Pond, the Historic Colborne Lodge and also it is a short stroll to the Lake Shore to delight in the Toronto Waterside.

Location: Take Subway Line 2 West to Keele or High Park Terminal.

# 3 Toronto Islands.

You need to go to the islands for an amazing view of Toronto but there is a whole lot to see out here too!

There is stand paddle boarding, kayaking, and also cycling. You can see the beaches of the island including Toronto's renowned Nude Beach.

We constantly take pleasure in an outing on the islands and there's even a tiny amusement park. The islands are a perfect escape from the city.

Area: Take the ferry from Queen's Quay.

# 4. Evergreen Brickworks.

The latest outdoor market location is the Evergreen Brickworks situated in the Don Valley.

With outside markets, art exhibits and cafés, it's a superb location to spend a couple of hours.

Rental fee a bike from among the city's bike share places as well as market out to the silent district to grab some fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers market.

Area: 550 Bayview Avenue. It's complicated to get to a biking or a vehicle is the best means. By transit, take Subaway line 1 north to Davisville and then bus # 28 to the Brickworks.

# 5 The Beaches.

The Beaches have actually long been a favourite vacationer destination of Toronto.

It is a location where time stands still boutique stores, pastry shops, indie shops and also restaurants line the hectic road. The Coastlines are exactly what you would expect from its name.

Beginning at Ashbridges Bay, you'll find beach volley ball, boardwalks, and also parks extending along Lake Ontario through Kew Beach along the 3km path leading to the R.C. Harris Filtering Plant.

Traffic is an awesome in the summertime, so make use of a bike to get around. Purchase an ice cream cone and also stroll the roads stopping in to pay attention to music or see the farmers market. The Beaches Jazz event takes place during the month of July.

Place: Toronto East -Take the Queen Tram.

# 6 Riverdale Ranch.

You heard me correctly, there is a ranch in the middle of Toronto. Located in the East End of midtown Toronto, this is an actual functioning farm that permits site visitors.

Its 7.5 acres consist of vegetable yards, farm animals, and also a farmhouse and barns. It's a terrific representation of country Ontario farming neighborhood as well as a silent getaway from the pressure of the city.

Area: 201 Winchester Street - Line 1 to University Subway Station transfer to 504 Eastbound bus.

# 7 Toronto Bike Trails.

Toronto has some exceptional bike routes away from the city website traffic. You can use the bike share program to cycle around the city, or you can rent some bike.

Just how around taking a scenic tour with a guide to see some of Toronto's best attractions.

Some of the most effective biking routes are the Beachfront Path, Leslie Spit Path, The Don Valley Bike Path, Trick Yard Belt Line, Taylor Creek Park and also High Park.

Locations: For a full listing of Toronto, Bike Routes check out Toronto.com.

There are lots of biking trips in Toronto to get you began.

The post “53 Finest Points to do in Toronto-- A Total Overview to Top Destinations” was publish first on theplanetD

Vitamin Therapy Toronto - The IV Lounge

[everyday-effing-therapy]

04/07/19

Hello,

First and foremost, I would like to admit that I’ve already screwed up my everyday publishing, but hey, I was busy and I’m back today, two things to be happy about.

I’ll try to publish everyday though, that’s a whole point of a journal, although I do believe that with passing time it will become more of a diary, focusing on emotions and feelings, rather than just everyday routine.

With that being said, I have to say that yesterday was really nice. Having come back from the movies with my friend, we actually fell asleep rather late and we had to wake up early, so I wasn’t in the best shape possible. I also had my driving class, but this week I felt rather comfortable driving, having the same and really nice teacher. 

Before the class I managed to visit the library, return the books and get a few new ones, including the ones from my reading list for the next school year. I’ve already managed to read one of them, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

Later, I went to the bookstore and bought a bunch of other books that were waiting for me. After that, I had my driving class, came back home, slept, ate dinner and visited my grandma.

I woke up feeling rather tired today. Last night I was thinking about a lot of things and although I didn’t feel the strength to write a post here I still didn’t feel like falling asleep.

I thought about love, how you might care about so many people and there might be that person that you really just want to be happy and safe, and of course, they might like you and be grateul, but it’s not you that they will be worrying and caring about. It’s going to be somebody else, who doesn’t give a single shit.

Here, I said it. And it made me really want to cry last night. Which I did. Not a lot, I promise and it didn’t make me feel that better at all, because my PMS is still playing with me, but hey, it all happens for a reason.

I also messed up my biology studying regime, so there goes my trying to study anything during summer. Exam results just came in and they will be my thing to worry about next year, but if that year taught me anything it’s not to care about anything that is more than three months away from you.

And to be truly honest with you, sometimes it’s hard for me to care about things that are not today, but tomorrow. Worrying makes me so tired and I’m constantly worried about so many things, so I just can’t take any more. And I certainly can’t care about exams right now. I need to rest, fall in love and have fun with my friends. In that order.

I’ve been travelling by tram like crazy recenly. The only benefit of that is that I force myself to read books rather than just stare mindlessly at my phone or outside the window. Thanks to that, I get at least some things done.

During my meeting with my friend we also planned the possible trip in late August to Ukraine, just before my trip to the Maldives. We would visit Lviv, exactly like last year and I was so happy to hear that the offer is still standing. I asked my parents whether I could go and they said that I will be an adult then so they can’t technically tell me not to go. I know that they don’t love the idea, but I lived through it last year, nothing too bad should happen. I’m in a good mindset about it all. 

So, I am a little bit happier now. Everything feels a tiny bit more stable and going well. I still have a lot of things to work on, but it’s not the end of the world. Maybe, just maybe, I will actually study biology tonight. I just felt a tiny bit more motivated.

What I’d like to say is that I started stretching out a few days ago. I used to dance for 5 hours on Saturdays, but then I quit the school. Dance had been a huge part of my life since I can even remember and, to be honest, I’ve danced in some schools for about 8 years. That’s a lot of time. Becaue of lack of classes I stopped stretching out though and now I can’t even do the splits.

So, I’m working on them again. It hurts like hell, but it’s rewarding and I hope I will be satisfied. 

I don’t have any plans in particular for tomorrow. Maybe it’s going to be a day like any other. Maybe it’s going to be surreal. Who knows?

Today’s light I’m sending to the friend who visited me for a sleepover. Dear, you’ve been in my life for a few years now and I love you endlessly. It wasn’t always good, but I am hoping that it’s better now. I’m here, I can’t always help, but I might try. Thanks to you, I’m happy now. I just want you to be happy too.

I want to wish you all the sweetest dreams.

Love,

C

[level3bird]

seven on sunday - 111

The i can’t remember the last time edition - 

1.  Not so Sunny Brunny. Late Sunday morning in Sunny Overcast Brunswick. Tim did his yoga or weights or some other kind of exercise-y activity downstairs, then gave me a cuddle and is now making us breakfast.  The Warrior Princess is upstairs watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and I’m sat on the mezzanine staring at the computer screen and periodically cursing aloud and face-palming. It will be imperative that I get away from social media today in order to maintain some semblance of chill. I know you all understand and are probably experiencing something similar. I will say that at least all of this major constitutional fuckery has lit the fire of action in my ass. Australian citizenship is up first, refusing to be silent is second, and finding tangible positive action to take is paramount. 

2. Thaw Me.  So, I have been fighting the good fight with frozen shoulder for the last year, year and a half.  It began with my right shoulder and lasted for almost a year. That got a bit better and now, for the last six-eight months, I’ve had it in my left shoulder. It is nothing to joke about, although I try. I’ve been reduced to having Tim pull my tops over my head and if I can’t hold on to the rail in the tram with my right hand, then I’m unable to hold on at all. Range of movement is next to nothing and god forbid I ever get arrested, because it would cause me blackout level of pain to try to put my left hand behind my back. Excruciating is an understatement when I prang it. Yesterday, I woke up and my right shoulder was stove up again in solidarity with my left. I was a hot mess of hurt. I took codeine throughout the day and stayed in bed as much as possible, which was necessary because of the woozy the drug causes, but which also caused even more pain because I’m a side sleeper and neither shoulder was having it. It was horrid and pathetic and #sad. This morning the right shoulder has gone back to being largely unnoticeable, but the left is still all hurt all the time. I’m over it. My knees already sound like someone is walking on gravel when I go up and down the stairs, so I’m wishing that for just a day I’d be pain free. Ugh. Whinge over. 

3. Kabbalat Shabbat. We went to Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday Evening at TBI here in Melbourne which was followed by a dinner for those of us beginning the Introduction to Judaism class this next week. Our first class evening will take place on our fourth wedding anniversary on the 7th. Tim and the Warrior Princess accompanied me, which was very appreciated, as neither of them have any desire to join the tribe. The fact that my beloved husband is willing to accompany me through at least a whole semester of the class is pretty damn awesome. I’m not sure if I will ultimately convert, but I’m looking at it seriously as it has been a big interest of mine for over twenty years. It is the only spiritual practice that I’ve remained intrigued by for any length of time (and believe me, I’ve checked out a baker’s dozen of various spiritual practices/paths). I think that finally finding a Rabbi who is engaging and personable has made a huge difference. He’s a Brit here in Oz who is a vegetarian, electric car driving, self-deprecating, super funny fellow who doesn’t  fail to see the forest for the trees. He’s all about action and tikkun olam (repairing the world) and he calls out some of the far-fetched ideas of his own religion and never fails to have a sense of humour (see, e.g., Jew diligence). Anyway, I don’t know what will happen when this course of study ends a year from now. I might walk away with a lot more knowledge and understanding of Judaism, I might continue to be a part of the community as a gentile, or I might fully convert. Who knows? We’ll see. 

4.  Fifty Shades Greyer. The husband and I have, on numerous occasions as of late, discussed (with much laughter) the death of kink in our relationship. Yes, for the most part, the wilding out we did under the kink umbrella back in the day has gone the way of the dodo. It is extinct. But, you know, that’s not a bad thing. We aren’t in the place anymore. Not because we have issues with it or that we found some long lost morals (which I don’t think was an issue anyway), but because our relationship has deepened and grown in another direction. We are every bit as passionate about each other as we always were, however, we changed as well. Don’t all marriages move from crazy hot romance to the slow simmer at some point? The thing is, I am glad that we had the experiences we had. I’m glad that we stepped outside of the norm and gave each other permission to take a walk on the wild side for awhile. Neither of us ever has to sit and wonder ‘what if?’ We went there. We did that. And it was glorious and fun. The most important gift that it gave us was the realisation that it was each other we wanted the most. That it was what was between us that mattered and that at the end of the day, the sexy fun exciting adventures happened in the exclusive club of two.  I love my husband more today than I ever have before. There might not be collars and crops, swinger clubs and dynamics happening at the moment (and who knows, that might change again next week), but it doesn’t mean that we aren’t more in tune with each other. Besides, it is no wonder with his bad back, my bad knees and shoulders that we are unable to be bothered with fuss and the toy box. I’d rather binge watch a favourite TV show, eat crack toffee, discuss the state of the world with him and then cuddle up in bed with him to read for awhile. Haters gonna hate.  We adventured, we played, we laughed. We still do what pleases us.

5. Turn, turn, turn. The firm I work for funds litigation. Very big, high quantum litigation, in the hundreds of millions of dollars type stuff. It would be easy for them to take whatever big dollar matters that come their way. But they don’t. They are choosy and will not fund a matter that doesn’t meet with their threshold regarding social value. One example that happened recently- we turned down a matter where people were claiming damages for inconvenience and bother caused by wind turbines. Wind power is good. Whiney people needed to look elsewhere. This is the first place I’ve ever worked that didn’t have the sellout factor, that intentionally looked at social value. That’s a good thing. I like that. 

6. Kitten Swag. I’m already chomping at the bit to get kitten swag. Who knew there were so many awesomely cute things out there. Tunnels and beds and toys and dishes and leashes and treats and super fancy cat pans and sweaters and scratching posts and pet insurance.... oh, lord this is going to get costly quickly. I will have to remember to keep enough set aside for kitten number two. We still have to pay for her and add her to the insurance and buy equivalent stuff for her too! Yikes, I’m getting ahead of myself. We better bring Hiroshi home first. But, but, but .... kitten swag! I want all the things. 

7. Wrap it up Sister. Well, I suppose I need to finish up this sos. I’ve been verbose (it has been a couple of month since I’ve written one) and my beloved is chomping at the bit for us to get out to the grocery market, to get the laundry done and the beds made and, yeah, all of that Sunday stuff that has to be done before the new week starts. I mean, gah, it is only 1.17pm, what’s the rush? The girl child is off for a week of school camp in Canberra next week. I’m not sure if I am excited for her or if I feel bad for her. Anyway, much to be done and not much time left to do it and I don’t want my beloved to feel like he’s had to do it all himself. (Thanks honey for all you do for us!) I’ll just stop here.

Take care all and remember to resist!

lqot

[watersuncharted]

hi! its january 8th now, just a few days after setting in and man, things are insane! 

so, lets rewind. so much has happened since we last spoke. i cannot believe that right now im in spain! SPAIN! currently actually living my best life. im on the rooftop of my building, i can see the mountains i can see the water i can see sagrada in all of her glory. i see buildings and hear the bustle of the city below me. 

today was my first day alone and i must say, it’s been much needed. i woke up pretty late, around 12, and no one was home. as i got ready kay and betsy and melissa came back and got ready for class and went on their way. my class got cancelled, so pretty happy about that one. i got dressed, took out the trash, and went on a little walk. 

one thing to know about me is that i LOVE walks. they clear my head and they give me clarity and help me think better. they ease my nerves and calm me down.  although i didnt need too much calming, after this jam packed last few days i feel way better. 

i went to a cafe, which turned into a lunch spot apparently after 12. they had delicious coffee and i had a queso y jamon torta hehe the waiter was very nice and accomdated my english but i tried to speak to him in spanish. its weird, ill be thinking in spanish and then they’ll respond in english so then my english comes out wrong. kinda funny honestly. 

the weather was perfect so after i stayed there a while i wandered around to sagrada and throughout the neighborhood a little. absolutely gorgeous weather and im glad i got to see all the shops. 

 i took a lot of time to think today. im really happy about that. i think whats hard right now is that theres really no set schedule. i dont have my classes, everything i do is group and im not super super comfortable on my own. i mean, i am comfortable dont get me wrong. i dont really feel like this is a new place, which is weird, its just i dont really know what to do with myself, whats appropriate, where i can find wifi and things like that. i love it here so much, and although last night i did feel kinda homesick for my friends, i wasnt too down and out about it. 

if we rewind to the last few days, things have been crazy. i think last time i journaled was night one. after that, we did a bunch of things. the next night we went out to this sports bar and we ended up hanging out alll with americans and it was fun, dont get me wrong, but it was disappointing. it was nice to see the comfort i have in spain but i think im ready for the all immersive dive. i hope my classes aren’t all just international students and i hope that i meet others soon. we also went on a hunt for a striaghtener and i used my spanish skills to find us a huge mall. im so happy we did that because not only did we find a mall, we explored and found a cool residential area that seemed like the real deal. we walked over a highway, almost got ran over by a tram, but in the end we bought a plancha de pelo! im so happy my spanish is pretty good and people can understand me, it makes me kinda feel better about almost failing spanish all those years. aunty would be proud. then, we went to this AMAZING restaurant. l’oliviera i belike was the name. there was AMAZINGGGGG sangria, not strong but absolutely delicious. my first real sangria, and it was delicious. seriously ive never had better alcohol than i have here. but it was so sos o good. the tapas were divine and everything im pretty sure was under 10 euro each. INSANE. the food here is to die for, especially the seafood. we took a nice walk home and ive never been more proud. the girls are scared of walking at night, which is fair, abut in a group i feel like we’re fine. i dunno, maybe im crazy. 

sunday we didnt do much since it was kinda the eve of la dia de los reyes magos. there was a huge parade but jet lag got the best of us and we ended up passing out for the whole thing. the streets were packed though and im super short so im sure that i didnt miss anything too crazy, im kinda upset about it because i did want the cultural experience, but hey you win some you lose some. 

monday was the holiday but we decided to go to park guell. let me tell you, it was stunning. i cant wait to go back and walk around more and just sit there sometimes. it was a PERFECT beautiful day outside, sun was shining the wild was a slight breeze. the architecture looked fake. it was like a dream land. gaudi never ceases to amaze me and his art work is unreal. i cant wait to see the rest of what hes built, its going to be insane. i wis i would sit there for hours. its absolutely gorgeous. i love my girls here but sometimes we’re not super on the same page. afterwards we went to this AMAZING tapas restaurant. this restaurant is i think my favorite so far, besides the one we went to along the beach, sal cafe. the sangria here was stronger but still good. we were pretty much buzzed all day. i dont think ive laughed so much for so long except with these girls, i kinda hope im fitting in with them! theyre super sweet and normal, and theyre learning about me fast because i dont have time to ease them into the craziness of my family. 

anyways, we then chilled for a little bit, i made dinner for everyone, and we went to opium! in order to program opium we went to this bar where I RAN INTO ALYSSA PAULY AND ETHAN DAN. WHO I HAVENT SEEN SINCE 6TH GRADE AND SINCE BP SOPHEX THIS SUMMER. insane!! we linked with them and we went out. this going out experience costed us no more than the taxi charge, thank god. everything was FREE. we left a little early but nothing to crazy, opium sobered us up a little faster than expected. im glad we got a huge group going though, it was way nicer than going alone. happy about that. we came home aroudn 3:30, kinda like a uiuc night, and had orientation at 11 next morning. i think something funny and notable was on the way back from opium tipsy me loves to blurt out my spanish! the taxi driver LOVED me and told me i had good spanish, no idea if he was being genuine but i was happy about it :) kinda happy about that one. anyways! 

orientation was POINTLESS. we learned nothing, got our IDs and tried to change our classes. weird, but i guess thats how they do it here. i hope i get the class i absolutely need—otherwise im truly screwed. i give that into your hands God. 

i have a long laundry list of things to do today, so im hoping I can get that all done before we hop on over to razzmatazz tonight! i kinda wanna just stay in but i think its a move to go out i guess 

i need wifi now, its like 3:40pm so i think its time i get started on my day, but im happy that i have gotten to explore, be up her eon the rooftop and to just be present and reflect. i think i need more of this soon. i love it here, i really do. 

xx

[biofunmy]

In protest clouds, Hong Kong tourists see silver lining

No tiresome wait for hugs and kisses from Mickey and Minnie Mouse. No queue at all for Hyperspace Mountain, where thrill-seekers are so scarce that Star Wars’ Admiral Ackbar speaks to himself in the dark.

Tinker Bell gazes out over rows of empty seats on the train to Hong Kong Disneyland that was far busier before tourists were scared off by anti-government protests shaking this international hub for business and fun.

That’s tough for local business but great for Disney fans like Yunice Tsui and her 7 and 4-year-old daughters, adorable in Minnie headbands. With an annual pass to the park she’s already toured nine times, Tsui is better placed than most to size up the body-blow to Hong Kong visitor numbers from the often violent demonstrations, now in their fifth month.

“Before June, you’d generally queue for more than 30 minutes for each ride. For the last few times since July, we’ve been here about two-to-three times, every time it’s about a five-to-six minute wait to queue up for a ride. There are certainly less people, I would say 60% less. Kids are very happy because after a ride, they can go queue up for another one and play again.”

The impact of the protests on tourism is verging on catastrophic for Hong Kong, one of the world’s great destinations and geared up to receive 65 million visitors a year.

On Victoria Peak, restaurants with knock-out nighttime views of the city’s neon-lit skyscrapers stand empty. The snaking lines of tourists for the clicketty-clacketty 19th-century tram to the top are now just a memory.

The Dragon Boat Carnival in June, when protests started: canceled. A Wine & Dine Festival scheduled for the end of this month: scrapped, too. Hong Kong received 2.3 million fewer visitors in August compared with a year earlier, largely trips that people from elsewhere in China are no longer making to the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. September visitor numbers, due Oct. 31, are unlikely to be any better, given recent protest-related violence and chaos.

“It’s deserted,” said Dyutimoy Chakraborty, who runs the Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar opposite the Peak Tram. The tram now closes at 10 p.m. instead of midnight, because of “potential demonstrations and protests in the nearby area.”

“Normally, there would be a huge queue,” Chakraborty said on a recent weeknight. “Since the protests started, it has been like this.”

The eatery has lost nearly half of its weekday business, he added.

“You think of what you could have made and what you are making at the moment,” he said. “That difference, yes, it hurts.”

Protester leaflets advise, “You’ve arrived in a broken, torn-apart city,” and the protests have at times caused monumental disruptions of traffic and public transport.

But even when the protests have involved hundreds of thousands of people, they’ve generally been confined to only a few areas in this semi-tropical former British colony of 7 million.

And the tourists who come anyway are finding bargain-basement hotel rates, two-for-one deals, easy late checkouts and other sweeteners.

Visiting this month from Taiwan, where he works as a teacher, South African traveler Winand Koch paid the equivalent of just US$65 per night for a room in a comfy hotel that was charging nearly quadruple that rate when he first checked a few months back. Of all his trips to Hong Kong, the two-day stay with his sister, Betro, was “one of the best,” he said.

“I’ve never seen Hong Kong this quiet before,” he said. “We didn’t have to queue anywhere. We could get in everywhere.”

Trundling along with suitcases through crowds of demonstrators, hoping to catch a train to the airport a day after protest violence shut down the entire rail network, Koch said he’d enjoyed being “part of history.”

“By accident ran into the protest today,” he said. “But it was fun, actually, the people were all friendly, helping us through … they even gave us masks.”

Aside from the risk of stumbling unawares into street battles and clouds of police tear gas — as some tourists have to their coughing, spluttering dismay — Hong Kong remains a pleasant city. Visitors of either sex needn’t think twice about venturing out late at night or while wearing valuables. For the moment, the U.S. State Department still only recommends that visitors exercise extra caution. A similarly worded travel advisory from the British government says, “most visits are trouble free.”

Edgar Ruiz said he flew from Mexico “just to see the protests.”

“I wanted to experience it firsthand. This is big!” he said. “I want to be telling people that I was here when this happened, because it is going to be major in history.”

Even some Hong Kong residents are enjoying a respite from the usual floods of visitors, mainly from mainland China. The number of total arrivals has almost doubled over the past decade, from 36 million in 2010 to 65 million last year.

Up on the Peak, Hong Kong-born Isaac Mercado, a 26-year-old banking analyst, was luxuriating in the unusual emptiness.

“We used to have a quiet city,” he said. Now, with fewer visitors, “I get the chance to explore more a bit on my own, and not be crammed with loads of tourists. So, it’s getting more like my home, rather than a tourist city.”

———

Associated Press video journalist Mstyslav Chernov contributed.

Sahred From Source link Travel

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