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luvrsbian · 1 year

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𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐖𝐎: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐓 𝐔𝐏

A/N: thank you so so SO much for the support on part one. i did not expect that at all!! everyones likes, reblogs, comments, and tags made my whole day (especially the comments and tags, almost cried during class cause i was soft over some of y'alls fic reviews) um, anyway, still fluffy, still 4k words, still a little awkward eddie, and some very minor angst for plot movement. nothing to be scared about, i promise. also, this fic is very much not a slow burn, it's more akin to love-at-first-sight-but-were-both-awkward-idiot-dummys. and as always so much love and praise for mona @enam3l for making sure this fic is coherent and not just me rambling thoughts. please enjoy!

PART ONE ✿ PART THREE

Virginias letter sat heavy in Eddie’s pocket for the remainder of the day. Only being touched again when he took it from the deep, work pockets and folded it up to put in his jean pockets as he left for the day back home. 

Eddie didn’t see you the rest of the day, assuming you left around 2:50 like Virginia would, his own shift not ending till 4. This theory being confirmed when he did finally head out, there were only two cars left in the staff lot. One being his van, his baby that was on her last legs. A few spots down sat the second, Mr. Sinclair’s Honda Accord. Knowing the father of Lucas and Erica, an ex-elementary school teacher turned middle school principal, he probably wouldn’t be heading out till around 5:30 when Ron came in for the night shift and lockup. Mr. Sinclair was a kindly principle with a no-nonsense policy yet, still carefree enough for the kids to like him. He was way better than the principle of Hawkins middle when Eddie attended.  

Eddie parked the Mystery Machine - a name dubbed by Robin the first time he took her and Steve on a drive - in front of the small, blue house. Wayne’s car still parked in the driveway, his shift at the plant not starting till 6; giving Eddie enough time to take a power nap and make dinner for the both of them. Tonight was definitely a soup and grilled cheese kinda night. Maybe some steamed broccoli for a balanced meal or what not. 

Entering the home, he falls into his usual after work ritual of putting any change from his pockets into the coin-jar and his keys next to it. Then, his shoes come off and are placed by the door so he could slip them on easily in the morning. Wayne’s door was closed, presumably still sleeping, so he does his routine quietly. He keeps his shirt on but takes his jeans off to put on some plaid, loose fit pajama bottoms. Before discarding his jeans into the could-be-worn-again pile, he takes out the note. With a sigh, he sits on the edge of the bed with the letter clasped in his fingers.  

Eddie doesn’t even know why the letter was stressing him out so badly. He knew it wouldn’t be anything truly bad. Yeah, he was bummed he wasn’t warned beforehand about her sudden retirement to Florida, but at least she left him something to explain herself. That’s more than the other people in his life who upped and left with no warning could say.  

Man up, dude. It’s just words on some paper. 

With a few more seconds of memorizing all the curves and loops of his name written by Virginia on the back, he bites the bullet and opens the letter. He unfolds the parchment, noting the formal stationary with a huff of laughter, surprised it wasn’t just a loose-leaf lined page. Eddie begins to read the words left for him. 

Dear Eddie M., 

If you’re reading this letter that means I’ve finally left this hellhole and jumped ship. (Jumped on a ship, that is. You know me and my affinity for cruises to tropical locations.) 

Eddie did know this, having heard a small handful of stories from Virgina about the cruises and summer beach vacations she would take with her son, Rick, and her roommate, Caroline. He even remembers a few years back, one of the first times he saw her out and about at the grocery store wearing this graphic t-shirt of a humanoid lady cat in a hot pink one-piece, lounging on a beach towel with the words ‘Bahama Mama’ in matching pink script above her. Eddie had walked up to her in the dairy aisle, Cheshire Cat grin on display, and said with his whole chest, “Hello, Bahama Mama.” To which Virginia promptly ignored him with a side eye glance and headed towards the produce section. 

But that also means you’ve met the lovely nurse who will be taking my place. She also has a great enjoyment of beach vacations, if you’re looking for topic starters. You’ve always been quite dreadful at small talk, but I won’t bore you with the reminiscing of our first meeting, you were there, and I hope you remember it like I do. 

Knowing you, though, you’re either jumping for joy to be rid of this old gal or confused on my sudden departure. I’m truly sorry I couldn’t say goodbye in person and to leave so suddenly. But let’s be honest here, Edward, if anyone could convince me to spend another 65 55 years in Indiana, it would be you. 

Caroline and I decided it was as good as time as any to finally do some traveling, just the two of us. Rick and the kids are in a good place now (but please still keep an eye on him when you can, I don’t trust him to be truthful about things, like you are.) You're in a good place as well, whether you care to admit it or not.  

I would never have left if I thought you truly still needed me. 

Eddie lets out a sardonic laugh at her truthful sentiments. Virginia wasn’t a liar, she had secrets like any normal person, but when she said things, she meant them. He furrows his brows noticing a small wet stain on the next line before another quickly appears. Bringing his free hand up to his face he realizes he’s crying. With a hard sniffle and another chuckle at his own emotions he collects himself and finishes the note.

Enough of the sappy shit crap. You’ll be receiving various postcards in due time through our gorgeous new friend. Play nice and don’t fuck it up, Edward. I believe in you. You need to make friends now before you end up stubborn and old like me. Not everyone gets their own Caroline. 

I better here back from you. My replacement will know what to do with them. 

Love, Virginia Wagner 

Eddie folded up the letter, put it back in the envelope and tucked it in his bedside table drawer. Don’t fuck it up, I believe in you, echoing in his brain. He had no intentions on fucking up anything. Especially with you. You, the woman he just met not even 24 hours ago. He shakes you from his thought, not ready to jump nto that obvious trap set up by a secret hopeless romantic. He needed time. His mind, body, and heart still processing the words he just read before an evil grin spread upon his lips. 

“I fucking knew that old witch was a lesbian.” 

You didn’t come into work for the remainder of prep-week.  

Which was fine. So fine in fact that Eddie 100% didn’t even notice. He had his own work to distract him. How could he have known you weren’t there when he was so busy moving desks, cleaning floors, eating lunch outside with that sad, puppy dog look on his face because he’s never had to find a spot to eat outside of the nurse's office before. Your disappearance hit him like a freight train on Friday.  

With one of those old school paperback books from a second-hand shop in town in one hand and the other preoccupied with feeding himself. His brain simultaneously trying to read the small words whilst not overthinking every possible thing regarding you. 

Did Eddie just fuck everything up with one meeting? Was he so off-putting that the only reasonable response was to quit on your first day in order to prevent the chance of running into him again? Your ability to make people leave will forever astound me, Eddie Munson, he tells himself.

The reasonable part of Eddies brain played quickly to shut down this intense negative thinking. Maybe you were just sick? Even nurses get sick sometimes! Or a family emergency! Or your car broke down! Or something evil that Eddie wasn’t sure he’d ever possibly be able to explain to someone who didn’t experience it first-hand like him and his friends was happening in Hawkins again and you just happened to be the first victim- 

Nope. No. No. We’re shutting this down here, traumatized and overactive brain. Eddie began doing his deep breathing exercises that he learned from his therapist (well, Steve’s, who had promptly told Eddie because mental healthcare was a luxury he could probably never afford.) Reminding himself he was going to be okay he decided that on Monday, if you were still M.I.A, he’d ask someone. Freaking out and thinking the immediate worst, wasn’t gonna help anyone, he needed to just chill. Not let his mind take control of him. Virginia was smart and could sense things about people, she wouldn't have forced the two of you to collide in such a way if she thought you’d up and disappear. 

Besides, even the kindest of people don’t share Swiss Rolls with people they hate, and Hawkins was no longer a literal gateway to hell. 

Eddie’s weekend was uneventful. 

He finished his book. He went grocery shopping. Him and Wayne watched some rom-com film with Julia Roberts as a sex worker. In hindsight, a bizarre movie choice for both of them, next time Eddie thinks he’ll just let Wayne put on his beloved westerns. He worried just a bit about you. He kept his thoughts as realistic as he could this time. Although, he did at one point worry, whilst lying in bed Sunday night, whether you had gone missing and he was the only one to notice, meaning he’s now fucked up any chance of your rediscovery by not informing someone. But this was Hawkins. If you had truly gone missing without a trace, he would’ve heard of it by now. Especially from Pamela in Admin who did the attendance records and didn’t know how to keep things to herself.  

Point is, if you had an unexcused absence for the 4-days you were gone, she would’ve made it everyones business. Which gave Eddie some peace of mind that he’s heard nothing through the grapevine that runs through Hawkins. 

That Monday morning, Eddie was the first to traverse the halls of the first day of another school year at Hawkins middle. Or he thought he was. He wasn’t so sure because as he made his way to the main switch box that turned on all the hallway lights, a fluorescent glow was spilling out of the Nurse’s office. 

He slowed his pace as he approached the door left ajar, his head peeked around the corner of the entry. The lights were all on, there were various storage boxes on the beds, some filled with medical odds and ends, others empty. It was clear someone had been there organizing supplies. 

“Uh,” Eddie cleared his throat, the first use of his voice for the morning, “Hello?” 

“Good morning,” 

He whips around, startled by the cheery voice. 

“Jesus H. Christ, you gotta stop doing that,” his hand rubbed at his chest, face disgruntled and red from the jump scare. 

“Hey, you’re the one who keeps entering my workspace unannounced,” a look of innocence on your face. You step around him, bodies almost touching for just a second, causing Eddie’s heartbeat to increase embarrassingly so. You’ve got a coffee mug held tightly in one hand, the other stuffed deep in your cardigan. The same sunflowers embellishing it, that greeted Eddie last time. Your scrub top today was black with various illustrations of Mickey and Minnie Mouse depicted as nurses.  

“I said hello,” he argues, hand rubbing at his chin. He continues to take in your appearance and any new details he can latch onto. You look the same, of course. It’s only been like what, 6 days since he saw you last. The only glaring difference being a sleepier appearance, even with the bubbly morning aura, your eyelids look heavy. You roll them at his defense, a resting smile never leaving your lips. 

You step over bins on the floor, take a long sip from your mug, and set it on the same table he put his lunch sack on last week. He smiles at the mug; it was off white and in red cartoonish font had the slogan ‘I ♡ my aunt!’. You begin to work on the boxes and talk as he stands in the entryway, not wanting to disturb the systematic mess you have in place. 

“I hope you didn’t miss me too much,” you snort, picking up a closed box and putting it in the storage closet by the office part of the Nurse’s Office, “I normally don’t disappear like that. You know, I just moved in town a few weeks ago, and I’ve been having problems with the house I’m renting,” you sigh after exiting the closet. Now stuffing labelled Ziploc bags with various bandages and over the counter medication into a new bin. You look focused even while speaking sporadically. 

He can’t move his eyes away from your hands as you work diligently on putting content into storage while still explaining about your absence. Vaguely, he catches something about landlords, repair men and having to take cold baths. He was listening but most of his attention was focused on your fingers tackling Ziploc bag openings. Your sleeves rising just enough for him to wonder if shadows were playing tricks on his mind, or there was a wrist tattoo he couldn’t quite make out from this angle.  

“Eddie, ya still with me?” 

He eyes snaps up from your stilled hands to look at the playful gleam in your eye from catching him staring, “hm?” 

“I asked if you’ve read the letter yet,” you decide to step slightly closer, most of the boxes now closed and in the closet. There weren’t that many to begin with but he’s still surprised with how fast you managed to finish the task. 

“Yeah, I did. It was sweet, for Virginia that is,” really sweet. You show your teeth in a wide grin. 

“I’m glad. I was afraid you might hold some resentment towards me for replacing her,” you do that snort laugh thing again, “I am nosey though, did she mention me?” 

Eddie smirks mischievously, hands coming to rest on his hips, allowing himself to incline, further closing the distance between you both. “Wouldn’t ya like to know, Peach.” 

Your stomach did front flips from the use of that silly, little nickname again.

“I would, I really would. That’s why I asked,” you say as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. One of your fingers he’d been watching intensely before, now coming up to give his chest a poke.

Was this flirting? Eddie knew it was something akin to flirting, but was this a playful flirting or a serious flirting? He struggled between the two, often getting told off and read wrong for his natural charm. He’s like pretty sure he’s flirting with the serious intention, but were you? His heart felt like it was gonna fall out of his ass and he might throw up his own brain from all these emotions and thoughts. 

Before he could respond and remind his head and heart to start working again, a familiar voice spoke from behind his back. 

“What is happening here?” 

It was Eddie's turn to roll his eyes, another body squeezing past him to enter the nurse’s office. He takes a step back to let the young intruder have space to do whatever he needs to do here. You put your hand down and smile at the student you’ve yet to meet. 

Matty Sherman had a head of thick dark curls, a mole on his left cheek, and dark green eyes. He was wearing an obviously well-loved and a size too big Pantera t-shirt he had obviously cut the sleeves off himself to make into a muscle tee. He paired this with loose fitted, medium wash jeans, and some relatively new converse. Obviously wanting to make a statement and look his best for his first day of 8th grade. Both of his backpack straps were secured on his shoulder. His eyes looked between Eddie and you before landing securely on you. 

“Sup,” he smiles wide, dimples and braces on display.  

“Hi,” you smile widely yourself, a hitch in your voice from trying to not laugh at the situation. You glance over to Eddie, who’s looking at you with a pout on his pretty lips. Your eyes shift toward yet another, Ziploc bag that was in Matty’s hand. 

“That for me?” You ask, hand gesturing towards the bag holding obvious medication. 

“You the nurse?” The teen boy asks in a playful tone, as if you’re not wearing an outrageously patterned scrub top whilst standing in the nurse’s office. 

“I am the nurse.”��

“Then this is for you. I have asthma,” he hands you the Ziploc bag, curls bouncing when he turns to look at Eddie now, “Munson.” 

“Sherman, how was your summer?”  

“Dude, it was great. My dad felt so bad about not doing crap with us for Christmas that he took Me and Eli to see Megadeth in Chicago,” Matty excitedly responds, hands flailing around as he speaks. Beaded bracelets he had covering his wrist clanking together.  

Eddie couldn’t help but smile slightly at that. As much as he acted like Matty was a thorn in his side, he did genuinely care about him. In some weird turn of events, he had become to Matty what Virginia was to him. A safe haven at school. Even though Matty was far more popular than Eddie was at the same age, he obviously needed some sort of role model or trusted adult to just care. Matty had his mom at home and Eddie at school. Similar to how Eddie had Wayne at home and Virginia at school. 

Matty was waiting for Eddie's response, wanting some sort of confirmation that his ass of a father taking him and his older brother to see a metal concert was actually a cool thing to do. You were clearly taking your time putting Matty’s medication away to give them time to have this moment. Eddie smiles wide at Matty, to which he instantly perks up more. 

“Man, that does sound like a great summer. I spent my whole summer cleaning up after you kids,” he huffs and gives Matty’s shoulder a nudge. 

“You would’ve loved it, Munson, I’m telling you.” 

“Yeah,” he agrees before your make yourself known again.  

“I hate to break this up but class for you,” you gesture towards the youngest metalhead, “starts in about 5 minutes and I’m pretty sure we need to get back to work,” you give Eddie an apologetic smile. It’s probably the closest thing to sad he’s seen you so far and he’s not a fan. At all. 

“Yeah,” he agrees sadly, teeth nipping at his bottom lip, “We good for lunch?”  

“Yes.” You respond, quickly. Agreement coming out before he even got to the final syllable in lunch. Now his lips are being nipped to contain his full smile. 

“Good, I’ll see you then,” he moves his hand to grab the handle of Matty’s bookbag to lead him out. 

“You will! Bye guys,” You wiggle your fingers in goodbye. 

“Bye,” Matty waves to you as he’s being pulled out by Eddie. Your laugh following them out into the hall. 

Eddie keeps his hand secured on Matty’s bag until they’re a good few feet in the opposite direction from your door. He lets go and Matty takes a few steps to the side and adjusts his backpack to sit better on his back. 

“She’s hot.” 

Eddie is positive he gets whiplash from how fast his head turns to glare at the 8th grader. Disgust on his face, even though he said something factual, he shouldn’t be saying things like that at all. He’s like a baby in Eddies eyes. 

“Jesus, Matty, don’t say shit like that.” 

Matty gasps in mock shock, “Woah! Language, Mr.Munson, I have impressionable ears,” he dramatically covers his ears with both hands. Eddie shakes his head and gives his bookbag a gentle shove towards where he knows his home room is. 

“Get to class.” 

Matty laughs loudly as he runs down the hall to his first period. Eddie felt too old for this shit. 

That Monday lunch went swimmingly. Eddie thinks. He hopes. It definitely felt like it went swimmingly? 

You laughed at his jokes. His actual jokes, not just his situational awkwardness. You asked about his week and he asked about yours. He left out the part of being fearful you quit cause of him. Whilst you delved more into your trouble with the handy men and your landlord; your stove still didn’t work but at least you had hot water. He even got to learn more about you pre-Hawkins by finally divulging the info Virginia had written about. 

“Well, she is right. I do love the beach,” You were talking with a grape stuffed into your cheek. It was endearing but Eddie was silently praying you chewed it well and didn’t choke cause he definitely did not know the Heimlich manoeuvre. “I think that’s what I’m gonna miss the most while here. Indiana doesn’t even have a coastline, how sad is that,” You’re shaking your head in disapproval. 

“We have lakes,” he tries to amend, taking a bit of his Swiss Roll that you, again, have shared with him. 

Your eyes shoot up at him in a glare, not amused by his suggestion, “Eat your sandwich.” You say it in a tone that Eddie imagines you would use while scolding a student, it makes him roll his eyes with a huff but he does as you say. Putting the half-eaten Swiss Roll down to actually eat the sandwich he brought, another concoction of various cheeses and deli meat and some lettuce for color. 

You smirk at him following your directions. You’re eyeing both your lunches once again, almost identical to the meals you brought on your first lunch. Two sandwiches, two Swiss Rolls, one bag of pretzels, another bag of grapes. You have a Coke can and he’s got Yoo-hoo in a glass. It kinda makes you sad that you’re both grown adults eating lunches teenagers would prep for themselves. You think, once your stove is fixed you may start bringing some better meals, definitely less peanut butter and more vegetables. Maybe you’ll even bring enough to share. 

And on Thursday that’s exactly what you do. 

Outside of that first Monday morning, nothing eventful really happened for the rest of the week. You had your small group of after lunch medicine takers and a few kids in need of ice packs and Band-Aids. Your lunches were preoccupied with Eddie, getting to know him better.  

Part of your brain wanted to convince you that they were kinda like mini dates.  Unfortunately, your rational side reminded you that you were just two co-workers who didn’t really fit into any of the other staff groups, looking for some companionship during lunch. You were the replacement of his previous lunch partner. But then you remembered all the snippets of info Virginia had written to you once she began to send you letters after your acceptance to take on her job so she could retire. You probably would never tell Eddie you know this slice of information, not wanting to embarrass him, but she had made it very clear that Eddie was lonely. She knew you were lonely too.  

You two can be lonely together. 

When Eddie walked into your office that Thursday he was extremely confused at the second lunch box placed where he would normally sit. It was bulky and plastic like yours, but instead of Snoopy it was the Smurfs. You were writing something down in that nurses journal you had, your own lunchbox sat next to your resting elbow. 

A worried thought started in his mind, Did you find a new lunch buddy? Were his conversational skills not improving? But then you looked up at him, that kind little smile on your lips. 

“You gonna sit down or just keep enjoying the view?”  

He returns the smile and gestures to the blue thing before taking his seat, “What’s this?”  

“Oh, uh…” You’re flustered. It’s obvious and he’s enamored by it - like most things you do. God what’s gotten into him. “I hope it’s not too forward, but I made you a lunch. My stove got fixed and your, well our- please take no offense to this, our lunches were starting to depress me a bit.” You were talking faster the more you went on. Realizing the possible negative consequences of your actions. Eddie was nice but he didn’t have to entertain your too comfortable and too caring too fast behaviors.  

He quickly shut down your increasingly panicked explanation, “I’ve never had a girl make me a lunch before. It’s sweet. You're sweet.” He was honest. He hasn’t had a girl in this context make him any sort of a meal before and you were sweet. Sharing Swiss Rolls and ‘take as many as you like’ candy bowls with the expensive chocolate kind of sweet.

You smile. A wide, closed mouth smile at his understanding. He taps his fingers against the hard plastic shell, right on-top of Smurfette's blue face.  

“I hope you like it and I hope you’re not allergic to anything.” You’re calmer now and anticipating him opening his lunch. 

“I’m not. Except, for like, pollen,” he chuckles and unlatches the box. Inside there was a Tupperware of spirally noodles with a mix of cut up: vegetables, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, a few rogue pieces of broccoli and some halves pepperoni slices, an oil based Italian dressing covering it all. Your aunt’s pasta salad, that was the first recipe you ever learned. Next to it, wrapped in cling wrap was a fudgy looking brownie with peanut butter morsels spread throughout. When he looks back up you had taken out two Coke cans from the stash he knows you keep in the bottom part of your giant metal filing cabinet. A pretty hand holding one out to him. 

“I refuse to buy Pepsi, hope you like Coke.” 

“I love Coke,” he takes it from your hand.  

The food tasted as good as it looked, so good only the sound of chewing, plastic forks on Tupperware, and hums of appreciation being heard. It was similar to the first lunch but instead of the awkward, uncertain air, this moment was comfortable, relaxing. Two friends - because that’s what you two have become in this last week - enjoying a meal together.  

It happened fast, Eddie thinks, this comfort between the two of you. Maybe it’s the kindredness between you two, the various similarities you shared.  

“You know, I can cook too,” Eddie breaks the silence. You’re working on your dessert, always saving it for last. Eddie was impatient and devoured his first thing in the most polite way possible. There’s brownie in the corner of your mouth when you give him your attention, humming for him to continue his thought. 

Eddie’s not sure what possesses him to do it. He could play it off as his role of janitor and having a habit of cleaning messes, but he knows that’s not entirely true. He cups one side of your face with his hand, the rings are a nice cold on your warm face. His thumb swiping the crumbs from corner lip in such a natural way you’d think he would have done this to you often. No matter how hard you try, you'd always been a messy eater. You don’t flinch. You don’t even show any signs of this being unusual or unwelcome aside from a slight widening of your eyes. 

Eddie let's another wave of confidence take over him. “Maybe I can cook for you on Saturday night?” 

You nod, mouth still full of brownie and making the executive decision to not be gross and talk with your mouth full in this situation. He smiles and removes his hand from your cheek. Silently, you both find the skin that had just made contact now tingles. It's hard not to think about when you may steal another touch, but the pair of you hope maybe Saturday.

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#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfiction #stranger things x reader #stranger things fanfiction #joseph quinn fanfiction #joseph quinn x reader #eddie munson #joseph quinn #school janitor eddie x school nurse reader #tcu #ʚ by gwen ɞ

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loversfms · 9 days

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[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed safiyah adeyemi walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who she is ? they kind of look like ayo edebiri and i could be wrong but i think that they might be twenty - nine years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last fifteen years. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of angela moore from boy meets world. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at sunny shores high school as an english teacher. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the salubrious of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty stoic at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty practical to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that two bedroom apartment beside me over in mango bay. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!

STATS:

full name : safiyah adeyemi nickname(s) : saf, safi birthplace : richmond, virginia date of birth : 07 / 01 / 1995 parentage : enofe adeyemi sibling(s) : n / a ! children : dominic adeyemi-lomax relationship status : single gender identity : cis woman ( she/her ) sexual orientation : bisexual faceclaim : ayo edebiri

BACKGROUND: ( tw: mentions of pregnancy )

growing up a in a single parent household as a military brat was not easy for a young safiyah. ending up with just her dad at two months, the phrase "it takes a village" meant a lot to the adeyemi duo.

enofe adeyemi needed a lot of help once safiyah's mother left the picture. he was able to get some time off upon receiving her, and it was spent bonding and learning everything he could about being a single dad. lots of calling his own mom and befriending anyone on base with kids.

safiyah had so many villages growing up, it was almost hard to keep up. moving every two years made it hard for her to develop and keep any friendships. even the ones on base were hard to keep and maintain, because they almost never moved at the same time, or to the same place.

one thing that helps her find peace is books. she would spend evenings reading with her dad or even over the phone with her grandma. it was something her and her dad worked with on frequently. she was learning her letters by age 3, and was able to read the classic site words by age 5.

while her real life was frequently changing, it was easy for her to get lost in the lives of jack and annie from the magic tree house series.

she became a bit of a recluse as she grew older in elementary school and even into middle school. she found herself reading during recess and lunch instead of socializing, because it was easier to just keep up with the worlds she was interested in than to try and make another set of friends that would soon become a distant memory.

it's on her thirteenth birthday that her dad promises he's going to finish his time in the marines. he wants to get them all situated in time for her to start high school. he knows that's when grades start to matter, and while she'd never particularly struggled in school, he could only imagine how hard it would be to try and transfer credits and start life all over during such important years.

he makes good on his promise by the summer of her fourteenth birthday. he's officially retired, and he thinks a beach town is the best place for the two of them to go. she's skeptical at first-- she's not quite sure how to actually settle down. however, once school starts, it doesn't take long for her to knock her own walls over. she couldn't be a recluse forever, and life was going to suck if she was.

she graduates in good standing and heads off to the university of florida where she gets her degree in english & language arts, with a minor in creative writing. in both high school and college, she had fallen in love with all the classics. shakespeare, lord of the flies, the iliad, etc. she also adored writing just about anything. fiction, poetry, short stories... she was the jack of all trades.

she comes back and works different jobs. barista, server, all while she spends some time writing. she doesn't really have a lot to do, and she's kind of enjoying just slowing down and taking things one day at a time.

she does that for a year, while she works on getting her teaching certification. it doesn't take long for her to find a place at sunny shores high school, where she starts the following fall.

safiyah has never been a believer of fate-- not until she's twenty-four with a car that needs work, and who else is the mechanic other than her high school sweetheart-- someone she hadn't seen since she was fifteen.

overwhelmed with a motion, the two fell back into a whirlwind romance. they're not as careful as they should be, and she gets pregnant after just a year reunited. she's scared out of her mind, but with his support and encouragement, she thinks she can really do this.

of course, the confidence comes in waves. with no mother to look up to, and a grandma she spent more time with over the phone than in person, she was really stressing herself out. however, once her son was born, she seemed to understand exactly what everyone was talking about. she just became a mom.

however, being a parent is hard. something her and her baby's dad find out quite soon. it's more taking turns working than an actual relationship. they're attentive to the baby, but not to each other. they find it best to part ways and co-parent as best they can.

still, three years into his life, she questions how she is and what she's doing, never sure if it's the right thing or if it's going to mess him up forever. co-parenting is going well, and their son seems happy, and that's all that matters for now.

PERSONALITY:

a little awkward at first, but opens up pretty quickly

fiercely loyal to those she loves, and will stick up for them if she needs to

currently trying to remember who she is outside of being a mom, now that her son is a little bit older and a little bit more independent.

classic quirky english teacher..... what can i say.....

#tried tried trieddddd to make this short #palmviewintro #mentions of pregnancy tw /

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funplayvr · 7 months

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youtube

https://funplayvr.com/ http://www.funplay-themepark.com/ China FunplayVR factory Whatsapp/WeChat/Viber/telegram: +86-18565151282

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#Carnival Game Booth #Youtube

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murrmansammies · 8 months

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🌟 Join Us for a Flavorful Cause! 🌟

Murrman Sammies is thrilled to invite you to a special fundraising event that promises not only a delightful culinary experience but also an opportunity to make a positive impact! Join us for an evening of great food, community spirit, and support for Riverdale Elementary’s initiatives.

📅 Date: Feb 16th, 2024 🕔 Time: 4:00PM – 8:00PM 📍 Location: 123 Beach Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

🥂 What to Expect: ✨ A Special Fundraising Menu: Indulge in a carefully curated menu featuring our signature dishes, with a percentage of proceeds going directly to Riverdale Elementary. ✨ Live Entertainment: Enjoy the evening with live music, creating a vibrant atmosphere for friends, families, and supporters. ✨ Raffle Prizes: Exciting raffle prizes await, with all proceeds contributing to Riverdale Elementary’s fundraising goals. ✨ Community Spirit: Connect with fellow supporters, school staff, and local residents as we come together for a shared cause.

Let’s make a difference together! Reserve your spot now and join us for an evening of flavors, fun, and fundraising that truly makes a positive impact.

🌟 Together, We Can Achieve Great Things! 🌟

🍽️ Indulge in a Culinary Delight for a Good Cause! 🌈

#veganism #vegan #veganfood #veganrecipes #go vegan #vegan burger #murrmansammies #sammiches #veganfundraiser #eatgreen

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ledenews · 8 months

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The Changing Face of a Hometown – In Photos – Vol. 7

It’s different and there are a million ways it can be explained. The best way is simply to say it’s not the same because it’s become something else, and in most cases, it depends on the decade of comparison. The common denominator, though, is the fact that there are more vacant lots on Wheeling Island today than anyone alive can remember. Hundreds of homes, former businesses, and apartment buildings have been demolished on the north and south ends since the 1990s, and many large, single-family houses have been separated into apartments. The Island used to be about family picnics, Little League, riverfront parties, and front porch conversations. There was the Minute Market on one end and A&J’s on the other, and there were schools and churches and kids chasing fireflies on warm summer nights. The bars sponsored the Sunday softball teams, the hounds ran all day on Saturdays, and Friday nights were for football under the lights. Island folks worked hard and played hard, and they went to church and took care of their homes. Several beautiful homes rest along North Front Street, and some have boat houses, as well. Today’s Wheeling Island, though, is more about business. Sure, there’s a bank, a few restaurants, several stores, a pawn shop, and a casino and racetrack, but there are more rental residential units on both ends than ever before. The demolitions have opened lots, and several of them have been purchased from the city and repurposed into yards or parking areas. “With every demolition the city does, we ask the property if they want to donate the property to the city, and we have experienced a lot of success on Wheeling Island,” explained Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron. “That success is likely connected to the (federal) Biggert-Waters Act (of 2012) that changed everything about owning a home in the flood plain and needing insurance if you did. “The law makes it difficult to do anything with property on Wheeling Island, and any new construction would have to be elevated out of the flood plain, and in some areas that’s 13, 14 feet.” What would it take? For homes – stilted, of course – to be constructed the same as a beach house has to be along the East Coast? Many lots have been purchased and transformed into side yards. “The very first thing that needs to happen is for the years of population loss to turn around,” Herron said. “We would have to see population growth and to make that happen, a lot of good-paying jobs. But that’s the case in all areas of the city of Wheeling. There’s plenty of room in the city for growth again. Wheeling Island is a part of Ward 2 and N. Front Street resident Ben Seidler has been the council representative for nearly four years. He’s pushed for an additional police presence, rental inspection programs, neighborhood clean-ups, and community interaction, and he's mostly been successful with each initiative. "As far as new construction, there are regulations that have to be considered, but there are a lot of properties that can be re-developed," he said. "When I moved to Wheeling Island about seven or eight years ago, I bought a beautiful home, and there are so many more available. "Sure, the Island has changed a lot over the years and there are more rentals than ever before, but it's still a very special place." There are many constants on the Island, and Madison Elementary is one of them. The grade school now offers free meals and even health care for the student population. The stadium structure at Belle Isle was demolished in the early 2000s because of safety concerns. LaLa's VooDoo Lounge remains in operation today, but the old Tropicana has been closed for years now. Wheeling Island Stadium has remained the home of the West Virginia Supper Six Football Championships for 30 years, and hopefully, the WVSSAC returns it soon for another few years. There are more open lots now on Wheeling Island than ever before, and that's because of population loss and new regulations governing new construction. Bridge Park ballfield still hosts Little League and softball games during the warmer months of the year. The roadway to the Aetnaville Bridge and the remains of the span remain in place today. The federal government has recognizes all of Wheeling Island to be in a flood plain. The ramp to enter Interstate 70 eastbound has been refurbished completely. Read the full article

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wutbju · 9 months

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Ora Virginia Vessell passed away peacefully on September 4, 2023, in Woodbridge, Virginia, at the age of 95. She was born on April 16, 1928, in West Palm Beach, FL. Virginia was a beloved elementary school teacher for over 45 years in both public schools and private Christian schools.

Virginia was a joyful and encouraging person who brought happiness to those around her. She will be sorely missed by her daughter, Jewel, and her sons, Tim (Barbara) and John (Teresa), her grandchildren Morgan, Rachel, Phoebe and Natalie and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Dale Vessell, and their son, Dale Vessell Jr.

Virginia valued education and attended Hampden DuBose Academy for high school. She furthered her education at Bob Jones University and Appalachian State Teachers College.

Virginia was a dedicated pastor's wife and played the piano at her church for over 60 years. She found great joy in serving her Lord Jesus Christ and her commitment to her faith was evident in her everyday life.

Virginia's legacy will live on through her family, friends, and the countless lives she influenced through the years.

A memorial service will be held at Slater Road Baptist Church in North Ft. Myers on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at 2:00pm. Additional information can be found at the website of Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park.

#Bob Jones University #BJU Hall of Fame #2023 #Obituary #BJU Alumni Association #Ora Vessell #Class of 1949 #Oraleta Kidd Vessell #Ora Virginia Vessell

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mwsa-member · 1 year

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MWSA Interview with Karin Tramm

Date of interview: 18 May 2023

Karin Tramm is a navy wife, DoDEA teacher, and mother of two BRATs. She attended Tusculum University in Greeneville, Tennessee, earning a B.A. in Elementary Education. She holds a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, and an additional M.HR. from the University of Oklahoma.

Karin began her overseas teaching career in 1983 on the beautiful island of Guam. In 1986 she joined the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) now Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which took her to Kalayaan Elementary School at Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines. There she met her future husband, Gene, a naval meteorologist. She transferred to Bamberg, Germany to teach at Strullendorf Elementary School and then to Naples, Italy to teach at Naples Elementary School.

The Tramms relocated to Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California, where their two sons were born. They went on to Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, where Karin started a photography business. Karin's photographs have been featured in shows, newspapers and magazines, as well as presented to the White House. Karin also wrote for the base newspaper, The White Falcon, The USO News, and Iceland Explorer. From there they transferred to Virginia Beach and then rotated back overseas to Rota, Spain, where Karin re-entered DoDEA to continue her teaching career.

Upon Gene’s retirement from the Navy in 2006, they moved to Vicenza, Italy, where they lived and worked for 16 years. The Tramms both recently retired from DoDEA and now reside in Parrish, Florida.

Karin's short stories, There’s a Cobra on the Slide, and The Agriturismo Bolzano Vicentino, are included in the anthologies, Schooling with Uncle Sam, and Host Nation Hospitality, published by the Museum of the American Military Family. 100 Days Smart is her first book.

MWSA: How did you find out about MWSA?

Karin Tramm: Elva Resa Publishing, an independent publisher specializing in resources by, for, and about military families, holds a zoom meeting once a month for their current authors and illustrators. During the conversation, MWSA was mentioned as a resource for military connected writers. This being my first book, I’m always excited to network and learn from others on the same path. I look forward to being a part of MWSA.

MWSA: What compelled you to write 100 Days Smart, a book about military connected students during the pandemic?

Karin Tramm: So many Americans are unaware of DoDEA Schools to start with and our military connected kids were on the frontline of the European outbreak, two or three weeks ahead of the states.

On the 100th day of kindergarten, I put my kids on the bus, waved to them, and said, “See you on Monday!” Little did I know that would be the last day I saw them. With the first COVID-19 death (in Italy) just miles down the road, school was closed. At first it was just for two days, then a week, then until Spring Break, and finally for the rest of the school year.

Teachers jumped in with online instruction within that first week and forged on, building the plane while flying. I woke up one morning and realized the significance of what was happening and asked myself who would ever write about his. Someone needed to document what was happening within the American military community in Italy, and especially how it was affecting the kids. I wanted to show how tough they could be in almost any situation, even during a pandemic. They were my heroes.

Even though we continued school online, we never really had a proper good-bye as a class. That’s important for the kids, but it’s also important for the teachers. As I continued to write, it helped me process my situation and brought a lot of closure.

MWSA: How do DoDEA schools compare with stateside schools from a teacher’s perspective?

Karin Tramm: I’ve been fortunate to make teaching with the DoDEA system a career and to have my sons attend and graduate from DoDEA schools. The school culture is a reflection of the high value military families put on education, creating an integrated organization between teachers, parents, and communities. Large numbers of parents support the school, both as volunteers and as employees. Commands support parents by allowing time off for conferences and volunteering. Other programs such as the Military Family Life Counselors, MWR, SKIESUnlimited, the art center, and youth sports, partner with the schools in a variety of ways to enrich student success. Overseas travel gives an expanded worldview and rounds out DoDEA students.

The most important aspect, in my opinion, is that every student has an employed parent, health care, and a place to live. Having those basic needs met gives everyone a step up in an educational setting. Not to say there aren’t challenges. Living overseas, TDY, deployments, and the high turnover rate of families, are all factors that come into play in an educational setting. To counter that, DoDEA shines with many plans and people in place to meet the individual needs of each student, both overseas and stateside. I can’t say enough positive things about the teachers, families, communities, and students, that make up the DODEA partnership. I’m proud to have been a part of that.

MWSA: What impact has overseas life had on your worldview?

Karin Tramm: Anyone who has been stationed overseas has learned to be more tolerant and understanding of differences, both cultural and personal. I’ve learned that different isn’t better or worse, just different. I try not to be judgmental and to embrace diversity and opposing views because that’s how we learn about others and ourselves.

I’d like to think I’ve become more patient, observant, and flexible! I’m the kind of person who needs routine and predictability so striving to just roll with things was one of my hardest challenges. I know that everyone connected with the military learns to do this early on, whether they’re overseas or not. I always try to expect the unexpected; to adapt, regroup, and move forward.

Often, I’ve been asked which location was my favorite and I can only say it has to be where I’m currently at. Every place is a balance of joy and difficulty and many times the joy comes later, out of the difficulty. I always try to look for the positives and take advantage of my time and place. I love to try new food and check out local events. I botch up the language, but keep my sense of humor even when things might not be so funny at the time--I’m sure I’ve given the locals a few good stories to share at the table.

MWSA: When the lockdown occurred, in what ways did you have to reinvent yourself as an educator?

Karin Tramm: I’d like to share a quote from my book:

“Reinvention is what military spouses do best. In my past lives I’ve been a teacher, a stay-at-home mom, a travel writer, a bartender, a grad student, a photographer, and finally, a teacher again. Every time our family moved to a new duty station it required a restart. New home, new friends, new job, new life, and so it goes for a Navy wife. Now this job would require a restart as well. As much as I didn’t embrace change, I had plenty of experience with it.”

I had to become a Robo-Teacher and with that technology became my biggest challenge. Children get a lot of screen time at home and I firmly believe my kindergartners deserve face to face instruction at school. For that reason, I wasn’t up on the latest and greatest tech components of the curriculum. I was proud that I knew how to write electronic parent newsletters and that was about it. Thank goodness for my aide, who was on it, and helped me before I even knew I needed help. She was a champ at finding online resources, using google classroom, and cleaning up my tech messes, which most times she was kind enough not to point out.

I had to learn to involve parents in a new and interactive way. They were the “home teachers” and we were partners in learning now more than ever. I had to design lessons that allowed them to assist students with hands on learning at home. I also needed to construct a process for students to share their learning with classmates in an easy and meaningful way, all done on line in a simple fashion that a kindergartner could understand.

The most important thing I did, however, was to give myself permission to fail. I’m a planner and I like for everything to go as planned; kindergarten is definitely not the place to wing it. When things fell apart, and trust me they did, I learned to take a big breath and try Plan B. I think we all can agree our “big breath” moments make us stronger and better.

MWSA: Were there any changes that took place during the pandemic that turned out to be for the better?

Karin Tramm: In the classroom I did learn to be more tech savvy and that helped when we went back to school face to face in the fall. We relied heavily on online resources and tools and I was in a much better place to handle that after my experience with virtual teaching. Having those skills in my pocket also helped me navigate this new world of being an author. I’ve learned how to use social media more effectively and even built my own website.

The pandemic helped me refocus my family priorities as well. I was plagued with mom guilt for not being there for my sons when the pandemic hit. I was completely helpless when they were in limbo in the states and couldn’t come home to Italy. I was scared for my parents in Florida as I watched things go from bad to worse in Italy, knowing they were just weeks away from the coming storm. I was fortunate to have enough years in with DoDEA and decided to retire from teaching in 2022. I do miss my friends and my Italian life, but I’m so happy to be sharing laughs and special times with my family.

As a society, we’re still frayed around the edges from this experience. Loved ones lost, financial turmoil, as well as social and political and upheavals are scars we’ll bear far into the future. I hope as we continue to move forward, we can look beyond ourselves and approach life with a bit more compassion and respect for others and rebuild our sense of community.

MWSA: Do you think your story will encourage others to open up about their own pandemic experiences?

Karin Tramm: Everyone has their own pandemic story, unique to time and place. Many of those stories are still inside waiting, waiting, waiting, most times needing, to come out. As I’ve talked about my book, I notice people are initially hesitant to join in the discussion, the pandemic still being a bit raw and sometimes even divisive. Once the door opens, however, young and old alike have a lot to share. I’d like to think this book gives people some validation, a springboard to begin their own conversations, and some healing. The whole world needs a bit of that.

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lrmartinjr · 1 year

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strelitzacademy · 27 days

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Boost Your Child’s Health and Happiness with Sports and Life Skills Games

As the seasons change, it’s the perfect time to introduce your kids to fun activities that keep them both happy and healthy. With kids spending more hours in front of screens, finding ways to balance their lifestyle through physical activity is crucial. Sports and life skills games are not only great for their bodies but also for their minds and social development. Discover how engaging in sports, games, and family activities can positively shape your child's future. Ready to learn more? Dive into our full blog and explore how you can nurture your child's well-being through active play and kindergarten activities. Need personalized advice? To schedule your visit at one of the only IB private schools in Virginia Beach, call 757-424-4327.

#sports and life skills games #kindergarten activities #kids playing games #life skills games #what life skills do sports teach #IB private schools in Virginia Beach #private education #ib private elementary school

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libraryofva · 6 days

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Recent Acquisition - Photograph Collection

Miss Yates, Fourth Grade Class. Hermitage Elementary School, Virginia Beach, Virginia. 1965-66.

Wheelhouse Family Photograph Collection

#vintage #virginia #va #photo #1960s #classroom #class #school #elementary school #Virginia Beach #students

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newstfionline · 2 years

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Sunday, January 8, 2023

California gets brief lull after damaging ‘bomb cyclone’ (AP) California weather calmed Friday but the lull was expected to be brief as more Pacific storms lined up to blast into the state, where successive powerful weather systems have knocked out power to thousands, battered the coastline, flooded streets, toppled trees and caused at least six deaths. Remnant showers from the latest storm, a “bomb cyclone,” fell around the state and dangerous surf pounded the coast despite declining wave heights, while some areas enjoyed sunshine. A Southern California pier was damaged by high surf and winds overnight and will remain closed until it is repaired, officials said. Streets flooded in low-lying beach cities.

Canada and the U.S. both face labor shortages. One country is increasing immigration. (NBC News) In as little as a decade, there will be one retiree for every two workers in Canada. To address the looming labor shortage, Canada’s government announced a new goal in November to accept 1.45 million immigrants by 2025, with 60 percent trained in health care and other urgently needed job skills. Meanwhile, in the U.S., similar immigration legislation has stalled as Republicans block Democratic efforts to spur an influx of skilled workers until more is done to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. While the U.S. has almost 10 times as many people as Canada, the U.S. brought in the same number—about 275,000—of legal, employment-based immigrants in fiscal year 2022 as Canada now plans to bring in each year over the next three years, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and drafters of Canada’s new policy. In the last session of the U.S. Congress, which ended in December, bills to increase the number of foreign-born entrepreneurs, high-skilled workers, microchip manufacturers and farm workers all failed to get enough votes to become law.

Mayor: Teacher shot by 6-year-old ‘red flag for the country’ (AP) A Virginia teacher who was critically injured when she was was shot by a 6-year-old student in Newport News is showing signs of improvement as authorities struggle to understand how a child so young could be involved in a school shooting, the city’s mayor said Saturday. The boy shot and wounded the teacher in a first-grade classroom on Friday at Richneck Elementary School, according to authorities. Police Chief Steve Drew said the shooting was not accidental and was part of an altercation but didn’t elaborate further. Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones said the condition of the teacher, a woman in her 30s, is “trending in a positive direction” as she remains hospitalized. “This is a red flag for the country,” he said.

Mexican capo’s arrest a gesture to US (AP) Mexico’s capture of a son of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán this week was an isolated nod to a drug war strategy that Mexico’s current administration has abandoned rather than a sign that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s thinking has changed, experts say. Ovidio Guzmán’s arrest in the Sinaloa cartel stronghold of Culiacan on Thursday came at the cost of at least 30 lives—11 from the military and law enforcement and 19 suspected cartel gunmen. But analysts predict it won’t have any impact on the flow of drugs to the United States. It was a display of muscle—helicopter gunships, hundreds of troops and armored vehicles—at the initiation of a possible extradition process rather than a significant step in a homegrown Mexican effort to dismantle one of the country’s most powerful criminal organizations. Perhaps coincidentally, it came just days before U.S President Joe Biden makes the first visit by a U.S. leader in almost a decade. López Obrador has made clear throughout the first four years of his six-year term that pursuing drug capos is not his priority. When military forces cornered the younger Guzmán in Culiacan in 2019, the president ordered him freed to avoid loss of life after gunmen started shooting up the city.

Rumors of Putin’s Ill-Health Persist Amid Intelligence Updates (Newsweek) Intelligence reports have raised further questions about the state of Vladimir Putin’s health and the impact it might have on his invasion of Ukraine. Armchair diagnoses of the Russian leader have gained traction since he started the war on February 24, 2022 as social media users and analysts try to interpret footage showing him apparently limping across Red Square, clinging to his desk and displaying a listless right arm. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence head has added to the speculation by telling ABC News that Putin has cancer. It comes as the head of Russian analysis at Denmark’s military intelligence service said in an interview with Copenhagen-based daily newspaper Berlingske that he did not believe Putin had a terminal illness. However he said he had likely been given hormone treatment for cancer, which explained his “moon-shaped face.”

Elon Musk’s satellites have saved Ukraine and changed warfare (Economist) It is one of the wonders of the world—or, more accurately, off the world. The Starlink constellation currently consists of 3,335 active satellites; roughly half of all working satellites are Starlinks. In the past six months new satellites have been added at a rate of more than 20 a week, on average. SpaceX, the company which created Starlink, is offering it as a way of providing off-grid high-bandwidth internet access to consumers in 45 countries. A million or so have become subscribers. And a huge part of the traffic flowing through the system currently comes from Ukraine. Starlink has become an integral part of the country’s military and civil response to Russia’s invasion. Envisaged as a celestial side-hustle that might help pay for the Mars missions dear to the founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, it is not just allowing Ukraine to fight back; it is shaping how it does so, revealing the military potential of near-ubiquitous communications.

Battered and Strained by War, Ukraine’s Economy Adapts to Survive (NYT) Piles of corn and wheat are stuck in silos, as Russia’s invasion stifles critical exports. Metal-producing factories in Ukraine’s bombed-out east have ceased operating. And through nearly a year of war, over a third of Ukraine’s spending is being directed at beating back the enemy. Despite major battlefield defeats in its invasion, the Kremlin’s relentless war effort has sown economic havoc atop a devastating humanitarian toll in Ukraine. The country’s economy shrank by 30.4 percent in 2022, its economy minister said Thursday, the largest decline since Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Swaths of the country’s industry and infrastructure have been partially or fully destroyed, and may not be rebuilt. Many businesses based in territory controlled by Russia, or in areas of heavy fighting, are not producing near their capacity, if at all. Consumers across the country are buying less because of high inflation and economic uncertainty generated by the war. But the war has also spurred Ukrainians to restructure parts of their economy at lightning speed, in ways big and small, as companies pack up operations or pivot to new business. That has fostered an extraordinary amount of economic adaptability that is not reflected in the dire numbers, and is setting the groundwork for potential rebuilding even before the war ends, the government argued.

US changes to Turkey’s preferred spelling at ally’s request (AP) The State Department said Thursday it has adopted Turkey’s preferred spelling for the name of the country, Turkiye, acceding to a request from the NATO ally after several months of hesitation. The department has instructed that new official documents refer to Turkiye instead of Turkey, although the pronunciation will not change, officials said. The move comes ahead of an expected visit to Washington later this month by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during which Turkey’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its resistance to allowing Finland and Sweden to join NATO will be high on the agenda.

China suspends social media accounts of COVID policy critics (AP) China has suspended or closed the social media accounts of more than 1,000 critics of the government’s policies on the COVID-19 outbreak, as the country moves to further open up. The popular Sina Weibo social media platform said it had addressed 12,854 violations including attacks on experts, scholars and medical workers and issued temporary or permanent bans on 1,120 accounts. The ruling Communist Party had largely relied on the medical community to justify its harsh lockdowns, quarantine measures and mass testing, almost all of which it abruptly abandoned last month, leading to a surge in new cases that have stretched medical resources to their limits. The party allows no direct criticism and imposes strict limits on free speech.

Sick of the grind, China’s well-off seek slower pace in Thailand (Aljazeera) Xiaohongshu, China’s answer to Instagram, is abuzz with the benefits of emigrating to Thailand. In videos on the popular social media and e-commerce platform, influencers paint a picture of paradise that promises something for all. For stressed-out parents, cheap international schools and the possibility of remote work in an exotic locale await. For retirees, there is affordable healthcare just a stone’s throw from the beach. The buzz on Xiaohongshu, which translates as “Little Red Book”, comes as China prepares to reopen its borders after three years of the world’s harshest pandemic controls. Tens of millions of Chinese people are expected to book flights for overseas holidays over the coming weeks and months. But others say they are preparing to leave China for good, according to posts on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, frustrated at a country they say is increasingly expensive, authoritarian, competitive and difficult to raise a family or retire in. While it is unclear how many Chinese people have actually emigrated or are seriously considering it, social media posts about discussing a growing “run philosophy”, or “run xue”, have been viewed millions of times.

Appropriately managing differences? (CNN) China and the Philippines have taken a step closer to each other despite previous disputes over the South China Sea. The two countries have decided to strengthen their economic ties and resume talks on oil exploration in the sea after they fell apart last year, when the Philippines Department of National Defense expressed “great concern” over Chinese claims to parts of the region. According to a joint release, the countries have decided to “appropriately manage differences” in the South China Sea. The statement said the leaders’ talk was “in-depth and candid.” “We also discussed what we can do to move forward, to avoid any possible mistakes, misunderstandings that could trigger a bigger problem than what we already have,” said Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Chinese President Xi Jinping also promised vast economic opportunities for the Philippines, with investments in various industries including education, agriculture, and space research.

Stone skipping (Guardian) Scientists have identified particular types of stone that can produce “almighty” leaps out of the water when skimmed across the surface. While aficionados of the pursuit favour thin, flat stones for long-distance skimming, the researchers’ mathematical model reveals that heavier, potato-shaped stones can achieve more dramatic results, which blast the rock into the air. “Try some wacky stones and see what happens,” said Dr Ryan Palmer, an applied mathematician at the University of Bristol. “Try and throw a stone that looks like a potato. You can get some fun things happening with heavier stones.”

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