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fdd700 · 3 years ago

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Grief

Themes: death, grief, hopeful ending Warnings: Death, grief, anger, pain, loss, car accidents, crying. Words: A fair amount (1245 words)

i. I am coping. I'll post something happier soon. Take care of yourselves and each other

Virgil realises that his thoughts tend to think in Before and After on a slightly damp day.

Before the event and After.

It's a steeling sort of realisation, like a dunk of cold water as he remembers there once was Before—a before the chest pain and the tears. There was a time when it was just a worst-case scenario and not his reality.

There was a time before Janus was dead.

And now he was in the after.

He still thinks about that before, more than any good grief counsellor would let him get away with. He still thinks about the night he went to bed, Virgil Storm, a 30-year-old with a husband who works night shifts. Not Virgil Storm, a widow. Not Virgil Storm, whose friends have to visit every day because they know there's no food in the house, and they don't want to plan another funeral.

It's an awful feeling, too, because no matter how much he closes his eyes and squeezes them shut to the point of pain, there's no going back to the before. There's no prayer, wish, spell, or nothing that will bring him back to the before. Or that will bring Janus to the after. There's no backwards, and the forwards seem unbearable to him, sitting here on a damp day, with the heating off but a blanket around him. Janus' cup from that morning Is still on the end table because Virgil hasn't been able to cope with the thought of there never being another cup there.

He cries a lot and is tired a lot. Patton tries his best to get him to sleep but doesn't understand why Virgil can't seem to. He thinks it would be an escape, but Virgil just can't do it. He can't bring himself to sleep when he knows he will only have to wake up again. And for a few minutes, Virgil knows he won't remember. He'll reach for that long-cold side of the bed because he won't remember, and he thinks that might be the cruellest thing he could ever do. A selfish part of him wants to forget, wants to forget this sadness and pain, but he can't, so he won't. Janus doesn't deserve that; Janus deserves more than to be t-boned on the interstate when coming home after making a pitstop because Virgil wanted doughnuts.

But Virgil can't think about that right now, so he doesn't. He just cries and huddles closer to the blanket.

Remus supposes they think he's heartless. Or if not heartless, then repressed. If he's frank, he's probably a little bit of both. And stupid, added in. Though he'd have to give a massive fuck you to the people who seem to think they get to decide how he copes.

It wasn't their best friend who was killed by a fucking idiot drunk driver at 4 am. No, it was his. His oldest friend was killed just like that, and Remus thinks he's allowed to cope however the fuck he sees fit. Whether it be drinking himself, angry and getting into a fight, or screaming so hard the cops are called at 2 am while at home, then he's coping, sue him.

It hits him in waves, the grief. In the mornings, he'll wake up and be sad, but he'll be able to breathe. And then he'll be at the store, and he'll see Janus' favourite chocolates on sale or smell his cologne or hear something, and it's like his finding out all over again, and he can't breathe again, and his eyes will water, and he'll have to go home and cry like a baby.

He knows one person in the world will understand his feelings, but how does he do that? Reach out to Virgil, Janus' widow, and say he's struggling? As if the man didn't lose his husband, his partner, the person he wanted and was willing to spend the rest of his life with. The person he wanted to travel with and host Christmas with. How does Remus go up to the man who lost his soulmate and look for comfort in him?

So he doesn't.

He didn't think Virgil would either until he did.

Remus finds himself at the front door of Virgil's house (it's a punch in his gut to no longer call it Virgil and Janus' house), and he's stalling on ringing the doorbell because then he'll come face to face with the widow of his best friend.

Once again, Virgil makes the first move. He opens the door, and red eyes meet watery ones.

"Come in," he says. And Remus does. He steps inside, and he stands in the hallway.

"how-"

"don't," Virgil says. "You know, so don't ask." And Remus nods because he does know. Of course, he does. If anyone would, it's him. "I didn't ask you here to help me through my grief; let's face it, neither of us is doing well. I asked you here because there's no point in both of us going through it alone." He takes a deep breath. "He wouldn't want us to, and since he isn't here to force us to talk to each other, I'm doing it." Remus has nothing to say in response, so he only nods. Virgil's right. Janus would hit them both on the head for isolating themselves. "So we're going to clean in silence. We're going to clean-" Virgil breaks off, a sob escaping before he takes a deep breath and continues, voice thick, "we're going to clean his cups and plates, and I've been too scared to. And his shirts." And Remus nods again, shoulders shaking.

"We will." And it's all he can manage to say, he realises. Because he has no other words to share, he realises that's okay.

So they clean. And when Virgil's sobs get too loud, or Remus' hands shake too much, they stop and drink a glass of water or watch some dumb sitcom episode. And when the sobs and shakes subside, they help each other and continue.

It takes three days and millions of breaks, but the next time Patton visits to restock the fridge, the plates and bowls are gone, and the sheets are clean. There are still shirts that need to be washed, but Remus puts them back on Janus' side of the bed, reminding Virgil this is a marathon, not a sprint. And there are still albums that need to be sorted, but Virgil took them from Remus' shaking hands and put them in a bag for Remus to take home to keep when he has the strength to return to his apartment.

The others come over for dinner - Logon and Roman coming in after work, Roman pulling his brother close the second he's in arms reach. Patton makes pasta, and the three of them - Logon, Roman and Patton - share stories and jokes about Janus. Virgil and Remus are quiet, but it's not a lousy quiet. They're just exhausting because grief is crippling, and this is the first time they've genuinely stopped in what feels like weeks, so they relish in it.

And in the morning, they both wake up on the couch, turn on the TV, and comfort each other when Janus' favourite documentary or an ad for his favourite movie comes on.

They'll live, they decide. They'll suffer, choke, cry, and get angry, but they'll live.

If for no reason other than Janus' wasn't able to, they'll live.

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kilesplaysthings · 4 years ago

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Halloween in Cradle!

Let’s imagine Halloween is a holiday that was introduced in Cradle by the first Alice and the people decide to let celebrations coincide with the harvest festivals like the “Land of Reason” does. How would "Alice” spend it with the boys?

(first time doing an IkeRev thing! some characters’ stuff will be shorter since I don’t know much about them yet! Put in a Read More since it’s LONG lol)

Lancelot:

It’s become a tradition that the rich and elite of Cradle attend an evening Halloween masquerade ball. The ball is only lit by candlelight and everyone dresses in black for an added spooky elegance. Red wine is served and haunting, but elegant music is played for dancing

Lancelot, of course, attends and invites you to be his partner. It’s the first and only time you’ll see him in black (you know, being that he’s the King of the Red Army) and he looks absolutely regal in his black suit, cloak and full mask with gold trim.

As the two of you dance and enjoy the evening, he explains the traditions of this party. It seems that the Central Quarter’s ballroom is, in fact, haunted by the ghost of a woman in white. She died a tragic death on Halloween night; people found her amidst the dancing, sprawled at the foot of the grand staircase, swathed in her pure white dress. As such, everyone who attends dresses in black to be sure that they can spot her before someone is “spirited away.” Red wine is served because it was her favorite drink and her favorite music is played to let her know she is welcome.

As he tells you this and the two of you continue to spin around, you think you catch a glimpse of white out of the corner of your eye. Lancelot squeezes your hand at the look of apprehension in your eyes and smiles at you, pulling you closer.

“Don’t worry,” he whispers. “I’ll make sure no ghost spirits you away tonight.”

Ray:

Halloween for Ray is busy just like any other day, but he’s always willing to help decorate the barracks to make them spooky!

Both armies like to have fun with the public and open parts of the barracks up for visitors for a fun spooky evening with games and fun haunts.

Insists on plenty of black cats everywhere.

Black cats are not bad luck. They’re good luck and ensure that Halloween will be fun and safe! (that’s the legend he’s determined to spread). Is not ashamed to wear black cat ears for the night either lol

He’s the head of security for the autumn and Halloween festivals that happen in the neutral Central quarter’s town square and the two of you walk around together having fun as he oversees the safety of everyone.

After the fun is over and the night is winding down, he’s happy to cuddle with you by the fire with a cup of warm apple cider - most likely with a black cat or two snuggled on your laps.

Jonah:

Not much of a Halloween person, tbh thinks it’s too childish

thinks the sweets are too much of Edgar’s type, not his own

the morning of, however, he invites you to a nearby café for brunch to show what delicious autumn delicacies they have

is happy to tell you about the different things he and Luka would get up to on Halloween when they were kids.

the two of you laugh over the stories he tells when he “defended” little Luka from a person dressed up in a ghost costume when they went guising as kids. Won’t admit that he ever got scared, (though he did)

Sirius:

This time of year is one of his favorites, because it means lots of autumnal baked goods that he can make!

Pumpkin pies, pumpkin cake rolls, pumpkin doughnuts, apple pies, apple crisp, pumpkin apple crisp! You name it, he’ll bake it.

It’s his baked goods that are always around for any harvest or Halloween festival

While he’s cool with Halloween, he does prefer the harvest aspect of he month more, mainly because he likes autumn decorations

Will invite you to help carve pumpkins with him. Or rake leaves. He’s actually quite good at carving and makes some fantastic faces and designs! And expect some fun leaf shenanigans with Chutney involved too

the two of you like take a walk together on the nearby trails to admire the beautiful autumn colors before the harvest dinner.

Edgar:

To your surprise, he quite likes Halloween

Mainly because he gets to scare and prank people and no one can judge him for it this time. Also CANDY

You can bet this guy has TONS of candy everywhere

Is ready to go out guising like all the kids do for the candy, even though Jonah keeps berating him for being too old

“You don’t even have a costume!!!” “I do so have a costume. I’m going as a Red Army soldier.”

Can also carve pumpkins quite well. makes some scary faces on them

Since he’s forbidden to go guising, takes the next best thing, which is to take you around the Halloween festival in search of treats to buy and win

Is a pro at all the games. Takes GREAT pleasure in the dunking booth, and is a great shot at it

“Here, Alice. I won this special candy just for you. Don’t eat it just yet. Let’s wait till we’re alone. Then we can share them, together~”

Luka:

Like his brother, is just meh about Halloween

But he enjoys the harvest festivals

Invites Alice to join him in going to one that’s on a farm just outside of the city. Together the two of you have a blast! Going on hayrides, looking at the different pumpkins in the pumpkin patch - and picking some out for later Halloween decorations - as well as picking out the juiciest apples for later baking and sampling some delicious apple cider

You pick out matching scarves with him at the farm’s shop that sells hand-knitted clothing perfect for fall days like this one and wear them for the rest of the day

You can be sure that harvest time means some delicious food made by Luka, as he gets along with the farmers who offer him their best produce

The nights are colder, so he makes sure he warms up a cup of tea for you before you both snuggle down together for bed.

“Going to the farm with you was so much fun. Let’s make it a tradition to go together every year!”

Kyle:

This time of year, our boy is on the lookout for colds. He’s prepared for visitors coming far and wide seeking treatments for them and has his office well stocked with medicine and herbs to help treat coughs and sore throats

He can get into the Halloween spirit too and decorates his office with a sort of “mad doctor” vibe to it. hOw OrIginAL

You can be sure he offers every kid that comes to him a Halloween treat when they leave his office (he’s a doctor, not a dentist lol)

basically Halloween is a chill day for him with just a flavor of spookiness.

likes to chill at Dalim’s bar in the evening for a quieter Halloween night

Fenrir:

This boy does NOT do Halloween!!

He’ll do anything to avoid celebrating it. Too busy with work! Gotta train! Has guard duty at the barracks! He has DESK WORK to take care of!

The other officers admittedly like to prank him this time of year because of it and it never fails to work

He’s touched when your make him his favorite meal to comfort him after a prank got him good

he tells you that his dislike of the holiday and his fear of ghosts both started when he was kid. his family threw a big Halloween party one night and late in the evening, when everyone was sitting together telling ghost stories, there was a banging in one of the rooms upstairs and the fire went out suddenly, leaving them all in the dark. People said it was a ghost coming to visit them. for a boy of only six, he said that night stuck with him for years and he still remembers how scared he was.

you’re touched by this rare moment of vulnerability from him and promise that from now on, each year, you’ll have your own “un-Halloween” celebration together

Zero:

He likes the idea of guising but knows he’s too old for it

Instead, he enjoys participating in the Central Quarter’s Halloween festival

He helps the local candy maker in his booth and the two of them make candy for people to buy during the festival

is not above dressing to get in the spirit of the night

Makes you your own special candy when you visit him in the booth

you share a candy apple together when he gets time off and can walk around the festival with you

Seth:

Ultimate Halloween prankster of the Black Army.

Has been the chief scarer of Fenrir but never goes too overboard -just enough

Halloween is in part about dressing up in costume, so you can be sure he’ll want to dress Alice up in every princess, witch or vampiress costume he can get his hands on

matching costumes is a win-win situation for him. his favorite is vampire and vampire bride. will get into character for it too

“careful Alice, I just might bite that pretty neck of yours if you keep acting so adorably~”

Loki:

Will 100% want to go guising with you

dresses up in a black hoodie with cat ears. “Look! I’m a black cat!”

the two of you hop around the villages together, you in a white sheet as a ghost, and him as a black cat, carrying sacks to get candy

back at the house, the two of you will sort out your booty together and trade treats, offering some to Harr if he wants any.

the night will end with bobbing for apples, some spooky games and tales and Harr admonishing you both not to eat too much candy before bed

you both may or may not decide to play a fun, innocent prank on Harr later on in the night

Harr:

For Halloween, you and Harr decide to take it easy. Maybe eat a big dinner with some celebratory cake and play some games together at the house

but then Loki comes up with a daring idea: late night exploring in the Old Ruins that lie deep in the Forbidden Forest

the idea is kinda scary, but also thrilling! Plus, Loki reasons, they’ll be with Harr, so there won’t be any danger

Harr (secretly pleased that he’s trusted so much) finally agrees.

The Old Ruins are rumored to be haunted, Loki says, as the three of you creep in. The door makes a painfully loud creaking noise as he tugs it open

Armed with a lamp fueled by magic crystals, Harr leads the way in as the other two huddle around him. the building is dark, decrepit, and quite dangerous in some places as the walls and upper floors are caving in.

“We shouldn’t stay here too long,” Harr warns, worried about the instability of the place. A sound is heard in a nearby room adjacent to the foyer.

“Let’s check it out!” Loki suggests and he heads in the direction of the noise.

You don’t find anything but continue to hear noises, noises that seem to be coming from the upper floors...

After a while of exploring, Harr suddenly decides to put his foot down. “Let’s go. Now.” He tells you.

You both don’t argue against the tone in his voice and head back to the house, Loki excitedly talking about their adventure. As he does, Harr takes your hand and holds it tightly.

“I’m sorry we had to leave so suddenly, but while you both were looking around, I saw someone watching us from above on the third floor. The last thing I ever want is putting you in harm’s way. Stay with me tonight so I know you’re safe.”

Blanc:

He can remember when the first Alice introduced Halloween to Cradle. In fact, he helped in forming the traditions of the holiday to what they are today.

He organizes and is in charge of the Halloween festival alongside with Dean. He also likes to host a costume party in the Garden, free for anyone who wants to attend

He dresses up as a white rabbit knight hOW OrIginAL

Cliched costume aside, he looks cute so it’s all good

You are his special guest and he ensures that your first dance of the night is with him

Oliver:

His favorite part about this holiday is the costumes

He makes lots of costumes and items for kids who want a super cool look for Halloween

in his kid form, he reluctantly agrees to an early afternoon of guising with you, but insists on wearing a mask he made for himself so no one knows it’s him

don’t be surprised if he pulls some pranks on you throughout the day to get back at you for making him do that in his kid form

never goes to Blanc’s costume party. prefers to join Kyle at Dalim’s bar instead for a more laid back celebration

Dean:

Teams up with Blanc in organizing the Halloween festival

Is a huge folklorist and can tell you all sorts of weird and creepy stories about Cradle’s history

owns a whole library about it, actually

being a teacher, he does fun things throughout the day for his students to get them in the Halloween spirit

his students put on a play for the Halloween festival that is usually about some Cradle folklore

He’s a good storyteller, so be prepared with a blanket and some hot cocoa when you both sit by a fire and share ghost stories

Dalim/Dum:

Halloween or not, the bar’s gonna be running. Doesn’t mean he can’t get in the spirit of things, though

decorates the place with candles and fog and all

keeps things quiet for those who want a calmer holiday

concocts special drinks for the occasion. Kyle’s favorite is the White Lady, based on the ghost that haunts Central Quarter’s ballroom

Will keep visitors entertained with weird and creepy stories that he’s heard from customers over the years

Mousse:

Halloween is just another day for him

Candy is whatever. He’d rather be given cheese. Prefers harvest festivals since there is cheese in abundance.

has to attend the different public gatherings as a Cradle official

ghosts don’t scare him. doesn’t believe any of the legends to be true

likes to drink warm cider and will fall asleep in front of the fire if he’s at a party

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prthrive21 · 4 years ago

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Dunk(in) or Out?

Dunkin’ Brands has become synonymous with breakfast pretty much everywhere, with more than 12,900 restaurants in 42 countries. In the United States, Dunkin’ has seen a steady revenue growth over the last few years. But in India? The chain is struggling.

Dunkin Donuts was launched in India on the basis of the classic donuts model to serve breakfast to customers 7 am onwards. However Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd (JFL) the franchisee partner of popular fast food chains like Domino’s Pizza has shut down more than half of its Dunkin’ Donuts stores across the country in the past few years.

What went wrong is their failure to change public perception of the brand itself. The company was treated no more than a pastry shop initially on its launch in India in the year 2012 where people would visit to consume donuts as a dessert. The company was initially launched as an AM brand that offered breakfast menu to customers. Dunkin Donuts had initially failed to understand the consumer preferences in India for a fast food restaurant that offered full meals rather than light doughnuts for a breakfast. To begin with, Coffee and Donuts are not part of the Indian breakfast scenario and breakfast is one of those meals that people hardly go out for. They also failed to realize that the preference to burgers and pizzas are more as compared to donuts. In the international market, where Dunkin primarily works as breakfasts go to place, is just not the thing for India.

Task at hand -

Dunkin is looking to revamp its total business operations in India and change its branding not being a mere dessert confectionary. As the public relation officer, you need to convince and change public perception and company’s positioning keeping in mind the Indian appeal.

Deliverables required but not restricted to:

A. Report containing the following

1. Executive Summary

2. PR strategies

3. Press Release

4. Extra deliverables, if any!

B. Creatives

The submission for this task is at 8:00 am tomorrow (Friday, 2nd April). Send your reports to [email protected]

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srflowerbakery · 4 years ago

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urrguide · 5 years ago

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FOODIE'S GUIDE TO MARRAKESH

These movement guides are intended for tentative arrangements and current wandering off in fantasy land as it were. Up to that point, remain safe!

M'smen

Sightseers have since a long time ago rushed to Morocco's Red City for a sample of the extraordinary. The very name invokes flavors, snake-charmers,

and arousing delights. Its food soaks are in Berber and Arabic impacts and eating here can be an incredible experience. Marrakech must one of the most reminiscent, scrumptious, and exceptional goals for foodies in the Mediterranean locale. In any case, Marrakech can be dumbfounding just because of the guest (or any guest). Spare yourself from unremarkable couscous with this manual for finding the best food in Marrakech.

MOROCCAN CUISINE – CAFES – RESTAURANTS – LOCAL DISHES – MARKETS – COOKERY CLASSES – FOOD TOUR – SOUVENIRS – RECIPE BOOKS

MOROCCAN CUISINE

Marrakech truly was one of the primary general stores and markets in North Africa. Products and flavors were conveyed up the Saharan shipping lanes by camel. The Arab impact brought mezze and organic products from the east. French standard left its imprint as well, as did control of Andalucia. Marrakech has desert, mountains, and ocean inside short proximity. Stews are scented with nectar and saffron, cumin, protected lemon, olives, and dates. Slows down in the medina are heaped high with flavors and mint and figs. Morocco doesn't have a culture of eating out so most of the cafés are focused at guests as opposed to local people; it's very simple to leave away having eaten normal tagines at swelled costs. The best customary Moroccan food is normally found in the home, so in case you're remaining in a riad do benefit as much as possible from any chances to eat or cook with your host. Local people for the most part like to eat universal food when out for the night. The primary dishes related to Morocco are tagine and couscous. You'll never observe these served together, they are discrete dishes—and couscous from a bundle is heresy! Couscous is customarily eaten on a Friday (the blessed day) and is what could be compared to Sunday lunch. It's meticulously hand moved from semolina and steamed with the meat and vegetables. In Marrakech, you'll likewise discover Tangia, a stew cooked in a dirt pot in the ashes underneath the hammam (instead of on a burner in a stoneware tagine).

Moroccan breakfast at Cafe des Epices THE CAFES

Sooner or later during your outing, you'll need a break from the singing warmth and power of the Medina. Here's a determination of probably the best bistros in Marrakech to shield from the sun and get your caffeine fix: Atay Cafe. Close to the Ben Youssef Madrasa, this is the one with the most Instagrammable rooftop patio. Energetic juices and boho-stylish vibes. Bistros des Epices. Perhaps the coolest bistro, head to this staggered Spice Market bistro in case you're longing for a latte or searching for a light lunch, chill beats and housetop sees. Bistro Clock. Initially began in Fes, Cafe Clock presently has a station in Marrakech. It broadly serves a camel burger and offers social workshops and customary jam meetings. Bistro du Livre. One for the bibliophiles (and those lenient toward tobacco smoke), this agreeable hideaway and English-language book shop has a liquor permit and is well known with ex-pats. Grande Cafe de la Poste. For climate, this reestablished pioneer period brasserie is difficult to beat for beverages or eating. It's a debauched neighborhood establishment with nearby fixings and live jazz in the nighttimes.

THE LOCAL DISHES TO TRY

Just as the numerous minor departure from tagine and couscous, here are a couple of neighborhood specialties and tidbits to watch out for while meandering the Medina:

Amlou. A delightful blend of argan oil, nectar, and almond glue. This is your new most loved plunge.

Babouche. Snails served in a daintily spiced gritty stock, these snails taste more like mushrooms than you may anticipate.

Insane Bread. One of the numerous names for cushy pitta-Esque sandwiches stuffed hard bubbled eggs, pounded potato, and zesty sauce. Likewise, pay special mind to sandwiches highlighting aubergine (eggplant) or sardine.

Becerra. Garlicky fava bean soup.

B'stilla. The exemplary Moroccan dish is generally made with pigeon or chicken meat encased in slender flaky baked good and sweet flavors, yet different fillings, for example, fish are accessible as well.

Briouats. Minimal triangular samosa-like filled baked goods, loaded down with meat or sweet almond glue.

Brochettes. Flame-broiled sticks of meat, one of the most famous road nourishments on Djemma el Fna.

Harira. Generally eaten during Ramadan to break the quick, little dishes of this generous lentil and chickpea soup are probably the least expensive road nourishments you can discover in Marrakech.

Hodangal. There's a bunch of slows down in the Djemma el Fna serving sweet zesty teas with stomach related properties.

Juices and smoothies. These are all over; attempt mixes of banana, date, avocado, almond, orange, and sugar stick juice, orange bloom water, nectar, figs, and rose water.

Kaab Ghazal. The great Moroccan patisserie sweet made of almond glue enclosed by baked good and molded into gazelle horns

Khobz. The staple Moroccan bread; round, level, regularly made with semolina flour and extraordinary for plunging and scooping.

Labia. Moroccan prepared beans! Generally a morning dish. Plunge your khobz.

Ma'qooda. Potato wastes plunged in egg and pan-fried.

Mechoui. Spit-cooked sheep, with the offal, were likewise accessible for the more daring.

Mint tea. It's practically difficult to leave Morocco without having attempted 'Berber Whisky'. Mint leaves fermented with green tea, poured from stature to initiate bubbles, and typically presented with a pile of sugar solid shapes.

M'smen. flatbread-like hotcakes with nectar and smen (aged margarine), flavors, or dunked in amount.

Seven. Moroccan doughnuts.

Tangia. A Marrakech uncommon of sheep and safeguarded lemon moderate cooked for the time being in the heaters that heat the hammams.

THE MARKETS

Zest Market

The business sectors of Marrakech Medina need little presentation and are apparently the city's primary draw.

The acclaimed (and UNESCO-secured) Djemaa el Fna square in its middle is the social heart of the city. The square wakes up around evening time with narrators, artists, snake-charmers, and

food

sellers. My preferred corner is the mint market, administering colossal packs of the stuff for use in mint tea and perfuming the air with its cool scent.

The

food

slows down in the Djemma el Fna don't have gained notoriety for cleanliness, although hand washing stations have as of late been introduced. The auditorium is unrivaled, yet numerous slows down are scams. Better, less expensive

food

is accessible in the littler back streets of the Medina. In any case, it's a rush and a transitional experience for individuals visiting Marrakech, so here are a few hints for eating there:

Search for a horde of local people

If somebody is bothering you to eat there, continue strolling

The better the menu in English, the less to anticipate from the food

Even though slows down showcase costs, concur what you will pay forthright and don't acknowledge any 'complimentary gifts' that will definitely be labeled onto your bill at an extortionate rate

Stick to food that is newly barbecued or seared before you

Watch that the singing oil looks light and clean

Maintain a strategic distance from plates of mixed greens and minced meats

Fish is unsafe except if you know the birthplace/stockpiling

Albeit intangible upon the appearance, the medina is isolated into littler network regions, each with a mosque, hammam, and a nearby market for products of the soil. Pro venders are additionally bunched into souks (markets) all through the medina—the zest showcase is one model (and one of the least demanding to discover).

THE COOKERY CLASSES

Marrakech is truly an outstanding and least expensive goal to take a cookery class. For all intents and purposes, each riad or inn will offer this, either in-house or at a bigger school. Classes do shift as far as what they incorporate; less expensive classes may include helping your culinary specialist with a tagine, while progressively costly classes may incorporate learning various dishes and shopping at the market for fixings.

Some all-around respected classes include:

Amal Women's Training Center

Bistro Clock

Dar Les Cigognes

Faim d'Epices

La Maison Arabe

Souk Cuisine

For

foodies

with a sweet tooth, Amal can likewise sort out a heating class.

Mint tea

THE SOUVENIRS TO BRING HOME Marrakech is shopping nirvana, you won't battle to fill your bag with treats. However, here are a couple of focuses to hold up under as a primary concern while looking for palatable trinkets: Argan oil. Morocco is the principle maker of argan oil, which is utilized in cooking and beauty care products. It's produced using the bits of argan nuts which develop on trees close Essaouira toward the south of Marrakech. Costs are high as the shelling of the nut is finished by hand, frequently by Berber ladies, and it's an undeniably mainstream fixing in beauty care products. On the off chance that the cost appears to be modest, it's likely weakened. Restorative evaluation oil is light and mellow, culinary oil will in general be darker as the nuts have been toasted before separating the oil. Search for oil put away in dim glass bundling. It has a medium smoke point however is predominantly utilized for dressings and plunging. There are various co-agents in Morocco that you can visit to purchase from the source. Flavors. The most mainstream flavor blend in Marrakech is ras el hanout. Signifying 'head of the shop', each store has its own adaptation of the blend which can contain over 20 distinct flavors. You can likewise get blends to use for reproducing your most loved tagine at home, just as shop for singular flavors, for example, cumin and cinnamon. In any case, while those engaging hills of flavors make for extraordinary photographs, flavors debase in contact with air so search for shops that store flavors in containers. Watch out for counterfeit saffron as well; this costly zest is frequently traded out for texture strands colored orange. Tagine. You'll see a lot of embellished earthenware production available to be purchased in the souks, however, these painted and coated marvels are frequently unsatisfactory for cooking because of the nearness

#travel #morocco #marakesh #food

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sickybubbies · 6 years ago

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No food for me

BTS AU: Medical student Hoseok finds it hard to stomach any food after his graphic studies. Luckily, roommate Namjoon is there with some tummy rubs

Collab with the amazing @featherypromises

TW: Emeto

Jung Hoseok was finishing his notes from the previous slide in the empty lab. He had completed surgery practicals on animals, but he was moving onto cadavers... the slides alone made him queasy. The discoloration and the... appearance of the veins... and the blood pooling before it was removed...

Hoseok spun away from the projected images as a small amount of vomit filled his mouth. He swallowed with difficulty. His breathing was labored. He had to get over this or he'd never become a successful doctor.

A sigh was heard from afar. His roommate Kim Namjoon, majoring in AI (Artificial Intelligence) stood there with an oppressed look on his face, arms crossed “Yah, why don’t you call it a night already”

Hoseok grimaced, Kim Namjoon was every parents' dream child. He was a born leader, a talented artist, spoke 4 languages, and he was brilliant! He heard that Joonah was in the top 1% of tested students in South Korea. Hoseok couldn't even hate him for it. The boy worked hard.

He sighed, glaring daggers at him anyway.

"Go away smarty-pants, some of us have to study."

Namjoon paid no heed, swinging a chair out before climbing on it, hugging its back rest. He twists the screen, a foul look on his face with a mutter under his breath “ugh..grim”

He turned to his roommate, pulling the papers out of his hands and flicking through them with an approved nod. “Come on you glum. Some of us have to eat you know” he taps his head with the documents “I got take-out for two”

Hoseok felt his stomach flip at the mere mention of the other f word. He swallowed and shut his eyes against the glowing images on the wall. Hoseok shuddered at the memory of the grotesque images.

"You just save the other portion... I don't think I'll be hungry... for the rest of my life."

“Hmm” Namjoon hummed, stroking his chin with his index and thumb. Swiftly walking around his friend, before holding him by the shoulders and pulling him to a stand. Already shoving him out the door “Let’s say you owe me one, so you can eat it to do the least sunshine boy” He chuckled

Hoseok groaned,

"Were you even speaking Korean just now?"

He let his roommate force him bodily from the room.

“Well, someone’s left their brain behind” Namjoon jokes, sat at the table and ridding the food of the poly bags. He takes out each container of delicacies like kimchi, pork belly, black bean noodles and his most craved. Blood ox soup. Rubbing his hands in excitement and takes the chopsticks, splitting it in half and launching the food into his mouth “eat up buddy”

Hoseok couldn't even look at it.

He stood and mumbled about going to the restroom. He held his breath. Ugh…

“Hob-ah! Come have a bite” He twirled his chopsticks around, frowning in concern that his friend was barely eating anything these days. Dunking the chopsticks into the soup he picks a piece of meat, getting to his feet and holding it before the latter’s mouth, a hand ducked underneath it “Hobi say ahh”

Hoseok feels tears well up in his eyes and clamps a hand over his mouth and races to their half bathroom in their room. His feet slip and he falls but his hands catch the rim of the toilet. He pulls himself up and retches his back arching violently.

Namjoon froze. Trying to comprehend the situation, did he do something wrong?

He thought to himself, tilting his head a little with his brows pinched in worry till a loud retch sounded through the apartment.

“Shit” he cussed, quickly darting to the bathroom to see Hoseok hauled over the toilet seat miserably

Hoseok winced at the pain in his hip and side where he fell but his face quick was beyond his control as he vomited bile and the granola bar he had eaten for breakfast hours ago.

His feet slid on a carelessly dropped towel and he clung to the toilet bowl with shaking hands.

“Hey hey easy” Namjoon warned. Crouching down he placed a steady hand on his back. Helping him over the bowl so he doesn’t get anymore mess anywhere or on anyone.

Hoseok's tears trickled into the porcelain, reminding him of the hideous mess in the bowl: the bile, which was made by the liver and released by the gallbladder, his head swam and he heaved and coughed.

“Aish..you should’ve said if you were feeling queasy you doughnut.” His fellow 94’ liner light-heartedly scolded, rubbing his palm up and down the bridge of his back.

“Anything more to let up?” He adds nonchalantly, this was the fewer the norm. He knew hoseok couldn’t handle the vile images with a stomach as squeamish as his. Why he still wanted to be a doctor he had no clue..

Hoseok gasped and coughed up a few acidic, nasty drops more before shaking his head. He slid bonelessly to the floor. The cool tile cooled his head a bit, making the swimming vision clear.

"Just leave me here to die. Then donate my body so someone else can throw up because of me."

“You sound like you’ve OD’ed on fucking morphine Hoseok” Namjoon laughed while soaking the towelette under the tap, reaching over to flush the puke filled bowl too

Namjoon sat down with a sigh, wringing the cloth out before tenderly wiping at Hoseok’s face and the spittle of sick that had got on his chin. He snorted “you aren’t gonna find such a friend that cleans after you get sick huh? I’m truly one of a kind..” He giggles to himself as he helped Hoseok off the floor

Hoseok nodded tiredly and groaned. His stomach gurgled threateningly and cramped viciously causing him to cry out:

"Ah! Ah-ah-ah! Aiish! That really hurts!"

Namjoon frowned, hoisting the boy up with his arms and letting him lean his weight a hand on his stomach. “Still nauseous or crampy just crampy Hobi?”

Hoseok gasped and doubled over Namjoon's arm dry heaving. "C-cramping. Didn't wanna eat... Didn't wanna be sick..." his voice was hoarse and weak.

“Okay Hobi, Lets get you comfortable first yeah?” Namjoon muttered, voice slow and heavy with worry. Not usually the affectionate (Hoseok) out of the pair, he resorted to stroking his hair back a little which was sweaty and disheveled.

He walked out the restroom ever so carefully with Hoseok, supporting him fully as he winced in pain and set him into his bed “did you want any water? Heating pad? Medicine?”

Hoseok cringed. Even water he would pay them a return visit very quickly at this point, and without food or water medicine would not be kind to him. He limped over to the bed and clutched Namjoon's hand, tears trickling down, as the younger man lowered him into the narrow bed.

"P-please. Don't leave m-me... Joonie!" Hobi's thin frame was curled into a question mark. Hoseok pressed Namjoon's warm hand firmly into his stomach, moaning as the warmth of his large hand began to relax his muscles.

“I won’t leave Hobi-ah, Just relax” Namjoon comforts as he sat down, rubbing comforting circles onto Hoseok’s bloated pouch of a tummy.

Namjoon found it hard not to coo at how Hoseok’s dramatic pout so he carded his hands through his locks and placed a soft kiss behind his ear “Get some sleep if you can, I’m right here”

Hoseok released a shuddering watery sigh and closed his eyes feeling Namjoon's usually clumsy hands relaxing him and taking away the pain. Slowly, the anxiety and pain faded, revealing a softer, more vulnerable Hobi. He slept, not caring for a few blessed hours about his success or his family's expectations... he was just Hoseok and that was enough.

#btsau #bts emeto #sick!hoseok #caring!namjoon #namseok

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kubergrains · 3 years ago

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Dahi Bhalla masala online in India | Kuber Grains

Dahi vada is a traditional Indian dish that is also known as Dahi Bhalla and Thayir vadai. It has a rich history in India's culture, having been eaten for thousands of years.

It consists of fried lentil doughnut-like balls that are dunked in a yogurt sauce, topped with tamarind, cumin, mint, and spicy chutney.

While you can technically make your own Dahi vada at home, we think the best way to enjoy them is at an authentic Indian restaurant. But we've also got some good news for you: You can use Kuber Grains's new Kuber Gold Dahi Vada Masala to bring the delicious flavors of this classic dish into your home.

You'll find our Dahi Bhalla masala online in India on our official website—and now you can get some for yourself! Just add 1/4 teaspoon of our spice blend to any Dahi vada recipe for an extra burst of flavor and try it out on all the dishes you love (like soups and stews).

Kuber Gold's Dahi Vada Masala is made from only the freshest ingredients, including cumin, red chili black salt, and edible common salt.

Visit Kuber Grains now to buy this best Dahi Bhalla masala online in India

#dahi bara spices #dahi bhalla masala

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mugbarista · 4 years ago

Photo

DAM! (Daily Amazing Mug!) We’ll be posting a different amazing mug every day! Check daily for the new DAM! - Today’s amazing mug features the Dunkie Man from Dunkin’ Donuts! - Serving up vintage, hard to find, and retired mugs! Please click the link in my bio to visit mugbarista.com where you can see the mug shown above and thousands more! - ALL ORDERS SHIP FOR FREE VIA PRIORITY MAIL WITHIN THE USA!!! Visit our site: mugbarista.com - Visit our eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/mugbarista - #mug #mugs #coffeemug #mugsofinstagram #dailyamazingmug #coffeemugs #coffeemugoftheday #mugcollection #dunkindonutscoffee #dunkindonutsicedcoffee #dunkindonuts #dunking #dunkin #dunkindonut #Dunkingdonuts #dunkincoffee #donut #donuts #doughnut #doughnuts #donutlover #donutlove #donutshop #donutday #donutlife #donutbar #donuttime #donutheaven #donutslover #donutsarelife (at Henderson, Nevada) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTUdDm5FHEo/?utm_medium=tumblr

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danalberard · 7 years ago

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Bite into Buffalo Everything: The Ultimate Guide to Buffalo Food

Arthur Bovino may know as much about Buffalo’s food scene as anyone in Western New York.

Bovino, a New York City based food and travel writer whose credits include The New York Times, Travel and Leisure and Bon Appetit, spent a month last year living and breathing Buffalo food for his new book, Buffalo Everything. The nearly 400 page book may be as comprehensive as any ever written about Buffalo food, offering detailed explanations of iconic Buffalo foods and the best spots to find them, including beef on weck, wings and sponge candy, as well as the new generation of restaurants here and the up-and-coming chefs helming them.

Arthur Bovino, author of Buffalo Everything

The extent of Bovino’s research was exhaustive and mind-boggling, visiting eateries all around the region and interviewing dozens of chefs and restaurateurs. We caught up with Arthur to find out what he learned from his research – and why he thinks Buffalo is a bucket-list destination for foodies. You can order his book, and find out more about upcoming book signings, here: Buffalo Everything

1. What sets Buffalo’s food scene apart? I’d single out a true LOVE for guilty pleasures, a penchant for indulgence, and at the places I mention in the book, a pride in making things fresh and well. You could argue it’s the comfort food capital of America, for sure. And while I’d rather not eat wings anywhere else, it’s not just about its nationally known icons and how well they’re made. There are tremendous lesser-known specialties (steak in the grass, chicken finger subs, stingers, fried Bologna, sponge candy, Tom & Jerry cocktails). Buffalo has great mom-and-pop shops dedicated to their signatures.

Photos by Arthur Bovino

2. What most surprised you about the food scene here? I had no idea of the depth of passion and commitment to the food scene before I started digging in and speaking with folks. I didn’t know how much of a seasonal food calendar there was (Tom & Jerrys, sponge candy, custard, hot dogs, pasta con sarde, and paczki among other things). I didn’t know I was going to find spots like Las Puertas or discover good tacos, or that there was a whole sub sandwich culture to explore. I was also quickly shocked that given the proximity to one of the nation’s most renowned landmarks… Niagara Falls, how little word-of-mouth I’d heard about must-hit spots in nearby Buffalo.

3. What food does a visitor absolutely have to try when they come to Buffalo? You have to have wings and cup-and-char pizza, sure. But you’re also missing out if you don’t seek out: sponge candy, a Tom & Jerry, beef on weck, a chicken finger sub, stinger, steak in the grass, fried bologna sandwich, fish fry, pierogi, doughnuts, stuffed peppers, cheeseburger subs, and a royal. And that just covers the basics.

Photos by Arthur Bovino

4. Why is Buffalo a great destination for foodies? There’s far more nuance and scope to explore than many would expect. There are great international flavors. And mystifyingly, it’s largely still undiscovered by much of the country.

5. What did you learn during your research here that you weren’t expecting to learn?That Elmo’s does triple-dipped wings? That there were fried chicken wings on the menu in Buffalo back in the 1800s? That somehow a company originally from just outside Boston invented the dressing that New York’s most iconic bar food gets dunked in? Check out the book!

The post Bite into Buffalo Everything: The Ultimate Guide to Buffalo Food appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

from Blog – Visit Buffalo Niagara https://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/bite-into-buffalo-everything-the-ultimate-guide-to-buffalo-food/

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srflowerbakery · 5 years ago

Link

#BreakfastTreat #ChocolateChip #Brunch #Treat #EggFree #snack #DairyFree #Donut #Cake #GlutenFree

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kadobeclothing · 5 years ago

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16 Small Brands That Made It Big

When you think of viral marketing, your mind probably wanders to that Oreos “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet, which garnered an enviable 40,000 retweets and Facebook likes during 2013’s Super Bowl power outage. Or perhaps you think of the Dove “Real Beauty Sketches,” a video with more than 67 million views to date. When these global brands go viral, it’s not a huge surprise. Global brands have agencies and well-staffed marketing teams standing by to handle the good, the bad, and the ugly that can result when they go viral. But what happens to the little guys? What happens to small brands that hit on marketing gold, kind of by accident?

Below, we’re taking a look at how small brands have handled their 15 minutes of viral fame. Some struggled, some succeeded, but all of them earned a spot on this elusive roster. Here’s what they did, and what you can learn from their stories. 16 Small Brands That Went Viral 1. Dominique Ansel Bakery (The Cronut) Image Credit: CNN Traveler Pastry chef Dominique Ansel was not a doughnut devotee. The French-born, New York-based bakery owner had tasted a few, but he was far more familiar with the croissants he had grown up eating. When someone pointed out that he didn’t have a donut on the menu of his New York bakery, Ansel decided to head back to his roots and invent a new kind of pastry. Enter: the Cronut. Ansel’s new confection really gained steam after a food blogger from Grub Street tried a Cronut and documented the experience. Traffic to the bakery website rose by more than 300 percent, and hundreds would line up every day to get their hands on the trendiest pastry around. Viral best practice: Focus on quality, not quantity Each batch of Cronuts took Ansel’s team three days to prepare. They could make about 350 Cronuts every day in their bakery, which meant the numbers were limited. By managing the output of his pastries and avoiding the draw of producing more than his team and facility could manage, Ansel created controlled demand that he could meet without sacrificing the quality of his product. Four years later, you’ll still find a line outside of Ansel’s bakery before their 8:00 A.M. opening. But the true secret to his success? Ansel claims that he’s had one Cronut every day since their invention. I’m really hoping that’s the key to my next promotion as well. 2. Eva Kor and Candles When my colleague, Kayla, was in college, she went to a nearby Holocaust memorial museum run by Auschwitz survivor Eva Kor. Hearing Kor tell her story at Candles during the tour touched so many hearts in the community, including Kayla’s. Kor’s story is why a visit to Candles is essential to anyone visiting the area. In 2017, BuzzFeed did a profile on Kor and the impact of Candles. At the time of this post, the profile video has 15 million views on YouTube alone, and over 100 million views on Facebook.

BuzzFeed’s profile gave Kor a global platform to share a story of bravery and remembrance. A visit to the cherished local museum became a viral topic that captured the hearts of millions, just like it had in Terre Haute, Indiana. Viral best practice: Local stories can capture the hearts of millions A large number of people in Terre Haute will enthusiastically tell you about their first time at Candles. Now, millions of people know about Candles and get to spread that message. Additionally, to keep Kor’s legacy remembered for future generations, in April 2019, two Indiana natives teamed up with PBS to release a documentary about Kor. Everyone has a story to tell. Candles’ story is one of bravery, passion, and perseverance, feelings to which everyone can relate. By telling your story, you could capture the hearts and attention of the masses, as well. 3. ALSA (The Ice Bucket Challenge) Image Credit: Iconosquare Blog In 2014, the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association launched one of the most successful viral campaigns of all time. Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates were a handful of the celebrities who took the challenge and dumped buckets of ice over their heads to raise funds and awareness for ALSresearch. By the time the videos had stopped filling newsfeeds around the world, the campaign had raised more than $220 million for ALSorganizations worldwide. Awareness of the disease rose and it reached the fifth most popular Google search for all of 2014. In 2015, a year after the the ice bucket challenge went viral, money from the campaign was said to fund research that identified a new gene, NEK1, that contributes to the disease. Viral best practice: They looked outside their target audience True, most of those who made a donation during the video craze have never made a second. But overall A.L.S. contributions have stayed about 25 percent higher than the year before the challenge, and the average donor age has dropped from above 50 to 35. By shooting outside of their target demographic and trying alternative marketing tactics (video) that might normally take a backseat to more traditional fundraising efforts (galas, email marketing, etc … ) A.L.S.A. was able to bring in millions in one-time donations, raise brand awareness, and gain an overall contribution baseline of 25 percent. I’d say that’s enough incentive to shake things up in your next campaign. 4. Roman Originals (The Dress) Source What happens when your company isn’t even the one behind a viral sensation? “We woke up one morning and had the world and media coming down upon us,” says Peter Christodoulou, the co-founder of Roman Originals. It started with a wedding photo posted online. A young woman was pictured standing next to a bride, and no one could agree on what color her dress was. What followed was an international debate dubbed #DressGate. Christodoulou explained that his company had hoped to sell 200 of the lace-detailed dresses per week, but the UK-based retailer sold 3,000 in just 10 days. Celebrities, global brands, and just about everyone else was tweeting, sharing, and talking about “The Dress.” At its height, the controversy sparked 10,000 tweets per minute. Viral best practice: Other brands can and will capitalize on your success Brands around the world capitalized on the craze and amplified the popularity of “The Dress.” Dunkin’ Donuts, Legos, and Tide were just a few of the brands that came out with clever dress-themed ads of their own. A few months later, Christodoulou said his company “won the social media lottery. We’ve had a brilliant year … Hopefully our spring/summer 2016 range will be well-received.” While the line might not have sparked the global frenzy the original $74 dress had, Roman Originals showed the marketing world that virality can happen to anyone. And retailers everywhere showed that jumping on trending topics can do as much for you as it does for the company that originated the trend. 5. Blendtec In the early days of YouTube, there was some interesting content floating around — cat videos, sketch videos, and, of course, a guy in a white lab coat blending a whole chicken and can of soda.

Tom Dickson, CEO of blender company Blendtec, saw early on that YouTube could be a great marketing tool. With the platform’s emphasis on funny and quick content, the infomercial series “Will It Blend?” was the result of a minimal marketing budget and an experiment. The series was built around Blendtec’s flagship high-speed blender. To show the blender’s power, the CEO decided to advertise that users could even blend household items. So, he put on a white lab coat, found a box of matches, and turned on a camera. Dickson puts everything from golf balls, Amazon Echos, and my personal childhood favorite, Thanksgiving Dinner, to the test while cheesy game show music loftily plays in the background. (Spoiler alert: It always blends). Gaining billions of views and great interest in the high-speed capabilities of a Blendtec blender, the company has now flourished into one of the most reputable brands in its industry. Popularity of the series led to the company’s CEO appearing on an episode of NBC’s “How I Made My Millions” , a show about startups that quickly found great success. Viral best practice: Leveraging YouTube to create content that connects to the platform’s audience Having little resources as a startup, Dickson stumbled upon a hidden gold mine. His story shows how adoption of YouTube as a digital marketing platform can skyrocket a company, even without a high budget or television ad slots. Eventually, themed content, such as holiday episodes (Christmas Dinner smoothie, anyone?) began rolling out to expand its reach among YouTube’s audience. Today, you can still go back and watch the “Will It Blend?” series on their YouTube channel. And of course, you can still purchase the blender and produce a few videos of your own (something else that became popular in light of the show’s success). 6. Metro Trains Melbourne (Dumb Ways to Die) Source Are you already humming that catchy little song in your head? You’re welcome for that all day. Melbourne’s metro system didn’t have a safety campaign in market before “Dumb Ways to Die” (DWTD). They had information at stations, but nothing that was really influencing safe behavior or showing that the company cared, so they brought agency McCann Melbourne on to help. Metro Trains’ Chloe Alsop explained, “We kept coming back to the same thing: it’s really hard to get hit by a train. A wrong or careless behaviour is required.” Without a serious tone or tugging at heartstrings, an impactful, memorable, and shareable campaign was built. By April 2014, the campaign had been viewed 77 million times on YouTube. The accompanying game became the No. 1 free app in 101 countries, and in six weeks, DWTD had garnered an estimated $60 million in earned media. The most important stat that came out of the campaign? A 21% reduction in railway accidents and near misses following the campaign. Viral best practice: Launch outside your target market to build buzz McCann created the original campaign using North American voices and characters because “the video had to go viral first, later it would catch the attention of the real target audience.” Today, the campaign has become a franchise used by metro transit around the world. The takeaway for us? As McCann spokesperson John Mescall says, “It used to be ‘Think global, act local.’ That’s no longer true; we need to think and act global.” The next time you launch a campaign, try thinking about where you might launch outside of your target market to build buzz. 7. Invisible Children (Kony 2012) Source Invisible Children was around for eight years before Kony 2012 turned them into a household name. They got their start by showing a short film called “The Rough Cut” at high schools and community centers around the United States. The goal was to raise awareness of Joseph Kony, a war criminal responsible for a decades-long civil war in Uganda and surrounding countries, and most maligned for his kidnapping and use of children as sex slaves and soldiers. The group flipped Kony 2012, a 30-minute YouTube video, to public on March 5, 2012. It was not their first or their last video but it was their loudest. In six days, it garnered more than 100 million views becoming (for the moment) the fastest growing viral video of all time. As the days passed, however, criticism of the video, the organization, and its founders grew. The San Diego-based company wasn’t ready for the deluge of attention, traffic, or critique the video brought upon them. Invisible Children’s co-founder and star of Kony 2012 received the brunt of the criticism, culminating in a public mental health breakdown a few days after the video’s infamous launch. Viral best practice: Have a PR plan in place In 2015, three years after Kony 2012 ignited the internet’s attention, the company shuttered most of its US operations. Joseph Kony is still at large, and Invisible Children’s downsized African programs have honed their focus to early warning systems and defection messaging. Kony 2012 is still a divisive subject, but it’s also a cautionary tale for organizations whose aims to go viral may not match their infrastructure or readiness. Site traffic, man-power, and the lack of a PR agency/strategy all contributed to the chaos in the days following Kony 2012’s launch. 8. Netflix’s Bird Box During the winter of 2018, it was pretty much impossible to access a Netflix account that didn’t have an ad for a thriller starring Sandra Bullock plastered across the home page. We’ll touch more on that a little later. First, some background history. When Netflix released its original movie “Bird Box,” the movie was watched by 45 million viewers in seven days. In tandem, viewers took to social media with memes and reactions. While the social media attention could be a huge culprit of some of the movie’s widespread attention, it also could be something else. Netflix’s marketing team has an effective strategy outside of traditional marketing channels: the platform’s own user interface (UI). Netflix decision-makers have complete control over what viewers see when they log in, so when “Bird Box” released, they made sure viewers knew about it, pushing the ad in the homepage slot. To illustrate, this is how much space a homepage ad takes up. Users see this every time they want to watch or search for something. Someone who watches Netflix after work everyday sees this ad — at least the movie title — at least 5X a week. Mix an ad that’s virtually impossible to ignore with automatic playback, and viewers with more time to stream content due to the holiday season, and the result is a perfect viral storm. Viral best practice: Leveraging UI to be advantageous in a campaign Netflix recommendations are tailored to what viewers want to see, but everything else about homepage design is decided by the company’s team and gives great potential for their original content to go viral. For a streaming service with over 100 million subscribers, it’s excellent exposure. Sometimes, the perfect aid to a campaign starts with what you can do in your own wheelhouse. Marketing for “Bird Box” created interest for viewers with an auto-play ad on the site homepage. Maybe you can leverage one of your popular webpages, e-books, or social channels to similarly shine light on an upcoming product or service launch. 9. Sphero (Makers of BB-8) Source How did a small, Boulder, Colorado-based robotics company become the creator of spherical droid BB-8? Sphero was part of the inaugural class of Disney’s Accelerator tech-development program, which helps companies expand creatively using Disney’s impressive resources. They happened to be in a meeting with Disney CEO Bob Iger as he was scrolling through offerings for Force Friday, a September 2015 toy and merchandising event held in anticipation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Iger asked the crew if they could make the rolling droid, BB-8, and they spent the next 10 months working on the product in time for a Force Friday launch. They sold more than a million robots in 2015 alone, more than doubling their all-time selling record. Viral best practice: Use social media in new ways (and it doesn’t hurt to have Disney on your side) Sphero hit the jackpot with their Snapchat marketing campaign for Force Friday. The droid’s creators waited in lines with throngs of Force Friday patrons, snapping the hype and excitement of fellow fans. They leveraged the cast of The Force Awakens, along with Snapchat influencers at five flagship Disney stores around the world to build buzz about the movie and their robot. It’s been labeled the first global product launch using Snapchat, and the results were impressive with 10.3 million views, 4.76 thousand screenshots, 69.1 million seconds watched, and 411 thousand social engagements. Sphero also handled media requests and newfound attention with Brandfolder, a Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform that kept their product photos, company information, and tech specs easily accessible and accurate. For your next product launch, how could you leverage social media in unexpected or nontraditional ways? 10. Niantic Inc. (Pokemon Go) Source Are you still recovering? Is it still too fresh to talk about? Niantic Inc. was as surprised as you likely were when Pokemon Go became a global obsession. The company had prepared their server load for game launch with a ‘worst case’ estimate of five times the normal volume. What they got was an astounding 50 times the expected traffic —within 24 hours of the game’s launch. But frustrated players and downed servers eventually gave way to 2016’s hottest trend. Viral best practice: Focus on quality and innovation After launch, the creators of Pokemon Go ironed out those kinks and continued to innovate on their product. They still release special, limited-time offerings like their ghost-themed Halloween event which saw a 1.3 billion increase in Pokemon caught by players, and a user spike of 13.2 percent globally. Niantic also resisted the urge to monetize things too soon on a large scale. Instead, they focused on “core game mechanics, learning things on the technical side, the ops and customer support side, the community and marketing side.” A more natural way for them to monetize early on? Quigley says, “We’re encouraging people to get out and about in their neighborhoods, their cities, their communities —what more natural way to integrate someone into the game than to have these paid sponsor locations that are interleaved among their other locations?” Pokemon Go is a success story of a company that wasn’t expecting success but, by focusing on creating a quality product and resisting the urge to monetize too soon, was able to create not only a global sensation but a lasting one. 11. Popeyes’ Chicken Sandwich So much has been said about the Popeyes chicken sandwich storm that exploded on social media in 2019. According to the CEO, because of taste and word-of-mouth, they just got lucky. After a well-performing tweet, it seemed as if overnight, everyone had to get their hands on this sandwich. Craze over the chicken sandwich grew to be so large that Popeyes ran out of chicken, drove sales up 16%, rose profits 13%, and caught the eye of their competition. Additionally, the response was so great that competitor Chick-fil-A got involved.

… y’all good? https://t.co/lPaTFXfnyP — Popeyes Chicken (@PopeyesChicken) August 19, 2019

Needless to say, Chick-fil-A’s response to Popeyes’s turn in the chicken sandwich spotlight backfired. Viral best practices: Use social media user-generated content to spearhead a campaign. In essence, the CEO was right: they were just lucky. One viral tweet about the chicken sandwich inspired others to post their reactions, participation from competitors only helped, and online tutorials were popping up everywhere. Now, the team at Popeyes knows their audience behavior, and they’ve learned that posting on social media, where their audience is active, is the way to drive sales. Take the creation of their clothing line, for instance. Announced on Twitter as a thinly veiled response to Beyonce’s athleisure brand Ivy Park, That Look From Popeyes was a real launch, and every item sold out. Social media is at the forefront of their campaigns, mixing pop culture into their brand to be more relatable to audiences. The chicken sandwich wars showed that knowing your audience and connecting to them can yield great results. Though every tweet might not go viral, you’ll build a loyal customer base that feels understood by your brand with consistency and relatability. 12. Cards Against Humanity Source You know it, you love it, and you’re embarrassed by it when your mom asks what it is. Your answer is invariably, “It’s like Apples to Apples … but different.” This self-proclaimed “party game for horrible people” did not come from some hip Silicon Valley incubator. Instead, it was the brainchild of eight friends who’d known each other since grade school in their hometown of Chicago. They had no major outside investment, unless you count their one small crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and it took them a while to even have a business address. “Our main priority is to be funny — and to have people like us,” says game co-creator Max Temkin. Viral best practice: Know your brand voice (and stand by it) Cards Against Humanity has always taken an unorthodox approach to marketing. You can download the full game for free on their website (something more than 1.5 million people have done). They once ran an anti-sale for Black Friday where they priced the game, normally $25, at $30 a box. With a tagline of “Today only! Cards Against Humanity products are $5 more. Consume!” the company inexplicably sold more cards. Their marketing strategy (or anti-strategy) would make most marketers cringe, but it works for them. 2016’s Black Friday campaign featured live video of the company “digging a holiday hole” and asking people to donate to its “cause.” They raised close to $30,000 with the stunt. Most recently, they launched their first-ever Super Bowl ad featuring nothing but a potato and a clever article about why the ad “failed.” Cards Against Humanity is one of the clearest cases of knowing your brand voice and sticking with it. Their copy, creative, and campaigns are uniquely their own, and uniquely unapologetic about it, just like their game. 13. Chubbies Source Love ’em, hate ’em, or loathe ’em, Chubbies is here to stay. The founders were four Stanford buddies who bonded over their mutual love of short shorts. Says co-founder Tom Montgomery, we noticed that “If you had a really cool pair of shorts, people would talk about it.” They decided to test their idea for Chubbies out at a Fourth of July beach party before going all in. They donned their “Chubbies,” headed to Lake Tahoe, and quickly found “the shorts struck the same emotional chord with other people that it struck with us.” Their website launched in September 2011, just a few months before winter, giving them time to prepare for the busy spring months. Chubbies’ team spent that time building up inventory and marketing to their target audience: fraternities. Witty emails, unapologetic copy, and bro-friendly photography set them apart, and their guerilla-style email tactics spread their name and their product through college towns everywhere. Viral best practice: Build a strong narrative before you go viral In 2014 they raised a $4.4 million round of funding and a steady growth curve followed. They’ve expanded beyond their signature shorts but continue to build the brand around what made them successful in the first place — the weekend. “We’re constantly building this brand around the weekend and the feeling you get around Friday at 5 p.m. When a guy throws them on, the stress and rigors of the work week can be put on hold for a bit.” That connection to their brand identity creates a strong narrative in their marketing efforts across channels. They speak to their audience unwaveringly, and their audience responds. 14. James Frey (A Million Little Pieces) Source Author James Frey had an explosive product launch in 2005. His book, A Million Little Pieces originally marketed as his memoir, was catapulted to overnight success after being named on Oprah’s television book club. Two million copies were sold, making it the fastest-selling book in the club’s 10-year history. It topped the New York Times Best Seller list for 15 straight weeks and was published in 28 languages by 30 different publishers all over the world. Unfortunately, months after Oprah lauded his bravery as well as his book, it was revealed that his memoir was more fiction than fact. Winfrey publicly chastised Frey on her show, famously asking “Why would you lie?” Frey was dropped from his publishing house and he was hit with lawsuits from many readers. Viral best practice: It’s never too late to refresh your brand Frey continues to write books, with successes like I Am Number Four being made into movies. Even Oprah apologized for how she turned on him so suddenly. While he enjoys renewed success, Frey maintains a life decidedly out of the spotlight. The lesson here? Well, make sure your marketing isn’t full of lies, and be prepared to stand by your content if Oprah ever picks it up. But it’s also never too late to reinvent yourself and still have a successful career, even after a bad viral moment. 15. Dollar Shave Club Source At this point, Dollar Shave Club’s (DSC) inaugural video is legendary. My first reaction to a shaving subscription service was, “huh?” But with a single video, DSC flawlessly spoke to shaver pain points, poked fun at themselves, and announced to the world that they were ready to shake up a previously forgettable industry Co-founder Michael Dubin wrote the video, starred in it, and had a friend shoot it in a single day for less than $4,500. It crashed the company’s servers 90 minutes after it went live and catapulted the company to become the second-largest men’s razor seller in America. Viral best practice: Don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself That video has been viewed over 22 million times, and DSC has 1.1 million subscribers and growing. They earned a $615 million valuation in 2015, and in 2016 they were acquired by Unilever for $1 billion dollars cash. They continue with successful marketing, expertly branded packaging, and a unique presence in an industry that has finally been woken up. All thanks (in part) to a video that poked fun at the company while educating their consumer. 16. Chatbooks Source A four-minute viral video? It goes against every 15-, 30-, and 45-second best practice in the book, but boy did it pay off for Utah-based subscription photo service Chatbooks. The video educates its viewer on how to use a relatively new app that turns your photos into albums so you don’t have to. Why was it so successful? They nail their buyer persona. The video features a busy, realistic mom. She speaks to the audience with all the advice, sarcasm, and “I get it, I’ve been there” relatability that you’d look for from a fellow cool mom. It closes with a catchy tagline: “done is better than perfect.” Chatbooks sold 1 million subscriptions in its first 18 months. It’s racked up over 1 million views on YouTube and the company is pushing 200,000 “likes” on Facebook. They continue to put out honest, pain-point driven videos featuring the same now-recognizable mom. Viral best practice: Get detailed and personal with your personas It’s easy to phone in your user personas. Instead of just targeting “moms,” Chatbooks clearly thought through how that mom thinks, what she worries about during the day, how she’s spending her time, and how photos figure into her hectic schedule. The result? A video their target audience couldn’t help but share. The Next Time Your Boss Asks for a Viral Campaign … It’s nearly impossible to know what will go viral, and trying for that elusive result will usually come across as forced and futile. Instead, research your target audience, decide if you can expand that audience, and create campaigns that are thoughtful, actionable, and relevant. But before you launch, make sure you’re prepared for the maelstrom that could follow. It’s always smart to have a PR plan in place should the worst (or the best) happen. Check out the webinar below by HubSpot Academy featuring a member of BuzzFeed’s video team, and how she’s managed to amass more than half abillion views from her content (with the right defenses for potential backlash).

As a final send-off, keep in mind that you shouldn’t expect every piece of content you release thereafter to be equally successful. Continue to create content that resonates with your audience and you’ll do just fine.

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floraexplorer · 6 years ago

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28 Things You’ll Learn on an East Coast Canada Road Trip

I’d never been to the east coast of Canada before I road-tripped through it.

In fact, I’d never visited Canada at all – but I’d always wanted to. Up until a few weeks ago, Canada still existed in my mind as a maple-syrup-soaked land of giant moose and friendly locals: essentially, a stereotypical dream. And when the plan of road tripping along Canada’s east coast emerged, I envisioned a highway dotted with Tim Hortons, ice rinks and, again, giant moose.

But over the course of a fortnight, my photographer friend Kim and I drove along the open highways of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador, searching for every story we could find – and the stereotypes fell away in favour of something better.

Our search for stories led us to riding ATVs through tall grass and foraging for cloudberries in soggy marshland. To jigging for cod on a tiny fishing boat, wrapped inside a blanket of fog. To kayaking in the Atlantic ocean alongside the bobbing heads of sleek-bodied seals. To walking with ghosts in darkened cemeteries with lost German names inscribed on slabs of broken slate. To rising earlier than the light and hiking past stone stacks at sunrise. To drinking tea from china cups beside beach bonfires and toasting each other with homemade scones and jam.

And then there were the people: a seemingly never-ending stream of Nova Scotians and Newfoundlanders who are, truly, some of the most immediately friendly strangers I’ve ever met.

But the road was the central thread of this journey: following those painted strips of yellow line vanishing beneath our car tyres, the constant banks of trees broken up by a succession of unfamiliar names on roadsigns, and an ever-present stretch of asphalt winding out like a ribbon before us. And it also acting like a framework, allowing us to get to grips with Atlantic Canada from a fascinating perspective.

Here’s what we learned from a two week road trip across east coast Canada.

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Atlantic Canada will remind you of a dozen different places.

The east coast of Canada is comprised of four provinces: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI), New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador. Those first three are also called the Maritime provinces – the easternmost province of Newfoundland & Labrador only joined Canada in 1949, so it’s not included in that grouping.

These Atlantic provinces are clearly influenced by the different cultures of people who settled here – Scottish, Irish, English and French – along with the First Nations who have always called this part of Canada home. You’ll see these different cultures reflected in people’s accents, surnames, and names of locations: like the Irish brogue of Newfoundlanders, or the signs to places like Lower Shoal Highway, Little Heart’s Ease and Bear Nation River.

The landscapes are like Ireland and Scotland…

In Nova Scotia, we often mentioned we’d be visiting Newfoundland & Labrador next – and everyone said the same thing: that Newfoundland was exactly like Ireland.

This island province has the most stunning landscapes: wide sweeps of coastal cliffs, deep stretches of pockmarked earth, and sudden forests under vast expanses of sky. Fascinatingly, Newfoundland & Labrador is home to some of the oldest fossils on the planet, thanks to its history as a place where the continental plates collided.

… But the buildings look like they’re lifted from northern Norway.

Every time we passed one of the tiny fishing huts (called ‘stages’) which are dotted along Atlantic Canada’s coastline, I continually thought of the similar little red-roofed buildings in northern Norway.

It always makes me happy to draw parallels between two different parts of the world – and it makes sense in this case. Both Atlantic Canada and Arctic Norway rely heavily on fishing, hence why they position their buildings right above the water.

There aren’t many cars, and the road is often empty.

For long stretches of our driving days in both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, we were treated to virtually empty roads. On the plus side, this meant maximum views of the surrounding landscape – but on the downside, we couldn’t play as many car games prompted by the vehicles around us (a firm favourite of mine is guessing what kind of person is driving based on their numberplate letters).

Luckily, Kim was treated to my second-favourite car game: the alphabet-based “I went to the supermarket” – except with a Canadian theme. This game pulled us through about two hours of driving at the end of our trip, along with a serious case of hysteria…

Your car snacks will all include maple in some form.

All good road trips need an assortment of local snacks for munching on. Keep a box of maple biscuits in the car for emergencies (along with some maple butter cereal bars for real emergencies).

The weather can change in an instant (especially in Newfoundland!)

Dressing for weather in the Maritime provinces is an education. We had constant blue skies and bright sunshine in Nova Scotia, but on arrival in Newfoundland our plane touched down in a thick soup of heavy fog.

Newfoundland is famed for its quick-to-change weather, thanks to the contrast with sea and air temperatures. The fog comes out of nowhere – but it can also fade away again pretty quickly.

Sadly, there’s a fair amount of roadkill.

In Nova Scotia, there were multiple occasions when I suddenly shouted, “Raccoon!” “Possum!” “Ohh… it’s a porcupine..!”

Seeing a little pile of upended quills perhaps isn’t the best way to see my first ever porcupine in the wild: unfortunately the highway is a dangerous spot for many Canadian animals, and it’s often the last resting place for the aforementioned critters – along with snakes, groundhogs and skunks.

Thankfully I was much happier in Newfoundland, as there’s barely any roadkill to be seen.

Luckily there’s also plenty of Canadian wildlife that’s alive and well!

It’s extremely tantalising to know that the forests on either side of the road could be filled with brown bears and moose (even if they’re hiding from view whenever you look). But there’s lots of other animals happily enjoying life in Atlantic Canada.

On our kayaking adventures in Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia, we watched the seals swim, surface and dunk themselves beneath the water again, and during a boat tour in New Bonaventure, Newfoundland, I saw my first ever bald eagle sat in the top of a far-off tree – which then took off in flight right in front of us. All my photos are way too blurry but I was so happy!

But the best wildlife sighting has to be in Elliston, NL, where an entire rock’s surface is covered in puffins. We sat on the rain-soaked grass and time seemed to stop as we watched these adorable little birds zoom around – and eventually a pair decided to land right in front of us. At the same moment, there were three or four whales in the ocean just beyond, their bodies and bursts of bubbles repeatedly appearing above the water’s surface.

I could have sat there all day long.

You’ll want to see moose – but also you DON’T want to see moose.

My not-so-secret predominant wish for our Canada trip was to see a moose casually mooching along the highway as we drove past. Kim, who was coincidentally doing all the driving, was not so keen. Particularly when I showed her this viral video of a moose in Alaska.

We didn’t end up seeing any moose in the end – and I’m actually quite grateful, because these guys are no joke.

Searching for coffee shops with espresso machines can lead you to some adorable cafes…

On a roadtrip, a caffeine hit in the mornings is basically mandatory – so Kim and I made it our mission to sample good coffee wherever we went. We’ve both spent our adulthoods drinking espresso coffee, but in the more rural parts of Atlantic Canada (particularly in Newfoundland) it proved quite difficult to find coffee shops which served cappuccinos and lattes.

Don’t give up the search though! Our need for caffeine often led us to some lovely places – like The Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, NL, the Laughing Whale Coffee Roasters in Lunenberg, NS, and T.A.N. Coffee in Windsor, part of an alternative coffee shop chain in Nova Scotia.

… But you will inevitably find yourself inside a Tim Hortons.

Tim Hortons is a quintessentially Canadian chain and there are thousands of Tim Hortons stores across Canada. We automatically tried to avoid them in pursuit of the aforementioned independent coffee shops – but one foggy morning it was the only place serving coffee for miles around.

I’m glad we ended up there, because it turns out the coffee is pretty damn good. And the Timbits (delicious bite-sized doughnut holes in all kinds of flavours) aren’t to be sniffed at, either.

Sampling Canada’s fast food chains is a worthy endeavour.

If you’re going to try the Timbits from Tim Hortons, then you also need to try Canada’s other fast food offerings.

On our first day in Halifax we went straight to a poutine shop, sharing a box filled with chips smothered in cheese curds, pulled pork and gravy. It was sinfully delicious – and within 24 hours we’d also made our way to BeaverTails.

Inspired by Canada’s unofficial mascot animal, this pastry shop makes Canadian doughnuts and pastries, including their hand-stretched doughy namesake. I sampled a beavertail-wrapped hot dog while walking along the Halifax waterfront and it was way too tasty for its own good.

You could feasibly eat fresh lobster for every meal…

When dinnertime rolls around in Atlantic Canada, there’s always lobster in some format on the menu. Lobster poutine, lobster mac & cheese, lobster rolls, the infamous ‘Lunenburger’ (a beef burger topped with lobster and a scallop, served in its namesake town of Lunenburg, NS), lobster tagliatelle, or the pièce de résistance — an entire lobster.

If you have lunch at Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound in the Bay of Fundy you’ll get the chance to meet Lowell, who gives you a behind-the-scenes tour of the lobster pound and regales you with fascinating lobster facts while wearing beautifully themed lobster socks.

Lowell will also introduce you to the biggest (live) lobster you’ve ever seen: he’s called Albert, and his claw is bigger than Lowell’s foot.

Or you can just stuff yourself with seafood.

I’ve spent the last few years trying to give up most meat, but I still fail miserably at avoiding seafood. Being pescatarian feels more acceptable when you’re right beside the ocean – so I full-on indulged. After two weeks of delicious seafood at every meal, I don’t think I can eat mussels, scallops, or chowder again for a while…

In Atlantic Canada, the word ‘fish’ always means ‘cod’.

The importance of cod in Canada’s history cannot be overstated. Once the most-fished-for fish in the country because it was so plentiful, decades of over-fishing eventually led to a ‘cod moratorium’ in 1992, which banned cod fishing throughout Canada.

It was the biggest fisheries collapse in world history: it put over 40,000 people out of work overnight, decimated hundreds of coastal communities and irreparably changed the social landscape of east coast Canada, particularly in Newfoundland.

Almost thirty years later, Atlantic cod isn’t extinct but it’s still officially vulnerable. The government have now allowed the recreational fishing of cod but the fishery as an industry remains closed.

If you visit Newfoundland & Labrador, prepare to kiss the cod. Seriously.

This province have taken their love of cod to a whole new level: it’s a crucial part of a tradition called the ‘Screech-in’ which welcomes visitors to the island.

On our third night in St John’s (and after a number of pints at the Yellowbelly Brewery), our blogger friend Candice took us to George Street for our official screech-in ceremony. We stood in a circle amongst a bunch of other visitors while a giant of a man dressed in fisherman’s gear slapped a huge wooden paddle against his flattened palm and shouted out lines of a poem, which we had to shout back in repetition.

One by one we kneeled down, then kissed a frozen cod held in front of us – which was swiftly followed by downing a shot of Screech rum. And just like that, we were honorary Newfoundlanders!

There are huge lighthouses all along the coast…

If you love lighthouses, you’re in luck. Atlantic Canada is famed for its lighthouses, and there’s even an easily-followable lighthouse route along the Nova Scotia coastline.

We stopped in at a fair few lighthouses during our trip, including the famed Peggy’s Point Lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, just outside of Halifax. The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society has a comprehensive list of which lighthouses are open to the public (including a few where you can spend the night!)

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…and you’ll see much smaller lighthouses too.

Miniature lighthouses seemed to be a typically Canadian thing which I didn’t quite understand, but was nonetheless totally happy about (particularly when I asked Google, “‘why does Canada love lawn lighthouses’ and found this guy).

We passed multiple houses with tiny lighthouse statues set on their front lawns – and when they also featured Canadian flags it was even better.

You’ll see the same outdoor deckchairs everywhere you look.

Adirondack chairs are perhaps my favourite discovery from the east coast of Canada. When I first spotted them along the Halifax waterfront I assumed they were only a city-wide thing, but we quickly realised that these wide colourful deckchairs are all over the place.

I’ve tried to learn their origin and why Canada loves them so much, but the best info I could come up with was this: to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017, Parks Canada placed 150 all-weather Adirondack chairs across the country in an effort to connect Canadians with nature.

Adirondack chairs are usually in pairs of two or groups of three. We saw them on the front porches of hotels and private homes, at the ends of docks and beside lakes – even on hiking trails – and the ultimate reward was scoring a pair of chairs at Halifax airport on our five hour layover before flying back to London!

There’s a maritime museum in almost every town…

The east coast of Canada has a rich maritime history, and they’re doing a great job of informing visitors about it.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll love wandering through rooms filled with old anchors, paddle boats, buoys and dinghies, fascinating metallic artefacts made from metal and material and wood, along with dozens of crinkled photographs depicting sailors and captains from days gone by.

My favourites were the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, which had an entire floor dedicated to artefacts from the Titanic sinking (Halifax was the closest port to the sinking so many of the victims were brought here for burial) and the Provincial Seaman’s Museum in Grand Banks, Newfoundland, which featured a dozen different hearses on sledge blades – used when the water froze over in the 1800s.

… And there are even more cemeteries…

Atlantic Canada’s relationship to death is prominent, which makes sense when you think how many generations of fishing and sailing families have lost their loved ones to the sea. That prominence is reflected in where they choose to bury their dead, with cemeteries placed in centralised locations in pretty much every place we visited.

When we spoke to Pat Redgrave, the owner of The Garrison Inn in Annapolis Royal, NS – which sits opposite one of Canada’s oldest cemeteries with headstones dating back to 1720 – he said that in a part of the world where young fishermen often die, it’s not really possible to ignore death. As a result, the prevailing attitude of Nova Scotians and Newfoundlanders towards death seems pretty accepting.

…Which means there are ghosts (and ghost stories) everywhere.

The folklore and legends of Atlantic Canada are well-renowned – perhaps because this part of Canada has more decades of documented history than most of North America, but also because rich oral traditions are commonplace here.

Ghost walks, cemetery tours, spooky tales of hotel hauntings and faded old photos will all do their best to creep you out. I absolutely love this stuff. Kim? Not quite so much. Just outside a cemetery on our late night ghost walk through Lunenburg, NS, I made her scream when I sidled up to her to whisper, “There’s a man in that car…”

Turned out the creepy figure sat in the driver’s seat was a real human man just there to use the free outdoor wifi. It was still hilarious.

You’ll find yourself following local superstitions.

After hearing enough tales of century-old traditions and superstitious behaviour, it’s likely you’ll start following along with some of it.

During our ghost tour in Lunenburg, we learned that generations of Lunenburgers have spat on the ground when they see a single crow (which indicates bad luck) in order to beckon in a second crow (which lifts that bad luck). The next day while driving, we saw our third single crow of the day…. and both rolled down our windows to spit.

You don’t want to tempt bad luck, after all…!

If you’ve got a question, just look for the question marks.

There’s a lot of questions you can ask in eastern Canada – and thankfully the provinces are prepared for it. That’s why they’ve marked out their tourist offices with giant question marks, along with question-marked highway signs indicating you’re about to get the chance to ask some questions!

The first time we saw a question mark sign we erupted into laughter. But that could also have been roadtrip-related hysteria.

You can enjoy a rather tasty glass of local wine in Nova Scotia.

People told us that the vineyards in Nova Scotia produce wine that can rival France and California! Apparently the province’s soil and climate are perfect for growing grapes – and with more than eighteen wineries and vineyards dotted throughout Nova Scotia (particularly in Annapolis Valley), it’s becoming a burgeoning industry.

We sampled a few different red wines during our week in Nova Scotia and loved them. My favourite? The ‘Great Big Friggin’ Red’, complete with a label which reminded me of the circus.

Craft beer in Atlantic Canada is pretty fantastic too.

Aside from wine production, they’re also pretty hot on their craft beer in Atlantic Canada. There are dozens of craft breweries which made this IPA drinker very happy – I particularly liked the Garrison Tall Ship IPA and the Quidi Vidi ‘Day Boil’ Session IPA.

We spent time sampling beers at the Yellowbelly Brewery in St Johns and the nearby Quidi Vidi Brewery, but our favourite discovery was a brand-new bar set inside an old church in Wolfville, Nova Scotia (aptly named ‘Church’) with an ever-changing menu of locally brewed craft beer.

The sunrises are stunning – if you manage to wake up early enough.

The east coast of Canada is privy to some spectacular sunrises, which you’ll often vow to see. Unfortunately, you’ll often miss them because you were having too much fun the night before! But when you finally manage it (on the last morning of your trip..!) it’ll be beautiful.

We roused ourselves from a peaceful slumber in the insanely comfy beds at The Fisher’s Loft Inn in Port Rexton, Newfoundland, to head out on the Skerwink Trail at 5am. With fresh dew on the leaves and skittering bugs around us, we walked along the cliff edge beside the sea stacks and watched the sky change colour with the rising sun.

The best part of an east coast Canada road trip? Everyone will make friends with you.

Perhaps my favourite part of Atlantic Canada was making friends with people. It was absurdly easy, and yet still felt so special.

We struck up conversation with a woman and her family while queuing for our rental car at Halifax airport, then spent the early hours of the morning with a group of twenty-somethings that night at a local bar. An elderly married couple approached us at dinner with recommendations of where to visit in Nova Scotia; a young wife talked with me at length about Canada’s indigenous history while we went fishing; and a random woman tied my plastic bib behind my neck before showing me how to eat the lobster on the table in front of me!

There is no doubt that I’ll come back to Canada. There are two more Atlantic provinces I’ve yet to explore – and a hundred more stories to hear and to tell…

Would you go on an east coast Canada road trip? Are there any typical road trip lessons I’ve missed out?

Pin this article if you enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: This trip was in collaboration with Tourism Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador, who hosted Kim and I – but the opinions about Canadian superstitions, giant moose and Adirondack deckchairs are all my own.

The post 28 Things You’ll Learn on an East Coast Canada Road Trip appeared first on Flora The Explorer.

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fitnessexpert00-blog · 6 years ago

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Fitness Isnt a Lifestyle Anymore. Sometimes Its a Cult

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Fitness Isnt a Lifestyle Anymore. Sometimes Its a Cult

San Franciscos Fort Mason park is empty in the early morning darkness, every surface the color of a used cast-iron pan. Its pouring rain, and Ive been wandering around since just after 6, trying to find well, Im not exactly sure. All I know is that, according to a Facebook post, members of one of the strangest fitness groups in the country are supposed to be meeting here right about now. But the Google Maps screenshot I pulled from the website seems to have directed me to a parking lot. Or the front door of the high-end vegetarian restaurant Greens. Its hard to tell.

I check Facebook again.

What are you planning to do for the first Monday of 2016? Sleep in? Lazily slog on into work? No need for that. Come join us for #DonutMondays at NPSF (Gil, dont forget the donuts!). Fort Mason. 6:25AM

Just as I start thinking Ill have to find my own doughnut, a woman in her mid-twenties jogs up to me looking equally lost. Shes dressed in a gray Adidas jacket, black leggings, and a tank top that resembles caution tape. Her wet hair is stuck to her forehead as though shes just been dunked in the Pacific.

Do you know where November Project meets? she asks with a slight accent. Relieved, I tell her Im trying to find them as well. Im Stine! she says.

And then she hugs me.

What distinguishes November Project is not just the fact that its freejust as instructors arent paid, members dont paybut the degree to which it actually is a social identity. The movement extends beyond exercising to encompass rituals and customs, social expectations, and repercussions for failing to participate. Thats right: If you skip a November Project workout, youre not out any cash, but the fallout is arguably more severe. Youre, well, shamed. Online. Its weird.

Spoiler: Not a lot of people miss workouts. Teixeira calls it an absolute feast for someone studying motivation for exercise.

One member compared November Project to a church. More commonly, people refer to it as a cult. Never in the pejorative Im-trapped-and-I-cant-escape sense, though. More like, This is the greatest-tasting Kool-Aid in the world!

Laura McCloskey leads the San Francisco tribe in a high-intensity workout. Hugs and hand-holding are not optional.Jake Stangel

While we walk, Stine, whos originally from Denmark, tells me about her obsession with November Project. Shes been a member of the Boston tribebears repeating: tribefor about four months and is visiting San Francisco for the week. Its been such a great way to meet people. Cities can be lonely, but you have this instant community, she says, using a nice-enough line that begins to sound like propaganda as I hear other members repeat it.

Two people who say it a lot are Brogan Graham and Bojan Mandaric. They are November Projects cofoundersand they totally fit their gladiatorial-sounding names: 6-foot-tall, bald, tattooed former collegiate rowers. Back in 2011, when the friends were trying to stay motivated during a Boston winter, they agreed to work out every weekday morning at 6:30, keeping track of their progress on a spreadsheet named for that first month, November.

Then, for reasons neither can quite remember, they sent out a tweet to see if anyone would join in. Two people became three, and a movement was born. When the Boston tribe reached 300 people, Graham and Mandaric got matching tattoos.

In the past few years, fitness has developed into something of a social identity — at least among plugged-in, upper-middle-class, roughly millennial-age urbanites.

It was a powerful turning point for Graham. During his sophomore year at Northeastern University, he was charged with assaulting a rival college rower. Though the charge was dropped in exchange for community service, he lost his scholarship and was kicked out of school. The experience shaped Grahams views on community and inclusion. Got a bad rap? I dont care, he wrote in the movements official history. Are you at November Project to be kind, work your ass off, and start your day right? Then thats all that matters.

As Stine is telling me how much she loves November Projects instant community, we find who were looking for. Unmistakably silhouetted against the foggy morning sky, about 40 people stand in a lopsided semicircle, arms crossed, heads bowed against the wind. They could be praying.

A woman in striped leggings and a North Face trucker hat climbs onto a park bench. Good morning! says Laura McCloskey, the San Francisco tribe leader, in a stage whisper. Were going to do a workout that I just came up with! I want everyone to break into groups of four! Find your four! Try to group up with someone you dont normally pair with!

Jake Stangel

Before we start, she asks if today is anyones first time. A few people raise their hands. I, not quite ready to give up my anonymity, do not. The newbies are directed to state where they come from, how they got here, and whether theyre single. A version of this happens at every November Project meetup, one of the traditions borrowed from Graham and Mandarics original Boston tribealong with chants, stair laps, a rallying move called the bounce, and, of course, physical affection. People come looking for a sense of belonging, Mandaric says. We foster that.

The same thing goes for November Projects other tactics for promoting inclusiveness. Hashtags are essential follow November Project on Twitter and youll see a lot of #hillsforbreakfast, #sleepwhenyouredead, and #justshowup. Members usually don highlighter-colored sportswear, stenciled and spray-painted with the logo #grassrootsgear. The result is a group of people who look alike, sound alike, and hug alike.

Toward the end of our workout, a man in my squat group finally discovers that I didnt announce myself as a new member. Were going to fix this, he says with a grin. He outs me to McCloskey, who has me wave to everyone during the group photo (another ritual) and apologize for not making my presence known. Eventually, everyone becomes part of the tribe.

Jake Stangel

In Graham and Mandarics crew days, their coach had a policy: If anyone missed practice, the whole team had to do dry-land workouts. It worked because nobody wanted to let the group down. When they started November Project, they knew theyd need a similar system for keeping people accountable to the tribe.

I feel a tiny bit of thisan expectation that no one is above the groupwhen Im teased for not introducing myself. But thats nothing compared to what happens to someone who doesnt show up for a workout. For that, November Project has perfected a bizarre, more 21st-century form of establishing accountability: online shaming. This is known as We Missed You.

From November Projects website: If you decided that staying in bed was a better option than working out with your friends (who you promised that youll be there) then your face will be featured here.

Members usually don highlighter-colored sportswear, stenciled and spray-painted with the logo #grassrootsgear.

By face, they mean embarrassing photos lifted from the shamed members Facebook profile or supplied by friends. Posts go on to explain that this person committed to attending a workoutmade a #verbal, in tribe-speakbut reneged. Screenshots of text messages and emails confirming said #verbal are posted, along with guesses as to why the absentee might have failed to show upanything from you must have gotten too drunk the night before to perhaps you were lost on a Segway tour. Its an elaborate expression of profound disappointment in the offending person, and there are hundreds of examples on the website.

Paddy OLeary, a member of the San Francisco tribe, remembers when he skipped a workout in 2013. A fellow member made him a We Missed You video; he hasnt missed a workout since. Other victims confirm the tactics effectiveness. You look like an idiot for sleeping in when everyone else is having an amazing time, says Holly Richardson, also in San Francisco. Its not worth it.

McCloskey makes no apologies for the policy. November Project is successful because it relies on word of mouth and accountability, she says. If I tell you that I will meet you at the corner of Market and Sanchez to run to November Project, come rain, snow, or dinosaurs, I will be there. In the event that someone sends one of those pathetic just cant do it texts at 5:55 am, we have the right to roast them. And roast we do.

Jake Stangel

Heres the fundamental thing about shaming: According to behavioral psychologists, its not supposed to work. Sure, it might force someone to make a change in the momentcontestants on The Biggest Loser shedding pounds before a national audience, for instancebut the effects dont always last. When your goals, attitudes, or values are shaped by external motivators, its unlikely youll stay satisfied or committed for long.

This is certainly true when it comes to working out. For decades, experts in behavior modification have tried to get people to commit to exercise. So far, nothing has worked, says Jack Raglin, a professor of kinesiology at Indiana University. It doesnt matter if youre paid to exercise, if youve paid to exercise, if you might die from lack of exercisemost people just dont stick it out.

Yet theres an undeniable element of shaming to this latest generation of exercise fads. It may have started with fitness trackers, which made people more aware of their activity levels in relation to othersreach 10,000 steps or your coworkers will know youre a slob. From there, programs began capitalizing on group pressure. In Orangetheory workouts, your calorie burn and heart rate are displayed on a screen. CrossFit posts scores as well, believing it encourages people to push harderand now its in 13,000 affiliated gyms worldwide.

But this motivation strategy, researchers like Raglin and Teixeira suggest, could be as doomed as any other. You may initially want to impress your peers or get your moneys worth, but those considerations rarely lead to true behavior change. If the standard adherence rate for exercise holds, Raglin says, half the people will stop showing up to these classes within a year.

Youd think this would apply to November Project too. After all, the threat of We Missed You is external. But there are some differences. November Project members are not paying anything to be there, the goals arent about burning the most caloriesyet people show up anyway. And many of them have been at this for years, without ever missing a single workout. Its clearly working for some people.

Jake Stangel

True motivation, Teixeira says, takes something extra, something intrinsic. If members of a group think they are gaining useful skills, feel personally valued, and perceive that they have control over their actions, they are more likely to fully commit. Teixeira believes November Project gives you a bit of all these things. And indeed, everyone I talk to seems like a lifer. But then again, I only talk to people who are there. The one real data point we have is that November Project continues to expand. A recent partnership with the North Face aims to help grow the movement.

Jennifer Hurst, an associate professor of health and exercise science at Truman State University, suggests November Project may be succeeding at pulling off a rare thing: positive shaming. It only works when the person truly cares what the shamers think, she says. The desire for social connectedness and the positive feeling some get from the environment must be worth the time, energy, and sacrifice. That explains why the rituals, cultlike as they seem, are so crucial. You dont want to disappoint people you hug, not to mention chant and bounce and dance with.

A number of years ago, Raglin and his colleagues found that married adults who enrolled in a recreational fitness program together had an average adherence rate of over 90 percent, compared to just 50 percent for those who enrolled on their own. The married pair didnt necessarily exercise together or even in the same room, Raglin says. They simply came and left together. Yet the social benefit was quite profound.

That may also help explain November Projects success. Members might not be married to each other, but theyre married to the group. And the group is what holds November Project together.

Jake Stangel

It turns out some November Project members actually are married to each other. At one of my workouts, a young couple tells me they met in the Boston tribe. The movement encourages this sort of thingleaders are expected to host mixers and speed-dating events. The phrase There will be babies appears on the blog and in promo material.

Yes, its all a bit creepy, and I dont blame passersby who look at us funny (there are many of them). And no matter how many times Im told that We Missed You is not about shaming, its about love, I wont be entirely convinced. But you cant deny the smile on these peoples faces. Nobody looks like that when theyre huffing it alone on a treadmill in their garage. I wont be heading up a November Project tribe back home in Santa Fe, but if one comes to my town, I wouldnt say no to a few hugs.

With dawn creeping over the edges of the city, we put our arms around each other and start to bounce. Yall good? someone says, in signature November Project whisper-shout. Fuck yeah! the group whispers back.

Surprising myself just a little, I say it too.

Meaghen Brown (@meaghenbrown) is a freelance journalist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the former online fitness editor for Outside.

This article appears in the July 2016 issue.