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anthonysstupiddailyblog · 6 months ago

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Anthony’s Stupid Daily Blog (804): Wed 29th May 2024

Up at half five AM with only four hours sleep but it doesn’t matter to someone who’s waited over a decade to see the mighty Jane’s Addiction. I got a taxi to the town and had half an hour to spare before so I went to get something to eat. There was a food cart with jacket potato’s listed on the menu so I ordered one with coleslaw but the lass behind the counter said the jacket potatoes would be ready until 11am so I burned the cart down. Waste of fucking time. I settled for some sausage rolls from Greggs and on the way to the coach a homeless guy asked me for change so I gave him a quid . As I walked away he was joined by a lass in sparkly pink sweatpants who started screaming and twitching. I wondered if maybe this was their act, that in exchange for money he gets his girlfriend with severe mental health problems to do some sort of odd transgressive art piece. We hadn't been on the road five minutes before someone got up to use the toilet which was right next to me, then one my one over the course of the next hour or so a different person would come up to spend a penny. Didn’t any of you think to take a piss before the bus came? It’s not like GoNorthEast where the cunts just turn up whenever the feel like it, National Express arrive on time so you knew how long you had. For the first hour and a half of the journey I re-watched the brilliant comedy movie Rat Race. More than almost any other comedy I've seen Rat Race manages to make it's characters brilliantly cartoonish and believably realistic at the same time. Once we got into London I used my Googlemaps to locate the hostel in Camden which was just a few minutes walk from the train station. After dumping my stuff at the hostel I went for a little shop around Camden market which is fucking amazing and the one reason why I'd be willing to live in London as it would provide me with all my everyday needs such as cooky clothes and…..nope that's pretty much it. Although I’ve already booked a coach home for tomorrow it’s at half seven in the morning and that means having to speed across the city on the tube so I decided that since there was a train ticket going for the fairly cheap price of £50 I would snap this up since Kings Cross is only a ten minute walk from my hostel. I set off for the show at half six but as usual I got there too early and had to sit through the opening act who I'm not even going to bother Googling to get the name of. While they were on I went and sat against a wall and genuinely read a hundred pages of Jules Verne’s Five Weeks In A Balloon on my phone, that's how unimpressive they were. Jane's Addiction finally took to the stage (after what felt like an eternal tease with a lengthy drum solo over the speakers) and the Roundhouse lost it's collective shit. They were dressed in trench coats and cowboy hats like The Undertaker and Perry Farrell has pretty much the same American Joe Pasquale voice he's always had which was cool. Throughout the night there was a hot red headed lass leaning on the same wall as me and she kept edging closer to me as the set went on. Then just as she was getting within chatting distance some bald cunt and his ugly wife came and stood in between us. I really wish these two had been in that baked potato cart that I burned to the ground this morning. Over the course of the night I was treated to some of the groups greatest hits such as Ocean SIze and Been Caught Stealing as well as a few new songs from the new album which I'll have to check out. For a while it seemed like Jane's Addiction would be one of the bands on the bucket list I'd never get to see as their tours are few and far between and it's not like the band members are getting any younger. However good things come to those who wait and after a decade of waiting I can now cross Jane's Addiction off the list.

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grgop · 6 years ago

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Geneva, the French and the Međimurci

After months of residing in the darkness of inactivity here comes a fresh review of the recent trip to Switzerland. Those 3 days were without expectations and with plenty of spontaneous decisions that turned out...awesome. I even managed get my Master thesis done and sent to print hours before the trip thus not having to bring my laptop there and work at the airport. I would also use this chance to thank again our hosts for the wonderful time we spent there as well as for helping us with the stay in Geneve. Merci beaucoup...or whatever you write it. Now what was all this about, when, why and how...please start scrolling. The whole trip was planned a few months ago as one our best and closest Uni colleagues was going to get married. Since we were sitting next to each other since the day 1 of the University life (and were breaking the Erasmus Intership Exchange ice together writing the letters and creating our portfolios in the bars between the Uni lectures...) there was no way for me not to come there. Wait a bit more to see the wedding pics. The interesting story is that she had met her future husband during Erasmus internship in Paris while I was in Vienna (maybe I should apply again for the exchange?). One of the last things in life I imagined was ending up on a wedding in Switzerland and be surrounded with the French and the Međimurci. On the trip there and back again I was with a few colleagues whom we will refer to as “the Noone”. Let’s start with...

DAY 1: Travelling from Zagreb to Venice Marco Polo Airport. Getting lost in Venice. Evening arrival to Geneve

Just before our trip there were several problems that were kept in secret in order not to spread panic. Our return flight with EasyJet was cancelled due to French Airline’s strike and luckily I was online to check us in on the next one an hour later. Had we not had the second flight the same evening things would gotten nasty with the bus schedule and arriving home on Monday morning to hand in our binded Master’s thesises.

The second crisis emerged early in the morning around 3am when I realized:

a) I left the sunglasses at my barber’s desk the day earlier

b) I forgot the headphones on my desk!!

We travelled with Flixbus, direct line from Zagreb to Marco Polo Airport, at 7.30am and arrived a bit later than scheduled due to traffic problems on the Italian highway and a traffic mess at the bus station in Trieste (sorry Italians, it was another prejudice come true...).

We came to our destination around 2.30pm and had almost 5 hours free before the flight. And what should we do?

Go to Venice of course! For the price of 15 Euros you get the bus return ticket from the airport to Venice. My colleague was there for the first time and for me it was the 3rd. I honestly didn’t expect going there but ... was worth it. The plan was to drink coffee somewhere but we didn’t have time as...umm... I wanted to make a tour around and we got lost on our way back...just a bit. : -) In the end we managed to get in time back.

The overall impression of Venice?

Crowded, hot, stinky...few buildings and streets that impress you in the beginning and then you get bored and start counting nationalities and bricks in the walls. As well as the shades to hide in.

Just before the security check in I realized that I totally messed up with clothes and items in the travel bag...bringing unecessary stuff that took plenty of space. Never again listen to the others and just keep it simple. So I was forced to put my pants, part of ceremonial clothes etc. into the bags of my colleagues. :-D Just like Voldemort with the horcruxes.

Speaking of food and water supplies on your trips and specifically at the airports...there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who buy the bottled water in duty free shops... and those who drink and fill them in the restrooms (toilets). During my 3 days I only drank water from the restroom. Save money, save the nature.

Our flight was around 8pm and I spent most of it (one hour) sleeping dead tired. For those of you who’ve been following me from before you might remember I’ve already been to Switzerland but never in Geneve. (scroll down the blog for those posts).

Geneva airport? While going towards the exit you pass by numerous billboards of the Swiss watches...Rolex, Rolex, Rolex...and Rolex..and so on for the next 5 minutes. The good thing is that all the arriving guests have 80 minutes free public transport ticket so we went to the next stop (Geneve Cornavin). Our hostel (Geneve Hostel) was about 5-7 minutes by foot and close to the Geneva lake. Boys in one room, girls in another to avoid the potential problems. And unplanned weddings.

At the hostel we were also given free public transport ticket that was valid for the whole Saturday and Sunday which helped a lot. It included the train, the boats, the buses and the tram within Geneve. Since France was super close (cca 4 km) there was even a tram line leading there (about 30 minutes)...we heard you can have a cheaper lunch there and planned “to visit France” on Sunday but plans changed.

Before the sleep we searched around the hostel area for some cheap place to grab some food. Now, the word “cheap” in Switzerland is not as same as “cheap” here and the best for your psychological health is not to convert the currency. We found the Ali Kebab place right next to the hostel and ate Chicken Kebab with some salad and French fries for 17,5 Franks, a meal we split for two. This was relatively similar to some prices here so it was not that bad at all. I could have eaten though the whole plate again but my wallet couldn’t. No complaints anyway!

DAY 2: Morning tour around Geneve. Going to the ceremony. The wedding and the afterparty.

I’m a morning person and Saturday morning was no exception. Woke up early, took a shower, breakfast when there aren’t many people and already ready to go at 7.30am. I got the public transport and city landmarks map at the hostel staff and went to the lake with another early bird. Here are some impressions of the streets, people and cityscape.

Plenty of runners with bluetooth headphones, people walking with dogs, the cylists, expensive cars you see in James Bond movies, the specific architecture, plenty of hotels and banks, mostly clean sterile streets, the promenade and the boats. Pretty much international population and French language everywhere. And I don’t speak French except for few words but was interesting to be in an “alien” surroundings. The lake that is as huge as the sea yet fresh water. Ducks everywhere. What I loved was seeing the bike roads across the promenade and the streets of Geneve. More about it on Day 3. Speaking of traffic behaviour they all more or less stop when you approach the pedestrian zebra crossing and stop even 0,5 m before it if the red light turns on. On contrary, here you’d get run over even if you were sitting on your balcony.

We went back to pick up the third early bird and started our little tour around. There were several bridges in the center and you had a boat connection with other side of the lake. There is the huge wheel with cafes around the big bridge. One of the Geneve’s landmarks is the huge fountain which we reached later and had a free shower. One of the things that pleasantly surprised me was (as I had found out later) the artistic project “Happy City” where there were ca. 20 painted pianos placed around the city’s squares, parks, streets and bridges...where you do as it says “Play, I’m here for you”. So I did what they required you to do. Playing piano on Lake Geneva was another thing I never thought about ... but now I can say “new achievement unlocked”.

We walked a bit more to the inside of the other side up and down the streets, seen some churches and lots of interenational bars and restaurants. Expensive exotic cars again..and then decided it’s time to go back to hostel.

On our way back we checked out Lidl and took some emergency food to have just in case of unexpected hunger. This saved us on the next day. I also almost forgot that right now I can buy and drink Rivella.

Travelling to Gland and the Wedding.

We jumped into our suits and wedding clothes and went to the train station around 2pm. We had to arrive to Gland which is ca 20 minutes away from Geneve and there our fiancée’s family was going to pick us up and transport to the ceremony’s place. While there we got to know our French roommates and colleagues offiancé.

What I liked (and probably others) there weren’t many people as it usually is the case here. I won’t go into details here and throw emotions but here are some things. Close friends and family from both sides, that’s it. The ceremony took place at the fairy location called Le Moulin du Creux. Beautiful house with garden, creek and forest around located 100 meters from the road. Check the nice photos of it and you’ll get the idea.

We had two-three pastors, the French ones and the Croatian one. Since most of us didn’t speak nor understood French we had a translator. And it was funny because she was a Slovene translating into Serbian mostly. :)) Nevertheless, an interesting ceremony and a special moment for our now married couple!

What was also new was that after taking pictures and rushing to the tables with food and drinks we also had a game organized - seek and answer game. They hid around 30 photos around the area and we got the papers with questions in French and Croatian. For my team it was kind of a fail in the end. We were trying to learn a few useful French phrases such as J'ai soif which means “I’m thirsty” when sneaking around the table with served drinks.

The other games included a catapult and a cubic football. There was also a gigantic version of the Jenga Tower which was fun to play. We took and received as a memory the polaroid photo with our couple and later moved inside for the dinner and the rest of the show. We watched short movie clips that fiance’s family created about him and our friend. The only problem we had was that we didn’t understand anything as there were no subtitles. :-)

After few more games and meals it was time to go out on the field and light the lanterns. This was a cool thing and my first time to show up and do the thing actually, I think we all enjoyed it. I have no photos of it though but you can imagined what it looked liked having many of them flying up. Let’s hope non of them fell on the forest below. :-D

Soon followed afterparty with some dance music. Some people already had to part and leave. Finally, around 2am we also decided to leave as we didn’t want to miss our train back to Geneve. And of course we missed the first one by being 5 minutes late.

We came to the hostel around 4am and straight to bed.

DAY 3: Tour around Geneve one more time. Coffee & city bikes. Departure.

The final day is here. So far everything great! We made a deal to meet with friends from Nyon around 10.30h at the giant wheel in the center. Shower, breakfast and baggage packed and locked in the hostel. Ready to go.

We took the boat to the other side and soon met with our friends. We then wasted around an hour going to the “old center” only to find nothing interesting there. However, we saw more of the public pianos and parks. For the next half an hour we were on a quest to find a solid cafe to sit and talk about life.

We ended up below the giant wheel and had a tiny cup of coffee for 4 Franks. Naturally, we stayed for 2 hours sitting & chatting there to compensate the loss. I ran out of cash and asked the waiter where to go. After all, Geneva is the city of banks and I hadn’t seen a single ATM machine there. Before running for some cash we decided to visit the giant fountain. On our way there I stopped by the public piano which was now free of ambitious moms and their kids who just pressed random keys but had a cool photo. Actually, I was doing the same. It was funny to have the unusual audience around you.

Soon by the fountain. Time for a group photo!

Time flew by quickly and our friends had to find the bus station as they were leaving sooner than us. We went to the center in search of places to eat and after parting with them three of the original squad left. We had a few hours left before rushing to the train station and the airport. Having lunch in France? Visiting France by trams? Visiting France on bikes? Using city bikes to go around? We rushed to the nearst bike station and...all the bikes were gone. Second chance at the one across the bridge. We somehow were lazy to walk and wasted time on the boat. What happened there? Only two bikes left. I agreed to run to the other station as the rest follows me. But the guy working there couldn’t find the keys of the bike so we waster 10 minutes there filling the papers and waiting for him to come to common sense. The third and the last luck before giving up was using the tram to the Station No. 5 ... and...three bikes left, keys in the hands and off we go!

There is no better feeling than going around the new place by bike. Pure freedom and flexbility. We gave 20 Franks deposit and decided towards the north along the lake. Bike routes almost everywhere. Going between the streets was fun. No fear of the vehicles around us.

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We did cca 10 km in total in about more than hour stopping to take the pictues (the evidences). The idea was to go to France but by democracy 2:1 we gave up from that idea fearing something could go wrong and we get stuck in the middle of nowhere and miss the plane. So we returned the bikes close to our hostel, took the baggage and went to the train station. There we found a nice souvenir and chocolate shop....you can’t leave without one kitschy fridge magnet and a few Toblerones. We met the other Croats who were going back by plane to Venice and I again reorganized my bagge stuff into 2-3 bags of other people. The food from Lidl helped a bit. As well as the good old fresh water from the restroom. I slept again in the plane this time successfully hiding my cabin baggage under my seat as the plane was crowded and full of passangers because of the cancelled flight. New achievement unlocked. We had almost 3 hours to wait for the 2.15am Flixbus for Zagreb. Being dead hungry we checked the available offers at the backery there and found some snacks to survive till home. This time Flixbus didn’t have the second floor (on Friday we found the first row spots on the 2nd floor, the best view and the best way to get killed in an accident). But who cares, soon home! The route was shorter as we stopped only in Ljubljana...I woke up two times in total and the second on just at the Croatian border. The bus arrived precisely at 7.30am to Zagreb, to the most beautiful of the ugliest bus stations in the area. Finally, seeing “Mamiću cigane” grafitti around the station I can say “Welcome back home!”.

#geneva #switzerland #suisa #genf #geneve #venice #veneto #venezia #wedding #međimurje #međimurci

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chrysaliseuro2018 · 6 years ago

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BOSS OF THE BUS

As we were making our way down the west coast on our 5 day trip, Genevieve was investigating trips from Side to Capadocia in the centre of Turkey. Correspondence went back and forth about a €40-50 (about $75-80) 3 day trip. Comparing what we were paying for our 5 days this was so cheap I feared we would be camping. But no this was the price. Of course the sting came a bit later.

So we were up for it and the 4 of us booked to start the tour on 12th June with pick up time 6.45am. Antique Side is closed to cars other than those of residents so the tour bus couldn’t come down the hill to collect all our luggage. Booking ‘agents’ advised the town electric cart would collect us but alas no. Meanwhile Chris was in negotiations with the police manning the gate but it was a firm No. With minutes ticking by Doug quickly got Penny’s car, luggage was loaded into that and driven to the bus.

Now about 30 minutes had elapsed so understandably got some stink-eye from the passengers who’d been kept waiting.

The bus was designed for 12 passengers but fitted out for 17 so it was a close and intimate affair. In the front 2 seats were Doug and Gene who it has to be said got lucky with some extra leg room. Behind them 2 elderly Danes who grabbed a bottle of wine and or beers at every possible opportunity. Behind the Danes were 10 year old Russian lad with his mousy mute mother. Then Chris and me wedged in (Russian lad had his seat reclined the entire 2 days), and behind us the very friendly and chatty Aunty Margaret and Tina from Essex. Along the back were sweet young newly weds Soyah & Maurice from Holland, a spare seat, then Holly, Tina’s stepsister who judging by her size would have been grateful for the spare seat. Could have knocked us over with a feather when she told us she had been to the 7 continents by age 24, had emigrated to Melbourne several years ago (lives in Chelsea)and works as a sound engineer. You just wouldn’t have picked it!

Then heading back along the bus in single seats was a surly young lad who turned out to be part of the tour operation, a woman of unknown origins who disappeared after day 1, then Mr Russia who seemed to have supplanted both his wife’s and his son’s ego into his own.

Bus driver slipped under the radar but the same can’t be said for the guide Nahjo. In fact it was a battle of egos between Nahjo and Mr Russia. He didn’t just like the sound of his own voice. He was addicted to it! Along the way amongst other chit chat and information we got his life story, some group marriage guidance, how small lies can be forgiven and how this works in a religious context too. Every monologue went for a minimum of 10 minutes and woe betide you should you chat amongst yourselves during one of his diatribes. In the gaps the gregarious, party-loving-club-going-40-something Tina would try to share with me her life history. Nahjo seemed to get wind of it and standing facing the back of the bus would either clear his throat or announce it was his turn. Chris and I were left thinking our polite and humble Gallipoli guide must have been absent for the Tour Guide Arrogance 101 unit of the qualification.

So we were off and despite the late get away we stopped not 20 minutes down the road for a tea/ coffee break, followed by a breakfast stop 40 minutes later at a petrol station/ roadside stop. (It has to be noted that Cappadocia is some 470 kilometres from Side so it was going to be long day if the stops came so frequently). Breakfast option 1 was a vast modern complex selling everything you don’t want to eat. Gene who has an eye for local food spotted hidden in a corner behind some trees an outfit selling gözleme so we headed there. Great decision. Shoes off and into the tent where the local lady sat crossed leg with her dough, tubs of filling and the black dome for cooking the gözleme. Spinach and cheese one was a bit dry but the potato one was outstanding.

All wedged ourselves back in the bus which climbed up the mountains through some magical scenery. Unfortunately Nahjo kept reassuring us on the wrong side of the bus that we would see it ‘on the back journey’. However our arrangements meant we weren’t doing ‘the back journey’ so at one particular stop he was a little annoyed when we headed off 200 metres down the road to photograph the nomads herding their goats. I suggested it would be better for all if the bus pulled over so we could all see anything of interest on the way to Cappadocia. Suggestion was not welcomed.

Another stop for coffee and the sting of the extra €’s. It had to happen of course. You can’t run a tour for €50 per person providing transport, 2 nights accommodation no matter how basic, 2 dinners and two breakfasts. So lunch which we though was fend for oneself turned out to be a set payment (we only paid for one and opted to take our chances on day 2), and extra for Whirling dervishes, museums (charge €25/ $39.20 versus ticket face value less than $9) etc totalling an extra €120 between us. Even taking that into consideration €220/$350 for both of us was pretty cheap and the overcharging on extras balanced the undercharging on initial outlay.

Next stop, lost count if it was 4 or 5, was at the Mevlâna museum Konya, the birth place of the Sufi religion and Dervishes. The site is a holy place for Muslims with over 1.5 million visiting it yearly. The Mosque contains the tomb of Rumi (unfortunately hidden due to renovations) later known as Mevlâna who devised the idea of whirling and the tombs of other eminent dervishes. Also on display were Mervlana’s coat, a box apparently containing his beard and any number of exquisitely decorated Qurans, one so tiny that the author went blind writing it.

Alongside the Mosque was a complex giving information about the dervish culture. Included was a lodge displaying mannequins dressed as they would have been in Mevlâna’s day and the dervish cells displaying various items. I for one would have enjoyed more than our tightly scheduled allotted time there. But we were rounded up like errant school children and headed back for the bus. Chris managed to ruffle Nahjo’s feathers by needing a toilet stop when we were warned the next section of the drive would be 2.5 hours. By this stage as it was 1pm we were wondering about the elusive lunch if the drive was for 2.5 hours. There was some grumbling from Tina and Aunty Margaret and it wasn’t from their stomachs.

Eventually we rolled into another vile modern roadside stop - our lunch venue. Behind the counter were some aggrieved (probably because of the lateness of the hour) gorillas of men slopping out an assortment of runny casseroles, reluctant to identify any ingredients. It tasted as bad as it looked. We were immediately pleased with the earlier decision not to commit to day two lunch.

A short drive and then time for another stop. This time it was to visit a preserved home dug under ground, a primitive more simple Coober Pedy affair. Apparently tunnel complexes formed entire cities but this was a small example taking only 10 minutes for everyone to get through. I opted out and instead waited near the entrance/ exit where a dozen or so middle aged women had set up a market. Trouble was they were all selling the same little local cloth dolls so competition to get any one walking by was frenetic. Females in particular were the target for the spruiking with a good natured but frantic cacophony of calls of “Mother, Mother”. The closer anyone ventured to the stall the louder the screeching got. I hope everyone managed to sell something but with another 5 weeks on the road, it wasn’t something I could buy.

Everyone back on the bus and off to Dervish show scheduled to start at 6pm. Clearly we were up against it as the previously cautious bus drive planted his foot. Arrived shortly after 6pm with another bus arriving after us. Having been so enchanted with the beautiful ceremony we saw at Hodjapasha in Istanbul Chris and I we were looking forward to a similar experience. Dougal and Gene had never seen them and had their expectations built up by us.

Oh dear!!! The pipe/flute player struggled to find a note, the dervishes all looked like novices (part time uni job perhaps), they wore slippers that made a noise that was distracting, one was losing his pants, also very distracting. There was a non dancing head honcho roaming around amongst them dressed in black once again distracting, they didn’t vary their speed and were for the best part out of sync. Yes they could spin but it lacked all the beauty, rhythm and charm of our previous experience. We left feeling glad to have seen a more authentic experience and Doug and Gene left feeling they were yet to see one.

Short drive to our delightfully self rated ‘Special Class’ hotel in Göreme, rooms allocated and orders that we had 15 minutes to get to dinner. Dinner a simple affair with lentil soup, the not-so-traditional-Turkish chicken schnitzel and melon. Danish couple of course knocked off another bottle of wine.

Gene, Chris and I headed for a stroll to town wandering through the streets. Highlight was at a hotel where I poked my head in and elderly Mehmet the owner insisted we come and look at his accommodation. Beautiful rooms that were huge with the bathrooms built into the rock giving a sense of a modern and upmarket Flinstone bathroom. With Mehmet’s limited English we spent a special half hour in the hotel’s courtyard trying and making a reasonable hash of having a meaningful conversation.

A long day and time for to return to our ‘Special Class’ Hotel Karl for bed, especially for Gene with a 4.30 am start for her hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia.

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hooliainprague-blog · 7 years ago

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krakow, poland

23.2.2018

We got on the bus to Krakow at midnight before Friday. I justified taking NyQuil because I’m sick, but I was a little bit grateful I had an actual reason. It ended up not doing anything for me as I was wide awake for almost the entire 6.5 hour bus ride to breakfast at a youth center. After breakfast, we got back on the bus for a few minutes towards Auschwitz. This was a very heavy few hours spent outside in the bitter cold, and it was a reminder that any problems we face today are not nearly comparable to what the victims of this concentration camp among others. There were around 40,000 camps established by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945, and they were used for various purposes, including labor, detention, and mass murder. It was a chilling environment and it felt wrong to take too many pictures. Here’s a couple of the main gate through which every prisoner passed through daily, some of the barracks, and an extremely large book of the names of the murdered people that functions as an eternal memorial.

Eva, the tour guide, did an excellent job of removing us from the numbers and statistics we were inundated with and made it seem infinitely more personal than any of us were prepared for. Some of the chilling facts she shared with us:

Anyone who arrived to the camp and was wearing glasses was sent instantly to the gas chambers because they weren’t perfect. I’d be done right then and there.

The Nazis recycled everything that the victims had with them. This included glasses, prosthetics, crutches, plates, bowls, clothes, shoes, and even hair. These items were all piled high in the memorial to help visitors visualize just how many people lost their lives too soon here. The Nazis used the hair of the deceased to insulate their coats and socks.

After the Nazis left the camps, over 80 pounds of glasses were found there, each pair belonging to somebody who couldn’t wear them anymore. Cooks, bakers, fathers, mothers, mailmen, etc.

The Jewish people believed they were being relocated to an area where they would be able to live. They brought their nicest dishes with them because they thought they would need them and didn’t want to have to spend the money to buy new ones.

The trees and grass we saw on our tour would not have been there in the days when the camp was still in use. People were starving and malnourished due to low rations, and the leaves and grass could be eaten to provide even the smallest amount of nutrition to keep them going for a little while longer. They had a lot of hope left in them, even after all they’d been through.

One gas chamber we went into had been a former air shelter before it was converted. What once saved many lives was manipulated to end hundreds of people every 20 minutes.

We moved another section of the camp on the bus.

This is where the new prisoners arrived and were sorted to determine if they would go to the gas chambers immediately or go to live and work in the barracks. The nicest job was the “shit commander” as Eva translated it, and they basically made sure that everyone was moving through the barrack with the toilets and the water quickly and efficiently whether or not they were done. This was a coveted job because they got to stay in contact with a lot of people and the Nazis wouldn’t go near them in fear of disease. That train car would have held over 100 people for days in the dark to get them to Auschwitz.

This is a photo of a bunk bed in a women's and children's bunker.

This final picture from Auschwitz shows a place where the women would stand to stare into the distance at the (now hidden by fog) mountains and say “I’ll get there one day.”

The strangest thing about the whole experience was that we could walk through the gates of this camp at our leisure while not many years ago, people were being forced to walk through the same gates so they could be murdered in unexpected, inhumane ways.

After the camp, we continued to the city of Krakow and checked into the hotel. I got a single room because there was an odd number of girls, and I was very thankful because it was a long day and I needed sleep. Eva lead a mini tour to the center of town so we knew where we could exchange money, get dinner, and do some shopping because we had the rest of the afternoon free.

I got some lunch with the guys from my program. We all ordered two entrees because we wanted pierogies and something else and were so hungry. Very delicious and good for the soul.

After that, we went back to the hotel to nap, but I wasn’t super tired. Soon after I got back, I went on a walk through Krakow alone to get to know the city a little more and to get some cupcakes and tea because I’m sick and I deserve it. I went to bed super early compared to other nights because I didn’t get much sleep.

24.2.2018

Breakfast at this hotel is infinitely better than at the dorm. They have hot food! And a dessert table! And a cappuccino machine!! It was nice to be pampered here with this breakfast, the heated towel rack in the bathroom, and the softest bed I’ve ever laid on in my life.

We went on a tour of the town, and the primary thing we saw was the Wawel Castle. It was very cool yet very different from the Prague Castle to which we’re so accustomed.

It also had some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life inside. It was also the hottest hot chocolate I’ve ever had, and I burned every inch of my tongue. It’s fine.

We had an hour for lunch, and I made friends because I overheard that they were looking for “big ass pierogies.” That’s when I knew I had to befriend them instantly.

After that lunch hour, we went to a tour of Schindler’s Factory.

We went to walk through the market, back to the hotel to warm up, and then to a buffet where you pay by the weight of your plate. It was so cheap but still so beautiful and delicious and perfect.

We had a drink there and enjoyed the live music. She was such a talented singer and put her heart and soul into it even though there were about 7 people in the restaurant altogether. We then went to two more bars that were drastically different from each other for fun. We ended the night with the bread piled high with toppings that Eva recommended from a guy named Mustafa. He’s great and gave me extra pickles on my bread.

25.2.2018

We woke up, had breakfast, and checked out of the glorious hotel.

We got on the bus to go to the salt mines of Wieliczka. This is the oldest operating business in the world and was one of the first tourist destinations in the world, as well. We started by walking down a whole bunch of stairs.

Eva had us convinced we’d have to walk the whole way back up, but luckily there was an elevator at the end of the tour because we kept going down more and more stairs within the mines themselves. We licked walls and drank the saline water that’s much more saturated than the Dead Sea. You can’t even dive into it successfully because it’s so dense.

This is a chapel built into the mines underground where they hold services and weddings sometimes. Even the chandeliers are made of salt crystals. Because we went so early in the morning and we were the only group in there at one point, they turned down the lights and did a special light show just for us.

They even have a restaurant down there. And the salt mines had wifi but our coach bus didn’t.... I’m not complaining, I was just surprised!

After we took the elevator up packed in like sardines in the dark and bought some souvenirs, we got on the bus and started back to Prague. I’m disappointed but not surprised that I didn’t get much sleep on this seven hour ride either. Overall, it was an emotionally-tolling and bitterly cold trip, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. It was an adventure that I’m glad I experienced.

Differences between Prague and Krakow

The main difference I noticed is that upon arrival, Prague felt a lot more safe than Krakow did. That’s not to say that I didn’t feel comfortable there; I did. I just felt like I needed to hold my purse a little more to the front of my body when walking in the main square. It could easily have been that I was in a new country and a new environment for the first time since being abroad. I also noticed that in Poland, people appear more approachable. In Prague, it is not customary to smile at strangers or have casual conversations in public. It seems like Czech people have more layers to get through. This also could have contributed to Prague feeling more safe because no one seems to have any interest in tourists here, and in Krakow, it is more likely that someone will start talking to you in an elevator or on public transportation. Speaking of public transportation, we relied on it a lot less in this city than in Prague. Prague is a walkable city, but you have to be prepared to go up a lot of stairs or hills in some situations (especially getting from our dorm by the Prague Castle on a hill to the university buildings down by the river and back). This is the main reason we use the trams and metro to get around. Krakow was more flat, and the center of the city was surrounded by a circular park that you could just walk around and get right back to where you started. Another major difference I noticed was in restaurants, the waitresses we experienced in Krakow came to the table to check on us more frequently. They were more involved in the dining experience. In Prague, they don’t really come back to check on you unless they see that your glass or plate is empty from afar. Overall, it was fascinating to see how the European cities differ, and I’m excited to travel more and check out the other unique differences between other cities.

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paniccord-ff · 7 years ago

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42.

Chris is taking ages in the bathroom, I actually need to pee really badly. Stifling out a yawn stretching out, today is the last day of Chris’ tour and then we are off to New York “Happy twelve weeks!!” Chris spat opening the bathroom door, staring at him dumbfounded. Chris jumped onto the bed “how do you know?” I questioned a little shocked “I listen to you when you talk, the doctor said eight weeks and a few days and I kept that in my mind and count down the days. So I know you are twelve weeks, soon you will be thirteen weeks which means you are pass your first trimester” placing my hand over my mouth “I have this app thing and it tracks it, I been looking” he shuffled off the bed “I will show you” I am going to cry, not because I am feeling emotional but this. He cares so much “oh, why are you crying?” Chris froze looking at me “look at you, god Chris. You are so caring, you never said you was counting the days and weeks. I say it to you but I complain too much, I just can’t believe I have a man that loves the ground I walk on. I just get emotional because I don’t deserve at times” patting down my cheeks, I need to stop crying “that is because I am so excited for this baby, I just want to be there at every moment” smiling at him “see, I have this app. It counts it down” he turned his phone to me, he is so sweet.

I am just thankful for the last day of this tour, it’s been a pain in the ass. I hate that my clothes are everywhere too, half of them are on the tour bus “Chris, you know we are going New York because of my show thing but Mark said he wanted us to be there for the court date?” folding Chris’ top “so?” he retorted, placing the top in my suitcase “so we need to see him, I don’t care what you say we are getting Royalty” he is ignoring this burden that needs to happen “but it’s stressing you, this shouldn’t be your issue” he can be a pain sometimes “what’s wrong now? I told you that Royalty has not forgotten you, why do you think that? I don’t want to hear that you don’t want to fight for her again, Mark warned you that Nia will bring up shit. I don’t care, you are capable of being a father. Why do you want to be a weekend father? Blake told you that she is allowing drugs around Roro and you sat here” Chris hates it when I say that.

“I get it!” he spat “the fuck you want me to do, I am just a guy” he pointed at himself “a guy with a woman that supports him, we are playing dirty on this. Mark may not like it but this is going to get them good, we are going LA instead and giving them pictures. How dare that hoe serve you saying you have to go to that date, she fucking knew you was here! I am pissed Chris. I have my show the next day, do not worry we will be there but we are going. She thinks we will be no shows but we are going to be there with the evidence” Chris is trying to not be there because Joyce was there at the date but she was in support of Chris, I don’t know why “it hurts me to see a video like that, she don’t care about her but I feel like shit never goes my way” shaking my head “you need to fix yourself up, we will have Royalty before the baby is here or even earlier. Bet my life on it” Chris thinks we won’t get Royalty but I think we will, she is the mother of Chris Brown’ daughter and she was openly just having Royalty around random men, it’s not normal at all.

Being in Europe has been nothing but funny memories with his tour crew, but also it has been too cold, I am used to LA weather now. This reminds me of New York, it’s so everywhere. Wearing a coat is weird for me, Chris doesn’t let me leave the hotel without it because I need to keep Peanut warm, if my child comes out thinking its name is Peanut I will not forgive him “I thought he was coming?” Blake asked, I shrugged walking to the elevator “he decided he needed the toilet I think” I am really not speaking to Blake once again, he cussed me out when I did nothing “you dead ass doing me like that?” I wish to not speak when there is random people around so I will stay quiet, hitting the elevator button “I got annoyed, is that my fault I had to hear my sister having sex shit was not normal!” glaring at him “how else did I get pregnant? The fairies didn’t give me the damn baby, you shouted at me!” the elevator doors opened “oh barely, I only said the fuck you doing at the restaurant. Trust me I regret ever getting a room near you two, disrespectful asses” stepping into the elevator “you didn’t say that to Chris did you? oh no you didn’t, you was all happy and shit with him. I am having sex with my fiancé, so what” the females coming from around the corner stared at me “and I just said what the fuck you doing, you mad fucking sensitive” sadly they decided to come on to the elevator we are on.

Standing in the corner “anyways I am over it, did dad tell you about moving to LA?” I need to get over it, I was being dramatic. Blake barely said a word to me “forreal? No way, why?” I am surprised he doesn’t know “because they want to be close to me, dad keeps on saying it and I said to him don’t because LA is expensive. They have Kyrie out there going to some nice school but now he wants the best, he wants to be down the road from me. He wants to sell the home, I said no but he won’t stop. Do you agree?” looking over at Blake “I mean we are all here but LA is expensive, if I ain’t selling dope then I would be on the streets. We have the wedding coming up, I get Chris is wanting to fly everyone out and shit but he can’t pay for everything. We have the whole family” he is so right, I forgot about the wedding “mom agrees so I am thinking my first paycheque, I am going to get them a home here” Blake pulled a face “how much you think you finna get? Your face don’t sell that much” hitting his arm “you’re such a bitch” the elevator doors opened to the lobby “but Chris explained it to me, think about this. Ok Mark is getting a cut, that would happen but Chris is technically my manager for now, Tamia and EJ get paid by Chris. The money comes to me. They are paying well for both things, a team costs you and I don’t pay that. Chris is my husband so I am getting that money but I think I want to do that for them, get them over here. I need to speak to Chris” Blake placed his arm around me “you always thinking sis, calm down. You out here thinking about Chris, Royalty, mom, dad, Kyrie, me but what about you? Shit will just work out” he doesn’t understand that I need to do all this before the baby.

“Chris finally decides to join us” his manager pointed, Chris doesn’t look happy “did I miss anything?” Chris said pulling his hood up “just me missing you” I said seeing Blake roll his eyes “this is sickening, oh god. I can’t even look at y’all” Blake walked off “anyways, can we all now go to the venue. Can we actually have a concert that starts on time and Chris, if I have find you on the tour bus when it’s a minute left to go onto the stage. I am docking your money, that shit was not funny and Rylee you are a bad influence” the dancers laughed walking off “baby I don’t think anyone likes us anymore, are we that bad” Chris shook his head “I think we are perfect, I love you pregnant. I mean when you are not crying about things, but you have been on it with the sex. And your pussy is so juicy, the fruits of heaven are there. If I can just have a glass of your finest juices Mrs Brown” placing my hand over his mouth “shut up, oh my god. Stop” he is so stupid.

I am so excited that this will hopefully be the last tour bus for a while, I don’t want to see another tour bus “I seriously think nobody likes us, how do we have the bus to ourselves. Where is the bodyguards?” Chris shrugged smiling, I think I have been a bad influence but what can I say. A bitch has her needs too but more then I usually want it and then Chris is on it straight away, that is the only reason why he was late for his concert. His dick is too good, I think I am addicted “oh well, maybe we can have sex, shall we just do it” watching Chris touching his crotch looking at me and then hearing my phone ring “tell who is calling first” I will never say no to sex “erm” Chris picked my phone up from the side “daddy? But wait, I am your dad? So who is this?” busting out laughing “stop it, give me the phone” holding my hand out “but I am your dad? Seriously, who is this” taking the phone from him “my actual dad, your only daddy when you’re eating me out” answering the call “daddy!” I yelped, Chris side eyed me.

I have just been listening to my mom and dad go back and forth arguing, I don’t know why he called “is mom feeling better? She sounds it” she sounds like me with Chris “when was your mother ever ill, yes baby I will do it. Let me talk to Rylee” I love them two so much “where are you now? Are you home yet? They showed the court case of Royalty on the news channel, I thought I would see you both” shaking my head “nothing really happened, it got cancelled anyways because the bitch wasn’t ready but we will be there for the next one. She did this because she knew we was here” this is why I am so angry “she knew nothing would have happened so I don’t know why she tried it, wasting a whole day on nothing” she makes my blood boil “she is a stupid woman, all I can think of is that little girl. She is so sweet” my dad complimented Roro “she is, I hope to see her soon but anything new with you guys?” Chris sat down and pulled my legs up onto his lap “I have been looking at homes in LA” rolling my eyes, I don’t want this for him and I don’t want him paying for a house. This is their time to rest, not working and paying a mortgage, I wish he would hold off “I found where Chris lives and was looking, I can get a condo there” he is really doing this “you searched where Chris lives? Dad please hold off on this, I am sorting something out for you guys” Chris eyeballed me on what the fuck am I even speaking about “no, I can do this. I am paying on my own” he is being stubborn “I refuse for you both to live in a condo ok? Listen to me and wait” my dad sighed out, he doesn’t like me telling him off.

“Fine, Rose told me about your first show. I was thinking of coming? Leaving Kyrie at some family’s home, you think that we could come” smiling a little “of course you can dad, I will get you a spot in the front. We will be in New York so come along” I needed to invite them both anyways “are you both staying with us? You have no choice?” chuckling down the phone “where else would we stay dad? We can speak on homes then” shaking my head, Chris doesn’t even know so let me tell him after this call “I can’t wait, I bet the baby has grown. I will let you go now, talk soon” placing my hand on my stomach “it has and I can’t wait to see you, bye dad” disconnecting the call, throwing my phone to the side of me “so your dad searched where I live? Why?” I have a headache coming along now.

Rubbing my head “so my dad wants to move close to us” Chris blinked at me several times “Your dad got millions?” I chuckled shaking my head “he doesn’t and then he said a condo because I know that is the only thing he can afford in the area you live in and I don’t think so, I needed to speak to you anyways on this. When I get paid I want to get a home for them, if that is something you don’t mind?” Chris shook his head “you do you baby, I will help you. if your parents want to stay at ours then I don’t mind either” shaking my head “no way, we need to decorate that place already and my family are too much. Don’t need it right now, I love them but they will take over everything. They want to move but they haven’t asked Kyrie in this, everything is expensive and my dad doesn’t work. I am worried, I mean I will get the money in but my dad won’t take it. That is his dream home, he is giving that up to come here to who?” I am just worried about them “to be close to us, I think it is sweet. My mom moved here but I wish she didn’t but that is besides the point, they want to be close and I get it. I will help you but LA is a different lifestyle unless we move to New York?” furrowing my eyebrows “I will do anything for you, if we get Royalty it might be a better move” I don’t know what to say, I am shocked he is even saying this.

#Chrianna #Chrianna FF #Fanfiction

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whiterabbitpeak · 8 years ago

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Hanoi.

The South East Asian gem hidden in a within a Tungsten North

Captains Log Day 4 - 18/03/17 8:26 am. Jetstar Flight BL791.

The residue of a four-day bender was stuck to the Captain like a well-crafted Gỏi cuốn ( Vietnamese rice paper roll). The hangover, thirty years in the making was dealt out as a result of a three-day long celebration, filled with love, friends, and a whole heap of decisions that the body was now regretting. The early morning alarm buzzed, it was not required, the sandman had forgotten to visit or had gotten lost in the aftermath. The Captain softly tapped the Admiral on the shoulder, the three-day blur of celebrations was just about to get extended as the travelling duo were about to embark on another adventure to the unknown, this time it was the land of the Dragon and a visit to the Khmer empire.

Transport had arrived, however the Admiral had to make one quick stop to her place as she had overlooked to take a key piece of documentation, her passport. The journey had begun, as we took our first flight to KL, followed by a flight to Ho-Chi-Minh and lastly to reach our final destination, Hanoi. The travel time for the journey was, eighteen hours, with twelve hours of flight time and the remaining time spent in stopovers. The grand hangover and missing the sandman the previous few nights meant that, the twelve hours spent flying was consumed by a zombie like sleep. With delays and transit (and the hour-long taxi ride from the airport) the Captain was able to check into the residence at one in the morning. The residence for this leg, was a room that smelt so heavily of paint that both the Admiral and Captain were getting mild headaches from the scent, however with the fatigue, we continued our chroming and decided to adapt to the fumes. The exhaustion that came from the flights and stopovers (as well as the possible high from the fumes), there was not a chance that Admiral or the Captain was going to undertake any adventures for the night. The first night in Hanoi rather was spent establishing contact with Co-Captain and his first lieutenant who were also visiting the city.

Early morning once again the Captain’s eyes opened as the sun shone through the very freshly painted window, it was time to execute a plan of action for the day’s activities. he quickly contacted the co-captain and organised a meeting point. After some drama with an absent-minded (noob) tour organiser we had a private car to take us to the beautiful Ha Long bay for the day.

Reuniting with the first lieutenant and the co-captain at their hotel we all boarded a vessel and set forth to how long day. This is also the moment that we met our dizzy car driver. We still don’t know his name, although he started yelling when the Nguyen Song came on (must be his favorite). The remainder of the four-hour drive to Ha Long bay consisted of carpool karaoke between the co-captain and the driver of traditional Vietnamese songs, that were blaring over the car stereo throughout the journey – at this point it is important to note that the co-captain does NOT speak any Vietnamese. To add some further excitement to the journey some random points the dizzy driver grabbed the co-captain’s leg and squeezed it, once again there was no warning or precursor to this action. Later in the journey the co-captain got his revenge and also grabbed the driver’s leg without warning. The reason is still not known to any other passengers in the car. Another interesting moment was when the co-captain asked the driver to stop for a toilet break, since the dizzy driver did not understand English google translate was used, this resulted in shouting war between the co-captain and driver. We also did not stop for another twenty minutes. Once again reasons unknown to all in the car. After many intimate moments between the dizzy driver and co-captain and stopping at a pearl factory, the party finally reached Ha Long Bay. Here we quickly were ushered onto a boat with another tour and fed some very extravagant (but bland) lunch on a private table, as the boat went along island rocks. Meanwhile our Dizzy driver somehow made it to the top of the boat and the boat Captain had to stop and come over to ask him to get down. The party then spent the day cruising the bay, going on a bamboo boat and visiting some caves, we also had a tour guide commentary explaining how some of the rocks we passed looked like animals or objects. “look Scooby doo rock!”. We came to the realization that whoever named these rocks were on some serious amount of special Pho. Soon after exploring the caves it was time to bid the bay, g’day and return back to our dizzy driver.

The journey back was even more exciting and although our driver was not grabbing the co-captains leg he was busy piloting our ride through some local highway traffic. There were moments when we were a few centimeters off hitting someone, or going head on into a truck/bus. The music continued to blare and the Nguyen song, motivated Mr Dizzy like never before. Finally, we made it back to Hanoi City. A quick freshen up and we regrouped at a very fancy, but delicious restaurant suggested by the co-captain – Madame Hien. Here the food was fantastic, until the raw chicken came to the table, the chicken was so raw that we could hear it cock-o-doodling. The Captain explained how it was raw, however the staff insisted that is medium and red, like the duck we had ordered. It was a struggle to explain why pink chicken = bad. It was fine in the end, they decided to replace it, new chicken…. Also pink. Game over, and although the rest of the courses and the cocktails were fantastic, it was time to say goodbye and hope that the next few hours alcohol consumption killed the salmonella that was breeding in our stomachs. We headed to another bar and sat and drank until the Admiral fell asleep on the table, an indication that it was time to go. We said our farewells, as we were greeted by a street rat, and walked back to our hotels.

The next morning, the slight hangover shone its ugly head, we quickly got ready and met up with the co-captain and first-lieutenant in search for shoes and a shirt for the wedding which was on later in the day. We visited a huge market, in search for the co-captain’s shoes, and as we approached every store the storekeepers looked at the co-captain, looked down at his feet and signaled us to move on, others shook their heads and said “Too BIIG, Too BIIG”, we later found out the largest sizes these shoes had was a size nine, far too small for the co-captain. The Captain was fortunate to find a shirt for the wedding without issue, however the search for the shoes continued, as the time was running out. after visiting a few malls, we were able to find an Aldo that stocked the right sizes. Rushing we headed back, got ready and made it just in time for the traditional ceremony of Ray and Linh. Surrounded by family the simple giving away of the daughter, was emotional and heartfelt. We made some new friends and coordinated some drinks before the reception was to begin. This is when things got a little too messy. Conversation, laughs got the better of us and three long island ice-teas at an English pub later, we were stumbling out and heading to our hotels to change for the wedding. The Captain took this opportunity to hydrate as much as possible in order to survive the night.

The reception was grand. It was like the Oscars, red carpet, crystal, spotlights even a catwalk was set up – the MC announced the wedding couple and then the onslaught of food started, course after course this was going to be a big feed. Trying his best not to slur and hoping all the water he had drank started taking an effect, the Captain nibbled on the food. This is when the Vodka glistened on the table as the waiter dropped off three bottles, and a heap of shot glasses. Using the Lazy Susan in a very efficient way, the Co-Captain loaded the shots for the table. This continued for the next few hours until 2 bottles were gone and so were half the people there. Realizing it was our cue to leave, we finished up, and made a plan to regroup again after we got changed and ready for a night out. Not long after the Captain heard the distress calls from the bathroom, as he felt the vibration in his pocket. It was the First Lieutenant, sending out a beacon that the Co-Captain was in trouble. The Captain rushed to the bathroom, and found one of the cubicles locked with a grunting bear like noise coming from inside. It was the Co-Captain. As the Captain tried to knock, there would be no response. At this point the Captain went to the cubicle next door, climbed the toilet seat, only to see vomit EVERYWHERE! The Co-Captain looked up and both burst out in a fit of laughter. The Co-Captain used the water hose to clean the regurgitated food and they both emerged from the toilet triumphant.

Following this debacle and with the wedding reception over, they all parted ways to go back to their abodes to change and then head out. We all made a pact to meet up again after we changed into civilian clothes. The Admiral and Captain went home, changed and then made a quick detour to 4ps Pizza for a snack – This place was amazing. Better pizza than most in Melbourne. Scoffing down our meals we met up with the crew later at a bar. At this point the Captain tried to reach out to the Co-Captain, but hope was lost. He was not in good shape. The remaining troops were out in full force later joined by the bride and groom, the crew were drinking, smoking sheesha and having a big night, we bounced from one bar (Bar Prague) when it shut to Club Theater, for some dancing. As time went on some of the troops thinned out leaving a core group. This was only disbanded when the last remaining club switched on the lights. The Wedding day was over, and the Admiral and Captain headed back towards home, making a quick pit stop for some random street burritos and nachos.

Fighting to open his eyes, the Captain awoke to a warm room, meaning that it was afternoon time, his head was still pounding from the music from the night before. His aging body was not used to this. The Admiral and Captain moved at slug speed to get ready and head out of the hotel. The Co-Captain and First Lieutenant, had departed to Hong Kong, meaning that day would be dedicated to sight-seeing and exploration. Struggling out of bed first destination was Giang Café, the Captain and Admiral had been recommended to try the local famous egg coffee, and Giang was famous for being the best. Creeping down an ally way they found a hidden café, bustling with people- here they were able to try the egg coffee, it was like a condensed milk latte with an egg on top, although as a thought it was strange, the drink tasted awesome. Leaving on a caffeine high and able to process basic directions next was the lake of the returned sword. Here the Captain and Admiral crossed a river bridge and went to temple in which resided a giant turtle statue. Starving from the adventure and the hangover kicking in the temple was followed by lunch at a Lotteria, a fast food chain initially recommended, which turned out to be terrible fried goop. Later as the Captain and Co-captain were walking they got grabbed by Major Matt and commander Jess, who joined them on the expedition for the day. First up for the awesome foursome was the Hoa la Jail – a restored prison that was a benchmark example of Vietnamese torture and pain – it was so bad that in irony the USA named it the Hanoi Hilton. It was a political prison where the prisoners were held, interrogated, tortured and killed, The Captain & Major marveled at the guillotine and the beheadings it had carried out as eerie music played. All this pain had our appetite restored and the squad headed to the French district for some pastries and cake. Just as the cake finished up the night market opened its doors – we walked the streets for kilometers, searching for bargains and getting hassled – the Major was able to pick up some Anime figures that he was looking for, the Admiral was in wonderland, hypnotized by bargains and the variety. The never-ending market continued on, however the squadron headed back, as it was time for the Water Puppet show. Hard to describe. Water puppet show is just that, a semi submerged theater of puppets, with music and a whole lot of “no idea what is going on” – highly recommended. The show ended up and the appetite was restored, we headed to the gourmet corner a restaurant recommended by a person at our hotel. Upon entering the place looked mega fancy, heading to the rooftop even more so. The food was nice, however when the Captain complained that the Coq au Vin had too much wine (lol), the staff rushed over to offer a discount. Service was impeccable. Finishing up Dinner we bid farewell to our friends and headed back for a few hours of shut eye till our flight down the delta to the South.

#hanoi #work #vietnam

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chinad · 8 years ago

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2017 here now spectacle.

Jan 27, 2017

last night woke up earlier then dwelling in dreams. first dreamt in zoo with dearest son, woz. 2 cheap girls recklessly open cage of tiger and let it at large. we rushed to evade and scattered. when I returned near zoo and found tiger caught woz and indecisively tore his clothes. in terror I scream for zoo manager's help. when he in sight and running closer, I approached the tiger and woke up. I timely noted it on my mobile. then dreamt an OCR software's advertisement on media. I was more or less familiar with pirate warez once, so I'm sure I will get a copy of the tool. I felt glad with it I can turn some Chinese textbook and its tests digitally for woz's exercise. then all dreams about flying, with a delegation of school teachers likely in vacation tour. I can fly without any voyage, and use it to challenge barrage around me. this is a pale morning and eve of lunar new year. my returning train ticket still pending while brokerage already handed over. woz gained about ￥2100 pocket money from his hometown relatives. I didn't send out any gift money, including my newly married nephew. but I told him my startup and hard economy and promised will help him in future when my situation better. yesterday is the turning day of our vacation here, half elapsed. we made nice demonstration to country guys about steam online games to larger LED, chromecast mirror screen, English online videos. our poor dell notebook almost broke down after heavily load of video gaming, in frequent freeze now. I sincerely best wishes to my relatives here, hoping someday I can improve their lives. they already saw satisfactions in the decade when most nephews built their families. God dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to my larger family, for my future offspring. bring me Asoh Yukiko for glory of regal affair. grant us financial freedom to support my online startup.

Jan 25, 2017

first dreamt inspecting a girl secretary of Communist Youth league. she later in charge of a business owned by CCYL, then the business turns in property of girl her own. then dreamt being an India school boy. he studied diligently and guessed or cheated to know exam's topic so scores highest. the topic likely about self-restrain, in Chinese in dream exactly "纲功伐满". his mom and sister celebrate his performance. his school dean who usually stern but now also welcomes him warmly. the boy gladly goes shopping with award, a check. this morning I woke up by the dream and made memo on my mobile. then I fell asleep again till my son got up. my elder sister asked us stay for celebrating lunar new year especially. my nephew came from my hometown village to invite our visit but I defied it for I felt vengeful against my brothers, esp my kid brother who made us harder when he had to aid me meanly. so I decisively evade him and his family, including the village, Zhudajiu where my 2 elder brothers didn't extend helping hand during my credit debt crisis last year. among the relatives and rich meal I abrupt left to my younger elder sister's house to blog. here my 2 nephews also hurry to downtown market. my dearest son, woz, aside me with his pc games. lunar new year holiday can be boring, for lunar harvest season doesn't exist nowadays. I just too far from any celebration in my family affair, nor regal affair. with additional ￥300 in this salary from QRRS, I equipped my family amazon prime another year, but nowhere to find fund to renew another 12 zhone domains esp. under woz's title. God, dad, pl allow me finishing last todo annually in this month. let 2017 anxious free and firm business as seeds soiled. bring me sooner my Royal China to house my beloved, my children. bring Asoh Yukiko when we still breed. grant us financial independence and ability to see through adversity. thx dad.

Jan 21, 2017

dreamt siblings competition in economy. mafia tried to control state owned properties and bidding for merger. I was threatened not to bid but managed to, among my relatives influence. the flight toward hometown esp. smooth, all my unease evaporated after a night and a day's on way. its my first time brought a luggage and I had to ask stewardess where to fetch it back. my son grows more confident in the journey with flight. our neighbor seat was likely a graduate girl, we made nice chats. we only had ￥500 budget for on road cost, and it did cover, including taxi to my sister's house in a town, our destiny. these days a nephew's wedding in preparing, for the bride's house too far, in neighbor province, so she will move to hotel in the county's capital in advance. tomorrow will be the wedding ceremony holds locally. our returning voyage still pending, for the train ticket too scarce to buy. we paid Ctrip.com to hunt for us, and it monitored more than 500000 times and still going. the town's business mostly cement, whose pollution quite severe. but today is second sunny day since our settlement and sunniest one so far. the 2 sons of my sister each has a car. their house newly furnished. I even already looking forward to return while my son still find funs here. all equipment we brought with us works well here, allowing woz to demonstrate online games with gamepads, mobile games chromecast to large LCD. hope he find friends here. God dad, we still have 12 domains to renew, pl grant us space to execute it. bring me sooner my Royal China to host our friends and relatives in glories. bring my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, for my family and children. thx, dad.

Jan 12, 2017

dreamt of my once campus alumnus, in surname Shi. he was one of 2 schoolmates helped me when I first settled in Qiqihar thousand miles from my hometown after graduation. in dream his house near mountain and open. at first I thought its scenery. then I anxious about safety. Shi first denied problem then gradually admitted it. his only elder sister then joined conversation, reviewed gunned robberies, as well as wild mountain predators, together their brutality hurt their family and young memories in feeble. then I review our old house also just under and inward 2 mountains' junction and kept so well by my grand dad, warm, vivid and self-relies. in reality when I first settled in Qiqihar and visited Shi's house, his house is a small slum among shabby northern China normal residential area. toilet was near mile away and backyard least spacey. but after nearly 2 decades, many slums turned into skyscrapers here and I don't know where is Shi and his old family now. these weeks preparing hometown tour 3rd with woz, dearest son. I previously severe concerned if my credit debt deprives me of airline, but narrowly I got our flight ticket in a mid Monday night. my kid brother tried his best to sell poverty, claiming my sister can't afford our flights but under my emphasis promised ￥5000 from my sister arrived in 2 times remission my failing kid brother loathed to complete. we got a flight toward hometown while return voyage is train whose ticket paid but still in hunting by ctrip.com, a Chinese mainstream travel agency, due to PRC cheap policy said to protect the poor while in fact lots of brokers profit from the scarce of train ticket out from saturated market. my alipay also once strangely locked me out of payment, till called its support crew to fix it. recently I mostly unease if my payment method totally freezed but so far attests I at large with my assets. nevertheless, with remaining Chinese Yuan, I equipped myself another domain, billingzhu.com for my future new family member perceives in holy message. soon after I gained it from godaddy.com it strangely deleted from my account. after spent near half day desperately resuming it, I had to call godaddy support but found unknown deletion likely beyond my intentionality. and PRC tightens law against personal domain ownership esp of overseas, restricting ISP within its sovereign from support. God, reckless dictator in sinking PRC desperate clinging to my portal online. where is the barked tree tall enough for voice of holy bliss, voice of hope in destructive nation like China under CCP seizure? bring me sooner my Royal China to extinguish sickened tyrant in PRC falling day by day in fear and hatred. bring me sooner my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, and our happy journey to central China, our hometown, in gathering our relatives in lunar new year 2017. grant us free web and steady investment on our cyberspace startup. thx, dad God.

Dec 29, 2016

first dreamt Pony Ma, founder of tencent.com, lives our neighbor. when I leaving my house topless, he and his parents just returning home and caught astonished. I explained I was in active art performance after found myself fully naked. then dreamt among kids. I esp cared a little girl likely a Tibetan. then with my kid traveling in delegation of my once colleagues of QRRS cable TV station. my kid creative and rushes to package and seats for the bus when we leaving a mountain village, just like myself unsettled for tour coming. this week barely looking forward to new year end bonus from my once and long time employer, QRRS. last salary brought me ￥3100, merely covered credit debt clearance monthly, 2000rmb. now I had several small bill to write off, inc tea subscription, treating neighbor kid for his lent us internet during our switching to fiber optic from PPPOE dialing, monthly cinema with woz, Taiwanese restaurant Formosa membership recharge, keep alive several debit accounts after annual fee charges, groupon showers, etc. I already had 2 local debtee with debt 1100rmb, and my web assets didn't fully renew, esp small cost but largely rewards, like amazon prime, localphone rental. I almost can't live without them. zhone's 12 domains under woz, my dearest son's title, also needs renewal which nearly costs $250. coming new year holiday also renders additional expense for dorm canteen then will out of service. I have to feed myself and treat my son in gatherings in the period. devil in dorm still pesters me, even more shamelessly and desperate. they frequently cut me offline when I enjoy passive listening or watching, ie. no my input on computer, trying to entangle me in cheap under espionage. they also deprive me off due caliber of web traffic capacity, results in badly lagging video and webpage loading loop at rate near 0 bps. they setup spare no effort to profane my solo and ruin my pleasure among cyberspace community but only reveal their ugly bloody mouth barking upon wrong tree. my dorm's window wall leaked, loose with many ashes broken down. I invited dorm director, a young tall and beautiful woman, to inspect if it turns dangerous. but she brought 2 technicians and they claimed well around. I still don't believe in. I want change to another dorm room well in shape and to evade the dark and poisonous souls sieged my current dorm, esp the spitting and cough pretending cow in facing neighbor. my current residential situation likely predefined before my move in, doomed to frustrate me and intimidate me into sad silence among criminal and sicken. they hated my brilliant website long enough. God, dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to vitalize my mission so far so joyful to discipline Chinese in new millennium for future gracious survival, for greater transformation of its people and culture sound and independent. bring my son and myself via airline to our hometown in 3rd journey out of anxiety. grant me independent finance to maintain our web investment and growth of presence online.

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be21zh · 8 years ago

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Jan 27, 2017

last night woke up earlier then dwelling in dreams. first dreamt in zoo with dearest son, woz. 2 cheap girls recklessly open cage of tiger and let it at large. we rushed to evade and scattered. when I returned near zoo and found tiger caught woz and indecisively tore his clothes. in terror I scream for zoo manager's help. when he in sight and running closer, I approached the tiger and woke up. I timely noted it on my mobile. then dreamt an OCR software's advertisement on media. I was more or less familiar with pirate warez once, so I'm sure I will get a copy of the tool. I felt glad with it I can turn some Chinese textbook and its tests digitally for woz's exercise. then all dreams about flying, with a delegation of school teachers likely in vacation tour. I can fly without any voyage, and use it to challenge barrage around me. this is a pale morning and eve of lunar new year. my returning train ticket still pending while brokerage already handed over. woz gained about ��2100 pocket money from his hometown relatives. I didn't send out any gift money, including my newly married nephew. but I told him my startup and hard economy and promised will help him in future when my situation better. yesterday is the turning day of our vacation here, half elapsed. we made nice demonstration to country guys about steam online games to larger LED, chromecast mirror screen, English online videos. our poor dell notebook almost broke down after heavily load of video gaming, in frequent freeze now. I sincerely best wishes to my relatives here, hoping someday I can improve their lives. they already saw satisfactions in the decade when most nephews built their families. God dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to my larger family, for my future offspring. bring me Asoh Yukiko for glory of regal affair. grant us financial freedom to support my online startup.

Jan 25, 2017

first dreamt inspecting a girl secretary of Communist Youth league. she later in charge of a business owned by CCYL, then the business turns in property of girl her own. then dreamt being an India school boy. he studied diligently and guessed or cheated to know exam's topic so scores highest. the topic likely about self-restrain, in Chinese in dream exactly "��". his mom and sister celebrate his performance. his school dean who usually stern but now also welcomes him warmly. the boy gladly goes shopping with award, a check. this morning I woke up by the dream and made memo on my mobile. then I fell asleep again till my son got up. my elder sister asked us stay for celebrating lunar new year especially. my nephew came from my hometown village to invite our visit but I defied it for I felt vengeful against my brothers, esp my kid brother who made us harder when he had to aid me meanly. so I decisively evade him and his family, including the village, Zhudajiu where my 2 elder brothers didn't extend helping hand during my credit debt crisis last year. among the relatives and rich meal I abrupt left to my younger elder sister's house to blog. here my 2 nephews also hurry to downtown market. my dearest son, woz, aside me with his pc games. lunar new year holiday can be boring, for lunar harvest season doesn't exist nowadays. I just too far from any celebration in my family affair, nor regal affair. with additional ��300 in this salary from QRRS, I equipped my family amazon prime another year, but nowhere to find fund to renew another 12 zhone domains esp. under woz's title. God, dad, pl allow me finishing last todo annually in this month. let 2017 anxious free and firm business as seeds soiled. bring me sooner my Royal China to house my beloved, my children. bring Asoh Yukiko when we still breed. grant us financial independence and ability to see through adversity. thx dad.

Jan 21, 2017

dreamt siblings competition in economy. mafia tried to control state owned properties and bidding for merger. I was threatened not to bid but managed to, among my relatives influence. the flight toward hometown esp. smooth, all my unease evaporated after a night and a day's on way. its my first time brought a luggage and I had to ask stewardess where to fetch it back. my son grows more confident in the journey with flight. our neighbor seat was likely a graduate girl, we made nice chats. we only had ��500 budget for on road cost, and it did cover, including taxi to my sister's house in a town, our destiny. these days a nephew's wedding in preparing, for the bride's house too far, in neighbor province, so she will move to hotel in the county's capital in advance. tomorrow will be the wedding ceremony holds locally. our returning voyage still pending, for the train ticket too scarce to buy. we paid Ctrip.com to hunt for us, and it monitored more than 500000 times and still going. the town's business mostly cement, whose pollution quite severe. but today is second sunny day since our settlement and sunniest one so far. the 2 sons of my sister each has a car. their house newly furnished. I even already looking forward to return while my son still find funs here. all equipment we brought with us works well here, allowing woz to demonstrate online games with gamepads, mobile games chromecast to large LCD. hope he find friends here. God dad, we still have 12 domains to renew, pl grant us space to execute it. bring me sooner my Royal China to host our friends and relatives in glories. bring my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, for my family and children. thx, dad.

Jan 12, 2017

dreamt of my once campus alumnus, in surname Shi. he was one of 2 schoolmates helped me when I first settled in Qiqihar thousand miles from my hometown after graduation. in dream his house near mountain and open. at first I thought its scenery. then I anxious about safety. Shi first denied problem then gradually admitted it. his only elder sister then joined conversation, reviewed gunned robberies, as well as wild mountain predators, together their brutality hurt their family and young memories in feeble. then I review our old house also just under and inward 2 mountains' junction and kept so well by my grand dad, warm, vivid and self-relies. in reality when I first settled in Qiqihar and visited Shi's house, his house is a small slum among shabby northern China normal residential area. toilet was near mile away and backyard least spacey. but after nearly 2 decades, many slums turned into skyscrapers here and I don't know where is Shi and his old family now. these weeks preparing hometown tour 3rd with woz, dearest son. I previously severe concerned if my credit debt deprives me of airline, but narrowly I got our flight ticket in a mid Monday night. my kid brother tried his best to sell poverty, claiming my sister can't afford our flights but under my emphasis promised ��5000 from my sister arrived in 2 times remission my failing kid brother loathed to complete. we got a flight toward hometown while return voyage is train whose ticket paid but still in hunting by ctrip.com, a Chinese mainstream travel agency, due to PRC cheap policy said to protect the poor while in fact lots of brokers profit from the scarce of train ticket out from saturated market. my alipay also once strangely locked me out of payment, till called its support crew to fix it. recently I mostly unease if my payment method totally freezed but so far attests I at large with my assets. nevertheless, with remaining Chinese Yuan, I equipped myself another domain, billingzhu.com for my future new family member perceives in holy message. soon after I gained it from godaddy.com it strangely deleted from my account. after spent near half day desperately resuming it, I had to call godaddy support but found unknown deletion likely beyond my intentionality. and PRC tightens law against personal domain ownership esp of overseas, restricting ISP within its sovereign from support. God, reckless dictator in sinking PRC desperate clinging to my portal online. where is the barked tree tall enough for voice of holy bliss, voice of hope in destructive nation like China under CCP seizure? bring me sooner my Royal China to extinguish sickened tyrant in PRC falling day by day in fear and hatred. bring me sooner my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, and our happy journey to central China, our hometown, in gathering our relatives in lunar new year 2017. grant us free web and steady investment on our cyberspace startup. thx, dad God.

Dec 29, 2016

first dreamt Pony Ma, founder of tencent.com, lives our neighbor. when I leaving my house topless, he and his parents just returning home and caught astonished. I explained I was in active art performance after found myself fully naked. then dreamt among kids. I esp cared a little girl likely a Tibetan. then with my kid traveling in delegation of my once colleagues of QRRS cable TV station. my kid creative and rushes to package and seats for the bus when we leaving a mountain village, just like myself unsettled for tour coming. this week barely looking forward to new year end bonus from my once and long time employer, QRRS. last salary brought me ��3100, merely covered credit debt clearance monthly, 2000rmb. now I had several small bill to write off, inc tea subscription, treating neighbor kid for his lent us internet during our switching to fiber optic from PPPOE dialing, monthly cinema with woz, Taiwanese restaurant Formosa membership recharge, keep alive several debit accounts after annual fee charges, groupon showers, etc. I already had 2 local debtee with debt 1100rmb, and my web assets didn't fully renew, esp small cost but largely rewards, like amazon prime, localphone rental. I almost can't live without them. zhone's 12 domains under woz, my dearest son's title, also needs renewal which nearly costs $250. coming new year holiday also renders additional expense for dorm canteen then will out of service. I have to feed myself and treat my son in gatherings in the period. devil in dorm still pesters me, even more shamelessly and desperate. they frequently cut me offline when I enjoy passive listening or watching, ie. no my input on computer, trying to entangle me in cheap under espionage. they also deprive me off due caliber of web traffic capacity, results in badly lagging video and webpage loading loop at rate near 0 bps. they setup spare no effort to profane my solo and ruin my pleasure among cyberspace community but only reveal their ugly bloody mouth barking upon wrong tree. my dorm's window wall leaked, loose with many ashes broken down. I invited dorm director, a young tall and beautiful woman, to inspect if it turns dangerous. but she brought 2 technicians and they claimed well around. I still don't believe in. I want change to another dorm room well in shape and to evade the dark and poisonous souls sieged my current dorm, esp the spitting and cough pretending cow in facing neighbor. my current residential situation likely predefined before my move in, doomed to frustrate me and intimidate me into sad silence among criminal and sicken. they hated my brilliant website long enough. God, dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to vitalize my mission so far so joyful to discipline Chinese in new millennium for future gracious survival, for greater transformation of its people and culture sound and independent. bring my son and myself via airline to our hometown in 3rd journey out of anxiety. grant me independent finance to maintain our web investment and growth of presence online.

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