#we school mumbai

[rentofficesmumbaii]

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[summer-blues-stuff]

A culture post for the girlie pops (and non-girlie pops) looking to write Pavitr Prabhakar accurately.

(P.s- I’m Indian and live in India and have been to Mumbai multiple times so shhh- )

(P.s.s- all i know about the spider verse comes from the movies so I’ll be focusing more on the Indian aspect. )

So in honour of atsv coming on Netflix-

FOOD- Pavitr live in Mumbai (mumbattan) so he probability of him eating “butter chicken or naan” (traditionally north Indian dishes) on a daily basis is almost nonexistent. (This is not to say he won’t have them occasionally but much of what people think is indian food comes from stereotypical North Indian food, pavitr lives in South Indian)

Popular food of Mumbai includes- vada pav(street food), panipuri(another street food), pav bhaji (not a street food), bhelpuri and sevpuri( you guessed it a street food) and for more every-day food- we have dal-roti or dal-chawal etc

(Edit: I forgot to mention this but, a lot of people are vegetarian either by choice or by religion and don’t eat meat (eating beef is HEAVILY and i mean heavily frowned upon.)

SCHOOL- In india we don’t have middle school or high school, we have grades.

We also have public and private schools (and unlike the USA, private school is not for the uber rich, middle-class families typically send their kids to private school and government(or public) schools are basically free or really cheap). Thus, Pavitr probably studies at a private school.

Keeping that in mind, Students from grade 1-12 study in one building and students actually sit in the same class while the teachers move from class to class. There is also something called school boards but for all our sakes, he studies in a school that follows CBSE guidelines. Now according to google, he’s around 15-16 so he’s in 10th or 11th depending on the school he goes to.

We have these really important exams called the “board exams” ( we just call them ‘boards’) And they are given twice by the students once in the 10th grade and once in the 12th grade and these are like really really important, kinda think of them as psats or sats(lmk if anyone wants to know more about boards) and if he’s in 10th he’ll be giving the boards in May.

After which he’ll pick a stream (medical, non-medical, commerce or failure) that he’s gonna study in 11th. There is a lot of emphasis on studies in India ( if you get good marks in 10th it’s considered that you’re good or ‘set’ for life but thats kinda bs) and it’s really competitive, students often go to tuition (think of them as an after-school school) for hours after school. Maths and science tuitions are the most common.

Uniforms (a half-sleeve shirt with a tie and pants or knee length shorts for guys) are also mandatory and are strictly regulated along with hair and nails. (Two braid or plaits for girls with below the shoulder hair and typically short hair for guys that have to be oiled) so im assuming that he gets called out a lotttttt about his hair, and teachers are constantly on his ass about cutting it which I think is funny af. The school timings are typically from 8-3 and tuitions are typically from 4-7.

It would also be super-cute if his aunt massaged his hair with oil (it’s considered an act of service and something people do to show their love)

10th grade especially is really really stressful in india and if home-boy cries himself to sleep every night I wouldn’t be surprised. So make him supppeeerrrr strrreeeessssed.

Name- Pavitr “Prabhakar” is a Hindu( a religion of sorts) name.

It’s derived from the Sanskrit word “prabhākara” which means “light maker” (from prabhā 'light' + -kara 'causing'), an epithet of the sun. So to those saying he’s a sunshine boy, his surname means light maker (do with that what you will).

Now, for his first name “Pavitr” however there is no exact meaning as, the name is most probably derived from Pavit ; maybe Pavitra(a typical girl’s name) if you’re pushing it. The meaning of Pavit is Love or A lovely and pious individual.

Edit: apparently pavitr does have it’s own meaning and it means pure

So his name roughly translates to lovely (edit: pure) sunshine boy.

Transport- Now i know that he’s spider-man but when he’s not, the most common way to travel in Mumbai is by an automobile (also called auto or auto-riksha).

One of these things ^^ and these ‘go by the meter’ (you basically pay for the distance you have covered and a meter calculates this.) these things are everywhere. You call for one of these by raising your hand and an auto stops in front of you and you ask if they will take you to the place you wanna go to (“bhaiya, _____ lekar chalo ge?”)

There can only be 3 people max on one auto (not including children) as per local government policies.

Another common way to travel is by the subway or local trains. ( and contrary to popular beliefs they are not filled to the brim with people). Cars are not that common as there is a lot of traffic. Like a lot.

Language- Most indians speak at least 2-3 languages- English, Hindi and a local language or two. Since they’re in Mumbai Pavitr probably speaks Marathi. Some people also know Sanskrit (but that’s not that common nowadays).

(Edit: People typically don’t speak in just one language, they typically use a mix of atleast two or three languages which change according to the region they are in. For example- English and hindi is the most common but some may mix in their regional language or dialect)

Also spider in hindi is makri (makdhi?) so i think it would be super funny if people called him makri (makdhi?) man.

People in India also curse a lot (not in English though) (though not in front of parents obviously) and the more people get angry the stronger accent the becomes.

Housing- housing in Mumbai is super expensive, and most people live in flats or apartments rather than houses, Mumbai is considered to be one of the most expensive places to own a home in the world just because of the sheer number of people there.

All flats in mumbai have air- conditioning units in them because it. is. so. humid and winter lasts for a month or two in comparison.

Culture- Mumbai is kind of regarded as one of the culture hubs of India, a lot of up and coming artists along with famous superstars live in Mumbai. There are a lot of exhibitions, shows and whatnot happening all the time.

Mumbai is also more progressive then the rest of India and pride parades do happen here but there is still a lot of stigma around it

(Edit: PDA in public is almost taboo, doesn’t matter who anyone is—kissing in public might actually land you in jail)

Teens typically wear jeans, shorts and graphic tees rather than kurtas or salwar-kamez (traditional clothing) .

Traditional clothing is typically worn on festivals such as holi( the festival of colour( some people wear white suits and kurtas)) or Mumbai’s most celebrated festival- “Ganesh Chaturti” (which is a religious festival religious festival to honour the Lord Ganesha.

Sports- cricket is the most watched sport in India a lot of kids play it on the streets or in parks and gardens, and its an India vs Pakistan match is an event in which everyone in the family (some even invite friends over) sit together and yell at the tv.

Mumbai is a city in which time stops for no one, and people are super busy. This doesn’t mean that people there are rude in fact they are some of kindest and helpful ppl you’ll ever meet(not including the obligatory rude af asshole that are in every community) especially in a city that never stops.

India is also not a country that lives in rags we used to be called sone ki chidiya (or bird made of gold) before the British Invasion so please for the love of god don’t depict everyone living in slums and poverty. The national currency is rupees and again i cannot stress this enough even though there is poverty in india, that doesn’t mean there isn’t prosperity. India is a developing country so keep that in mind while you write.

Religion and caste - This is a very touchy and sensitive subject in India and you should probably research a lot or stay clear of it in general ( especially the caste system its messed up and just stay clear of it) but Gayatri’s father is Sikh or at least punjabi so I’m assuming she is too. ( if she’s from Punjab or its surrounding area, then she probably speaks punjabi or her father most probably does).

(Edit: there are a lot of different religions in india —almost too many to count— and every single one has their own gods, prayers and rituals so please please please research before you write)

But something all Indian (boys) are taught to do is to touch their elders feet to show/ask for respect (and “ashirwad” I don’t know what this translate too directly in English but think of it as blessings)

Anyways here is a not very brief overview on mumbai and pavitr , let me know if you have any questions or if something isn’t really clear, English isn’t my first language so I apologise for the errors.

Please feel free to ask me anything ill do my best to answer back. : D

if you actually find this long ass post helpful and write a fic or something please tag me i would love to read it.

[srbachchan]

DAY 5919

StWork, Mumbai May 2, 2024 Thu 12:49 PM

Birthday - EF - Elena Iankova Friday, 3 May .. and all our wishes for a happy birthday

🌹

Yo !

here before time for a very big change .. haha ..

but at work and got a bit of time and BOOM !

got to say the travel from Juhu home to work Marine Drive in 30 mins .. amazing Coastal Road and the Tunnel emerging on Marine Drive , just before its flyover and simply amazing .. !

Super constructed roads, tunnel, neat clean construct .. no traffic jams .. and done ..

Ok just to change the topic .. here is something to know :

Know what is a "mondegreen?'

MONDEGREENS

If you’ve been listening to rock music, you know it’s often hard to make out the lyrics. They sing it their way and we hear it our way.

Jimi Hendrix famously sang the phrase “While I kiss the sky” which was heard by thousands as “While I kissed this guy.”

CCR’s popular song originally said, “There’s a bad moon on the rise.” Many heard it as “There’s a bathroom on the right.”

Deep Purple’s still-popular chorus (known for its timeless guitar riff) “Smoke on the water/Fire in the sky” was misheard as “Smoke on the water/Fire engine guy.”

Nirvana’s anthem “Smells like Teen Spirit” had the lines, “Here we are now/Entertain us.” They were misheard as, “Here we are now/In containers.”

When Elvis Presley sang, “Everybody in the whole cell block”, many heard it as” Everybody in a wholesale frock”

There’s actually a word for misheard lyrics like these.

Mondegreen.

Some mondegreens became so famous that even artistes like Hendrix and CCR sang the misheard versions in their live concerts in a spirit of fun and tease.

It’s not just in pop songs that mondegreens occur. The US national anthem begins with the lofty words, “Oh say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light.’ Some heard them as “José, can you see…”

Occasionally, mondegreens had an interesting side-effect. Joe Cocker sang of a ‘lovely planet’ which was misheard as ‘lonely planet.’ The latter became the name of a well-known travel guide series of books.

No one knows why we hear the wrong thing although there are theories. It’s akin to the game of Chinese Whispers where the original line gets progressively distorted into some hilarious garbage by the time it reaches the last guy.

Mondegreens are not restricted to English alone. South Indians, with limited knowledge of Hindi, were taught patriotic songs in Hindi by zealous teachers. A popular one had the repeating phrase, “Bara tamata.” School students sang it with great gusto. Years later, some of them realized the actual words were “Bharat Mata.”

A popular line from Qurbani song, “Aap jaisa koi meri/zindagee mein aaye/ toh baat bun jaaye” was understood as “Aap jaisa koi…toh baap bun jaaye.” The defective version made sense to many who saw Zeenat Aman gyrating on those lyrics while gaping at Feroz Khan.

Many who weren’t familiar with the hill station between Bombay and Pune heard the Gulaami song as “Haathi ka andaa la” until they realized it was “Aati kya Khandala”.

I have a friend, her name is Geeta. Her family called her Gitu. Throughout her childhood and youth, she thought Rajesh Khanna was singing for her, when he said, ”Mere sapnon ki raani kab aaye Gitu”.

'Mondegreen' sounds French but isn't. In 1954, a writer at Harper’s Magazine remembered how as a little girl she misheard an old English ballad. The actual words, saluting a dead war hero, were:

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘰' 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯.

She heard them as:

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘰' 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯.

And thus was born the word ‘mondegreen’ to signify all misheard lyrics from that moment on.

Turns out, mondegreen itself started life as a mondegreen.

sent to me by a friend .. 🤣🤣

More perhaps later .. or perhaps not ..

Amitabh Bachchan

and some more .. a very pertinent article in TOI ..

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Dyani Lewis

Published: May 31, 2023

In India, children under 16 returning to school this month at the start of the school year will no longer be taught about evolution, the periodic table of elements or sources of energy.

The news that evolution would be cut from the curriculum for students aged 15–16 was widely reported last month, when thousands of people signed a petition in protest. But official guidance has revealed that a chapter on the periodic table will be cut, too, along with other foundational topics such as sources of energy and environmental sustainability. Younger learners will no longer be taught certain pollution- and climate-related topics, and there are cuts to biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics and physics subjects for older school students.

Overall, the changes affect some 134 million 11–18-year-olds in India’s schools. The extent of what has changed became clearer last month when the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) — the public body that develops the Indian school curriculum and textbooks — released textbooks for the new academic year that started in May.

Researchers, including those who study science education, are shocked. “Anybody who’s trying to teach biology without dealing with evolution is not teaching biology as we currently understand it,” says Jonathan Osborne, a science-education researcher at Stanford University in California. “It’s that fundamental to biology.” The periodic table explains how life’s building blocks combine to generate substances with vastly different properties, he adds, and “is one of the great intellectual achievements of chemists”.

Mythili Ramchand, a science-teacher trainer at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India, says that “everything related to water, air pollution, resource management has been removed. “I don’t see how conservation of water, and air [pollution], is not relevant for us. It’s all the more so currently,” she adds. A chapter on different sources of energy — from fossil fuels to renewables — has also been removed. “That’s a bit strange, quite honestly, given the relevance in today’s world,” says Osborne.

More than 4,500 scientists, teachers and science communicators have signed an appeal organized by Breakthrough Science Society, a campaign group based in Kolkata, India, to reinstate the axed content on evolution.

NCERT has not responded to the appeal. And although it relied on expert committees to oversee the changes, it has not yet engaged with parents and teachers to explain its rationale for making them. NCERT also did not reply to Nature’s request for comment.

Chapters closed

A chapter on the periodic table of elements has been removed from the syllabus for class-10 students, who are typically 15–16 years old. Whole chapters on sources of energy and the sustainable management of natural resources have also been removed.

A small section on Michael Faraday’s contributions to the understanding of electricity and magnetism in the nineteenth century has also been stripped from the class-10 syllabus. In non-science content, chapters on democracy and diversity; political parties; and challenges to democracy have been scrapped. And a chapter on the industrial revolution has been removed for older students.

In explaining its changes, NCERT states on its website that it considered whether content overlapped with similar content covered elsewhere, the difficulty of the content, and whether the content was irrelevant. It also aims to provide opportunities for experiential learning and creativity.

NCERT announced the cuts last year, saying that they would ease pressures on students studying online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amitabh Joshi, an evolutionary biologist at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bengaluru, India, says that science teachers and researchers expected that the content would be reinstated once students returned to classrooms. Instead, the NCERT shocked everyone by printing textbooks for the new academic year with a statement that the changes will remain for the next two academic years, in line with India’s revised education policy approved by government in July 2020.

“The idea [behind the new policy] is that you make students ask questions,” says Anindita Bhadra, an evolutionary biologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Kolkata. But she says that removing fundamental concepts is likely to stifle curiosity, rather than encourage it. “The way this is being done, by saying ‘drop content and teach less’”, she says, “that’s not the way you do it”.

Evolution axed

Science educators are particularly concerned about the removal of evolution. A chapter on diversity in living organisms and one called ‘Why do we fall ill’ has been removed from the syllabus for class-9 students, who are typically 14–15 years old. Darwin’s contributions to evolution, how fossils form and human evolution have all been removed from the chapter on heredity and evolution for class-10 pupils. That chapter is now called just ‘Heredity’. Evolution, says Joshi, is essential to understanding human diversity and “our place in the world”.

In India, class 10 is the last year in which science is taught to every student. Only students who elect to study biology in the final two years of education (before university) will learn about the topic.

Joshi says that the curriculum revision process has lacked transparency. But in the case of evolution, “more religious groups in India are beginning to take anti-evolution stances”, he says. Some members of the public also think that evolution lacks relevance outside academic institutions.

Aditya Mukherjee, a historian at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Dehli, says that changes to the curriculum are being driven by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a mass-membership volunteer organization that has close ties to India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party. The RSS feels that Hinduism is under threat from India’s other religions and cultures.

“There is a movement away from rational thinking, against the enlightenment and Western ideas” in India, adds Sucheta Mahajan, a historian at Jawaharlal Nehru University who collaborates with Mukherjee on studies of RSS influence on school texts. Evolution conflicts with creation stories, adds Mukherjee. History is the main target, but “science is one of the victims”, she adds.

==

Well, at least it'll put them on par with the anti-science and biology-denial of US classrooms. China no longer has anything to worry about.

[girlactionfigure]

The Jewish Bollywood Star: Esther Abraham

She was India's first female film producer

Esther Abraham was a Jewish Bollywood superstar and the first female film producer in India. She was a proud observant Jew even while shaping modern Indian culture.

Esther was born in Calcutta in 1916 to an Orthodox Jewish family. The Abrahams were Baghdadi Jews who had emigrated from Iraq in the 19th century. In school Esther excelled academically and athletically. She was a talented hockey player with a roomful of trophies. Esther was also an artist who attended Cambridge University after high school and majored in art.

After university, Esther became a kindergarten teacher at a Jewish school in Calcutta, but she yearned to be a performer. Her first job in the entertainment industry was as a dancer for a silent movie theater. Esther’s job was to entertain the audience during a pause in the film while the reel were changed.

Many members of Esther’s family were talented musicians and performers. She went to visit an actress cousin in Bombay who was appearing in a theater production. The director noticed tall, beautiful Esther and gave her a screen test.

Esther did so well on the test that she soon appeared in her first movie, Bhikaran, in 1936. Around this time she was given the screen name Pramila. Audiences fell in love with Pramila and she quickly became one of the most famous actresses in India. She also worked as a model and appeared on many magazine covers. In 1947, at age 31, Esther won the first Miss India contest – while pregnant with her fifth child.

At that time in India, the movie industry was controlled by a handful of extremely wealthy producers who exploited their actors and crew members and paid them only a measly salary. Esther Abraham decided to change that. She defied the studio system by becoming the first female producer of Bollywood feature films. Esther formed her own production company, Silver Productions, and produced sixteen feature films. She treated her cast and crew with respect and paid them well.

Esther starred in 30 films. In addition to being an actress and producer, she did her own stunts and worked as a stunt double for other performers. Esther also designed her own costumes and jewelry for every production.

Famous for her enchantingly beautiful eyes, audiences didn’t know that her eyesight was very poor and she did dance moves by counting the steps. Audiences also were likely unaware that she was Jewish – and probably wouldn’t have cared. Unlike so many countries with Jewish communities, India has no history of antisemitism.

Esther’s daughter Naqi Jahan was crowned Miss India in 1967, and they are the only mother and daughter who both won the title. Her son Haidar Ali is a successful Indian actor and screenwriter. Haidar described his mother: “A woman who was gifted by God with internal power and strength… she magnetized power…. One the home front she kept us together [clenching his fist] like this.”

Esther Abraham appeared in her last film in 2005, at age 90, playing a grandmother in the movie Thaang. She died a few months after its release. Until the end of her long life, Esther remained a practicing Jew. Her funeral was at the Maghen David synagogue, and her son Maurice read Psalms in Hebrew. Esther was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Mumbai.

For entertaining audiences for seventy years, and for being the first female film producer in India, we honor Esther Abraham, aka Pramila, as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[phsycodesi]

When one talks about RSS who is a part of RSS, they usually only see the light side if it and agree with it’s many views and opinions. Others, who are not a part if RSS seem to lump us all in a group as complete bigot leftists. They don’t see the people in between, like me.

Me, who hates the plain homophobia and Islamophobia that exists but loves the gatherings and benefits from the discipline and personality programs. Who groans at the constant upholding of BJP, but loves the classes on sword fighting, staff wielding, lezim, band instruments, etc. Who can’t help but think of its golden years of the past and its lifelong reputation for helping those in need.

Me, who has grown up with RSS and seen both the good and bad in it, and still dutifully attends the meetings almost every Sunday to meet my friends who are NOT stuck to their phones (like most of my friends usually are) and can keep up with me in a history debate.

So, I’d prefer if you think rationally and realism that when you speak of RSS as a group and not individual exceptions of that group, you also talk of the children who don’t know better, people like my sister who knows I’m lesbian and turns a deaf ear to homophobia, and still loves the organisation for its core principles and values. Who still loves the events and festivals we celebrate.

This is the same sister, I tell you, who loves watching Minecraft with a burning passion, has had muslim friends in school and who misses the sounds of the mosque outside our windows when we still lived in Mumbai.

I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you're an idiot if you think we're all bad apples. Again, sorry for calling you that but something needs to be said.

[theatozclasses]

The atoz classes Review — “Transforming Math Anxiety into Achievement: Our Online Classroom Success Stories”

For many children, math is more than just a challenging subject — it’s a source of stress and anxiety. The fear of numbers, the pressure to keep up with peers, and the frustration of not understanding can make math seem like an impossible mountain to climb. At The AtoZ Classes, we’ve seen these struggles firsthand, but we’ve also witnessed something truly beautiful: the moment when a student’s fear turns into understanding, and anxiety turns into achievement. I’d like to share the stories of a few students whose lives have been touched by our approach.

Riya’s Story: Finding Her Voice Through Math

Riya, a 6th grader from Delhi, had always been a quiet, thoughtful child. But when it came to math, her quietness turned into withdrawal. She’d sit at the back of the class, hoping she wouldn’t be called on, and her once-bright eyes would dim with every math lesson. Her parents, concerned and heartbroken, reached out to us at The AtoZ Classes, hoping we could help their daughter rediscover her love for learning.

Aarav’s Journey: Rebuilding Confidence, One Step at a Time

Aarav, a 10th grader from Bengaluru, was a student with big dreams. He wanted to pursue engineering, but math felt like a giant roadblock standing in his way. Despite his best efforts, the complex equations and new concepts left him feeling defeated. Aarav’s parents knew he was capable, but they also knew he needed more than just tutoring; he needed someone who believed in him.

When Aarav joined The AtoZ Classes, I knew that rebuilding his confidence was just as important as teaching him the material. We started with the basics, ensuring that he had a strong foundation to build on. But we also took the time to listen to his frustrations and fears. I remember many late-night sessions where we’d talk through problems, not just math problems, but the doubts and worries that were holding him back. Slowly, Aarav began to see math not as an obstacle, but as a challenge he could overcome. His grades improved, but more importantly, he started to believe in himself again. When Aarav aced his final exams, the smile on his face said it all — he knew he was back on track to achieving his dreams.

Ananya’s Transformation: Learning to Love Math

Ananya, a sweet 3rd grader from Mumbai, was struggling to keep up with her math lessons at school. The fast pace and the pressure to keep up left her feeling lost and frustrated. Her parents, worried that she might fall behind, reached out to The AtoZ Classes, hoping that a different approach might help.

From the moment I met Ananya, I knew she needed patience, encouragement, and a lot of positive reinforcement. We took our time, revisiting lessons as often as she needed, using fun, interactive methods to keep her engaged. I’ll never forget the day Ananya solved her first problem all by herself — she looked up at me with wide eyes, a mix of surprise and pride, and whispered, “I did it!” That moment was the turning point. From then on, Ananya approached math with a newfound curiosity and eagerness. Her parents couldn’t believe the transformation — they saw their little girl go from dreading math to eagerly looking forward to her lessons. Today, Ananya is excelling in math, and the joy on her face every time she solves a problem is a reminder of why we do what we do.

The Heart of The AtoZ Classes

These stories of Riya, Aarav, and Ananya are just a few examples of the countless students who’ve found not just success, but joy in learning math through The AtoZ Classes. What sets us apart is our belief that every child can succeed in math, given the right support and encouragement. We don’t just teach math; we build confidence, nurture curiosity, and celebrate every step of progress, no matter how small.

At The AtoZ Classes, we’re more than just educators — we’re mentors, cheerleaders, and sometimes, a shoulder to lean on. We know that math can be challenging, but we also know that with patience, understanding, and a personalized approach, every student can overcome those challenges. Watching our students transform from anxious learners to confident achievers is the most rewarding part of our journey.

If your child is struggling with math or needs a little extra support, we’re here to help. At The AtoZ Classes, we’re committed to turning math anxiety into achievement, one student at a time more info visit our website theatozclasses.com

[ldyliberty]

Spoilers for all of ‘The Golden Enclaves’. I’m rambling about everything I loved about this book.

The scene where El is confronting the mawmouth in the London Enclave, and she terrified and psyching her self up to face it, and then it runs away and she immediately starts chasing it. Like a cat, oh it’s running? I’m going to chase it.

I know I saw some people complaining about the Leisel/El scenes, but they worked for me. Sex doesn’t always have to be a committed romantic relationship, sometimes it’s just a way to connect with someone and have a good time. I thought it fit both of their characters.

Speaking of Leisel, I loved her character arc of ‘Great, we escaped the school and improved the world, now I’m well set up to start my getting my revenge - Nope, have to deal with a mawmouth first. OK, now I need to make sure El stays alive and sane. Oh, we didn’t fix things as much as I thought. Wait, THAT’S how Enclaves are made?! Ugh, fine, I guess fixing things is more important than revenge.’

The scene after El pulls down the wall in Beijing and figures out exactly how mawmouths are made. It such a great moment of ‘I never saw that coming.’ & ‘Yep, makes perfect sense.’ Then the realizing El hadn’t made the link to ‘When I destroy mawmouths, that’s when destroying Enclaves.’ The whole sequence of El impulsively taking off for Mumbai, and traveling the way her Mum would, and finding the mawmouth, and finding out the truth about the prophecy. I stayed up way to late reading because of that.

The Enclave war at the end, and all of El’s classmates being ready to help her without knowing the whole story because she’s the only one they’ve seen try to help everyone, not just the people who would be useful. Her conversation with Li Shanfeng, him wanting to make sure she had the information that he got too late. Him telling her that what had happened was not her fault, but theirs. Orion looking for her in the crowd. ‘You’re already dead. You’re already dead, but stay anyway.’

The fact that nothing was ‘magically’ fixed - people went right on making the same stupid, selfish choices, and El and her friends were going to have to do a lot of hard work to make thing better for the future.

[chickensarentcheap]

Part Three. But with just TJ :)

@tragiclyhip

She sits in the driveway; engine off and rhythmically ticking as it cools down. Hands gripping the steering wheel hard enough to turn her knuckles white and pins and needles to form in the tips of her fingers. She can’t bring herself to go inside; not yet. Not with her tattered nerves and the unbearable heaviness that sits on her chest; it hurts to breathe, it’s uncomfortable to even move. She can’t go into the house like that; she’d already missed the bus drop off and their usual after school routine and she’s certain there’s hurt feelings and a little animosity on the kids’ parts.

She’s been gone a lot. First leaving Mumbai for Dhaka and then not returning to Australia when they did; relying on Ovi and Nik and Anil to keep them safe and happy while she stayed by her husband’s side. Their little lives have been turned upside down; a parent stuck in the hospital, the other nearly non-existent and their mind and their heart in another place even when they are home. It’s not fair to them; the upset to routine, the lack of proper quality time, all the missed hugs and kisses and cuddles and bedtime stories. They deserve more than that. So much more.

“I hate this,” she whispers, and her entire body begins to tremble. It finally releases; fear, worry, sadness, rage. “I fucking hate this!” she yells into the confines of the SUV, and tears stream down her face as she repeatedly stomps her feet against the floorboard and pounds her hands against the steering wheel. Screaming until her voice is hoarse and her throat is dry; continuing the assault until her wrists ache and her thighs burn. Then she slumps back into her seat and cries; hands pressed to her face as the sobs wrack her body and the tears stream down her face.

It takes several minutes for the moment to subside; until her body stops shaking and there’s no more tears left to cry. And she’s scouring the middle counsel for tissues to clean up her face when she hears it; the repetitive tapping of knuckles against her window.

“Mommy!” TJ stands in the driveway; already tall enough to see into the SUV without standing on his tiptoes. He’s long and lanky; all torso and limbs and beautifully tanned skinned. He’s only visible from the bottom of the nose up; the freckles across the bridge, those enormous blue eyes framed by impossibly long and dark lashes. “Mom!” He slams his palms against the glass. “Are you okay?!”

She nods, then places her palm against the window, covering his.

“Open the door!” TJ demands, and he’s suddenly so much his father. The concern that darkens his eyes, the furrows in brow, that assertive and demanding tone.

“I’m fine!” Esme assures him.

“Open...the...door!” He repeats, slowly and clearly pronouncing each word. “This isn’t funny! I know you’re upset! Open the door!” His eyes soften and he gives that charming, almost cheeky smile. “Please?”

He’s learned well. A true product of his environment.

“Go around,” she instructs, and watches as he hurries around the front of the SUV; sandy blond hair damp, the longer top strands sticking to his forehead and pushed in several different directions. He’s in his normal after school ‘attire’; shirtless and board shorts.

“What are you doing?” There’s a mixture of both concern and annoyance in his voice when she pops open the passenger side door, and she notices how impossible large his hands seem for only five; long fingers curling around the handle at the top of the door as he hauls himself inside. “Why are you sitting out there?”

“Why are YOU out here?”

“I asked you first. What’s wrong? How come you’re not coming inside?”

“I just needed a few minutes. It’s been a long day.”

“I was taking the recycling out,” he jerks his head over his shoulder; indicating the blue boxes that sit at the curb. “That’s my job, remember. That’s the job daddy gave me when we moved here. You didn’t see me?”

“You must have snuck by me. Like a ninja.”

“I don’t know how you didn’t see me. I’m hard to miss. Uncle Koen says I’m tall and skinny and awkward. Like daddy.”

“Your father is far from being skinny and awkward. You on the other hand…”

“That’s not nice, mom. When I’m big enough, I’m going to work out in the gym too. With daddy. He can show me how to get big muscles. I want to be big too. And strong. Do you think he’ll let me? Work out? When I’m old enough?”

“I know he will. He’ll like having a gym buddy.”

“Do you think I’ll be as tall as him? I hope I grow that big. I WANT to be that tall. I want to be a giant, too.”

“I think you’re well on your way to being just as tall as your dad if not taller.”

“Imagine?” His eyes widen in excitement. “If I grew taller and bigger than daddy? Daddy’s big. Like REALLY big. Sometimes he has to duck to get through doors in some places. Not to mention his hand is bigger than my whole face and his arms are massive! Imagine if I got bigger than him? That would be fucking awesome.”

Esme frowns. “Excuse me?”

“Sorry,” he gives a sheepish smile. “I don’t mean to swear. It just comes out!”.”

“You really do learn by example.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means your dad has to watch his mouth around you guys.”

[sulfurousdreamscapes]

Story // Mr Kanetkar's Office at Tribhuvan Rd

The entanglement of an office worker in Mumbai, his new colleague, and a teenager in Philadelphia.

~1700 words // 6 min read (preview) ~6700 words // 31 min read (full)

3rd February 2003, Mumbai

Mr Vishwas Kanetkar took over the seat vacated by his new colleague, Mr Singh. The computer screen in front of the seat displayed the small, blinking dash of a command prompt. Just above the prompt, a line of grey text read “Sometimes you just gotta light up, man. You won’t get it till you get it.”

Mr Singh lifted his backpack off the cracked-tile floor and slung it over his shoulder. “We have to have chai sometime and talk about work, Mr Kanetkar,” he said. “I’m sure there’s a lot you could teach me.”

Mr Kanetkar cracked his knuckles over the keyboard and grinned at his colleague. “You have a lot of catching up to do, Mr Singh. You know, before you, I worked with Surve Madam. We were a better partnership than Tendulkar and Ganguly.”

The young, turbaned Mr Singh made a thumbs-up gesture showing that he was impressed. He disappeared through the rotting doorframe and into the corridor outside, into a passage that lay dark under the barely-powered light bulb.

Back in the office, a new word emerged on the screen, conjured out of Mr Kanetkar’s steady typing.

“Where?” 

Moments later, a response spooled out like cut-up lace.

“Party at Cransway, at Lia’s place. Smells of grass and alcohol. Bathroom smells of vomit. Hanging out in a dark corner, pretending to enjoy the music. Music is not great, but maybe it’ll grow on me. I think one of Lia’s friends is checking me out.”

Mr Kanetkar smacked his lips and grimaced in disappointment. He typed out another message on the screen, which went to a teenage boy’s mind on the other side of the world.

“Trevor, what is this? You were going to study for the Physics test due in 2 days. Why are you at a party?”

It was morning in Mr Kanetkar’s office, but the tubelight was still on from last night’s shift. The ceiling fan’s rotating shadows swung all across the office. Mr Kanetkar pressed the seventh switch in a mess of wires and switches, which turned the tubelight off, and he rummaged through one of the file cabinets in the room.

By the time he returned to his wood-framed, plastic-mesh chair, more thoughts from Trevor unspooled on his yellowed CRT monitor.

“The party seemed like a nice place. A little scary, but I made up my mind to not be scared. I wanted to go, so I went.”

Mr Kanetkar had retrieved a file (‘Say no to drugs’) from the cabinet, but he put it away and typed, “Nonsense. They are doing drugs and beer at that party. Your parents raised you better than this.”

“My parents are not going to find out,” the reply read.

“Get out right now and go straight home,” Mr Kanetkar typed in. He followed up his command with more text, which wasn’t meant for Trevor’s conscious mind. “--no-repeat --importance:500”.

In Philadelphia, on the other side of the world, 15-year-old Trevor put down the almost-empty red cup. He slid through the rhythm-soaked crowd and got out to be hit by the chill of a winter’s night. Hands in his pockets, he walked home with Avril Lavigne playing in his head.

In Mumbai, Mr Kanetkar entered a fresh command into the computer, which brought up  Trevor’s actions for that day. He read message after message, all of which built up a sequence of events for him. That day, Trevor went to school, got home, got his homework done, did the dishes, was called by Lia to come to the party, and then, he said yes to the invitation.

Mr Kanetkar grumbled. “What did you do, Mr Singh?” He pressed the ‘n’ key to go to the next page of the on-screen report.

While at the party, Trevor had been approached by a girl named Beth. She had said that she hoped Trevor didn’t mind her checking him out. Trevor had replied that he didn’t.

Then, they had talked about music, agreeing that neither of them liked the band playing at the party. Trevor preferred music that most people didn’t - music from the 1980s that he got on old hand-me-down cassettes from his older cousin Darren.

Two songs later, Trevor and Beth had agreed to a movie date. They were going to watch a horror movie called Final Destination 2. With the plan confirmed, Beth had floated away to another group, and that was where Mr Kanetkar had taken over his shift.

Presently in Philadelphia, Trevor crashed on the bed with his boots still on. Darkness had taken over from twilight, and Trevor felt an urge to dial Beth’s telephone number.

Mr Kanetkar jabbed his fingers into the keyboard, spelling out his next instruction. “Tell Beth that you have to cancel the movie date.”

Trevor told Beth that he had to cancel the movie date. He sounded vaguely drunk and tired, and he told Beth that he hadn’t been thinking straight earlier.

On the other side of the call, Beth sounded disappointed. She asked him if something was wrong. Trevor replied that he had other plans. They navigated their way to goodbyes and hung up the call.

Mr Kanetkar typed into the computer while referring to the yellow file that he balanced on his lap.

“You’d make a mess of it, wouldn’t you? Remember when you spilt your Pepsi all over the lobby? Back when you went to Jurassic Park 2 with your parents?”

Trevor lay on his back and stared pointedly at the ceiling fan, letting his mind wander.

Mr Kanetkar sighed. “Exam in two days, and this boy wants to go watch movies.” 

He consulted diagnostics on the screen to go over Trevor’s hydration, bladder, and fatigue levels. It was now safe for Trevor to fall asleep, but Mr Kanetkar made sure to fetch a trio of files from Cabinet CA-5, which he would feed into Trevor’s half-conscious mind.

It was only after Trevor was satisfactorily asleep that Mr Kanetkar put all the files aside and pulled out his tiffin box. 

The four containers of the tiffin box shared space on the table with the dusty keyboard, three differently-coloured pens, and a small notepad he’d bought for a handful of rupees down the street. 

One of the tiffin box containers held chapatis, another had spiced eggplant, the third had steamed rice, and the fourth had dal. Mr Kanetkar ate slowly and made sure to wipe the inner surface of each container clean.

After lunch, Mr Kanetkar stretched, made sure that Trevor was asleep, and then went out of the room to greet Mr Parmar, the owner of the sewing machine repair shop down the corridor. 

He had met Mr Parmar a decade ago, and the two shared a camaraderie now. Dozens of firms and employees had come and gone in that decrepit building on Tribhuvan Road, but Mr Kanetkar and Mr Parmar had persisted. They joked that they had a survivors’ bond.

Later, Mr Kanetkar went to the balcony at the end of the first floor corridor. He lit up a cigarette and watched the cloudless skies. He reflected on the sun-baked dust and the missing off-season showers. No rain until the monsoon now.

He waited for the sun to turn a cooler ochre and then retreated into the dark of the corridor. He slid open the deadbolt on his office door and took his seat after a bout of stretching.

In Philadelphia, Trevor lay asleep and dreamt of being flung across an endless corn field. Falling sideways was exhilarating, and every time he alighted on the ground, he had only a couple of moments to think before he was flung again.

Mr Kanetkar sipped on his chai, which was brought to him in a small glass by a pre-teen boy employed by the local chaiwallah. Shortly after six, a curt knock on the door signalled Mr Singh, who entered with the same grin on his face as when he had left the office that morning. His armpits were lined with sweat and his cologne was deadenned by the metal lick of the local train.

They exchanged pleasantries, and Mr Kanetkar made way for Mr Singh to take over.

On the other side of the world, Trevor neared the end of his sleep. He was going to wake up, and once he did, Mr Singh would guide him through the rest of the day.

It was time for Mr Kanetkar to go home.

When Mr Kanetkar got home, he found his wife putting on a sari, ready to go out. Mr Kanetkar did not want to know why,  but she told him anyway - it was Shashank’s birthday. 

He replied that he did not know who Shashank was. She clarified that Shashank is the boy who lives one floor downstairs, and that Shashank had personally asked her to come to his birthday party with ‘uncle’.

Mr Kanetkar clicked his tongue. “His parents probably made him go around the building inviting everyone. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Still, we have to go,” Mrs Kanetkar said.

So Mr Kanetkar went to the boisterous birthday party, where he wished Shashank a happy birthday, gave him a ₹500 note, ruffled his hair, and then went into the back to talk to the other ‘uncles’ of the building.

“Will you have some with us, Mr Kanetkar?” Shashank’s father asked him, leaving out any words that might mean liquor.

“No, no, thank you. Maybe next time.”

“What next time? Next time will be next year!”

4th February 2003

Minutes after taking over his shift, Mr Kanetkar ran to the first floor balcony and searched for Mr Singh in the street below. He caught sight of Mr Singh’s maroon turban, but only as it disappeared down Tribhuvan Road in the direction of Lamington Road. It was too late to call after him now, so Mr Kanetkar groaned and returned to his office.

According to the logs on the computer, Trevor had called Beth and told her that he’d had a change in plans. They then went to an afternoon showing of Final Destination 2. In the dark cinema hall, Beth had touched Trevor several times on the arm, and even on the thigh. Later in the film, the two had even kissed each other.

All of this had happened under Mr Singh’s supervision, and now Mr Kanetkar believed that he had been left to clean up the mess.

Continue reading here!

[dhalsimxhonda]

HONSIM ; TALK ABOUT OLD DAYS (REWRITTEN)

SUMMARY … the rewritten version of the old “talk about old days” prompt except lukejamie is only featured there . for reasoning, please check out this post .

CW … mentions of trans pregnancy .

CHARACTERS … edmond honda, dhalsim, luke sullivan, & jamie siu .

SETTING … street fighter 6 .

A/N … this is to make it up for my inactivity there .

the sumo wrestler chef took a look at the beautiful skyscraper around edomon and its cozy surroundings. he couldn’t believe how amazed everyone was when they took a shot in there. he could even watch the statue of liberty and it felt like a dream. all dressed up with his turtleneck, he already felt warmth and wind at the same time. it was all interrupted by his workers telling him that two couple’s orders were ready and he should be serving it. “thank ya as always for letting me know. please take a break while i do my work, sir!”

edmond smiled and left the view as he began carrying the meals with his other mates. towards the couple, he placed all of the respective plates onto luke sullivan and jamie siu. “and there ya have it, please enjoy all of yer foods, fellas. all done from recipes by me!” the trainee smiled and gave edmond a handshake as an honor. “no worries, we enjoy spending time in your restaurant watching those sumo matches!” the sumo wrestler chef chuckled from luke’s encouragement. “why thank ya! we should spare some time soon, sullivan!”

after leaving the two of them alone, he then went to supervise the sumo match from the heya, crossing his hands. “yoga!” behind him, the yoga master who was also dressed up with a turtleneck placed his hands onto his husband’s shoulders. “did you miss me, darling?”

edmond turned his head towards dhalsim and gave him a big hug while spinning around. “oh, dhalsim-kun! how much i miss yer embrace!” the hindu man laughed as he gently caressed the japanese man’s cheeks. “do ya know that you’re my #1?”

“yes, my dear edmond! but please calm yourself.” dhalsim tried to snap his husband’s pda out of it. the sumo wrestler carefully placed the yoga master down as he kissed him on the cheeks. “i know i shoulda calmed myself down, but seein’ ya makes me happy! i’m so glad to see ya, dhalsim-kun!” the yoga master chuckled while kissing his husband’s lips. “glad to see you again, my darling! please, tell me what are you doing?” the couple went back to the view. “i had to serve the couple seconds ago!” he replied. “ya know they love to spend time here on edomon!” he laughed as dhalsim embraced his arms onto his husband’s shoulders. “what couple?” he asked as edmond turned around and looked at the four men. “sullivan and siu.”

dhalsim blinked, all eyes on his husband. “hm, the two rivals?” he asked as he turned around. the sumo wrestler chef glanced at his husband. “yep.” he replied. “plus, seein’ them together just reminds me of us when we’re younger.” his smile grew softly as he held dhalsim’s hands. “do ya ever miss our youth back then?” the yoga master thought and remembered memories from eighteen years ago.

back when they both met in mumbai, and became good parents with datta and sanjo edmond honda received his transition goals and dhalsim carried and gave birth to anishk. from taking down shadaloo as many times before, traveling from japan to india endless times until they finally reached their new chapter in metro city. they lost count of how many times they make love and would do anything to kiss birthmarks, bodypaints, or scars. all of the difficulties of becoming street fighters and protectors of their three children ended when honda decided to establish his restaurant in metro city. sanjo has been training sumo wrestling, datta is studying to become a doctor, and anishk enjoyed studying in his elementary school with his friends.

eighteen years of being together have been the best decision that dhalsim and edmond took and their respect for each other is so special that they deserve each other. their fate with each other was meant to be after all. dhalsim remembered everything…

“i indeed miss our youth. and the day that we met changed everything about us. you were so handsome when you were on your late twenties, and you still are nowadays.” dhalsim recalled as he held his husband’s hands back. “i love you, darling. i still love you after nineteen years of our first fight.”

as luke and jamie watched both of them in awe, the coach wrapped his arms around siu. “y’know, meathead.” he spoke. “they really could be us when we get older.” jamie blinked and laughed with a slight blush. “you mean these two guys? it will not happen ever! how do they even get together in the first place? do people really know that they were together back in the 90s or some shit?”

luke sullivan chuckled as he kissed his boyfriend on the cheeks. “it’s sometimes hard being a street fighter and being together. but we’ll work things out together, just you and me, siu.” he replied as jamie agreed and both continued to enjoy their food and companion.

[findingnemosworld]

𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝? - 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐬

・𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: @littlemaidensworld

( 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥? )

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥, ( 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭, 𝐢 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 )

It had definitely been a culture shock for the Andalusian as he had taken advantage of the break he had to travel to Mumbai to support his old childhood friend from way back when in school on the most special day of his life, his wedding. Aditya was thrilled to see him and had taken on helping him get settled and get to know every angle of Udaipur where the wedding was held, while at first Sergio was slightly uncomfortable and felt out of place, around the third day he was well settled within Aditya's family, so much so that he didn't think he would see her again.

Prior to the wedding ceremony, the sangeet was arranged to celebrate Aditya and his bride to be Malti - the groom and bride's families prepared their dance performances which were a refreshing thing to see, reminding Sergio of the festive atmosphere present in the weddings in Spain, only here in India it definitely exceeded his expectations - Just after the bride's family completed their performances, his eyes were instantly drawn to the dusky brunette dressed in a silver saree, her hair was curled to perfection with just the right amount of makeup adorning her features.

" Is that ...? " He asks Aditya.

" Yes, that is Naina " Aditya smiles, having already been aware of the lingering feelings his friend has for his cousin.

Once upon time, while Aditya was residing in Sevilla with his family; he and Sergio had grown close, often times playing football together and whenever they played, a young girl would sit and watch them, at first Sergio didn't mind her, however as time went on he came to learn that she was Aditya's cousin, Naina.

" She just arrived from London, after completing her masters degree in journalism - she worked for um, if I remember correctly, Sky Sports for a while " Aditya explains, " And uh .. she hates you "

" She hates me " Sergio laughs, " Why? "

" She's a ... " Aditya chuckles, " She's a Liverpool fan so let's just say that um, she hates you because the Champions League final, that Champions league final "

Sergio nods slowly, realizing which incident he meant. " I'll try to smooth things over "

A little while later, Sergio spots her chatting with another girl who noticed him before she did, " Good evening " he said.

Naina turns around, resisting the urge to roll her eyes; instead she forces a smile, " Oh, I didn't notice you " she murmurs, " Aditi, this is Aditya's old childhood friend, Sergio Ramos "

" Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Aditya's other cousin " Aditi smiles shaking his extended hand.

" Pleasure to meet you " Sergio states with a charming smile.

Aditi then looks at Naina, " Is this the same Sergio you said you'd smash when we played the game last week with the girls "

Naina shoots her cousin a glare, while Sergio looks at her with a confused smile. " Smash? "

" Basically we mention the guys we want to get down and dirty with " Aditi laughs, " and Naina here mentioned you "

" Aditi " Naina said through gritted teeth and a forced smile. " I was drunk so it's not that big of a deal "

" Oh jaan, it is " Aditi giggles, " Drunk words are sober thoughts remember? anyways, I'll see you later, it was nice meeting you Sergio and if she gives you a hard time, you know where to find me " she winks.

Sergio chuckles, " noted " he then turns to Naina. " So? "

" Don't even " Naina shakes her head, aiming to walk past him only for him to follow her outside of the venue.

" Naina wait " Sergio said loudly, jogging up to her.

" Why are you chasing me? there are plenty of pretty girls in there for you to choose from " Naina states with a sarcastic smile.

Sergio laughs, " Aditya said I'm not on your favorites list "

" He's right, all you do is behave like a violent maniac on the pitch " Naina rolls her eyes before muttering, " But I'm sensible to not hold it against you "

" So ... you're not mad at me because of the final in 2018 " Sergio wonders.

" No I'm still mad " Naina chuckles, " Actually I'm seething " she turns to face him, " And all I can think about is wrapping my arms around your throat and choking you "

Sergio opted to be playful by saying, " Why don't we head back to my hotel room then? "

Naina rolls her eyes again, then smiles. " Is that why you chased me? so you can behave like a man child "

" I'm trying to lighten up the mood " Sergio states with a chuckle.

" On the contrary " Naina retorts sassily, " You ruined it "

Sergio watches her walk past him and back to the venue, now determined more than ever to win her over.

__

Naina was definitely drained, being in charge of photography was a lot more tiring than she initially believed yet she was happy to have been able to see her cousin find the love of his life which in retrospect had her thinking of Sergio, of the time she was enamored by him as a teen, after the ceremony, some of the guests were still in the hotel, Naina included as she was working on editing the photos of the wedding to include them in a special article for her blog which steers away from sports.

While she was working, she hears a knock which causes her to look up, confused she stands up and walks towards the door, she opens it expecting one of her family members only to find Sergio in front of her. " You haven't left yet? "

" I leave tomorrow, I wanted to come see you " He said.

Naina heaves a sigh, he'd been very persistent throughout the times they've encountered one another and despite every attempt she made to push him away, he was relentless which ultimately left her with no choice but to step to the side to allow him to enter, " Sit down please "

He takes a seat on the chair near the bed while she went up on the bed to check her laptop before shutting it off to look at him, " What is it? "

" I wanted to apologize, for alot of things ... " He sighs, " for teasing you as a kid, and for beating Liverpool even though I don't mean the last one "

Naina chuckles, " Of course you don't, you're a monster "

" A hungry monster that loves winning " He smiles, " I would however like to say another thing "

" Yes ...? " She said.

" I asked Aditya and he said you're moving to Madrid " He said, " So it leads me to my next question "

" Which is? " She prompts him to continue.

" Will you be my friend? " He asks.

She furrows her brows, then laughs. " Seriously? "

" Yes seriously, let's start off again as friends because I want to do this properly, I've always liked you Naina and I promise if you give me a chance, I won't let you down " He said.

She remained silent, measuring everything he had said; while considering the pros and cons of dating a football player, " If we do this, you're going to be coming here a lot more " she said.

" I'll get used to it " He shrugs.

" My mom will grill you and ask you when you'll marry me " She said.

" I'll figure out how to charm her " He said.

" My dad is an easy target, he loves football ... and I would like to point out that if we are going down this path, I'm very head strong so you'll have to be patient with me " She said.

" I'll wait a lifetime " He smiles.

She smiles, " Ok ... you've got yourself a new friend "

[srbachchan]

DAY 5913

Jalsa, Mumbai Apr 26/27, 2024 Fri/Sat 12:01 PM

🪔 ,

April 27 .. birthday greetings to Ef Satish Shetye .. and Ef Aayush Kundal Divyang from Indore .. keep well and happy .. 🙏🏻🚩❤️

So late again but never neglected .. and after the late rise due to late 😴 .. a quick morning exigencies .. exigencies ? , if they can be addressed thus , and a bit of the yoga pranayama प्राणायाम .. for whatever it be worth at this age and time .. done and now because of differenced schedules a quick march across to the vyayamshala, which in the conversational talkathon of this generation be a gymnasium .. which where and how it came to be is perhaps unknown but ..

what is known is that it came from a German word, or Scandinavian which referred to a School preparing students for an entrance examination ..

BUT .. here is more .. it came in the 16th Century from a Latin Greek word 'gumnasiom' from 'gumnazein' to exercise naked from word 'gumnos' meaning naked ..

aaahhhhh .. the beauty of word renditions and their history ..

thank God the modern day Gym setups are not following the Latin/Greek traditions of 'gumnos'

🥹

So to get back to the Blog and the post .. I be off now to the .. yes the place of exercise .. and NOT following the LatinoGreek 'gumnos' tradition ..

more in later times ..

some reading to be done .. of scripts presented from various sources and a desired response from them that delivered it ..

So yes .. !

And .. Oh Gosh !! .. what is the IPL turning out to be .. never ever imagine that KRK after scoring 261 in 20, would ever be defeated by Punjab at 262 for 2 or 3 I think ..

I had given up the game and shifted away .. and then looked up the result and immediately went back to the replay ..

This is amazing and the volume of the talent that is emerging in each game is simply STUNNING .. !!

Given a chance .. the emergence is phenomenal !!

NOT JUST IN CRICKET .. BUT IN EVERY FIELD ..

We never had that opportunity before .. but now within over 75 years of Independence and Freedom - from 1947 to 2024 .. the emergence of talent and opportunity and progress is INCOMPARABLE !!

Jai Hind 🇮🇳

Love ❤️

Amitabh Bachchan

[rabbitvintage]

"Freddie and I were in school together. I only know him as Farrokh, later as Fred Bulsara, not Freddie Mercury. He was a really friendly and good-natured chap. We spent our holidays in Mumbai, and he came to my place very often. At school, nobody teased him anymore than they teased anybody else.

"We were a great group of friends, getting up to mischief, bunking class and sneaking out to Tableland (a big plateau close to our school). The food was atrocious and the teachers very strict. Corporal punishment was quite normal, but that was the case in most places.

"Freddie was extremely generous. Once he received a box of fancy chocolates, a rare treat. Normally the rule was that we offered all our friends some but kept the most for ourselves. But Freddie shared these very special chocolates with everyone, and gave me a couple more for my sister. He was always like that.

"Freddie was the peace-maker. He hated it when anybody in our group fought and always tried to get everybody to be friends again. He'd joke around until we had to laugh and give up. One thing about Freddie, he loved to win! Whether at sports or studies, he loved collecting his trophies and certificates. And he loved his mother very much. We all wrote letters home, just wrote a few lines; we were fine, were they fine, we missed them, etc., but Freddie always wrote his mother long letters telling her in detail about everything that was going on. He also kept all her letters to him very carefully. They shared a very strong bond.

"After Grade 11, he moved full time with his aunt in Mumbai and I lost touch with him. I never heard from Freddie again until one time I was in London in 1974 and ran into him at a restaurant. A man detached himself from a small group nearby, and came up to me and asked if I was 'X’. It was Freddie. I didn’t recognise him at all - he looked completely different from the school-boy Freddie.

"Naturally once he said he was Freddie Bulsara, I was delighted and we chatted for a few minutes. With me he was still Fred Bulsara, he never once mentioned who he became, and I had no idea either. We chatted about our families, school and that was it. Freddie asked about my family, catching up on old times a bit. And then he left with his friends.

"The funny thing about this is that I had absolutely no clue that Freddie Bulsara WAS Freddie Mercury. He never, ever mentioned the Mercury name that day either. I was not into rock music, and this was way before the internet. I was just happy to meet up with a good friend from school. When I asked for the check, the waiter told me Freddie had paid my bill, I was pleasantly surprised.

"Few months later, when I went to a record store to buy some albums, I saw Freddie's face on an album cover. Only after asking the clerk at the store did I realise that my good old school friend was now the rock star Freddie Mercury! He still had the same old innocent Bulsara eyes.

"A couple of years after his passing, I went to India for a visit, a couple of us got together and toasted our friend Farrokh Bulsara."

This story was shared by Noorie (a member of Queenzone whose uncle was a good friend of Freddie’s from boarding school. Noorie has shared several lovely memories of her uncle and Freddie.)

Freddie always so humbled and kind! He may have become a rock star but his heart stayed the same. 💛

[muozu]

Cognitive dissonance is an axiom of the moviegoing experience. The power of cinema—lifelike fictions given bounded, unlifelike shape—lies in its utopian promises. It can allow us to experience worlds not yet within our grasp. That disparity, between dream and reality, can either fill us with yearning and propel us toward action; or it can sate us vicariously, becoming an excuse not to take action. Major film festivals are, by design, invested in ensuring the latter. An entire ecosystem—involving labor, capital, politics, technology—comes into being to allow us to watch, buy, and sell films. Any change in the status quo would destabilize this ecosystem. So we submit to the myth of the festival as a hermetically sealed world. We tsk-tsk at Cannes’s annual ban on protests along the Croisette and continue to book tickets for screenings. We write glowing reviews of films that critique the very institutions that our presence at Cannes is used to justify.

But that implicit surrender to dissonance has been growing increasingly unsustainable in the last eight months, as artists and festival workers have been organizing in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and demanding greater agency within film institutions. They have used their work, platforms, and presence to ask that festivals reconcile their (increasingly, fashionably progressive) artistic positions with their material and political engagements. To some, this insistence may seem futile or misplaced. Certainly it does to Cannes Artistic Director Thierry Frémaux, who, in the pre-fest press conference, swore off controversies and polemics at this year’s edition: “In Cannes, the politics should be on the screen.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, he also questioned the political influence of film festivals. “When we gave the Palme d’Or to Michael Moore for Fahrenheit 9/11 did it have an impact on the reelection of George [W.] Bush? No.” But politics is not a grand, faraway thing, implying only election outcomes and geopolitical upheavals. Festivals are, fundamentally, exercises in world-building. Like students on campuses across the globe, activists in the film-festival space are asking: what kind of world are we building right here, right now? What possibilities are we reifying through our participation in a film festival, and which ones are we foreclosing?

Two of the most beautiful movies I saw this year at Cannes refocus politics as the product of small acts of instantiation. Tru’o’ng Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light are shiveringly pretty films in which illicit love stories unfold against fraught backdrops. In the former, two gay coal miners contending with the ghosts of the Vietnam War prepare for a treacherous emigration in search of better fates; in the latter, a Hindu nurse secretly romances a Muslim man in a Mumbai where the threat of communal violence lingers perpetually in the shadows. Both films shudder under weighty historical and political burdens, yet seek resolution and subversion in intimate human gestures—of acceptance, desire, and beauty, brandished in the face of terror. Both films also implicate capital-P politics: Viet and Nam has been banned in Vietnam for its “negative” portrayal of the country, while All We Imagine as Light, which made history as the first Indian Grand Prix–winner, has earned bouquets from the same public officials who have persecuted Kapadia for participating in strikes against the right-wing government’s interference in India’s premier public film school.

Celebrating such films and the communities they convene is one of the possibilities that international festivals keep alive. But how long can we maintain the ruse of championing artistic freedom and civil liberties in cinemas surrounded by hundreds of cops and A.I.-powered cameras and staffed by underpaid workers? There is no easy way out of these imploding contradictions—no zoom-out to break the fourth wall and relieve the tension; no artificial intelligence–themed twist to blame it all on. We have wrought this world, and we will have to rebuild it.

— Devika Girish, "Cannes 2024: Whiplash" for Film Comment

[sunblonderealtors]

Upgrading To New Property In Mumbai

Upgrading to new property in other hand you are upgrading your lifestyle. As Mumbai residential properties has major competitions for having top tier environment & amenities to showcase power builds & modern marvels in infrastructure sectors. People living in suburbs nearby mumbai, dream to having their Mumbai Home & always passionate about it. Many of them succesfull to grab opportunities to invest in thier dream home. Periodically Pricing of residential houses Increasing Day by Day, hence here many hurdles to cross any Investor or Buyer To fulfill their demands. Here, We Described catergories where people currently Interested.

Residential Real Estate

Luxury Living Mumbai's real estate is the pricey in India but also highly regarded. Buyers can Upgrade from high-rise apartments to standalone villas in exclusive areas like Juhu, Bandra West, Cuffe Parade, Malabar Hill, and Worli. These luxury apartments often have beautiful sea views and cost around Rs 40,000 per square foot or more.

Affordable Homes While housing in Mumbai is expensive, some areas offer more affordable options. Neighborhoods like Borivali, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Malad, and Chembur have flats averaging around Rs 20,000 per square foot. These areas have good schools, hospitals, restaurants, and entertainment options, with easy access to the rest of Mumbai. Commuting to the Bandra-Kurla Complex, a major business area, usually takes 30 to 45 minutes from these neighborhoods. Mumbai is a popular choice not just for luxury buyers but also for the middle class. Major mumbai residents choose these areas as per their financial stablity.

Commercial Properties

As India's financial capital, Mumbai hosts many local and international companies. It's also a popular spot for startups, increasing the need for office space. The Bandra-Kurla Complex is a prime business district with many government and private offices. Other important business areas include Lower Parel, Andheri, and Nariman Point.

Hurdles While Upgrading To New Property

Lack Of Resources & Capital. While Upgarding To New Property, Investor Needed financial stabilty to use his earned savings / capital. Lack of this many of them choose the way of loans & EMI to Get Their Dream Homes.

Change Of Location & Adapting To New Neighbourhood This A common difficulty to each person of the family to adapt in new neighbourhood while upgrading to new homes. For The childrens shifting them to new schools & Grand Parents to introduce in new community is a big task in this upgrade process.

Update In Relocation Of Documents It's A major part, after shifting to their new homes, it's mandate to chnage in their permanant aadresses Or postal addresses to new one, This becomes Important because of government documents like passport, adhar cards, etc were Linked to old addresses & for further usage of these its needed to give them proof of relocation, while upgrading to new homes at new loaction.