#((I just got back from a 5 hour siesta and

[polyboros]

the thing is, right. that i wrote 75 fics for blaseball. more, if you count tumblr prompts - more if you count wiki pages. over the course of late 2020 to the very beginning of 2023, i wrote more for blaseball than i have for anything else, except maybe my friends' oc rp. maybe i'll never write that much for fandom again. my writing developed so much over that period of time - blaseball gave me a lot of inspiration and a lot of practice!! i met incredible writers through it who inspire me so much To This Day. i met incredible people with incredible ideas. i still lurk around in the crabitat, because the community there is lovely and i love looking for secondhand recommendations in the media channels. i could list a lot of regulars i've just... seen around, for about 2, 3 years. blaseball offered me both the opportunity to grow as a writer and the opportunity to find communities that, even if some of them fell apart, taught me a lot of things anyways. i'm still in contact with a lot of people i met through blaseball, and that's fucking lovely!!

i can't say i'm sad it's over. i guess i'm a little sad. but blaseball's been dying for a while, now, and it's the kinda thing you sorta see on the horizon. i'm one of the people who distanced themself from it before it came, and i'm a little grateful to my past self for that - i've got so much going on that i don't have quite enough room for a "i just moved across the country and also tot clark died in my funny game so i'm going to lose it for 5 hours" kind of night. i still have everything that matters. the experience, the community, the funny little guys. but blaseball did a lot for me, so i wanted to say goodbye. here's goodbye.

there is a radio.

sometimes it's in the crabitat. sometimes it's in other stadiums, darkened locker rooms slowly collecting dust; maybe there's the occasional visitor, casting light across worn benches, footsteps leaving imprints on the tile. but there's less and less visitors.

most of the time, it's at home.

you can tune it, if you're careful. it likes to play what it wants, though, and so not-players-mostly-people just let it go, when they find it - whatever jaunty commentator/clawmentator voice it wants to remind them of, games stretching from the very first season to the very last, it gets to do that. it keeps playing, however distorted by static it gets.

time goes on.

there are less people to visit, as time goes on. some people grow old and die. some people don't die, but they do move on, and the radio knows it'd be an unwelcome reminder. but there's always a handful to visit, to comfort, to celebrate with. immortals at a graveyard that used to be a field with strings of pearls in their pockets. the handful of players that kept playing, in the after, maybe other splorts or other games - but they kept playing, and they had fun, eventually. parties of people that used to be on different teams and now just share jerseys like old sweaters, trading stories of how their hometowns have changed since it ended.

sometimes the radio sticks around with someone for a while. sometimes it changes hands every day, every hour, switching its tune to match. sometimes nobody sees it for a very long time, and sometimes people forget it exists entirely. but it always comes back for a visit. a little memory, a little burst of joy-in-static. hello- hello- blaseball fans!

there is a radio. it's lasted for a long time, and it'll last for a while longer, even in the absence of blaseball itself. it lasted through ascension, after all. it lasted through siesta after siesta after siesta.

there is a radio, and there is a world moving on from blaseball.

there is a radio, and there is the lilt of old words, phrases quickly becoming antiquated, kept alive through pick-ups and muscle memory.

there is a radio, and there are people who used to be players.

there is a radio, and there are people who used to be fans, who still are fans, who still will be fans.

there is a radio, and it still loves.

there is a radio, and it still is loved.

(that's all for today's game, folks!)

there is a radio.

#kbitycus talks #blaseball #goodnight sweet blaseball. it was a good run #i made myself sadder abt blb ending writing this by the by which. unintended effect. peace and love #a special shoutout to the crabitat and all the people i met through it. claws up!!

[arthurhonda]

Hetalia Rarepair Day 2

@hetalia-rarepairweek

Romano x America Prompt: Comfort

“What the hell is this?” Savino asked loudly, gesturing the box in front of him.

“I was gonna make pasta.” Alfred replied innocently.

Savino scrunched up his nose with a large frown.

“I come all the way from Bari, and you’re making Kraft mac and cheese…and you have the audacity to call it pasta!”

“Well, why don’t you show me how it’s done properly.” America asks with a grin.

Savino grins widely and rolls up his sleeves.

“Just watch.”

Approximately 5 minutes later, Alfred found himself thrown out of the kitchen by an indignant Italian. He attempted to return at least twice but was met with the same fate every time.

Meanwhile, when he wasn’t throwing Alfred out of the kitchen, Savino went about making fresh pasta and a savory sauce to go with it. He had been in Alfred’s kitchen often enough that he knew his way around it, very carefully crafting a delicious meal. The only time he paused was to ask Alfred where something was before kicking the blonde out of the kitchen again.

About an hour later, there was a lovely meal with a lovely wine that Savino happened to find in the cabinet as well. The wine just so happened to be a nice Italian wine that went perfectly with the Braciole that he just finished.

With that done, Savino needed to have a little chat with Alfred. As Savino let him back in, Alfred rushed past him to take in the scent of the pasta dinner that was sitting on two plates.

“Smells great ‘Vino.” He said happily, completely disarming the brunette with his genuine smile.

“Al-” Savino tried again.

“I’ll go set the table!” Alfred shouted as he ran back out of the kitchen into the dining room to set the table.

This was yet another thing that tipped off Savino. Usually, neither of them wanted to set the table. Alfred seemed a little too eager today. Plus, the guy seemed pretty nervous for no reason. He also seemed very insistent to be the one who said grace.

Finally, Savino had enough.

“Alfred, we need to talk.”

“’Bout how awesome this food tastes?” Alfred said clearly attempting to avoid a conversation.

“If you’re not going to be honest with me…I’ll…do something.” Savino attempted to threaten, not being able to come up with a realistic threat towards the man he loved, but he stood up to make a point.

Alfred sighed and muttered something under his breath before stuffing his face with pasta.

“What was that?” Savino asked genuinely.

“I just wanted to eat your cooking.” Alfred finally responded, looking like a kicked puppy.

“Why all the fuss then?” Savino sighed tiredly. “Why not just say ‘Savino, can you cook tonight?’”

Alfred began poking at the pasta that was left on his plate.

“You’d say no. Your cooking is always so good, and I look forward to eating it. It’s like comfort food, ya know? I thought since you just flew in you wouldn’t want to cook, so I figured I’d have to trick you into cooking for me.” Alfred said sadly.

Savino brushed his hand through his hair in frustration. Had he really come off that way?

“Look damnit, if you want me to cook and you’ll do the dishes I’ll do it. So long as you’re not interrupting my siesta or anything stupid like that.” Savino replied in a grumpy tone.

“You’re not mad at me?” Alfred asked one last question, his bright blue eyes piercing into Savino’s heart.

“No idiot, I’m not mad at you. I-I love y-AAAH”

Savino was interrupted by a very excited American glomping him. He began half cursing the American out in surprise and attempted to peel the taller man off of him.

“You are getting pasta sauce all over my shirt!” Savino complained.

Still, Savino wouldn’t have it any other way though. He was spending a comfortable week with the man he loved, even if that man got pasta sauce on his nice shirt. The shirt could be replaced. These memories couldn’t.

#hetalia rarepair week #Romerica #aph romano #aph south italy #aph america #hws romano #hws south italy #hws america #hetalia #This was done quickly so apologies for the poor quality

[charlesmoffat]

I routinely wake up at 2 AM and then have difficulty getting back to sleep. PTSD is a bitch.

I try to combat it by going to the bathroom, maybe having a bath or shower, get a drink, eating a snack, possibly even a whole meal (depends upon how hungry I am), read a book, and/or watching a film I have seen many times (eg. Jaws, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc) or listening to an audiobook.

Sometimes I will even clean up around the house, do the dishes, do laundry, etc.

Last night I did the dishes, did the laundry, ate two hot dogs, drank some juice, watched something on TV, and tried to go back to sleep.

I do these things to get my mind off my trauma, because if I don't do them my mind will just run in circles due to my PTSD and it won't let me sleep because I get too upset by my brain working overtime.

As a consequence of this sometimes when I wake up at 2 AM I get back to sleep and sometimes I do not. My strategy of distracting my brain with films, audiobooks, etc sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't. There are no guaranteed solutions.

As a consequence of this lack of sleep I am sometimes exhausted in the middle of the day. Usually around 4 or 5 PM.

Math wise this is the equivalent of someone who wakes up at 7 AM daily and goes to bed around 9 PM or 10 PM. They're awake for around 14-15 hours and then it's bedtime.

I compare it to Jet Lag. If you've ever experienced Jet Lag then you understand how this works. It doesn't matter that the sun is still out in the middle of the day, you become exhausted after roughly 14 hours with no sleep. If you drink a lot of stimulants (coffee, Coca-Cola, etc) you can perhaps offset this, but eventually you still need to sleep. It is a biological inevitability. It can take days to recover from Jet Lag, and it is no less problematic for people with PTSD because we're under this constant cloud of trauma induced anxiety.

And this ignores the possibility that I might also be having a stressful/exhausting day due to work or responsibilities. Stuff still needs to get done obviously. I still need to go to work and teach archery lessons. I still need to do advertising and marketing for my clients. I still have to do household chores. I still have to take care of two small children and make sure their bellies are full, their clothes/diapers are clean, and that they are hopefully reasonably healthy and happy. Just because I am exhausted doesn't mean I can just stop doing these things.

Once in a while however, if I am both exhausted and lucky, my eldest son will be at school and my youngest son falls asleep and has an afternoon nap in his playpen. I then, for a brief hour or so, have a moment wherein I can also have a nap on the sofa next to the playpen. Note: There's an alarm on my phone that goes off at 3:25 PM so I can wake up and go pick up my oldest son from school.

So... Am I being lazy by having a nap at 2 PM in the afternoon prior to leaving to pick up my son? Keeping in mind that I probably only got a few hours of sleep the night before and have been up since 2 AM.

On top of all of this I am still trying to be a good parent by taking my kids outside for walks to get fresh air and exercise.

Below is an action shot of my youngest, Arthur, taking a wee tumble on the grass.

After which he decided to just sit down and enjoy sitting on the grass.

Is he lazy because he is sitting down on the job?

Or, logically, is he just a toddler taking a moment to chill before getting up and walking again?

I believe it is the latter.

...

Also according to studies of primates/apes, and people who have siestas, we're actually supposed to have an hour long nap around 1 or 2 PM in the afternoon and sleep only about 6 hours at night. So it is technically natural to have an afternoon nap. Studies into productivity have also shown that it doesn't make you lazy either. It actually increases workplace productivity because the workers are then more alert and their math/problem solving skills are better after having a siesta.

And while I haven't checked and confirmed this, I bet people who have siestas probably report having better mental health and overall higher levels of happiness. I wouldn't be at all surprised if having siestas was extremely beneficial for people with mental health issues.

#ptsd #ptsdlife #ptsd thoughts #living with ptsd #ptsd awareness #ptsd memes #mental heath issues

[engbergeurovacay23]

Arrived to Madrid today!

I am writing this from our Airbnb in Madrid. I *think* we are in the Conde Duque neighborhood. It was very, very quiet in this neighborhood at about 4 p.m. when we arrived. I suppose maybe this was "siesta time" but I also thought it could just be Sunday. I was proven wrong on the Sunday theory because we walked to see the Nacional Ballet de España at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, and to get there we walked down the Gran Via, and that was a very, very busy street with lots of shops, theaters, and hotels. And when we were done at the ballet around 8:45 p.m. and went back up the Gran Via, there were still loads of people out, shopping at the shops, which were all pretty much still open!

I am a very nervous flier, so the overnight flight always gets me worked up. This flight, on Iberia, went quite smoothly. About our flight out of Albuquerque to Dallas, I cannot say the same. There was pretty hardcore turbulence over the Sandias and then when we landed in Dallas, the plane thunked down so hard it felt like we landed on wooden wheels. But, the Iberia flight was just fine. The layout was 2-5-2, so Cece and I had two together and Rowan was right behind me at the window--with no one next to him! He had his own bed for 9.5 hours. Eric--lucky duck, but I am the one who made it this way-- flew over the water in Business class because he get s horrifically grumpy if he can't sleep on the plane and with his height, the space in Business works well. And with miles, it's possible. I am such a nervous wreck on flights anyway that me flying in Business is a waste on a flight where one should be sleeping. I simply cannot. Though, I've got to say, I shut my eyes for like 4 hours or so on the flight last night and may have actually caught a wink or two! I was very excited to be able to use FB Messenger to chat with Michelle and Amy Coor as I was whiling away the sleepless hours. Then, I watched some of a cycling movie about the EF team and the 2020 Tour de France called Enter the Slipstream, I think, and then I did my almost-sleeping routine. It was also hard to sleep with Cece on my lap. But, she and Rowan both slept.

Once we arrived in Madrid, the kids got to go up and meet the captain and then, we made our way out of the Madrid airport (which is huge; we joked that we were walking back to Albuquerque) and got our Uber. Our Airbnb host was not there right when we arrived but his friend came soon after and helped us get in and settled. But, she didn't quite know which unit it was or which key, so perhaps she could've been better prepped. Anyway, we came up, dropped our bags, walked to the Carrefour and got some groceries, and then ate a bit quickly, and then walked down to the Teatro de la Zarzuela!

I was very excited to see this performance, the "American"-focused repertory show, with works by Balanchine, Peck, Martins, and Tharp. Lauren Lovette I guess performed previous dates this week, but she did not dance in Sinatra Suite, which I expected her to! The woman who did, though, was elegant and lovely. The Justin Peck piece was so cool and energetic and clever. The kids enjoyed the performance, though I think we were all a bit tired for it ;) Eric went on a five-mile run while we watched ballet--and then a 3-mile walk! What a guy! We Ubered back to the Airbnb, because we were too tired and hungry to walk, and I fed the kids eggs and toast -- and then off to bed they went. I am going to do the same in a sec! We shall see what time we all awaken tomorrow. But at 2:45, we are going to see the Royal Palace. We will also go to a playground and the Prado, but not sure how much will happen tomorrow. It is also supposed to be about 104 degrees. Nice.

[safereturndoubtful]

Day 5 - to Ermita de Santa Hadriano del Mar, Malpica

I had an appointment at Volkswagen in Carballo this morning at 8:30 am. I’ve a couple of jobs I need done, and having used Volkswagen in Teruel a couple of years ago, it’s cheaper over here, and the service is very good. Carlisle is less attractive.

I finished a book, Roja dozed, and soon the manager emerged to tell me what was needed and a price. I have arranged to have these done in a week in Santiago de Compostela, as a part needs to be ordered, which I expected. It fits in well with my departure from the coast for the mountains. Hopefully it will be spring then..

We had taken a half an hour walk before first light. Though the sun sets about 7:20 here at the moment, it doesn’t rise until about 8:00 am. This far west Spain would be more suited to GMT, as Portugal is.

Late last night the cloud of the day cleared, making for a wonderful night sky.

I filled up with fuel. Spain is much cheaper than France at the moment, cheaper again than the UK. Today the diesel had dropped to €1.40 a litre…

From Carballo I drove back to the coast, and the town at the northern terminus of the Camino dos Faros, Malpica. It’s a funny old place; in its February siesta, the Spanish really do off-season very well. It will get a warm summer here, but also the Atlantic weather systems. There’s a strange mix of old and new, the old looking very much past its date. Basically, it’s a surf town, though the beaches themselves will get busy, but mainly with relatively local people.

I had researched a place to stay a few kilometres out of town, on the cliffs, at an old chapel, completely quiet. It’s also near to a 4G mast, as there’s rugby and cricket tonight, and the Six Nations tomorrow. I’ll stay here for a couple of nights.

We walked into Malpica on the Camino, which here is a well used path above the ocean waves and via a smaller beach into the town.

There was a campervan at the smaller beach. I’ve hardly seen any so far. This was a German surfing guy, his partner and their badly behaved dog, at his own admission. They were in an old Sprinter with 320,000 km on the clock, and a fair bit of rust, but all the work inside sparkling, and done by themselves. They had been four months away, and both work from the van. Though they were about to take a two month rental on a local flat they have got at a good price.

We got back just as the rain set in. It had been falling lightly for a while. The Sprinter guy told me that where I was two days ago, Bares, gets considerably more rainfall than here.

[theworldisyourlobster]

A siesta, short and muy picante

She asked me why I hadn’t written about Barcelona. I did, I answered.

I wrote notes and scribbles and remembered tastes and smells of sweat.  

But I had got busy,

getting knocked off a bike or drinking Perrier or the jumping the metro barriers.  

I had spend evenings cold outside, and nights too hot in the cesspit of an inside smoking area.

Weeks ago, Paris was cold and dark when I left in the morning at 4.

And then mon avion landed dans Espagne.

In Barcelona it was humid and grey.  Here I felt hot and wet and heavy as I walked in the big roads in straight lines that map this city. Gothic and sleepy, at 9am Barcelona had not yet wiped the crusts from its eyes.

  Past the Gaudi, with its insect like spines and still breathing fresh was beautiful and made me feel sick.   I remember the restaurant where 4 years ago, my family sat on the perfect set for an argument.  There was tiredness, heat, sweat and hunger, little spats teeming towards tension - add in a boyfriend to witness the Hudson downfall.  This was the 5th menu we had looked at.  I feared we would walk forever.  Paella and tapas bla, bla.  An obvious tourist trap.  And then the waiter did something maybe wrong or maybe not, I think that Phil then slapped him… Seeking justice for late sangria and steak.  I smiled as I remembered a chair flying.  

But now I was alone here, trying to find people I had left.  My English knights had become Hidalgo. On two hours sleep  in a cafe I shared a freshly painted round green table outside, with two others who were either reading or like me pretending to read while really watching.  With my espresso I tapped away perfectly content to be mistaken for somebody important or cultured.  I wanted to buy some cigarettes.  Finding my nearest tabac I confidently demanded un pac des vogues sil’vous’plait, commanding my self on my pronunciation.  The issue was it I was in the wrong country. Muy Bien.   Cigarettes are only 5 euros but I miss my vogues.

They speak Catalan and Spanish, and a mix of both. Language is always political, especially in a place with a choice of two.  It can be whispered between lovers, or sung rolling its r’s by the lonely and heartbroken.  It can be learnt and changed and it can mean more than just its words.

Back in the cafe a pair has joined my table (I have established ownership having now sat here the longest.  

Por favour signor, Gracia seniora, si si muchacho

Here it is cheap and fruit is soft and home grown in the sun.  

Minutes elongated into endless swimming through the thick air towards the endlessly reconstructed Sagrada Familia.  Where were my gays? Finally as I stood in a rickety lift I heard voices I knew.  Having been awake for for around 40 hours I was living in a dream.  My friends, Amigas si?

And they were here and they were beautiful and taking me to tapas.

 Salty and sweet, sardines, olives cheeses and anchovies on little slices of bread  served on little slabs and there I was sipping cold sweet red vermouth. Red wine is Vino Tinto.  Here they don’t drink top water, and the bartender knows no English, but the slabs keep coming, vehicles for brine.  

At the supermarket or mercado the Spanish mock the French, brandishing a XXL croissants.  We buy booze and food and I chop everything up all nice and small and anxious while my Spanish compadresitas siesta.

Barcelona is a slow way of life, no jobs, a gothic siesta city. Muy picante. Clubs are big, but in the one queer room I finally find my place at the front of the crowd. I understand when my ears hurt, and the smoking area is a sloped. A hungover walk where you pay for good times and pass  thin iced buildings and men on hoverboards and you get crisps with beer and can’t get a table for just drinks.  You watch the crows and boys playing football and sit on a bench with B.

2 days of siesta in Spain and I said my adios and I landed back in Paris. My empty backpack now laden with too many books that cost too much, I had had a bought of excessively buying Didoin .

 It was grey it was cold and I walked from les Halles, past fruit stalls and rotissery chickens and fish vendors and everything was too expensive, and everyone spoke French, and queued outside boulangerie for their baguette.

 It was Sunday and I saw some shit on the street.  I knew was in Paris.  

[katyahudsonn]

A siesta, short and muy picante

She asked me why I hadn’t written about Barcelona. I did, I answered. 

 I wrote notes and scribbles and remembered tastes and smells of sweat.   

But I had got busy, 

getting knocked off a bike or drinking Perrier or the jumping the metro barriers.  

I had spend evenings cold outside, and nights too hot in the cesspit of an inside smoking area. 

Weeks ago, Paris was cold and dark when I left in the morning at 4. 

And then mon avion landed dans Espagne. 

In Barcelona it was humid and grey.  Here I felt hot and wet and heavy as I walked in the big roads in straight lines that map this city. Gothic and sleepy, at 9am Barcelona had not yet wiped the crusts from its eyes.

   Past the Gaudi, with its insect like spines and still breathing fresh was beautiful and made me feel sick.   I remember the restaurant where 4 years ago, my family sat on the perfect set for an argument.  There was tiredness, heat, sweat and hunger, little spats teeming towards tension - add in a boyfriend to witness the Hudson downfall.  This was the 5th menu we had looked at.  I feared we would walk forever.  Paella and tapas bla, bla.  An obvious tourist trap.  And then the waiter did something maybe wrong or maybe not, I think that Phil then slapped him… Seeking justice for late sangria and steak.  I smiled as I remembered a chair flying.  

But now I was alone here, trying to find people I had left.  My English knights had become Hidalgo. On two hours sleep  in a cafe I shared a freshly painted round green table outside, with two others who were either reading or like me pretending to read while really watching.  With my espresso I tapped away perfectly content to be mistaken for somebody important or cultured.  I wanted to buy some cigarettes.  Finding my nearest tabac I confidently demanded un pac des vogues sil’vous’plait, commanding my self on my pronunciation.  The issue was it I was in the wrong country. Muy Bien.   Cigarettes are only 5 euros but I miss my vogues. 

They speak Catalan and Spanish, and a mix of both. Language is always political, especially in a place with a choice of two.  It can be whispered between lovers, or sung rolling its r’s by the lonely and heartbroken.  It can be learnt and changed and it can mean more than just its words. 

Back in the cafe a pair has joined my table (I have established ownership having now sat here the longest.  

 Por favour signor, Gracia seniora, si si muchacho

Here it is cheap and fruit is soft and home grown in the sun.  

Minutes elongated into endless swimming through the thick air towards the endlessly reconstructed Sagrada Familia.  Where were my gays? Finally as I stood in a rickety lift I heard voices I knew.  Having been awake for for around 40 hours I was living in a dream.  My friends, Amigas si?

And they were here and they were beautiful and taking me to tapas.

  Salty and sweet, sardines, olives cheeses and anchovies on little slices of bread  served on little slabs and there I was sipping cold sweet red vermouth. Red wine is Vino Tinto.  Here they don’t drink top water, and the bartender knows no English, but the slabs keep coming, vehicles for brine.  

At the supermarket or mercado the Spanish mock the French, brandishing a XXL croissants.  We buy booze and food and I chop everything up all nice and small and anxious while my Spanish compadresitas siesta. 

 Barcelona is a slow way of life, no jobs, a gothic siesta city. Muy picante. Clubs are big, but in the one queer room I finally find my place at the front of the crowd. I understand when my ears hurt, and the smoking area is a sloped. A hungover walk where you pay for good times and pass  thin iced buildings and men on hoverboards and you get crisps with beer and can’t get a table for just drinks.  You watch the crows and boys playing football and sit on a bench with B. 

2 days of siesta in Spain and I said my adios and I landed back in Paris. My empty backpack now laden with too many books that cost too much, I had had a bought of excessively buying Didoin .

  It was grey it was cold and I walked from les Halles, past fruit stalls and rotissery chickens and fish vendors and everything was too expensive, and everyone spoke French, and queued outside boulangerie for their baguette.

  It was Sunday and I saw some shit on the street.  I knew was in Paris.  

[molosmojo]

Our Utsav's (festivals)

I completed my graduation from Hinduja College (Charni Road, Mumbai) with friends who had faith in Lord Ganesha and Maa Durga – during the respective Utsav’s (festivals), it was a common practice for me to hop Ganeshotsav mandals at Khetwadi, Girgaon, Lalbaug and occasionally attend the Garba Raas too! Being a non-dancer, I never enjoyed them, really!

Post passing out from college, I never went back to those mandals, instead, I started visiting friends houses for Ganesh darshan over the last 15+ years – this ritual was broken during the pandemic times.

This year, for some reason, I decided to visit those lanes at Khetwadi and Girgaon again and relive those memories – a friend accompanied me, and we hopped like 15 to 18 mandals over a 4-hour period. Luckily, I got a good parking spot just outside Harkishandas Hospital and we completed this 4-hour trip on the foot. A small break at Nityanand (after ages!) helped us recharge during this trip!

Here’s a look at the beautiful idols (including the one at a friend’s home too):

I had joined this company in 2007 and made some Bengali friends there – every year during Durga Puja, I would hear stories from Kolkata of the Pandals and Pujos and the food; and I was like – once, at least once, I must be in Kolkata for Durga Puja but that hasn’t materialised yet.

However, for the last 2 weeks, I was planning to visit all the Pandals in Mumbai itself and see what happens in there. Tried asking a friend but the friend couldn’t accompany me this time, so I decided to go solo.

Instead of my car, I decided to take this tour on foot, in trains, metro, and rickshaws. I started my day with a visit to the Chembur Durga Puja Association pandal – got to know that today was Maha Shashti (Day 1 of the Durga Puja) and hence the Pandals would open a little later in the day. After Chembur, I returned home and ate some lip-smacking Pav Bhaji, a perfect recipe for an afternoon siesta!

Later in the evening, I re-started my journey and visited the following pandals:

Bandra: Natun Pally Sarbojanin Durgotsab (this one I am told has participation from Sushmita Sen)

Khar: Ramakrishna Math Building

Juhu: North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samity (this one I am told has participation from the Mukherjee’s – Rani, Kajol, Ayan) – I actually saw Rani’s father on stage.

Andheri: Lokhandwala Durgotsav (this one I am told has participation from Abhijeet (the singer) Bhattcharya)

Overall, across these 5 pandals, I covered a journey of ~50KMs (end-to-end) over a ~6-hour period. The effort was worthwhile with the festivities, vibes, the people, and the food!

Anyone who is looking to visit these Pandals over the next 3 days, do reach out – happy to help!

Here’s a look at the beautiful idols – pictures certainly cannot capture what the mind saw!

[katoktm6]

June 18 Money Blowin’ in the Wind

We were sad to leave our Hostal Casa Baba oasis this morning, but off we went at 5:45…after I chugged a cafe con Lethe that I bought last night. Walked to the marina and sat down for 1/2 our cheese and tomato sandwich that we bough5 yesterday..a bit stale, but fuel. Then, of course, the first part of our half day hike was straight up to the top of a cliff. Sunrise and already sweating profusely. We opted (see photos) for the dangerous, rocky, steep coastal route rather than the route every man told us to take because of our packs which was I

An inland road route. Steps, stairs. Tree roots, rocks, steps stairs…etc..but the odd thing was today there was an abundance of runners, speed walkers, joggers…insane amounts. We called it “Sports mode” see why on Elyse’s blog post…it was so strange, and this went on for miles..as we were turtle pacing along…beautiful beautiful walk…a bit precarious but did well… Elyse says she felt like she was walking through mud for most of the day, and her speech sounded like she was eating mud…mumbling and not opening her lips…haha…

We walked for 5 hours to our lunch/beach stop. This was to be our end of hiking for the day..but in order to catch a bus, we had to hike into the city which was at least another 3 miles along a highwayish type road following the nice walking path under the mid day sun and heat. But first we had lunch on the beach. We decided that enough sandwiches, we needed protein. So Elyse got. Beautiful a press salad and added grilled chicken and I got my beloved grilled sardines..see before and after photos.

Walked to city to find bus station..it is Saturday and everything is closed in town and no people around…siesta time even on Saturday. Finally get to empty bus station, try to read schedule…unclear, but we think there is a bus to a town near where we are heading at 3:00…it is 2:00, I need a bathroom. We go to a backer where Elyse buys these beautiful bite sized desserts…see photos…I go to the bathroom….

Back to the bus station to dink around and wait…close hiking poles, change shoes and tie on bag, find change and mask for bus, look at map, basically dinking around…as Elyse had her “shit” in her hand counting change, she let go of her money and it started blowing around the train station….as she jumped up to grab the blowing bills, she dropped her credit card…knowing it wouldn’t blow, she scampered around under the bench and the platform gathering euros…then her credit card…I just watched in disbelief…omg

Bus comes 30 minutes late and we board ..but at the same moment my mask breaks and is dangling from my face. I clamp the nose and board…explaining to the bus driver our final destination…he was concerned for us, understandably…because we needed to connect to a different bus from ours, but we would have to wait for 1 or two more hours for a 14 minute trip. We get dropped off at bus station and the driver gets off the bus to show us the schedule and I have this understanding how we were doing. At the same time Man I was at the station asking if the bus went to where we were going, L’Estartit. It wasn’t..he had already called a taxi and offered to share it. We waited 20 minutes and hitched a ride to our hotel..talked the whole way with both our new friend and the taxi driver…

To hotel…it is fine, clean, old and worn, but only option available in town. Did our chores, walked around town and now drinking wine and ordering tapas at 2.50 each. Ordered sandwiches from the hotel so they will be ready when we check out. 22 km tomorrow no water or food the entire way our bags will be so heavy filled with food and water…what will I leave behind?

Walked by lots of tiny cove fishing villages today ❤️

Also, I learned of my no dogs react to me when I say “bueno Perro” because in the Catalonian language, dog is “gossa” not “perro”. More good dogs all day long. Beaches, jogging, swimming, walking..all good dogs…..

The photo of the square of water is the public was basin in the city center where we took the bus! In use…

Strange day..good day for me…unclear for the mud walker…

[talesofayoungadventress]

The fact I never did a blog about this kills me. Because there was some crazy shit that went down... as always. But here we are, 3 years later post global pandemic and online teaching 💀 Home girl NEEDS this current vacation. Anyways currently sitting here in Vegas with Monica and I needed to get this up for myself than for anyone to read… #memories and whatnot.

Monica and I did a 5 week trip to Spain and Morocco. I HONEST TO GOD thought this trip was going to be normal. We were older, safe and sane, & not out doin’ risky shit like we use to. All was pretty uneventful the first two weeks in Spain. We drank a pitcher or two of sangria a day, ate, napped for siesta... and anyone thats read from while I was in Thailand knows that is Monica’s specialty 😂, went to see some floating Jesus for Monica, and that’s pretty much it. The men are 🔥, the sangria is perfect, and country wide afternoon nap time is good for the soul. 10/10 would recommend Spain.

The words “Damn Monica look at us having a safe and sane vacation like responsible adults” even left my mouth at one point. We were so proud. Mom was proud I wasn’t out doing hood rat stuff. But then came our last day in Spain. I knew it was all too good to be true...

We stayed in a port town called Tarifa. Although we both had big girl jobs at this point, we still kept it cheap and took the ferry to Tangier in Morocco rather than fly. The night at our hotel set the tone for the rest of the trip. The fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. I panicked and jumped out of bed because I wasn’t about to burn, meanwhile this bitch Monica leisurely gets up, walks to the sink, puts her sweatshirt on and starts washing her face. WASHING HER FREAKING FACE!! WTF!? I actually yelled at her and got her butt out. Thank god it was a false alarm. But moral of the story Monica would have let us burn to wash her face 😑

The ferry was mistake #1. I took Dramamine and Monica didn’t want to. You get one guess who spent the entire ferry ride throwing up in a sink.

Now I’ve only ever thought I was about to be snatched once while traveling. It was in Cambodia with Monica and our psycho drugged out tuk tuk driver. I can add our first day in Morocco as the second time.

For whatever reason Morocco doesn’t let you get money before entering the country like other places. You need to get it from ATM’s at the airport upon arrival. But we chose the cheap route (never again and this lesson will come back to haunt me later... 🐫) and came on the ferry. We asked where we could get $ and they said they had lots of ATM machines outside of the building. Well surprise surprise we didn’t see any. We stood there with no money or phone service stranded wondering what we would do.

Then, out of no where, a man came up and asked us if we wanted to get money and told us to follow him. He led us to a row of windowless rape vans like you see on Criminal Minds and told us the ATM and money exchange was inside. Should I have gone in? No. Did I? Yes. Just when I thought I chose the safe and sane life in Spain it all went out the window. As soon as they opened the back doors sure enough there was a little ATM and a man with a table. Still leery I get in and they slam the doors right behind me. At this point I thought “God damn, really! After all that I’ve gotten myself into this is how I’m being taken out!?” But all went well and I got our money.

After the creepy $ situation, we got a random Chefchaouen and it was everything I wanted it to be. It was blue. It was pretty. We were even offered cocaine instead of the crepes we wanted our first night, and Monica made my fat butt hike up a steep hill TWICE in sandals. But that hike up was so worth it watching those sunsets overlooking the city and hearing the call to prayer. Monica 1, Meghan 0.

After Chefchaouen we headed to Marrakech. I wanted all the rugs, all the vases, tiles, baskets, purses. Honestly I was the equivalent to what the grinch looks like as he’s collecting all the Christmas shit from Whoville. Put it in my bag I’ll give you all the $$. We also stayed in the best boutique hotel. Monica wasn’t a fan until we walked in and settled ourselves. Monica 1, Meghan 1.

I straight up threw down those dollars in Marrakech. I didn’t work all those night classes for nothing! I texted a random guy who sold rugs that I found from someone online. Again... another risky choice but I wanted some damn rugs! Monica was pissed I’d text and leave with a random person for rugs but I was determined and dragged her off with me. Jokes on her because he was so nice, gave us mint tea, and let me live all my Moroccan rug dreams. I got 4. Did I need 4? Hell no! BUUUT did I want 4? Yes.

Shout out to my mom for putting up with my crap and letting me ship and store those babies at her house 😏. FYI they look fab in my new house.

Now there wasn’t anything else to report until the very end of our trip. This is when the “cheap route” reared its ugly head again. Monica is no longer allowed to plan excursions. Ever. 🙅🏽‍♀️ You get what you pay for.

We did a desert camping experience and took a random van 15 hours into the Sahara desert. The entire ride was sketch as usual, and they eventually dropped us off at a hotel for the night. The next day we had to give our room up and sat outside in 130° weather until our evening camel ride into the desert. My camel was NOT cooperating and it took me forever to get on. Monica was last to load up because she started crying and didn’t want to get on because “she could tell her camel didn’t want to go.” So she suggested she’d walk there… the entire 2 1/2 hour trip. The guides looked at her like she was crazy and said no and forced her on anyways. I heard her crying for a good 15 minutes before she was fine and wanted a picture.

My camel ride was 🙅🏽‍♀️. The blankets weren’t tied and my saddle was a triangle piece of wood that kept slipping off. Sitting slanted on a triangle piece of wood for almost 3 hours on a camel is the worst.

Once we got to the camp we had to walk through piles of camel poop to eat dinner in the dark. Also, no warning to us before hand, but our camp didn’t have a water bin or bottles so your girl was waterless in the Sahara desert 🥵. The bed sheets also had me shook to the core… not washed, probably ever, as there was a BODY PRINT STAIN you could see!

Despite the nastiness, the stars were pretty, we climbed to the top of the sand dunes, and I watched the sunrise because I refused to lay down on that bed.

At this point I was tired, dehydrated, and just wanted to get back. Monica still didn’t want to ride the camels (she was in her vegan phase this trip) and said she told them we’d pay to take ATVs. I used the last of $ I had left to do so, and we waited for them to arrive while everyone else loaded back up on camels.

This is where things got weird. We were left with two guys that helped run the camp. One started playing drums for us while the other just sat and glared the entire time. He eventually told us he didn’t like America’s, said we shouldn’t take pictures, and then plot twist he wanted to add us on Facebook. Shout out to Sayed for giving us creepy predator vibes.

Once the ATVs came, we got on and went on our way. While Monica took off nice and slow happy as can be, my guy guns it! I literally held on for dear life the entire 30 min ride back. He’d speed up while we’d go down the sand dunes and our ATV would literally hover down! I don’t remember anything, it all went black, and I almost died.

Once we got back to the hotel Monica was crying and told me it was because of how beautiful the sunrise was on our ride back. She asked if I saw it, but Girl NO I DID NOT because I was trying to hold on and make sure me and my backpack weren’t left in the dust.

We took a shower with a single small stream of water and then took another bus 15 hours back into Marrakech. I was next to a kid that threw up the entire time. No food, no water because I was out of money.

Now if you’ve made it this far bless you. This was the end of our trip and I ended it with picking up some bug that had me SIIIIICK the rest of the two days and entire flight home.

Which brings us to today, exactly 3 years later, and 2 canceled trips back to Thailand thanks to COVID. This road trip will be fun though! Here’s to being on home turf, accident free, not taking the cheap way out, and being responsible.

❤️ Love from Vegas 🇺🇸

#spain #morocco #girlstravel

[returnn-of-the-mac]

Romanced companions react to a sole who is afraid of thunder/rad storms. How would they comfort them?

This is something I think about a lot when I’m playing the game, actually, so I really enjoyed writing it! I haven’t written anything fluffy in a really, really long time (I’m talking years here lol) so it was a nice change of pace! Hope you like it!😸

Fo4 Companions React: (Romanced) Companions Comforting Sole During a RadStorm

Sole and their companion were just leaving their newly acquired settlement, Outpost Zimonja, when it suddenly started getting dark. The sky had also turned a yellow/green hue. A rad storm was rapidly rolling in. Sole and their companion decided to stay at the Outpost for the night to wait out the storm. As soon as the storm started, Sole huddled in the corner of the makeshift shack, near the foot of the bed. They began shaking violently.

Curie: “Oh, my love. What’s wrong?” Curie sat down next to her shaking lover and gave them little pecks on the head. She then ran her hand through their hair and pulled them close. “Oui, these storms can be quite frightening. But do not fret; we are safe.” She continued to pet her partner’s hair and plant gentle kisses on the top of their head. “These storms are intimidating, but if you close your eyes and ignore the thunder, it can be quite beautiful; I find the pattering of the rain to be calming.” Sole listened to Curie and closed their eyes, focusing on the sound of the raindrops tapping on the roof of the shack. It reminded them of the old days when Sole would lie in bed with [Nate/Nora] and listen to the sound of the storm outside. This memory put them to sleep. Several hours later, Sole awoke to a sweet kiss on the forehead. They opened their eyes and saw Curie staring right back at them. She giggled, “I hope you enjoyed your siesta, love. The storm has already passed.”

Preston: “General? You okay?” Preston cautiously approached a fear-stricken Sole. He sat down next to them. “Babe?” He wrapped an arm around Sole, “It’s going to be okay. We’re safe in here. I promise.” The two sat in silence and listened to the storm. With each roar of thunder, Sole shook more violently. Preston knew he had to do something. He suddenly remembered a recent trade he made with Trashcan Carla. He reached into his inventory and pulled out the game Blast Radius. “Hey, look what I got,” Preston laughed as his partner raised their eyebrow quizzically. “Wanna play? I’m the Blast Radius master.” Sole accepted the challenge and engaged in a heated game with Preston. The first game lasted around 5 minutes, with Preston easily defeating Sole. “See, I told you,” he bragged, “no one’s ever beaten me.” Sole challenged him to a rematch and Preston won yet again. “Best 6 out of 10?” He joked. Sole accepted. The two continued to play for about an hour when the storm started to clear up. “Look, General. The rad storm passed!” Preston commented. “Do you still want to continue playing?”

Cait: “Aw come on now! Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little thunderstorm!” When Cait noticed that her partner didn’t acknowledge her teasing like they usually did, she knew something was wrong. “Don’t worry, darlin. A little storm never hurt anyone. How many times have ye heard of someone dyin from a rad storm?” She waited for Sole to answer. “Well, I’ve never. Now, how many times have you heard of people dyin in the hands of raiders and ferals? I’d reckon a lot, yeah?” Sole looked at Cait. She smirked. “And ye fight those bastards every day! So what are ye doin cowering over a boom in the sky and a little light show? This ain’t nothin to cry over, [beautiful/handsome].” Sole smiled and Cait ruffled their hair. “There’s that sexy smile I love!” She planted a rough kiss on their cheek and laughed. “Next time you cry over a little rain and rumblin, I’ll give ye somethin to blubber about!”

Hancock: “What’s up, doll?” Hancock sat next to his lover and pulled them close. When he felt how much they were shaking, he was immediately concerned. “Woah, woah, hey now. It’s going to be okay. Chill out. Deep breaths.” Hancock gently rubbed his partner’s back as he guided their breathing. “One in...one out...one in...one out.” When Sole had regulated their breathing and stopped shaking, Hancock looked at them in the eyes. “Are you okay now? Do you want jet or somethin to get you through this?” Sole answered, and Hancock gave them a loving kiss on the forehead. “I’m just lookin out for ya, gorgeous.” He grabbed Sole’s hand and held it tight. “I feel ya. I used to be scared of these shitstorms too. But I just kinda got used to them. I’m sure you will, too.” A few minutes later, the rain subsided and the sky started to clear up. Hancock smiled, “Looks like the ride is over. And see? You made it out just fine.”

Gage: “Boss, you’re really letting a little thunder bangin and lightning flashin get to your head?” When Sole didn’t answer, the raider sighed. He then had an idea. “This shed is mostly wood, right? If ya want, I can show you how to carve some art with a switchblade. Knife art, I like to call it.” Sole nodded and watched their partner meticulously carve gang signs into the woodwork of the shack. When he had finished his first carving, he turned to Sole, “Ya wanna give it a shot?” Sole agreed and accepted the knife. Gage held Sole’s carving hand and steadily guided them. “Good work, boss,” Gage said, admiring the skull he and Sole had carved together, “That’s some impressive shit right there.” The two continued to decorate the wooden frames and walls when the storm eventually ceased. “Looks like it cleared up.” Gage looked around, admiring the art that he and his partner created. “And look at these carvings.” He gave his partner a quick peck on the cheek, “Some of the best I’ve ever seen.”

Danse: “Soldier? What’s the matter?” When Sole didn’t respond, Danse sat down next to them and put a protective arm around them, dropping his usually stiff demeanor. “You’re scared of the storm?” Sole nodded and Danse pulled them close. “You’re okay,” he reassured, “I’m going to teach you a skill I learned in boot camp, alright? We’re going to look at the sky and we’re going to count the number of seconds between each flash of lightning and each rumble of thunder. Understand?” Sole nodded. “If you do that and then divide the number by 5, you can figure out how close the storm is.” He and Sole counted together. The number of seconds between the sounds of thunder quickly dropped from ten to six, to four. When the count reached one, Sole latched onto their lover, burying their face into his chest. He gently pet their hair and continued to count. Sure enough, the seconds between the thunder grew, from three to seven, to eleven. The rain started letting up, and the sky started returning to its normal shade of blue. Danse let go of his lover, looked at them, and smirked, “I knew you could brave the storm, soldier. Outstanding job. I’m proud of you.”

Piper: “Aw, it’s okay Blue! Come here dollface.” Piper opened her arms to her lover, which they gratefully crawled into. “We just need to find a way to distract you from this storm, right?” The reported racked her brain for some ideas, and then lit up. “Oh! I know! I play this game with Nat all the time. It’s called Story Switch. I’ll start off telling a story, and then when the thunder roars, we switch off and you have to finish where I left off. Then, when the thunder roars again, I pick up where you left off! Ready?” Piper dramatically cleared her throat. “Once upon a time, there was a Supermutant named Reginald. Reginald was—“ the thunder roared. “Okay, Blue! Your turn!” The two continued this game for about an hour; when one narrative died, they began another one. Eventually, the storm moved out. Piper smiled and kissed her partner lovingly. “Look! We’re all clear! We survived the big, bad rad storm!”

MacCready: “Hey, hey , hey,” MacCready began, “You’ve fought ferals, supermutants, stingwings, deathclaws...don’t tell me you’re scared of a little rad storm!” Suddenly, thunder sounded and lightning lit up the sky. Sole grabbed onto MacCready’s arm and buried their face in his shoulder. He could tell his lover was truly terrified. “Shh, it’s okay,” MacCready reassured, rubbing Sole’s back. He thought for a moment and then smiled. “Hey! You know what I found here while you were building up this settlement?” Sole looked up to see their partner fishing through his bag. He pulled out a comic book. “Astoundingly Awesome Tales #7: Sinister Seafood Strikes Back. One of my personal favorites. I think you’d like it too. Let’s read it together.” By the time the couple had finished the comic, Sole had learned how to do more damage at night and the rad storm had completely passed. MacCready pecked Sole’s cheek. “See? That wasn’t bad, now was it?”

#fallout 4 #fallout #fo4 #danse #paladin danse #hancock #piper #cait #maccready #preston garvey #gage #porter gage #radstorm

[jbinbcn]

Mallorca caves

19-20.07.2019

As you know from Palma post, I visited Mallorca last summer (2019). It was short, only the weekend but very intensive and of course with some adventures. In this post I'd like to write about the caves we saw those days because as you could read, Palma - nothing interesting to be there more than 1 day, buuut Mallorca is known for the mountains and the beaches. Because of caravan we couldn't go to the mountain side (west part) so we decided to move a little bit to the south and to the east. 

Our first goal was - Cala del Moro

We left the caravan in the public parking (there were already so many cars!) and then we had to walk more or less 20 min, first on the street (there were signs) and later there was a wild route.

In Mallorca there are strange houses... 

The view was already amazing!

Look at the water! 

And here we are!

The cave is on the right. 

To go down coast me a lot but wow wow wow. WORTH! The worst was to cross with the people from the other direction... -.- 

And then...paradise!

To touch the water you have to survive. There is a steep descent and with sandals it’s quite difficult (recommendation: have some good shoes for walking, and then on the beach change to the water shoes - because of the rocks). 

And the beach wasn’t the true beach, it was just a hole between two hills, no sand, only sharp rocks, so not for sunbathing. And the place was full of people...omg, hate that crowd. 

How clear is the water....wooooow

I swam to the cave - a little bit, I respect my life. I swam there and there and took some photos but then... what can I do? Booooorriiiing. Especially that you can’t lay down to do siesta because there is no space and if there is, it’s not comfortable. So I decided to climb and check the rest of this place. 

It was a perfect idea! 😍

My blog my photos, sorry hehe xD

100% introvert house. 

And then I decided to walk more and I found this!

Wooow another house and those cute stairs to the sea…. 😍

I was in love!

And of course another cave. And less people! 

Raffa, look, it's not a yacht… buuuut ;)

Of course I had prepared my nails for this trip!

I went down, again I swam a little bit and then I climbed to see the other side. And I was admiring people jumping to the water from those rocks. #FearLevelHard

And then was time to come back. The plan was to go to the city, eat dinner and then find a perfect place to park to wake up with a beautiful sunrise. 

We went to Porto Cristo.

When people were taking shower, i didn't want to wait for my turn doing nothing so I went to see the city during the last hour of the sun. 

Souvenir from Mallorca? Choose the best one!

I think it could be a nice idea to have some small trip to see the island from the other side, all the coast - woow! Next time!

This is my retirement life. 

It looks red, but wasn’t painful, #morenita ;) 

There was some small festival, music, people dancing, etc. In one moment they said that they are dancing POLKA but wtf… Unfortunately I didn't have anyone (from Moszczenica) to show them how to dance true polka…

Tumblr hates my gifs sometimes so here you have the links:

https://gfycat.com/inbornshinyleafhopper

and mallorquín dance: 

https://gfycat.com/inbornshinyleafhopper

Then we went to eat. Mallorca is quite expensive but you can also survive with some “pizza”. 

Or be more fancy at least one night!

More or less the prices:

And then romantic walk with Fede and the ice cream. 

Finally I could see the stars in Spain!!!!! ❤

Then we took a car to go to one perfect sunrise spot -  Torre del Serral dels Falcons. The parking is free and quite big, there are also some tables and benches so perfect for barbecue. 

Wine, stars, moon on the coast... couldn’t be better! 

And this view from the window: 

IN LOOOOVE! Take me there again please! 

Maybe I’ve told you already but! Perfect moment of the sunrise is before the sunrise! 

So have it in mind to wake up 20 min before to enjoy those colors. 

Imagine to live here during the quarantine... please yes!

Then we had a loooong photo session ;) 

When you need 5 min to stop laughing. 

I was so tan...omg I miss it! 

And then the breakfast with those views! And let's go to discover more caves! 

We decided to go to Cala Varques. The problem was to arrive there. Recommendation, follow the street signs, Google sometimes doesn't have the information if the road is open for everyone. It's better to walk 15 min more than get a fine or be stuck in nowhere. And also there are people on the motorbikes showing the way to their parking xd paid one but wasn't that expensive. 

So yes, we had to walk like 20min on the road, but not a problem. Later was through the forest but no worries, there were many people walking with us. 

The place was a little bit less amazing but still woooow.

And again, swimming! That day the waves were so high and strong! Not for bambini hahaha but we enjoyed a lot, papallonas! But yeah, would be easier with special shoes because of the rocks. The sun was quite strong so we went to the forest to chill in the shadow and there we found many groups of travelers (tents, backpacks, wild life). I needed some siesta, so chilling omg. 

Well... my hair got crazy xD

Then we went to visit the coast, first to the right. At the end there were ruins of some house but the most incredible thing - the steps down to the sea… Woow! #respect 

And again photoshooting ;) 

Then we decided to find more caves! This time Fede wanted to go with me. She trusted me #hehe. 

And here we have THE BEST ADVENTURE. 

First we found reached the cave which we saw from the beach. There were only few people, mostly to take a photo and that's all, we also did that #ofCourse. 

But we were also observing people climbing on the other side. One of them was a girl in flip-flops (góralu czy Ci nie żal patrzeć na turystki w sandałkach?). And she did it without any problems so we were more convinced to do it as well. We asked also guys who came from there and they said that it's ok. So I just checked on the map if there is some other way, because I could climb but I didn't want to go back the same way #FearOfHeights. And there was! OK, decided, we go there! 

OMG. 

My whole life passed in front of my eyes. Wtf how this girl in flip-flops could have done it without problems. It was climbing 100%. #neverAgain

I was sure I would not come back the same way. 

And then we were on the top! So beautiful view! 

We started following some couples with a hope that they knew the way. But they was walking so fast in this dry grass and suddenly they disappeared. Great. There was some path in this stupid painful grass but sometimes was disappearing. Then we reached the end of the coast and as a map was saying, we should reach the other coast and then there should be a road. 

Ok. We went down, was quite easy, then up, more difficult but now like first time and then… No path xD Great. So we just moved along, more or less, the problem was high dry grass.

On the other side we realized that 30 min before we were standing on the cave. #fuckMyLife #stillScared

Suddenly in this grass, on small bush I saw a skull of some goat. I was thinking if I should say it to Fede (she was already so scared) but my mouth was faster xD and when I said it I saw that it's full body, I mean, full skeleton. Poor goat probably stuck in this bush and couldn't move…. We run away. And Fede started thinking about helicopters which would come to save us. She was terrified, I tried to keep calmness. She didn't want to talk to me… moments of silence. 

And then we found the road! The strange thing was that on the right side was a big closed gate… But, whatever, we had to go to the left so… Then we were walking and walking between 2 fences. On the right potatoes and goats, on the left looked like military area because of the spines. And then we found an info that it's private CAZA. I thought that it's in mallorquín - casa (house), but Fede had her theory. Later I checked on the internet - hunting place XDDD

And then... our road was blocked. Blocked by 3 m height gate. Impossible to jump. We are bambini! Come back? fuck no. So what now?  Think JB, think. Because od the fear we didn’t notice that before on the fence on the left was a hole. Let’s try. And then we walked on some path and at the end there was a wall like 1,5 m and a plastic garden chair! We are safe! We could use the chair to jump <3 

Fun fact: I said to Fede “put the chair on the other side of the wall because on this one we have a rock”. She did it, but the chair felt down xDD #goodJob Fortunately there was some man walking so we asked him to put the chair back, hahahaha imagine xD He did it <3 We jumped. and then we were on the right road to the caravan. 

INFO: later we read that this cave is private but people had made a whole and nobody cares. 

To help you imagine the adventure I’ve made a video, enjoy! (there are English subtitles ;) )

So yes. that’s all! We came back to Palma to spend the evening and night there (because of the flight at 5 am).

Soon I’ll put here the recommendations from mallorquín people about other caves and beaches! 

#mallorca #caves #cala moro #cala varques #adventures #beaches #wildness #porto cristo #sunrise #torre del serral dels falcons

[hellochum-blog1]

Photos from Sounion, Delphi, Athens, Greece. November/December 1969. 35mm infrared scan’s from Kodachrome film slides. Edited in Adobe Photoshop.

Dr. Cameron went to Greece in 1969 to advises the military junta government on biochemical production on behalf of the W.H.O. Meanwhile GlaxoSmithKline (then just Glaxo) wine’s-and-dine’s him and ferries him around the ancient ruins with his trusty Olympus camera.

Here are a few excerpts from Dr. Cameron’s letters and journals in relation to the above photographs.

Sunday, November 23rd, 1969

“At last we have started to earn our money and with a vengeance – started at 9am this morning, finished at 9pm this evening with 3 hours siesta time in the afternoon for sightseeing. Anyway, after official business we went off to see the Acropolis – the glory that was Greece, with the emphasis on was. The remains are indeed impressive and to think of the civilization they represent from 2500 years back is to wonder what has gone wrong since. Everyone emphasizes their pride in their country but the Acropolis is a shambles. A child would wonder why all the buildings are falling down but this remark apart, all the pieces that have fallen down just lie there – people walk over them, there is no obvious attempt to classify them with a view to restoration and there is dust everywhere – there has been no rain since may.” 

Sunday, November 30th, 1969

"We finished the day with Dr. Pavlidis telling us that he could not get an official car to take us to Delphi - this requires two days’ notice - but that he had arranged the trip with the help of his friends. As a piece of organization, it was typically Greek - catastrophic - but as a day’s outing it was fun. We had two cars, one with Pavlidis, his brother-in-law (who drove) Dr. and Mrs. Ungar and myself. This was a Volkswagen and we had a 5 hour drive so you can imagine how I felt. The other car, an MG, had the chemist from Dr. Plavidis’ Institute, his wife, and two small children, Dr. Pavlidis’ wife and his sister in law. Needless to say we got lost which arose from everyone knowing the way but not being able to agree on it. About 12.30 we stopped in a typically Greek town – Levadia, about half-way between Athens and Delphi, due west. It was a place where chaos predominates and looks as if it is officially organized. There we had coffee, pushed on and to everyone’s surprise reached Delphi. This was thought by the Ancient Greeks to be the center of the world and much early statuary and carving remains as well as the famous oracle and the temple of Apollo. The setting, like that of Athens itself, is wonderful, nestling at the foot of cliffs 1000 foot high. It was bitterly cold and I felt the benefit of my jersey and jacket."

Part 2 coming soon...

Thanks for reading and stay healthy!

#35mm film #kodachrome #slidefilm #photography #familyhistory #photoshop

[sunkissis]

We landed back from Nice to Paris with only 48 hours to sleep, do some laundry and re-pack our suitcases, we hopped on a train at 5 am to the small town of Torino, northern Italy.

Why did I choose to visit Turin? (Torino in Italian) Well, I was planning a summer trip to Rome but I discovered most of the trains were sold out of first class seats and it only was a five and half hour ride to Turin versus a grueling eleven hour ride to Rome. Then I found the cutest Airbnb rental for less than €100 for two nights!  I knew it was worth spending a few days in a smaller town before our week in Rome.

This is my favorite meme

We took an Uber to Gare de Lyon at 5 am because it was too early to take the bus or Metro. Our train was scheduled to leave at 6:25 am so I may have overestimated our departure time. Spending an hour waiting, I never paid attention to how beautiful Gare Lyon is.

We had a long wait with no cafes open yet to get breakfast. Lucky for us, there was a piano in the station and a talented guy treated us to a rendition of Dr. Dre and Amelie medleys.

We traversed this gorgeous lake somewhere in southeastern France for ages. I need to find out the name of this lake but I am guessing it could be lac d’Annecy. I want to go to there.

We arrived at the Torino Porta Susa train station before noon. Let me say how much I appreciate a clean, not too crowded, easy to navigate train station like this one. We couldn’t use Uber so we walked to our Airbnb. It was unbearably hot so after 20 minutes, I was drenched and feeling grumpy. However, my mood lightened as we passed the beautiful buildings and quiet streets.

The city is so classic Italian and charming but also terribly hot. I was so relieved when we made it to our Airbnb and found an elevator in the lobby. It’s such a luxury in European buildings.

That stained glass window was bellissimo! The street we stayed on was quiet in comparison to our lively street in Paris. I am sure Italians take siesta hour very seriously.

Wow, we actually had to use an old skeleton key, so delightful! Our apartment was small but perfect. There was the perfect mix of modern and old-world. I adore the stain glass windows and wood beam ceiling.

I loved the balcony (although it was too hot to hang out there) but lovely breezes.

The bedroom had this ancient arched ceiling.

It’s always weird to me that most homes in Italy have a bidet. I honestly never used one. Someone is going to have to show me a tutorial, I have so many questions!

Our Airbnb host was super cool, he gave Antz an ice cold beer upon our arrival.

We needed lunch and gelato right away so we walked to the tram and headed to Old Town.

I love the curtains for shade on the balconies. Torino is so lovely, all I was missing was a convertible Fiat 500 like this beauty.

I really need to learn how to drive a manual transmission! I would drive this adorable car in a heartbeat if I fit inside.

Did I walk into the 1950s? Look how cute the street lamps are!

Balcony goals!

Prego Antz!

I can’t believe how incredibly beautiful this pharmacy is. I saw it on Pinterest and had no idea what the address was but it was easy to find.

Italy has my heart with this Accidentally Wes Anderson signage.

Liv got peach, Antz got chocolate chip and I tried cantaloup. I can’t get enough Italian gelato. Ice cream is mandatory several times per day in the Italian summer heat.

So of course we arrived during the awkward afternoon time of 3 pm – 7 pm when most restaurants were closed. We walked for hours looking for anything open but we ending up having to wait hours before 7pm. I don’t know how to time our travels so that we don’t end up starving in the middle of the day but it always seems to happen. We stocked up on some water and fruit from a convenience store and went back to our Airbnb for a nap before dinner.

Guess who overslept?! We slept right through dinner so we were starving the next morning.

Believe it or not, this was the first time the three of us brushed our teeth together at the same time. We all can’t fit together in our teeny bathroom in our apartment in Paris.

Thank goodness we found a cafe that was open but it wasn’t the bacon and pancakes breakfast we were hoping for. We settled for orange juice and pastries.

We left on a Sunday so most places were closed and it was brutally hot so we took the bus downtown to take some photos of Turin before our afternoon train to Rome. I was playing with the settings on my Nikon but as always, I ended up with blurry shots. D’oh!

Even Lulu was sweating.

I wish we could have figured out how to rent a bike but we proceeded on foot.

There’s something alluring about telephone booths, I suppose it’s the same appeal as a photobooth. It brings back nostalgia and I love the 1960s vibes. Also, how rad is that green mailbox. I love a good mailbox.

We loved these adorable tram cars. However, they weren’t going in our direction.

We saw this roof in the distance so we walked towards it. This building is the Mole Antonelliana which is now a museum of cinema. It’s believed to be the tallest museum in the world however the access to the roof was closed so we just browsed the gift shop.

The store selling these paletas saved our lives. It was deathly hot!

We took the bus back to our Airbnb and walked to the train station. We had a couple of hours to kill before our train so we hung out in a tiny shop with a little fan.

Turin was charming, very quiet, less tourists and slower paced. I wish we were able to try some food but we never seem to time it right. So 48 hours later, we were off to Roma.

Arrivederci Torino!

Off to Torino, Italy We landed back from Nice to Paris with only 48 hours to sleep, do some laundry and re-pack our suitcases, we hopped on a train at 5 am to the small town of…

#Holiday #Italy #SNCF Train #summer #Torino #Vacation

[solartranslations]

Dante 4/30: The Promising New Generation

It’s not a bad pun. It’s an interjection…

~*Scene: Dining Room*~

Felicita: ?

Liberta: O, jou~!!

❤≪Nova≫ Seems as usual ❤≪Liberta≫ Seems as usual

Person: Pronounce your words properly!

Food: I’m a little thirsty

Person: Oh, it’s Ojou!

Pain: I can’t show that I feel down

Food: I’m hungry

Nova: …Hey, why are you talking so weird…

Liberta: Huh? It’s not weird? I just called her “Ojou” like usual…

Nova: The syllables were weird!!

Nova: You split it into “O” and “jou”…

Felicita: ?

Dante: Oh, what are you three doing together?

❤≪Dante≫ I hope my new joke won’t flop

Place: I’ve got to get it properly connected tonight

Food: I’m somewhat hungry

???: ???

Dante: Are you all the tiniest bit hungry? …Just kidding!

>What do you mean by “the tiniest bit” hungry?

(+5 Amore)

>What do you mean by “the three of us together”?

(+10 Amore)

>It’s not time to eat yet

(No Amore)

Dante: …Huh…?

Dante: Why…it means “slightly” or “a little”, right?

Dante: Like…not hungry enough to eat a whole meal…

Felicita: ?

Nova: No, Dante. You should always make your words clear

Nova: How much does “a little” refer to specifically?

Nova: How many slices of pizza, or how many pieces of biscotti…

Liberta: Ah~!! Come on! You’re so picky!!

Liberta: It’s fine. You eat if you’re hungry, and you take a siesta if you’re full! That’s total harmony, right?

Felicita: ?

Dante: Ojou-san…

Dante: What were you asking again…?

Felicita: ?

(End of Scene)

(Skip this box)

Dante: ….Huh…?

Dante: W, well that’s true but…

Felicita: …

Dante: N, no! I’m not stealing food!?

Liberta: Hey, wait! Dante, you do that!?

Nova: …Dante. It seems that I have misjudged you

Felicita: …

Dante: No!! I don’t!!!!

(*shock)

Fukurota: …Hoot?

(End of Scene)

❤≪Dante≫ Seems confused ❤≪Dante≫ Seems nervous

Person: I didn’t think about that…!

Food: I’m somewhat hungry

???: ???

Person: She’s so blunt towards my humor!

???: ???

Food: I’m somewhat hungry

❤≪Nova≫ Seems concerned ❤≪Liberta≫ Seems concerned

Food: I’m just the “tiniest bit” thirsty

Person: That bothers me too

Person: You always tell me not to steal food though

Food: I’m hungry too

❤≪Liberta≫ Doesn’t seem interested ❤≪Nova≫ Can't seem to handle it

Food: I’m hungry

Food: The tiniest bit hungry and normal hungry are the same thing!

Person: The Chief Executive of all people…would steal food?

Food: I’m a little thirsty

Dante: Ha, haha

❤≪Dante≫ Regalo

???: ???

Food: I’m somewhat hungry

Place: I’ve got to get it properly connected tonight

Dante: When I look at you three…

Dante: I end up thinking about the future

Liberta: Geez Dante! You sound like such an old man…

❤≪Liberta≫ Seems as usual ❤≪Dante≫ Regalo

Person: Is he getting old?

Food: I’m hungry

Person: I want to see the three of them grow

Place: I’ve got to get it properly connected tonight

Food: I’m somewhat hungry

Nova: He’s right. For the current Chief Executive to say something like that…

❤≪Nova≫ Seems concerned

Arcana: The future is fine, but the present is important

Food: I’m thirsty

Nova: You should refrain from making remarks that could be taken as “irresponsible”

Dante: Gahahaha! Calling it “irresponsible” is harsh

❤≪Dante≫ Regalo

Person: So this is the future of Arcana Famiglia

Place: I’ve got to get it properly connected tonight

Food: I’m somewhat hungry

Dante: …But, that future isn’t so far off

Dante: The Family needs new blood to operate…right

Liberta: Dante…?

Dante: Now! If we’re at the dining room at odd hours, we’ll just be suspected of stealing food

Dante: If you like, I’ll show you to a pizzeria I recommend

Liberta: Really!? Let’s go!!

~*End of Scene*~

You have one Heart Voice. It can be heard within SPECIAL

(Continue to Common Route May 3)

(Back to Directory)

#dante #arcana famiglia #la storia della arcana famiglia #april 30 #4/30 #solar translations #psp game #translation #releases #I didn't even understand how that was a pun

[purplesurveys]

496

Why are you taking a survey? Because I don’t want to do anything else and generally, I’m trying to do as many surveys as I can before the school year starts and I won’t have time to do these again for six months. When’s the last time you were grounded? I was a freshman in high school and I kept failing all my algebra exams...it was a combination of not liking my teacher’s teaching technique, having a worsening eyesight, and having to sit at the back row of the classroom with said worsening eyesight. My mom thought it was because I spent too much time on the computer, so there were times that she grounded me.

I ended up passing the class, but I’m pretty sure the teacher just gave me a pity passing mark so that I didn’t have to take summer classes. Anything exciting taking place today? It’s Midsommar’s first day in cinemas sooooo if I’m feeling spontaneous, I might go out and watch it. But other than that it’s a really chill day for me. What are you craving? I can really go for a burger from Pound right now.

Is there anyone in the room with you? Nope, I’m alone at home with just my dog.

Who did you last hit? My brother, before I stopped talking to him altogether.

Do you like kool aid? I’ve never tried it. Are you currently reading a book? Nope. Haven’t read a book in a while. How do you do in school? In grade school and high school, I chose which subjects to give a shit about and performed well there, but I put in a lot of effort for the others. But grades start mattering in college so I do well in all my classes now, whether I like them or not. What’s your biggest goal? At the moment? To finish my thesis. Who have you texted today? I haven’t texted anyone yet, but I’ve already sent emails and talked on IM.

What was the last thing you did before bed last night? I was watching Friends to help me fall asleep.

What’s your biggest fear? Failing, in general. Laptop or desktop? I’m on a laptop right now and have always preferred this over a desktop. Do you have an iPod? I technically still do because I’m sure it’s just somewhere in the house, but I haven’t used it and it hasn’t been charged in a very long time. Do you have a fan on in the room you’re in? There’s an electric fan, but my mom, sister, and I wanna start nagging my dad to get an air conditioner here in the living room. It can get so embarrassing when we have guests over and they start to sweat like crazy and there’s not much else we can do other than set the fan at the highest level. Do you have a wallet? Yes, I do. What are you sitting on? I’m sitting on our couch in the living room. What’s the last thing you had to eat? I got a paella fajita mix and chicken nachos from one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, but I wasn’t able to finish the former because my small stomach didn’t make me. Do you like grapefruits? I don’t think I’ve even seen one before. Sweet or sour? SWEET. I hate hate hate all sour food.  Have you ever had the Reese’s PB Candy Bars? I haven’t tried their candy bars, no. I’m happy to stick with their peanut butter cups. Do you know who Shawn Michaels is? LMFAO, this is so random that he’s the name that showed up on an otherwise perfectly normal survey...yes, I know him very well. I’ve looked up to him for as long as I can remember. Who do you turn to if you need help? My two best friends. Are you more dependent or independent? DEPENDENT. I always ask other people to make choices for me. I know that’s gotta stop soon. Does the time 2 o'clock have any significance to you? Yes, quite a bit. When I was a kid, 2 PM meant we needed to be in bed for our siesta. My lola was very strict about it too and would get mad if we didn’t start sleeping by then. Do you like bagels? Sure, but I don’t get to eat them a lot. Are there any stuffed animals in the room you’re in? [continued from yesterday because I got laaaaazyyyy] Nope, I’m in the dining area. What do you think of guys who wear eyeliner? I think they can wear as much eyeliner as they wish, it’s 2019. Favorite tv show? I have several: Breaking Bad, Friends, and Queer Eye. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? I’m talking to Gab on the phone right now cause I’m helping her edit an article she just wrote. Where’s your mother? She’s in her workplace. Do you know who the strongest man in the world is? I know Mark Henry was billed like this for a very long time, but I dunno who has this title now. What’s the best time you’ve had in the past week? It’s been a whole week since it happened, but it would be my trip to the National Museums of Fine Arts, Anthropology, and Natural History with Gabie last Thursday. We also went to Greenbelt after and had dinner at Italianni’s :) Have you ever been in a fist fight? With my cousins when we were like 5, yes. Can you cook? Not at aaaaall. What time is it? 9:54 AM. Do you love animals? More than I like people. What color are your eyes? Black. I used to answer this with dark brown but fuck it, let’s go with black. Who’s one person you care about more than yourself? Gabie. How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Like three hours. No matter what I do, my body will ALWAYS wake me up automatically at 7:30 AM at the latest, and it just so happened that I fell asleep at 4 AM earlier. Are there any pets you’re wishing for? Not right now. Whatcha gonna do now? =] I have no clue. Maybe get some breakfast, watch Friends, take another survey (this never happens), who knows.

#survey #surveys