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kristallioness · 4 years

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2016 | 2017 | 2018

*quietly sneaks back in*... Happy New THIS Year, my dear followers! In Estonia, we have this saying that if you wish someone a 'happy new year' after Three Kings' Day (the 6th of January), you gotta have a bottle of alcohol with you and give them a drink. *lol*

Anyways, I would like to apologize for the sudden disappearance that happened prior to Christmas. I was just busy travelling back home for the holidays, unpacking and putting away my stuff, watching some great, traditional movies or shows on TV, and most importantly, working on those 2 latest masterpieces that I posted (which barely got 30 notes each.. *sigh*).

But as you can (and probably will) see, the year of the yellow earth pig (i.e. my dad's year) was a rollercoaster of emotions and accomplishments, or lacking thereof.

My creative side seems to have suffered the most due to lack of leisure time. I only managed to finish 3 full digital drawings and left behind several sketches or unfinished WIPs (2 of which are revealed here under the months of June and November for the first time, I intend to finish the Korrasami one btw). At least I got to start 2020 with a completed drawing on the very 1st day, ha-ha! Perhaps that's a good omen for this year?

If so, then I hope I'll find the time to finish the rest of the 2019 Inktober prompts, since I only did 4/31 this past October (even though I'd thought of ideas for all of them). I brought all the necessary drawing utensils and sheets of paper with me, so whenever I'm in the mood, I'll try to sketch another one.

*calculates for the nth time*.. I wrote 18,110 words worth of fanfiction, plus 820 words for the UYLD prompts (making the total 18,930). Technically, you can count another 8k+ in there, since it comes from that unfinished story (of Aang taking care of a flu-ridden Katara, as illustrated by the September sketch), which I haven't finished within the last 4 months or so. Plus, I barely wrote 1/5 of the amount compared to 2018.. *hides in shame*

Then again, I was an excellent pupil for picking up an actual book and reading through 150+ pages (which means I have ~300 pages to go). I'm talking about the new Kyoshi novel that came out. As I once said, I haven't voluntarily read a book in years make that 2 years ago (most of the reading I've done in my life is either Tom & Jerry comics, now the Avatar comic trilogies and art books as well as fanfiction online, or compulsory reading during school). But this novel is freaking fantastic superb!

Not only that, I bought all the new comic trilogies and managed to read them through. Damn, did they give me feels.. especially "Ruins of the Empire" (ngl I squeed so hard when I saw the Korrasami farewell kiss on the 1st page of the 2nd part). I can't wait to read the 3rd part this year!

However, I failed to rewatch Avatar last year, and I haven't seen Korra since.. 2016, I believe? Wow, that's 4 whole years.. But I intend to fix that mistake starting from 2020. Hopefully I'm in the mood to start my rewatch this weekend tonight. *fingers crossed*

But as I said, I had much less time to focus on my hobbies since 2019 was the year for finally moving on with my life (sort of, I'm still working on it). I still remember how down I'd been feeling for a while and how valid those emotions really were. The first quarter of the year (+ like a month or two) was a continuous descent into desperation and feelings of utter failure, which already started around the 2nd half of 2018 and only continued to deepen around that time.

Everything began to change when I was first chosen to be part of a 2-month summer internship in an IT company, and I had to start building a new nest in a new location in Tallinn this May. And now, I feel like I've hit the jackpot by getting a permanent job in another IT company this October.

I got the opportunity to work in two different fields, in two different teams within a year. I met some awesome colleagues (a lot of whom are foreigners) and got the chance to really put my English skills to the test.

Thanks to the new job, I also had to go to a free health check, which went really-really well. Despite my nervousness in the beginning, I feel much more relaxed about my physical (and mental) health, cause the results showed that everything's okay (something I'd been worried about since March 2017).

Speaking of health or staying healthy, there were a few sports events that I went to, too. Our team held the first winter team event (it was the first one for me, at least) by going to do archery in a range on the outskirts of the capital.

I watched the football match between 2 teams of our local league at my hometown together with my dad on his birthday. Our home team won the match and came in 4th place overall in the league this year, which is their best result so far (I'm really proud!). And merely days before I started work, I visited the Tallinn International Horse Show for the first time (also with my dad). I last got to watch horses jump over fences or dance to their musical programs ~ 10 years ago, and I loved it!

Event-wise 2019 was pretty full of them. As has become tradition, I went to the Defence Forces parade on our 101st Independence Day (which seemed rather bleak compared to the centennial, even more so since we didn't have ANY snow at the time).

What will hopefully become new traditions, I visited the television tower on the Restoration of Independence Day (where Uku Suviste gave a free concert in the evening), and went to the Veteran's Rock concert (to honour our war veterans) on our Freedom Square on the 23rd of April (since I'm residing in the capital now, I should be able to go again this year).

To continue with the centennial celebrations (yes, some things are STILL turning 100), I saw and explored inside the armoured train no. 7 called "Wabadus" ("Freedom") in the Baltic Station. This armoured train was one of the keys that led our country to victory during the War of Independence from 1918-1920.

There was an even bigger (150th) anniversary to celebrate in the beginning of July, when I attended our Song and Dance Festival. This was a really important, if not the biggest event of the year. I intend to make a longer post about my experience, cause it's something that you foreigners need to see for yourself. I can't simply describe or put it into words, I have to show you some videos and photos.

But while we're on the topic of concerts, I should mention that I went to 2 more at the beginning of June - Bon Jovi and Sting - as well as 2 that were part of Christmas tours in December - Elina Nechayeva and Rolf Roosalu.

Besides that, I went to 6 different festivals, half of which I'd been to several times before, such as the Türi Flower Fair, Jäneda Farm Days (where I went on my first helicopter ride for my 25th birthday present) and the Christmas market in the Old Town of Tallinn.

The other half is comprised of festivals that I'd been considering going to for a while, or which took place for the first time. The latter applies to the Black Food Festival, whereas the "Valgus Kõnnib" ("Wandering Lights") and the duck rally, both of which took place in Kadriorg, fall under the first category.

The duck rally is a charity event held in the beginning of June. Regular people can buy at least one (or several) rubber bath duckies for different prices, which will then be dumped into a tiny stream that'll carry them towards the finish line. This event has grown more popular each year, and the money the Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer (sorry, long name in English!) collects is donated to the Cancer Treatment Fund.

*wipes forehead*.. Phew! I'm surprised, that's a whole lotta positivity for 2019. I think there's one more important, but seriously negative topic I haven't covered yet, but I feel should be mentioned and explained.

When it comes to politics, 2019 was a complete disaster for us. EKRE (Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond in Estonian, or Estonia's Conservative People's Party in English) i.e. our populist/nazi/pro-Trump party is in the government as of April 2019, thanks to 100,000+ idiots (out of our population of 1.3 million) who voted for them and gave them 19/101 seats in the Parliament.

No, I am NOT going to apologize for calling them a nazi party, because their main leaders have repeatedly supported ideology that's common to nazis (they use aggressive rhetoric, blame the media for making them look bad, downgrade women, minorities, are racist, anti-semitic etc...). And I will not apologize in front of the people who voted for them, because "thanks" to this, EKRE has dragged our country's reputation straight through a mud puddle (not to mention the scandals that have accompanied 5 of their ministers, 3 of who have THANKFULLY stepped down from their positions) and.. *swears like the British*.. it's BLOODY EMBARRASSING.

I am done being nice, I have at least some kind of prejudice about anyone who supports them or their ideals. And I will certainly not let Estonia end up like America. So that is why I participated in two protest events against EKRE and our current government (because the 2 other parties, who were willing to form the coalition with them, are spineless jellyfish that simply seek to hold onto their current positions of power). I'm willing to take bets as to when our government falls (the sooner the better).

*shakes off the frustration*.. Brrr! So besides that, I guess the only downside to 2019 was my spare time falling back in the list of priorities (which shows in the empty square of July).

2020 is gonna be the year of the white metal rat. I can only hope (and take action so) that it'll be just as eventful, and much more creative than 2019. Thank you all for following me (or lurking anonymously) for so long, especially to the bloggers who've offered me support through better or worse! *raises a glass* Here's to 2020!.. *sip*

#personal #shards of Kristal

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surveys-at-your-service · 6 years

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Survey #147

“i almost died, but it felt great.”

Have you ever thought of a relationship as more of a job than love? Yep, definitely with Tyler. Girt felt that way too, kinda. Do you live in a town where basically everyone knows everyone else? Nope. When’s the last time you chose a bath over a shower? Years ago, you don't even wanna know what was wrong with me. What are you doing for your next birthday? Hopefully I'll be in a tattoo parlor my dude. Do you know anyone else with your name? Yeah, but spelled differently. Who do you care about the most? Sara and my mom. Colored skinny jeans. Yay or nay? YAY. Interests & hobbies: Photography, watching let's plays, music, writing/RP, any interaction with animals, art, gaming, being out in nature if it's cool. Music. What do you listen to? Heavy metal, mostly. Other sub-genres of metal and rock. Quality or quantity? Quality. What’s your phone’s signature? (if you have one…) Oh my fucking god I forgot phones used to have a signature option. I don't have one. Do you think it’s possible to will yourself out of caring about someone? I don't think so, honestly. Well... maybe. But I think you have to truly want to. Do you know anyone that is albino? No. Would you agree that smoking (cigarettes) should be illegal? It should be, but it's too late to make it so. Too many people would lose their jobs. Do you prefer regular bacon or turkey bacon? Regular by miles. Where do most of your relatives live? New York and Ohio. Is your weight proportionate to your height? No. What is the last place, other than home, that you stayed overnight? Sara's house. Do you prefer leather or lace? Lace. Would you ever buy a motorcycle? No, too risky for me. What is the furthest you have traveled alone? Illinois. Have you ever ridden a train? How about a subway? No to both. What did you do on the busiest day of your life? I dunno. Do you think everyone is born innocent? Or do you think “evil” is predetermined? I lean more towards being born innocent. What was the meanest thing you’ve been called? A martyr. Do you have any pets? If so, what species/breed? How did you acquire said pets? I have two dogs, one being a beagle/cocker spaniel and probs collie mix, and another that's supposedly part jack russell. The first came from a friend of a family friend, and the other I think from Craigslist? Then I have a cat that looks to have Siamese heritage, and he came from my sister's mother-in-law. I also have a champagne ball python that came from a breeder in Florida. Both my iguana and rat came from Craigslist. Have you ever gotten a pet at a shelter? You should. There’s nothing wrong with shelter pets. I believe so? Have you ever taken in a stray animal? Story of my family's life with cats lmao. Have you ever dated someone simply for their looks? No. What about dating someone simply because you felt too bad to say no? That's honestly how Tyler and I started, yes lmao. I didn't "like" him yet, but I mean, he was enough of a good guy for me to be like "okay let's try." Does any food always make you sick but you love it too much to not eat it? None "sick," no. Some don't sit well with my stomach, but I eat anyways. How do you feel about alcohol? Dangerous potential. Don't overindulge. Have you ever been drunk? No. Chicken or the egg, really? Chicken. Do you tell white lies? Sometimes. Would you rather be able to talk to animals or be fluent in every language? Talk to animals! Does your kitchen have a pantry? No. Have you ever interviewed a job applicant at your workplace? No. How do your political beliefs compare to those of your parents? I'm not as conservative as either. Have you ever gone over 3 months without shaving/waxing your legs? Lol yes. Would you ever consider being a foster parent? No. What’s your opinion on lottery tickets? Waste of money, or no? Once in a blue moon, whatever, give it a shot if you want. But generally a waste, odds are too small. Have you ever swam in a saltwater pool? Those exist?? What kinds of leisure activities did your family do together when you were growing up? Almost nothing all together... We would swim together sometimes, though. And cook out. Are either of your parents retired yet and if not, what do they do? No. Dad's a mailman, and Mom's a pharmacy tech. What kind of booze did you last take shots of? I've never done shots. What is one moment that you missed out on that you wished you didn’t? Off the top of my head, I guess the total solar eclipse we had a while back. Didn't see anything here. But eh, didn't have glasses anyway. What is your favorite shape? Circles. Who did you last kiss? Romantically, Sara. Platonically, I think my nephew. Are pigs adorable or dirty? PRECIOUS. What brand water do you drink? (Smart Water, Dasani, etc) Great Value lmao. Can you speak a second language fluently? No. Do you wanna learn any other languages? I would really, really like to take German again and become fluent. What is the worst pain you’ve ever experienced? Physically, an infected cyst being drained with not even nearly enough numbing and morphine; emotionally, romantic heartbreak. What’s your least favorite chore? Dishes. I refuse to live somewhere that doesn't have a dishwasher when I move out aksjfdasoejiw. If you had 5 minutes to talk with any politician, who would it be? *shrugs* What would you ask them? ^ You’re stranded alongside the road. Who do you call first? Mom. Name the last 3 TV shows you watched: The Good Doctor, The Bionic Vet, and probably a show that's not coming to me for Keegan or the girl Colleen watches. If you had to be a member of a TV sitcom family, which one would it be? jfaskdjasie the Addams. Goals. Name 3 things from your childhood that you still have today: Like half a billion stuffed animals, some toys, some video games. How many bones have you broken? None. Who is the one person you DON’T want to come to your wedding? Hm. Idk. Maybe my sister's husband, but I mean it'd be fine if he kept his judgments to himself as I'm probably marrying a girl, and boy do I know his opinions. What is your favorite fast food joint? Probably Wendy's. Have you used Limewire before? Hahaha yes. Do you have any siblings? Younger or older? Yeah, five older and one younger. Have you ever had a one night stand? No. Do you or any of your friends have children? My best friend has a son. Who do you envy the most, if anyone at all? Ha, couldn't tell you. Somebody. So have you ever been on a legit date? Yeah. Last person you watched a movie with?   Colleen. Favorite book that was made into a movie? Johnny Got His Gun. Do you like eggnog? NO. Ever seen someone get surgery? Not like, in person. But I watched a video of how the surgery I had is done before having it. Do you play Pokemon Go? If so, what level are you and who’s your buddy? I play when I can anyway, Pokestops are like non-existent here, so. But anyway I think I'm 11 or 12, and my buddy is Charmander. If you wear lipstick, what’s your favorite color to wear? Black. Has your best friend ever made you cry? Yes. Have you ever entered a talent competition? No. What color is your best friend’s hair? Blonde. Is your best friend older or younger than you? She's a few months older. Do you have a dream catcher? No. If you’ve ever been out of your country, do you have a souvenir? I've never been out of the country. When was the last time you saw the person you had your first kiss with? February of last year. Have you read any of Shakespeare’s works other than Romeo and Juliet? Yeah, though it was still for school. Why did you move to where you’re living now? We got evicted and kinda just had to pick whatever accommodated us and wasn't gross-looking. Thankfully we all really like our house, more than our old one even. What was the most severe punishment your parents gave you when you were growing up? Multiple spankings. Have you ever been to California? No. Do you think dreams actually mean anything? Why/why not? No. Because recently Colleen told me about a dream where she won a fried chicken plush from a claw machine and it came out as four buckets of KFC. Find me the meaning pls. What’s something you’re really bad at compared to others? Social interaction. I panic over how long I'm supposed to keep eye contact, dude. How much was gas the last time you filled your car up? I don't fill my own gas, don't have a car. But I think it's like... $2.69 or something here?? Do you usually fill up at the same gas station? Mom normally does. What was the topic of conversation the last time you spoke to a sibling? I was texting Ashley about where we're doing Ryder's birthday pictures. Are any of your relatives musicians? No. Is there a movie you currently want to see? Slender Man and The Meg. Have you ever received an autograph from a celebrity? No.. Do you have a piece of technology that should be dead, but it’s still going? Oh boy, the iPod nano I've had since the beginning of middle school. Ever sent drunk texts? No. How many dresses do you own? Besides my two prom ones, I think one?? What was the most unique pet you’ve owned? My iguana, probably. Do you enjoy swimming in the ocean? Big scream yes. I was at the beach the other day and the water was absolutely perfect. Is there something you want to do, that you swear you will, no matter what? Yeah, meet Mark. Direct opposite location in the U.S. my ass, he has no escape. What’s something you’ve vowed to never eat? Wild animals, unless I'm in a survival situation. Do you have trouble sleeping if you sleep anywhere else but home? Eh, I can sometimes. If I'm comfortable, not really.

#survey #quiz #questions

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estchange · 7 years

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End of Exchange I: Changes

Stasis would be a tragedy, given that I’ve spent thousands of hard-earned dollars on my adventure of a lifetime to see the world. Perhaps even more tragic would be a failure to document these changes on a public platform because what’s an accomplishment if no one knows about it?

Anyway, my adventure of a lifetime wasn’t very life-changing.

I would say though, that I did realise certain things about myself, and that I did learn certain things as well. So here’s my first post-exchange post - I’ll try to organise it so it’s not verbal diarrhea and also so that I’m forced to think about things to make my exchange more meaningful.

I am a loser, and I’m okay with being one.

Before exchange, my preferred activity for leisure and relaxation was to stay cooped up in my room, facing my sleekass macbook screen. Social activities are fine, but they’re draining and I mostly participate in them because of social obligations (I’m sorry @ any friends reading this). I can go hours without talking to anyone, the best company is my own company, the best place to be is my little room, the best thing to do is nothing at all.

Susan Cain would love me very much and I am flattered that she believes in my revolutionary powers even though I mostly just sit at home doing nothing revolutionary. I am basically a very stereotypical #Introvert. Synonyms include “loser”, “nerd”, “teacher’s pet”, “closer mugger”, and common conversation topics are “CAN YOU REPLY MY MESSAGE” or “WHY ARE YOU SO QUIET”.

I’m not enthusiastic about most things, though it’s easier to hide this online because CAPITALISATION REALLY HELPS. I’m awkward and don’t know what to say all the time, I’m not the most interesting person either so that doesn’t help, and my throat literally gets sore if I speak too loudly too long.

During exchange, I rarely (-if ever) interacted with my airbnb hosts unless it was necessary. One of my reviews even said that I was pretty much invisible, and really, any interaction with my hosts just bring me a lot of unwarranted problems. And in all my solo trips, I didn’t interact with anyone unless necessary, and in classrooms I kept to myself etc. etc.

I do understand the perks of not being introverted, especially when on exchange because there are so many opportunities for cultural exchange, self development, friendships, and I might even have gotten myself a rich Norwegian husband to marry - and trust me, I am not proud or happy about my introversion - but I think that exchange has made me a lot more comfortable with being a loser.

I guess mostly because it’s my most comfortable state, but I’ve also realised that I do things a lot better when I’m left alone. I think a lot better, I’m more myself, I’m not struggling to force conversations from my dried up raisin of a brain.

I’m much more comfortable with just being on my own and I’m really glad for my solo trips. Perhaps this isn’t a positive change because I’m pretty much more convinced that there’s no point trying to be extroverted, but I don’t think I care much about that anymore.

I’m clearer about what I want.

Norway is very different from Singapore. I’ve always disliked the noise and crowds of Singapore but I never knew if a quieter place was for me, and I guess I never knew how much quiet I preferred.

Living in my own tiny room for five-ish months was also a huge departure from life in Singapore (even though I mostly hide in my room anyway…), and so was having to travel on my own in a foreign place far from my family and friends.

But going through exchange has made me realise that:

I like the quiet a lot. Kind of a no-shit-sherlock point but yes.

I do, however, still want some form of city life around…mostly the shopping part of city life. Oslo has a very dismal shopping culture compared to Singapore, but I guess that’s not really a huge problem since I don’t buy much anyway.

Nature! Is! Great! It’s relaxing and quiet, and it’s nice being able to hear the birds chirping around and the little streams wooshing away. I’m 100x more likely to head out if there’s a bit of nature out there, and especially so if the weather is more forgiving.

Related to the first point about being a loser - I like solitude. I want to live alone and be able to do things on my own.

The sad thing is that Singapore is so, so far from what I want. And very few countries in the world are. Bergen is one of my favourite cities in the world (yes, even with its dismal shopping culture), but moving to Norway seems impossible so I’ll have to settle.

—

There are also plenty of other changes:

I am apparently fairer? I don’t see it but I guess it makes sense since there wasn’t much sun.

My hair is more manageable. Mostly thanks to the discovery of Lush’s R&B.

I am more independent I think.

Handling my own finances isn’t as scary a thought now.

My skin got drier. And because of that, I have more scratches that are taking ages to heal.

I am better at packing my bags and cleaning my room.

I am less caught up in planning, and less inflexible - my first solo trip to Amsterdam, I had a detailed itinerary planned out for each day, but my solo trips became increasingly spontaneous. It’s mostly because my first solo trip was really scary for me, and as I went along, I realised that travelling was quite straightforward, and Google Maps was a really good travelling companion that did all the work so that allowed for more flexibility. But my nerves were also a mess before Amsterdam, and the experience + learning about travelling made everything a lot less scary and stressful for me.

I’m sure there are plenty of other little changes but having a sharper mind is not one of them, so I can’t recall any others. These have, so far, been pretty positive changes but there are obviously negative ones as well - most prominent of all would probably be my complete and utter lack of motivation and discipline for school. And I’ll be in my final year in two months.

So basically, TLDR:

I am clearer (and more comfortable?) about who I am and

I am clearer about what I want.

Are these realisations (changes?) worth the thousands of dollars I’ve spent?

Maybe a few years down the road, I’ll grow cynical and bitter and boring and stupid, and I’ll think that my exchange was a complete waste of money. Stasis wouldn’t be tragic then, and I hope someone punches me hard if that ever comes to be.

Obviously, five months overseas is not going to bring about much change, and I don’t expect it to. There were things that I did want to change about myself and was hopeful that exchange would magically do that, but I guess that would be for another post.

#text #post exchange #this is very long idk why i'm always so long-winded

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rodrigohyde · 6 years

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A. Lange & Söhne Against The World: The Watch Snob

Lange Saxonia Vs. Patek Calatrava

Dear Watch Snob,

I have been reading your articles for the past few years and I have grown to really enjoy them. This is my second time reaching out to you. Your advice, in your published article “Precious Time”, was extremely helpful. As I mentioned in my previous article, I had a number of personal tragedies to deal with over the past year and your articles have provided me with humor and a “welcome distraction” in a difficult time in my life.

I am reaching out for your advice once again to help in my desire to create only a two-watch collection that will last me for the next ten years or more.

I am turning 50 years old soon and I have grown really tired of waiting for Rolex watches and buying Rolex watches over the past few years that I don’t really want, to possibly get the watch I do one day. Your advice on waiting for the Rolex GMT Pepsi Jubilee sports watch in SS fits with my desire to reduce my watch collection and I am still waiting for it from my AD – no hurry though. This watch deserves a spot in my two-watch collection.

Anyway, I want to add a classic and simple dress watch as my other watch. I am torn between the A. Lange Saxonia Thin 37mm and the Patek Calatrava 5196J-001 Yellow Gold. From reading your articles and seeing the Saxonia in person, I now understand your love for A. Lange and your disdain for the Patek price creep. However, there is a feeling of horological history from Patek that I can’t deny either.

For a man who only turns 50 one time, would you recommend the Patek or the A. Lange in a two-watch collection, along with the 126710 BLRO? I am torn between two great watches.

Keep up the wonderful articles, as politics continue to tear Americans apart, your articles and our common love for watches can bring people together.

Related: The Watch Snob Says: What's On The Inside Counts, But Make It Look Good

I must say, I find Patek Philippe rather difficult to like as much as I used to, or would like to, these days. They embody, in so many ways, everything that is wrong with the Swiss watch industry – it has always been a rather stuffy, condescending firm but when the quality and integrity of design was good, you not only forgave these shortcomings, but found in them a charmingly anachronistic experience of old-school, old-style Swiss luxury watchmaking.

At the prices they currently ask, however, and with the lapses in finish and in general design integrity they’ve exhibited in the last ten years, what used to feel charmingly leisurely now feels incurably sclerotic; I have no issue with a company making money and if one doesn’t care for the cut of Patek’s jib, one simply votes with one’s wallet. I don’t mind them making money hand over fist, necessarily; I do mind that they seem rather obviously to not care much about anything else.

That said, the 5196J is one of the nicest watches they make – everything that one likes about Patek Philippe is present in the reference, and it is as tasteful a fine Swiss wristwatch as you could want. The caliber 215 PS is not the nicest movement Patek has ever made, but it’s not bad and overall it is a watch that one could wear for the rest of one’s days, with no regret. It should be about half as expensive as it is, but then one could say that about most of its competition.

The Saxonia, on the other hand, is still more expensive than it should be but much less so, and in terms of quality, it gives up nothing to the Patek. Moreover it comes from a company that still shows signs of caring about its clients as people. It is not so much less expensive than the Calatrava that cost alone would be a deciding factor, but that, combined with its impeccable quality, in my view recommend it over the Calatrava. However you know yourself best, and the name Patek Philippe is historically meaningful – if you know in your heart of hearts you would admire the Lange but always wish you’d purchased the Patek, then your course is clear.

Lange Saxonia Vs. Patek Calatrava: Round II

Dear Mr. Snob,

Thank you firstly for your articles. They are a source of knowledge and I look forward to the weekly articles which, read with a good glass of red or scotch, offers much pleasure.

Watch collection to me is a source of aspiration - I strive to do my work as well as the watch makes I admire and I strive to own the best watches by advancing my career.

To mark a career milestone I have been looking at a few watches and would now ask your opinion in my discourse for a worthy choice. My job takes me traveling often and I am enamored with watches that can easily switch time zones and therefore am looking at GMT / Dual Time and World Time watches. I wonder if any one of these two complications is superior to the other? One can surmise that there is a scale of complications with minute repeaters and perpetual calendars being right up there and perhaps the humble day date and power reserve being at the entry levels. If there is such a scale, how would you rank complications by themselves and is a Worldtime superior over a GMT / Dual Time watch or vice versa? I am considering the Nautilus Dual Time, Saxonia Dual Time, Calatrava World Time or Lange 1 World Time. If I am to wear the watch regularly then I suppose the Nautilus or Saxonia will be really good, simple timepieces but for one that will give pleasure and retain value, do you will think a Patek is superior over a Lange? Should it be a Dual Time or a World Time complication? I already own a Reverso Grande GMT as well as a Rolex Submariner.

To summarize:

1/ are some complications more worthy of others?

2/ is World Time complication superior over GMT/Dual Time?

3/ is Patek still superior over Lange?

Or, should I get a Calatrava and a Saxonia with no complications and call it a day?

Well, you have asked not one, but a myriad of questions – let me answer the three you have posed in your summary.

Firstly, no complication is more inherently worthy than any other; with complications, as with watchmaking in general, it is not so much what you do, as how you do it. Modern manufacturing methods mean it is now possible to make any complication inexpensively, and there are now bargain-priced dual time zone watches, as well as perpetual calendars, rattrapante chronographs, and so on. Traditionally, three complications were considered the elite: the repeater, the rattrapante chronograph, and the perpetual calendar – but nowadays, it is the repeater alone that still retains some of the mystique of former days, as it has proven, to some degree, resistant to mass production.

Secondly, the World Time watch is more complex but not necessarily superior functionally. I no longer travel to the extent I once did, however I have noticed over the years that one seldom really needs to know the time in more than one’s immediate location, and at home, for which the GMT/Dual Time complication serves admirably – and moreover, more legibly than a World Time complication.

Finally: No. It has a longer history, and of course continuity of production, but qualitatively, Lange has quietly been beating Patek at their own game for some time now. Go and take a loupe to the movement of a Lange, and the movement of a comparable Patek, and trust your own eyes.

Lange Saxonia Vs. Vacheron Fiftysix

Dear Snob:

I have what I consider a small modest collection that includes among others, a Nomos Tangente, Zenith Pilot Type 20 and Polar Explorer Ref. 16570. I was considering a JLC Master series or Reverso when I saw that Vacheron came out with the 56 Series.

At first blush it appears to be a good value to cost proposition for an automatic in that entry point from Vacheron. I’m curious as to your thoughts on the 56 line. Is the new line worthy of consideration? Or, should one bypass the new offering and instead stick with a JLC or wait a bit longer for the more established Patrimony or possibly an Saxonia Lange?

I am I think somewhat in the minority, in that I find the 56 line rather charming. The objections to it seem chiefly to be that it looks perhaps a bit more obviously chic than one normally associates with Vacheron, but as the watch on which the 56 Collection is based can attest, Vacheron has a long and very rich history of experimenting with unusual case designs .

The Lange will probably hold its value a bit better, but the Vacheron is a charming watch in its own right . It is of course too expensive for what it is – unfortunately an all-too-common thread in this week’s little collection of queries – but Vacheron is no worse in this respect than any other haute horlogerie brand. Some chums of mine feel Vacheron comes it a bit high to price themselves competitively with Patek, to which all I can say is, I know to whom I’d rather give my bit of gold these days.

Send the Watch Snob your questions at [email protected] or ask a question on Instagram with the #watchsnob hashtag.

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from Style channel http://www.askmen.com/style/watch_snob/a-lange-soehne-against-the-world-the-watch-snob.html

#Style channel

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kangaroomoney · 7 years

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Top Financial Mistakes Under 25

These are a combination of the biggest financial mistakes that I have my myself and that a lot of young adults have made and some tips on how to fix them.

1. Not Saving or INVESTING This is kind of obvious and definitely easier said than done, but so vital to adulting. Up until this past year, my saving account has always been extremely turbulent. I would save a little then deplete time, save a little then deplete it.

About a year ago, I got serious about saving because I had goals I wanted to reach and soon. I saved 60% of my net income (after-taxes) and put it in a high yield online savings account. Online savings accounts can provide higher interest rates because they have lower overhead (cost associated with operation) due to not having to pay rent for the building, employee salaries, electricity, and other associated costs. Also, having an online savings account prevents you from constantly moving money back and forth between accounts which is a lot easier when your checking and savings are at the same bank.

Onto investing. It sounds like a scary and complicated notion and it kinda is because you’re betting and gambling with a lot of your money which could fluctuate a lot. It’s not actually that scary. Since the market has rebounded it has been a really good time to invest. I have always had a 401K set up with the jobs i’ve had and the tip is to save the same percentage that your company matches to optimize the amount that is going in. Since I get taxed a lot, I decided to save 10% and my company matched up to 6% so I could pay slightly less in taxes (we pay more of our paycheck in taxes than other age groups generally.) Putting money into your 401k adds up. Just check on it periodically and if you want to put more in CDs or more in the money market, you can adjust the percentage that is invested in each category.

One option that is really popular now is low cost index funds. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for Vanguard who started this. These index funds are diversified (invested in varies categories) and you can get in with as low as $300. I invested in a fund with $6000 and in the first quarter this year I yielded 7% growth which is greater than the market. The idea was that bankers who charge fees and get commission from managing your portfolio does not do any better than if you randomly picked stocks to invest in and they RARELY do better than the market. I should check my account more frequently than i care to admit. Investing in many individual stocks is a lot riskier because together they may not be diversified into different industries and you’d constantly have to watch it all day, every day and do so much more research, which I kind of do anyway because Im a great and on top of my life (kidding). But index funds are a great way to enter the investing realm.

2. Upgrading Too Soon (depreciating assets) A lot of people get a new job or get promotion and decide to #treatyoself by upgrading their car, buying a new gadget or upgrading their current tech items. If you buy a car without a heavy down payment, you’ll be sucked into this monthly debt you may not be able to afford. Just because you got approved for the loan, doesn’t mean you can afford it. I know a lot of people like to trade in cars but if you own a car that does not have a good resale value, don’t trade it in. Drive it until it dies. Growing up, my parents always said, “if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.” They hated the idea of pay interest, so they would not buy a new car unless: it crashed, or died. My mom actually still drives her 1998 Toyota Sienna which my brother and I dubbed “Bertha”. They also paid for all their cars in cash. This idea is nice but, this isn’t as realistic these days. I would put in 35%-50% and finance the rest. I also love tech and gadgets. When I saw Brookstone had begun commercialize drones, I wanted one, bad. I read a million reviews on different drones and to be honest in like 2013 the drones at $400, sucked. They were flimsy, faulty and did not have a great camera, great dodge there. Going back on topic, wait out on large purchases like Laptops and tech toys. The general advise is if you have one that is functioning, dont get sucked in by marketing ploys of the new and flashy.

3. Budgeting- Not being realistic or not having one at all. Budgeting is so important because a lot of us don’t even know how much we spend or need to spend each month. In order to save, invest, and create fluidity, you have to budget. I don’t follow the 40, 30, 20, 10 rule that most financial blogs and institutions suggest. This is because we all live differently. I love food and cannot cook to save my life therefore, my food expenditure would be significantly higher than someone who is competent in the kitchen. I am a little crazy because initially I put all my expenses each month in an excel spread sheet and use that to adjust my spending and plan for future events like wedding and trips. My credit card also does this but i have multiple ones for different purposes and this spreadsheet just allows me to make graphs and see trends a lot better. I am not saying people need to do this because it is an extreme measure and I love spreadsheets but some sort of tracking is important. There are so many apps out there like Mint, Wallaby, Wally that you can input CC info and are able to track your spending.

I put in my core and fixed expenses that don’t change: rent, student loans, car payments, electric, gym memberships, etc. Then I personally put aside how much I wanted to save. Whatever was left over was what i had to to work with for leisure because at the time, my main focus was saving. This did not allot me with much because I’m young and working in the city making, not a ton of money. I soon realized i didn’t need to spend $500 on clothing each month or rationalize going to NY every weekend or even small things like grabbing Starbucks everyday even though my office has a Starbucks machine #notsoychaithough...

Adjust your budget frequently. I adjust each quarter. I had a speadsheet for the year with a planned budget then at the beginning and end of each quarter go in an see how i’ve done and change things for the next quarter to see what i can improve on. Things change and events come up. My friends and i like traveling so when we plan a trip I incorporate it into my budget.

Be flexible. I can never understand people who don’t like change, as it is the only thing that is constant, (haha so cliche). It true though, you have to be able to say “ok, this month, I cannot got to Starbucks at all because I have a trip coming up or because I had to replace my brakes the previous month.”

Get rid of non-utilized memberships and expenses. A friend of mine was paying for 3 different gyms at one time. Take a look at everything you pay for and get rid of non-core expenses. Some people have issues parting with things but if there is no value greater than its cost, get rid of it. I had a similar kerfuffle when I thought, oh i can get rid of my gym membership because my job has a gym in the basement, easy expense to nix. I then visited my company gym, and it just wasn’t for me. It didn’t motivate me to work out, it was cramped and I had to workout with my coworkers next to me, ugh, kidding. So i decided to keep my gym membership but i did nix my yoga membership because I just cannot wake up at 5AM and Chaturanga at 6. I also combined a lot of my memberships with my brother and parents to reduce monthly costs like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Tidal, and AmazonPrime and pay annually so there isnt that monthly conversation of. “Hey, you havent paid me the $5 for Netflix” and think well it’s only $5, i’ll let it go. These expenses add up. The people you choose have to be reliable or you have to be reliable. Cancellation can be a bitch if communication is not clear.

One big problem I used to have with budgeting was that I was not realistic. I would say I would save $1000 a month with only $2000 coming in monthly, but I would do it by running up my credit card on things i did not need and pretend like those expenses did not exist. I just was not strict enough on myself. If you create a budget take it month by month or week by week and keep yourself on track.

4. Yes Man - Social life & Overspending This ties into budgeting but more of the social aspect. Living in a city, there are so many things to do. There are events every weekend or even during the week. You gotta stick to your budget and know how much leg room you have to for fun. I am one who always says yes, because I don’t like disappointing and i like doing things. As one of my coworkers, Elliott had described as an “activities based” person. I am definitely one of those. DC is conveniently located where less an hour out in any direction, you will get a completely different but very capitalistic environments. Happy Hours and company events were the bane of my existence. I have to say, a lot of people I know go out drinking 3 days a week. This adds up and no one is paying me enough to be drunk 3 days a week. You can’t say yes, when your bank account is screaming “NO.”

5. Credit Cards

At last, these evil little things can be so easily misused and you can get yourself into a lot of trouble. I have a couple but only use 2 of them. There are so many articles I used to read about the best ones or the credit cards with the best perks but they’re all quite comparative. I’ve had a line of credit since I was 16 because my parents mistakenly decided to allow me to have one under their account. My first real credit card was a travel card from the bank i have my accounts in, which was not terrible because If i spend $3000, i got 40,000 points which equated to a free flight to Cali which I was planning for anyway. This card, got in into a lot of trouble and took way too long to eventually pay off. I then got a Discover card, which was my trojan horse. The limit was $500 and this really allowed me to control my spending. I actually still use this card for most of my purchases because there is no reason for my to spend more than $500 each month on miscellaneous purchases. They also had better cash back offers which I enjoyed the quarterly divisions. It is a great card for college students and young adults. I still use my travel card solely and immediately pay it off. I still live by the rule of putting everything on credit first then paying it off because i now have that control and not overspend for the most part. If you dont have that self control i would say just, pay everything in cash. You cannot go down a hole by overspending and think, “well i’ll get 5% or 2% back.” I also have not been interested in cards that have an annual fee though they have slightly better cash back offers or perks. Find one that suits your needs. If you drive a lot, get one with better cash back offer for gas purchases. If you travel often, getting a card with an airline has better perks than the generic travel cards for the most part. Its hard if you fly all over the place and don’t stick with one specific airline. But a travel card would be beneficial in that aspect. The rule of thumb is pay it off immediately. Don’t just pay the minimum because after your initial promotional no interest period, those rates are upward of 20% usually. If you put off full payments, you’ll balloon up your monthly payments after that introductory period. Having credit card will build up your credit but mismanaging will also ruin you. If you have plans for a big purchase like a car or home in the future, it may not be an option if you dig yourself a hole in debt.

This was a long post but, hopefully you got something out of it. I definitely have made many money mistakes but I’m here learning and trying to help at the same time. Happy adulting!

#money #finance #personal finance #youngmoney #millennials #help #moneymistakes #saving #youngandbroke #young and broke #young money mistakes #adulting #kangaroomoney

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priyanka84-blog1 · 7 years

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It's time to get ready to get out there again!

It’s 2017 and time to get out there again! As much as I’d love to return to Mexico (in a heartbeat), I’ve chosen a different place this year. It was NOT an easy decision. I hopped around from island to island, coast to coast. I jumped between mega 4.5-5 stars, all inclusive resorts and small, locally owned and operated hotels, B&Bs. I checked out Bahamas, St. Lucia, Jamaica, St. John’s, Puerto Rico, Kauai, Barbados, Turks & Caicos….you name it. Heck even Panama and Nicaragua!

Every single one of these places offered me something I want, but nobody offered me everything in a very conveniently perfect pack like Mexico does. Still, I wanted to give a new place a shot. Mexico is my special place but I want to experience a new destination. I want a new seal on my passport, so to speak.

I was initially interested in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I really, really liked a highly rated all inclusive resort because the quality and value is superb. It's adults-only. No wrist bands and no restaurant reservations required. The list goes on. Plus the beach is massive and just GORGEOUS. However, as much as I loved the resort and the beach, there really isn’t much else to do off-resorts other than taking super touristy tours designed specifically for Europeans and North Americans. The place offers zero local flavour, unless the resort staff counts.

The resorts in PC are extremely beautiful but are also extremely isolated from any other signs of civilization. There aren’t any other options there, like a condo-hotel or a B&B. PC is the place for isolated mega luxury resort chains, I know. I love the idea of a no-brainer, pampering vacation, but just can’t bring myself to do just that for 7+ days. I'd love "doing nothing but laying on the beach and dining on gourmet food all day" but within 24 hours I know I'd get booored :\ No offense meant to anyone who prefers the mega resorts. Going all inc does have its advantages though (economical and relaxing, being two), and I will take them someday. After I get my fill of independent travel. Which won’t be anytime soon…because I barely just began making my dream of travelling a reality. I have TONS of exploring to do!

I almost went with Barbados. I saw a hotel with rocky beach and so-so restaurant, BUT you can see sea turtles in their water and they have ghost crabs in the sand! That almost sold me on the place...but then I remembered a very different place than Punta Cana, which is also in Dominican Republic. A town I saw on a nature & travel show a few years ago, when I was really sick with my spinal crap and stuck in bed. The place is Las Terrenas. In fact, Las Terrenas is the first place that made me say to myself "as soon as I get better enough to move around and can manage it, I'm going travelling!".

After a bit of an extended research today, it became clear that Las Terrenas in Dominican Republic IS the place that offers me everything I want (next to Mexico). Beautiful beach, small scale hotels (most are local, which is great because it means the $$$ stay in the community), safety and freedom to walk around and explore the place at my own leisure, the option of hanging with the locals if I want to, enjoying the culture and history, and of course, authentic, local dining options. It's quite economical as well. Plus way less touristy than most places I checked out I love gourmet dining and trust me…I would absolutely LOVE a 5 star, North American dining experience 5 times/day on my vacation, but I mean…I’m going to an island. I want to be able to to sit on a wooden bech of some tiny, *very informal* beach side shack (বেসিক্যালি টঙ্গের দোকান) with my feet in the sand and dig into a plate of whatever it is the residents eat, too! The whole reason I want to go to travel, especially to the island, is to chill out and live the life of an islander for a few days (without sacrificing safety and comfort of course).

What I don't want is to be around tons of people I am around here. I love my European and North American folks. I do. I just don’t wanna travel everywhere and be stuck with them. A few familiar looking humans definitely don’t hurt but the thought of being stuck with thousands of Europeans and North Americans in an isolated resort hundreds of miles away from the local civilization feels like a jail. Beautiful and VERY comfortable jail…but jail, nonetheless.

I know it's not like I can’t leave the resort, but in the end of the day, after a looong journey, I gotta return to the lock up anyway. I am just an independent traveller who loves having her options. I don't mind walking around, exploring a new (and reasonably safe) place by foot. In Mexico last year, we stayed in a very touristy area but we rented an apartment in a condo-hotel and did a lot of exploring. We lounged around in beach clubs, shopped in touristy shops and went for fine dining but when we felt like it, we ate from the roadside food carts, bought groceries from local shops and made fajitas in our kitchen, spent a LOT of time exploring the town by foot etc. One of my most fav. moment was us sitting on the beach, quite late at night with the local people, under the full moon. Everyone was just hanging around having a good time. Tourists, travellers and locals alike.

Barbados came quite close to everything, but it didn’t offer me value for money, which is also important to me (surprise! I"m not made of money). Most all incs there aren’t true all incs (none offer the great deals like Punta Cana or Mexico does) and the other non all inc. options were very expensive for what amenities they offer. They aren’t that close to the main hubs either. Barbados is still on my bucket list, of course, as are the others but it will have to wait. Las Terrenas is perfect for my needs and wants now. I won’t compare everything with Mexico and I am not expecting it to be like Mexico but I have a feeling I will really like the place. So fingers crossed until I get to go there!

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