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#e-Learning Indonesian
kaitaiga · 8 months
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COD MW OC: Damien Whitlock
GENERAL INFO
Full Name: Damien Whitlock
Nickname: Damo
Birthday: 7th March 1996 – Sydney, Australia
Face Claim: Zane Phillips
Affiliation: 2nd Commando Regiment (2CDO REGT), Tactical Assault Group East (TAG-E), SOCOMD.
Rank: Sergeant
Call sign: Bravo 2-6 (2CDO)
Height: 186cm (6’1)
Weight: 90kg
Blood Type: B- (B NEG)
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Pronouns: He/Him
Languages: English, Arabic (conversational), Indonesian (conversational)
Family:
Father: Arthur Whitlock
Mother: Audrey Mae Whitlock
Older Brother: Thomas Whitlock
Older Sister: Sienna Whitlock
Younger Sister: Zoe Whitlock
Affiliates:
2nd Commando Regiment
→ Captain Lachlan Jones
→ Sergeant Daniel Greenhill
Task Force 141
→ Sergeant Major Hannah “Sparrow” Cayton (@revnah1406)
→ Sergeant Annabelle “Kit” Pham (@applbottmjeens)
→ Charlotte “Jade” Le Jardin @sleepyconfusedpotato
→ Joyce “Joe” Hardman @mctvsh
→ Captain Price, Gaz, Laswell
Los Vaqueros
→ Alyssa “Aly” Martinez (@alypink)
Para SF
→ Captain Arjun Dhingra, LT. Aditya Tripathi (@welldonekhushi)
Urzikstan Liberation Force (ULF)
→ Farah Karim
→ Alex Keller
Other
→ Jackson Wyatt (1CDO, Warcom)
→ Benjamin “Otter” Lee (SAS)
Appearance
Hair: blond, short mullet.
Eye Colour: blue/grey
Build: tall, muscular
Scars: Bullet wound (left shoulder), knife scars (forearms)
Beauty Marks: Right jaw, above and below the left eye.
Tattoos:
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Personality and Traits
Damien comes across as a very laidback and open guy, very easy to approach and talk to. He is a pretty big jokester, likes to crack a few jokes here and there to make people laugh or lighten the mood.
Though in the heat of battle, he has known to be brutal towards his enemies, sparing no mercy and absolutely no time - getting a job done quickly and efficiently. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind when needed, even if it may be more emotionally driven.
Nevertheless, towards those he likes, he is a very caring and loyal person. Ride or die buddy. It’s pretty damn obvious too, he’ll never stop bugging someone he cares for no matter where they are in the world. He can read their emotions like a book too; he can tell when someone’s feeling down and will try his best to cheer them up.
ESFP-T (MBTI)
Damien’s also the sort of guy to take care of others but not himself. Truthfully, after he lost Daniel, he found it very hard to cope. Thus, he took on Daniel’s role of looking after others.
Damien is also really good with any sort of trade work which he learned whilst growing up on his family farm. You need an electrician, mechanic, or welder? He’s your guy.
Skills/Specialisations
Like any other commando, Damien has undergone a multitude of training, preparing him for anything and everything. Alone or with his squad. A few of these include:
Demolitions and Breaching
CQC/Melee Attacks
Wilderness Survival
Long Range Recon
HALO / HAHO (including water insertion)
Roping (aid climbing)
Hostage Rescue
First Aid
And so on. In his own time, Damien frequently trains in Jiu-Jitsu, earning his purple belt, further enhancing his CQC.
Biography
Coming from a family of farmers, Damien spent most of his childhood living and working out on his family farm in rural New South Wales. Throughout his younger years, he was constantly harassed/bullied by his drug addicted older brother, Thomas. Young Damien was no match for him but luckily enough, his older sister had his back at all times. Thomas would eventually runaway and was never seen again – presumed dead.
As he grew up, Damien attended an all-boys boarding school in Sydney where he met Daniel Greenhill – his best friend for many years to come. He never really excelled at any subjects other than wood/metalwork and P.E., so when it came down to his final ATAR exams he absolutely flunked them. Not wanting to continue studying or returning to farm life, Damien worked the odd job here and there to make ends meet.
Whilst working one of his jobs alongside his buddy, Daniel had dropped that he had met a special forces operator by the name of Jackson Wyatt and suggested that he should meet with him.
After hearing all about Wyatt’s career as a Commando, Damien was sold on the idea; so much so that at the age of 19, he enlisted into the Australian Army after being trained by Wyatt himself much to his parent's disapproval. He served two years as an infantryman within 3RAR before completing the Commando selection course and earning his green beret, where he was placed in Lachlan’s B Company. Turns out he had a real knack for this sort of thing as he continued to undergo a range of further Commando specialist courses after initial Commando training.
 Since then, he’s done multiple tours to Urzikstan, Afghanistan and Iraq where he was introduced to Captain Price (via Lachlan) and Benjamin “Otter” Lee (via Wyatt).
Damien has since then worked alongside Captain Price closely thanks to Lachlan’s close connection to him, particularly in Urzikstan, but isn’t opposed to flying out to lend a hand wherever.
Modern Warfare I
During 2019, Damien is first seen in the UK on a training exercise with the SAS before he is swiftly sent to London’s Piccadilly Circus to assist against AQ’s terrorist attack, alongside Gaz. Afterwards, he joins the SAS Anti-terror wing along with Price and Gaz to clear a house in Camden, full of AQ affiliates in search of any information related to the Piccadilly attack and The Wolf.
Damien returns to Urzikstan alongside 2CDO REGT, where not long after he is called to assist Captain Price, Gaz and the others at the US Embassy, also aiding to save the Ambassador’s Assistant, Stacy. Following this, he follows the rest of the team back to the ambassador’s residence only to find the Wolf had been extracted by AQ forces already. Furthermore, he is seen briefly helping SAS and CIA on the night raid to locate The Wolf at his compound.
2020/2021
After the events of MW19, Damien spent this time on rotation in TAG-E, though was later sent back to Urzikstan on an emergency deployment to help aid in the assassination of an AQ leader. This proved to be a struggle. They were given little to no information and thus were subsequently ambushed, leading to the death of best friend, Daniel Greenhill, who tried to pull an injured Damien out of enemy fire.
After the funeral, Damien spent his time spiralling down. He became depressed, not leaving his Sydney apartment for days at a time and ultimately almost being discharged from his duties. Though thanks to his Captain and two close friends - Lachlan, Sparrow and Aly - they helped him find the means to work towards getting better and soon enough, he was ready enough to go back to his duties.
Modern Warfare II
In 2022, Damien is first seen undercover at Café Gracht alongside Captain Price where they wait for representatives from both AQ and Las Almas Cartel to show up. After seeing Gaz tranquillise the cartel member, they all move to enter Laswell’s vehicle and leave the area swiftly.
Later on he returns to Urzikstan, where he is again enlisted for help by Price to rescue Laswell from AQ along with ULF fighters.
Modern Warfare III
Damien spends this time going home to Australia for a little while before being sent on another tour around the Middle East. It is in Urzikstan that he (and 2CDO REGT) work alongside Phillip Graves and his Shadow Company, unaware of the events in Las Almas concerning Los Vaqueros and TF141. He is only made aware when seeing his friend Sparrow again, where she rips the SC patch off of him and promptly has a go at Damien for wearing that thing around them, explaining the full story.
Trivia
EDM and rock/metal music is what he listens to most.
He is a Mclaren F1 fan, as well as being a big fan of the AFL team: Collingwood Football Club (Magpies).
Absolute gym junkie. Has an extensive collection of pre-workout, protein powder and creatine stored in his apartment (and snuck onto base). If he wasn’t a Commando, he’d probably be a bodybuilder or athlete of some sort.
Damien keeps a scrapbook that he fills with stickers, trinkets, thoughts or drawings from various places he has visited.
During his downtime in Sydney, he likes to go café-hopping! He’s a big foodie. Also likes to take long walks during the night, overlooking the Harbour Bridge and generally just taking in the city lights. It's one of his favourite things to do to ease his mind.
Thanks to Daniel, Damien is pretty good at speaking Indonesian and really enjoys Indonesian food! His favourites are nasi campur and soda gembira. He’d mix Indonesian and English together to gossip about something to Daniel. After they both graduated high school, Daniel took Damien to visit Jakarta for the first time and he loved it! Also owns a couple batik shirts.
Drives a 79 series Landcruiser.
Does jiu-jitsu and is currently at a purple belt.
Frequently visits Daniel’s grave when he has the time. He sits there for hours just catching him up on every little event or thought that has happened, as if he were there to listen like the old times. Frequently catches up with Daniel's family too, they've taken him in like he's their son.
In the past, Damien has never had a good relationship - they’ve all either cheated on him or ghosted him. He gave up looking for a partner even though he longed to have a family of his own.
Moodboard + Playlist
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stark-stiel · 4 months
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i am absolutely angry and devastated. if you’ve seen the things i’ve posted on my story recently, you’re probably aware about the genocide happening in Palestine right now.
as of today, november 21st 2023 there are:
- 14 000+ deaths, 5 600+ of those being children
- 33 000+ injured, 75% being children and women
- 6 000+ are still missing under rubble
- let’s not forget the 60+ journalists who are being targeted for spreading the truth in both Palestine and more recently, in southern Lebanon
- at least 5 premature babies out of 39 of them have died either due to the lack of electricity, food, water and medicine as most of the others have
- 21 out of 35 of Gaza’s hospital are completely out of service, which one of their largest hospital, Al-Shifa, was targeted and is now not operational, and they plan to do the same to the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, which is, might i add, an INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIME on top of many other israel has committed
- there are also 7 000+ palestinian prisoners captured by israeli military forces including children, in which the israeli government is deciding whether to execute them, or exchange a release for their own prisoners taken
and that is just the damage in Gaza, not including the destruction in the West Bank:
- which killed 217 people, including 50 children
- injuring more than 2 750 others
these lists only contain the bare minimum of what has happened.
to give you an idea, today, i saw a doctor who was being consoled by others, as he had just performed an amputation on HIS OWN CHILD, which has happened before, but this surgery was done WITHOUT anesthesia, and the child couldn’t survive the pain.
let’s just let that sink in for a minute.
they don’t have the proper medical supplies to provide the care they need because Israel and the United States will not allow a ceasefire. Biden has stated so himself. and Trudeau hasn’t called one either.
they can’t even grieve their dead in peace. they capture all their sorrow, tears, anger, and screams of despair on screen for us to see because no one is listening as their people are slaughtered. whole lineages of families killed, children orphaned, parents carrying their dead child’s body parts in bags, children pleading for us to help them, speaking out IN ENGLISH so we can understand them, that this is what they are going through. please listen to them.
the things you will see on social media are graphic, you might feel sick to your stomach. you should. because this is happening across the world as we speak, and has happened for the past 75 years! and it must stop now. after october 7th, more outrage has emerged from the people, adding pressure on their governments to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
people will try to devalue social media by saying its a “place where people are dumb on camera” but without it, it would NEVER had known what was going on, and i have never been so outraged by what i have seen.
if you don’t know what to do, you can start by not being silent. silence only allows the lies the Zionists are spreading to propagate, and deafens palestinian voices.
you can also educate yourself on what the palestinians have been going through. a very good site i’ve found is decolonizepalestine.com which i’m still learning from. other resources can be found online such as:
- a click a day to help:
https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/
- there is also a petition to Trudeau to call for a ceasefire at this link: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4649 it closes Nov 23, 2023 at 3:20 p.m. so as many of you, please sign before the deadline! if you have already signed, thank you 🙏
- support palestinian voices online
there are also boycotts happening against the companies that are profiting and/or benefiting and supporting the genocide in Gaza. Some include:
- puma
- starbucks
- mcdonalds
- disney+
- burger king
- amazon
- chapters
- squishmallows
- HP
- sabra hummus
- Walmart
- israeli produce and items
etc etc i could go on and on. the point is, to not fund the israeli military.
this website has a complete list and shows which companies have been selected as part of their targeted boycott, to make a more effective boycott: https://bdsmovement.net/economic-boycott
and if boycotting these places is too hard for you, you are definitely not god’s strongest soldier 🫡 (and hey, you can also do it for selfish reasons, to save money by not buying out!)
if after reading all this you still want to turn a blind eye, i can’t stop you. but i hope you can live with that decision
as always, FREE PALESTINE & Ceasefire Now 🇵🇸🫶
links in order of appearance:
http://decolonizepalestine.com
https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/
https://bdsmovement.net/economic-boycott
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4649
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dicaculus · 7 months
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Title: A Pile of Hot Metal and Dirty Dishes
Artist: Crankyfossil
Rating: Explicit
Pairing: Magnus Bane/ Alec Lightwood
Wordcount:42,462
Summary: Magnus Bane is the Head Chef at Encanto and doing just fine. Or that’s what he tells Simon the therapist, his boss Raphael, orders him to go to. Magnus is a genius in the kitchen, his food is art, but if he starts a fight with one more disrespectful customer, he’s gone. Simon is useless though, going on about Magnus using work as a means to distance himself from meaningful relationships, and emotional walls that could rival a fortress. What does he know? Magnus is fine. Then everything goes wrong. His best friend, Catarina and her daughter get into an accident. His eight-year-old niece, Madzie, is the only survivor and Magnus finds himself going from cool uncle Magnus to the only parent Madzie has left. To make matters worse, Raphael has replaced him while he’s on leave. Alexander Lightwood is a menace. He’s careless, breezy, and annoyingly good at everything he does. Magnus can’t stand him, but with Madzie refusing to eat his cooking and his hands full, Magnus needs all the help he can get. Along the way, Magnus begins to realize there’s more to life than seared cod and lemon dressing, and maybe, just maybe, it’s a life that he wants Alexander Lightwood in.
This fic was created for the Malec Discord Mini Bang 2023.
READ ON AO3
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CHAPTER EIGHT
Magnus doesn’t tell Madzie about leaving the restaurant. Madzie loves Encanto, and he knows it would break her heart knowing she’d never be back so he spares her and lies telling her he took time off, but he positive Madzie doesn’t believe him. Instead, he spends the rest of the week seriously looking into starting his own place. For the first time in years Magnus looks into the steps to starting his own restaurant. He meets with an accountant talking about finances and just how much it will cost him and what type of loan would be best for him. He works with a real estate agent looking for the perfect building. But everything is too big or doesn’t fit the laid back bistro he has in mind. Magnus works on his concept, his brand and looks through his piles of recipes to come up with a menu. Creating a menu means recipe testing, so poor Madzie becomes his guinea pig. While she likes some of his creations, her child palate makes things difficult for him. Magnus needs an adult, someone who will try new foods and flavours. He needs Alec.
Despite keeping himself busy with menu planning, Magnus’s thoughts always come back to Alec. Every recipe he wonders what he would think. Would he like it? Would it bring a smile to the beautiful man’s face and would he hear noises of satisfaction as he took a bite? Magnus misses Alec so much he develops a pasta dish with him in mind, an Indonesian twist on one of Alec’s favourite dishes to be exact, Aglio e Olio.
“Spaghetti with garlic and oil,” He’d said “It’s such a simple, yet incredible dish if made correctly”
Monday comes again and Magnus while Magnus doesn’t have to see Simon anymore, now that he’s not working at Encanto, he goes anyway, needing someone to talk to. He lets it all out, telling him about the fight, how much he regretted it and the things he’d said. Magnus talks about leaving Encanto and feeling terrified for future and lost for the first time in a long time.
“I wish there was a cookbook for life, you know? With the recipes telling us exactly what to do,” Magnus sigh. “I know, I know. You’re gonna say, How else can we learn, Magnus?”
“No. Actually, I wasn’t gonna say that”
Magnus sits up on the couch. “Really?”
Simon nods. “What I was gonna say was, you know better than anyone. It’s the recipes you create yourself that are the best.”
Magnus snorts. It’s cheesy, but Simon is right.
When he picks Madzie up from school that afternoon, he decides to break the news about Encanto. To his surprise, she takes it well. He expected crying, tears, hell, even screaming, but instead she nods.
“It’s not the same without Alec”
Magnus nods sadly. “You’re right. It’s not Madzie, I miss him too”
“If you miss him, why don’t you say you’re sorry? Tell him not to go. Make a wish of his come true, like you did with me”
Magnus hums, it’s not a bad idea. “What do think Alec would wish for sweet pea?
“Your cooking, of course!”
So while Madzie does her homework that evening, Magnus cooks for Alec. He cooks him ayam goreng, an Indonesian fried chicken like he promised and his spin on aglio e olio that he knows Alec will either love or hate. Once Madzie is fed a serving of the fried chicken and it gets a thumbs up from her, he wraps up the rest of the food and leaves the apartment. 
The drive to Alec’s place is longer than he thought it would be, it takes him forty-five minutes, most of it spent on the highway in slow traffic. No wonder it took him too long to get to his place when they’d made pizzas. But when Magnus does arrive, he snorts at the industrial style of the apartment course Alec would live in something like this. Magnus parks his car and, with food in hand, marches up to the front, lets himself in through the unlocked door. Magnus takes a terrifying elevator ride to the second floor in what Magnus swears is an elevator older than he is and looks for Alec’s apartment. He hears the familiar sound of opera the second he’s out of the elevator. Smiling to himself, Magnus follows the Italian singing until he’s stood outside a door that says 12. He stands in front it and takes a deep breath before kicking the door a few times rather than knocking because of his full hands. Only moments later, Alec slides the metal door open with a shocked expression, not expecting to see Magnus.
“I think you should know there’s something else I never do.” Magnus says before Alec has a chance to speak.
Alec huffs and with a smirk leans against the door frame, “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“I never invite myself into a man’s home, blindfold him and feed him ayum goreng and pasta dish he inspired because I couldn’t get his stupid face out of my head while begging him not to go to San Francisco.”
“You never do that?”
Magnus shakes his head, his eyes welling up with tears, afraid Alec will close the door. “Never.”
Alec nods. “That’s too bad.” Then he slides, pushes the door with his fist so it opens further and takes a step towards Magnus, taking the dishes from him and walking into his apartment, leaving the door open for Magnus.
Magnus steps into the apartment and gently shuts the door behind him. The apartment is beautiful, with big windows which must let in the most beautiful sunlight, a large comfortable looking couch against some exposed brick.
“Magnus, I–”
“I left Encanto,” Magnus interrupts. “I dropped a raw tomahawk steak on a customer’s plate and left.” 
Alec blinks in shock. “You, what?”
“Because I was miserable Alexander, you were right. I hate cooking that food! And after I left, all I could think about was the things I said to you in the freezer. I meant none of them.” Magnus takes another breath and steps towards Alec, who stares at him. “Madzie told me maybe if I granted a wish of yours, you’d forgive me and maybe you’ll stay”
“You’re taking relationship advice from an eight-year-old?” 
Magnus groans “It was better than idea I had”
Alec chuckles, then takes a step forward and grabs Magnus’s hand, pulling him close and wrapping an arm around Magnus’s waist. Then he cups Magnus’s jaw with his other hand and Alec strokes Magnus’s cheek with his calloused thumb and kisses him gently before pulling away.
“If that fried chicken tastes as good as it smells, I won’t go to San Fransico”
Magnus hums and kisses Alec again. “I look forward to helping you unpack, Alexander”
—-
Without Magnus and Alec, Encanto closes its doors a few months later. The space goes up for sale only a week later and Magnus buys it immediately from ready to transform the dark walls into a warm, welcoming bistro. It takes nearly a year of work and spending more money than Magnus thought he’d have to, but a little over a year after he bought the place Catarina’s opens. 
Long gone are the black walls and the dim lighting. Now there are big windows letting plenty of light in, outdoor seating and warm colours on the wall, making the restaurant feel welcoming to everyone. Magnus hires some of his previous staff, including Clary and, of course, Alec, with Alec and Magnus working together the restaurant is an immediate hit and soon they there’s a line down the block to get a table. 
Madzie comes to Catarina’s every day after school, she often sits in a booth that’s she’d dubbed her own and finish her homework before helping in the kitchen much like she’d previously done at Encanto but this time she’s in bed before midnight. And just like Magnus always wanted, he gets to share his heritage, his Indonesian flavours, in a modern way and in a more traditional way. 
Working together isn’t always easy for the couple. Sometimes they bickered in the walk in, causing Clary to intervene and split the kitchen in half like they’d done at Encanto the night they first cooked together. 
But despite that, neither would want their life any other way, especially Magnus, who felt the weight of a ring in his pants pocket as he waited for the perfect moment to present it to Alec.
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unfoldingmoments · 10 months
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The Tuttle Story: "Books to Span the East and West"
Many people are surprised to learn that the world's largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company's founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. Immediately after WW II, Tuttle served in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur and was tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, which thrives today as one of the world's leading independent publishers. Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the "Order of the Sacred Treasure," the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese. “With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles Tuttle's core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.”
Excerpt From: Yoel Hoffmann. “Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death.” Apple Books. Interesting Tuttle humble beginning story, yet the irony I had since 2007 still lingers, about the print is dead, publishing struggles in the new age of tech since Amazon Kindle. The News Media struggles to compete with all this digital platform. 2007 was the wake up call when the recession hits Australia, right after my graduation. Lots of publishing company collapsed and forcefully laid of its workers.
Last weekend I went over to BBW Big Bad Wolf book sales of the year, most of the visitors are book enthusiast obviously but the range of the book is not much, import book are leftovers, the Indonesian book are just not interesting enough. The only biggest range was the children section, selling along with the toys. This year some Indonesia bookstores has closed their offline stores (Book & Beyond, Gunung Agung end of this year) due to bankruptcy and big sales is the only time for book lovers to buy at bargain price. Only 3 bookstores has left in Jakarta alone (Kinokuniya, Periplus, Gramedia). I wonder what will be the fate of printed books and bookstores in the near future? Where book has its expired date when we don't know how to take care of them. Today just got a second hand book that has been yellowish and fungi mould from second hand book online store. Hope all the book out there has a second life. Burn after reading.
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ablegaming · 1 year
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Gran Turismo 7 accessibility review
Game title: Gran Turismo 7
Platform(s): Playstation 5, Playstation 4
Languages: Matches your Playstation console's default language setting. Czech, Danish, German, English (United Kingdom), English (United States), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), French (Canada), French (France), Indonesian, Italian, Hungarian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Romanian, Finnish, Swedish, Vietnamese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and simplified & traditional Chinese are available.
Age rating: ESRB E 10+, PEGI 3
Multiplayer: 2-player local split-screen multiplayer. Online multiplayer up to 20 players in a game lobby. Online profile photo, nickname, cover photo, about me, default greeting, post race greeting, and social links can all be set.
Genre/theme: Racing simulation, circuit races, rally races, championships, license trials, car collection, car customization, screenshot and photo editing.
Violence: None, aside from causing some occasional minor damage to other racers' cars.
Maturity: No sexuality, nudity, swearing, or drugs & alcohol references. A driving experience gamers of all ages will enjoy.
Difficulty modes: Setting a new standard for accessibility, several assists are on by default when starting a new game, and they remain on until you turn them off, making the game very approachable. After trying out various amounts and levels of assists, I found that most of the starting assists really did help my hands a lot. I eventually turned off the visual displays for the drive line and brake zones, but I kept corner markers displayed on-screen (I don’t have very good depth perception), auto-braking around turns (to save my left hand/arm the stress of constant braking), a little bit of ABS, and some traction control (to decrease the amount of counter-steering needed, especially on dirt tracks and rainy levels).
Even when the braking is set to automatic you can still mess up by going into a turn too fast and skidding off course or crashing, so letting off of the accelerator and doing some light manual braking will still be helpful, you won't literally fly off of the track going around a turn crazy fast like you would with the braking assist turned off. You can get a serious boost in speed if you turn off auto-braking and get good at braking manually in GT7, but I've found it to be much harder on the hands. Several of the assists can be turned way up or way down, or off entirely, giving you the freedom to choose every aspect of the game you'd like to fine-tune to your needs and preferences.
The difficulty mode is set to Normal by default but can be set to either Easy or Hard as well, race prize money is not affected by changing difficulty.
There are unlockable bonus races that aren't required for the main story completion that can range up to 5-chili pepper difficulty level; these almost always have increased tire wear and fuel usage, requiring pit stops during the race.
Complexity: As complex or as simple as you'd like it to be; Gran Turismo 7 can play very casually with several assists on, or it can be a hardcore realistic racing sim, and everything in between. Cars can be incredibly fine-tuned and customized or can be driven stock, but some upgrades will likely be needed for later races and championships, and upgrades generally make the game easier to control.
Instructions, saving, story recap, menus, & waypoints: There is a link to the online manual on the main menu screen. Controls and skills are learned and practiced by playing through the license trials. Menus are mostly pretty easy to navigate and find what you're looking for, but the text size is kinda small. In-game notifications are clear and reliable, creating a marker on which gaming mode area to select for your current goal.
There isn't much of a story beyond collecting cars and winning all the championships, as is true of the Gran Turismo series as a whole.The Cafe is your source of obtaining new goals and rewards, and also offers some brief history about the cars and manufacturers.
In-game notifications can be turned off. Autosaves often, after every race; I had the game crash a time or two and never lost any progress (in earlier builds, they release update patches often). Can turn opening movie and demo off to speed up load time.
Subtitles: Relies entirely on subtitles, the text is fairly small and appears at a medium pace.
Text customization: "Skip conversations using cancel" is the only dialogue option available. Unit of measurement can be switched between mph and kph.
Voice acting: None
Volume settings: Balanced BGM (background music) and sound effects mode, enhanced sound effects mode, race BGM focus mode, menu sound effects level, play race BGM, race BGM level, race sound effects level, replay BGM level, replay sound effects level, music replay volume balance, music replay master volume level, other BGM level, engine sound level, transmission sound level, tire squeals level, rivals engine sound level, broadcast mode, and audio output mode: 2 channel stereo or 7.1 channel surround are all customizeable. In-game notifications for the current song playing pop up in the upper right corner, and songs can be removed from the default playlist.
Photosensitivity: Exposure, color saturation, bright level, and dark level can all be adjusted.
There aren't many flashing lights in the race track environments (primarily on a couple of the road courses in Japan), the main flashing light issue is on the heads-up-display, as it flashes blue, white, and red while shifting gears (the entire heads-up-display can actually be turned off in the in-race settings menu though). Additionally, whichever setting you hover the cursor over in the Settings menu flashes between dark gray and white. Some cars emit a bit of an exhaust flash when shifting up a gear, this is more noticeable on night levels.
These can be remedied a bit by playing in a well-lit room and adjusting screen brightness (TV), backlight (TV), contrast (TV), and color settings (TV). Additionally, wearing blue light lens glasses, tinted lens glasses, or even sunglasses may be helpful.
Motion sickness: Driving in first-person perspective is really accurate with car interiors and is well done but may be too much too for gamers who struggle with fast images/high speeds, I personally found this to be a bit better in third-person camera mode. The camera can be changed with the press of a button, so you could even switch between camera modes several times in a race if different perspectives on certain turns or lighting areas are easier for you. There are four camera angles to choose from: third person (behind the vehicle and up about 25–30 degrees), first person, dash-cam, and front of the car. The sideposts and lamp posts blend together in a slightly disorienting way on particularly fast tracks/driving fast cars, but this can be remedied by placing your eyes’ focal point directly in front of the car.
Colorblindness settings: Color saturation can be customized, but no colorblind mode.
Controller rumble: Yes, vibration level can be customized or turned off entirely.
Remappable controls: 100%, every button can be remapped.
Quick-time events: None, aside from timed starts and early start penalties on some of the tougher races.
Physical impact: Low with assists on, moderate with all assists turned off. I haven't tried this game with a racing wheel or wheel + pedals setup. There are lengthy optional endurance races you can take on, which I found to be too fatiguing and painful, but completing these isn't necessary.
I played through the game on Playstation 4, but a friend of mine who played through it on Playstation 5 messaged me after reading this review to let me know that the Playstation 5 Dualsense controller caused him some additional pain and fatigue due to the controller's adjustable trigger tension level. Thankfully, the trigger tension can be turned down or off entirely to relieve this.
Adaptability and input: To play one-handed, a racing wheel + pedals setup will likely be needed. Can be played with Sony Playstation 5 Dualsense controller, Sony Playstation 4 Dualshock 4 controller, Fanatec GT DD Pro racing wheel, Fanatec CSL Elite racing wheel, Fanatec Podium racing wheel, Logitech G G29/G923 racing wheel, Logitech G PRO racing wheel, Thrustmaster T-GT racing wheel, Thrustmaster T-300RS racing wheel, Thrustmaster T-500RS racing wheel, Thrustmaster T150 Force Feedback racing wheel, and Thrustmaster T80 racing wheel.
Upgrades that can be purchased for each car include increasing the steering angle, installing a handbrake for easier drifting around turns, as well as nitrous boost.
Overall accessibility score: 4.5/5.0 (Please note that this score does not reflect the entertainment or enjoyment value of the game, it represents the range of accessibility for gamers who have specific limitations.)
With Gran Turismo 7, Sony and Polyphony have set a new standard for excellence in accessibility in racing games. A wide range of languages, complete control remappability, compatibility with several racing wheel setups, in-depth lighting, camera, and sound settings, along with all of the gameplay and visual assists you could ever want, all add up to an incredibly approachable driving experience. Some mild photosensitivity and motion-sickness, but these can be remedied by various means, and aren't anywhere near as intense as you'd expect from a driving game. The greatest accessibility omissions are the lack of voice acting and text customization settings. Who knows, with all of the updates being released for this game (and maybe a little encouragement from us) there's a chance text customization settings could be added one day!
My review can also be read and listened to (text-to-speech) at Medium.com:
https://medium.com/@AbleGaming/gran-turismo-7-accessibility-review-8597bb979988
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the-throufed · 1 year
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Disclaimer, this is strictly for Roleplayer purposes, and all forms of interactions and activities have nothing to do with Go Yoonjung or the agency.
This character is based on the face claim of Go Yoonjung who was born on April 22, 1996. Go Yoonjung is a South Korean actress and model under MAA Entertainment.
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Name: Ameréia Ivetre.
Nickname: Eré, Eréia.
Date of Birth: May 22, 1997.
Place of Birth: Jakarta, Indonesia.
Domicile: Jakarta, Indonesia.
Personage: ENFP.
Ameréia Ivetre was given the surname of her father, Ivetre. She is known as Eréia or Eré, most of the time. Her family and close friends have called her Eréia since she was a child, but as she grew up she was given the nickname Eré which means 'E' and 'Ré' by her friends, E and Ré mean both pairs and disguises because Léve is extremely talented in acting.
Because of that, Eréia decided to take further education to study. She learns a lot about movies and things related to acting. While studying, she also took a side job to spend her free time, which was a children's radio announcer every weekend. There was no other reason, simply because she found a way to fill her free time and genuinely liked children.
Eréia is an only child, her father is Abhimanyu Pahlevi and her mother is a Chinese-Indonesian mix named Jia Lin Mirah. They both adore Eréia and wish for their only child not to travel away for her education.
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Proper start
Hallo, ich bin Vanessa. Ich bin Autist und außerdem Genderqueer, ich benutze alle Pronomen, habe aber eine Vorliebe für they/them. Ich kann Deutsch, weil es meine erste Sprache ist und ich in Deutschland aufgewachsen bin.
Hello, I'm Vane, I am an autist and genderqueer. I use any pronouns thoough I do have a preference for they/them. I know English because I had to learn it at school and due to my hobbies I persue the language to this day.
Ciao, io sono Cassandra Alessandro. Io sono autistico e genderqueer, uso qualsiasi pronomi, ma ho una preferenza di they/them. Imparo l'italiano perché la lingua ha un buon suono ed ho stato una vacanza d'Italia.
I can't yet make an introduction like that in Hindi or Indonesian, I can just tell you my names for those languages, which are Rahul Anjali for Hindi and Cahya for Indonesian. I will add proper introductions in Hindi and Indonesian as soon as I feel comfortable doing so.
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stromcuzewon · 1 year
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listening to a podcast about sarin gas attacks and it reminded me that a girl I went to high school with named her kid saren (with an e) and after checking google learned that she either named her human child after a deadly nerve gas, a mass effect character, or an Indonesian sausage
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Revolusi Industri 4.0
Before I discuss the material about the 4.0 industrial revolution in changing education, I will first discuss what the 4.0 industrial revolution in Indonesia is, its goals, and examples.
A.    what is industrial revolution 4.0?
The Industrial Revolution consists of two words, namely revolution and industry. The word revolution has the meaning of changes that occur very quickly, while the word industry is an attempt to carry out a production process (KBBI Online). Based on the meaning of the origin of the word, the industrial revolution is a very rapid change in the production process. In the Industrial Revolution Era, the production process that was usually done by humans was replaced by machines. Products produced by machines have more commercial value.
The number 4 in the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0 indicates that there are 4 developments in the Industrial Revolution Era to date. The era of the first industrial revolution was marked by the invention of the steam engine, so that more goods could be produced. The era of the Industrial Revolution 1.0 occurred in the 18th century. After the steam engine was invented, the invention of electricity around the 19th century to the 20th century had a tremendous impact. The cost of producing goods becomes cheaper. The invention of electricity marked the era of the Industrial Revolution 2.0. The era of the Industrial Revolution 3.0 was marked by the use of computers around the 1970s. The era of the industrial revolution 4.0 around the 2010s was marked by the presence of intelligence and the internet of things. Intelligence means the existence of artificial intelligence (artificial intelligence). Artificial intelligence produced by humans is important in connecting humans and machines.
It can be concluded that the industrial revolution 4.0 is the fourth generation industrial revolution which is marked by the emergence of super computers, smart robots, unmanned vehicles, genetic editing and the development of neurotechnology that allows humans to optimize brain function.
B.     Objective.
The aim of the industrial revolution 4.0 program is to push the Indonesian economy into the top 10 in the world by 2030, by increasing export activities.
C.    Examples.
Examples of the application of industry 4.0 in Indonesia itself can be found in various industries, such as textiles, automotive, electronics, chemicals, to food and beverages. In addition, an example of its application is the IKM e-smart policy for business actors to be able to sell products on digital platforms. The number of e-commerce in Indonesia has marked the transformation of the retail industry with technology.
DISCUSSION
1.      How has the industrial revolution 4.0 changed education?
The era of the industrial revolution 4.0 is a tough challenge for Indonesian teachers. Quoting from Jack Ma at the 2018 World Economic Forum annual meeting, education is the big challenge of this century. If we don't change the way we educate and teach, we will experience great difficulties in the next 30 years. Education and learning that is loaded with knowledge content overrides the attitude and skill content as currently implemented, will produce students who are unable to compete with machines. The dominance of knowledge in education and learning must be changed so that in the future young Indonesians will be able to outperform machine intelligence and at the same time be wise in using machines for the benefit.
The era of the industrial revolution 4.0 will have an impact on the role of education, especially the role of educators. If the role of educators is maintained as a transmitter of knowledge, then they will lose their role along with technological developments and changes in learning methods. This condition must be overcome by increasing the competence of educators who support knowledge for exploration and creation through independent learning.
The era of the industrial revolution 4.0 has also changed the perspective on education. The changes made are not just the way of teaching, but are far more essential, namely changes in the perspective of the concept of education itself. Education must at least be able to prepare its students to face three things:
a.      Prepare children to be able to work whose jobs do not currently exist.
b.      Prepare children to be able to solve problems whose problems have not yet arisen.
c.      Prepare children to be able to use technology that currently has not been discovered. It's a homework that is not easy for the world of education. To be able to face these challenges, an important requirement that must be met is how to prepare qualified teacher qualifications and competencies.
The demands for a change in the 21st century human mindset that have been mentioned above also demands a very big change in national education, which we know our education is a legacy of the old education system which contains memorize meaningless facts. Changing the Indonesian education system is not easy job. The Indonesian education system is one of the largest education systems in the world, which includes about 30 million students, 200 thousand students educational institutions, and 4 million teaching staff, spread over nearly the size of the European continent. But this change is a must if we do not want to be run over by the changing global era/
2.      Learning Strategies in the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
a)      Helping students in learning.
b)     There is an opportunity for growth and achievement.
c)      Strengthening Character Education.
d)      Become an effective teacher.
3.      Threat or challenge.
Challenges in the Industrial Revolution Era must be faced. Some of the challenges to be faced in Era The Industrial Revolution 4.0 includes information security issues, production machines must be stable, skills inadequate, reluctance to change, as well as the reduction of the workforce in large numbers much due to changes in automation. Education should be a bridge between students with the world of work so that superior human resources are born. Inadequate skills can anticipated by the selection of learning methods. Skills can be trained from an early age. Method learning in schools is expected to provide provisions for students to face the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0.
The era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 is not only about providing supporting facilities, but the emphasis is on it more to prepare Indonesian education so that it is more advanced, catch up with developed countries, and able to adapt to the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0. Improvement of mindset, mentality, and values ​​are basic things that need to be prepared. It takes a curriculum that is able to develop logic, language, and creativity.
4.      Technology to Support the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
There are five types of technology supporting the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The five types of technology are:
1.      Internet of Things (IoT).
2.      Augmented Reality (AR).
3.      Cyber Security.
4.      Autonomous Robot.
5.      3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.
5.      What should I do to face the industrial revolution 4.0?
As a student, I have become an important instrument in practicing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, namely as an educator and teacher, research and development and community service. Students must return to their identity who are able to become Agents of Change, Agents of Analysis and Agents of Control so that they can maximize the goals of the nation, namely to advance public welfare, educate the nation's life and liberate the Indonesian people from all things in life. Then, to become a student who is ready and mature to face this 4.0 industrial revolution, I must not only absorb knowledge from lecturers raw in lectures, but I also need to have more skills outside of academic activities such as communication skills, public speaking, organization, and others.
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techy-guy · 2 days
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PayPal backs Indonesian insurance startup Qoala in $47M funding
PayPal Ventures’ latest investment is in an Indonesian startup that provides personal insurance products covering a variety of risks, including accidents, phone screen damage, and ticket cancellations to over 5 million customers.
Qoala has secured $47 million in a new round co-led by PayPal Ventures and MassMutual Ventures, the five-year-old startup said Wednesday. MUFG Innovation Partners, Omidyar Network as well as existing backers Flourish Ventures, Eurazeo and AppWorks also participated in the Series C funding, which brings Qoala’s total funding to more than $130 million since its inception.
Qoala, headquartered in Jakarta, is an insurtech platform that works with top local insurers and e-commerce firms to offer customers personalized and affordable products. It sells the insurance coverage — ranging from cars, motorcycles, property, personal accidents, travel and health — through its website and app as well as via offline engagements.
Despite being the fourth most populous country in the world, Indonesia has a relatively low insurance penetration rate. According to the Indonesian Financial Services Authority, the insurance penetration rate in Indonesia stands at below 4%, lower than the global average.
This low penetration can be attributed to several factors, including limited awareness about insurance products, low disposable income among a significant portion of the population, and a lack of trust in insurance companies. The Insurance Development Institute additionally says that the insurance industry in Indonesia is highly fragmented, with numerous small players, leading to increased competition and lower profit margins, something that poses risk to the sector’s growth and penetration.
Additionally, half of Indonesia’s population is aged 30 years or below, something that Alexandros Bottenbruch, Principal at PayPal Ventures, told TechCrunch creates a “favorable socio-demographic profile in the region’s largest country, combined with rapidly accelerating digital adoption and low insurance penetration, make the market ripe with opportunity.”
The startup simplifies the claims process through image uploads and uses machine learning to detect fraud, benefiting both customers and insurers by expanding access to convenient, cost-effective insurance solutions.
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shivamthakrejr · 2 days
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PayPal backs Indonesian insurance startup Qoala in $47M funding
PayPal Ventures’ latest investment is in an Indonesian startup that provides personal insurance products covering a variety of risks, including accidents, phone screen damage, and ticket cancellations to over 5 million customers.
Qoala has secured $47 million in a new round co-led by PayPal Ventures and MassMutual Ventures, the five-year-old startup said Wednesday. MUFG Innovation Partners, Omidyar Network as well as existing backers Flourish Ventures, Eurazeo and AppWorks also participated in the Series C funding, which brings Qoala’s total funding to more than $130 million since its inception.
Qoala, headquartered in Jakarta, is an insurtech platform that works with top local insurers and e-commerce firms to offer customers personalized and affordable products. It sells the insurance coverage — ranging from cars, motorcycles, property, personal accidents, travel and health — through its website and app as well as via offline engagements.
Despite being the fourth most populous country in the world, Indonesia has a relatively low insurance penetration rate. According to the Indonesian Financial Services Authority, the insurance penetration rate in Indonesia stands at below 4%, lower than the global average.
This low penetration can be attributed to several factors, including limited awareness about insurance products, low disposable income among a significant portion of the population, and a lack of trust in insurance companies. The Insurance Development Institute additionally says that the insurance industry in Indonesia is highly fragmented, with numerous small players, leading to increased competition and lower profit margins, something that poses risk to the sector’s growth and penetration.
Additionally, half of Indonesia’s population is aged 30 years or below, something that Alexandros Bottenbruch, Principal at PayPal Ventures, told TechCrunch creates a “favorable socio-demographic profile in the region’s largest country, combined with rapidly accelerating digital adoption and low insurance penetration, make the market ripe with opportunity.”
The startup simplifies the claims process through image uploads and uses machine learning to detect fraud, benefiting both customers and insurers by expanding access to convenient, cost-effective insurance solutions.
0 notes
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Research - Diaspora and Nostalgia
My prints are based off of old photos from past trips in the Philippines. I intended to establish a sense of longing and nostalgia through these pictures. Artists such as Lohe, whom I previously researched, had the same idea when making artwork of his home in Norway.
Since I've been exploring the personal aspects of being away from a home country, I also want to expand on the general effects that have been previously covered on past lectures. Such the topic of 'diaspora.'
Filipinos commonly migrate/immigrate to other countries in order to work and earn for their families at home. My parents and grandmothers have done exactly this along with other members of my family. Since I've been aware of the Filipino immigration experience for the majority of my life through my family, I've had surface-level knowledge about it. With this project, I've developed an interest in researching it and learning more. For this, I went and broadly explored topics on Filipino diaspora, immigration and nostalgia.
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Aguilar, Filomeno, V (2015) “Is the Filipino Diaspora a Diaspora?” TaylorFrancisOnline, Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14672715.2015.1057392
Despite the widespread popularity of the discourse on diasporas since the 1980s, the recognition of a Filipino diaspora did not occur until the mid 2000s. 
A major factor for this recognition was the considerable number of scholarly works on Filipino Americans by scholars. 
Shown below:
San Juan, E (n.d) “The Filipino Diaspora”,  Ateneo de Manila University, Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42634629
Now the largest cohort in the Asian American group, Filipinos have become the newest diasporic community in the whole world.
7 million Filipino migrant workers, mostly female domestic help, work in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, North America, and elsewhere. 
Diasporic groups are historically defined not only by the homeland but also by the desire for eventual return and collective identity centred on myths and memories of the homeland. 
The Filipino diaspora is different. 
Since the homeland has been long colonised by Western powers (Spain, U.S,) and remains neo colonised despite formal/nominal independence, the Filipino identification is not with a fully defined nation but with regions, localities, and communities of languages and traditions. 
According to orthodox immigration theory, “push” and “pull” factors combine to explain the phenomenon of Overseas Contract Workers.
Do Filipinos resign themselves to this easy schematic formulation? 
Poverty and injustice have surely driven most Filipinos to seek work abroad, sublimating the desire to return by remittances to their families.
Pavcoma, M, A (2020) “Mapping the ‘home’: A literature review on Filipino migration and diaspora,” Indonesian Journal of Communication Studies, Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342620212_Mapping_the_'home'_A_literature_review_on_Filipino_migration_and_diaspora
Migration and Diaspora in the Philippine Society: A Personal Experience
Migration and diaspora as terms had frequented the early years of the researchers’ education who often eavesdropped colleagues whose parents are working abroad in order to provide the needs of the family
The terms also induced media attention and would be a focus/theme in radio/television shows. They frequently relate it to the abuses and gruesome fates suffered by Filipino workers and migrants abroad. 
=For Filipinos, migration is not a new concept as it has long been existing, from the time when the PHilippines was under American rule (1898-1946). Though migration at that point was somehow limited. 
When Filipinos left to other places, such as Hawaii, to become indentured labourers in the mid 19th century, they were met with a hostile work environment and poor living conditions. 
This caused the violent clash between workers and the authorities which created a shift in migration routes among Filipinos. 
Balikbayan: The Beginning of Filipino Diaspora?
The term ‘Balikbayan’ became a household term when migrant workers became a trend in the country in the 1980s. 
Balikbayan signified both connections to home country and belongingness and persuaded overseas Filipinos to be back home while continuously doing their financial remittances. 
‘Balikbayan’ as a Filipino term undertook romanticising, with the Philippine government’s effort in integrating migrant workers located abroad in the national development. 
However, such bold steps do not give OFW’s (overseas Filipino workers) the right to do what other Filipino citizens do. 
They have no chance to vote and be chosen. 
(Juan, 2000) provided a better understanding of Filipino diaspora background where migration is highlighted as liberation for someone seeking for greener pastures. 
When it comes to memories of the homeland, most often than not, the language, religion, and the various cultural artefacts consumed and experienced by migrant workers rooted from being a member of a family, society or culture group.
San Juan explained that while assimilation is an ongoing quest for migrants, their identification with fellow Filipinos and the Philippines continues. 
Blanc, C. S (1996) “Balikbayan: A Filipino Extension of the National Imaginary and of State Boundaries,” Philippine Sociological Review, Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41853680?read-now=1
‘Balikbayans are “returnees,” “people coming back home to the Philippines.” 
“Bayang Magiliw,” the Philippine National Anthem sung by Filipino children during national holidays talks about the Philippine nation, or “bayan” in Tagalog, a word that originally meant town and was later extended to nation. “Balik” means to return in Tagalog. 
Zou, X, Petkanopoulou, K (2023) “Nostalgia and Acculturation, ” ScienceDirect, Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X22002743
Different types of nostalgia:
Home-culture nostalgia 
Host-culture nostalgia
These have distinct effects on immigrants’ and sojourners’ identification with home or host culture, affecting the integration of home and host cultural identities. 
Nostalgia during acculturation plays a crucial role in facilitating self-continuity among immigrants and sojourners moving across different cultures.
Nostalgia affects the majority-group members’ attitudes towards immigrants and sojourners in the host culture. 
Identification with Multiple Cultures
One unique feature of studying nostalgia during the acculturation process is that the emotion elicited by one’s personal past in more than one cultural context.
As immigrants accumulate experience in a host country, they are likely to form nostalgic memories of momentous, personally relevant events or life-experiences: Birthday parties, family reunions, friendships, all in two cultural contexts. 
Self-continuity Across Cultures
A critical challenge for immigrants and sojourners during acculturation is that to their self-concept. 
Cultural environments influence people’s self-concepts. 
As they accumulate life experiences in multiple cultures, they are likely to develop multiple identities and multiple selves. 
Leaving a culture risks losing a part of the self-concept that one has come to value. 
This loss will likely create a disconnection between one’s past and present selves. 
Research on nostalgia and acculturation has addressed common psychological mechanisms: Cultural identification, self-continuity, and intergroup interactions. 
Studying nostalgia during acculturation may enable researchers to capture the nuances of the nostalgic experience and identify the benefits and limits of nostalgia for the self in multicultural contexts. 
Jacobsen, M. H (2023) “The Sociology of Nostalgia,” ScienceDirect, Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X23000015
Nostalgia and the past
Despite its original association with homesickness, nostalgia is a normal emotion rather than a pathological physiological and psychological state. 
Nostalgia is partially defined by a sense (stronger or milder) of longing or yearning for a return to a previous time, period of life, or condition that is cherished and remembered fondly. 
Nostalgia is thus about one’s individual and/or collective relationship to the past, or about how one remembers, relates to, and reconstructs the past. 
Nostalgia and identity
Nostalgia is central to identity, assuming that identity is changing throughout one’s life and that the changing life circumstances and experiences one undergoes influence the way one perceives oneself.
Fred Davis suggested that “nostalgia is a distinctive way of relating our past to our present and future” and “nostalgia (like long-term memory, like reminiscence, like daydreaming) is deeply implicated in the sense of who we are, what we are about.
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esglatestmarketnews · 2 months
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The Role of ESG in the EdTech Industry
Edtech industry or Education Technology Industryplayers are gearing up to plan, report and monitor their ESG performance amidst an exponential rise in digitization. Notably, the prevalence of online learning against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted industry leaders to achieve ESG goals. AI-based learning tools forayed into the mainstream education landscape, encouraging investors, venture capitalists and other stakeholders to prioritize ESG goals. Lately, education technology has witnessed skyrocketing demand across advanced and emerging economies. A host of global organizations expects their vendors to adopt ESG goals, while stakeholders are demanding that startups define and focus on ESG strategy.
Investors are bullish on the prospect of edtech providing an immersive learning experience to K-12 students (kindergarten to 12th grade). High-profile and emerging players continue investing in tech and tools that boost online and digital learning. A slew of private equity funds has ESG-themed funds, alluding to stakeholders growing interest in society and the environment. For instance, in March 2022, Cakap, an Indonesian online language learning platform, secured fresh funding from IIF (Indonesia Impact Fund). The infusion of funds is reported to be the first ESG-compliant private impact fund under the aegis of Mandiri Capital Indonesia. Buoyant investments will propel access to high-quality education, especially in lower-tier cities, and play a pivotal role in bridging the language proficiency gap. 
Environmental Perspective
Edtech companies are responding to climate change to invest in an environmentally sustainable future. Digital learning companies have furthered their efforts to propel UN Sustainable Development Goals and take a giant stride toward decarbonization. Stakeholders are expected to be on the same page on global net zero emissions and use technology and operations to foster the change the world needs. Microsoft aims to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions to near zero by 2025 and is contemplating removing more carbon than it emits by 2030. Moreover, in July 2021, it also rolled out the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability to render automated, integrated and comprehensive sustainability management. 
Stakeholders are likely to take a robust approach to reporting and recording emissions with automation and data collation. Industry players could use a secure cloud to tackle e-waste across schools with startups investing in the advanced technology. In December 2020, Karo Sambhav used Microsoft Azure, engaged with over 22,700 schools, and collated around 12,000 metric tons of e-waste for responsible recycling in India. Furthermore, Microsoft also emphasized bridging the skill gap in data center communities through investment in technical training programs at vocational schools, community colleges and other educational institutions. 
Social Perspective
Edtech companies are promoting the values of gender equality, inclusion and a safe work environment. Companies are likely to complement UN Sustainable Development Goals with an emphasis on quality education and boosting workers’ health and safety. Several edtech companies have sought state-of-the-art technology to bolster inclusion, diversity and access. For instance, in September 2021, SP2 Mentor Collective suggested that it connects students, targeting first-generation learners, including those of color, students from low-income backgrounds and other underrepresented students. 
Stakeholders have added fillip to their ESG goals by investing in new-age skills and focusing on talent mobility. Companies are gearing up to upskill talent pools to keep up with global digital transformation. Cisco is expediting the way it develops, attracts and promotes diverse talent. It has joined forces with OneTen Initiative, that is gearing to hire, upskill, and promote one million African American/Black (AA/B) Americans over the next ten years. It witnessed a 60% surge in the representation of all employees who identified themselves as AA/B from entry level through the manager.
State-of-the-art technologies, including ML and AI, have witnessed an uptake. To illustrate, as of June 2022, Coursera reported around a 50% surge in the number of business learners in India. The trends have prompted technology-oriented startups to inject funds into advanced solutions and services to help bolster the digital skills of their employees. In August 2021, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) announced an infusion of funds into ApplyBoard through Equity 253 fund—a diversity-dedicated fund—aimed at companies leveraging diversity and inclusion initiatives and promoting them as business priorities. 
Is your business one of participants of the Global EdTech Industry? Contact us for focused consultation around ESG Investing, and help you build sustainable business practices.
Governance Perspective 
As sustainability becomes mainstream, governance and accountability have become instrumental for prioritization and alignment across the industry. Microsoft has formed a Climate Council with business leaders from every business group to foster alignment, offer sustainability advice, review progress on commitment, prioritize resources and funding and collaborate. Its Board of Directors offers feedback, insights, and oversight across environmental and social aspects.
With companies targeting pre-K to 12, post-secondary and workforce education portfolios, stakeholders have prioritized governance structure to foster their ESG profile. For instance, Cisco asserted in its Purpose Report that audits covered 390,000 supply chain workers during fiscal 2022. Cisco’s compliance and ethics organization reports all allegations and cases of ethical violations to the Audit Committee of the BoD and the Compliance Steering Committee. 
Poor ESG practices may be detrimental to environmental, reputational and legal risks that can dent an organization’s prospect on the bottom line. Companies with strong ESG performance could stay ahead of the curve with a lower cost of capital, a loyal investor base and better access to financing. According to the U.S. financial services company Morningstar, ESG investment strategies surpassed USD 1 trillion in 2020, largely fueled by sustainable investment funds amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2022, Skillsoft’s corporate social responsibility report found that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), participation in fair trade, and enhancing labor policies were top priorities in the CSR program. The research noted that 46% said ESG efforts were replacing CSR efforts. Prevailing trends suggest the global edtech market could register a 16.5% CAGR from 2022 through 2030. The growth trajectory is expected to gain ground as companies focus on creating long-term value by creating ESG strategies. 
Related Reports:
Online Tutoring Services Industry ESG: https://astra.grandviewresearch.com/online-tutoring-services-industry-esg-outlook
Business Process Outsourcing Industry ESG: https://astra.grandviewresearch.com/business-process-outsourcing-industry-esg-outlook
Telecom Services Industry ESG: https://astra.grandviewresearch.com/telecom-services-industry-esg-outlook
About Astra – ESG Solutions By Grand View Research
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arafatssss1267 · 2 months
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The popular Southeast Asian e-commerce company, accompanying TikTok sellers
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There is a serious shortage of talents in small-language languages ​​in China, and it is difficult to operate localized operations abroad.
"When operating TikTok in the domestic market, it HE Tuber is too difficult to recruit talents with small languages ​​in Southeast Asia. Even if you are given a monthly salary of more than 25,000, you still cannot recruit suitable anchors." Li Lu, the head of a domestic MCN organization, told DoNews.
As Li Lu said, the "One Belt, One Road" Big Data Report (2017) pointed out that there is still a situation where English is "dominated by one family" in foreign language education in my country. A survey of 423 language service agencies across the country found that companies providing Chinese-English translation services and English-Chinese translation services accounted for the highest proportions, 96.93% and 94.80% respectively. Followed by Japanese and French. Only 2.60% of companies provide "Chinese-to-foreign" and "foreign-to-Chinese" services, which is a small proportion, and there is a serious lack of service capabilities in small languages.
More importantly, unlike China, where Mandarin is the official language, Southeast Asia is actually an extremely fragmented market. There are currently at least 13 official languages ​​in six Southeast Asian countries, not including dialects and minority regional languages. This leads to the contradiction that even if some practitioners want to learn these small languages, they don’t know where to start.
In the context of the shortage of talents in minority languages, the multi-faceted talents required to operate TikTok make this situation even worse. Live streaming requires practitioners to have strong oral skills in small languages ​​​​and the ability to interact in the live broadcast room.
Language barriers force TikTok sellers operating in the domestic market to passively adjust their operating strategies.
TikTok seller Zhang Qi said that during TikTok’s live broadcast in Southeast Asia, the company had previously found talents in small languages ​​to record and broadcast the content in the live broadcast room in advance. However, after being warned by the official, the entire store's weight was directly restricted, and the number of visitors and conversion rate plummeted.
The same situation also occurs in video creation. Recreating short videos that have exploded on domestic short video platforms is a video strategy currently adopted by many TikTok sellers. In addition to being easily restricted by the official website, this kind of video also has a high risk of account suspension.
Moreover, in the current Southeast Asian market, the actual contradiction between the number of fans of anchors and their ability to bring goods is not proportional, which also determines that even if TikTok players can increase the number of fans on a single account, it is still unknown how much revenue they can bring from selling goods.
Take the Indonesian market as an example. Although Indonesian Internet celebrity @louissescarlettFamily has more than 6 million fans, according to industry insiders, her ceiling is only around US$200,000 in monthly orders.
Data.ai data also shows that during the "Eid al-Fitr" promotion period in Indonesia, TikTok not only increased its orders by 493%, but its GMV increased by 92%. In 2022, TikTok's average monthly GMV in Indonesia reached US$200 million, but this figure is still lower than the single-game sales data of domestic leading anchors represented by Li Jiaqi and Xiao Yang.
Image source: Data.ai
The reason for this situation is that Southeast Asia currently lacks the soil for experts to bring goods and cultivate e-commerce development. The reason why the penetration rate of live streaming e-commerce in my country has developed rapidly in recent years is that before the outbreak of live streaming e-commerce, various e-commerce models such as traditional shelf e-commerce, 020, and community group buying e-commerce have completed educating consumers. Live streaming e-commerce essentially just innovates the gameplay of traditional shelf e-commerce, but it does not change much in the supply chain, transaction, and after-sales aspects of the entire e-commerce.
Source: NetEconomy
Based on this, head anchors can use their price advantage or video content advantage to complete the aggregation of a large number of fans while constantly building fans' trust in them, which will eventually feed back into the live broadcast sales data. However, e-commerce in Southeast Asia will only really start after 2020. With low e-commerce penetration, people will naturally be unable to accept various emerging e-commerce models.
Source: CMB International
In order to cope with the shortage of talents in small languages ​​​​in China, many TikTok sellers have chosen to go to Southeast Asia for localized operations. But even so, these sellers still have many problems to solve.
First, authorities in Southeast Asian countries are constantly adjusting their policies. Still taking the Indonesian market as an example, on July 28 this year, Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hassan said that Indonesia will restrict the online sales of imported goods priced below US$100, and imported goods will also need to obtain a supplementary license. That is Indonesian National Standard (SNI). This means that it has become impossible for sellers to rely on China's supply chain and production capacity to produce low-priced goods for sale on Indonesian e-commerce platforms.
Second, during the project start-up stage, entrepreneurs must have a clear enough insight into the market conditions, talent systems, laws and regulations, and business environment of the country in which they operate.
Since the development of domestic live streaming e-commerce, "rolling" has become the norm in the entire industry. On the Douyin platform, the 24/7 live broadcast room can be viewed almost at any time.
Because in the past few years, leading anchors including Li Ziqi and Lang Weixian have had constant conflicts with the MCN organization behind them. In order to prevent this situation from happening again, many domestic MCN organizations have imposed restrictions on anchors through sky-high compensation. However, since live streaming in Southeast Asia is still in its infancy, there are also many challenges in the management of influencers. Contracts are not very binding for local experts: it is extremely common in Southeast Asian goods delivery circles to not be able to find the person after receiving the order, to cheat on samples, and to have delivery periods as long as 2 months.
Looking at it more deeply, except for the founders of SHEIN, Jitu and other companies who are Chinese entrepreneurs, it is almost difficult to see domestic entrepreneurs among the unicorn companies in Southeast Asia. This also shows that domestic entrepreneurs want to truly do a good job in Southeast Asia. Localized operations are not easy either.
2. Low customer unit price, low conversion rate, and low profit of TikTok live streaming e-commerce
The unit price acceptable to Southeast Asian e-commerce users is very low. The unit price of RMB 25 has almost reached the ceiling that local e-commerce users can accept. TikTok seller Li Wei said to us helplessly.
As Li Wei said, CITIC Securities data shows that the unit price of TikTok in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam is US$2-5, US$4-7, US$2-3, and US$2-4 respectively. TiChoo data shows that the average price per customer of TikTok stores in Indonesia is US$2-4, that of stores in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam is US$4-6, while that of stores in the Philippines is only US$1-2.
Source: CITIC Securities
Although lower unit price per customer has a boosting effect on increasing the penetration rate of e-commerce, domestic Pinduoduo also uses low unit price to promote the increase in e-commerce penetration rate for users in lower-tier markets.
But in essence, the reason why Pinduoduo sellers can accept the platform's low-price gameplay is because they are attracted by Pinduoduo's large user base, which in turn brings the possibility of huge orders. But Pinduoduo’s gameplay cannot be directly reused on TikTok.
According to the "2022 TikTok Ecological Development White Paper", among the TOP20 live broadcasts in Southeast Asia in 2022, 85% of the main categories will be beauty and personal care products, and shoes and boots, mobile phones & digital, and home daily necessities will each account for 5%.
However, based on the unit price of US$3 (approximately RMB 21), if the TikTok seller chooses to ship from China, deduct the current price of international postal parcels of about 10 yuan, and the commission rate of overseas anchors who live broadcast the goods must not be less than 15%. , related raw material costs, after-sales costs, anchor costs, investment costs, etc., even if Yiwu merchants already have supply chain advantages in home daily necessities, their actual profits are extremely meager. If peers in a certain category launch a price war again, the possibility of negative net profits cannot be ruled out.
More importantly, on the one hand, both TikTok and Douyin currently use the byte algorithm mechanism. Whether sellers can use short videos and live broadcast rooms to generate sales is highly random, and this randomness cannot cover up daily TikTok Actual costs incurred in operations. On the other hand, Li Wei found in many live broadcasts that although the click-through rate of products in the live broadcast room can sometimes reach more than 50%, the final paid order is less than 2%.
The reasons for the above situation are not only related to the fact that consumers in Southeast Asia are currently not interested in the live streaming delivery model as mentioned above, but are also related to the habits of consumers in Southeast Asia and the traffic mechanism of TikTok.
First of all, online payment serves as the foundation for the development of e-commerce. However, because most consumers in Southeast Asia lack trust in online payments, they prefer cash payments. Bain Consulting data shows that nearly 60% of consumers in Southeast Asia still prefer cash payments in 2021.
Source: Bain Consulting
Secondly, among the six Southeast Asian countries, except for Singapore, which has a relatively high level of economic development, the remaining five countries have limited per capita disposable income. Vietnam's per capita disposable income of urban residents in 2020 was US$487 (approximately RMB 3,556). Relatively low incomes have also led to Southeast Asian consumers currently being keen to compare prices on different e-commerce platforms when shopping.
However, Southeast Asia’s local e-commerce platform Shopee and Alibaba-invested Lazada account for almost 75% of the entire Southeast Asia e-commerce market share. Moreover, the cost for domestic cross-border e-commerce sellers to operate traditional shelf e-commerce in Southeast Asia is lower than the cost to operate TikTok. This results in the price advantage of the two platforms compared to TikTok.
Source: Light Source Capital
Finally, because TikTok is a global APP, IP instability often occurs due to the need for scientific Internet access. Passed to the live broadcast room, the target country may be Vietnam, but the end user may be from Indonesia. When language cannot be communicated smoothly, the problem of empty traffic and no conversion will naturally arise.
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icarusthelunarguard · 2 months
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This Week’s Horrible-Scopes
It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter. Better yet! Check out “Heart of the Game, Fredonia” and see if they can sell you those D12’s with the symbols on them. Tell them “Shujin Tribble” sentcha. And “Hail, Hail, Fredonia!” Home of the Blue Devil!
Even though it’s still only just barely into the New Year, you need a vacation. And since we’re nothing if not cheap, we’ll just tell you where you should go even if you can’t afford it. And, no! We’re not going to tell you to Go To Hell. Chances are you’ve already been told that enough times this week. 
Aries 
We’re dropping you off just north of the Dominican Republic at Turks & Caicos! This collection of roughly 100 islands is popular with honeymooners and for good reason: sparkling white sand, crystal-clear water, and nearly 350 miles of colourful coral reef! Be sure to spend a day or two lounging on Grace Bay Beach with plenty of opportunities to snorkel, scuba dive, and ride horses along the coast. So This Week… Be sure to check your horse’s belly strap before you go riding. Not because you’re liable to fall but because you want to know if you’re on a stallion or a mare. Trust us, there is a difference in temperament. 
Taurus 
If you bend an ear you’ll enjoy all the art and flowers and canal-lined streets and "coffee shops" and high-end boutiques… Welcome to Amsterdam! Yes, you could enjoy the art or the food or the bicycling… and you can have a stop to enjoy the street food scene by eating herring or Dutch fries, or satisfy your sweet tooth with stroopwafels. So This Week… Buy some stroopwafels at your local grocery store and TRY to imagine they aren’t Cock-Waffles. We DARE you.
Gemini  
WELP! If picturesque beaches and warm weather are what you're after, look no further than the British Virgin Islands! You’ll have easy access to Smuggler's Cove and Brewers Bay. And if you book your hotel room on Tortola, the area's largest island, you can hop between the smaller islands on boat tours. So This Week… Re-learn all your maritime terminology before you try to steal a 20-sail pirate clipper. Oh, and buy some sea sickness pills.
Cancer Moon-Child 
This might be a little weird, but you’re getting sent to the “U-A-E”! the United Arab Emirates, specifically to Dubai. You COULD do something simple, like visit the Dubai Mall. Or how about indoor Ski Dubai? And how about freaking out after getting to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on the planet, at over 800 Meters tall. So This Week… We know you wanted to know, so - it would take just shy of 13 seconds for you to go “SPLAT!” after jumping off that thing, with an impact of over Seven-Hundred-Thousand joules. So don’t do that! It might not hurt YOU, but it’ll hurt someone else.
Leo 
We’re sending you to the largest island in French Polynesia - Tahiti! And just to get you over your fear of the ocean we’ve booked you into a lavish overwater bungalow. And once you’ve stopped having a panic attack, there’s prime snorkeling and surfing conditions all around you. If you're staying on dry land you COULD look for more cultural activities, like the island's temples, or shop for Tahitian pearls. So This Week… Don't ask what a pearl necklace is worth here. Just trust us.
Virgo 
Your vacation is just a chance for you to get away from everything and be calm, peaceful, and serene. We’re sending you to the lush Indonesian paradise of Bali. Right now it’s the dry season, so beachtime will be perfect. Follow that up with tours through some temples, and finish up with dinner in the village of Kintamani, home to a towering (and active) volcano. So This Week… If you take a Balinese cooking class and the instructor suggests heating your pan in the magma, IT’S A TRICK! DON’T DO IT!
Libra
Talk about an historic location, your destination brings you to one of the original Seven Natural Wonders of the World! A place with, literally, one-of-a-kind scenery. You’ll be looking through some of the over 600 islands and 1,500-plus species of fish, but you better be careful with them all. You’ll be Underwater up the coast of Queensland, Australia and snorkeling in Australia's Great Barrier Reef! It will be a bit dangerous, being that it’s ’stralia, but we trust you not to do anything life threatening. So This Week… learn what Ozzie plants you are NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH - specifically the “Gympie-Gympie”. Do NOT touch it! Seriously! This is No Joke! You WILL want to die!
Scorpio 
The best part about your destination is you pretty well already know the local language and cuisine. Take your choices from historical landmarks and modern-day attractions, London, England is a world unto itself. Do things the easy way: join a tour that takes you to the Tate Modern art institution, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Borough Market, and the British Museum. And once you’re done there, have a sit down classic afternoon tea. But plan on a weekend trip to share a Sunday roast at a local pub. So This Week… get used to the taste of Malt Vinegar because you WILL be shot on sight for trying to put ketchup on your Fish-n-Chips!
Sagittarius 
Not only are you headed to a beautiful city overlooking the Balearic Sea, but you’ll get an amazing theme song out of it. You’re headed out to Barcelona, Spain! Walk through Medieval architecture, take in the intricate Basílica de la Sagrada Família, and enjoy Antoni Gaudí's whimsical creations in Park Güell. Spend some time in the water at Barceloneta beach before checking out the restaurants and bars along Las Ramblas at all hours of the night… which will be perfect for your jet lagged brain. So This Week… find your old Spanish notes from High School and try to remember if you were taught Castilian Spanish or not. It WILL make a difference in how you’re treated.
Capricorn 
Regardless if you say it cah-RIB-bee-ahn, or cah-rah-BEE-anne, you’re headed to the mountainside resorts of St. Lucia. Planning on swimming and relaxing in the ocean? Head to Reduit Beach or Anse Chastanet. Want a little more adventure? Try zip lining through the Chassin region’s rainforest. It’s the dry season now, so it’ll be a little more expensive, but considering what the weather and food will be like, it’ll be worth it. So This Week… stop being stingy and just buy a new bottle of sunscreen. That last one expired in the twenty-teens.
Aquarius 
You want to claim you’re an “oenophile”, do you? Well we’re shipping you off to Santorini, Greece! It’s a top honeymoon destination with breathtaking sunsets, whitewashed villages and colorful beaches. History buffs could check out Ancient Thira, then get your wine-tasting in while visiting central Santorini's wine tours. The best part of this whole vacation is… alfresco dinner at Amoudi Bay. So This Week… make sure you have lots of memory storage for your camera and a proper power adapter so you don’t blow it up this time.
Pisces  
Have we got something special for you! Someone, and we’re not naming names, actually PAID for a Certain Somepony to get, and I QUOTE… “a naughty scope”. So Roxy? You’re getting sent to Negril, Jamaica to spend a week at Hedonism II! You’re booked in Mid-March for “Hedo Swing Breakers” with your choices of fun like: a Boozy Easter Egg Hunt, Truth or Dare Jenga, a Rave Igloo, Dinner on the Beach, or a Car Wash. That’s right! It’s a Clothing Optional all-adult resort hosting a huge lifestyle party for couples and throuples ages 19-45… OH, wait… You’ve already aged out of that bracket. Well, shoot. Uhm… You could just stay home and be nude all you want instead. It’s a lot cheaper too. Sorry. (That good enough, Kali? Oh, OOPS! Sorry!)
And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know - or check out the Ko-Fi page ( https://ko-fi.com/icarusthelunarguard )! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and BLUESKY.
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enterprisewired · 4 months
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TikTok’s $840 Million Investment in Indonesia’s Tokopedia Signals E-commerce Resurgence
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Partnership to Revive E-commerce Amid Regulatory Hurdles
In a strategic move targeting Southeast Asia’s largest economy, China’s TikTok has set its sights on revitalizing its e-commerce presence by investing a staggering $840 million to acquire Indonesia’s Tokopedia. This landmark acquisition, alongside an additional commitment to invest in Tokopedia, Indonesia’s premier e-commerce platform, marks a total infusion of $1.5 billion into the burgeoning market.
Navigating Regulatory Barriers
TikTok’s foray into online shopping faced a setback when Indonesia banned social media platform-based shopping in September, citing concerns regarding data security and the safeguarding of smaller merchants. This move led to the closure of TikTok’s nascent e-commerce service, TikTok Shop, in the region. However, this recent acquisition of Tokopedia’s majority shares appears poised to circumvent these regulatory obstacles.
The joint statement released by the companies confirms a strategic pilot phase, ensuring close collaboration and oversight by pertinent regulators during the initiation of this transformative partnership.
Forging an E-commerce Powerhouse
Patrick Walujo, CEO of GoTo, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “We are creating an Indonesian e-commerce champion, combining Tokopedia’s strong local presence with TikTok’s mass market reach and technological prowess.” Emphasizing a broader spectrum of benefits extending beyond e-commerce, Walujo highlighted the potential enhancements for on-demand services and fintech businesses within GoTo’s portfolio.
Deal Dynamics and Market Impact
Under the terms of the agreement, TikTok will acquire 75.01% of Tokopedia, integrating TikTok Shop’s Indonesian operations into the expanded entity. Anticipated to conclude by the first quarter of 2024, the deal will include a $1 billion promissory note to bolster Tokopedia’s working capital.
Despite the significant potential of this collaboration, GoTo’s shares witnessed a substantial 13% decline, signaling investor profit-taking after a prior surge in anticipation of the TikTok deal.
E-commerce Expansion and Market Predictions
Indonesia’s thriving e-commerce sector, currently valued at $62 billion, is projected to burgeon to a staggering $160 billion by 2030, as forecasted by a joint report from Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Co. Despite stiff competition from industry giants like Sea’s Shopee and Alibaba’s Lazada, Tokopedia exhibited promising half-yearly results with a 14% revenue surge to 4.5 trillion rupiah and a remarkable reduction in underlying losses.
TikTok’s strategic investment in Tokopedia not only aims to revitalize its online shopping endeavors but also heralds a potential era of synergy between social media and e-commerce, leveraging Indonesia’s vibrant digital landscape.
Curious to learn more? Explore our articles on Enterprise Wired
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