#great to see happiness on tunisian faces | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jung-snoopy-woo · 4 years

Text

How I met Your Grandfather

~ Introduction + Chapter 1 ~

(I know the name is super lame but omg I didn't know how to name it 😂😭)

Other Chapters: Masterlist | 2 |3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 (coming soon!!)

Pairing: Bang Chan × reader, twin brother! Felix.

Genre: fluff (maybe some angst?).

Word count: 802 (without the strike-throughed stuff at the end)

Warnings: none, except from the fact English is not my native language so I probably made some grammar mistakes (oh, and there's a mentioning of the things that inspired me, at the end).

Summary: Moving to a different country is not easy. Your twin brother, Felix, invites his 7 new friends home and one of them caught your eye. What if you also caught his?

About the story: My grandmother always tells me the story of how she met my grandfather (who unfortunately passed away a year before I was born), so I decided to write a Bang Chan fanfic based on their love story.

Gif credits: ~ Stay_Hyunjin ~ via Pinterest (Chan+Felix gif), stray kids_incorrect_quotes via Pinterest (Chan's gif at the end), @jeongsungs via tumblr (Felix's gif at the end).

A/N: This is my first ever fanfic (unless you count the Christian Collins one I wrote when I was like 14.. but yeah we don't talk about that), so I'd be so grateful if I could get some honest opinions!

Hope you enjoy it!! ❤️❤️❤️

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Introduction

"It all started with a good friendship. It wasn't even my friendship, though", you said, smiling as you turned to face your 10-year-old granddaughter. "But you know, all love stories must start from something..."

She looked at you with her big eyes, waiting to hear about him again. "Grandma, I know you told me this story last week but I think I forgot most of it. Please, can you tell me everything from the beginning?".

"Oh, my darling, it's okay... I'd love to tell you this story as many times as you want. It's so nice reminding myself how happy and simple things were at the time..."

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Chapter 1

"Uhmmm Felix, what are you doing??", You giggled as you saw your twin brother moving back and forth around the house, cleaning and putting stuff in place. "Never in my life have I thought I'd see you doing anything other than playing video games all day..."

Felix rolled his eyes at you as he placed a book (which was under the sofa for some reason) on the shelf. "Y/N, I have no time for your judgement! My friends are coming in like 4 hours, but our house is A MESS and I haven't even started making the chocolate-chips cookies yet. So if you're done laughing at me, I'd really appreciate some help"

As much as you wanted to tell him to go ask Rachael or Olivia, your other sisters, for help- you decided to help him eventually, as you saw how excited he was and how much he wanted to make a good impression on his new friends (and it had nothing to do with how your mother threatened to kick you out of the house if you wouldn't help lol)

After you two finished cleaning everything (and Felix's cookies turned out great, as always), you sat on the sofa and waited for his friends to come. You've never met them, but you heard from Lix a lot about them, like the fact that they're working together and that they're his first group of friends since you and your family moved from Australia to Korea. You were super happy for him that he got to meet such good friends despite the fact he didn't know more than a few phrases in Korean like 2 years ago.

The doorbell rang and Felix ran to the door and opened it. You smiled, thinking about how cute your brother was sometimes (when he didn't take your stuff or made a mess in the kitchen or--)

"Oi Felix!! Nice seeing you, bro!! Your house looks so nice, I hope you didn't clean it just for us!", you heard one of the boys say in English.. wait, was that an Australian accent?? Then this must be Chris.

As I said, you've heard so much about these guys, but with Chris it was a a bit more than that. Felix told you he was the one who helped him the most, and understood exactly what he was going through as he, too, moved from Australia to this place, which was so different and new for him.

You heard Felix chuckling nervously as he closed the door behind the tallest guy who had nice long blond hair (you were 99% sure his name was Hyunjin), and you held back a smile, thinking of how exhausted he looked just a few minutes ago.

"Is this your sister on the sofa? She's really pretty", You heard one of them whisper in Korean. You saw it was.. what was his name again? "Ji" something.. oh oh oh, Jisung, right.

"Yeah it's her, but don't even think about it", Felix whispered back jokingly. Then he raised his voice as if nothing happened, "guys, I want you to meet my sister, Y/N. My twin sister actually... You'll probably meet the rest of our family when dinner's ready".

"Oh, so you're Y/N!", Chris said (oh my god how you missed hearing people talk in this accent) as he smiled. He had broad shoulders, dark fluffy brown hair, chocolate eyes and the cutest dimple you've ever seen. "Lix told us so much about you!"

"Oh, did he?", You turned to Felix who mouthed 'I only said good things'. "Well, I heard so much about you guys too, so it's nice to finally meet you all!"

"Dinner's ready!!!", You heard Rachel call. They all seemed way too happy to hear these 2 words, and Jeongin (of course you knew our baby's name) said "I was so hungry, you guys should thank me for not eating all the cookies Felix baked.."

These guys were so fun to be around, you didn't even notice how bright your smile was and how shiny your pretty eyes got. And you especially didn't notice the brown-eyed, curly-haired, prettiest-dimple-in-the-world guy staring at you since the moment he entered the door...

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

(The inspiration: both my grandma and my grandpa actually moved from Tunisia to Israel, but they met only after her brother became friends with my grandpa.

Before her brother's friends came to visit, he told her family one of the friends he made from work also came from Tunisia. Then, when his friends finally came- she actually recognized him by his accent and his last name, which is very Tunisian).

So that's the end of the first chapter!! 🥳🥳

It was more like the beginning so there isn't much romance yet but I hope you guys will stay with me for the next chapters! 🙃🙃

45 notes · View notes

themadauthorshatter · 4 years

Text

WELCOME BACK ONE AND ALL!

Welcome back to MY take on Toppat!Charles, the series that gives you... angst and cliffhangers in every chapter, just like Game of Thrones😅.

In case you haven't read them yet here are links to the first three parts, which I recommend you read because the brief recaps don't do them justice.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

BRIEF RECAP AND HEADCANON TO FOLLOW FOR THE POST TIME!

After his attack on Burt, Charles has caved and is now open to what Right has to say and vice versa. Henry and Gerneral Galeforce, more Galeforce, have been contacted by the Center for Chaos Containment and offered their men for one Henry Stickmin. Ellie has been good emotional support, but Henry goes against Galeforce and Ellie in order to save his friend.

Got that? Great!👍

So what's the headcanon this week? Well, @triple-threat-toppats and @azuri-the-imperfect-artist have AU's/headcanons that Toppat-ing is in Henry's blood, whether that be biological or otherwise, and we'll be meeting a new character this chapter who ties this all together perfectly😈.

We all good? FANTASTIC!

LET'S DIVE IN!!

We pick up where we left off with Henry outside as a receptionist, of sorts, freaks out that he called, telling everyone on the floor and shouting for an official to take the call.

Through this entire exchange, Henry rolls his eyes at how much of a fan boy the receptionist is, groans that no one can find an official at two' in the moring, and eventually takes a seat and listens as a few mid-ranking officials argue about who gets to talk to him; 10.6 anomaly, he's a pretty big deal to them.

They all fall silent when a man shouts, "Hand 'im over to me."

Henry should be scared, but he's glad that FINALLY someone is on the other end to talk to.

"Mr. Stickmin," says the official. "Nice of you to call."

"Who am I speaking with right now?" Henry asks as he stands up, not at all interested in playing games. (The irony that hit me after I typed that🤦‍♀️😂😂)

The official scoffs, "Not one for banter. I respect that. Son, name's Corporal Bill Bullet, leading official of the Center for Chaos Containment. How can we help you at this hour?"

Henry paces as he continues talking. "You talked to General Rupert Galeforce, right?"

"We did, actually. About you, but you probably already guessed that."

Henry looks back at the toppat orbital station, staring at it as he stays silent. Again, he is not in the mood for games.

Bullet sighs on the other end of the phone. "Guess you calling means you've made you're choice?"

Henry is quiet for a second and swallows a lump in his throat. "What happens if I agree to the terms?"

"Take a guess, kid."

Henry sees flashes of his life if he is in the CCC's custody and groans at the migraine said flashes give him.

"You're quite the interesting person, Henry. Robbing a bank with a bag, breaking out of prison by dogding and throwing bullets before stealinga police car, stealing a diamond by pushing yourself off a bridge, taking down the toppats, and escaping a maximum security complex with barely even a scratch."

Henry bites his tongue as he remembers those moments and their alternative paths INCLUDING the fails.

"But you didn't just get a few scratches, you did? 10.6 is a pretty high rating on our meter. Can't imagine what would happen to a person who causes as much chaos as you."

Henry shakes his head and snaps, "Just tell me!"

Bullet is silent once more, disappointed at how he can't at least tease what is essentially a rabbit walking right into an easily seen trap.

"We'll study the source of your... ability. How one person can live one life before jumping to the next, but existing like he did before that life ended.

"You may be a young man, Henry, but you've probably lived longer and died more than the rest of us put together. Why is that? How, excatly?"

Despite the knot forming in his stomach, Henry nods and hums to let Bullet know he's listening.

"There's also a certain balance to the world, one that shouldn't be bothered, 'less we want to cause A LOT of collateral damage. Lead to a lot of people getting hurt, cause a lot of casualties. You already lost one person you care about. What if you lost all of them?"

Henry gulps as he remembers the complex riot and how a robot was sent to tear down the museum he stole the Tunisian Diamond from.

Any of those people could've easily been Ellie or the General or, if he'd gone down the Toppat route, the entire clan.

Bullet may be manipulating emotionally, but he kind of has a point.

The chaos Henry causes is extremely dangerous, if what we've seen in StD, ItA, FtC, and CtM are any examples. Imagine if he had caused that sort of chaos in a major city, like real world New York or Detroit.

I don't know about you guys, but if something like any of the games happened IRL, all caused by Henry, there would easily be cities flattened to the ground with COUNTLESS fatalities.

"Helloooo? You still with me, Mr. Stickmin?"

Henry snaps out of his stupor and takes a deep breath before talking again. "Promise me you'll help. I want your honest word."

"Which I'll stay good on as long ad you keep your end of the bargain," Bullet retorts. "A quarter of our forces at your disposal to help you get your friend back as long as you turn yourself in to our facility. Deal?"

Henry is silent again, but when he speaks again, he tries something:

"Will I still talk to anyone outside? Send them any letters?"

"Not really. Think the government would handle our research well? Or what you can do?

"Last chance, deal or no deal?"

Henry stares up at the sky, counting the stars and moon, and then watches orbital station drift across the sky, covering part of the moon.

"Sir, we have a situation!" Someone yells on the other end.

Bullet does one if those angry growls or snarls. "Don't keep me waiting on your answer, Henry. Our resources are limited, too. Make your decision and call me back the second you do."

"Sir-"

"I'M COMING!"

The call ends and Henry lets out a sigh as he drops to his knees and then hugging them to his chest, shaking and now doubting whether or not he's making the right choice.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Ellie had followed him when he walked out and is struggling very badly with hiding her tears and sobbing from Henry, who is over a few feet away.

JUMP TO SOME FAN SERVICE!!😍🤩

Er, Charles. Jump to Charles. I SAID CHARLES!!!!!

Charles is mostly done showering, mostly because he's done washing and cleaning himself up, even shaving because he looks better without facial hair, and is now simply standing in the shower and letting the water fall on him.

He can't exactly remember how long it's been since he showered last, but he doesn't bother trying to because it only makes him think about how the government destroyers were blown up and anyone who managed to get on the station was killed as a message to the government and Henry and Ellie, and as an example for Charles, in case he gets any ideas.

He keeps thinking about how Henry looked at him before he went unconscious, how Henry did nothing to help him even though HE could've done something. He had before on missions, so what had stopped him then and there?

"I was wondering the same thing," Right says, though Charles doesn't hear him over the water running.

Charles gasps as he slips to the ground and realizes how he's thinking about his friend, forgetting Right was standing on the other side of the wall and curtain to keep an eye on him, just in case.

"N-no," Charles says to who he thinks is himself. "He... He wouldn't just leave me. None of them would."

Right rolls his eyes at this and steps closer to where he's in front of the curtain, though he does grab a towel. "You know, you talk to yourself a lot. 'S kind of freaky."

Charles curls into himself and into the corner of the shower and covers his ears. "Shut up! Just shut up and leave me alone!"

"How long have you been here?" Right asks as he looks up at the ceiling. "And why isn't Henry here to get you out? Aren't you two supposed to be friends?"

"Stop it!" Charles cries, curling into himself further.

Right smirks and decides to twirs the knife. "He helped that Ellie girl, didn't he? When she needed his help? I wonder if what they say is true? Birds of a feather flock together? They're both criminals, so I wouldn't really blame them for teaming up."

"SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH!" Charles screams. "YOU'RE WRONG! ALL OF YOU ARE WRONG! HE'S COMING TO SAVE ME, THEY ALL ARE!"

Right's smirk drops and he raises and eyebrow before drawing back the curtain.

Charles flinches back, covering his head and waiting for the strike.

But it never comes.

He looks up at Right, who's standing and giving him a look that says very clearly, 'I'm getting sick of your shit, stop.'

The two stare at each other for a bit, Charles wide eyed and scared before glaring as hard as he can.

Right keeps his bored expression because while he's probably in the best shape he's been in in a WHILE, Charles has lost at least twenty-five pounds and is cowering in the corner of a shower with long hair and clean shaven face; one lesson they teach you: you don't always need a mirror to shave your face.

The two continue their staring contest until Right slings the towel over his shoulder, takes off his top hat, and reaches into the shower with his cybernetic hand and turns off the water, flicking any off his fingers before stepping back and putting his top hat back on, Charles staring the whole time in case Right attacks him.

Right doesn't, of course, and tosses Charles the towel before pointing to a set of clothes hanging behind him and , just something neat but comfortable, not exactly a sweater and sweat pants, but close enough.

He then walks away until he's facing the door, his back to Charles.

"Hurry up and get dressed. Your room's ready."

Charles dries off and does get dressed, but he's careful to not take his eyes off Right.

First this guy got Charles captured and isolated him from everyone else, and now he's letting Charles shower and have his own room?

What's he up to?

Don't worry, he doesn't talk to himself this time.

Charles finishes putting on the clothes Right gave him, and looks at the towel he'd just hung on the hanger that held his clothes. Then he looks at Right, who's back is still turned.

You know EXACTLY where this is going.

Charles takes down the towel, careful that it doesn't hit the wall, and starts twisting it up as he sneaks up to Right, who either looks down at a wrist watch or checks a pocket watch because now he's getting a little bored.

Just as Charles is about to get the jump on him, Right pivots to face him.

"Good. You're done. It took you long enough."

Charles is absolutely speechless as he goes completely pale his face drops.

"Here, let me take that for you." Right pulls the towel out of Charles's hands and unwinds it. "Shouldn't do this to a wet towel. Could get moldy."

Right nods his head as a 'follow me' and leaves the showers.

Charles remains shell shocked for a minute and tries not to burst into tears at how his plan blew up his his face, but ultimately walks after Right, who strides ahead with a smile on his face.

Think Henry got away with that call? Weeeeeeeelll...

CUT TO THE GOVERNMENT

Galeforce SLAMS his hands on his desk, making Henry jump slightly in his chair and Ellie flinch against the wall, her arms crossed and shoulders hunched.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!? ACCEPTING THE DEAL MADE BY THOSE NUTJOBS!? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

Henry's sign is sloppy and fast, but the general still understands it. 'Wanted Charles safe.'

"So do we, Henry, but not by selling one of our best!"

Henry shakes his head and signs again, this time more clearly. 'You can't make me change my mind.'

Ellie speaks up after being silent for so long: "Henry, think about what you're doing."

'Already did. Made up my mind.'

"Son, it's not worth it."

Those words hit Henry harder than they should, making him grit his teeth.

"Trust me. Those CCC guys are nothing but trouble. We can't accept their help."

Henry shoots up to his feet. "I DON'T CARE!" He screams. "CHARLES IS TRAPPED IN SPACE WITH NO ONE TO HELP HIM AND IT'S MY FAULT HE'S UP THERE TO BEGIN WITH, SO LET ME FIX THIS!"

No one talks as Henry pants, falling back into his chair and holdong his head in his hands, pulling slightly at his hair and shaking.

"It's all I can think of doing. It's our only option. I can't think of anything else."

Ellie and Galeforce exchange glances before turning back to Henry, who leans heavily on one hand or arm as he meets their gaze.

"You're sure you know what you're doing?"

Henry looks at them both for a moment while not speaking before nodding slowly. 'I can't think of anything else. The corporal hung up before I could say yes. Someone talked about a 'situation.''

Ellie and Henry stare at each other, the former more puffy eyed than she was last night because this could very well be the last time she sees her friend.

She doesn't want him to leave, but if it's really his choice, who is she to not support him after all he did to help her?

"When do you-"

'I'm going in to visit later. Called back and told them I'd gove my answer AFTER I talked to someone.'

Both look at him incredulously.

"Talk to who?" Galeforce asks as he turns his head to look at Henry through the corner of his eye.

Henry takes in a deep breath through his nose and holds either of his hands at the top of his head, raising them up and down, gesturing a top hat to them.

BACK TO CHARLES

Right leads Charles to the room and watches him walk inside and look around, almost confused because it's been so so long since he'd last been in a normal bedroom. And because there's a chance this could all be a trick.

"Been a while since you had a decent room. Prob'ly nicer than what you're used to."

Charles takes a seat on the bed and keeps his head down, confused and tired of Right's games.

"You don't really believe Henry's gonna save you, do you? It's been a while since the last destroyer was sent and the government has more pilots. You military people are pretty easy to replace. You are just a pilot, after all."

Charles keeps his head down and lets his hair hang; it's obviously grown longer and Right gave him a razor but no scissors.

"Why are you doing this?" Charles asks. "What do you want from me?"

Right fights a smile and approaches Charles, taking a knee infront of him and waiting for the pilot to acknowledge him, which Charles does by picking up his head and meeting his eyes.

BACK TO THE CCC HEADQUARTERS!!!!!

Henry is being led by four guards and Bill Bullet. He hasn't gotten a lot of sleep, but he's good at not showing it.

"Weird request to visit someone before you make your decision. Usually we don't allow visitors." Bullet turns and sees Henry keeping up behind him, zoning out slightly but snapping out of it when he sees him looking. "You're not as talkative as you were on the phone the other night."

'Only way to contact you,' Henry signs.

Bullet smirks a little bit. "You deaf in one of your ears?"

'If I need to, I'll talk. Otherwise, I'll sign. Now where is he?'

Bullet sighs stops at an acrylic wall, seeing a doctor talking to a man.

Henry bristles slightly before calming himself back down.

"Guessing you two haven't talked in a while. I love reunions."

Henry narrows his eyes at Bill and gestures to the room. 'Private?'

"Enough. Don't worry, we won't listen in." Bill then grabs Henry by his jacket lapel and shoves him against the wall, catching the attention of doctor and occupant. "But I'm warning you right now," Bill growls as he leans close to Henry's face. "Try anything funny while you're in there, and I'll make you regret ever being born."

Henry nods and Bullet backs off him, letting him collect himself as the doctor walks out.

"Sir? He's done with his tests. His vitals and mental state are stable. He's also ready to see his visitor."

Bullet sweeps a gesture to the door. "He's all yours, Mr. Stickmin."

Henry nods and enters the room, his eyes on its occupant.

The two stare at each other for a bit, taking in each other's features.

"Hello, Henry."

The man in this room used to be moderately fit, and a REAL charmer, but years spent in the CCC's facility have taken their toll. He's gotten skinnier, his face is wrinkled and sunken in, and his hair, while it's slightly longer than Henry's, is greying and becoming thin. He doesn't look terrible by any means, but he has definitely seen better days.

He has cybernetics for both his arms and one leg, along his spine, neck to tailbone, and in part of his jaw. Where his left eye used to be, the eyelids are closed and flat; he's not even allowed to have a glass eye.

Being overthrown by Reginald Copperbottom, both literally and figuratively, forever left him with a permanent reminder.

The two stare at each other for a little while longer before Henry replies to the notorious worst leader in the toppat clan's history.

"Hi, Dad."

The two continue staring, Henry shuffling in place and Terrence rubbing his neck.

Henry signs, 'How is it here?'

"A hell hole. Nothing to do, no one to talk to, and you only get something when they say you can. Other than that, it's peachy."

Terrence's eye darts to the guards and Bill before moving back to Henry. "Guess what they said was true. You're actually coming here so you can save your friend."

"Yeah," Henry replies after a second.

I know I'm putting in a lot of pauses, but these two don't even send letters to each other, so sharing a room and having a conversation for them is awkward and extremely uncomfortable.

Back on track, Terrence scoffs at Henry's line of thinking, commenting, "And I thought these doctors were crazy. Let me guess: Reggie decided to take something from you because you took something from him? He always was a child."

'Reginald's been in prison since I arrested him.'

"You arrested him?" Terrence repeats as he stands. "The leader of the toppat clan, the most infamous group of bandits and thieves, and you just turned him in to the government? Why didn't you join him, you would've been perfectly fine!"

'Right hand man has my friend, I need to get him back. That's why I'm here.'

Terrence puts his hands on his face and groans. "No. Do not tell me I'm hearing this." He meets eyes with Henry, who nods with a shrug.

"You broke out of prison with a bar from your own cell, stole a diamond on a scooter, and escaped a maximum security prison, but you arrested the leader of the toppat clan, the son of a bitch of did this to me-" Terrence holds his arms out to gesture to his cybernetic body. "- and gave him to the government, but didn't see his lap dog wanting to settle the score or even the odds with you!?"

'A lot goes through my head on missions, okay!?'

Terrence nods, humming cheekily. "I'll bet. Think it would've gone better if you'd used that gun you had? We both know he wasn't going to do anything."

Henry sees himself charging at Right rather than throwing away his gun, but signs back, 'You don't know what he would've done. You haven't seen him.'

Terrence points to a tv in the corner of the room, one right next to the camera. "Saw how he got an upgrade. You can groom and pamper a dog all you want, its bark will still be worse than it's bite."

Henry spots Bill talking to the guards before waving at him and tapping on his wrist, more specifically on a watch. 'Don't take long.'

"Saw their orbital station, too. Like hell you're getting your friend out of space. And like hell sunglasses over there is gonna let you out of his sight if you're serious about that deal."

Henry looks Terrence directly in the eye and nods. 'I know.'

Terrence's face drops as Henry continues.

'During the mission, I hesitated because I was scared he'd kill Charles, my friend. I helped the government by giving them plans, but nothing worked. This is my last option. You are my last option. You weren't around then to tell me what to do, but I need you now because for once I have everything I could ever want, and I'm about to lose it all for being a coward. I know you're not going to like it, or even care, but I just need you to be here when they bring me in. Just be there and tell me I did enough for once, when you're really around. That's all I need right now.'

It's this that makes Terrence drop the "tough loving father" act and makes him realize that this is for real. This is not his son saying, "I made a mistake, fix it for me." This is his son telling him that this is his plan and he needs support to know he's doing the right thing.

Henry is extremely shaky because this is something he does not do with his father. They aren't usually open with each other, as in they do get emotional; toxic masculinity at its finest... and daddy issues.

Regardless, Henry collects himself before signing again.

'I'm going to agree to the terms. If they can send a piece of the ground to space or erase the universe, then they can help me. It's all I can think of doing that'll work.'

Terrence is quiet for a moment, looking at Bill and the guards as they gossip about something before turning back to Henry.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Hebry nods. 'It's all that I can think of that's going to work. Again, if they can send a chunk of land of space or erase the universe, then they can help me.'

Terrence steps back and shakes his head.

"You're going to die here. You know that, right? I'm telling you now it's not worth it."

Henry's face drops.

"Look, I get it. You never were good at keeping friends, but, Henry, I'm telling you, just let this guy go. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life locked in a cage?"

Henry shakes his head as he signs. 'No, but I'm not going to abandon my friend like you abandoned us.'

"I had a clan to run, Henry!" Terrence snaps. "I wanted you to stay, have an easy life, but no. You two just ran off on me!"

'Just because something's easy doesn't always make it right,' Henry signs. He begins signing something else, but stops before continuing. 'Look. I'm accepting the terms. I wanted to tell you now ao you're not disappointed later.'

Henry holds up a hand in farewell and turns to leave, ready to get back to the base and start forming a new plan.

"Henry?"

He turns to see Terrence staring once again, but also sees his throat bobbing, like he's coughing or about to be sick.

"Good... Good luck. Getting your friend back."

Henry's eyes widen and he shakily nods. 'Thanks.'

The two stare at each other like before, but this time they slowly advance towards one another, maneuver their arms until they're in an admittedly awkward, uncomfortable, but welcome embrace; again, emotion is not their strong suit.

"You're going to regret it. Turning yourself in. Life's for living, and you're throwing it away."

Henry pulls back and waves 'goodbye' once more and leaves the room.

"Took you long enough," Bill says as Henry rejoins him. "Have a nice visit?"

Henry narrows his eyes.

"Well, you got your visit. Hope you know how to get into that station."

Henry takes one last look at his father before nodding.

'The terms-'

"Same as advertised," Bill interrupts. "A quarter of our forces as long as you come quietly so we study your ability."

'AFTER my friend is rescued and safe.'

Bill waves him off. "Fine, yes. After your friend's back home and safe." He holds his hand out infront of him and Henry. "What do you say, Henry? Do we have a deal?"

Behind the acrylic, Terrence watches the two of them, his hands against the wall and his eyes on his son.

Henry keeps his eyes on Bill's hand before looking into his eyes. With a mental push, he claps his hand into the corporal's and shakes it, nodding.

"Deal."

Terrence bumps and shakes his head against the wall. "You idiot," he murmurs. "What are you doing?"

AND THAT'S A WRAP ON PART 4!!!!! Oh my goodness, did I enjoy writing this one! A lot of twists and turns and opportunities to just leave you all hanging, I'm not even joking. I haven't really written manipulation or character dynamics like Henry's and Terrence's before, and I think I did pretty well.

Again, check out @multiverse-madness and @azuri-the-imperfect-artist for their Terrence Suave AUs because they are both amazing artists and, honestly, do better with the character than me.😅

For real, all of you, thank you, thank you, thank you, so much for your patience with this one. Like I said in my update post, I have a lot going on in my personal life and just couldn't get in a good creative mindset to do this.

I know we didn't see a lot of Charles this time around, but that's gonna change in Part 5😈

ANYWAY, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

#henry stickmin #angst tw #mild swearing tw #slight abuse tw #absent father #terrence suave #charles calvin #ellie rose #mental manipulation tw #emotional manipulation tw #completing the mission

13 notes · View notes

halsteadproperty · 6 years

Photo

Halstead Agents’ Favorite Small Businesses

Last Sunday marked the end of National Small Business Week, and there is no better way to honor this past week than to highlight the very businesses that keep our markets unique and special. As neighborhood experts with a plethora of knowledge, our Halstead agents leverage small shops and restaurants to show what makes their areas of business distinctive. In honor of this past week, we decided to share with you the exact places that make NY, NJ, CT and the Hamptons the best areas to live.

Tipsy Scoop

217 East 26th Street, New York, NY

Ice cream and liquor are two hot commodities on their own. Now, imagine them together. Agent Elizabeth Abbott knows just the place. “Tipsy Scoop is New York’s first ice cream ‘barlour’ that serves liquor infused ice cream that is not only delicious but visually creative,” Elizabeth says. Owned by a young entrepreneur, Melissa Tavss Beranger, the Kips Bay shop has a high enough alcohol content to actually get you buzzed.

(Recommended by Elizabeth Abbott of our Park Avenue office)

The Momogram Shop

19 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY

According to agent John Scott ‘JT’ Thomas, The Monogram Shop has been a staple in the Hamptons for more than 10 years. “It’s family owned by a mother and daughter, and it’s my go-to place for all gifts,” JT says. “Whether it is for a closing, dinner party, wedding, new baby, etc., The Monogram Shop is somewhere to provide a warmer, more personal touch to your gifts. Everyone loves to receive something personalized!”

(Recommended by John Scott ‘JT’ Thomas of our East Hampton office)

Kirby and Company

1029 Post Rd, Darien, CT 06820

Run by a motivated, strong, talented role model named Elaine Kirby, this adorable gift shop is agent Amanda Davenport’s favorite place to buy closing gifts. “Their assortment isn’t the only draw, as the owner always has a bright smile on her face and she knows how to create the perfect gift,” Davenport says. While the shop appeals to anyone who searches for boutique decor and other adornments, Elaine believed Darien needed something for a younger group of residents. Thus, Kirby Girl was introduced as a sister shop to celebrate being kind, witty, smart, fierce, unapologetically awesome, confident, fast, athletic, creative, and proud of what makes each girl different and unique. Kirby Girl is located at 14 Brook Street.

(Recommended by Amanda Davenport of our Darien office)

Mediterraneo

1260 Second Avenue (Corner of 66th Street), New York, NY

“With a relaxed European ambiance, simple interior décor, and charming café details, I feel like I have taken a trip back to Rome,” agent Jennifer L. Hoxter says. Mediterraneo, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side, is known for their thin crust pizza and wood-burning pizza oven. Jennifer’s favorite Roma-style pizza is the Pizza Al Portobello, with Portobello Mushrooms, tomatoes, mozzarella and garlic and fresh basil. “The ingredients are so fresh,” she says. “There are many varieties of thin crust pizzas, such as, Pizza Mediterraneo with shrimp, tomato sauce, capers, garlic and scallions. I would also recommend the homemade pastas, and Grilled Calamari.” Mediterraneo’s outside seating has just opened for the warmer months so enjoy your favorite pizza and an ice cappuccino, and maybe run into Jennifer!

(Recommended by Jennifer L. Hoxter of our East Side office)

Taszo

5 Edward M Morgan Place, New York, NY 10032

“Taszo is just one of those neighborhood joints you grow to really love and appreciate,” says agent Erik Freeland. Owned by a Tunisian who grew up in Sweden and Paris, Taszo offers the highest quality espresso, craft beer, and wine in a relaxed brick-walled setting. They have delicious bites to compliment your favorite beverage. “They have great coffee and pastries (from Balthazar) in the morning. Then, in the evenings it switches over to a great, cozy wine/beer bar and the owner makes an amazing lamb tagine and Swedish meatballs,” Erik explains. With very reasonable prices, this double-edged sword is a Washington Heights staple.

(Recommended by Erik Freeland of our West Side office)

Columbus & 74th Thrift Shop

306 Columbus Avenue at 74th Street, New York, NY

Known for their large inventory of clothing, shoes, and accessories, this Housing Works thrift shop will soon take over your closet. “For over 20 years this store has provided unique deals on clothes, furniture and bric-a-brac that I never would imagine I wanted until I saw the item,” says agent Ed Herson. Most of the staff have been working there for many years and I always get a friendly smile when I go there.”

(Recommended by Ed Herson of our West Side office)

Birch Coffee

171 E 88th St, New York, NY 10128

“You know it’s the place to be when the baristas know all the locals by name and the coffee is strong enough to keep you awake all day – even in the city that never sleeps,” says agent Nicole Hay. Birch Coffee, is intentionally situated mid-block directly across from the magnificent new development 188 E 88th Street. It is a cozy nook among the hustle and bustle of New York, with a Brooklyn vibe on the Upper East Side.

(Recommended by Nicole Hay of our Park Avenue office)

White Gold Butchers

375 Amsterdam Ave, New York , NY 10024

“This artisan butcher/restaurant has the best quality meat out there,” agent Keith Marder says. “To top things off, they allowed Olga and I to do our lifestyle photoshoot inside the restaurant.” White Gold Butchers is a place where you can eat and also buy meat at the butcher counter. This restaurant has been featured in Fobres, Viceland, New York Times, Vogue and Eater NY, to name a few.

(Recommended by Keith Marder and Olga Bidun of our West Side office)

The Ballfield Café

65th St Transverse, New York, NY 10019

This hidden gem in Central Park is surely mistaken for just another annex/shack in the park for those who don’t know it. “Across from the baseball diamonds in Central Park is a small cafe with umbrella shaded tables where lunch and a light supper are served, plus delightful summer cocktails,” explains Christine O’Neal. This café boasts a good beer/cider/wine list and delicious, quick comfort food. You can order to-go at the counter or sit down for a full-service experience outdoors. “The baseball diamonds are just south and the carousel is within sight,” Christine says.

(Recommended by Christine O’Neal of our West Side office)

Round Swamp Farm

184 Three Mile Harbor Road, East Hampton, NY 11937

“Beloved by its loyal clientele, Round Swamp Farm is a throwback to days gone by,” says agent Philip Judson. “Originally started over 50 years ago by Carolyn Lester Snyder in a small red wagon to peddle her family’s vegetables grown on their farm, now four generations continue the tradition. The produce grown on the 20-acre, 250-year-old farm is picked by hand and used to make carrot cakes and zucchini breads, chutneys, sweet and hot pepper relishes, pickles and salsas, fruit jellies and jams, cobblers, pies and muffins. In addition, the farm has an eye-popping array of local seafood caught by family members and dozens of made-from-scratch-daily prepared foods that change with the seasons. The stand is charming and quaint – kids will love visiting with the chickens and rabbits out front – and goods are displayed old style in wicker baskets and baked goods are ties with gingham ribbon. Carolyn and her extended family have become family to us over the 20 years we have been shopping there and we always look forward to their opening (May 11th this year) and to almost daily visits during the summer and fall. In fact, we stock up on homemade soups and dinners before they close after Thanksgiving and freeze them so we can enjoy Round Swamp Farm all winter.”

(Recommended by Philip Judson of our East Hampton office)

Riverdel

820 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Riverdel offers the widest variety of artisanal vegan cheeses around, and a well-curated selection of non-dairy yogurts, nut milks, and gourmet foods. You can sample fresh breads, pastries, and made-to-order sandwiches! “I love getting the ham and cheese croissant but they also have great desserts like Cinnamon Snail, and lots of vegan grocery items too,” says agent Kris Sylvester. “The store owner Michaela is almost always there when I go in and they carry more vegan cheeses than any store in the city. They’ve been in business for 3 years and I am happy to see they are thriving,” Sylvester explains.

(Recommended by Kris Sylvester of our Village office)

Kick Axe

622 Degraw St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Looking to release some stress, or maybe just some thrills? Agent Marta Quinones-McCarthy recommends trying out a new axe throwing venue in Gowanus. “At Kick Axe, you rent a lane and get an experienced axe thrower who organizes games and gives you instructions on how to throw an axe,” explains Marta. Sounds like a kick ‘axe’ time to us!

(Recommended by Marta Quinones-McCarthy of our Cobble Hill office)

#Small business #halstead #halstead real estate #real estate #hamptons #darien #nyc #national small business week

4 notes · View notes

maximuswolf · 4 years

Text

A cry for help from fellow anti-fascists in Tunisia. via /r/Anarchism

A cry for help from fellow anti-fascists in Tunisia.

Hello,

I'm sending this message on behalf of the antifascist, anti-oppression Tunisian community who's been, for the past few days, protesting on the streets of Tunis with little to no public and media support due to the common lack of awareness over the terms and implications of a new law proposal that is getting voted on in the parliament very soon.

The law proposal exists in its Arabic version and I would be happy to try and translate it if you'd like to read it, but the gist of it is granting more impunity to cops and law enforcement officers in cases of "justified " violence or even murder (goes without saying that "justified" is open to the interpretation of our violent, corrupt, megalomaniac police institution that is already oppressive enough as it is.)

As you may or may not know, Tunisia has its own history with police states. For the 23 years starting from late 1987 up to early 2011, we were under the dictatorship of Ben Ali, who used cops as a tool of oppression and keeping any attempt of disruption at bay (acts of murder, of unlawful imprisonment, of torture, etc). The people revolted in 2011 and a democracy was instilled, culminating in our first free elections in 2014 (and again lately in 2019).

The problem is, even though the progress that was achieved is huge, the economy has been suffering, and the whole nation has been in a state of great uncertainty for the past 10 years. Some people are starting to rethink the revolution and even reminisce about the days of the dictatorship, when the economy was fine and the country was stable enough (at the cost of free speech and dignity). This mindset is even represented in the parliament today.

The police are known to be violent and are quick to resort to using force on innocent bystanders. If one is lucky, he would only get completely humiliated on the streets, and hear every single swear word in the book.

What's even more concerning is that their unions' (yes, they have large unions too) Facebook pages keep on sharing photos and posts inciting violence, or literally about how they're our "superiors''. The sickening part is the comments section: Threats that range from bodily harm to arrests to death, perpetrated by officers and bootlicking citizens alike. Many people were arrested over their Facebook activity during the past few days, some merely for comments they’ve made. The police are going full egomaniac mode. All the abuse and the threats, and yet a big part of the public continues to stand by their side and join them in the abuse and even snitching on protesters and threatening them, because that’s just how things were for the longest time. Some do consider cops our superiors and willingly choose that hill to die on, unaware of what’s happening to people who even attempt to go against the rulers.

The indignation is no longer tolerable as it is, but it gets even worse.

Recently, a new law was proposed that would further legitimize the police’s malicious practices . It states in one of the chapters that an officer "is not legally liable when performing tasks or interventions related to his duties within the law". This proposal allows them to do whatever it takes to get the job done and get away with it completely. Officers already fabricate enough charges and make up enough excuses for bodily harm as it is, this law gives them the legitimacy they were craving. Already we’re seeing posts about how they can’t wait to crack down on those against the law enforcement institution: They see this proposal as their ticket to unbounded power over citizens. They would become judges, juries and executioners with absolutely no retribution.

The proposal also includes “twice the prescribed penalty for the crime” if a crime or a threat were to be committed against an officer (no matter his rank, officers in training and retirees included). This means that an officer could (and will) fabricate a claim based on how wide interpretations could get, and the punishment will be much more severe. This is very susceptible to becoming a tool of silencing innocent protesters, a tool of oppression and abuse typical to the Tunisian police institution.

Lastly, the proposal makes the state legally bound to provide legal assistance in any lawsuit that could be filed against an officer while performing his duty. The officers will therefore be protected by their unions, legislation, as well as the state, while their claims of getting attacked will make anyone - unfortunate enough to annoy a ticked off officer - face double time in prison.

Persecuting officers is already near impossible since you’d have to go through other members of the institution that is corrupt to the core. Their large number provides them with protection and impunity. Soon, if the proposal were to pass into law, so would the legislation.

This proposal sparked the ongoing protests, as well as the abusive and borderline criminal behaviour by the police’s Facebook pages. We are not giving in to their threats.

However, like I said in the beginning, we have so little media and public support. A big part of the country actually approves of this law as they also think cops are, in fact, our superiors, and that they deserve as much protection as they need. During the two peaceful protests we've had, the police's intervention spelled aggression and excessive use of force, as well as physical and verbal abuse. Slogans that were used are seen by the public (the bootlicking part of the public at least) as "disrespect", and the cops' Facebook pages as well as individual officers are sending threats publicly and privately. Even footage of police attacking innocent men and women with excessive force and attempting to make unlawful arrests is often deemed acceptable merely because the public ate up the cops’ posts. That footage as well as countless pictures is readily available to share with the world.

We are honestly frightened for our well-being as well as the future of our country, as this may as well lead to our devolving back to the days of 1987-2010. People have died for this land and for speaking up against the tyranny of the law enforcement institution. Police officers have committed countless horrific crimes even following the revolution. Tunisia has seen the abyss and has hit rock bottom and managed to pull through, this proposal passing into law would redefine rock bottom.

We were quick to start organising large scale online awareness and call to action campaigns. We have our hashtags on Twitter, and we're already unwearyingly trying to regain the public's support on Facebook and Instagram (the two most widely used social media apps here).

Our audience, however, remains far too small. We desperately need every voice and every helping hand there is in our fight to prevent the proposal from getting approved. This is as real as it gets. We would love to post a thread resuming what's happening in Tunisia and invite people to share our tweets, our photos, and our videos, to spread the word and gain the support of the international community against the oppressive police force. We would also be immensely grateful if you were to provide us with whatever help possible (possible contacts that could help, pinning the thread, etc). This is a make or break situation for Tunisia.

This will have real consequences on real life. This is a major event in the history of our country and it would be a shame to see the countless lives lost in 2011 gone as though they never were at all.

We hope our message finds you well, and we hope to have your full support as partners in the fight against fascism.

Here's a twitter thread further explaining and showcasing the happenings of the past few days.

We appreciate your help and support comrades!

Submitted October 09, 2020 at 09:15AM by 1337Exalius via reddit https://ift.tt/34JIV4I

0 notes

keremulusoy · 5 years

Text

TUNISIAN THINKER İBN-I HALDUN SAYS, “GEOGRAPHY IS FATE.” WHAT DEFINES OUR FATE IS OUR TRAVELING PATHS BEGINNING AT TWO DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIES…

Two women, two different stories and one joint venture… Life is a very magical adventure. Usually, we think that we are able to form it by our hands. In fact, many factors outside our control are capable of changing the flow of life at every passing moment. Brief contacts, coincidences we thought to be insignificant may open new windows in our lives. For instance, we would not be able to even guess that our lives could bring us to this point. Tunisian thinker İbn-i Haldun says, “Geography is fate.” What defines our fate is our traveling paths beginning at two different geographies… It is definite that the many languages we are able to talk would not be enough to describe what a great chance was it that our paths crossed at the turning points of our lives. First of all, we would like to convey to you how our adventure in Turkey had begun, and what we think of life here.

My name is Manuela Kaltenegger Görgü I am Austrian. I was born in a village in the city of Salzburg, and I had psychology education in the same city. My business life followed a path different from my education. I usually worked in the marketing departments of commercial companies. I worked at the company “Fair Trade” in Austria. Maybe you know that Fair Trade companies work with cooperatives and market their products throughout the world.

While my business life went on like this, on the other hand, I had come to the point of choosing and writing the contents for my master thesis as a part of my academic education. I decided to choose my fields of interest as the topic of this thesis. I had to write a thesis regarding immigrant women. I decided to make Turkish immigrant women the subject of my thesis. Unfortunately, I did not know the Turkish language. So I came to İstanbul and went to a Turkish language course for a period of two months. Those brief contacts, those coincidences we thought to be insignificant must have been in charge again at that time, for I met my future spouse in İstanbul. And thus I started weaving connections to Turkey, beginning with knots of love.

I visited and left Turkey quite frequently for the following two years due to my thesis study. And I conducted field research for a year at the shanty houses in Ankara. I traveled around Turkey so much during this time period that my academic studies strengthened my cultural ties to the Anatolian culture. For example, I stayed in Gaziantep through a whole summer that was very very hot. That was a really significant experience for me. The thought of living in this country, with which my emotional ties had become stronger through my thesis study period, gradually became dominant and I gave that decision when my thesis study was completed, so I settled in Turkey. This decision had not been a hard choice as it may be perceived when looked from the outside. General thoughts employed against foreigners in Austria and work opportunities steered us towards Turkey. This new adventure I had begun with my life also had a sweet excitement to it. I thought that I could make many different studies in social fields within this beautiful country. The social life in Austria being very definite and thus quite boring caused my life to advance along a straight and monotonous line back there. My spirit that was used to that routine liked and embraced the different, exciting and dynamic life I faced in Turkey. This change created a talent to be able to see the world from diverse windows. For example, although Europe and Austria seem like geographies and cultures that have so many attraction and opportunities when gazed from down here, actually they are also places that have specific disadvantages, places that may perhaps bring considerable disappointment to people.

My name is Dorothea Atalay I was born in Trier, Germany. I am a teacher and after graduating, I worked at a secondary school in Aachen, Germany. I met my spouse and settled in İstanbul in the year 1985. Afterward, I lived in Adana and Ankara. When I think back about the times I came to Turkey, I remember that Turkish people had been immigrating to Germany by masses. So mine is a story of “reverse immigration” in a sense… I chose to settle here, I worked, I made my home here.

Turks are people who are as curious as they are sincere; the first thing they ask was always the question, “Which one is more beautiful, Turkey or Germany?” For me, the answer to this question is very easy: “The most beautiful place in the world is the place where the person is happy.” I had the opportunity to visit and see the Coasts of Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. I also saw Van and Central Anatolia Region. I found out during such travels of mine that there were very diverse and beautiful handicrafts in Turkey. These were traditional handcrafts and the ties between culture and history were preserved through these crafts in a most beautiful way. I was so impressed by these handcrafts that displayed much richness of diversity from region to region. This richness offered a very significant foundation for “Eldoku” that we established.

Although both of us had lived for very long years in the same city, our paths crossed only six years ago. However, our meeting together occurred with great timing. It was a period that both of us desired to blend our impressions of this land, and the experiences we accumulated together with our European roots to transfer all into a new kind of activity. These ideas of ours steered us towards establishing a cooperative. However, we failed to actualize that. The experiences I had gathered on this subject back in Austria and my dreams about the cooperative establishment, unfortunately, did not coincide with the actual structure of the cooperatives here. The hierarchy of the system did not allow us to actualize our ideas. So we went on to establish a social enterprise. And believe us, we observed that we could support the women so much more in this manner. The adventure covering the foundation and development of Eldoku was realized this.

Throughout this adventurous period, we tried to travel and discover almost all corners of Turkey; maybe we had come to know Turkey even better than we know our homelands. Because traveling here is both so easy and so rewarding in terms of new and fascinating experiences. The people, geography and cultural structure of all places are very diverse and deep. We return to Ankara with different experiences and amazing impressions after each travel we make into Anatolia. And Ankara is the city that we live together with our families, the place we feel like our home now. Eldoku is a social enterprise. When our education and experience were mixed together with our dreams, the brand Eldoku was born, which creates productivity and diversity. We would like to strive with whatever is in our capacity towards rendering the handcrafting skills and labor of the Turkish women more valuable through our productions by modernizing the traditional Turkish handicrafts and making them more in tune with the modern lifestyle in a sense, and towards seeking and establishing joint channels for production and sales. While doing that, we act in line with a social and just trade vision. Utilizing local materials and labor to produce natural and environment-friendly products and market such to domestic and abroad markets are among our objectives.

NOTES:

“When I look back on my life from this moment, I see that I spent most of my time here, in Turkey. Although this is not my homeland, Austria also feels very remote to me. And I see that life is not lived on a straight line. Happiness, unhappiness, disappointments are all intertwined… Time gets its beauty from living in the moment. As it is always said, “Go after your dreams but live in this moment!” In fact, Turkish people live so close to this philosophy.”

“During the times I newly came from Austria, honestly, I did not have much knowledge regarding Turkey. I merely read “Memleketimden İnsan Manzaraları” poem of Nazım Hikmet and some books of Yaşar Kemal that was translated into German. And of course, there was Ruhi Su that I was familiar with. I felt, for some reason, a strange attraction in this heavy and sad music. Now I think back to those days, the days I came to İstanbul for the first time, and I may say that I had not felt like a stranger even in those times. The city had a strange charm that bestowed a sense of belonging.”

Yazan: Manuela Kaltenegger Görgü – Dorothea Atalay / Fotoğraf: S. Bahar Alban

*This article was published in the March-April issue of Marmara Life.

Two Different Stories, One Joint Venture TUNISIAN THINKER İBN-I HALDUN SAYS, “GEOGRAPHY IS FATE.” WHAT DEFINES OUR FATE IS OUR TRAVELING PATHS BEGINNING AT TWO DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIES…

#turkey

0 notes

toddrogersfl · 5 years

Text

A year of fragrant fun! Our highlights of 2018

What a year it’s been – with more new launches than ever before, new houses causing major ripples of excitement, niche brands breaking new ground and most of all, a firm sense that the scent of optimism is the air for all things fragrant… and constantly re-affirming exactly how much we love our jobs!

But with so much to choose from, what would you say are your scented highlights of 2018? We could honestly have picked twenty things each, but when absolutely forced to choose, we asked Co-Founders of The Perfume Society, Jo Fairley and Lorna McKay, along with Senior Writer Suzy Nightingale and Head of Social Media Carson Parkin-Fairley, to list some of theirs…

Jo Fairley:

Going behind the scenes at Diptyque to see the new archive

Esteé Lauder lunch

Chanel No. 5 launch at Annabel’s

Chelsea Flower Show Floris A Rose For…

Lorna McKay:

Here are just a few of the fragrances which give me the ‘feel good factor’ for 2018, and while wearing them have had people actually stop me in the street to tell me how great I smelled and ask the name of what I was wearing. I think any perfume lover really lives for these moments, and it always gives me a thrill when it happens! [Lorna tells us she’s even been cuddled and sniffed by strangers who were so enraptured by her perfumes, but we can assure you it was all consensual]

– Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge ALWAYS and every time.

– Miller Harris La Feuille – worn alone and adding to lots gives a personalisation and different edge to many smells – LOVE it!

– Liz Earle No 15 – honestly. people ask me every time I wear it ‘where can I get it?’ rather than what are you wearing … big difference.

– Highlight of the year –the amount of times I have used Fragrance Finder to solve a person’s search for their next fragrance or one they can’t buy anymore. People are amazed it really works! It thrills me when people discover the world of perfume .

– I have great pride in being part of The Scented Letter Magazine, which I know perfume lovers all over the world read, as well as many industry professionals and perfumers. I have a little cry when I see each issue in print!

Suzy Nightingale:

– Visiting the rose harvest with Anima Vinci was an absolute dream, and a day which will live on in my scent memories forever. It was such an honour to meet the people who own the rose fields, pick the flowers and transport them to be processed; to hear about how long it takes, their worries for the future of the fields in France, but most of all to follow a fragrance from field to flaçon. If I close my eyes, I can still smell those piles of petals, and am transported there every time I spray that finished perfume…

– Having my mind blown by smelling ingredients at the launch of Ostens. Using these fabulous quality LMR ingredients – and, uniquely, making them available to the public in single form or blended into eaux de parfums – Ostens are daring to do something new in the fragrance retail space. They truly give perfume-lovers the respect they’re due. I had the pleasure of following the journey of founders Christopher Yu and Laurent Delafon, finally interviewing them at their launch for The Scented Letter Magazine. Genuinely one of my favourite moments of the whole year was seeing the joy and pride in their faces – and oh my god, getting to smell that Jasmine Absolute!

– When Jovoy Mayfair opened in Conduit Street, I actually squealed a little with happiness, as this was one of my favourite shops in Paris for niche perfume – but on my own doorstep! The staff are so friendly and welcoming, and there’s so many brands there to explore, all beautifully displayed and with pots of blotters and pencils arrayed ready for your sniffing adventures. They recently celebrated their first birthday, and it was such a pleasure to see how they’ve grown, how they support smaller houses, and to be there to celebrate with them.

– The complete revamp of Les Senteurs – London’s first independent has been such a treat to witness – their gloriously dramatic floral-bedecked frontage is surely one of the most Instagrammed sights in London this year – and within, there’s a whole world of fragrant expertise to enjoy. It’s where you can find fragrance archivist James Craven – one of the nicest gentlemen you could ever meet and with a host of fragrant anecdotes to keep you entertained. I think it’s so vital to suppoort these indie businesses, now more than ever, and I particularly love their Meet the Perfumer events, where you can enjoy a glass of bubbly while sniffing something entirely new.

Carson Parkin-Fairley:

– The launch of Tonka 25 by Le Labo – I’ve never had a signature scent, and probably never will – too much choice, too many wonderful smells, and why would I limit myself? – but if I did, Le Labo’s Tonka 25 would be pretty close to it. Never having thoroughly delved into the brand, I was invited to interview one of the founders this summer, and was utterly delighted by their latest scent, Tonka 25. Don’t be fooled, this is no tonka scent, no sweet nuttiness here. All dark Cedar Atlas, rich resins and addictive woods. It feels shadow-like, smouldering, inky. And I love it.

– The Anya Hindmarch diffuser – Nothing brings a smile to my face quite like the Anya Hindmarch candles. I remember going to the first launch, discovering their irreverent ingredient lists (teenage romance and regrettable tan lines feature amongst Italian bergamot and Tunisian Orange Blossom) and being blown away by the fun of it all. So you can imagine how my heart leapt once I found out there was diffusers. Housed in a funny-faced pot with reed diffusing sticks that look like pencils, they are the most covetable item that’s come by my desk in a while.

– Interviewing Christine Nagel for Hermes – A personal highlight was interviewing the perfumer of my teenage fragrance love, (Narciso for Her by Narciso Rodriguez) Christine Nagel. Not only was she an absolute pleasure to talk with but I came away being sure she had the best job in the world. In her role as in-house perfumer for Hermes, she has complete freedom in the scents she creates, she seemed so happy, so content. I often think about perfumers as a kind of artist for hire, and so seeing one who creates freely is not only a rarity, but also a immense pleasure.

– The Beautiful Mind Series event for The Perfume Society, which we hosted with Geza Schoen at Jovoy Mayair, provided me with countless insights into both the fragrance world and the mind of this maverick perfumer. His answers were thoughtful, witty and composed. He was approachable and affable and it’s always refreshing to meet a legend who is as nice as pie. But most of all it was a pleasure to be surrounded by so many engaged and interested perfume people. Fragrance is a small world full of big passion and it is a wonderful feeling bringing people of mutual appreciation together.

The post A year of fragrant fun! Our highlights of 2018 appeared first on The Perfume Society.

from The Perfume Society https://perfumesociety.org/a-year-of-fragrant-fun-our-highlights-of-2018/

0 notes

halkapinar · 6 years

Text

Chapter 3: Karşiyaka

I slowly unlocked the door and stepped in. I put the keys on the small desk and made my way to the kitchen, trying not to make noise. It’s almost 10 in the morning so I assumed everyone is still sleeping. That’s why I jumped back in surprise when I stepped in the kitchen and was greeted by a human ghost standing in front of the open fridge. “Shit! You scared me!” I whisper-shouted, trying to steady my breaths. “I thought everyone was asleep!” “Where is the food in this house?” She asked closing the fridge and turning to face me. “Right here!” I made a gesture with both my hands filled with grocery bags. “Did you get out early in the morning to go grocery shopping?” She was giving me heart eyes! “Girl!” she exclaimed and we finished together “you’re so extra!” and we both laughed. “I thought there was leftovers in the fridge” she mumbled reaching for the fresh bomba I brought. “There was, but Ghita and Ali arrived late last night and they were starving” I explained emptying the shoppers. “Oh! I missed that!” “Yes you did, you fell asleep like a baby you didn’t care about the noises around you.” “And where are they now? Asleep?” She asked already done with the first bomba. “Yeah, in the second room. And Bruno is sleeping on the couch.” “There’s no one sleeping on the couch. Where did he go?” “Oh, he said he’d go out for a morning walk if got up early” I remembered. “Stop eating that and let’s make a decent breakfast so we could sit down and discuss our plans for the day, like the old days.” “Oh, we’re meet Azabeel and Serena today right?” Haya asked getting out the eggs. “Tonight. Their flight landed around 4 in the morning which means they’ll spend the day sleeping. I wish they crashed over though, I am not very happy with them renting an Airbnb.” “You know Serena insisted she wanted to stay in Karşiyaka. And it’s okay.. we are a full house already. Where will Claudia stay when she comes over?” She asked me while whisking the eggs absentmindedly. I took a moment to take it all in, me and Haya moving around the kitchen, in a beautiful Izmir morning, making our breakfast and chatting.. “Girl! You okay? You need something?” she asked when she realized I took too long to answer. “I’m good. Couldn’t be better. I just, kinda ..” I gestured vaguely with my hand. “I know, I missed you too.” She smiled and looked down at her eggs. She didn’t see it coming when I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her gently.

“I can’t believe more people are coming! I am so excited!” Haya said once we sat at the coffee table across from each other, in the living room. The house was quiet but from the soft music coming out of her phone. Bruno was still outside. “I know!!! I can’t believe I am gonna see Serena tonight!” I added. “I feel like there was something missing from last time.” “What do you mean?” she asked spreading chocolate on her toast. “I mean, 3 years ago, when we were all here, when I met her for the first time.. I feel like I didn’t get to spend enough time with her you know? Like I met her late, like I didn’t have enough of her.” I explained. “True. You didn’t hang out together much until the very few last weeks. But what you two had and still have after all these years is strong”

What I have with Serena is very personal. Correction, what I have for Serena with myself is very personal I don’t think I’ve ever been vocal about it and this is kinda the first time she’ll know about it. In life, every person we meet has a purpose, a role, a task to accomplish in our own life, whether they are aware of it or not. Most of the times, they have no idea what they are doing to us and how their spontaneous presence is affecting our personality or our situation. That’s the way it is with Serena. She gracefully walked into my life with a great purpose that she wasn’t even aware of. And this is my moment to show recognition and gratitude to her for everything she gave to me. As a matter of fact, it’s kinda like what I said about Bruno, he has all answers. Serena had all the proofs, all the confirmations I needed, she had the validation, of me, of who I am. And that, finding someone who can validate you without asking, so spontaneously, so naturally, just by being real, just by being.. is priceless! She, is priceless. Until I met her, I’ve never met an African girl in real life up close. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am African but where I come from, if you say that they look at you like you’ve grown two heads! Where I come from, they recognize Africa as a continent that we belong to only when it comes to sports competitions. And maybe that is why, for the first few times I saw her, I just stood back and stared at her, like she was a celebrity. I stalked her like the diva she was, I didn’t dare make a move. I couldn’t even bring my courage to walk to her and say hi. How can I? She looked like she just walked out of my tumblr dash. A gorgeous glorious African queen.

But I am serious on the stalking though. The first time I saw her, like really saw her, was on the opening ceremony, when they got us all in a meeting in Ugur Mumcu and made us sit through a stupid conference. We had group games and activities. I remember one activity about strengths and weaknesses of each group. I was working with the Tunisian girls. Ugh. Serena was on the other side of the room, and she was working with Azabeel, that I am sure of, and probably Claudia and Lola. I obviously did know of her existence before becaue Haya used to hang out with her and the others very often while I stuck to the Arabic speaking gang. However, I had yet to meet her. She stood on stage pretty annoyed, with her hair braided to the side and I remember her saying “We have Azabeel in our group, and Azabeel doesn’t have weaknesses, so our group doesn’t have weaknesses”. I remember I snorted at that. I also remember that I didn’t take my eyes off of her for the rest of the conference. I wasn’t kidding about the stalking. And I was missing a lot. The thing is, we hung out with two different groups of people until like 2 weeks in, we worked at two different camps and we lived in two different places in Izmir. So, the chances of our paths to cross were very low at first. But then came Mount Ida, the camping that changed everything.

On the way to the camp, I got in the boring bus, and once we got there I was busy spending time here and there between the Arabic speaking gang, my Tunisian friend that came to the camping with me, following Haya around and trying to bond with Bruno. That being said, I didn’t get to have a proper chat with her until late in the evening. It wasn’t even planned, we were chilling on the hammocks, just a group of girls and she was one of them and then they left and it was just us and probably my Tunisian friend. I forgot who else was there to be honest because that’s the effect she’d have on you, you wouldn’t care about anything else that is not her or the way she talks or the way she smiles or the way she fixes her hair behind her ear when she’s saying something important. The first thing you’d notice about Serena is that she’s hair goals! Ummm, no, the first thing would be that she’s body goals! Or maybe skin goals? She simply is goals! All the goals! The second thing you’ve notice is when you start talking to her, how calm and collected she is. Such an assertive beautiful young woman. She doesn’t talk shit, she is not full of herself and she speaks straight wisdom in such an effortless way! She has this gift where she could speak for hours and you’d never get bored, you’d never want her to stop. She steals your attention and your heart with her ‘wallahiii’ and her ‘deadass’. Serena is love. Serena is Serenity. Just being in her vicinity makes you feel blessed. I don’t think I have a top certain number of favorite moments with her, I don’t think I can pinpoint how things developed between us or how we got close. One day we were strangers and the next day we were long lost sisters who ran into each other by fate on the other side of the world! It’s funny how this could have totally been true! This could have been our reality and they could have made a movie out of it. I could write a book inspired from this. Two sisters, because of war and famine, got separated at the borders when they were very little and life made it so that they meet 20 years later in Turkey. They have no idea who they are but they should each be wearing a complementary necklace or something. Beautiful. Just like her.

We were hiking, the second day of camp when we started to sing along to a Beyoncé song. It was just the two of us singing among the group, and that feeling at the end when we pulled the whole song flawlessly, that high five and that secret smile! We were sealed. Sigacik though. What started in Mount Ida, flourished in Sigacik, bloomed in Sirince, blossomed in Alsancak, and thrived in Karşiyaka. We were together on the second weekend-getaway. We had grown closer over that week since I started hanging out with the real cool people. We would meet after work and we’d hang out at aiesec hill in Alsancak Kordon. Every day, I get more mesmerized by the greatness that she is. Until the second weekend rolled in and Haya and I, organized a private getaway with the VIP only. On the way to the small village out of Izmir, she sat next to me in the minibus and slept the whole way. Ali was sleeping beside her and they were falling on each other the whole time it was funny to watch. I know, because I rarely took my eyes off of her. I used to stare at every little thing, trying to memorize every detail of her face, her hair, her hands. She was just painting level beautiful! Once we got to our destination, we swam together, chilled together and it was fun. That night, we were playing games, sitting on the beach under the moonlight, happily drunk and carefree. We were playing never have I ever which turned into truth or dare and Bruno was asked to name the hottest girl in camp or something like that and he said her name and I was like same tbh! I will forever hold in my heart the memory of the sunset in Sigacik, us walking towards the city, enjoying the view and listening to Zina, me, her and her Algerian best friend. She was more beautiful than that sunset.

She was younger than me but, like a school girl with a secret crush, I was always looking for her approval. And even though, the moments where it was just me and her can be counted with a single hand, just being in her presence made me feel special. We did hang out just the two of us for a bit in Sirince, the wine village. That day was very beautiful though sad. It was the day we saw Claudia to the airport. Then, we randomly decided to take the train to the wine village which wasn’t far away. It was the best decision. I took tons of pictures of her, pausing like the model she is. A carpet seller was swooned by her beauty and asked for a picture with her, we got two matching free bracelets out of that picture! The second time it was just the two of us, was when everyone left for Antalya or Istanbul but we stayed behind. We hung out at Alsancak, it was such a perfect evening for heart to hearts and deep conversations. It was one of the rare moments I felt like I’m her older sister when I’m around her. And I felt very privileged.

But the day I felt really proud of myself is the day I helped her move out of her house in Karşiyaka. I think it was the next day, right after that Sunday. Everyone was just coming back from their getaways and Haya supposedly missed her bus, she was still in Istanbul. Serena had to leave her house, and nobody was there to help her move out, from the organization. Technically, nobody cared. I remember that morning, I woke up with full excitement on! “I am gonna do something nice for her today” is what I kept telling myself. I took the bus to Konak and then the ferry to Karşiyaka. I was never happier taking that ferry. It was a whole different sensation to see that side of Izmir in the morning light. I remember buying a piece of simmit and trying to take a good snap of it with the landscapes of Konak and Alsancak spread behind me. Karşiyaka was lovely. I had already been there once before but never made it past the stores. She guided me with the phone until I reached her house and if we took advantage of everything that was in the fridge, no one has to know. We dragged the suitcases across Izmir and then we went back to Buca and then ran to Bornova while narrating our life stories on the road. She understood. She always did. She still does. It is a true blessing when you find someone in life, whom you don’t have to talk to on a daily basis, and you don’t have to explain yourself. Someone whom you don’t need to give them an hour length of an introduction to say what’s on your mind. They could take one look at you and they’d say “I know. I gotchu.” And she’s got me. She’s gotten me all along, even before she knew it, even before she knew me. In fact, the concept of BlackGirlsEmpowerment advocates that young black girls should be exposed to black excellence as much as possible, they should witness and see how other black girls make it big in life for it will boost their self-esteem and give them a reason to believe they could be something in this life as well, they could make something out of their lives. They could succeed and they could make their dreams come true. What happened to me was a similar experience. Except that she didn’t show me that I can be whatever I want in the future, she showed me that I can be who I really am, that I can be myself and most importantly, that I am who I think and feel that I am. She gave me the safe space to be who I really am, and that is priceless, just like her. And I know I shouldn’t be relating her to her color of skin only, I am not. She is much much much more than her race or ethnicity. She is a smart strong independent boss ass woman. But I owe it to her to highlight that feature of her because it deserves so much appreciation. And for the effect that side of her had on me and who I am as a person. I could swear that journey wouldn’t have been or meant the same for me if I hadn’t met her. That is why, since that summer I’ve considered her a gift from God. And I will always be grateful for and to her. That summer, three years ago, we said our last goodbyes in front of La Puerta, with hugs and choked tears, we left pieces of our hearts with each other. And tonight, in the same spot, in front of La Puerta, seeing her walking towards us with her gorgeous hair and her beautiful smile, she’s laughing at whatever Azabeel is saying, their hands filled with shoppers that I can swear are all Azabeel’s stuff. She lifted her head and our eyes met, and in that moment, my heart felt like a whole again.

0 notes

dukering71-blog · 6 years

Text

MLA Format And also Design Manual.

Almonds could undoubtedly belong of the Paleo Diet when consumed in small amounts: in moderation" being the key takeaway message. I do not feel any individual can easily listen to significant band music or even George Inlet music as well as not touch their toe and begin removaling a little bit of to the popular music. Which, certainly I carried out because I was actually entirely going heels crazy with him and also I believed that possibly, simply possibly this would certainly be the time he would certainly have me back. Thus here I put, after reviewing this book with swollen eyes, a dripping nose, a damp puffy face as well as a lot of heart pain and a head ache also. You can use the CreateSpace sale company for Kindle ($ 69, has approximately 2 weeks) or even spend a number of hours reformatting guide your own self, at that point converting this right into aprc documents using some of the various totally free downloadable tools. This recipe is actually certainly not only delectable but that is actually a doddle to earn and this can be entirely prepped ahead of time. Blue herself certainly never views them-not till this year, when a boy surfaces from the dark and speaks directly to her. Our brains stay workable as well as plastic well in to aging, and that is actually achievable to make brand new connections among nerve cells as well as learn new factors regardless of whether you're 80 years of ages. I discharge a primordial scream of success as well as carried that feeling along with me the remainder of the week. But consuming a big healthy protein morning meal with time kills the longings as well as naturally minimizes cravings, to ensure right now I'm typically skipping lunch time everyday, without cravings, and also none of the boost in food cravings I regularly made use of to observe when I made an effort IF w/ the higher healthy protein & body fat bkfst. A research finished with Greeks found that those that took a Thirty Minutes snooze at least 3 times a week possessed 37% a lot less risk of dying from a heart-related condition. One point that was satisfying without bothering with work is actually spending time along with my husband. Network 4, which commissioned the project, said the docudrama deals with an exciting" and impressive" period in the celebrity's lifestyle, consisting of when he fell in passion for the very first time - a romance which ended in tragedy. As if that weren't sufficient to abandon duty listed here, our experts at that point cross our hands and close our eyes as well as wish that the researchers can produce pharmaceutical answers" to our certain health condition prior to it is actually too late. 3 Tunisians were actually killed, including Olfa Bent Souayah, the mommy from a four-year-old child who continues to be missing, baseding on the country's overseas department. Their attempts were brave" because of the large bodily and also mental strenuosity and endurance demanded to traverse a grim, icy, polar yard in an opportunity prior to contemporary technical innovations. I have actually been servicing aiming to find out just what the problem/solution is, and I located that eating supper as well near to going to bed maintains me agitated all evening. Any kind of bookings you create - be this for air travels, cottage or even whatever else - could be included coming from Gmail, as well as if you're having a hard time to fill up a day you can use pre-constructed time programs, which factor in the ordinary time invested in locations as well as for how long it requires to receive in between them. Moreover, unlike Frogger, the activity is actually never ending and ever before modifying creating the video game unique every single time you play this. Consequently, we agreed to maintain the ongoing attributes from our appointments personal pro tempore being actually. I've been utilizing sense you initially stated it and right now that also signals me to unwind when during the night I may find this switch color shades. I made use of the water and also meat" coming from a fresh young coconut, that was actually a great substitute for the avocado due to the fact that the ones I got were actually also enriched. I'm kinda brand new to this diet plan and do not see my nutritional expert for a full week and can't contact her and also I'm receiving definitely bad anxiousness concerning this today. If you find that you can not swallow food items in all, simply make sure to eat a small amount additional the evening before (not a feast, simply a little snack before mattress). The technique folks desire to locate popular music by means of Alexa is actually exactly how you would speak to somebody else about popular music. The components could not be much more easy, nor the concerns much higher." That is the same with Martel's billowy tale from a publication regarding a kid in a watercraft along with a tiger. The only time I definitely carry out certainly not seem to be happy along with the diet is the dreaded pms full week before female issues. . In reality, what I was really considering was actually the result when using my bicycle FIFTY or even 60 miles within the day. navigate here 'm heading to reanalyze every thing recently by means of FitDay, but I 'd determine I'm to about 100-150, along with ALL them coming from whole, natural foods. Like many sentimental activities from then duration, vinyl fabric gathering as well as playing is making a comeback. If you are actually heading to pay for an extravagant volume for an Apple item, after that it stands up to factor that you must purchase a reasonably inexpensive instance to defend that. Some folks lose, some people really require a case. That was actually just what is actually the greatest volume of pain threshold I can produce for myself in my training and type of strategy that everyday therefore when I enter into an ethnicity I'll manage to take on all this discomfort administration and also manage that in a much better technique. A lot of time to identify that the kibble container was ergonomically more suitable to the floor or my resting bag. I commonly add some sodium and blood potassium chloride (aka no-salt" where I stay) to that. I consume one mug of coffee and also one cup of tea daily (despite starting a fast or not). Auburn think Gus was healthier than she is actually which he'll have even more opportunity in the world in comparison to she does and that it would certainly be actually unreasonable if she allows him in. While http://familien-ernahrung.info don't deal with a lot of bodily risks today, when they do take place, it's practically usually left to the males to deal with. The method which Paint 3D corresponds ways to develop in a brand-new size thus effortlessly for the ordinary consumer, yet offers the deepness to please all of them as they enhance in ability, could possibly do a ton of great for the 3D printing setting, along with VR consequently several various other fields better down the road. I made this final night for morning meal today and thought that I was alleviating on my own. The following is a breakdown from the sectors hiring the best lot of designer, consisting of employment amounts and wage info per field.

0 notes

titoslondon-blog · 6 years

Text

New Post has been published on Titos London

#Blog New Post has been published on http://www.titoslondon.co.uk/inside-azzedine-alaia-the-couturier-the-design-museums-new-exhibition/

Inside Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier, The Design Museum’s new exhibition

Not even death could get in the way of Azzedine Alaïa. Though his heart failed him last November, aged 82, the master couturier known as “the king of cling” left great designs in place. Not least the vision for Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier, the exhibition that opens today at London’s Design Museum. “We felt like [the first fashion exhibition in the new Design Museum home in Kensington] needed to be something special,” says Alice Black, the museum’s co-director, “and Azzedine certainly stands apart from the rest of the fashion world.”

And stand apart the Paris-based couturier did. This is the man who famously shunned the traditional fashion calendar, showing his collections only when he felt they were ready, never before. His obsession with perfection and his dedication to his craft is notorious. He did everything himself—from drawing and cutting his own patterns, to choosing fabrics, draping and sewing them together. “He was just incredible,” says long-term collaborator and guest curator Mark Wilson.

Monsieur Alaïa’s style went beyond his sculptural dresses, though. He designed for women’s bodies—often directly on their bodies—rather than an abstract idea of them. “He always had a mannequin beside him,” recalls renowned industrial designer and long-time friend Marc Newson. (The pair were so close Alaïa designed the dress for Newson’s marriage to fashion stylist Charlotte Stockdale.) “He was the consummate craftsman, always sewing.” He was innovative, too. He worked closely with the knitwear factory of Silvia Bocchese in Florence for years, developing new knitwear techniques. At one point he even used glass powder to give his fabrics a specific kind of iridescence. He experimented with Vionnet’s bias-cut approach well ahead of its mid-1990s revival and made an art of laser-cutting and pleating. Through it all, his designs stayed true to his timeless aesthetic; their apparent simplicity masterfully concealing the technically complex and rigorous construction that they truly require.

Yes, Alaïa’s designs were undeniably sexy, but they were also empowering, emphasising—and liberating—the characters of the bold women he dressed—from Greta Garbo, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild and Grace Jones to Madonna, Michelle Obama and Naomi Campbell. (He was also famously a father figure for Campbell, who refereed to him as Papa and lived in his Paris apartment from the age of 16.)

Revered and respected by the fashion elite with unflinching dedication for five decades, he transcended trends and never cared about the “new mood”. Instead he made a habit of flying in the face of convention—often late into the night, the National Geographic channel blazing on a screen next to him. His kitchen table—the heart of his home and business—achieved mythic status, welcoming “the illuminati of style” as Tim Blanks describes in his final interview with Alaïa in British Vogue, “the inner-est of inner circles”.

Black tells Vogue of the thrill of meeting the Tunisian-born designer and sitting at that very kitchen table with girlish glee: “It was a dream.” Seven months before his untimely death, she met Alaïa to pitch the idea of the exhibition. “I was warned early on not to try to ‘sell’ him anything,” she recalls, “either he wants to do it and he’ll do it, or there is nothing you could ever say to convince him otherwise.” Luckily for her, and us, when she knocked on Alaïa’s atelier door in April 2017, it was already open. Alaïa had visited the new John Pawson and OMA-designed Design Museum shortly after it opened in November 2016 and immediately liked it.

Wilson, chief curator of the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands, was drafted in to curate the exhibition. He staged two Alaïa shows at his own museum in 1997 and 2011, plus a further three, including the runaway success that was the 2015 exhibit in Rome’s Galleria Borghese. This would have been their sixth exhibition together. “Over time we understood each other,” says Wilson of their ability to communicate despite not speaking the same language (Alaïa did not speak English and Wilson speaks only a little French). “We had each other’s back when we were doing these shows together. I don’t understand why, but we just did.”

The timing of the exhibit is all the more poignant because, were it not for his passing, it would have been perfectly scheduled to coincide with the opening of his first flagship outside Paris, on London’s New Bond Street. “When we first met I didn’t know of his plans to open a store,” recalls Black. “[In a way,] I feel like I was just a pawn,” she says laughing, “and I just happened to play the role I was supposed to play.” Not that it is a role she remotely resents. “He was a very instinctual person,” says Wilson. “It just felt right. It’s not like he plotted this, but it just sort of happened.”

Alaïa’s friends and collaborators, including Italian editor, gallerist and businesswoman Carla Sozzani, see the show as an opportunity to carry on Alaïa’s legacy. In no way, though, is it a retrospective. “You would need triple the space to do a proper retrospective,” says Wilson pragmatically, but more importantly, that is not the exhibition Alaïa had envisioned.

“It was never a question [of whether we would change or cancel the exhibition],” Sozzani tells Vogue. “Azzedine had made very clear his wish that his legacy would continue after him. He conceived this exhibition as an homage to two of his passions: fashion and design. It was his last project, and it is an honour to be able to show it.”

With over 60 couture pieces, spanning four decades, the uncompromising detail and quality of the maison and its founder is exquisitely laid bare. “It is an installation, a contemporary temple,” says Wilson, who proposed the idea of screens, rather than walls. Alaïa immediately called on the designers and artists he most admired (and whom he was friend and patron to), including Newson, the Bouroullec brothers, Konstantin Grcic and Kris Ruhs. Newson’s eight flesh-pink panels crafted from anodised aluminium stand four meters tall by 10 metres long. Dappled with edamame-sized holes and sinuous strokes, they have a distinct sensual, textile-like feel. “The challenge was to create an object that is transparent,” Newson explains. “To create some sort of a minimal barrier between one garment and another, so you can roughly make out what is going on on the other side of it.” Alaïa’s final couture collection—shown in July 2017—stands elegantly in front of it, opening the exhibition.

Elsewhere, dresses are themed by material. “Azzedine did collections, of course, but they were not thematic—he was working and reworking, and reworking and re-re-reworking ideas and techniques,” explains Wilson. “So we broke it up by materials: chiffon, velvet, lace, and, of course, the black outfits, to visually explain how he did that.” To allow that attention to detail to really shine, not a single garment is hidden behind glass or backed into a corner. “You get to see everything in 360 degrees. That is really important,” says Wilson. The dresses—all of which have been remade and rescaled specifically for the exhibition, the proportions super-enhanced—fit the invisible mannequins like a glove, so that they appear to be floating, suspended in mid-air. It is as much a sculpture exhibition as a fashion showcase.

Forensically detailed photographs by the British artist Richard Wentworth, who spent years documenting life at Maison Alaïa, paper the walls. Each image feels spontaneous, but is charged with deference to the couturier and his craft. What may seem quotidian—a close-up shot of Monsieur Alaïa sewing a garment, for instance—is all the more moving now that those hands are no longer with us. Film footage brings him back to life, if only for an instant, through the adulation of his devotees, including Sofia Coppola, Brigitte Macron and Michelle Obama.

While the Design Museum will measure success through the number of visitors the exhibition attracts, for Wilson it is, as it always was when working with the couturier, an audience of one. “I know if he is happy and he’s into it, people are going to be blown away.” He may not be here in person to judge for himself, but Azzedine Alaïa’s signature is everywhere. And true to form, it is perfection.

1/29

Image: Jamie Spence

‘Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier’ will remain on view at the Design Museum until October 7 2018

The post Inside Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier, The Design Museum’s new exhibition appeared first on VOGUE India.

0 notes

vantasselparadise · 7 years

Text

Everything is alright in Europe

Only US has this increasing rate of racism. Nope. We’re fine here. We’re open. We’re tolerant.

Yeah, sure thing. Sure thing that that’s not true.

Everytime I say that racism, xenophobia and intolerance had been increasing at a tremendous speed rate in Europe everybody looks at me as I’m speaking mandarin. The other day, in my exhausting search for a room in Ireland I’ve encountered an add saying “Room offered for EU citizens or EU Passport holders”, who was offering the room? A BRAZILIAN GUY -probably under the command of his landlord/her landlady...or who knows, maybe himself-.

Small scenes like this one, the ones I call “hidden racism” or “hidden intolerance”, are the ones that are growing everyday like beautiful roses that at one point will perish and fall above us all showing that Trump isn’t the only demon in this era. You don’t need to have it all in your face, leave that to the society that finds Jimmy Fallon funny. Here, the things are different...but not better not worst, just scary different. And all are well hidden in the open mind flag that Europe carries.

I remember while living in Denmark, working at a bar, I had a group of customers, they were a muslim family from UK who were visiting Copenhagen for the weekend, the woman -who was wearing a hijab of course- was trying to figure out how to get to some place and I couldn’t help her really since I didn’t know that area that much. One of the customers, some regular guy, Dane, listened to the conversation and indicated the exact directions and ways to get there. When they left, the customer -which at the moment I remembered his name since he was there often and now I can’t recall, probably for the best- approached to me in a soft tone saying that it was important that he helped the family, to show a nice gesture, make the difference, and I don’t know what else he said in that pile of prideful bullshit I’ve to heard at the time. He was so happy with himself, as if he’d been immerse in the southern sea in Greece helping Syrian refuges with his own hands -those that weren’t allowed to be in Denmark, by the way-. It is a civilian gesture to give indication to tourists, it’s not an “incredible nice gesture that marks the difference and shows how great and welcoming we are”. There is no difference for me in a tourist wearing a hijab or one that doesn't. AND THAT’S where the hidden racism resides.

It resides in Marseille, crossing the old town -the historical, the one you HAD to see- and hearing comments like “Don’t go there...it’s full of Tunisians”. It resides here in Ireland, hearing a Dane -sorry Denmark, you’re not helping me right now- saying to a german girl “but how come that you have to face all those obstacles to rent, open a bank account, start working here? You’re german, you’re european! I do understand with...other people, but not you” (Hi, I was sitting right next to him, me, “the other people”). It resides in an angry girl from Croatia saying that “Polish people are uncultured, squared, they will take your job and work for less money because they don’t know better. I rather not live or share spaces with them”. It resides in small commentaries like “How come that you’re so white and latinamerican?” Yeah, because every country has only one race or skin color, right?

So yes, you don’t need to ban 7 countries to be considered racist. It’s enough with saying small phrases, kicking out people from your planes because they speak that “dangerous” arabic language (I’m speaking to you, EasyJet) or simply considering that you should get things harder and more complicated because you’re just from the other side of the world (you know, frontiers, those imaginary lines designed and created by humans).

Full of typos. Meh. I don’t really care.

0 notes

journaldelamedina-blog · 7 years

Photo

THE LANGUAGE OF WAVES

Three months have passed since Interference, an international light art project in the Medina of Tunis and the first of its kind on the African continent, filled the public space for four days.

Light was switched on, illuminating our neighbourhoods and bringing people together from near and afar.

After switching it off, all material traces vanished, but memories and emotions continue to linger on, reminding us of the unique encounters we were fortunate to experience.

مهرجان متاع الضوء؟

Light art? In the Medina?

People’s first reactions to the concept were mostly surprised and sceptical, “Aren’t bigger and more acute issues at hand, than projecting bubbles on to walls?”; “Why not look at the ground and illuminate the garbage polluting our alleys instead of projecting abstract shapes on to our walls?”, were comments I overheard from passers-by in the Medina.

Fair enough, I understand the scepticism. The idea is far-fetched and might not come to mind when thinking about strategies to promote heritage, intercultural dialogue and arts in the public space for the community. However, give the whole idea some thought and the medium’s relevance in current society begins to surface.

Interference is a vision that allows no obstacles; a vision that art is for all; a vision that money is not the key-factor for the success of your idea; and most of all, a vision that through the help of others we can achieve almost EVERYTHING.

Interference owes its successful execution to the voluntary help of others, help which wasn’t only offered by the more than 150 restless and engaged volunteers, but also by the community of the Medina. From the early days of organising to the festival itself, acts of helpfulness and generosity were omnipresent. You could spot anything from passers-by helping volunteers carry their equipment, compassionate friends and family donating food and drinks, to neighbours allowing the use of their electricity for the testing of artworks or project enthusiasts offering to share their homes with artists and volunteers. These countless gestures of self-devotion to a cause are what gave the festival its sturdy base.

No budget? No problem. Aymen Gharbi and Bettina Pelz, the two masterminds behind the project, were going to prove that money could not get in the way of their vision. The idea attracted and brought together people and artists from different backgrounds and environments, some of them having never heard about Tunisia before except for maybe the negative news that they had heard in the news. Nevertheless, they were convinced by the project and prepared to, at their own cost, join the adventure.

Upon landing in the Medina, everyone soon realised that collaboration and understanding functions beyond languages and cultures.

Meet Tom Groll, one of the two German artists with Kuno Seltmann, responsible for the piece Biocenosis in Nahj al-Maktaa, an artwork defined as, “a mix of photographic footage from the Medina, the artists’ home area and natural phenomena, collaged in a projection environment.” When asked how he selected the specific space for his artwork, he answered:

“The space has a surreal ambiance and feels like a film set. Part of a building is in ruins of which nothing but a facade remains, allowing you to glance through broken windows looking out to a Tunisian flag. I feel like it’s a magical spot where everything is possible, observing the people living in harmony with each other, the cats, sheep and us, the foreigners, in the middle of it all. One of the first times I was checking out Nahj al-Maktaa I heard someone shout loudly and laugh. I took photographs of the site and then of him. Then two of his brothers followed and we started communicating through facial expressions and gestures. While we were testing a projection I started filming them and then projected their images on the walls. It was a blast for them and for me!” And so a beautiful relationship between Tom, Kuno and the three Nahj al-Maktaa brothers began to unfold.

Everyone who visited the festival would agree, that while the whole Medina was buzzing with visitors, this site on Nahj al-Maktaa managed to keep its calm and peaceful energy, at times taking on a meditative character.

Imagine a vast and open space surrounded by buildings and facades in ruins, reflecting images of swaying trees, underwater organisms, which deceive your senses, draw you in and make you feel like you and the wall are one.

Hypnotized and enchanted, sits Makrem, one of the three brothers, facing the artwork, falling under its spell until he’s torn out of it by the realization that the image has morphed in to an image of himself. The installation, Biocenosis, mixes here and there, us and them, making it impossible for us to distinguish; who are we and who are they? Is it even important to distinguish this? This piece of work brought people together from different types of upbringing and environments, speaking completely different languages yet still managing to communicate with each other.

Meet Makrem, Mehrez and Flen, three brothers and almost prominent young men in the neighbourhood around Nahj al-Bacha.

Makrem can be spotted from as early as 5am in the morning spreading Bkhour (incense) around the Medina and instantaneously spreading smiles and happiness through his positive energy. His two brothers can be heard shouting, mostly when they exclaim discontent at the amount of cars and traffic jams in the Medina, frantically trying to bring order to the crowded alleys. Otherwise, the brothers are all masters at keeping themselves busy, clearing the streets of branches and litter or hitching a ride with a scooter passing by. They’re never bored or sitting around killing time. There’s always something to do, something to move, someone to greet.

With Tom and Kuno arrived their new calling, which was to make sure that all of the artists’ needs were met. If the lamps weren’t turned off in time for a light rehearsal at night, Mahrez would make sure he could find some blankets to cover them. Early some mornings, the Maktaa brothers would pass by the house where Tom and Kuno were staying, to check on the artists to see if they could be of any use or to simply spread incense in their home. For the duration of the artists’ stay, they were absolutely restless in their attempt to help.

Meet Kuno Seltmann, the second driving force behind Biocenosis. When asked about his fondest memory of his time in the Medina, he replied, “I was sitting on the ground in Nahj al-Maktaa one night, waiting to record the first prayer of the muezzin. A few minutes after the call to prayer had started, one of the Maktaa brothers (the strong one, who’s name we never heard) came out of his house, ready to begin the day. I was touched so deeply because every night he had been spending with us on the Biocenosis site, watching us, always doing something, helping us and helping others until midnight. He gave us so much of his energy by being there, by relentlessly helping us; and all that after an unimaginably long day of hard work, collecting and carrying things around the Medina. He is such a strong person and has a great heart. After he recognised me, sitting there at the very beginning of the day, he smiled and insisted on helping me back to my apartment.”

The risk of bringing someone (in this case, artists) to a foreign place, is that they could bring along pre-existing ideas and concepts, which might be completely out of context with the new space they currently find themselves in, possibly forcing them on an environment which might not necessarily agree with and accept them. Interference, however, proved the exact opposite thanks to the sensitivity of the artists and the welcome they found among the Medina residents.

In physics, the term interference is defined as, “a phenomenon in which two waves superpose to form a resultant wave of greater, lower, or the same amplitude.” Interference took over this definition and made it a social phenomenon.

In this case, the waves represent the Medina and light art; the local community and foreign artists; UNESCO world heritage and a contemporary art form; waves completely different from each other but neither one of them considering themselves to be higher or lower; waves which manage to meet and communicate at eye level, respecting and embracing differences and similarities.

In Tom’s opinion, the positive result and impact of the festival owed their success to powerful resonance, triggered by impulses of passion and optimism. This resonance managed to move many people and awaken their appreciation for an art form, which was previously unknown to them. Thanks to the high level of community involvement, participants were able to understand, study and become part of the movement and art, as opposed to only being consumers or observers. Tom explains this visibly by describing a stone being thrown in to the water, the stone symbolising an impulse and the ripples the expanding resonance.

Tom describes the festival community as a driving force, “Finding myself in a foreign country, I still felt completely at home. I was welcomed on the spot and reminded of this hospitality every day through the smiles, hugs and kisses I was receiving everywhere I went. This warmth charged me with so much energy.” He considers himself lucky, not only to have been able to contribute to the festival, but also to have been able to discover and experience Tunis first hand, being catapulted directly in to the middle of the community, living and sharing everything with them. “Now being back home in Germany, it’s impossible for me to explain my experiences to my friends.…So much happened on an emotional level and was so deeply touching. I’m sure this goes for all of the other German artists.…it was a magical experience filled with magical encounters. It might not have been our primary goal as artists to achieve something spiritually moving, but it ended up being the case. The title of our piece Biocenosis came to life, thanks to our site, the presence of the three Maktaa brothers as well as us the artists. This took our piece to another level and gave it a human character with emotions and its own energy.”

Now when I walk on Nahj al-Bacha I am often asked, “Hey, where did the light people go? Will they come back next week? Where’s that guy with the ripped pants? (referring to Kuno) I miss him!”

Interference was an encounter of many waves, that met and learned from each other, each set of voices adding and taking knowledge. It proved that art is a universal language that can break barriers and prejudices and bring people together to confront, embrace and learn to love each other’s differences and voices. Kuno added, “I think meaningful exchange works in a very personal way. All of the deep connections I had with people in Tunis really opened my mind to many subjects that I haven´t thought about before. I came to the realisation that somehow, no matter where we come from, we’re all affected by similar things in life. There are so many meeting points! It opened my mind to talk to all the people about their great thoughts, ideas and ways of seeing reality. The experience of meeting people who are riding the same wave, really touched me and it is this which still connects me with my Tunisian friends! New ideas can grow from this connection.”

We all await the next wave of Interference!

Text: Emily Sarsam

Special thanks to: Tom Groll, Kuno Seltmann, Elizabeth Dobie-Sarsam Image 1: Sabina von Kessel - Tom and Kuno at the site of BIOCENOSIS

Image 2: Emily Sarsam - Mehrez at the site of the artwork on Nahj al Maktaa

Image 3: Emily Sarsam - Makrem at the site of the artwork on Nahj al Maktaa

Image 4: Emily Sarsam - A preview of BIOCENOSIS on Nahj al Maktaa

Image 5: Mehdy Khmili - The team of INTERFERENCE

#interference #the medina of tunis #tunis #light art #art in the public space #intercultural dialogue #tom groll #kuno seltmann #journal de la medina

0 notes

maximuswolf · 4 years

Text

a shoutout for all comrades out there ! via /r/socialism

a shoutout for all comrades out there !

Hello,

The indignation is no longer tolerable as it is, but it gets even worse.

This proposal sparked the ongoing protests, as well as the abusive and borderline criminal behaviour by the police’s Facebook pages. We are not giving in to their threats.

We hope our message finds you well, and we hope to have your full support as partners in the fight against fascism.

Submitted October 09, 2020 at 06:58AM by Illustrious-Goose132 via reddit https://ift.tt/30OYZRy

0 notes