#humbled to have been highlighted by Tumblr. thank you so much for the opportunity.

[hannahssimblr]

Congratulations on the 1 year of lucky girl and the 53 updates! It's about time I talk to you to thank you, I've spent wonderful moments reading your story. I started when it was mentioned in the forum highlights in part 1 and remained hooked since then. It became an eagerly awaited Friday night moment and now a Wednesday night one :) I joined Tumblr just so that I can better follow the spoilers and participate in the occasional poll ;)

So well I'm a fan, happily following you wherever you want to take me. I'm not sure why I love it so much, it puts me back in the vibe of my early 20s I guess, I also got attached to the characters, love the descriptions of Ireland, and love how you write and all the care you put in the screenshots, they are fantastic and really add to the story.

For example recently I really enjoyed the character of Jonas and loved the screenshot with him standing with arms crossed and half naked when introducing himself (chapter 10 I think) that looked like 'so him' I couldn't stop laughing :D he seems like a nice guy (actually I would probably pick him hahaha), no wonder Claire liked him in spite of their different styles, that was hilarious. On the main story, arg what I've just read, the 'nonono never' Evie thought and the ' let's be friends' she said just killed me of course, but it would have been hard to say otherwise in that moment, and I'll wait and see , and hope Jen will recover.

I can't believe it took me so long to write to you, but well writing to a writer is intimidating! Many thanks again for the good times. Keep it up the way you want to :)

Véro

Thank you so much <3 I feel a bit proud hahaha. This is the nicest message to receive, thank you SO Much for reading my story and I'm so humbled that you've enjoyed it so much. I believe that they highlighted me in the forums after i wrote chapter 1.5, so you've been with me for a long time if that's the case! Almost since the beginning! Wow it's so cool that you made a tumblr just for this - it reminds me that I should update with more behind the scenes stuff :)

Oh Jonas is so fun - he's totally based on my friend from Berlin, who's the best to be around and really outrageous and off the wall. A total party animal who just does and says anything. I actually wish there was more opportunity to play around with Jonas, but he's part of Jude's life and I'd feel like I was forcing him in if I tried to include him too much. Maybe if I ever do some chapters from Jude's POV in future it'd be a fun opportunity to have time with him.

Poor Evie and Jude :( They just can't get it together, but the next 2/3 chapters will iron some things out. Wait and see ;)

Oh no I totally get it - before I was a writer I was always a non-commenting lurker. My favourite story ever from the sims 2 days was called Cornflake Girl, and I still think about it now and wish that I'd said something to the author about what it meant to me, but I was much to shy. You're right, it's intimidating but I love that you've reached out to me, your message means a lot <3

Have a lovely day!

#ask

[moonbeamsung]

Winter Nights & City Lights

Because nothing says ‘Christmas’ like spending the big day (and not to mention the whole holiday season) in the Big Apple living with your high school friend-turned-roommate, Mark Lee.

member: mark (featuring johnny)

au: roommate!mark x gn!reader, college roommate au, christmas au, ‘the gift of the magi’ au/inspired

word count: 9.5k

genre: fluff, angst, slice of life

warnings: profanity, underage drinking, hangovers, insecurities, mentions of food and drink, money issues, embarrassing moments

author’s note: This fic is close to becoming my favorite that I’ve ever written. It’s also almost twice as long as I planned, not to mention that tumblr crashed right as I tried to post it so here I am, two hours later. Overall I had a blast writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it! Please let me know what you think, too! :,) Happy holidays! <3

taglist: @astroboy-lele​ @kisshim​ @radiorenjun​

network tags: @kpopscape​ @neo-constellations​ @starryktown​ @culture-cafe​ @dreamlab-nct​

“That parade was so cool! I mean, did you see the size of all those balloons? They were huge! I’ve never seen so many people all in one place before,” Mark chatters away like an excited child as you navigate through the crowd that always seems to grow bigger year after year, gathered along the curbs of the New York streets to watch the famed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“How are you not more excited about this?” He questions, and you stifle an amused giggle. “I’ve lived in the city for over a year, Mark. I’ve seen a thing or two.”

“Oh, right. I knew that.” The cold air only accentuates the blush on his face as he remembers that particular detail about you. It isn’t often that it’s demonstrated, however, considering you spend so much time cooped up inside of your shared apartment cramming in university work and studying. There are hardly any opportunities during the year to take in the sights of the concrete jungle you live in the very heart of, but luckily, one of your long-awaited breaks is coming up soon.

Thoughts of Christmas vacation are the only things keeping you going, along with countless cups of steaming hot coffee, as you prepare for exams in just a few weeks, weeks that seem to go by in a flurry of snow.

There’s less than three days left until your first one, but you’re nothing short of drained after pulling so many all-nighters, and you need a break. A breath of fresh air seems like just the cure for your burnout, so you slam your textbook shut and lethargically drag yourself off of the soft comforter you’ve been sitting on for the past two hours. You grimace at the deep imprint left behind.

Trudging through the living area, you knock softly on Mark’s bedroom door. A tired “Come in” sounds from the other side, and you push it open, immediately noticing his disheveled state. Eyes heavy with fatigue and lacking their usual sparkle of youthful innocence, he blinks back at you, “What’s up?”

“You look like you need a break just as much as I do,” you insist. His already-open mouth widens a bit more, “But... our first exam is on Monday, we can’t just—”

“Mark, come on, you’re one of the smartest people in our class. If anyone’s going to pass, it’s you.”

He huffs, “Maybe you have a point.”

“I do have a point, and you know it. A little walk in the park never hurt anyone, right?”

Mark rubs his eyes with the back of his hand, fingers raking through his dark locks before he musters up enough strength to push himself off of his bed and into a standing position.

“I’ll get my jacket.”

Central Park is a sight to behold on its own all year round, but something about the Christmas season makes it even more magical. You and Mark step at the same pace, your paths lined by metal benches blanketed in fresh snow. Even through the many layers of warmth you’re both wearing, the chilly air still nips at your skin. It’s Mark’s first time experiencing the holidays in New York City, and you’re determined to show him everything this real-life winter wonderland has to offer.

The story of how you two came to be roommates in the first place is an extremely lucky one. You met in high school, and had been part of the same group of friends along with six younger boys. Both Canadian, you’d been hoping to get into the same New York college since what felt like forever. The day that you received your acceptance letters in the mail was full of joy and celebration, but not even a week later, Mark got an unexpected scholarship to a local but prestigious university not far from where you lived that he simply couldn’t pass up.

Parting ways after graduation, you had thought you might never see each other again until you got a call from him. It was the day after your last exam of the spring semester in college and you were sitting on your two-person couch, feeling rather lonely. The number seemed too familiar, too good to be true, and scrambling to pick up the phone as it blared throughout your fairly small apartment, you answered with a shaky voice. Mark’s recognizable tone met your ears, and a wide smile met your face. Though he couldn’t see it, he could hear the happiness in your words.

As it turned out, his college had given him the opportunity to transfer to yours for the remainder of his four years, as their programs were closely linked and on similar levels. Graciously, he had accepted, and wanted you to be the first to know.

“So, uh... are you living with anyone?”

The question he dreaded asking more than anything else. Call him cliché, but he had the biggest crush on you in high school, much to his dismay and to the rest of his friends’ excitement. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to like you, but he feared that college could tear a potential relationship apart, regardless of whether or not you went to the same one.

As a result of this, he had never acted on his emotions. But he’s older now, and wiser, which leads him to believe that maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to maintain one, should he ever gain enough courage to ask you out.

“No, actually, I have my own apartment.”

Silence.

“...Are you looking for somewhere to stay?”

“Yes! Yes,” he replied a little too quickly, eager to accept what would hopefully be an invitation from you. He wasn’t disappointed.

“Well, my place isn’t the biggest, but you can live with me if you want to. Plus, we could split the rent between us!”

You’ve always liked Mark. He’s hardworking, kind, and humble, maybe a little too much of all these things for his own good. Even back in high school, you spent endless nights and very early mornings on the phone with him, trying to convince him to go to bed after he refused to stop studying. To reassure him that he did the right thing by ending that friendship, or to insist that he tell the teacher no one worked on the group project, so he did everything himself. You’ve been his shoulder to cry on for years, you’ve seen a side of him that he’s never been brave enough to show anyone else because they expect so much of him.

Mark knows he’s blessed to have had a picture-perfect childhood, a good family, and an education that was rigorous yet rewarding enough to prepare him for his next chapter in life. The pressures that came with being so lucky just got to him sometimes, and they made four years of high school seem more like fourteen.

You, on the other hand, didn’t quite have all the same luxuries that he did, but you still managed. He’s been there for you plenty of times, too. In your opinion, though, he’s the much more vulnerable one of the two of you, mainly to his cumbersome insecurities and shortcomings, however rare those shortcomings may be.

So in your mind, Mark Lee deserves the entire world and then some. The least you can do is share your apartment with him, either until he finds what you’re sure would be a much more desirable place to live, or if he wants to stay with you indefinitely.

What you don’t realize, and will eventually struggle to admit to yourself, is that your admiration for his perseverance and endless generosity is teetering rather precariously on the edge of blossoming into something more than just platonic.

“Sounds good, then. Thanks so much!” He had exclaimed, the sound of his pure excitement and gratefulness bringing a wave of heat to your face, and you were glad he wasn’t there in front of you to see it.

You talked a little bit more for the next few minutes, catching up and enjoying a lighthearted conversation about what you had both been up to. These sessions on the phone began to occur more and more frequently, turning into weekly, and soon daily, affairs. Mark planned to move in a couple weeks before school started again, giving himself some time to settle in and adapt to urban life in general. The calls became a highlight of your summer vacation, and every day without fail, you found yourself waiting to hear the unique ringtone you had set his contact to.

Less than twelve hours before Mark was scheduled to arrive at New York’s largest airport, you were on the phone with him just like always. The clock in your apartment chimed eleven o’clock, and as reluctant as you were to hang up, you knew you should turn in for the night. After all, the sooner you went to sleep, the sooner the morning would come. The morning you would meet him at the airport.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” His voice was hopeful. Slightly unsteady, but hopeful all the same.

“I guess so. What time does your plane land, again?” You confirmed the time you had scribbled down onto a neon yellow sticky note a few days earlier as he repeated the short string of numbers, nodding to no one in particular. Why did you feel so nervous? It’s just Mark, you had told yourself.

“Have a safe flight!”

He bade you goodnight in return, accidentally throwing in a “sweet dreams” before he could stop himself. When you put your phones down, you were both too busy trying to calm your racing pulses, however, so it didn’t matter. Mark collapsed onto his bed, hand bumping his duffel bag and heaving a sigh. You sank down into the couch cushion, closing your eyes and leaning your head against the back of the furniture. Neither of you could find the strength to stand in those moments, scared that your legs would give in from the unsteadiness of your nerves, your hearts, your emotions.

A singular worry occupied both of your minds from that point on until you greeted him in the JFK airport terminal the next morning, shy smiles on your faces: is it dangerous to enter into the impending situation of living together? Are you really ready to be in such constant close proximity to the object of your affections, however oblivious you might be to them?

Before his brain could talk his heart out of it, Mark had wrapped you in a tight hug, extra thankful for the welcome since you were all he had here, in the city. You wouldn’t have missed his arrival for the world, and you told him so. You also wouldn’t have missed the chance to make him flush a deep but adorable shade of red, reaching from his rounded cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears.

In your long-term rental car, you drove him back to your apartment, enjoying the quiet sounds of surprise and amazement that spilled from his lips, generated by the city’s sights. As you passed underneath towering skyscrapers, navigated bustling avenues, and caught glimpses of world-renowned landmarks that you both had seen only in the movies when you were younger, you just knew Mark’s eyes held their signature sparkle, despite your inability to see the dark brown orbs glimmer with wonder. You kept yours on the road ahead.

His first day was spent unpacking his suitcases and bags full of possessions, one of which was his most prized: an acoustic guitar.

It had been a gift from his parents when he finished the eighth grade, and all throughout high school, he had turned to music as an escape whenever he needed it. As any new musician does, Mark had played around with chords, experimenting and seeing what sounded good, and before you knew it he had composed a song. Another one followed, then another, and by the end of his freshman year he had written enough to fill an entire album if he so wished.

The guitar had heard every note, every lyric, carried every melody from his heart into the world. It had grown to be a part of him, a worldly sliver of his soul in the form of a simple musical instrument that could convey every hope and every dream, every concern or every frustration. Every love confession. Though that wasn’t saying much, since he only had eyes for you. You didn’t know it, but one of those songs was about you. For you.

You and Mark’s circle of friends tried to set you two up one day in the school’s band room after hours, with the excuse that the second-youngest of the group, Chenle, had forgotten his piano sheet music in there. They sent you to retrieve it, which you only agreed to do after being persuaded by the boy’s intimidating but still lovable pout.

With no sheet music in sight, your eyes landed instead on a diligent Mark that appeared to be the only sign of life in the room, plucking away at the strings as the sun set outside. You had sat with him for a while, neglecting your task and listening to him strum gracefully, softly murmuring lyrics that sounded like your name at one point. You didn’t think much of it, though, not making the connection behind the rest of the words coming out of his mouth and accompanying the chords. His love song was left unacknowledged by the subject of it themselves, and that was both the first and last time he ever attempted to confess to you.

He wondered if now that you were sharing an apartment, he would let something slip by accident. What would he do then?

University had other plans, though, and his fears were temporarily relieved. So fortunately and unfortunately, you were so occupied with schoolwork that trying to balance dating, or even mere thoughts of doing so, with all of your other responsibilities would have been exhausting, not to mention impossible.

Snapping out of your memory-induced daze, you realize that you nearly wandered off the path into a deep snowbank, only aware of this fact because Mark catches you by the wrist and pulls you back toward him to walk at his side. His fingers stay curled around your forearm as you approach a famous bridge, stepping to the side and gazing down at the icy waters below, calm and rippling with the chilly breeze.

“What do you want for Christmas?”

You honestly haven’t thought about it yet, so you can’t give Mark a definite answer. The same goes for him, both of you leaning against the brick railing in a comfortable silence.

In Mark’s mind though, he knows what he wants to give you: something to complement your own equivalent of his guitar, a large collection of handwritten letters and notes from your childhood and school days. Sentimental by nature, you had saved every colorful post-it note one of your friends would slip through the narrow slats of your locker, every birthday card received over the years, every thoughtful postcard from someone’s vacation.

Your favorites are undoubtedly the always-awkward Christmas cards that your friends’ families consistently mail out each December, by far the most humorous parts of your growing collection. You always found yourself chuckling at the pictures displayed on the front. Eyes bright with mirth, you would observe their forced smiles and arms slung carelessly over siblings’ shoulders, their eyes flickering between the camera and something going on behind it, probably the family pet getting into trouble across the yard. You pitied the photographers, surely beyond frustrated as they would try to get everyone to stand still for more than five measly seconds. Mouths were clamped shut and for a brief moment, the air was void of complaints of how itchy someone’s sweater was.

Then the camera would snap, capturing an image that was simply “good enough.” They’d plaster it on the card and in a few days, it would magically appear in the mailboxes of relatives and close friends. Grandparents would overlook the uncomfortable expressions and focus instead on how fast the kids were growing up. You didn’t blame them. Even in four years’ worth of cards, so much could change. In between fits of laughter, you’d stare in awe at the way your friends grew into their features, only becoming more handsome with time and some growing so tall that they even towered over their fathers. You always kept the letters they included, too, detailing the highlights of the year that was soon to come to an end by the time they dropped it into a nearby mailbox.

And like he could read your mind, Mark makes an offhand comment right then and there. “My folks texted me the other day to ask for our address. You know, for the Christmas card.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah,” he laughs. “Shame I couldn’t be there for the family photos this year.”

“Is it really a shame, though?” You prod, tilting your head a bit at the boy. “You always told me you couldn’t stand waiting around for the so-called ‘right lighting’ and all that.”

“Well, I couldn’t, but now that I’m not there I wish I could go back to those days. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know?”

“Right,” you sigh, thinking about how the same saying could easily apply to the way you felt about Mark all throughout your first year of university.

You have a box, made of a dark mahogany wood and lined with elegant golden trim, where you keep all of these letters, these handwritten memories and souvenirs from some of the happiest moments in your life. A gift from a past Christmas, your family had your initials engraved onto the front in a loopy cursive font, making it truly unique and utterly irreplaceable. And, you’ll soon come to realize, valuable.

Mark remembers it well, remembers the many times you’ve shown him its contents, remembers how his eyes sometimes land on the delicate container resting beneath the windowsill in your room, sunlight catching the accents. He knows how much those letters mean to you, and he also knows how much you love returning the favor.

That’s why he wants to give you the tools you need to do just that, and to do it well.

You’ve always been one for writing thank-you notes for any and every gift you receive, your parents having ingrained the habit in you since you were very young. Slowly, crayons turned into pencils and lead became ink. To this day you remain unfazed by the increasing amount of yellowing papers residing in the letter box, but the words imprinted on them never quite fade, strong enough to withstand the test of time.

Too many times in high school Mark would find you, hunched over your dining room table in frustration with a stack of letters beside your arm that you deemed “failed” because your handwriting was bad, or something of the sort. Usually it was the other way around, him being the one in need of comfort, but on those days your roles were reversed.

He had always wondered why you didn’t have fancier supplies that were more suited to your task, but he supposes now that maybe it simply wasn’t an option for you and your family. So a stationery set seems like the perfect gift for you this year.

On a similar note, you’ve already decided what you’re getting him: a guitar case. You happened upon a sleek leather one while browsing the website of a popular music store, coincidentally with a location not too far from your apartment.

Now it’s no longer a question of what to get the other, but how. As university students living on your own, money is scarce. Unknowingly, you both contemplate this concern as you walk side by side, returning to the start of the path that you set out on at least a half hour ago.

This stroll of yours was supposed to clear your minds, but why are they racing even more than before?

There’s no time to worry now, though, and for the next week, your thoughts are forced to shift back to the topic of school and midterms and all your academic endeavors.

Your exam week is over before you know it, and the two of you return to your apartment after the last one only to collapse onto your respective beds, beyond exhausted.

The dreary Friday afternoon clearly calls for a nap, but unbeknownst to you, Mark decides to seize the opportunity that has so conveniently presented itself to him: a chance for him to go out and buy your gift without suspicion. He drops his backpack on the carpet next to his dresser and sighs, wondering if what he’s about to do will be worth it. But it’s you, of course it’ll be worth it.

Thus, his next move is done with a heavy heart. He’s been forced by a lack of funds to come to a decision about your gift, and a difficult one at that. The only thing he can think of doing to even come close to affording a nice stationery set is to sell some things in exchange for cash. Namely, the most valuable item he owns: his beloved guitar. He doesn’t really want to, but deep down he knows that a true friendship warrants the occasional sacrifice. He’s done some research on a nearby pawn shop, and however sketchy those kinds of places may seem, it’s his only feasible option at the moment, with just a week left until Christmas Day.

After making sure you’re fast asleep, he not-so-stealthily slips out of your shared flat, his actions far from silent but even so, you don’t wake up. Mark winces at the unintended high volume of pulling the front door shut behind him, sticking his hand into his jeans pocket and relaxing when he feels his keys at the bottom of the fabric compartment. Guitar strung over his shoulder by the flimsy, fraying strap, he sets off.

With his phone in hand and directions to the pawn shop displayed on the screen, he strides through the lobby of the apartment building and pushes the revolving door, stepping onto the busy sidewalk and into the cold winter air. Shoppers crowd the pavement with hands full of department store tote bags, crinkling loudly as they pass by one another. Shoulders knock together and heels click against the concrete, just some of the many sounds of the city that Mark is still growing used to hearing.

A few blocks and several wrong turns later, he finds himself on a quieter street, standing in front of the shop. It’s dimly lit inside and looks almost abandoned, the letters painted on the window chipped and faded from the wear and weather of past years. A soft bell rings when he lets himself in, searching for some sort of employee.

From behind a cluttered shelf a tall man emerges, the shabby name tag pinned to his vest reading “Johnny.” Well, he’s not some shifty-eyed, balding man wearing a muscle shirt stained with grease. New York continues to be full of surprises.

His dark hair looks neat, the jacket he’s wearing free of any wrinkles and face young but chiseled, high cheekbones prominent.

“How can I help you today?” Johnny booms, stepping behind the counter and absentmindedly sifting through some loose change in bottom of the cash register.

Mark gulps, “I’d like to sell something.” Still not entirely sure he wants to do this, he instinctively tugs on the strap resting atop the fabric of his wool jacket.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place,” Johnny assures with a small laugh. “What did you have in mind?”

Taking a deep breath, Mark slides the guitar off his shoulder and holds it near his chest for a moment, before extending his arms out towards the counter.

“A guitar, huh? We don’t see many of these,” the tall man comments. “Are you sure? It seems pretty valuable to you in more ways than one.”

Mark’s fingertips trace the strings for the last time and he decides to just get it over with, before he can change his mind. His hands are shaky as he gently places the instrument down on the counter in front of Johnny, taking a step back once he’s done so. “I don’t have much of a choice. I need the money to buy a gift for my… uh, my friend.”

Johnny raises an eyebrow, “Just a friend? Or a special someone?”

“They are special,” Mark confirms, noncommittal to either title that Johnny suggested.

“They must be if you’re willing to give up something like this for them. Okay, that’ll be…”

Johnny tells him what the guitar is worth, matching the amount with a stack of cash and a few old coins, rusty but still holding their value.

Despite the pain of letting something so meaningful go, a bit of joy creeps into Mark’s heart as he realizes that now he can give you a gift that will hopefully become just as meaningful to you as his guitar was to him.

He thanks Johnny and bids him goodbye, step lighter than when he entered, much to his surprise.

It’s the next day when you and Mark find yourselves getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time this season. After he had returned yesterday, you were still out cold on your bed, so he chose to follow your example and do the same. The both of you had slept the rest of the day and almost the entirety of the following morning away, waking up just before noon.

With a sudden burst of energy you spring up from the sheets, overtaken by your excitement for the nearing holiday as you dig out the artificial Christmas tree you had bought last year from your closet. Sure, it may seem lazy of you, but let’s face it: there was no easy way to find a real one in New York City, let alone lug it down the streets, through an elevator and down a narrow hallway to a door it wouldn’t even fit through.

Mark hears the loud rustling of various decorations as he begins to stir, leisurely getting out of bed and checking one of his dresser drawers to make sure he hadn’t merely dreamed up his shopping adventure of the previous evening. There the stationery set sits, tucked safely at the back of the wooden cabinet.

The bookstore he stopped at on his way back last night had many different options to choose from, so he made sure to get one that both matched your box of letters and reminded him of you, with its color scheme and style. A surge of pride brings a smile to his features, pleased with his choice, and he pushes the drawer shut before joining you in the living area.

Your knees brush as he sits down next to you to help unpack the large but manageable box, taking out the tiers of the tree to eventually stack on top of one another. Working more quickly than usual (and probably necessary, there are six days left after all), you assign Mark to stringing the lights across your small balcony while you finish setting up the tree. You knew you shouldn’t have let him do it alone, though, because when you look over at his progress you find more lights wrapped around his body than the metal railing.

“Do you need a hand?” You question, holding back a laugh at the way the cord restricts his arm movements to the point where he can’t even reach for the handle on the sliding door.

From outside he opens his mouth to reply, but pauses, looking down at himself and the mess he’s made of the lights before meeting your eyes once more. His voice is muffled by the glass, but you hear him shout playfully, “I’m the tree now! We don’t need that one.” He tries to gesture to the one you’re currently decorating, but fails, and this time you aren’t able to contain your amusement.

“Let me help you,” you offer, joining him on the balcony and helping him untangle himself from the glowing strands. “Thanks,” Mark replies, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck. With your combined efforts, you manage to thread the string of lights through the railing with little to no mishaps, and both of you continue decking out the apartment with other seasonal items for the next several hours.

At some point during the afternoon one of you decided to connect their phone to a speaker and play some music, all Christmas songs of course. As the classic version of “Jingle Bell Rock” begins to blare throughout the living room, Mark abandons his task momentarily to walk over to you. He extends a hand down to you, sitting on the floor, and you accept the invitation to stand up with a questioning look.

“Dance with me?”

It’s hardly a platonic request, Mark realizes once the words leave his lips, but even so you don’t shy away, glancing down at your feet with a slight trace of bashfulness in the action.

He intertwines your fingers somewhat loosely, placing his non-dominant hand on your waist and beginning to sway, slowly at first but then his movements become more exaggerated, shoulders tilting dramatically to one side after the other and straying from the rhythm of the music. You join Mark in drawing out the jesting movements, losing yourself in laughter and leaning forward to bury your face in his shoulder, the heat of your breath hitting his skin through the thin t-shirt he’s wearing. In one last attempt to keep the joyful smile on your face, he steps back a bit and holds your wrist above your head to twirl you in a circle.

The electric guitar in the song fades as you collapse onto the carpet, recovering from your fit of giggles. The sun has begun to sink in the sky, you can tell by the gold and orange glow that your apartment becomes bathed in as it sets, inching closer to the horizon and eventually becoming hidden by tall skyscrapers in the distance.

Satisfied with your progress so far, you both decide to call it a day, though in truth there aren’t many decorations left to put out. A few stray ornaments and some garlands remain, still packed up in boxes that you would need help reaching. You’re also eager to get your mind off of the way your heart was palpitating as you danced with Mark, your roommate and friend but nothing more, nothing less. You have enough to worry about at the moment, not wanting to add potential feelings for the boy into the mix. Shit, you think, you still need to buy his gift.

“What should we watch?” Mark asks, scrolling through the list of movie choices on the TV screen.

“I don’t really care, anything’s fine.”

His finger presses a button on the remote to select a film at random, the intro playing as you scan the refrigerator shelves for a frozen meal. Hopefully it’s not one of those cheesy holiday romances.

Settling down on the couch a few minutes later, you with the warmed-up container in your lap and Mark holding a cup of ramen noodles, both of you fall into a comfortable chatter about the movie. Thank god it’s a comedy.

Occasionally you find yourself diverting your attention from the harsh display and directing it over to the panes of floor-to-ceiling windows, where you watch more and more lights flicker on in the distance, illuminating the urban landscape as night falls. The view is breathtaking, but so is the way your face softly glows with their warmth, even from blocks away. Not that Mark would ever tell you that, of course.

“I’m going out!” Mark hears shuffling from outside his bedroom the next morning, your voice instantly bringing him to his senses. Curious, he shoots out of bed and flings the door open to find you, one arm stuck through the sleeve of your coat and the other buried in a bag, but it’s not the one you usually bring when you leave the flat. Eyes wide and panicked at the boy’s unexpected appearance, you clutch it to your chest with a visible amount of difficulty, Mark notices.

“Where are you off to?” He squints at the brightness of the living room, the early morning light pouring in through the glass on the far wall.

“...Maybe I can’t tell you,” you respond with a huff, slinging the heavy bag over your shoulder and pulling the rest of your coat on.

“What do you mean, you can’t—oh.”

“Nice going, genius,” you shake your head, feigning disappointment. “It’s not like it’s Christmas this week or anything.”

“My bad, sorry.” Mark winces and rakes a hand through his bedhead, abashed.

“I’ll be back soon, okay?”

With that, you step into the hallway and offer a parting smile over your shoulder, shutting the front door behind you.

At least your being out of the apartment gives Mark time to wrap your gift. All he has to do is figure out how.

Johnny gets a familiar feeling when he sees you enter the pawn shop, fumbling with your things and reluctantly gazing at whatever’s in the tote you’re holding. Are you also about to make an exchange you could potentially regret?

“One second,” you excuse yourself as you step up to the counter, placing the heavy bag down and removing the large item from inside: your letter box, minus its contents. Of course you would never get rid of those, but despite the letters and notes being so special to you, the box they were always kept in is also a significant part of your attachment and the memories you hold dear.

With a thud you set it down, Johnny glancing between the hesitation on your face and the wooden container on the counter in front of him. “Let me guess, you want to exchange this for cash?”

“Yes, sir, that’s exactly what I—” You pause, biting your tongue. “Hold on… Look, I know this is a pawn shop and that’s what people do here, but how are you so sure?”

Johnny’s gut tells him he shouldn’t give away the fact that a boy wearing the very same expression and with the same sense of purpose and determination was in here just two days earlier. So he corrects his mistake with a simple “Lucky guess” and a hearty chuckle.

Without Johnny even asking, you tell him that you’re also looking for some extra cash in order to afford a gift for your “friend,” and you say the word with so much conviction and certainty that it’s almost laughable. The information given to Johnny helps him fully connect the dots in his mind, realizing that each of you are the one the other talked about.

Before handing you the money, Johnny tears off a sheet of paper from a nearby notepad and asks you to fill out your information, most importantly your address. He has to lie a bit, saying it’s for contact purposes, but his heart is in the right place nonetheless. Just in case something goes south (and the sinking feeling in his stomach tells him that it will somehow), doing so gives him an option, even if he doesn’t know what that option might be yet.

“Thank you, Johnny, and Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas!” He returns your wish cheerfully as you push the door open to leave.

“Good luck finding a gift for your ‘friend,’ too.”

You feel heat rise to your cheeks when you see his teasing use of air quotes, but still smile.

On your way back to the apartment Mark texts you and asks you to check the mail, saying he forgot to do so yesterday. When you arrive in the lobby and make your way over to the cluster of mailboxes, you’re instantly shocked to find a large cardboard box shoved into the small cubby with your and Mark’s name on it. You’re already struggling to carry the guitar case you bought for him, so you decide to make a second trip later.

A few moments after stepping out of the elevator, you knock on the door to your apartment, hoping with all your might that Mark won’t actually open it and instead just answer with a “Come in” as he always does. Your wish is, thankfully, granted, but it’s quickly followed by “Wait, wait, wait!” As it happens, he just finished wrapping your gift and needs another minute or two to tuck it away somewhere until the big day arrives. “Can you stay out there until I say?”

“Sure,” you reply, “but I’m going to have to ask you to do the same.”

“How about I stay in my room while you come in and do… whatever you need to?”

“Sounds good.”

With his door closed, Mark hears the front one open and shut as you enter. Trying not to make any noise that would give away the size of the item you just bought, you finally settle for hiding the leather case underneath your bed, concealed by the drapery attached to its frame that hovers just above the floor.

Mark had hastily placed the now-wrapped (though not elegantly so) stationery set back into his dresser, so he’s already out of his room by the time you leave yours. “Any letters or packages?” He questions when he sees you.

“Oh, right!” You snap your fingers, “We do have a package but my hands were full, so I’ll bring it up right now.”

“Eggnog?”

While the box had looked fairly ordinary from the outside, upon opening it and glancing at the return address you learned it was actually anything but that. Mark’s and your parents had sent a holiday care package of sorts, including both of your families’ Christmas cards and a carton of eggnog, along with some small gifts that are meant to be saved for the morning of the 25th. Also mixed in are a few small decorations (not that you need more), some baking supplies complete with a copy of the recipe for the cookies you make every year, and a soft pair of mittens for each of you. He hopes you don’t realize that one of the items is a sprig of mistletoe.

“You don’t like eggnog?” You ask, stunned. Mark shrugs, “I don’t really care for milk but it’s the thought that counts, I guess.”

That evening you and Mark take another stroll, this time choosing to stay on the streets and admire the festively adorned buildings and shops as you pass by them. Admiring Christmas lights at this time of year is nothing new to you and Mark. In fact, when you lived in Canada you would do the same thing. The only difference is that back then, it involved driving through quiet suburban neighborhoods and not ambling through crowded city streets and alleyways on foot.

Snowflakes begin to cascade from the heavens as you make your way back around to the block where you live. Mark sticks his tongue out to catch one of the small crystals, and it immediately melts in his mouth, eliciting a high-pitched laugh from the boy. Snow is also something you both are more than used to by now, having grown up with white Christmases all your lives. It makes you wonder if the holiday season would be the same without it.

“You know what we should do?” Mark turns to you just as you’re about to enter the apartment building again. “Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center.”

“Mark, c’mon, you know stuff like that is overpriced. And besides, I can’t skate to save my life. Remember—”

“That time in sophomore year? You bet I do,” he laughs as he remembers how you clumsily fell not even two seconds after stepping onto the ice with your skates, and then refused to let go of the railing for the rest of the day. The elevator whirs to life, climbing floor after floor with ease.

“Hey,” you offer, “we can still go and watch people skate, I’m sure there’s some place to sit.”

“And we can look at the Christmas tree, too,” Mark adds, eyes brightening at the idea.

“Right. I forget you haven’t seen it in person before.” The cabin doors open with a ding and you step out, your eyes landing on the door to your apartment a few yards away.

When you turn on the TV, Mark becomes mesmerized by the movie that’s playing, since it takes place in NYC and he recognizes so many places from actually being there. He scrambles to remove his jacket and beanie, plopping down onto the couch once they’re safely hooked on the coat rack.

Watching him, you sigh. Would anything really change if you were dating? Assuming your feelings were returned, of course, but you can’t imagine that your relationship would differ much. You certainly wouldn’t go on extravagant dates, or buy expensive gifts for each other, but that’s not what love is about, anyway. With the exception of a few extra hugs and the addition of kisses, along with more forms of physical affection in general (actually, scratch that, Mark’s always been awkward with those kinds of things), you’d still be by each other’s side just like always.

As you sit down next to him and feel an arm wrap around your shoulder, you don’t shrug it off, instead embracing the warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart that you can’t blame on the holiday season this time.

Mark’s glad, too. He’s been working up the courage to do that all day.

Late that night, you quietly tiptoe into the living area, retrieving an old box from your move-in last year that will fit his gift perfectly, and won’t give away what’s inside. Your hands fold and tape the wrapping paper with care, tying a neat ribbon once you’re done. Sure, you had to give up something that meant a lot to you in order to afford Mark’s present, but the gains outweigh the losses. You find comfort in imagining the way his face will surely light up with pure joy on Christmas morning, drifting off to sleep with ease once you’ve hidden the rectangular parcel back underneath your bed.

A few days pass and soon it’s the 23rd, and you join Mark at the railing of the ice rink, of course on the side with solid ground. “Ice is solid ground,” Mark had corrected, but you stood firm in your words. “More like slippery ground, if you ask me.”

Luckily you had been allowed to stand here for free, because god only knows what small, simple thing someone would be charged for in New York. It’s happened to you before, and you’re not even a tourist.

Mark’s dark eyes gaze up at the 75-foot-tall tree in wonder, pupils dilating and reflecting the tens of thousands of bright lights strung through the dark green branches. They seem to sparkle with sheer amazement. Just then someone skates a little too close to the section of railing you’re leaning on, startling Mark out of his LED-induced daze and putting the most adorable look of surprise on his face.

His focus shifts to the people on the ice, wearing sweaters and jackets of every color imaginable, and the sight is still as beautiful as the looming Christmas tree above. He notices some couples, holding onto one another or skating hand-in-hand, and it makes him wonder if that could be you two someday, at a future Christmas, or if it’s an idea absurd enough for an alternate reality.

Mark sees you shiver out of the corner of his eye, and it’s his cue to suggest returning home for the evening. In a very cliché and boyfriend-esque gesture he offers you his jacket, but you decline, insisting that it’s not far and assuring him that you’ll be okay.

Back in your heated flat, you twist open the lid of the eggnog carton and pour a small glass for yourself. “Are you sure you don’t want some?” You call out to Mark from the kitchen, snatching one of the cookies you made the other day and finding a paper plate for the thin shortbread wafer, lined with elegant white icing and dusted with sprinkles.

“I already told you, I don’t like eggnog!”

“Have you even tried it before?” Mark grumbles at your nagging. You really sound like his mom right now.

“No…”

You appear at the other end of the couch, holding out a small cup with just a sip or two of eggnog in it. “Try it. You never know.”

He knows you won’t leave until you see him lift it to his lips for yourself, so he does. Immediately the sweet drink overwhelms his taste buds, and also leaves a slight sting on his tongue.

“What’s in this stuff?” He coughs, nose scrunching a bit from the strong taste. Surprisingly, though, he doesn’t hate it. Following you back to the kitchen, Mark pours a full glass this time, already gulping it down.

“Uh,” you scan the ingredients on the back of the carton once he sets it down on the counter, “milk, cream, sugar, eggs…”

“...whiskey? What the hell?”

“It has alcohol,” Mark slurs, his giggling interrupted by a hiccup. Having never drank before, he’s undeniably a lightweight, and even a little bit can get him wasted almost instantly.

“Mom and Dad must have mixed something up, because they definitely didn’t mean to send us alcoholic eggnog.”

Sure enough, back home in Canada your parents are wondering why they only have the kid-friendly stuff in their fridge.

Mark latches on to you, arm curling lazily around your waist. Great, he’s one of those people that gets clingy when they’re drunk. “Try some,” he whines, nuzzling into your shoulder a little.

“Are you crazy?”

“No one will know,” he laughs, hiccuping again. Giving in to his adorably drunken pout, you take one sip from your original glass but no more, an unpleasant buzz taking over your whole mouth.

Not looking forward to finding a hangover cure on Christmas Eve of all days, you pray that you’ll stay sober enough to take care of the tipsy boy, who’s currently pressing his face into the back of your neck and—shit, did he just kiss you there? You really don’t need this right now.

“Mark, you’re drunk, okay? Stop it,” you caution.

“But I love you,” he murmurs, warm breath fanning your skin, and you want to kick yourself for almost saying it back. Does he even mean it, though? Alcohol makes people say crazy things, things they don’t mean, so you shouldn’t get your hopes up. You unhook his arm from your torso and turn around to push against his chest, frustrated. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He seems to have just remembered something, because he ignores you and instead goes over to where the care package was still sitting, digging into the bottom and pulling out something you hadn’t noticed before. “Look,” Mark declares in a nasal voice, “mistletoe.”

You exasperatedly hang your head, desperate to slam it into the nearest wall. With much difficulty, you eventually manage to get him tucked underneath the blanket, leaving a glass of water on his nightstand for when he wakes up. “Get some sleep,” you say simply.

He tells you goodnight with a fond mumble of your name as you shut the bedroom door behind you. Rubbing your eyes, you yawn before turning off the lights and heading to bed yourself, trying to block out the events that had just taken place.

Your head aches when you wake up the next morning, and you feel like garbage, so you can only imagine how much worse Mark must be doing. Quickly chugging a water bottle, you reluctantly go to knock on his door, hearing a pained groan once you enter. He’s sitting up, chin resting in one hand and the other anchored onto the heavy comforter covering his legs.

“How are you feeling?” The obvious question with an even more obvious answer makes Mark wince. “Awful.”

“Sorry.” It’s silent for a moment, Mark pressing three fingers to his throbbing forehead and you staring aimlessly at the wall. “I knew that eggnog was a bad idea.”

“You were the one that told me to try it!”

“I didn't know it had alcohol in it!”

You sigh, dejected. Something tells Mark that your head isn’t the only thing hurting.

“Hey, I know that look. What’s wrong?” He prods, voice soft and gentle and altogether unlike how it had been last night. You meet his eyes for a moment, about to speak but biting your lip at the last second. Mark’s brain puts two and two together at your expression.

“Oh god, did I say something? Do something?”

“Yeah, actually,” you reply in a huff. “First you kissed my neck, then you told me you loved me, and then you held up a clump of mistletoe and implied that we should kiss underneath it.”

His memories of the previous evening are all a blur, so he truly would have no idea what happened if you hadn’t just said something. Mark knows he screwed up, bad.

You tense when you feel him place his hand over yours, but you don’t snatch it away. After collecting his thoughts, Mark clears his throat.

“Look, I… I know that’s not the best way for you to find out how someone feels about you. But I’m completely sober, and I can tell you that I meant what I said last night.”

“You promise?”

“Promise,” Mark replies.

“...Can you say it again, then?”

He blushes, “That I…?”

You nod, the corners of your lips lifting into a small smile.

“I love you,” Mark tells you for the second time in the last 24 hours, but this time you know you can believe him. The pain of your hangover goes away for a moment as he takes your jaw in his hands and connects your lips, just barely retaining the buzz of the alcohol but not enough to bother you. Slowly you kiss him back, sinking down onto the mattress beside him.

Mark pulls away for air a few seconds later, thumb grazing your cheek lovingly. “Does this mean we’re—”

“Dating? If you want it to, then sure,” your finger traces swirly shapes on the small of his back while you assure him that neither of you need to rush into anything if you aren’t ready.

“I don’t want things to change, though.”

“Who said they have to? I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and we’re already pretty close, you know? Making it ‘official’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘different,’ so...”

Mark hums in agreement, “You’re right. Okay, I can live with that.”

“And I can’t live another second without food. I’m making breakfast,” you quip, reverting back to the usual banter between you and him.

“I’ll cook the eggs,” Mark insists as you both make your way out of his bedroom and into the kitchen.

“You absolutely will not!”

The night before Christmas had started out unlike any that you’d ever experienced before, with you confronting your now-boyfriend about a drunken love confession the previous day. But now, it’s ending just like every year, with you cozy and curled up in front of the television as the last few segments of the news play.

It’s the coldest Christmas Eve in years. You learned this after the meteorologist had informed viewers of the record only a few minutes earlier, inadvertently planting an idea in Mark’s mind.

Right as you’re about to turn in for the night, setting a plate of decorated cookies and a glass of milk down on the end table (as is tradition in your families, no matter how old you are), Mark holds out his arms like a child might. “Can we…?” He asks in a quiet voice, nervous to finish his sentence.

“Huh?”

The boy inhales sharply, “It’s freezing. Do you wanna sleep in my bed tonight?” His cheeks flush a deep red that’s almost the color of Christmas itself.

You’re slightly taken aback, and then you remember it’s just Mark. “Sure, why not,” you answer with a light shrug and a smile on your face.

“But no funny business,” you inform him as you climb under the sheets together, instantly happy with your choice to join him because double the people means double the body heat. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Mark replies, pecking your lips. His wrist finds the warm skin of your neck and you flinch away.

“Your hands are cold!” He just snickers at your whining.

The two of you fall asleep more quickly than you ever have on Christmas Eve, usually overcome with nerves and excitement, but now, as two college-aged kids, you’re comfortable and not rushing the morning’s arrival at all, content in each other’s arms for the moment.

You feel like you’re 10 years old again as you rush into the living room at 8am the next day, the bright, early morning sky lighting up your entire apartment. At the base of your Christmas tree sits a humble amount of presents, composed of the two that you bought for each other plus the half-dozen small ones from your parents.

You hand Mark one of the cookies from the end table and grab one for yourself, taking a bite of the sweet treat as you sit down and motioning for him to do the same.

“Open yours first,” you say eagerly, referring to your gift for him. Mark shakes his head and points to what he got you, “No, you go first.”

“Fine, we’ll open them at the same time.” Mark nods, satisfied with the compromise and handing you both the packages.

“On three. One, two…”

The final number barely leaves your lips before you both begin tearing into the paper excitedly, Mark reaching for the flaps on the box and you unfolding the tissue paper.

When you each see what the other gifted you with, it’s completely silent, save for the TV playing a Christmas Day special in the background.

He gazes blankly at you, licking his lips as his eyes dart between the guitar case and your expression.

“I appreciate the gift, but I…” Mark pauses, unsure how to tell you this.

You don’t say a word, raising your eyebrows as a signal for him to continue.

“I sold my guitar to pay for your gift,” he breathes.

“You what? Mark, that guitar means everything to you! Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re worth it, of course!”

“Well, I did the same thing,” you break the news with an unamused expression. “I sold my letter box to pay for that case.”

His eyes become impossibly wider at that, nearly bulging out of their sockets. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

You groan and lie down on the floor, beyond discouraged. “Let me guess, the pawn shop on 23rd?”

“Yep.”

“Hey, wait a minute.” An idea hits Mark like a rush of cold air. “Maybe we can work out a deal or something.”

“Meaning?”

“We go back and see if we can trade in our new gifts for enough money to get our old things back.”

“One, I doubt it’s that easy, and two, pretty much everything is closed on Christmas Day.” You’re half tempted to laugh because of how ironic this situation is.

Mark sighs, “I guess that makes sense.”

“We can still try, though.”

Sure enough, the pawn shop is dark, even more so than usual, and the door doesn’t budge. A sign taped to the window from the inside confirms your fear: Closed on Christmas. Gloved hands pressed onto the glass, you and Mark admit your defeat. You had been bested by the giving spirit of the holiday season, almost too generous for your own good.

But it’s the message that the day itself stands for after all, for putting aside material value and doing something out of the kindness of your heart just to make someone else happy. That’s what it’s all about, and you and Mark had personally experienced it this year.

So you’re surprised to find two boxes leaning on the wall beside the door to your apartment the next morning, shapes oddly familiar. Could it be?

Just hours earlier, the hallway surveillance cameras caught a tall man striding down the corridor, carrying those exact packages under his arms. In the video he pulls out a scrap of paper and a pen from his coat pocket, scribbling a short message before tucking it underneath the ribbon of the larger parcel and leaving the building just as quickly as he came.

You and Mark’s only clue as to who had returned your items is a messy ‘J’ at the end of the note attached to the box containing his guitar. Exchanging knowing glances, you both grin, squeezing your intertwined hands with the same name in mind.

...So what if Johnny had to take a bit of money out of his own paycheck to cover the cost of the items? Besides, it’s Christmas. And his boss never has to know.

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[hirakdesherrani]

Double standards re: Annika and Gauri

Now this is not a bashing post, (or even if it is who cares, its my blog and I can write whatever I want) or yet another comparison post. I love both of these characters, despite the shitty and mostly inconsistent writing (especially in case of Gauri). Maybe I love Gauri a bit more, but that’s mainly ‘cos Shrenu is a superior performer. 

This is just to let out a year of frustration at the writers and the petty fandom BS when it comes to these two, so that I don’t carry this venom with me into the next year. 

My grudge is more againt the fandom than the writers because the writers did give a chance to Gauri to shine in some places, but again the petty fandom BS. At least the Shivika fandom is not divided into Shivaay v/s Annika; unfortunately for Gauri, its the Omkara fandom which bashes her the most because they just can’t accept that Om is not perfect, and undeserving of anyone, let alone Gauri. 

Anyways, so launching into it straightaway, lets start with the writers. The writers have in a major way been much more meherbaan on Annika than Gauri. Annika was explored for almost 140 episodes before Shivaay forcibly married her. What about Gauri? She was married off to Omkara in the 11th episode, and more or less her story starts from there. In fact, to be very honest the audience got to see only two episodes of Gauri’s life before Kali Thakur wreaks her life. The audience never got to see Gauri’s life at all. The only things audience got to know about Gauri is that she is adopted, she loves her mother and she is a devotee of Shankarji. And these three things Gauri shares with probably 80 million people in India. What makes up her character and who she is was not explored at all. Its like Gauri’s story started when she married Omkara. And she was immediately judged as a doormat and regressive and other assorted nonsense (which I will deal with later in the post). 

On the other hand, Annika’s independence was thrust in our faces for almost 150 episodes. The multitude of qualities which make Annika amazing were explored over a period of 5 months. Gauri was never afforded that opportunity in the first place. Annika is ‘khuddar’ and made her way in life without the advantage of naam, khoon and khaandaan. This was the main draw and USP of Annika’s character. Well, Gauri ne kaunsa naam, khoon, khaandaan ka advantage uthaaya hai?!? She is equally self-made and independent in life. But the writers did not spend more than two episodes exploring this. 

Another thing which writers highlighted over and over, was how Annika took care of Sahil and dueled with her nasty Buaaji on a daily basis. Episodes on episodes have been used on highlighting that how despite being an orphan, Annika took the responsibility of a young  Sahil. On the other hand, Gauri has been passed off as someone with a happy childhood. Yeah I imagine her childhood would have been very happy, with her chaacha and chaachi plotting on how much money they could earn when they sold her off. And if someone argues that Gauri had the presence of at least an adoptive mother, toh please, its more likely that Gauri brought her mother up than her mother raising her. Maaaa is probably the most annoying character in DBO’s universe, and let me just say that Sahil is probably one of the most sensible and perceptive character in IBverse, and Annika was lucky to have his support, unlike Gauri who was crippled by the existence of Maaaa and who filled Gauri’s head with nonsense about marriage and duties of wife. 

And now my greatest grudge against writers. Annika is the favorite of several people because she solves all her problems on her own. We have seen a gradual development of Annika’s character, where writers have spend time exploring why Annika is cynical about God, and why she always blames her ‘2Rs kismat’ for her troubles. Well, news flash, Gauri also defeats all evil on her own, and her life has been hella more scary than Annika’s. Gauri has been criticized strongly for her belief in god. Not just by IF/Twitter fandom (who are usually pathetic and crazy) but also by Tumblr fandom. Tumblr biggies initially dismissed Gauri for her ‘holier-than-though’ attitude, and parroting dialogues on faith and belief. 

But here I beg to differ. Gauri’s relationship with her Shankarji is perhaps the purest bond in the whole of IB/DBO universe. Gauri does not pray to Shakarji because its a social obligation or habit bred into her. Shankarji is like Gauri’s godfather. Since, Maaaa was mostly a useless creature, its to Shankarji that Gauri turns to in times of distress, and Shankarji looks after her. Shankarji has always protected her. If Gauri believes in Shankarji, then Shankarji has also responded in kind and looked after her. Yes, Shankarji messed up majorly when he chose Omkara for her, but khair, even God is not above making mistakes. Shankarji could have chosen someone wayyyy better for his chiraiyaa, but maybe Gauri made some Draupadi-esque blunder in her previous life (I hope you guys know the story, if not ask in comments, and I’ll reply), so she got stuck with Omkara. I’ll forever hate the writers for not exploring the Gauri’s dynamics and backstory with Shankarji. In my headcanon, some major incident must have happened when Gauri was young, and Gauri must have prayed to God and Shankarji must have got her out of trouble. Since then Gauri and Shankarji formed an unbreakable bond, which is why Gauri has this unshakeable faith in Shankarji. The writers never explored the reason behind Gauri’s faith and positivity and optimism, allowing the audience and fandoms to be hoodwinked into believing that Gauri was the typical Tulsi-Parvati type of character. I think I’ll be sour about this fact even after the show ends.

Coming to the next fact which annoys me. Now here I can’t blame the writers really. Its the fandom and their elitist notions that irk me. Annika is widely loved for her dictionary and mannerisms. In fact, to be honest michmichi has become part of my dictionary as well. But why is Gauri judged for the way she talks? Just because Annika is from Bombay/Mumbai so she is cool, whereas Gauri hailing from the North Indian belt (UP) is a victim of regionalist bias. Forget the trashy Twitter/IF fandom or the so-called ‘Om Deewaanis’ who suffer from a Pinky complex and believe that Gauri is not good enough for their trash son, but even sensible Tumblr blogs initially bashed Gauri for her linguistic traits. I mean, if you are a South Indian who does not understand half the words Gauri speaks, then is that the character’s fault or your own judgy ass for stereotyping her? (just an instance I came across). The funny thing is that now the same Tumblr blogs have come around to liking Gauri, and now blame others for being classist and elitist. The U-turns on opinions I’ve seen in this show, honestly.

Connecting to my old point about Gauri’s equation with Shankarji, is this other issue where both the writers and the fandom are at fault. The writers couldn’t spend more than two episodes on giving Gauri a proper backstory, but they spent over two months on her Pati parmeshvar nonsense. There were so many other facets to her character which could and should have been highlighted properly: her positivity, her optimism, humor, courage, quick wit, sharp brains. Yes, the writers did highlight those, but with a daily dose of PP jaap which ensured that audience would overlook her better qualities. And jo kasar writers ne chhod di thi, woh fandom ne puri kar di. It literally took an episode for the fandom to typecast her as a doormat. Gauri wan’t devoted to Omkara because he “married” her. Duh uh. Gauri saw Shankarji as her godfather, and in her mind Shankarji sent Omkara to save her. The fact that Omkara shares his name with Shankarji confirmed her belief further. In Gauri’s eyes, Omkara is her guardian angel. So, she easily put him on a pedestal. The fact is that Gauri is devoted to him not because he is her husband, she is devoted to him because she believes that it is her fate, if her God chose Omkara for her, then who is she to deny his choice, and the duties, the ‘patnidharm’ that comes along with it. I believe that if Gauri had married any other guy, under ordinary circumstances then the PP jaap would not be there because she would not have seen him as her savior. 

Another reason why the PP jaap was at its height during the Chulbul phase was because up until then Gauri just saw his good side. In her mind, Omkara was a good guy who valued his servants also, he was humble, down-to-earth, sorta socialist person, who loved his mother, but just suffered from some anger management issues. The fact that Omkara befriended a servant confirmed her belief that Omkara is some modern day socialist hero. But post-the Chulbul reveal in Bareilly where Om left Gauri to die, thats when she came to face the ugly truth of Omkara being a one-eyed, judgmental, hypocritical asshole. In my opinion, thats the reason why Gauri’s PP jaap toned down when she returned to Oberoi mansion. She still kept him on a pedestal but now it was more of an obligation than her own wish. Which is why she kept questioning his hypocrisy whenever given the chance, and pointing out his bullshit mental issues. This is also the reason why she did not waste a moment in leaving the mansion, once she guaranteed that Om is safe (in the DBO finale scene).

But did the fandom understand all this? Nope. For them Gauri was the regressive doormat, while Annika was the progressive modern bahu. Well, didn’t Annika stick to Shivaay after the forced marriage? Yes, she was emotionally abused into it by Dadi, but the fans were so willing to forgive Annika for staying with Shivaay, toh phir Gauri ne kya dosh kiya hai? Annika literally forgives Shivaay the next day for the Daksh misunderstanding where she could have almost died thanks to Shivaay’s judgmental ass. But Gauri is a greater villain for forgiving Omkara for leaving her to die in Bareilly track 2? Kyun bhai?? 

Also, lets not forget that Annika had made it a business to save Shivaay from Tia’s scam even before she got married to him. Like girl, do you go to the Oberoi mansion to do your job or spy on Tia? And for whom? The guy who called you road trash, threw you out of his house multiple times, put you in prison, and made abusive physical contact many times before? But the fandom forgets all this or calls it Annika’s generosity. But Gauri is bashed for her divinely ordained obsession with Omkara. 

If Gauri were really the doormat then she would have tried to impose herself on Omkara, but she never did. If Gauri were really the regressive doormat then she would not have confronted and questioned Omkara multiple times for asking what is her place in his life and what is her right to stay in the Oberoi house.  I won’t say that Annika didn’t question Shivaay, she did, but she never demanded answers. In fact, I was under the impression that Annika would leave after Tia exposure but she made no move to do that. Unlike Gauri who once the job was done, kept on questioning Omkara, until she gave up on him completely and just waited for Shivika to get married so that she could leave the house. How are the two characters so widely different that Annika is progressive while Gauri is regressive in the eyes of the fandom?

That the writers never gave the same opportunity to Gauri’s character to be explored is something I’ve already mentioned. But the writers didn’t stop at that. The multiple personality transplants they have given to Gauri and flipped her character on the tava for the plot’s convenience are a greater sin. The chief example of this is the bullshit English track which was just introduced for the sake of showing what an amazing brother Shivaay is and how amazing Annika is that she did not change herself for Shivaay. I mean Shivika are amazing, but is it necessary to butcher Gauri’s character for that? Gauri, who has been proudly proclaiming that she is paachvi paas, who almost picked up a fight with Omkara because she thought he was about to comment on her dressing style and ask her to change it, and who most importantly said that love is like Meera, where one should not impose oneself on another; would learn English all of a sudden because she wants to be ‘laayak’ for Om?? Like really?? This is such a major character blooper, only introduced to make Shivika look like the goals couple. Matlab what should I say about Shivika then, who need every other character in the IBverse to sing their praises to prove how ‘takkar’ ki their jodi is. LOL I’ll rather prefer Rikara over them then, at least they don’t need Dadi to remind the audience everyday that Shivika are true ishqbaaz. 

Of course, the petty fandom exploited this writing blooper to the fullest to say how Annika is self-confident while Gauri is an insecure mess. Well didn’t Annika lie and sacrifice her relationship with Shivaay because of Pinky’s dhamki? She didn’t have 1% confidence in their relationship to tell the truth of Pinky’ threats. Wasn’t Annika too defeated by her insecurity about naam, khoon, khaandaan that to protect Shivaay’s fake pride she sacrificed her love? Because she felt that Shivaay needs his naam,khoon, khaandaan more than her, despite the whole journey they had made as a couple over an year. Gauri, by those standards did not know Omkara that well, and neither were they in love at the point, for her to not be affected by her insecurities. But Gauri’s insecurities make her a doormat while Annika’s insecurities make her a self-sacrificing devi? Theek hai ji!

Several people get irritated that why is Rikara fandom so upset with Gauri shipping Shivika or playing matchmaker for them or part of the Obahus, etc. Well, they don’t get it. The DBO fandom has seen Gauri as the centre of everything, where she has ruled in her story. To see Gauri play second fiddle to Anika or Shivika is what irks us. We are not mad that Gauri is seen shipping Shivika; we are mad because thats all she’s been reduced to. When the Rikara fandom says that it wants badass Gauri, we don’t mean we want her to be stabbing villains or crushing cars. We want her to have her own story and be at the centre of her story. The break up scene is I think the most badass scene of Gauri, because she fully annihilates Omkara’s skewed perception of truth and walks out of their one-sided equation. 

Finally the only instance where writers have favored Gauri over Annika (till now). Unlike Annika, Gauri has always been able to keep the physical and romantic aspect of her relationship separate. The only consideration for Gauri in a physical equation is consent. Gauri never steps back from participating in consensual physical contact. Woh hamaari phooti kismat that Omkara is forever either drugged or faking it or the latent passive-aggressive nature of their relationship, which has effectively ensured that Rikara fandom never gets to enjoy a tharki scene. 

But what were the writers thinking when they showed a 27-year old, grownass woman, brought up in Mumbai, who btw watched B-grade movies with her brother, LITERALLY running away from the man she loves on the thought of consummation? Like what were they smoking? I get it that they want to show shyness on part of the heroine, but to actually make her run away like that? The whole scene where Annika wears the silly night dress on top of her kurta and escapes from the room is in the list of the top five cringey scenes I’ve seen on Ishqbaaz. What fandom thought as funny and comic and cute, I found that unbelievable and moreover, why do writers write such sequences which make their heroes looks like desperate horny men? 

Annika fleeing her room is funny, but Gauri being lost for a moment in that horrendous jal jal ke dhuyaan sequence makes her desperate? The kind of comments I read on IF that time were unbelievable. Since when did feeling desire make one a desperate, clingy woman? FYI Gauri did push Om away because he was not in his senses. The most ridiculous reaction has to be of certain ‘Om deewaanis’ (I’m sorry I just can’t stop myself from LOLing at this group), who wrote that Omkara is so attractive that Gauri just couldn’t resist him, like themselves. Somebody knock some sense into these teenage girls that Kunal and Omkara are two different creatures. The number of facepalm moments I had reading their comments that day! Thank God! the writers toned down that aspect of Annika, because “yeh aap kya kar rahe hai Shivaay” was getting on my nerves. 

While Annika got so much appreciation for finally being bold, let me just say that my girl Gauri already did it. I hated the inspiration scene, but I have to praise Gauri for unbelievable confidence she has in herself to follow Bade Bhaiyaa’s suggestion, and use her beauty as the one thing that can help remove Omkara’s artist block. Gauri is confidence goals. The fact that Gauri is in touch with her sensual side is perhaps the greatest reason why I prefer Gauri over Annika. 

To me, both my girls are amazing, and deserve much better the Obros. They also deserve much better than the writers shitty, inconsistent tracks and pathetic fandom bullshit. 

Honestly, for me the best possible conclusion of IB would be AniRiVya leaving the Oberois after giving them a piece of their mind about the maltreatment they suffered at their hands (Soumya, smart girl, pehli hi Australia chali gayi). Oh and Svetlana burning down the whole mansion with the Oberois in it. Maybe in distant future Svetty and Gauri can hook up, ‘cos honestly I’ve been on the SvetRi ship even before I thought of giving Rikara a chance (Om is just too stupid for Gauri). 

P.S. I mentioned above that Shrenu is a superior performer. I have two reasons for this. IB was my first Surbhi C. show while DBO was my first Shrenu show. Why I praise Shrenu more is because Gauri is a difficult character to play. While Surbhi has a lot in common with Annika’s bindaas attitude, Shrenu has nothing in common with Gauri. Gauri and Shrenu are too totally different personas, therefore, in my opinion Shrenu has to put in greater effort to play Gauri than Surbhi has to put in playing Annika. Secondly, Surbhi got a whole lot more material and 50 times greater screenspace to prove her mettle as compared to Shrenu, and yet Shrenu managed to impress me in the second episode itself while it took almost a month for me to warm up to Surbhi’s acting skills. 

#Annika #Gauri Kumari Sharma #Surbhi Chandna #Shrenu Parikh #Dil Boley Oberoi #Ishqbaaz #Ishqbaaaz #fandom nonsense #writing flaws #my stuff

[joshuajacksonlyblog]

Bitcoin Black Friday 2020 Will Host Major Discounts For BTC Payments

Before Bitcoin was a movement, it was a digital currency. While the store-of-value aspect of Bitcoin gets highlighted often, the permissionless payments side often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. In 2012, Jon Holmquist embraced the Black Friday holiday in order to help Bitcoiners showcase the advantages of their favorite technology, launching BitcoinBlackFriday.com and hacking a mainstream cultural moment into a tool for Bitcoin adoption.

In years past, thousands of merchants have participated in Bitcoin Black Friday, offering special discounts for those willing to pay in BTC. P2P marketplaces have facilitated bitcoin discounts on normal purchases and BTC payment processors have directed customers to massive directories of bitcoin-friendly deals. In 2013, the holiday became an opportunity to help children affected by a major typhoon in the Philippines. That same year, BitPay announced that it had processed a record-breaking 55,288 bitcoin merchant transactions in November thanks to the holiday.

But the celebration fizzled in 2017 when Bitcoin’s use as a payments tool became conflated with the larger community debate over block sizes and on-chain transaction speeds. Since then, there have been major scaling and payments advancements, like the evolution of the Lightning Network and the emergence of new payment card and processing solutions.

Given that progress, we at Bitcoin Magazine have decided that it’s time to recast the narrative around Bitcoin payments and remind the world that Bitcoin is an incredible tool for commerce and the inevitable currency of choice for the internet. By bringing Bitcoin Black Friday back, we encourage consumers and retailers to transact in BTC and build upon the bitcoin circular economy, taking an important step toward hyperbitcoinization and helping to create the free and open value system that we all deserve. It’s also a great opportunity to interact with some of the new open-source tools and features that have arrived for Bitcoin as well as the many companies that are building the foundation of the Bitcoin economy.

Bitcoin Black Friday 2020 is the chance to promote BTC adoption to both users and merchants, to make bitcoin a real medium of exchange for more everyday people and to showcase the humble beginnings of this still-nascent technology. It’s also an exciting reminder of how much cool Bitcoin swag is up for sale every day, from the hardware wallets and nodes that form the backbone of the Bitcoin network, to the one-of-a-kind artwork and literature celebrating this cultural revolution. Let’s be sure to support these great creators and creatives.

You can participate in Bitcoin Black Friday 2020 by:

Keeping up with BitcoinBlackFriday.com for informative content and the best bitcoin-only ecommerce deals

Following @BTC_BlackFriday on Twitter for new updates and using the hashtag #BitcoinBlackFriday

Convincing your favorite merchants to realize the advantages of BTC payments and to list special, BTC-only Bitcoin Black Friday deals

Reaching out to us so that we can feature your favorite Bitcoin products, list your Bitcoin Black Friday discounts, teach you how to accept BTC payments or answer any other questions you might have

And, most importantly, visiting BitcoinBlackFriday.com, spending your sats on special deals and sharing those purchases with the world through #BitcoinBlackFriday during this year’s holiday, November 27, 2020

The post Bitcoin Black Friday 2020 Will Host Major Discounts For BTC Payments appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

from Cryptocracken Tumblr https://ift.tt/2C3tRos via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Cryptocracken Tumblr

[jganzon]

Photo Espana Traslantica Portfolio Review

Manila, Philippines (2017)

It’s already been two months since I last posted here in Tumblr. I got too much occupied with work the past few months.

I would like to share this with you.

Three days ago, I was lucky enough to get chosen to become one of the 20 participants in the first Photo Espana Traslantica portfolio review here in Manila. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know and exchange ideas with talented and creative photographers in different fields of photography under documentary, conceptual, travel, and everything in between. 

I presented my series of photos of  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s  ‘War on Drugs’, campaign. I have been documenting this campaign since President Duterte took his post last year. The campaign resulted into a bloody war leaving thousands of allegedly drugs users killed. 

My portfolio was reviewed by respected curators and art directors Ana Morales, Zhuang Wubin, Lee Jungmin, Eva McGovern, and Maria Joselina Cruz.  I have learned so much from them. Even if their background is more leaning towards art, they were still able to guide me and provide suggestions that I can use as an approach with what I’m currently doing with my photographic journey. 

Looking back with my notes, here are the things I learned during the portfolio review:

- Photography is always about the story/concept you are about to tell.

- Photography is a tool of communication. Learn its capabilities and limitations. A concept does not always translates into a good photo.

- Make photos that will engage your audience without too much stating the obvious. A photo must speak itself to your audience. Have a human connection with your photos. 

- The atmosphere or mood of a scene can make your photos more interesting.

- Include every details in a scene that is part of your story. Highlight the details using composition tools such as light, color, etc...

- Even you are with other photographers taking the same scene, always step-up your game and make your own unique photo that will stand out among the rest. 

- Always be observant and aware of the things happening in front of you. 

- Make time with your personal photography.

I am humbled and thankful for this opportunity. So, here are the some of the photos I presented during the portfolio review.

#photography #photojournalism #photojournalists #photojournalists on tumblr #photojournalismph #South East Asia #everydaysoutheastasia #lensblr #invisible photographer asia #IPA #Photo Espana #Traslantica #imiging #documentary #contemporaryphotography #Zhuang Wubin #war on drugs

[sarahcaramba]

end of winter quarter;

life’s been good lately. i’m content. i feel balanced. i am hopeful. i look forward to these coming months. i wake up smiling excited to eat breakfast, go to class, go for a run, etc.  don’t get me wrong, my life is no where near perfect. i think that’s worth mentioning because we only see the highlights on social media. except tumblr. but because tumblr is an exception to that it can be pretty down/negative to on here sometimes. i love it when people post funny stuff on here. i’m appreciative of any humor i can get. laughter is beautiful. make me laugh till i need to pee my pants, please. i try not to post anything negative on here anymore because it brings me down a lot, you know, reminding myself of stuff, but i think it’s important to be real too. so yeah, there’s still a lot of problems at home. and there are nights i cry (nah, i’m not sad, don’t worry lol) because i can’t do much to help, no matter how much I want to. it sucks not being able to help out those that you love. i learned you love someone when their feelings becomes yours. if i can take away your sadness and put it into me so that you no longer feel sad, i would do it in a beat. everyone (for the most part, lol) deserves happiness. it’s heartbreaking to see people who deserve the world so so so depressed. but at the same time, these struggles makes me so much grateful and humble. so you get something good out of it, at least.  but enough talk on that, life’s good. this quarter was one of the toughest quarters. I took 26 units, 4 academic classes, 2 coordinator positions (research and internship). i couldn’t work because my schedule was too full but still managed to pay my bills. but i recently got hired as a peer advisor so that’s good. idk how i got the position though lol, i also got offered more internships and research. I’ll be working with a research professor who was granted 2.1 million $ from the NIH for this research project, and i get to be a part of that. how cool! i love school so much. my grades are better than ever too, i feel like i am on the right track for grad school. oh, i set the curves on multiple tests in both my majors! this was a goal of mine (just for fun goal, nothing serious).  i’m really proud of myself. i think future sarah will be happy of current sarah lol.  also, this is pretty big news too. I booked an airplane ticket to visit south korea this summer, my home country! I’ve never been. I will be there for 3 weeks. it was such a spontaneous decision, but why not!? life is way too short to just stay in my room all day. if i am given an amazing opportunity, i will take it right away - but also something i am working on too. but yeah, some of my friends are going there too with their families (coincidentally) and so we are making plans to meet up. more than anything, i want to see my mom’s home where she grew up, the place she used to work, and her school. yeah, that’s what i want to see the most.  also, i decided to take a 5th year in college. kind of weird because everyone will be graduating before me, and i will be last. but the reason why is because i want to study abroad my 5th year. it’s my only chance to go to europe (financially) so i have to take advantage of that. but yeah, i already made plans with the school to go to france in fall 2018. i’m considering studying abroad twice too, i want to go to japan or hong kong. japan is so cool.  i’ve surrounded myself with some good ass friends who support me and push me to do better. i’m so god damn thankful for my friends. they all make me laugh and help enhance myself. i want to surround myself with more people like that. i love my friends. i wish god could just be like “hey here are good people for your heart, enjoy!” and give me a batch of dope people. :’)   also, i’ve become even more appreciative of music lately. so much soul and emotion are in some of the songs i was introduced to/songs i found. god, music is amazing. creativity, art, and just pure emotions in a beat amazes me. i appreciate it so much. r&b. but yeah this was a good quarter (jan-march 2017). it was challenging but i learned a lot. i think the most important thing i learned was to get up and do shit. go look for opportunities, take them, or create them. hustle and work hard towards something you enjoy. get rid of the ‘what if’s’ and just do it. stop over thinking. take a deep breathe, and be brave. also, enjoy southern california. get out and soak up your home. get kissed by the sun.  it’s quite nice here. 

ah, be brave. 

#mind

[kristinejrosario]

Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

If you’re one of the millions of people thinking about starting a blog this year, well you’ve come to the right place!

People start blogs for so many different reasons (and often continue them for others entirely!). We each get a little something different out of blogging, on top of the benefits that are communal to us all. Our motivations and rewards are often more than the sum of our blog parts on paper – it can lead to so many brilliant new opportunities, friends, and fulfilment.

Open your mind to the possibilities, and think about where you want to go that blogging can help take you. Let’s not get to the end of 2017 and wish you’d finally taken the plunge. Don’t be Regretful McRegretson come December 31!

Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

If you’re on the fence about whether you should start a blog at all, or wondering if this is the year for you: you should. It is.

To make connections

You’ll make friends you could never even have imagined. Real friends, who can help you and inspire you and support you in not just blogging but other aspects of your life.

Not only friends, but people who are interested in the same things you are, people that can broaden your knowledge and your horizons. People who are interesting, people who add insight in your life.

You may even meet your next employer, your next romantic interest, or the right person that will pop up at just the right time to help you with a project or goal.

To Read: Tips for building Community

To share your hobby

Philatelists, unite! Got a key collection you just can’t wait to share? A love of vintage enamelware? An enviable stack of vinyl? This is your place to really let loose, show us what you’ve got and hook up with people who will love your hobby as much as you do.

To inspire others

Blogging can be such a two-way street with you and your readers, but ultimately they come to you for a reason. What kind of change are you hoping to effect in your fellow humans? Are you passionate about sustainability? Exercise? Humanitarianism? Motherhood solidarity? Whatever you’re into and want to help other people learn more about, now is your chance. There’s never been a better time (or a better reason) to blog!

To Read: How to Build a Blog that Has Lasting Impact Upon Its Readers

To document your life

This was such a drawcard from the early days of blogging – those of us with Diaryland or Livejournal accounts documenting our day-to-day, moving into Blogger or WordPress or Tumblr users sharing insights and keeping record of the things that make us tick.

Sure, you could keep a real journal or a diary but then you’d lose the connections you make with others. There’s something to be said for snippets of our days, including photos, tucked up on the www. for us to find at the click of a mouse whenever we want in the future.

Some of the best parts of blogging for me are the bits where I go back and re-read things I had forgotten, things about the early days of being a mum, the small incidents that I kept tucked away forever. What a great timeline of my life!

To Read: Having a Personal Blog: Is it Worth It?

To upskill

Y’all, blogging can be as simple or as complicated as you make it, but I can guarantee you: it doesn’t come without some kind of lesson!

You can learn the fine arts of basic code or spend time and energy learning more in-depth techniques for writing, photography, social media strategy, designing, html – the list is almost endless. You will learn something at the very least!

Blogging can help you be a better writer, a better marketer, or feel more confident on camera. You can learn video editing skills, podcast production, e-course creation… whatever you want to do, you can learn to be better, all on your blog.

To use it as a platform for good

Want to highlight ethical clothing manufacturers or shine a spotlight on those working tirelessly on behalf of refugees? Now’s your chance to share with your audience the things you wish got more attention in the media. You have a voice and now you’ll have a platform to ensure it reaches the right people.

To Read: Blogging for the Greater Good

To show your expertise

I find this happens quite a bit with blogs – people with skills and talents in a particular area start blogs and help spread that awareness to the people who are hungry for that information. Everyone from podiatrists to classical cellists have blogs about their specialist topic, and what fascinating reads they are too!

Honestly, there’s something out there for everyone, and there are people out there who want your particular viewpoint about your specialty. Don’t keep them waiting.

To build an audience

Want a book deal? Speaking gigs? Freelance writing jobs? This is your time to create your tribe. Anything you want to do, you can self-promote until that huge contract you’ve been waiting for lands in your lap. The battle is half won if you’ve got a ready-made audience just dying for your next big thing.

To Read: How to Build Your Blog’s Audience with Long Form Evergreen Content

To boost your business

This is particularly useful if you have an online business and the usual advertising options just do not work for you. Personalising your business and providing value for money with your blog posts alongside your products ensure you’re that retailer that goes the extra mile. How else are you expected to stand out in the oversaturated crowd?

To Read: 20 Tips for Better Business Blogging: How to Use Blogging to Generate Leads

To make money

Yes, it’s true – you can make money blogging. Whether you want to break even for hosting and publishing costs or you want a six-figure salary, there are ways of making that dream come true. It’s not easy work, but it’s rewarding, and can really return some return on investment (both time and money) when you put the hard yards in.

To Read: Make Money Blogging for Real: 3 Must-Know Factors and Can You REALLY Make Money Blogging? [7 Things I Know About Making Money from Blogging]

To sell your own products

You’ve written a fantastic ebook or have designed an amazing online course and now you need people to buy them – what better way than to build your own audience based on similar interests and then give them what they want? It’s never been easier to be the captain of your own creative ship and price and sell however you want to.

To Read: Create Products Week: 7 Days of Tips

To have a creative outlet

Always wanted to write a book? Love taking photos? Cinematography your thing but day-to-day you work a checkout? This is where you get to let your inner creative fly with no limits and everything to gain.

To be inspired

Every day I’m inspired by people online doing things. Humble things, grand things, it doesn’t matter – bloggers are blogging what they’re passionate about and it’s hard not to be inspired by that. I find fantastic recipes, life hacks, budget tips, health information, my next read, and just about anything I could possibly ever want to know (or didn’t know I needed to know, thanks classical cellist!) from people sharing it on their blogs.

To have an online hub

You may be getting traction on Instagram, or you’re a famous Facebooker, but as we know, we don’t own those platforms. Algorithms change almost before we’ve gotten used to the last change, and it can all be taken away from us at any minute. Having an online home you can direct people to is going to be the most useful thing you can do with your already popular platform.

To have fun

At the end of the day, we blog because we love it. Because it makes us happy to connect, share, inspire, and be inspired. Parts of it are work, parts of it are less-than-thrilling, but the good outweighs the bad. We’re in control of our own online destiny and we’re having a blast doing it. Come join us!

The post Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year appeared first on ProBlogger.

       from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProbloggerHelpingBloggersEarnMoney/~3/u80G6MFRa7w/

[richardrobertsimsuccessblog]

Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

If you’re one of the millions of people thinking about starting a blog this year, well you’ve come to the right place!

People start blogs for so many different reasons (and often continue them for others entirely!). We each get a little something different out of blogging, on top of the benefits that are communal to us all. Our motivations and rewards are often more than the sum of our blog parts on paper – it can lead to so many brilliant new opportunities, friends, and fulfilment.

Open your mind to the possibilities, and think about where you want to go that blogging can help take you. Let’s not get to the end of 2017 and wish you’d finally taken the plunge. Don’t be Regretful McRegretson come December 31!

Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

If you’re on the fence about whether you should start a blog at all, or wondering if this is the year for you: you should. It is.

To make connections

You’ll make friends you could never even have imagined. Real friends, who can help you and inspire you and support you in not just blogging but other aspects of your life.

Not only friends, but people who are interested in the same things you are, people that can broaden your knowledge and your horizons. People who are interesting, people who add insight in your life.

You may even meet your next employer, your next romantic interest, or the right person that will pop up at just the right time to help you with a project or goal.

To Read: Tips for building Community

To share your hobby

Philatelists, unite! Got a key collection you just can’t wait to share? A love of vintage enamelware? An enviable stack of vinyl? This is your place to really let loose, show us what you’ve got and hook up with people who will love your hobby as much as you do.

To inspire others

Blogging can be such a two-way street with you and your readers, but ultimately they come to you for a reason. What kind of change are you hoping to effect in your fellow humans? Are you passionate about sustainability? Exercise? Humanitarianism? Motherhood solidarity? Whatever you’re into and want to help other people learn more about, now is your chance. There’s never been a better time (or a better reason) to blog!

To Read: How to Build a Blog that Has Lasting Impact Upon Its Readers

To document your life

This was such a drawcard from the early days of blogging – those of us with Diaryland or Livejournal accounts documenting our day-to-day, moving into Blogger or WordPress or Tumblr users sharing insights and keeping record of the things that make us tick.

Sure, you could keep a real journal or a diary but then you’d lose the connections you make with others. There’s something to be said for snippets of our days, including photos, tucked up on the www. for us to find at the click of a mouse whenever we want in the future.

Some of the best parts of blogging for me are the bits where I go back and re-read things I had forgotten, things about the early days of being a mum, the small incidents that I kept tucked away forever. What a great timeline of my life!

To Read: Having a Personal Blog: Is it Worth It?

To upskill

Y’all, blogging can be as simple or as complicated as you make it, but I can guarantee you: it doesn’t come without some kind of lesson!

You can learn the fine arts of basic code or spend time and energy learning more in-depth techniques for writing, photography, social media strategy, designing, html – the list is almost endless. You will learn something at the very least!

Blogging can help you be a better writer, a better marketer, or feel more confident on camera. You can learn video editing skills, podcast production, e-course creation… whatever you want to do, you can learn to be better, all on your blog.

To use it as a platform for good

Want to highlight ethical clothing manufacturers or shine a spotlight on those working tirelessly on behalf of refugees? Now’s your chance to share with your audience the things you wish got more attention in the media. You have a voice and now you’ll have a platform to ensure it reaches the right people.

To Read: Blogging for the Greater Good

To show your expertise

I find this happens quite a bit with blogs – people with skills and talents in a particular area start blogs and help spread that awareness to the people who are hungry for that information. Everyone from podiatrists to classical cellists have blogs about their specialist topic, and what fascinating reads they are too!

Honestly, there’s something out there for everyone, and there are people out there who want your particular viewpoint about your specialty. Don’t keep them waiting.

To build an audience

Want a book deal? Speaking gigs? Freelance writing jobs? This is your time to create your tribe. Anything you want to do, you can self-promote until that huge contract you’ve been waiting for lands in your lap. The battle is half won if you’ve got a ready-made audience just dying for your next big thing.

To Read: How to Build Your Blog’s Audience with Long Form Evergreen Content

To boost your business

This is particularly useful if you have an online business and the usual advertising options just do not work for you. Personalising your business and providing value for money with your blog posts alongside your products ensure you’re that retailer that goes the extra mile. How else are you expected to stand out in the oversaturated crowd?

To Read: 20 Tips for Better Business Blogging: How to Use Blogging to Generate Leads

To make money

Yes, it’s true – you can make money blogging. Whether you want to break even for hosting and publishing costs or you want a six-figure salary, there are ways of making that dream come true. It’s not easy work, but it’s rewarding, and can really return some return on investment (both time and money) when you put the hard yards in.

To Read: Make Money Blogging for Real: 3 Must-Know Factors and Can You REALLY Make Money Blogging? [7 Things I Know About Making Money from Blogging]

To sell your own products

You’ve written a fantastic ebook or have designed an amazing online course and now you need people to buy them – what better way than to build your own audience based on similar interests and then give them what they want? It’s never been easier to be the captain of your own creative ship and price and sell however you want to.

To Read: Create Products Week: 7 Days of Tips

To have a creative outlet

Always wanted to write a book? Love taking photos? Cinematography your thing but day-to-day you work a checkout? This is where you get to let your inner creative fly with no limits and everything to gain.

To be inspired

Every day I’m inspired by people online doing things. Humble things, grand things, it doesn’t matter – bloggers are blogging what they’re passionate about and it’s hard not to be inspired by that. I find fantastic recipes, life hacks, budget tips, health information, my next read, and just about anything I could possibly ever want to know (or didn’t know I needed to know, thanks classical cellist!) from people sharing it on their blogs.

To have an online hub

You may be getting traction on Instagram, or you’re a famous Facebooker, but as we know, we don’t own those platforms. Algorithms change almost before we’ve gotten used to the last change, and it can all be taken away from us at any minute. Having an online home you can direct people to is going to be the most useful thing you can do with your already popular platform.

To have fun

At the end of the day, we blog because we love it. Because it makes us happy to connect, share, inspire, and be inspired. Parts of it are work, parts of it are less-than-thrilling, but the good outweighs the bad. We’re in control of our own online destiny and we’re having a blast doing it. Come join us!

The post Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year appeared first on ProBlogger.

       Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

#Richard Roberts IM Success Mix #Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

[silvino32mills]

Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

If you’re one of the millions of people thinking about starting a blog this year, well you’ve come to the right place!

People start blogs for so many different reasons (and often continue them for others entirely!). We each get a little something different out of blogging, on top of the benefits that are communal to us all. Our motivations and rewards are often more than the sum of our blog parts on paper – it can lead to so many brilliant new opportunities, friends, and fulfilment.

Open your mind to the possibilities, and think about where you want to go that blogging can help take you. Let’s not get to the end of 2017 and wish you’d finally taken the plunge. Don’t be Regretful McRegretson come December 31!

Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year

If you’re on the fence about whether you should start a blog at all, or wondering if this is the year for you: you should. It is.

To make connections

You’ll make friends you could never even have imagined. Real friends, who can help you and inspire you and support you in not just blogging but other aspects of your life.

Not only friends, but people who are interested in the same things you are, people that can broaden your knowledge and your horizons. People who are interesting, people who add insight in your life.

You may even meet your next employer, your next romantic interest, or the right person that will pop up at just the right time to help you with a project or goal.

To Read: Tips for building Community

To share your hobby

Philatelists, unite! Got a key collection you just can’t wait to share? A love of vintage enamelware? An enviable stack of vinyl? This is your place to really let loose, show us what you’ve got and hook up with people who will love your hobby as much as you do.

To inspire others

Blogging can be such a two-way street with you and your readers, but ultimately they come to you for a reason. What kind of change are you hoping to effect in your fellow humans? Are you passionate about sustainability? Exercise? Humanitarianism? Motherhood solidarity? Whatever you’re into and want to help other people learn more about, now is your chance. There’s never been a better time (or a better reason) to blog!

To Read: How to Build a Blog that Has Lasting Impact Upon Its Readers

To document your life

This was such a drawcard from the early days of blogging – those of us with Diaryland or Livejournal accounts documenting our day-to-day, moving into Blogger or WordPress or Tumblr users sharing insights and keeping record of the things that make us tick.

Sure, you could keep a real journal or a diary but then you’d lose the connections you make with others. There’s something to be said for snippets of our days, including photos, tucked up on the www. for us to find at the click of a mouse whenever we want in the future.

Some of the best parts of blogging for me are the bits where I go back and re-read things I had forgotten, things about the early days of being a mum, the small incidents that I kept tucked away forever. What a great timeline of my life!

To Read: Having a Personal Blog: Is it Worth It?

To upskill

Y’all, blogging can be as simple or as complicated as you make it, but I can guarantee you: it doesn’t come without some kind of lesson!

You can learn the fine arts of basic code or spend time and energy learning more in-depth techniques for writing, photography, social media strategy, designing, html – the list is almost endless. You will learn something at the very least!

Blogging can help you be a better writer, a better marketer, or feel more confident on camera. You can learn video editing skills, podcast production, e-course creation… whatever you want to do, you can learn to be better, all on your blog.

To use it as a platform for good

Want to highlight ethical clothing manufacturers or shine a spotlight on those working tirelessly on behalf of refugees? Now’s your chance to share with your audience the things you wish got more attention in the media. You have a voice and now you’ll have a platform to ensure it reaches the right people.

To Read: Blogging for the Greater Good

To show your expertise

I find this happens quite a bit with blogs – people with skills and talents in a particular area start blogs and help spread that awareness to the people who are hungry for that information. Everyone from podiatrists to classical cellists have blogs about their specialist topic, and what fascinating reads they are too!

Honestly, there’s something out there for everyone, and there are people out there who want your particular viewpoint about your specialty. Don’t keep them waiting.

To build an audience

Want a book deal? Speaking gigs? Freelance writing jobs? This is your time to create your tribe. Anything you want to do, you can self-promote until that huge contract you’ve been waiting for lands in your lap. The battle is half won if you’ve got a ready-made audience just dying for your next big thing.

To Read: How to Build Your Blog’s Audience with Long Form Evergreen Content

To boost your business

This is particularly useful if you have an online business and the usual advertising options just do not work for you. Personalising your business and providing value for money with your blog posts alongside your products ensure you’re that retailer that goes the extra mile. How else are you expected to stand out in the oversaturated crowd?

To Read: 20 Tips for Better Business Blogging: How to Use Blogging to Generate Leads

To make money

Yes, it’s true – you can make money blogging. Whether you want to break even for hosting and publishing costs or you want a six-figure salary, there are ways of making that dream come true. It’s not easy work, but it’s rewarding, and can really return some return on investment (both time and money) when you put the hard yards in.

To Read: Make Money Blogging for Real: 3 Must-Know Factors and Can You REALLY Make Money Blogging? [7 Things I Know About Making Money from Blogging]

To sell your own products

You’ve written a fantastic ebook or have designed an amazing online course and now you need people to buy them – what better way than to build your own audience based on similar interests and then give them what they want? It’s never been easier to be the captain of your own creative ship and price and sell however you want to.

To Read: Create Products Week: 7 Days of Tips

To have a creative outlet

Always wanted to write a book? Love taking photos? Cinematography your thing but day-to-day you work a checkout? This is where you get to let your inner creative fly with no limits and everything to gain.

To be inspired

Every day I’m inspired by people online doing things. Humble things, grand things, it doesn’t matter – bloggers are blogging what they’re passionate about and it’s hard not to be inspired by that. I find fantastic recipes, life hacks, budget tips, health information, my next read, and just about anything I could possibly ever want to know (or didn’t know I needed to know, thanks classical cellist!) from people sharing it on their blogs.

To have an online hub

You may be getting traction on Instagram, or you’re a famous Facebooker, but as we know, we don’t own those platforms. Algorithms change almost before we’ve gotten used to the last change, and it can all be taken away from us at any minute. Having an online home you can direct people to is going to be the most useful thing you can do with your already popular platform.

To have fun

At the end of the day, we blog because we love it. Because it makes us happy to connect, share, inspire, and be inspired. Parts of it are work, parts of it are less-than-thrilling, but the good outweighs the bad. We’re in control of our own online destiny and we’re having a blast doing it. Come join us!

The post Why You Should Start a Blog in the New Year appeared first on ProBlogger.

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