#i just started crocheting this pandemic and it takes me about 15 hours to make a cardigan with a CHUNKY yarn if u do the math thats | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

stylesnews · 4 years

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In an unexpected twist, a 1,250 British pound ($1,560) color-block patchwork cardigan by JW Anderson has captured the imaginations of creators on TikTok, the mobile video platform that is attracting intense interest from the fashion industry.

TikTok, developed by Chinese tech giant ByteDance and launched in the U.S. in 2018, is known for hosting challenges inspired by hashtags like #PoseChallenge and #ChaChaWorkout, appealing to its youthful audience (41 percent ages 16 to 24). The company has this month launched a new platform for marketers, TikTok For Business. TikTok users started re-creating the rainbow-colored knitted garment from JW Anderson’s Spring 2020 men’s collection after it was worn by singer Harry Styles during a rehearsal for his performance on The Today Show back in February. The hashtag #HarryStylesCardigan on TikTok has since accumulated over 330,000 views, showing the viral potential of TikTok for fashion marketers.

Jonathan Anderson, founder of JW Anderson, came up with the design of the cardigan as “I liked this idea of something that felt rather authentic and almost homemade, like your grandmother could have made it,” he tells Vogue Business. “At the same time, it feels a little deconstructed and punk. Something quite humble.”

While TikTok has attracted big labels such as Burberry, Gucci, Prada, Dior and Ralph Lauren, some of which have sponsored their own challenges, this is the first time that a brand, especially an emerging one, has enjoyed this level of organic virality on TikTok, says Brian Mandler, cofounder of TikTok ad agency, The Network Effect.

“In this case, it had little to do with the brand and more with a creator taking a pop culture moment and adding their own unique spin on it to drive interest and audiences. That’s how this whole thing got started,” he says. “Liv was one of the first creators to really take hold of this content of re-creation.”

Mandler is referring to Liv Huffman, a 22-year-old from Los Angeles, with over 730,000 followers on her account @lilbittylivie. Her video, posted on June 15, has accumulated over 3 million views and more than 944,000 likes. “I actually didn’t know it was a challenge or trend before I made mine!” she says.

“Crocheting has been a hobby of mine for a few years now and I really dove into it during quarantine. As a long-time Harry fan, I thought it would be a fun way to challenge my crochet abilities,” she adds. It took her about two weeks to create the finished knit.

Brady Gunson, whose account @oops_brady has 4,600 followers, posted his version of the challenge a day after Huffman’s, where he first came across the cardigan. “I’m a big fan of Harry Styles and his fashion. I taught myself to sew as I love to create clothes based on designs I see,” explains the 22-year-old, based in Philadelphia.

“After seeing a few TikTokers knitting the sweater, I realized I could probably achieve a similar, more ’90s vibe-look by creating the same thing out of fleece. It probably took me about seven or eight hours to produce,” he explains. The video has since garnered 46,000 views and more than 12,800 likes.

“Fashion content plays into the larger themes we see resonating well with the TikTok community, and we continue to see fashion grow in popularity across the platform with creators and brands,” says CeCe Vu, fashion content partnerships lead at TikTok. “This is a great example of how TikTok creators showcased their crafty skills and expressed their fandom for Harry Styles’s iconic looks, in this case, his trendy JW Anderson patchwork sweater.”

“The last time Harry performed for The Today Show, the images from that rehearsal were seen a lot, so we wanted to have something fun for this one. This cardigan has so much character, something that you could have found in your parents closet from the ’70s, it felt perfect for Harry,” says Harry Lambert, Harry Styles’s stylist since 2014.

Lambert adds that he is a fan of JW Anderson, having worked on “a number” of the brand’s runway shows as an assistant. “What I have learnt is that Harry’s fans are really creative; I regularly see them re-creating looks inspired by his outfits and now some have learnt a craft to do this,” he continues. “This brings me so much joy [and] I have never seen it on this scale before.”

The cardigan challenge went viral because of the growing popularity of #CraftCore among Gen Z consumers, who are spending most of their time indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Delphine Buchotte, who previously held chief marketing roles at Diane von Furstenberg and L’Oréal Paris before launching digital marketing agency Phidel in New York with Philip Atkins, former vice president of Totokaelo.

“The way challenges go viral is all down to the community,” explains TikTok spokesperson Laura Jenkins. “If a user shares a video that gets high engagement, users often begin to re-create the concept of the video. This will either happen by using the same sound, replicating the format, or copying the content of the original video.”

Jenkins points out that a creator can go viral on TikTok without having a single follower. “But a creator’s chances are increased by tapping into viral trends, memes, and music [which] are discoverable by searching for hashtags or by browsing the videos created for a specific audio,” she says. An example of this, she says, is Gucci, which shared a video encouraging its 365,000 followers to copy dance moves with its own original sound. It has now been viewed over 8 million times.

What also makes TikTok a good breeding ground for viral content is that its audience is geared for this kind of content, adds Mandler. “The essence of TikTok is being a copycat platform. Users do not get bored seeing multiple versions of one trend, unlike audiences on other social platforms.” Atkins agrees: “TikTok embodies Andy Warhol’s ‘15 minutes of fame’ far more than any other platform; now, it’s 90 seconds of TikTok.”

Buchotte adds that the crochet cardigan challenge worked neatly in sync with Jonathan Anderson’s interest in craft. “It’s a core value of the JW Anderson brand, and that intersection of values was quite powerful,” she says.

Since February, the multicolored patchwork cardigan has been among the top 10 most searched for products from the JW Anderson brand, according to global fashion search platform Lyst. Online searches including key terms such as “patchwork,” “crochet,” and “knitted” also rose collectively by 78 percent between February and March 2020.

“TikTok offers the opportunity to playfully experiment with audiences and see what content resonates outside of established platforms’ algorithms,” says Atkins, but he also warns that trends change rapidly — “there isn’t a set formula.”

For brands looking to capitalize on moments like these, Mandler suggests that they jump into the narrative, just as JW Anderson did on its own TikTok account, by “making sure that creators and users know that you’re a part of it, by sharing their videos on your own TikTok, or taking it a step further and working with additional creators to add their own spin.”

TikTok is the future of retail, claims Mandler. Brands need to have their finger on the pulse of what is happening on TikTok, both surrounding their brand as well as what is bubbling on the platform. “While the video itself may not be [shoppable], Gen Z is the most inquisitive generation yet. If videos like this are of interest, kids will figure out what brand or product it is, and if they want to purchase it, they will. They’re not being directly sold to, which inspires them even more to seek out information,” he says.

“I think that the cardigan resonated because in this time of reflection during the quarantine, people have reconnected with this idea of making things. I quite like that we designed something that has taken on a new type of meaning, a new life. And I think that’s important for fashion today; to be about inclusion, not exclusion,” says Anderson.

However, he asserts that he doesn’t want to capitalize on its popularity. “You never really own a design anyway. You have to let go of it. I think it’s great people are finding joy in it,” he says. To encourage further participation in the trend, the designer will release the pattern for the cardigan this week across his social media channels “so anyone can download it and make it their own.”

#harry styles #article #nov20

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thoughtsofanexcitedspacechild · 3 years

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50 things I’ve learned this year during a global pandemic/general life advice from your local teenage train wreck :) (Pt. 1)

1. It’s okay to let go. Of things, people, old interests, even your past self. It doesn’t matter. If it isn’t benefiting you anymore, it’s okay to let things go.

2. No relationship is worth pursuing that doesn’t match your energy. If someone’s not matching the love you give them, pull back to match their energy. That way, you save your energy for the people in your life that do. Most times, the people who do match your love and energy are the one’s that are in it for the long run and will be there for you.

3. Stop caring what other people think about your interest. Often times we have so much shame for liking what we like. Why is that? If it isn’t hurting anyone, then why does it matter that you have an obscure taste in music, books, movies, etc.? Stop apologizing for what you like!

4. It’s okay to not want to grow up, even if that’s all you wanted to do as a kid. You don’t have to grow up.

5. Going off of that, if you’re a “gifted” or “mature” kid, it’s okay to mourn your childhood you never had. Watch that show that you never did as a kid and fall in love with it. Finger paint with no exterior motive. Read way below your reading level. Reread Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson series. Play outside. You deserve it.

6. “Kids” shows, including atla, lok, etc. often have more complex and interesting plots and characters than most “adult” shows these days. Don’t dismiss something just because it’s geared for a younger audience. Watch and learn from them.

7. The changes you want to happen don’t suddenly happen. They’ll happen after many months of trial, error, and consistency. Take baby steps and celebrate small victories.

8. You’re body will always be imperfect, and it’s okay. You’ll eventually learn to accept it once it doesn’t change so fast during adolescence, but don’t feel pressured to. It’s okay to not like how you look, just don’t let it keep you from enjoying life and your body from serving it’s purpose.

9. Most high school guys don’t want a serious, long term relationship yet. They all have to mature a little bit for that, and it’s normal to feel frustrated about it, but don’t blame them too hard for it. You matured at a faster rate then them, and they still need a little more time. The best thing to do it wait for it.

10. Questioning your sexuality is a normal part of life. You like guys? Good! You into girls? Great! It literally doesn’t matter, and God doesn’t really care either. There’s nothing in the Bible against it, and he made you that way right? Why not embrace it! Asami was your first gai crush? WONDERFUL! me too! Want to label yourself? I’ll respect and support whatever your decision is! Don’t know or don’t want to? Also perfect!

11. God (or whatever you believe in, or don’t!) made you imperfect for a reason: to embrace those imperfections and grow through them, to improve. Why would God put you on this earth if He didn't think that you had a reason to grow closer to Him through your imperfections? Make sure you use and acknowledge your imperfections, because they’re your lifeline to Him in prayer. It’s what you need to improve on, and ask help for, and that’s okay! (Spoiler alert, even when you do this stuff and work super hard, you’re human, and you’re still gonna mess up and make mistakes! Perfection wasn’t intended for humans, and I don’t believe it ever will be!)

12. When summer rolls around, get a summer job. Go down to the local ice cream place and ask if they’re hiring. Get an application and fill it out nicely with good handwriting. Then, take it back and wait. If they say yes, great! If not, that’s good too! Keep looking! Once you’ve found a place, settle in. Learn how things work. Learn how to do your job good and effectively. Immerse yourself in it. Then, have fun. Name the machines. (Big Bertha the waffle iron, or Fernanda the flurry machine, etc.) Name the ice cream flavors after your favorite fictional characters based on what they’d order (Aang is cookie dough, Obi Wan is mint chocolate chip, etc). Make new friends there and schedule your shifts with them. Get them in on your games too! It makes it more fun. Take time to show them your names for the ice cream flavors and machines, and maybe start using the names as abbreviations to make orders more efficient. Make sure you work only how much you can handle, even if that’s once a week or seven days for nine hours each. Whatever makes you happy! If you work in customer service, make them smile. Give the little kid extra sprinkles for wearing a fun mask or stickers if you have them. If there’s a tired mom, help her out by prioritizing her order to get out fast if possible. Whatever helps them. Thank the customers that tip! Then, get your paycheck in the mail and save all your tips. Put it in the bank and save it for college or when you need it. (Make sure to buy yourself something nice with the money sometimes too!)

13. When in school, don’t feel pressure to over achieve all the time. It’s okay to do the bare minimum sometimes. If you have an A, why are you worrying about if it’s a 95 and not a 98? It’s still an a, and that’s great! School is there to help you learn, so don’t force yourself to do extra busy work for a little extra credit (unless you absolutely need it!).

14. Take time to learn and do other things outside school that you may not be getting credit for. They’ll serve you in the long run! You like to write fan fiction? Keep writing! It’s helping! You love a sport? Good! It’s keeping you healthy while teaching you real life skills. Most of these things are gonna stick with you forever, so keep doing them and don’t let you passion fade away.

15. Write letters to your friends that live far away. Even if they don’t respond, they will appreciate having something that’s harder to lose or accidentally get deleted. Make the letter nice with pretty paper or colored pens or stickers, and spray your favorite scent on the envelope. Then seal it with a sticker and send it off. They really will appreciate it.

16. Splurge on your own Spotify premium account and make a playlist for each mood. Make one for studying, working out, singing at the top of your lungs, one for when your happy, sad, etc. (You can also search my name, Hana Zainea, to listen to any of my playlists and see if we have the same music taste. If so follow me there and I’ll follow back to see your playlists!) Listen to your music and take time to enjoy it. Set aside ten to fifteen minutes just to do that. Let it flow through you and wake your soul up.

17. Learn how to make handmade gifts. Wether that’s learning to make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, crochet, knit, or even make a nice card with hand lettering, learn how to make at least one solid handmade gift. It’ll give you a new skill as well as let the other people in your life that you love them. Handmade gifts are valuable and kept forever no matter how good they look.

18. If your best friend lives far away like mine does, plan a monthly bsf subscription box. You can send each other a letter and a few little self care gifts once a month. It’s soooo fun and I can’t recommend this enough.

19. Have photos that you like printed in physical form and hang them on your wall even if it’s just with tape. You’ll like being able to see and access happy thoughts and memories easily and have them hanging on your wall instead of sitting in your camera roll.

20. You don’t have to keep up with social media. Delete it if you want, or limit your time on it if you want. Sometimes the “connection” we experience through social media isn’t always healthy, so monitor your use.

21. Have a screen time widget on your phone and keep track of it. Try to cut your usage down by half an hour every week and eventually reduce it to the amount of time that you’d like to spend on your phone without being excessive, whatever that looks like for you.

22. Meditate. This isn’t anything religious or spiritual, and it brings many benefits. It’s basically you setting a time aside to think for yourself. You can use one of the hundreds of guided meditations on youtube, or listen to theta waves/meditation music or just find a quiet place. Find a place where you know you won’t be disturbed, and then start to let your mind wander. What’s bothering you. When you turn off you mind, what’s the first thing that pops up? What keeps you from just being? What do you need to focus on in order to help yourself feel better? What are some things that you regret that are weighing on your heart? Now, what is your desired reality? Where do you want to live? Who do you want to meet/live with? What do you do? What do you act like? What do you have to do to make this happen? If you pray/are a christian, ask God for help with this desired life. (Remember, ask and you shall receive!)

23. Get yourself a hydro flask or any other durable water bottle, specifically a 16 or 32oz one. This way, it’s way easier to keep track of how much water you are drinking. A 16oz bottle is one pint and a 32oz one is a quart. Four of the 32 and eight of the 16oz are a gallon. Start by trying to drink a quarter of a gallon (2 16 oz or 1 32 oz) then a half, then three quarters, and eventually you’ll be drinking a gallon plus of water a day. (Put stickers on it to motivate yourself. Trust me it works wonders having fun stuff on there. Makes it enjoyable)

24. If you’re able, make and give gifts often. It brings more joy than expected.

25. Get rid of clothes. Toss all the old ones out. Reinvent yourself. Invest in pieces of clothing that are timeless (crewneck sweaters, cable knit sweaters, tan and brown colored dress pants, nice wool coats and sweaters, etc.) You’ll have these forever.

26. Maintain your physical appearance. Make sure to change your clothes, follow proper hygiene, use lotion, etc. You’ll feel much better, trust me. You don’t have to use expensive products or put on a full face of makeup either, but putting some effort in will make you feel much better about yourself.

27. Find a tea that tastes good to you. (Preferably without caffeine so you can drink it whenever.) Try everything! Then get yourself a nice mug and have some at a dedicated time each day. Relax and enjoy a constant in your life.

28. If you’re into it, research and try reality shifting. I’m not going to go into depth in this post (that would take awhile) but if you’re really needing an escape but can’t go on vacation due to money, time crunches, etc, you can shift to any alternate reality that you’d like. Further in depth post about this to come.

29. Read. Anything. A book, and article, the paper, the news, even the back of a cereal box. Think about it. What did you learn? Anything?

30. Never accept criticism from someone you wouldn’t go to for advice.

31. Call your parents if you live away from home. If not, spend more time with them. They love and miss you.

32. Same with your siblings.

33. And grandparents.

34. Find a way to remember your home town. Know it like the back of your hand.

35. Read Shell Silverstien poems. They’re funny.

36. Have a piece of jewelry that you never take off. Keep it to remind yourself of your sanity and to remember yourself.

37. Cry of you need to. It’s bad to hold it in.

38. Series you should read (even though some are nerdy): Harry Potter, Percy Jackson/Heros of Olympus, The Hunger Games, The Red Queen Series, The Giver Series, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit.

39. Standalone books you should read: The Book Thief, The Fault in our Stars, They Both Die in the End, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Scarlet Letter, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The DaVinci Code, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, Out of my Mind, Love that Dog, The Unfinished Angel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet

40. Shows you should watch: Avatar (Even if you’re a casual fan of the fandoms) : The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, The Mandalorian, The Office, The Clone Wars, Parks and Rec., Stranger Things

41. Standalone Movies/Series you should watch: The Notebook, any of the Disney classics (specifically Lion King, Hercules, and others during that era), the Harry Potter movies, the Hunger Games movies, The Star Wars Movies, All of the Pixar movies (specifically Soul and Coco), Ten things I hate about you, the perks of being a wallflower, Clouds, If anything happens I love you

42. Artists to listen to: Norah Jones, James Taylor, John Denver, Anson Sebra, Ed Sheeran, The Paper Kites, The Artic Monkeys, Conan Grey, L. Dre (for Lofi) Song recs are on my Spotify haha (Hana Zainea)

43. Invest in good supplies for art. It’ll make a difference.

44. When something feels off, clean your bathroom. Not your depression cave of a bedroom. Your bathroom. Trust me. It helps so so so much to have on clean space.

45. Have a cohesive scent. Like lavender? Buy lavender everything. Use it in lotions, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, candles, etc. You’ll have a scent that people will now associate with you and you only.

46. Learn how to cook while your at home. Ask your parents if you can go to a nutritionist and learn what foods nourish your body the best. Eat them and let yourself feel good about what you put in your body.

47. Learn how to do basic home improvements while still at home. Fix toilets, clogged drains, clean ovens, showers, sinks, etc. You’ll be grateful.

48. Don’t do drugs/drink. It’s not worth dulling your senses to miss out on your wonderful life.

49. Annotate your books. It makes you engage more and you’ll like looking back on them.

50. If no one is looking, you should totally cart surf down the isle at the grocery store. It’s the little things that count.

#daily life #livingfully

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emospritelet · 4 years

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Pandemic Promptathon #15... XD

15: “I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck here with only me for company.”

Prompt list here

I’m putting this in the Desperation verse. Support your local sick woobie - send me a prompt!

[AO3]

Belle made the tea, pleased to see that Mr Gold had a teapot, just as her mother had always used. She poured hot water in, setting a pretty crocheted tea-cosy over the pot, and turned to the hot drink for Bae. Lemons filled a yellow ceramic bowl decorated with a pattern of stylised oranges, pointed green leaves scattered in between them. She took one of the lemons and cut some slices, putting them into a cup. A quick search of the cupboards turned up a jar of honey, so she spooned some in and stirred the whole thing up with hot water.

Gold was silent, and for a moment she thought he was asleep at the table in his chair, but as the spoon clinked against the cup he stirred, inhaling deeply and letting out a heavy sigh. Belle carried the teapot to the table, setting it on an iron trivet and following with cups, saucers and the milk jug she took from the fridge. He sent her a tired smile.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

He closed his eyes again, slumping a little in the chair, and Belle felt a tug of sympathy for him.

“You don’t sound as though you’re from Maine,” she said, and his lips quirked a little.

“Nor do you.”

“Yeah, I’m from Melbourne. Went to college in Boston. You?”

“Glasgow. Moved to the US years ago." Fingers ran through his hair, rubbed over the new stubble on his chin. "Never lost the accent, though. We used to move around a lot when I was a kid - my father was kind of in and out of work a lot - so I always tried to keep my accent. Tried to keep a little bit of home.”

“I take it he’s not around either?”

Gold sat up, leaning on the table and threading his fingers together.

“No,” he said heavily. “No, he - he hasn’t been around for a long time.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent.”

The smile on Gold’s face was wry.

“I don’t mean that he’s dead,” he said. “He just - left. When I was around Bae’s age.”

Belle could feel her mouth fall open, and snapped it shut.

“He abandoned you?”

“Well, he left me with the two women who lived next door to us,” said Gold, as though it was no big deal. “It’s not like he abandoned me on the streets, or anything.”

“God, I’m…” Belle shook her head. “I don’t know what to say, I’m so sorry.”

“Actually it’s fine,” he said. “They were good women. Taught me a lot. You don’t have to share blood to be a family.”

That was true, she supposed.

“What made you choose Maine?” she asked.

“We’d been living in New York,” he said. “I moved there with Milah - my ex-wife. She decided that Boston wasn’t the place to have her dreams come true, and so we went to New York. When she left, I thought Bae could use a quieter place to grow up. Somewhere with a garden. There was no way I could afford anything bigger than a one-bed in the city, and honestly even that was a push.”

“So you came to Storybrooke?”

Gold smiled a little.

“My Aunt Rosa used to tell me stories of a holiday she took by the sea," he said, "eating lobster bought from the fishermen at the docks of a small town. People stopping to talk to each other, a sense of community. It sounded nice.”

He reached out to pluck the tea cosy from the pot, pouring the tea carefully into the cups.

“This was the closest thing you could find to that, huh?” she said. “I understand wanting to feel part of something. Cities can be so - impersonal - sometimes.”

“Cities will chew you up and spit you out, leaving nothing but bones for the rats to gnaw,” he said quietly. “At least here people notice if you fall in the street.”

There was an edge to his voice, a touch of bitterness, and Belle suspected there was a story there somewhere. She decided that it wasn’t something she should be asking about an hour after meeting the man.

“It does seem a nice place,” she said. “Friendly.”

Gold smiled faintly.

“It is nice,” he agreed. “The storms can be severe, and the winters harsh, but I don’t mind that. It’s a close-knit community. When there isn’t a deadly pandemic sweeping through it, of course.”

“Yeah.” Belle felt a little wistful, and he tilted his head.

“And you?”

“I’d been working in the library in Boston after I finished my Master’s,” she said. “Decided I wanted a little more autonomy, so I started making some enquiries. Someone from the Mayor’s office got in touch, and - and here I am. Hoping for a simpler way of life, like you said.”

“Well, you’ll certainly get that here,” he remarked, pushing a cup towards her. “Not much changes in Storybrooke, so everyone was excited about the prospect of the library opening again. Before the virus, I mean.”

“Yeah,” she said, adding milk and stirring. “It’s going to take me longer to open than I thought.”

“Well, when you do, I’m sure Bae and I will be your first customers,” he said, and she returned his smile.

“What kind of books does he like?” she asked. “If I know that, perhaps I can bring him something suitable when he’s feeling up to it.”

“Fantasy stories, mainly,” he said. “Anything fantastical. Dragons and wizards are a definite plus.”

Belle chuckled, sipping her tea.

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

They lapsed into silence. Gold drank his tea slowly, running a hand through his hair as he stared off at a point in the distance. Worry etched lines in his forehead and around his eyes, and Belle felt an unexpected urge to put her hand over his, to send him some comfort. A foolish thought, in these times. He blinked, sitting back and draining his cup.

“I’d better take Bae his drink,” he said. “It should have cooled enough by now.”

He stood up, and Belle reached out instinctively as his legs buckled and he grasped the back of the chair to steady himself. She snatched her hand back before she could touch him, and Gold shook his head with a rueful smile.

“I shouldn’t have sat down,” he said. “Should have known better. It only makes it ten times harder to get up again.”

“You need to rest,” she said gently. “You’re sick, you can’t do everything yourself. Please, if you need me to help, I can help.”

He gave her an almost wistful look, hands gripping the curved wooden back of the chair tightly, and shook back his hair.

“I’ll manage,” he said. “You’ve been very kind, but I can’t ask any more. I heard the town may be in lockdown soon. You should get home while you can, I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck here with only me for company.”

“Well, in that case, is there anything I can get you from town?” she asked. “Any errands you want running, I can do it.”

Gold hesitated, and shrugged.

“Actually there is something,” he said. “I do the books for Granny, amongst others, and - and we could use the money. Could you maybe pick them up for me? It wouldn’t be too much, just the ledgers and invoices, that sort of thing.”

“Of course!” said Belle at once. “The diner, right?”

“Diner’s closed,” he said. “But she and her granddaughter are still doing takeout food from the inn. If you try at the reception desk, Ruby should be able to help you out.”

“I’ll go now,” said Belle.

“And if you could ask how Granny is?” he added. “She’s been good to me and Bae, and this illness could be hard on her. I’d like to know she’s okay.”

Belle nodded.

“Consider it done.”

#sprite's pandemic promptathon #fic: desperation #rumbelle fic #my fic #rumbelle

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lovemesomesurveys · 4 years

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What Rhymes With “AY”? Warning: This survey has 114 questions

1. Do you enjoy listening to reggae music? I haven’t listened to much reggae music.

2. Have you ever rolled in hay before? No. I’m actually allergic.

3. Has anyone ever broken a promise they made? Of course.

4. Last time you went to a café, what did you order? Coffee.

5. Have you ever been to a matinee performance before? No.

6. Would you like a chance to ride in Santa’s sleigh? Why or why not? Would it be like the one in The Santa Clause that had a hot chocolate and cookie dispenser? ha. Swap the hot chocolate with coffee, though.

7. Have you ever taken ballet lessons before? How about any other type of dance lessons? No. That was actually something I wished I could do when I was a kid and in high school. I thought the dance team was cool.

8. Do you own any sexy lingerie? Nope.

9. Have you ever caught a bouquet of flowers at a wedding before? Nope.

10. Do you know how to do the Whip/Nae Nae? I do, actually.

11. Have you ever played croquet before? Nope.

12. Has a horse ever neighed at you before? No.

13. How much do you weigh? I’m not exactly sure, but I am definitely underweight.

14. Do you ever wear a beret? No.

15. When’s the last time you’ve been to a buffet? Back in February. There was a breakfast buffet at Disneyland where you got to visit with various characters while you ate. It was cute.

16. Have you ever attended a cabaret? No.

17. Have you ever eaten at Swiss Chalet? No. Never even heard of it.

18. Do you know how to crochet? How about doing macrame? No.

19. Do you have a duvet on your bed? No.

20. What was the last thing that ricocheted off of a surface? My phone did.

21. What do you put on your ice cream sundaes? I’m good with just vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup, but sometimes I’ll add chocolate syrup as well. Bananas and whip cream are also great additions. Wow, it’s been yearsss since I’ve had one but that sounds really good right now.

22. Have you ever woken up to the “Reveille” bugle wake-up call at summer camp? No. I’ve never been to summer camp.

23. What is your favorite entrée to order at your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant is Wingstop and I always get the garlic parm and lemon pepper boneless wings.

24. Is crème brulee your favorite dessert? I don’t like actual creme brulee, but I like the creme brulee latte at Starbucks that they offer in the winter.

25. Do you know anyone who wears a toupee? I don’t think so.

26. Have you ever made a soufflé before? Was it good? Nope. I like the spinach and artichoke breakfast souffle from Panera, though.

27. Do you prefer ice cream or sorbet? Ice cream.

28. Do you know anyone named Renee, Jay, Clay, or Ray? I know someone whose middle name is Renee if that counts, and I also know a Jay and a Ray.

29. Have you ever had café au lait? Yes.

30. Have you ever gone to a restaurant called “Chez ______”? No.

31. Hey, how’s it going? It’s almost 730AM I should be going to sleep. My medicine I took a bit ago is making me feel a little nauseous, too, cause I took it on an empty stomach. That wouldn’t have been a problem if I just went to bed, but nooo. :/

32. When’s the last time you wore a lei? It’s been several years.

33. Did you obey your parents when you were younger? Yes.

34. Who do you want to hunt down like prey? No one.

35. Have you ever had whey before? No.

36. What message would you like to convey to someone right now? Nothing at the moment.

37. Whose survey did you take last? I don’t know who made it.

38. Have you ever been to a bay before? Yes.

39. Do you have a bae? “Or nah.” Ha, old Vine reference. Anyway, no, I do not.

40. What’s your favorite day of the week? They’re all the same to me, really, since I’m not in school nor do I have a job.

41. Have you ever had to read “The Cay”? Nope. That title doesn’t ring a bell.

42. Are you feeling okay? I’m feeling tired, hot, and kind of nauseous.

43. Do you know anyone who is gay? Yeah, a few people.

44. Do you like the acting of Tina Fey? Sure.

45. Have you ever listened to The Fray? Yes, I like a few of their songs.

46. Do you have any frayed clothing? No.

47. Do you prefer bluebirds or bluejays? Bluebirds.

48. Is May your favorite month? No. I only like saying, “It’s gonna be May” haha. You know, the NSYNC/Justin Timberlake meme.

49. May I ask you some more questions? Sure.

50. Have you ever voted “nay” to anything before? What? Yeah. I was a board member for a club in college and there were things we voted on.

51. Have you ever wanted to make someone pay for something that they did? I’m not a revengeful person.

52. Do you ever just lay around all day? That’s all I pretty much do everyday.

53. Are you a happy little frickin’ ray of sunshine? No. I’m a little black raincloud.

54. Is there something that you would like to say to someone? “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know howwww.”

55. When’s the last time that you were so excited that you exclaimed (or at least thought) “yay!” ? I said that the other night when my brother said he was making his bomb spaghetti. haha.

56. Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your way? I’ve been feeling that way for the past few years.

57. Do you ever wish that people would just go away? lol I’ve felt that way in some situations.

58. Have you heard an animal bray before? What animal was it? Yeah, a donkey.

59. What’s the last thing that you made out of clay? Nothing.

60. Are you starting to go gray? I’ve found a few here and there. D: It was like the minute I turned 30 I found my first one, ha.

61. Are you feeling okay right now? No. I still feel how I felt earlier when you asked how it was goin’. :/

62. Do you pray? How often? Yes, but not nearly as much as I ought to.

63. What’s the best play you’ve seen before? The Phantom of the Opera.

64. What did you like to play with when you were younger? I was obsessed Barbies, I could play for hours. I also liked playing house and school.

65. Do you know how to sashay? “Sashay away.”

66. Would you like to slay dragons? Nah. I wouldn’t want to mess with a dragon.

67. Have you gotten your pets spayed? All my dogs were fixed/spayed. My doggo was spayed before we could take her home from the adoption shelter.

68. Have you ever begged someone to stay with you? Not begged, but I didn’t want them to leave.

69. Has the room ever started to sway before? I hateeee that feeling.

70. When’s the last time you ate a meal on a tray? Uhhh. I don’t recall.

71. Do you know how to do math arrays? You’re speaking math so no.

72. Have you ever experienced a delay of any sort? Yeah.

73. Do you have any tooth decay? No.

74. When’s the last time you wrote an essay? What was it about? Back when I was still in school, so it’s been 5 years now since the last time.

75. When’s the last time you competed in a relay race? I participated in a few wheelchair race events when I was a kid.

76. Have you ever wondered how you could ever repay someone? Yes. I wish I could spoil and take care of my mom one day for everything she has done and continues to do for me. She deserves so much.

77. What did you do today? So far just Tumblr, surveys, and listening to ASMR.

78. Would you ever take in a stray animal? We don’t really have room for another pet, but I’d want to help in some way. Once we had a stray dog wander in our backyard and we took care of him until we were able to find him a good home. We also once had a cat who often went into our backyard and she ended up having kittens, so we cared for them and found them all homes, including the mama.

79. What’s the last cleaning spray that you’ve used? Lysol disinfectant spray.

80. When’s the last time you splayed your fingers? I’ll do it right now.

81. Has your airway ever been blocked before? Yes. Such a scary, traumatizing experience. It’s why I can’t take pills now at all unless I can crush them.

82. Has anyone ever led you astray? In some ways.

83. When it’s hot out, do you sleep with blankets anyways? Noooo.

84. Have you ever felt betrayed? Yep. Not a nice feeling.

85. When’s the last time you listened to a DJ? My cousin’s quince a few years ago.

86. What’s the last unfortunate thing that happened, to your dismay? This pandemic.

87. When is payday? The 1st of the month (disability).

88. Do good moments or bad moments replay through your mind more often? My mind likes to dwell on all the bad stuff instead.

89. Do you prepay for anything? I typically like to pay all my bills at the same time each month instead of waiting until the day each of them are due.

90. Have you ever walked on a runway before? No.

91. Do you know a runaway? No.

92. Have you ever ridden the subway before? How about driven on the skyway? Nope.

93. Have you ever used an ashtray before? No.

94.How do you feel about public displays of affection? I don’t mind a little bit, like a quick kiss, hand holding, arms around each other, or a hug.

95. Where would you like to go for a getaway? I wish I could rent a beach house and have my own private beach area.

96. Do you do any gateway drugs? Some say weed is a gateway drug, but I personally never had any interest in try anything beyond that.

97. Have you ever felt like someone wasn’t meeting you halfway? Yes.

98. What were you doing at midday? I’ll be sleeping.

99. Have you ever stopped midway through a survey before? Yeah, I did that with this one. I started it last night, but got too tired to finish it.

100. What’s your favorite holiday? Christmas.

101. Do you like to drive on the highway/thruway? I don’t drive, but yeah I prefer taking the highway over driving through town and hitting all the red lights.

102. Have you ever put something on layaway before? I haven’t, personally, but I’ve gone shopping with my mom and added stuff of my own along with her’s that she put on layaway.

103. Have you ever been cornered in an alleyway? No.

104. When is your birthday? July 28th.

105. Do you know anyone who was a castaway? No.

106. How long is your workday? I don’t have a job.

107. What do you typically do on the weekdays? I do the same things everyday.

108. Is there a walkway or a pathway to your front door? Yeah.

109. What do you want to be someday? A functioning adult.

110. What is something that you do everyday? Drink coffee.

111. Do you park in your driveway? Do you even have a driveway? I don’t have a car, but yeah my house has a driveway that my parent’s use for their cars.

112. Have you ever won a giveaway? Yes.

113. How important is foreplay? I wouldn’t know.

114. Hooray! You’ve made it to the end! What are you going to do now? Eat my ramen. I was waiting for it to cool a bit.

[a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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dcnativegal · 4 years

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Day 55 of Pandemic, & I’m sick

Monday, May 4, 2020. Day 55 of the global pandemic (declared by World Health Organization on March 11th.) We as a planet hit 3,500,000 cases today, and 250,000 deaths. There are many more than that, but the planet doesn’t have enough tests. But then, there was this announcement:

So obviously we’re in good hands. [Sarcasm alert.]

The entire planet has slowed down, such that seismologists can detect the quieting of the earth: less shuddering of industry, cars, construction. Check out the drop in electricity usage:

Here’s a bit of perspective from Instagram:

The Lesbians of Paisley have been fertile ground for viruses. Valerie is nearly recovered from the viral pneumonia she was diagnosed with on March 26 at the emergency room at Lake District Hospital. She’d begun to feel feverish and achy, with violent coughing on March 15th, 2 days after what turned into my last day in my office at the hospital’s primary care clinic, and a day and a half after we’d dined with our friends Toni, Al, Bonnie and Bruce in person, sans masks. We began 100% isolation from the outside world the minute she felt sick. She recounted the ER adventure to a friend thusly: We drove in and they have organized a system that resembles getting on a [military] base after 9-11. We sat in the pickup at the checkpoint until a somebody in protective attire had taken my temp and saturation levels and asked a bunch of questions. Then they slapped a red sticker on the dash, told us to park in the ER lot and "don't get out of the pickup." Five hours later I had donated blood and been CAT scanned. I had two pneumonia shots that were current and two flu shots, also current. They checked the blood against 14 different virus strains and came up blank. The chest showed white lungs and my saturation levels were iffy. So they used one of the tests they had been sent, gave me antibiotics (just in case) and sent me home. Took me three days to sleep off all that fun.”

Me and Griffey the poodle waited in the pickup for her. At every sound, he got up from the passenger’s seat and looked at the ER entrance where she’d disappeared. No Valerie? Back to sleep. I walked him 3 times. Hope, her RN daughter, told us that her flow through the ER was great practice in maintaining distance and perfect hygienic process through the CT scan, taking blood, even pushing her food on a tray to her. Lake Health District Hospital is prepared, and still, technically speaking, zero cases in the county.

I was so anxious about her health, her ability to breathe, that I gave up all thought of working from home. I listened to her breathing and coughing, brought her tea, and finally, asked her to write out her last will and testament. She did, and put it away. I figured, her kids are wonderful and won’t fight about stuff but, better for her to express her wishes, even if the paper wouldn’t be legally binding.

Apparently, I get the FrankenDodge (the pickup which has hit one too many deer and who’s grill is sewn together by wire). I’ll take it but I’d much rather have her.

We waited 10 days for the nasal swab results. While we waited, she got better. Never had that cytokine storm, nor that respiratory crash. Storms and crashes; pretty apt words for the medical horror of end stage COVID-19. Once her test came back negative, despite the warning of her PCP who says that nasal swabs miss between 30 and 47% of positive cases, I was able to go to town on the 10th of April, get some software downloaded onto the computer so I could work from home, and hit Safeway while wearing a mask. I also dropped off one of Valerie’s homemade masks to a friend, along with some toilet paper illustrated with Trump’s kissy face. The moment of levity was greatly appreciated.

I started feeling lousy six days after my jaunt to Lakeview (April 16th). Cough and release of gook high up in my chest. Headache. No fever. Who knows if I have COVID-19. We listen to a British gentleman, Dr. Campbell, daily, as he reviews what’s going on globally, and he interviewed a woman who had exactly my illness course, before she moved on to fever and gastrointestinal symptoms. She never got tested. Too much hassle. Which is so ridiculous, criminal really, and in the USA, a direct result of American hubris and incompetence. Fine. Anyone with any symptoms of any illness is isolated until we have a vaccine and treatment, is my prediction. I’m still feeling shitty, though better. Started taking antibiotics just in case and in the hopes of recovering SOMEDAY.

My son Jonah and his girlfriend June escaped just in time the terrible plight of New York’s COVID19 deluge of infections and hospitalizations. They’ve been in Baltimore at June’s mother’s beautiful home. He spent his 26th birthday in the basement because they were still in quarantine. See adorable picture, below. Now they’re allowed upstairs, enjoying the quiet. Apparently, writing and directing music videos is not an essential service during a pandemic, but he’s writing pitches and living off the most recent lucrative gig with Kesha, thank goodness.

One of the most moving things that is happening in the USA during this time is the 7pm clapping ritual for medical workers and first responders in New York City, in all the boroughs:

There’s a firefighter in DC who’s going to hospitals and nursing homes to play the bagpipe.

That’s where my daughter Clara lives, in DC, but right now she’s staying with a friend in Laurel, MD, since her group house dynamics are stressful and had a symptomatic guest at last report. She’s working from home to make sure the Latinx school children are getting the tutoring they need now more than ever. We worry about her husband Jose and his country, Guatemala, since there are COVID-19 cases down there, and refugees seeking asylum are being dumped there, with and without the virus. Over 700 cases in Guatemala as of today. We hope he will get to the USA this year. However, Trump referred to it as a shithole country, which doesn’t bode well.

My sister and her husband are well, thankfully. They work fulltime from home in the company of Pepper the cat and Darcy the chocolate lab. Yuuki, 25, stays there, too, mostly in their room; they are out of work and applying for unemployment. Kohji, age 28, works from home in DC and makes more money as a web designer than I ever will after 34 years as a social worker, but who’s counting. (I remember well the admonition of a field instructor back in 1987: don’t go into social work for Power, Pay or Prestige.) His girlfriend is probably out of work; she works for a nonprofit that plants trees in DC. Probably not essential work right this very minute. Makoto, 23, is out of quarantine and looking for something to do; he’ll be a senior at the University of Delaware this fall. As far as I hear on Facebook and email, the rest of the folks with whom I share DNA are well. So that’s good. I worry about my Aunt Mary Lee who is 87. But she says not to: she’s fine and her ritzy retirement community in McLean, VA is on “lockdown.”

Psychologically, in the experience of quarantine and ‘social distancing’, there’s me, and then there are my clients.

My moods go up and down, but a little further down than usual. The terror that Valerie might die of COVID-19 has passed, but I figure I will always need therapy. I have “Facebook messenger” video chats with my therapist, Darcy of Bend, every other week now, which helps. Having ‘Generalized Anxiety Disorder’ and a tendency toward major depression, I find therapy to be a corrective. A bimonthly tune up. Without it, I naturally veer toward negativity and neurosis, and a hypervigilance that served me well when I was a child, but is exhausting, overwrought and over-thought as an adult.

Psychologically, Valerie is always fine. Seriously. She was once told as a young woman by a therapist who’d tested her with the MMPI (the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) that she was outrageously and puzzlingly normal. Now that she’s feeling mostly well again from the pneumonia, she’s been tearing up the joint, fixing the sump pump that apparently keeps this little house from drifting down main street on the wetlands it’s built on. Digging out the leaves from our irrigation ditch, chopping and clearing the wood from our front yard.

The BEFORE picture:

The AFTER Picture.

And this happened one morning in March. Just a cattle drive past our front door.

Valerie’s planning a garden at her daughter’s place, which has a deer-proof fence and lots of sun up on the hill above us. A delivery of horse manure is scheduled, and the garden bed has been rototilled. Val’s granddaughter Jessica and her husband Alan are living up there now, working from home for their Portland-based gigs. They’re almost finished the 14-day quarantine since they moved down here. The new normal: anytime anyone leaves one locale for another, they disappear into strictest quarantine, not to leave their abode. Groceries are delivered to the doorstep. A recent day turned out to be Jess’ 25th birthday: I’d bought a canvas bag with a picture of a pug on it, like her dog Archie, and Valerie found something gluten free flour mix with fresh jam to give her. Birthday gatherings are suspect at the moment.

Here’s a lovely idea for quarantined birthday celebrations:

What a kind and generous offer.

Even in isolation, Val and I do socialize, on zoom. The one pictured below is church.

We ‘visit’ with our fellow parishioners from St. Luke’s on Sunday evenings. Then we say Compline together, from the Book of Common Prayer. My favorite prayer of all time is this one from that service.

Yes, shield the joyous. Because joy is fleeting.

Our writers’ group, Easy Writers, ‘meets’ on zoom every Monday now. I wrote this bit about my yarn for the prompt, ‘write something in your home that means a lot to you.’

I am doing a great deal of crochet and a little knitting.

Yarn is my comfort and my joy. It is the raw material I create blankets and scarves and hats with. My tools are hooks and needles made from wood and plastic and metal. My fingers are also my tools.

Some of the yarn is like cotton candy: spun mohair from a goat is said to have a ‘halo’ or ‘aura’ because of the gentle cloud of color you can see an inch or two away from the spun thread. Some yarn is like twine: you can see every string of ply. My favorite is merino wool and single ply. A unity of color that will not split. All for one and one for all, the fuzzy stuff is twisted and bound into a single string of strength…

My clients are stressed out. The pandemic adds a layer to the stress they were already experiencing. I listen and knit, from within the cocoon of the yarn room which my folks can see behind me. One of my clients wanders about with her phone in her hand while I get slightly dizzy. I like this kind of counseling since I get a glimpse of my clients’ homes. Reminds me a little bit of being a geriatric care manager. You can tell a lot about a person from their home. From my home you can tell that I have a lot of yarn, and I work multiple projects at a time because there are piles of them alongside my recliner.

One of the sad weights of being present for my clients is their level of estrangement for most if not all social connections, especially people with whom they share DNA. And every single one has what is called in the mental health world “complex PTSD” from multiple traumatic experiences. I sit with them, on the phone or via video. I hope to model for them what Carl Rogers called ‘unconditional positive regard.’ I breathe deeply to release my own distress at their sadness. We explore one tiny step toward reducing their isolation, the sense of trust. All during a pandemic where other people could be carrying a potentially deadly virus.

It’s no wonder I’m pawing mohair out of screen for my own comfort.

Sometimes I email clients links or articles on how to keep their spirits up, or about good things that are happening instead of the dire predictions they’re listening to or watching. There is much to share that is hopeful. I sent one to a client on creative ways to care for everyone and she shot back:

“I believe this is Liberal rhetoric.

Esp the paragraph below:

This current emergency provides the possibility for a new emergence—the birthing of a truly civil civilization dedicated to the well-being of all people and the living Earth. “

Oh well. We can’t have a truly civil civilization dedicated to the well-being of all people, now can we?

Sigh.

Brilliant writing is being penned right now, since the entire planet’s human inhabitants are barely one degree of separation away from this virus, which is apparently ‘barely alive’ and therefore hard to kill, as it spreads onward to make millions miserable and hundreds of thousands die.

I’m saving articles from The Atlantic, The NY Times, and the Washington Post, and following a historian named Heather Cox Richardson who writes a daily blog called Letters from an American. In a recent post she writes:

“The big news … has been the ‘protests’ of state governors’ stay-at-home orders and mandatory business closings to try to contain the novel coronavirus …These protests are a classic example of trying to control politics by controlling the national narrative. The protests are backed by the same conservative groups that are working for Trump’s reelection. …These are not spontaneous, grassroots protests. They are political operations designed to divert attention from the Trump administration’s poor response to the pandemic. Even more, though, they are designed to keep the American public divided so that we do not protest the extraordinary economic inequality the pandemic has highlighted.

These protests have diverted the national conversation by turning a national crisis into partisan division along the lines the Republican Party has developed since the 1980s... The change of subject protects not just Trump but also the ideology at the heart of his Republican Party. Since 1981, Republicans have argued that the economy depends on wealthy businessmen who know best how to arrange the economy—the makers-- and that it is vital to protect their interests. Under their policies, wealth in America has moved upward. The pandemic has highlighted how these policies have removed economic security for ordinary people. They cannot pay their bills, and they might well turn against an ideology that uses our tax dollars to bail out corporations while they must risk their lives to pay their rent.” [Emphasis mine]

I am so glad someone smarter than me can reveal the interconnections of what’s going on politically.

There is food for thought on Facebook and Instagram: in the guise of a rewrite of Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese, this poem.

Mary Oliver for Corona Times (after Wild Geese)

by Adrie Kusserow

You do not have to become totally zen, You do not have to use this isolation to make your marriage better, your body slimmer, your children more creative. You do not have to “maximize its benefits” By using this time to work even more, write the bestselling Corona Diaries, Or preach the gospel of ZOOM. You only have to let the soft animal of your body unlearn everything capitalism has taught you, (That you are nothing if not productive, That consumption equals happiness, That the most important unit is the single self. That you are at your best when you resemble an efficient machine). Tell me about your fictions, the ones you’ve been sold, the ones you sheepishly sell others, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world as we know it is crumbling. Meanwhile the virus is moving over the hills, suburbs, cities, farms and trailer parks. Meanwhile The News barks at you, harsh and addicting, Until the push of the remote leaves a dead quiet behind, a loneliness that hums as the heart anchors. Meanwhile a new paradigm is composing itself in our minds, Could birth at any moment if we clear some space From the same tired hegemonies. Remember, you are allowed to be still as the white birch, Stunned by what you see, Uselessly shedding your coils of paper skins Because it gives you something to do. Meanwhile, on top of everything else you are facing, Do not let capitalism coopt this moment, laying its whistles and train tracks across your weary heart. Even if your life looks nothing like the Sabbath, Your stress boa-constricting your chest. Know that your antsy kids, your terror, your shifting moods, are no less sacred than a yoga class. Whoever you are, no matter how broken, the world still has a place for you, calls to you over and over announcing your place as legit, as forgiven, even if you fail and fail and fail again. remind yourself over and over, all the swells and storms that run through your long tired body all have their place here, now in this world. It is your birthright you be held deeply, warmly, in the family of things, not one cell left in the cold.

-Adrie Kusserow

Not one cell left out in the cold. Yes.

There is so much to be grateful for. I have a place to live, and even while paying off my bankruptcy debt, I have plenty. Enough that I can make small donations here and there. Here’s one cause I found: supporting foster children who were in college and now have no place to go. (Terrible visuals for the logo: it’s “Together We Rise.”)

Soon, the nights of below freezing temperatures will pass, and both Lesbians of Paisley will be healthy at the same time. Perhaps I’ll get my Tricycle-for-Grownups serviced and toodle around for exercise. Perhaps the Stitch & Bitch knitting/crochet gatherings will resume, maybe in a park for physical distance and social connection.

And maybe I’ve already had Covid-19, and so has Valerie. Looks like 50-70% of all the people on the planet, not quite 8 billion humans so maybe 4 to 6 billion people, need to catch this thing in order to give our species herd immunity. Or WILL catch it because we have no way to stop it, only to slow the infections so that health care is not overwhelmed. We live and Love in the Time of Coronavirus, to paraphrase Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I maybe a libtard, a snowflake, a lily-livered liberal, who’s heart bleeds. But I agree with this sentiment, found on Facebook, our American ‘commons’:

Love absurdly and abundantly, my people. And wash your hands.

#covidー19

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castingdirect · 3 years

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ONLYFANS: Has The Pandemic Been Responsible For A New Sexual Revolution?

The new revolution It's safe to say that no one is more surprised that Sonja Morgan is the fourth most popular star on OnlyFans than Sonja Morgan. After all, she's 57-years-old and most famous as longstanding 'Real Housewife of New York.' Not the sort of person you'd expect on a platform comprised mainly of nudes and homemade soft-core porn. But Morgan, who is always looking to expand her empire (toaster ovens and even a Nigerian football team are among the doomed enterprises known to 'RHONY' fans), thought there might be room on OnlyFans for her brand of middle-aged flooziness. 'I'm known on the show as "Sexy Sonja" or "Sexy J",' she told the Post: 'I'm always the first to go naked in the pool. I date younger guys. I have all these videos running around naked at swimsuit parties.' 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It wasn't all that long ago that Vanessa Williams, the first Miss Black America, was stripped of her title for having posed nude pictures, which were purchased and published by Penthouse. At the time the US gasped, but if released today, the nation wouldn't bat an eyelid. Now major movie stars such as Michael B. Jordan creates an OnlyFans account with close-ups of him biting his lower lip to bait you in to subscribing to zeros scandal at all. Beyoncé even name checks OnlyFans in Megan Thee Stallion's 'Savage,' and the site gets a 15% uptick in traffic within 24 hours. Then the likes of Blac Chyna, Cardi B, Tyga, 'Teen Wolf' star Tyler Posey - all top content creators sexualizing their content as little or as much as they choose to - there isn't any precise rules of what people should or shouldn't do with their accounts, within reason. But the celebrities are just a tiny fraction of OnlyFans users, as it's attracted college students, housewives, even married couples, and the average people who will show you everything to those who offer more of a tease. Since the lockdown, OnlyFans reported a spike of 7.5 million users in November 2019, and in December 2020 it was 85 million global users with a total payout of $2.7 billion to its content creators - it's like the Guardian says - 'Everyone and their mum are on it'. Where once make gatekeepers determined who and what was sexy - from strip clubs to burlesque dancers to Playboy bunnies and nude models - Now there were no barriers to entry. Women, men, trans, gender fluid, any age, race, weight - if you want to be on OnlyFans, all you have to do is sign up, and unlike OnlyFans' nearest competitor Pornhub, all the content you create belongs to you; the site takes only a 20% cut of the creator income. We are in the midst of a new sexual revolution, this time ignited by the collision of technology and a generational shift in attitude, with the power that women especially derive from online sex work, from setting their own parameters and prices, has transformed our ideas of who participates and why. Not to mention a global pandemic that has left many financially strapped, ready to take advantage of audiences still mostly confined to their homes. Kirsten Vaughn ,25, launched her OnlyFans account in January of 2020, and at the time she was on track to become the first female master technician at her Honda dealership in Indiana, with her take home page of around $450 a week after taxes. It wasn't enough. 'Six months before joining OnlyFans, I was trying to find a second job,' she said, stating that she decided to join the site and quickly averaged an additional $1,000 a week in gross income, which is $800 after the OnlyFans commission. 'When I first started out in the industry, I was always getting questions about being female: 'Why are you even here?"' Vaugh found herself trying to 'eliminate parts of her femininity' as she puts it, in a quest to be seen as neither male nor female - just an employee, one particularly good at her job, if she did say so herself. It didn't work, and when she got the idea to join OnlyFans, it wasn't just a way to make money, it was a way to enjoy wearing 'make-up and cute clothes, being girly and feminine.' Her parents, she said, don't have a problem with it, for her dad, it was simply a matter of delivery systems changing, his generation had magazines; her generation had the internet. Then came the day a salesman at her dealership approached her saying that he had seen more of her than he ever wanted to see, 'no offense' in his words, and apparently he said he was pretty disgusted, she said: 'And I was really scared that what would happen, happened' and she was let go. Vaughn still doesn't understand why she was fired while two salesmen who viewed her content at work weren't punished equally: 'They told me they didn't care that their salesmen were watching porn on the floor during work hours,' Vaughn said: 'I was a distraction in the shop.' General manager John Watkins said that Vaughn was fired for 'violations of company procedures and policies,' but declined to specify what they were. Vaughn's firing made headlines - especially as the world over, out of work due to the pandemic, turned to OnlyFans as a money-making venture, and to Vaughn, there was no shame, only anger: Just how many of her critics, she asks, watches porn? Why the double-standard - that it's okay for men to consume porn, and as much and as often as they like, but the women who create it should be ostracized, vilified and made to suffer? That said though, Vaughn would warn anyone planning to join OnlyFans, or to pursue any line of sex work at all, that everyone in your life will eventually find out, because she's part of a generation who will not just need to explain social media histories to future employers - or who may be fired for decades-old tweets - but who will have online sexual histories as well. So when Vaughn interviewed for hew new job at another dealership, she openly spoke about her OnlyFans presence, and no one cared. Her main concern, she said, is her personal safety: Yes, sex work online, whether it's a cam girl, often not nearly as profitable, or an OnlyFans creator, protects one from strange people and places and physical harm, be it violence or STDs. But that very technology also makes it easier for strangers to stalk her. Vaughn said: 'I'm in the public eye to a certain extent, and in a way, I don't have any anonymity. If some creepy guy wants to find me, all he has to do is show up.' On the other hand, Vaughn is her own boss - a role that women in sex work have never had before. 'OnlyFans is no different tan the peep shows,' says Marina Adshade who is a Professor that specializes in the economics of sex and love. But with peep shows there were still owners, typically men, who controlled the hiring, salaries, frequency of work and hours, to say anything of some of the abysmal unsanitary conditions. Any sex worker in 2021, liberated by modern technology, would ever put up with any of that. 'OnlyFans and cam girls can only bee seen as a good thing,' Adshade said: 'If someone is a sex worker of their own accord - I see now downside to this.' Stephanie Michelle has been on OnlyFans for about four years, after her former platform Patreon stepped back from sexual content, and she said the pandemic has been more profitable than she could have predicted. 'I'm like, "What's happening?" I'm just posting my boobs on the internet, but business has been booming, and all of us are at home bored out of our minds.' She won't divulge her age (because when you're a sex worker over 30, you lose half of your clientele), or her monthly income, but her base rate of $14,00 per month has helped support her husband, who is an out of work cinematographer, as well as their three cats. 'I don't do penetration,' she says: 'But then I learned you could literally crochet scarves on OnlyFans.' Which then brings us onto Bella Thorne, and though you can post whatever you like to OnlyFans, from cooking to decorating videos, it's known for it's sexual content. So obviously, when Bella Thorne joined, fans flocked thinking they will get to see the former Disney star gone bad in the nude, but she remained fully clothed. In the wake of a really big backlash to what some users had considered false advertising, OnlyFans put caps on what creators can charge, as well as what the user can tip, per day as well as other restrictions. As of August 2020, $50 is the limit for exclusive content per month (Its like paying for an additional streaming service), with $100 cap on tips. 'Bella Thorne made promises and didn't deliver, and that makes sex workers look bad,' Michelle says: 'She's making us look like we don't care about our fans, or that we're liars and cheats. The price cap didn't affect my business - however, that doesn't make me any less pissed off about the cap. I'm very upset for my friends' - other content creators who suffered as a result of the caps. Michelle sees OnlyFans as a net positive, one that is forcing society to reconsider what it means to sell one's image, likeness, or body. She said why is it, that it's more harmful to sell oneself virtually than in the real world, and why do we consider some forms of commodification valid and good, but not others? 'Athletes sell their bodies,' she argues: 'Footballers and boxers get brain damage. In my opinion that's more harmful than me putting my tits online. No one is forcing me to post nudes or make content that I don't want to make. I'm basically an entrepreneur.' Michelle also has direct conversations with individual subscribers, many of whom, she says, are looking for a way to feel less anxious and lonely in lockdown. Relationships have been stripped from us for a full year, said Michelle: I'm so thankful I was able to help people de-stress in a year that was only stress.' And as for Morgan, who has a new season of RHONY due to premier on 4th May 2021, OnlyFans has become part of her brand: 'Bravo is my lifeline, but I do OnlyFans for the same reason I get on Twitter every night - I like to connect with my viewership. And I can tell you: you make good money.' Plus by 2030, OnlyFans will seem quant to the point of innocence, what, with the rise in sex robots... Read the full article

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purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1054 - Just bolding surveys, both taken the long way.

survey by lilprincess

Names

Your given name begins with a C. False. That’s what my surname begins with, though.

Your middle name begins with a vowel. True. Both my second and legal middle names, actually.

Your last name ends with a consonant. Yeah, the aforementioned C.

Your first name is of Latin origin. I don’t think so. If I remember correctly, it’s French and German. There's a silent letter in your surname. Filipino words or names rarely have silent letters.

People tend to have issues pronouncing your surname. It’s a common surname and is very straightforward and easy to pronounce. Your father was the one who picked out your birth name. He came up with Robyn, and I’ve since felt bad about hating my given name so much as a kid because doing so definitely must have made him sad :( My mom came up with my second name, Isabelle. You think your first name is pretty. That’s what I think so now. I love how unique and unisex Robyn is. You have names picked out for your future kids. I have a list of favorites, but nothing final. Your first name rhymes with multiple words. Sure. ‘Robin’ itself is a word, so I’m fairly certain it has a lot of rhymes. You're named after a Catholic holy figure. I’m not but that is very much the case in Filipino cuture, actually. A lot of kids are named after the saint that they share a feast date with.

Age

Many people mistake you for being younger than your actual age. Yep. Just last Saturday I got stopped at the mall entrance because the guard thought I was a minor. To confirm my age he asked for my driver’s license in such a condescending way, as if he didn’t expect me to be able to pull out one; and that soured my mood for the entire morning. Like Jesus, just take my fucking temperature and be courteous at your job. Why do you have to be such an asshole?

You're old enough to legally drink, drive and vote. Yeah the legal age for all of those things here is 18, so I’ve been able to do all three for four years now.

You have a youthful physical appearance and attitude. I’d say I look very young (see above incident with Asshole Guard), but ~youthfulness might not be the first thing one sees from my attitude or actions. I think I look stressed and tired all the time.

Education and Job Background

You are a post-high school graduate. Yes, went straight to college after high school as is normal practice here. I seldom hear of people taking a gap year, and that’s usually reserved for really really rich kids who already have their futures planned out by their parents and technically never really have to take up schooling.

You've attended some college but never completed it. Batch 2020, baby.

You've attended 2 different middle schools. I went to the same school from kinder to high school, and only moved when I started university.

At school you had very few close friends, but many acquaintances. This was applicable in both schools. Either way, I’ve been fortunate to be able to form lasting relationships and make friends.

Math was your least favorite subject. Some math classes, like trig and calculus, sucked. But I enjoyed statistics, algebra, and parts of geometry. My most-hated class has to be chemistry though.

You've participated in extracurricular academic activities. I don’t think so. I liked participating in extracurricular activities like being in clubs and orgs, but being in extracurricular academic activities just sounds exhausting. Why bring my studies outside of my studies?

You've won a spelling bee in elementary school. We didn’t have spelling bees per se but we had a lot of spelling quizzes in class and I remember scoring the highest for most, if not all, of them. I also won first place in a quiz bee in fifth grade but it had various categories, spelling included.

Home economics and wood shop were required courses in your middle school. Home economics was. We did a lot of things that I absolutely hated when I was that age but I see the appeal of now, like tye-dyeing, baking rainbow cakes, apple pies, and macarons, cross-stitching, crocheting, etc. I have no idea what wood shop is.

You attended your high school prom alone. My high school is very controlling, and bringing a prom date was actually mandatory and would’ve led to repercussions if you weren’t able to find one. Given that I wasn’t interested in boys at the time, I just brought my cousin to get the evening over with.

Physical Appearance

You're a dark-haired brunette. I have black hair. Which makes me dark-haired, but not a brunette.

You have green eyes. I don’t, but I find this eye color the prettiest.

You've been wearing glasses for a long time. Since I was 11. I needed them a little earlier than that, but my mom had always thought I was fooling around when I was 9 and first started letting her know that my vision was getting blurry.

You are near sighted. Very much. If I took my glasses off right now, even if my laptop is very close to me, I would be unable or at least have a very difficult time finishing the rest of this survey.

You have a button nose. Erm, I don’t know what this is and I don’t feel like checking.

You are 5'4". A little shorter than that. I got the shortest end of the stick when it comes to the height in my family.

Your smallest pants & skirt size was a 2. We don’t measure this way, so I dunno what the Filipino equivalent for size 2 is. I know I usually go for XS and XXS clothes, though.

You take morning showers. Eh, sometimes. I don’t schedule my showers as often anymore. I did take a shower this morning, though.

You polish your own nails. I never do anything with my nails, except trim them or bite them myself.

Your favorite color to wear is black. Used to be. Now I like having color in my outfits.

You've had your hair completely dyed before. Never done this.

You've worn spray-on tattoos before. I don’t think so, but as a kid I was obsessed with sticker tattoos hehe. Filling up my wrist and arms with them is one of my favorite childhood memories.

You have multiple piercings. Just the two in my ears.

You find it nearly impossible to walk in high heels. It can be a little uncomfortable by the 3rd hour of walking around with them, but I honestly love high heels.

You currently have bangs. I want to get rid of them but people have to see me with bangs first lol, so they’re staying until a little after the pandemic subsides, whenever that is.

You barely wear makeup. I don’t see the appeal and I don’t feel like learning how to apply it any time soon.

You have tiny feet. Size 6 or 7.

You're dominantly right handed. Yep. I can barely achieve anything with just my left hand.

Love, Sex & Romance

You're not a virgin. Yeah, well. This is self-explanatory.

You're considering using the birth control pill. I didn’t really need to given the nature of my past relationship. I’m also not seeing anyone at the moment so again, no reason to be on it.

You're currently involved in a long-distance relationship. I’m not, and I’m not sure if I can handle that. My mom and dad have been long-distance for their entire marriage and seeing their experience is enough for me to not want the same thing for myself.

Your significant other's native language is different from yours. You have no idea how much I hate having to cross this out.

You believe there's much more to a romantic relationship than just sex. I barely think of sex when I think about relationships. Honestly speaking, I don’t consider it a big priority. I can see myself lasting with someone and yet never having sex.

You've been in love with someone else while in a relationship. Hell no.

You are straight but support same-sex marriage. Just the latter part is true.

survey by xflirtykaosx

Have You Ever...?

Lied to your friends about who you saw? I feel like this lacks a bit of context, unless it’s slang that I don’t understand. Saw when? Doing what? Hahahaha.

Cheated on a test? Yeah, once. It was a statistics exam and I knew I already had a 99 in the bag but there was one item I was stuck on. Midway through the exam the school speakers played a certain prayer that was played daily; and since we had to let go of our test papers for a bit to pray, I got a glimpse of my classmate’s paper. I didn’t know if she was right but I just copied her answer on the item I was stuck on just to get it over with. Ended up getting a 100 on that test but I never felt like celebrating, and I never cheated after that. It’s just not worth it.

Cheated on a partner? I’ve never done this, and I would never do this.

Dated a friend’s ex soon after they broke up? I don’t plan on doing this and I’ve never been put in this situation before.

Dated your ex's friend soon after you broke up? No, I’m not interested in any of her friends.

Eaten caviar? I’ve had it in some high-end buffets, but I’m sure it was the inexpensive kind. I haven’t tried rich-people high-society caviar yet.

Smoked a cigar? Haven’t, but willing to try.

Had more than 15 cigarettes in one day? That sounds disgusting. My personal record is probably like 4 or 5 in one night, which is nasty enough.

Smoked weed? I also have not. But I know someone who has access, and I’m just waiting for the right time to try weed for the first time.

Smoked weed on a regular basis or in a large amount? See above.

Eaten at a famous Chef’s restaurant? Never tried it mostly because there are none here lol, but it’s definitely in my bucket list. I’d love to try out Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants the most.

Read someone else’s diary or bank info without permission? Never. I know my ex has a collection of journals from her angsty years that she never let me read, and I always respected that. There were a lot of times I was alone in her room and I had every chance to be an asshole and go through her private diaries, but I never felt the need to. I respected her and her privacy way too much.

Bought someone a membership to a club or society? No. I’m not even a part of one myself.

Kissed a poster of a celeb or person you find attractive? Hahahaha probably. I haven’t done so since I was a young teenager, though.

Eaten a chip sandwich? No but I looked it up and ngl it looks kinda delicious? I wanna try.

Eaten a mustard and ham sandwich? Eugh, no. I winced immediately at mustard; just not my condiment of choice.

Got caught doing something bad on tape? I dunno...maybe? There are CCTVs everywhere now so it’s definitely possible, but if I did do anything ‘bad’ it was probably just a small petty thing, like taking a lost and found ballpen. I’ve always been afraid of breaking the rules.

Drunk a drink that you thought was something else? The reason I hate soda as much as I do was because I had been very thirsty during a family lunch when I was 3, and a glass of what I thought was water, which I fervently drank until I felt the burn in my throat, turned out to be Sprite.

Had extra strong chewing gum? JM brought a pack to school everyday, and I would occasionally ask for one if I felt like chewing on something.

Bit your gum or lower lip and it bled? For sure. Many times.

Broken a vase or plant pot and blamed it on the cat? No but similar. I always blamed my younger siblings whenever I accidentally sent something crashing to the floor as a kid.

Broken anything else and blamed it on a pet? I don’t think so. I love Kimi too much to blame him. And whenever something does break at home it usually is Cooper’s fault, so.

Eaten roule cheese? I don’t think so. It certainly doesn’t sound familiar.

Watched a foreign film without the subtitles on? Well yeah, American films are foreign to me. I’ve watched a bunch without subtitles but I’ve always preferred to have them on, because some accents can be thick. And I hate when actors mumble their lines or speak too fast.

Kissed a frog to see if a prince would come? No.

Coloured a black and white photograph in? I mean I’ve finished pages in coloring books, if that counts.

Pronounced your name in a foreign accent? I can say it in thick American and Filipino accents, but that’s it.

Saw an eclipse with your own eyes? Super blue blood moon, 2018. Eclipses are usually not visible here, so when the news spread that that particular eclipse will be very much present in the Philippines I didn’t hesitate to be outdoors and stare at it for a few minutes.

Sat an exam after 4pm? Yup, I once took an exam at 6 PM.

Covered your face with so much makeup it looked hideous? I have a few childhood photos where I was made to wear too much makeup and I ended up looking like a ghost.

Gone on a school camping trip? Never happened to my class. That would’ve sounded like a blast, though.

Stolen something off your parents? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t be able to stomach the guilt.

Watched TV for 5 hours solid? Yeah, well the TV was the main source of entertainment before phones and quicker internet exploded, so we definitely sat around in front of the TV as kids way longer than five hours. Our elders weren’t too strict with our TV usage, and the general idea was that if an electronic device can keep a handful of kids behaved, then it won’t be an issue.

Cried while on a fairground ride? Not cried, but I’ve felt light-headed, weak, and close to fainting. My body is just not built for fair/amusement park rides.

Had to go to the doctor’s due to a bad flu? Yep. Turned out to be a UTI.

Got a CAT or other form of brain scan? Never happened before. I hope I never see myself in a situation serious enough for these procedures to be deemed necessary.

Spilt spaghetti all over your light coloured top? Never, but this is definitely a Robyn thing that can happen.

Got wine or coke on your parents’ furniture? No. I’ve lived 22 whole years with my mom; I know better than doing that, even if accidentally.

Faked sadness to get out of trouble? I don’t think so. I’ve definitely used it as an excuse, but it was always real to a certain extent. I’m always upset when I know I’m in trouble.

Opened up a packet of chips or crisps upside down? Sure, when opening from the right side up doesn’t work.

Called your friend Mum or Dad by accident? Never. That’s a bit of an odd mistake to make ngl, but I suppose it’s happened to others.

Eaten a boiled egg on its own? Of course. I’d be more surprised if someone hasn’t.

Eaten raw onions as a snack? That doesn’t sound appealing. Pass.

Watched someone commit a crime and didn't report it? I don’t think so. If this happened I’m pretty sure 1) I would report it immediately, and 2) I would also get extremely anxious and probably feel troubled by it for a few days.

Slipped a disc whilst carrying something heavy? I never heard of this term before, so I’m guessing this hasn’t happened to me before.

Swore at a teacher whilst at school? There’s a chance I’ve sworn while a professor was within earshot, but I’ve never sworn at one.

Would You Ever...?

Dress up as the opposite sex? No. I don’t feel the need to, and there are never any circumstances where I’ve had to do so.

Eat a whole pizza to yourself? That’s definitely a big goal of mine haha. I wanna be able to accomplish it at least once.

Sing in front of 2000 or more people? I’ve kinda done this, in school plays; I was always part of a big group though. I’ve never done it solo and have no desire to do so at any point in my life.

Swim with dolphins? I’d love the chance to see dolphins in their natural habitat, but if I do get to encounter them I’d rather stay in the boat and watch them do their thing; that would be enough for me. As friendly as they can be, I don’t want to disrupt their routine and even spook them in the process.

Audition for a reality show? You lost me at ‘audition.’

Lick your partner’s toes? I mean if doing it would solve global warming or give me a million dollars or end world hunger, then it’s a really small price to pay.

Not shower for 2 weeks? Again if there’s a big prize waiting for me in the end, it suddenly doesn’t sound like such a difficult task.

Look after someone else’s child permanently? There has to be a very good, personal reason behind it.

Fly an aeroplane? I’d love to take lessons. My dad’s dream for me was to be a pilot, so it’d be a fun surprise to show him I could actually operate a plane.

Ask a stranger for directions? This isn’t too difficult a task. I’d make sure I’m somewhere crowded and look for someone who looks approachable and helpful, though. Some places do look sketchy.

Catch a 5am train? If it was my only choice, I guess? My family has had to leave the house even earlier for certain trips.

Buy condoms at a pharmacy? I’ve had a friend ask me to do this when she felt too shy to do it herself. But in general, people really shouldn’t be embarrassed when buying things like this. If the cashier judges you, that’s their problem.

Hold a stranger’s hand if they were scared? In an extreme situation, yeah.

Illegally sell drugs for a lot of money? That’s a nope. I’d like to keep my hands off drugs.

Jump into a swimming pool off the highest board? This reminds me of that episode of Mr. Bean where he found himself on the highest diving board at the public pool hahahaha. Anyway, I’d do this if money was on the line, but never just for my own leisure.

Lick a stamp? Sure, whatever.

Make fun of your partner’s family in front of them? ...Why would I even do that?

Murder someone who murdered or raped a child? I would definitely react to a crime like that, but I could never carry out murder myself.

Name your child Adele? It’s a pleasant name; it fits as a second name. It’s not in my top choices by any means, but it’s still pretty.

Name your pet Toby? You pretty much hit the jackpot. Our bunny was named Tobi.

Touch a naked flame with one finger? God no. I know it’s a fairly easy trick and nearly everyone I know knows how to do it, but I’d never try it.

Play strip poker? I don’t even know how to play poker.

Pay for sex? I don’t see myself doing this.

Pet a dog you didn't know? I’d ask permission from the owner first, because the dog might be a biter. If it’s a stray dog, I’d motion for it to come over but keep a distance so as not to scare them.

Pee behind a bush or in a field if you thought nobody could see? I mean, if it’s an extreme emergency and it was the only possible place...

Queue up for a concert ticket for 5 hours or longer? For my favorites, yes. If it was for someone like Beyoncé I’d probably even camp out the night before.

Ride a camel in the desert? I’d still have to check if this is an ethical practice involving the camels. It sounds appealing, though.

Risk your life for 1000 strangers? Depends on what’s at stake.

Show your privates in public to raise a million for charity? If the act of doing so is tasteful and makes sense.

Wear a turban for a year? I don’t think I’m in the place to wear one, culturally speaking.

Can You...

Ride a bike? Cannot, have not been able to in the last 22 years. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to learn, as much as I want to.

Swim? I mean I can definitely stay in the water, tread, and do several strokes, but I’m no professional swimmer if that’s what you mean. I don’t even know how to do a proper dive.

Skate? I used to love ice skating. Ice skating rinks used to be a common feature in malls when I was a kid, and my mom usually dropped me off there while she did groceries and did errands, so that I was kept occupied. I’m very certain that I’m rusty now though, because I haven’t put ice skates on in more than a decade.

Cook? Not a chance. My cooking skills only extend to instant noodles, scrambled eggs, frozen hotdogs, and basic sandwiches.

Ski? I’ve never even seen snow before, much less put skis on.

Speak fluent in another language? Yep, I speak Filipino all the time.

Remember all your families names? What does this mean? Like if I recognize all my relatives? I wouldn’t be able to name all of them if you lined them up, to be honest with you. Filipino families are notorious for being huge and there are lots of people on both my mom’s and dad’s sides whose names I could never remember.

Ride a horse? Nah, I can only do so if a professional is riding with me or maneuvering the horse themselves.

Play Tennis? I’ve never actually tried playing tennis before; I’ve never had the chance.

Play Golf? No, and no desire to. I find golf a little boring and underwhelming.

Play Football or Soccer? We had to play futsal as part of high school PE, which is just essentially football but indoors. That’s where I realized I could’ve been good in football since I turned out to be naturally decent in kicking and blocking the ball...I just never got around to polishing my skills and getting better because I didn’t know if I could maintain training anyway.

Control your temper? Sure, for the most part.

Show your emotions? I can also do this, whenever necessary. I’m able to strike a balance.

Help others? Erm, sure? I try do whenever I can.

Stay neutral? Yeah, if it’s the most mature thing to do. I definitely always stay in the middle when it’s two of my friends who are arguing and I can’t remember a single time I actively took a side.

Eat spicy foods? Kinda comes with being Asian, at least for the most part. Spicy food is the best in Korean and Indian cuisines.

Work as a team?

Work on your own?

Used a compass? Just in geometry class, but I never understood what it was for so I abandoned it quickly.

Do simple Math?

Spell reasonably well? I have to thank Akeelah and the Bee for this. After that movie I’d just read the dictionary for days as well as look up the winning words from the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Understand basic Science? I actually take a liking to science, so I enjoyed our classes as a kid.

Reach a 175 or more in bowling? Haha, does Wii Sports count?

Touch your nose with your tongue? Never could do it.

#survey #surveys

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