#I could spend 100 pesos on a game | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

0tt3r-pop · 2 years

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hi!! could you do octonauts comforting headcannons? like you had a bad day or just feeling sad, how they would react. thank you!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

YESS!!!! It's been so long since I've written something in this format, let's go >:)

I also added some other characters ^^

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Captain Barnacles

- Instant Dad Mode (said as if he's not in Dad Mode 99% of the time-)

- Doesn't always know what to do, but he tires his best

- Would ask what was wrong or if anything happened

- He honestly (almost) takes the most time out of anyone here to make sure you're ok [not that the others don't take time], this man is thorough

- He gives great bone crushing hugs, the type of hugs you'd never forget (in a good way)

- Gives the Dad Pep Talk (TM) to you (the good one, not the "What's 6 × 3" angry pep talk)

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Kwazii

- Doesn't really know how to approach at first

- Ends up going in calm before going more energetic

- Always asks if your up to do anything to distract you from whatever may have happened

- Would 100% tell you stories about Calico Jack or some things they've done before joining the Octonauts

- Wraps their tail around your arm/hand/wrist in comfort (if you're ok with that)

- You have a high chance of getting softly tackles and purred on by Kwazii. As well as getting biscuits made on you

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Peso

- I'm 90% sure he's the oldest (if not one of the middle-older) of like, 50- most are cousins but they are basically siblings in a Spanish family (- from a Spanish person)

- The first time he's a little nervous, but after that they find things that will work for you ^^

- Would build a pillow fort, no questions asked. They are the 2nd best in the Octopod when it comes to pillow forts

- Probably pulls out a sticker sheet and gives you some, ESPECIALLY if they have puns

- Movie night, you guys just vibe in a pillow fort watching some good movies with some snacks. Maybe the Vegimals will join you guys

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Dashi

- No hesitation, grabs your hand (or asks you to follow her if you don't like touch) and plans something fun to do

- One of the first questions out if their mouth is if you want/need to vent

- Hypes you up no matter what. Got in an argument? Get it, you stood firm and held your ground. Someone left you? You're going to get better, you're doing amazing now.

- She'll show you her photo album/vidoes, especially photos of funny moments she managed to capture

- They'd 100% pull out a box of horror movies that are so bad they are funny, and spend the night watching them with you

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Tweak

- It takes a bit for Tweak to fully notice, but when they do, it's game over

- Pillow Fort. You can't tell me that they aren't the best at making pillow forts

- Yes, they are working on something while you're talking (if you are OK with talking) but she is paying attention and holding on to every detail while planning on what to say

- After a while (especially if it's late) they will have their video game console ready to go with another controller ready for use (if you want to play)

- Probably plays some more chill and calming games, like Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, or Uno

- That or more high energy games, like Splatoon, Bioshock, or Overwatch (those games do a good job at taking your mind off of things)

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Shellington

- Gestures for you to give them your hand

- Guess what? You now own a very cool looking piece of coral

- After that they lead you to their lab and starts setting up a little blanket fort (different from a pillow fort)/nest for you guys to vibe in

- The Vegimals join after a little while and will just lay on you guys

- Shellington would read to you, no questions asked

- That, or set up a projector they have and watch some movies (probably Disney or Pixar, maybe a history movie or two)

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Professor Inkling

- Looks at you for a bit to get a good read on you, similar to Shellington

- After a while he'll approach you and ask for you to follow him to the Library

- There, there's already tea and other things ready for you guys

- Doesn't pressure you to talk to him about anything, just grabs a book and starts reading (out loud if you ask)

- Give some of the BEST advice. He's pretty old, and is seen as a grandfather by anyone he works with. This dude has wisdom and knows how to give it to you in a nice manner

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Vegimals

- Will either bake something for you, or get you to help them bake for others (and yourself, depends on what you like)

- You get to see the chaos unfold around you as flour rains down around you

- That, or they will take you to the Garden Pod to do some gardening with them (this normally ties in with baking/cooking tho, they need to get ingredients)

- I headcanon that they can purr, and they pur LOUD

- One would just climb on your back and start purring (probably Salepeño, Barrot, or Codish)

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Tracker

- Gives you their jacket, and no, they won't take no for am answer here

- Also makes you some hot coco/coffee/tea

- Lets you talk when you want to, it's your choice

- Likes to show you cool things they found to take your mind off of things

- At some point they'll break the (likely) silence with a flurry of encouragement and affection, "You're doing amazing", "I know things are rough, but you'll be able to pull through", "You should be proud of yourself, you're doing well" and other other things

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Professor Natquik

- He knows. That's it. He knows

- Doesn't even question it that much, he kinda just... takes you???

- Think about the thing cat's do with their kittens, that

- Makes you a nice drink, sits you down, and just talks with you. You don't have to respond if you don't want to, he'll gladly ramble on about his work and support for you

- Tells some really funny stories (such as how he met Barnacles by hitting him in the face with a snowball) [headcanon]

- You'll probably end up falling asleep by mistake, but he's happy. Brings out a fluffy blanket and drapes it over you. Get some rest, you deserve it ^^

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Bianca

- Orson and Ursa are already on you asking questions, but they only want to cheer you up and help you feel better

- Bianca probably sends them off to play for a bit while she stays with you

- Instant hug (if you're ok with it), just as strong as Barnacles

- She gives amazing advice, and is always willing to help (and throw hands, just in case)

- Ursa and Orson come back after a while with little snow bunnies they made

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Ranger Marsh

- Would ask what was wrong but walk away before you could answer

- Then he'd have a baby alligator in his arms and just hand it to you/put it on your lap

- Congratulations, you now have a therapy alligator

- He would also hand you a packet of crackers and some water. Don't think when you're dehydrated/hungry, there's a fair chance that your brain and body is being pissy. He's a walking Snickers ad in a way

- Also does the (good) Dad Pep Talk (TM) at the end

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Calico Jack

- How they respond depends on where you are, so for this I'll just say your guys are in the Amazon-

- Congratulations, you are now in a Capybara cuddle pile with Calico Jack laughing (but in a nice way, like "aww, cuddle pile")

- He does the same thing as Kwazii, wraps their tail around your arm/hand/wrist (if you're ok with it) and does the purr

- Like Grandfather like Grandspawn

- Would 100% make a fake treasure hunt for you to take your mind off of things

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Paani

- I don't know much about Panni, but I feel like he'd offer you a nice rock

- If you guys are outside he'd try to take you to a place with a good view and have a little picnic with you (that they TOTALLY didn't make last minute /s [he made it last minute] )

- Just vibes with you watching the sky and clouds. Also probably looked at the sun by mistakes at least once no I'm not projecting

- Will try to get you to talk about it, but will back off if you don't want to. He's glad to fill the silence with things he's done

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BAM DONE-

Sorry for being gone for so long, exams are next week and my brain is ascending into the floor rn lol

Requests are still open ^^

#octonauts #captain barnacles #kwazii #peso #tweak #shellington #dashi #peso penguin #professor inkling #vegimals #the octonauts #octonauts headcannons #octonauts headcanons #ask #comfort #comfort ask #incorrect octonauts quotes

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jaynovz · 3 years

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The Black Sails Rewatch w/ Bob Commentary (s1 e1-3)

So I’m rewatching Black Sails and I’ve co-opted my spouse into it. I recorded his first impressions/commentary for my own (and hopefully your) amusement. Here are the first three episodes, hope you enjoy!

Ep1:

“Why would the captain of that merchant ship give his crew long barrel muskets instead of pistols? They’re clearly having a lot of trouble holding and aiming them in that tiny room. This is exactly why they specifically have pistols on a ship and not muskets. One is for long range and one is for short range”

“this is why Sea of Thieves is such a silly game. look how many ppl they actually need to crew a galleon. But that’s b/c you don’t respawn in real life”

About the initiation process with “blackbeard”: “honestly this is a very clever idea b/c it builds loyalty and those ppl who just joined from the conquered ship had a traumatic life experience, so give em a little tiddy. Also it encourages new crew members to spend their money on the island

brothel: lol first one’s free”

“Does John Silver himself even know wtf he’s doing”

“I’m betting on Flint for this fight, not only b/c he’s clearly the main char. But b/c Singleton… your face dude. Looks like you’ve lost a lot of fights”

“They named him Singleton b/c he’s in one episode”

“Silver: -after watching Flint beat a man to death- well mark me down as scared and horny”

Eps 2-3: (these got kind of muddled together b/c we watched them in a row and I wrote down the comments afterward)

“Did he just bellyflop off the side? You’d think someone we found on a ship would know how to dive. Dude’s gonna get a broken nose and have to go to the doctor, who will just give him a moist toilette bc it’s 1716”

about Flint: “every time I see him in that head scarf it looks so weird”

Eleanor to Silver: you better be worth it

“Bob: lol he is worth one potato”

about Vane: “sir have you been gargling rocks”

"I like Billy, he's trying so hard"

about Richard Guthrie “you’ve lost a lot of blood, and it’s 1716 so the best we can do is just… tell you that and put a damp towel on it”

about Flint’s requests for shot and cannons: “okay so why are they fretting so much more about the guns? That 1000 rounds of shot is way more expensive than the dozen cannons. Also, those guns couldn’t withstand that amount of shot fired out of them. Each cannon can withstand maybe 75-100 rounds before it needs to be replaced or…. More likely, explodes”

about Jack Rackham losing the 5000 pesos:

“all those pearls are still out in the bay… why don’t you just get a longboat and dive for them. You’re all pirates, you should know how to swim. It’s 15 ft of water dude and your problems are solved”

“These quartermasters are running around trying so hard just to get a WoW raid together like CAN I JUST GET 10 PPL TO SHOW UP. They’re corralling the captains like children lol”

“I don’t like any of Eleanor’s decisions. It’s like her go-to is all in, 0 to 100 and she doesn’t seem to have an accurate feel for her amount of leverage at any given moment. She could have just told Vane’s crew that they’d receive 10% less on their goods if they stayed with Vane instead of blacklisting them b/c that is actually achievable, but she just goes full hog every time”

about Rackham’s sunglasses: “He looks fucking ridiculous in those. Like, he already looked ridiculous b/c the mullet and the side burns but now he looks even worse. This is what you do when you’re trying to pretend you have a small head”

“Max has brass fucking balls”

More to come! :D

#black sails #black sails liveblog #black sails rewatch #black sails s1 #liveblog #Bob likes boat stuff #charles vane #john silver #eleanor guthrie #james flint #jack rackham #black sails max #spouse

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elloizius · 3 years

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Hobby to Money

We all know that 2020 is not really a good year for everyone. We can not go outside and do our normal routine. Working in quarantine is also a hassle. Everyone needs to adjust and buy new equipment and devices to get back to work. Also hanging out with friends to unwind with all this stress is not really an option. So as a young adult in my 20s the only option that I can think of is to sit in front of my computer and play games all day every day. Wake up late in the afternoon, eat brunch, play games, and watch Youtube videos until early morning. This is now my daily routine that lasted for at least 7 months.

Then my mechanical keyboard broke and I need a replacement. I wanted a small keyboard for a long time now because I have a limited desk space. Done some research on what to get and went to an online e-commerce site that thou shall not be named and ordered one. My first 70% mechanical Keyboard. For those that do not know or does not have any idea on what I am talking about, there are different sizes of keyboards and layouts and some also have variants. A 70% mechanical keyboard does not have any number pad and function row but have the basic navigation button and arrow keys. This type of keyboard gives me a lot of desk real estate because of its small size. For comparison, a full-size keyboard is called full size because it has all the keys, it can also be called 100%. The keyboard that most laptop comes with is a hybrid between 60% and 75%.

With further research I found out that I can customize my keyboard to my liking. Different kinds and colors of keycaps. Keyboard switches can have different feel and sound. You can make the mechanical keyboard you are using, your own creation. Many people collect keyboards for this reason. They spend thousands of pesos to buy or build one. Some keyboard build can cost around 15,000 pesos. The thing that really caught my attention are the artisan keycaps. They are keycaps that have designs in them. It can be as simple as a normal keycap with text or logo on them or keycaps with intricate design, some of which are hand sculpted with superb details. The latter ones are what I like to have. Looking on the price though, they are extremely expensive. A single artisan keycap can cost you from 500 up to 5,000 pesos. Yes, this hobby can be expensive, and I cannot really afford to sustain it. This gave me an idea. I used to sculpt, and I still have left over polymer clay on my art supply.

I immediately went to bed and woke up early to try if I can make one for myself. It is hard to make one. The keycap is so small. Steady hands and patience are what you really need. The progress is promising so went online and ordered hobby grade paints for my keycap. I am already thinking ahead that this could be a thing. I can make money out of this. The first keycap I made is a chibi or simplified version of a popular streamer in the Philippines. I posted some photos in my fb page and tagged her. She saw and shared it on her page and personal account. The post blew up. Then messages started coming asking if they can order one. She also commissioned me a couple of custom keycaps.

Now I already made 64 custom keycaps with at least 40 more pending orders writing this. A positive outcome of an awful situation. A new hobby turned my old hobby into a small business. I am grateful for it.

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sally-annesstories · 5 years

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Day 14 - Mérida to Rio Lagartos, Mexico

And we’re moving

1. A 9am start today to head to Rio Lagartos from Mérida. I’m excited for this as it’s where we get to visit Las Colorada’s which I want to see. We had a vote on whether to stop via Izamal. To be honest I initially wasn’t keen but there was a bit of disappointment in the group so when it came to voting I ultimately changed mine to keep the peace. Not usually one for caving to peer pressure but I am aware there’s not much happening in Rio Lagartos aside from Las Coloradas so it was ok. It’s funny the dynamics with a bigger group etc. harder for Salvador organising people (seems that people are more likely to be chatty and then waiting for them to start being quiet). Once on the road I continued to read. Have now finished ‘still me’ and am onto ‘the subtle are of not giving a fuck’. I started it 6 months ago but got a bit over it so just picking up where I left off.

2. The stop at Izamal was well worth it! The town was so beautiful and yellow buildings everywhere you looked! Initially had a wee walking tour and then Kristin and I went wandering to explore and get food. There were wee markets in the town square with odds and ends for sale at each stand. We wanted to get something but hunger was in our way so we walked into a little alley way which had heaps of options available. To be honest everything looked so questionable. If I went into a food alley like that at home there is no way I’d stay for a meal. Everyone eating was Mexican and there were quite a few Mayans as well. Ultimately this older lady started talking to us, she was dressed so beautifully carrying her handbag and she worked at one of the stalls and we elected to eat there. I had a vege taco and Kristin and chicken and beans. The vege was all fresh tomato, lettuce, avocado. If I’m sick it’s because of this but it was 100% worth it. So damn good. Crazily it was only 12 pesos! Translates to about $1. Also got a glass of coke as there’s something special about Mexican cola! Actually that was another thing with this wee food alley and kinda everywhere in Mexico is the level of Coca-Cola advertising. The tables and chairs were all red with the logo. From there we went back to the market. Kristin picked up some art for her family and I got braided anklets. Feel I need to take advantage of this funemployed thing I have going on given I haven’t worn them in years! Then we ventured to a wee store for Cheeto puffs (or poffs, it is of course Mexico)..I’m addicted and finally an iceblock. We also did a walk up a temple before hopping on the bus to Rio Lagartos.

3. On the bus Salvador took food orders for when we arrived at Rio Lagartos. As Kristin and I had eaten we skipped lunch and went straight to the hotel. We spoke to the woman at reception about going to Las Coloradas ourselves. The internet had given mixed reviews on time of day that was best and so we thought given not much else to do there we should just give it a go. Well turns out there are no taxis in Rio Lagartos and so we thought let’s get bikes. She did look at us like we were idiots for suggesting we bike there. It would take an hour and at 32 degrees + 90% humidity she might’ve been right. Either way she sent us in the direction of hiring bikes and off we wandered. First stop we get there and 6 people are looking at us oddly as we walk round the property. A guy asks what’s up and we (Kristin...) tells him we’re after the bike hire. He said the guys on lunch but gave him a call. Rio Lagartos is like the islands, everyone is friendly and chill. Anyway bike hire man was enjoying his day and didn’t want to hire bikes today. The friendly man that called though sent us further down the road to another place that could help. We found a woman with a bike out the front and a tandem one at the back. She was happy to rent to us saying we could have two people on either bike. We (Kristin) said where we wanted to go and she screwed get face as too far and too hot. But she provided an alternative watering hole which was not so far. Approx 1km. We wanted our togs for this so said we’d come back once we had these from our bags. On the way to the hotel we went via a store for water and the guy asked our plans and he seemed happy with watering hole idea and proceeded to give directions. It’s so nice getting away from a mass of people to really experience the people and culture. Also amazing having Kristin leading all the communication. The locals everywhere have been so impressed with her and Julia. Back at the hotel and bags and everyone had arrived. We grabbed ours and popped on togs. Majority were heading on a boating excursion. Julia wanted to rest but Ed was up to coming with us. Five minutes we were all ready and headed back to the lady with the bikes.

4. Back at the bike hire the lady said 25 pesos per bike an hour. Sunset and then dinner was around 7 so we thought 3 hours would be good for a swim. It was bordering on 4pm. We hired both the single and the tandem. I think I’ve tandemed biked maybe once or twice before and bloody hell it was a balancing act to begin with. Kristin was up the front and I was behind with Ed on the solo. I was way too tall for the bike but all part of the adventure! We hit the road heading to the water front and following maps to what appeared to be the jungle. We first came across some water but it wasn’t on the map where we thought we were going so continued riding down a dirt road. Found a deserted building, potentially a church and a dead-end. We headed back to where we had been and a local was on the road who confirmed where we were was where we were meant to be. After our bike ride on the no-gear bikes we were pretty hot so we jumped it to cool off. The water was so good to be in! No idea on how clean but it was coming from the ocean so likely ok. There were so many young locals swimming. Playing tag or Marco Polo (Mexican equivalent!) and just generally playing. The swam and splashed everywhere. Was so fun. Such a relaxing way to spend the afternoon! Once we were done in the water there was a dock to chill on and continued soak up the fading sun for the next hour or so. More and more kids arrived jumping in the water , onto the dock and in again. So much chaos and happiness. Finally was time to embrace the world again and bike back to the hotel. Turns out our bike must’ve got a punctured tire on the way there. We took a look and decided if we took an easy ride it would be ok. Well that lasted for a few hundred metres and then the tubing was tangled everywhere in the rim! Between the 3 of us (Ed) we/he de-tangled the tubing and then popped it back in the tire. You could see a bunch of patches so they’d obviously seen a puncture or 10 before! The ride back was then a walk but at only a kilometre it was easy and flat. Plus we got to take advantage of the view longer. Handing in the bikes was a bit confusing. Kristin led the chat given she speaks Spanish and we were quite happy to provide some pesos because of the puncture. Anyway I couldn’t really follow the chat (sometimes I can) because Kristin was chill but the woman seemed mad. She also looked at me a lot (I think she forgot I couldn’t really understand). Anyway after 5 minutes we leave all happy as Larry. Turns out the woman was chill about the puncture. Just Mexicans show more emotions than maybe kiwis do so her tone which I took as being unhappy her just her way of expressing herself. Overall she was so friendly and lovely. For a place that’s not really on the maps of somewhere to go, I really liked Rio Lagartos a lot.

5. At 7 we had a team dinner. Not compulsory but decided to go. There’s not a whole lot of options in Rio Lagartos! Pollo a la Mexicana (onions, tomatoes, that whole jam!) was exactly my vibe. Continuing the teams of heat supressing my appetite I didn’t even eat half. Probably heat combined with the fact I had a second fizzy coke for the day. Kristin and I headed back to the hotel. She wanted an early night and I wanted 30 mins of alone time. After a while I heard noise of people hanging out downstairs. I wasn’t tired and had caught up on me (feeling human again!) so I went down. Turns out there were 3 bottles of tequila and cards on the menu. I ended up acting as sober supervisor for the games. Drinking games have different names across the world but I think as kiwis were pretty aware of this so while a mild amount of confusion existed I could name the majority in the slang from a variety of places. Also there were a few confused faces from cards so helped out there too. Cheers to uni days. I opted to stay away from the tequila as have had my fair share of late and didn’t want to feel below average in the morning. The night progressed till 12.30am before the games were over the majority of us hit the hay. Some very happy faces amongst the booze. Back in our room I was mildly awake but forced myself to get some rest. I think I’m averaging 5-6 hours a night at the moment so just going with it. Even when I’ve been in cars I right or read so no naps either. Obviously all I’m needing in this lifestyle. Planning a chill next week on the beach as well which will be good (granted nothing is booked but I’ll do it eventually).

Rio Lagartos is bloody great!

Tally:

Times I complained while biking: 3 (it was not a flash bike)

Kids swimming in the inlet: 14

Friendly locals who helped us or had a chat: 7

Izamal / alley where we at lunch / Izamal x2 / biking adventures + swimming hole at Rio Lagartos

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travelguy4444 · 5 years

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The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín

Posted: 04/19/2019 | April 19th, 2019

Once considered one of the deadliest cities in the world, Medellín has undergone a transformation over the last fifteen years that has made it one of the most modern places in all of Colombia.

The city has become a lot safer, there is a fantastic metro and cable car system that could rival the best in Europe, lots of parks, new buildings, libraries, restaurants, and a growing tech scene.

The city has changed a lot, and you can tell the residents are very proud of everything they’ve accomplished. There’s a palpable sense of possibility in Medellin. Optimism and excitement were always in the air.

Medellín is now one of “it” cities in the world. Tourists swarm it, and foreigners (especially young digital nomads) are settling and retiring here in droves. It was the most cosmopolitan and international city I visited in Colombia.

I spent close to a total of three weeks in Medellín.

If you’re looking to visit Medellín (and I don’t see why you wouldn’t be if you’re in Colombia), here is a list of my favorite things to do and see after spending so much time there:

1. Explore the Numerous Parks and Plazas

Medellín’s year-round temperate climate makes it a perfect place to spend a lot of time outdoors, where people are always lounging around and vendors are peddling food and drinks. Two must-visit parks are:

Plaza Botero – Botero was a famous artist from Medellin known for his drawing and statues of oversized people. This plaza is home to 23 Botero sculptures and is always packed with people taking photos, street performers, and artists. Located in the Old Quarter, you’ll find a couple of museums in the square too.

Parque Lleras – Located right in the center of Poblado, this park is full of people all day and night. There are street vendors, food sellers, musicians, and people drinking into the wee hours of the night. It’s a wonderful place to people-watch and one of the best places to have fun in the city!

2. Wander Parque Arvi

This park is worthy of its own entry. Located in the mountains near the city, you can take the gondola right from the subway to the park’s entrance. It’s a beautiful ride through the hills and offers some incredible views of the valley and city.

The park spans 16,000 hectares and includes trails that date back over 1,500 years. At the park entrance, you’ll find a small market as well as trails to hike. To visit, you now have to take a guided tour. It costs 5,000-7,000 COP ($1.50-2.25 USD) depending on the trail (most trails are 2-4km long). Bird-watching tours are also available.

3. Explore Jardín Botánico

The botanical gardens, a quiet retreat from the noise and chaos of the city, host numerous events, concerts, and festivals throughout the year. They cover over 14 hectares and are home to around 4,500 flowers and some 139 different bird species.

There’s also a nice (if not overpriced) restaurant in the center if you feel like spending more time here relaxing and taking in the scene.

4. See a Soccer Match

Soccer (futbol) here is religion and, if there are games when you’re here, you should really try to see one. Medellín has two local teams: Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. Supporters of each team occupy bleachers at opposing ends of the stadium since things tend to get rowdy and violent when they are near each other. Ticket prices are well under 40,000 COP (under $12.50 USD).

5. Take a Day Trip to Guatapé

Guatapé is the most popular day-trip destination from Medellín. It’s a colorful pueblo (village) situated on the edge of a lake about two hours from town, and it’s possible to take tours of the surrounding area by speedboat or party boat (which is very popular with backpackers who spend a night or two here).

The main attraction is El Peñol, a granite monolith with over 700 concrete stairs etched in its side. For a few thousand pesos, visitors can climb to the top for breathtaking 360-degree views of the region.

Guatapé is a long day trip from Medellín (hostels in the city organize trips throughout the week), so I recommend trying to spend at least a night here so you aren’t rushed and can enjoy the area little more.

6. Take a Free Walking Tour

One of my favorite things to do when I get to a new city is to take a free walking tour. They’re perfect for getting an overview of a place while giving you access to a local expert who can answer your questions.

Real City Walking Tours has a great free tour that will give you an informative introduction to the city. Don’t do any other tours; this is the only free walking tour you need, and it’s the best in town. You’ll get a lot of information, and the guides are wonderful. Be sure to tip at the end!

7. Tour Comuna 13

This area was once the most violent part of Medellín. Murder, drugs, and violent crime were rampant (it’s still not a safe area to visit at night). You used to have to go through guards to get into this area; if you didn’t live here, you weren’t let in.

However, thanks to its street art (which was a reaction to heavy-handed police raids) there has been a huge influx of tourists. That has made part of the area safer and led to a rise in business and commerce. It’s really changed the fabric of the community. Local residents are even coming here now, figuring that if the tourists are going, it must be good!

You can visit by yourself or go on a tour (where a guide will explain the history of the area and the artists). Some of the better tour companies are:

Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour

Zippy Tour

Medellín City Tours

8. Visit the Museo de Antioquia

Founded in 1881, this interesting museum is home to numerous pre-Colombian works as well as national and international works by famous artists (there are a bunch of Boteros here too) and a wide variety of photographs and sculptures.

Cl. 52 #43, +57 4-251-3636, museodeantioquia.co. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 10am-5:30pm and Sundays 10am-4:30pm. Admission is 18,000 COP ($6 USD) per person.

9. Wander the Cementerio Museo de San Pedro

Built in 1842, this cemetery is also a museum where you can see the monuments and graves of many famous Colombians while learning about their lives and contributions. There’s a lot of large marble mausoleums and statues here. Keep an eye out for special events such as midnight tours and movie nights. The cemetery is small but it’s also close to the botanical gardens so you can do both one after the other.

Cra. 51 #68-68, +57 4-516-7650, cementeriosanpedro.org.co. Open daily 7:30am-5:30pm. Admission is free.

10. See the Casa de la Memoria

This museum opened in 2012 and examines the history of armed conflict in Colombia. It sheds light on the struggles the people of Colombia have had to overcome to get where they are today.

It’s a very sobering and solemn place but it offers some important insights. Don’t miss it.

Parque Bicentenario, +57 4-520-2020, museocasadelamemoria.gov.co. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm and weekends 10am-4pm. Admission is free, and there is also a free audio guide you can download. Guided tours are available on Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact the museum for details.

11. Visit the Museo de Arte Moderno

The Museum of Modern Art, located in a refurbished industrial building, is an awesome work of art in itself. There’s a ton of exposed area, giving it a really charming feel. Many people have a love-hate relationship with modern art (it’s not my personal favorite, I admit) but even I enjoyed my visit here.

The collection is small, but there’s also a beautiful photography section on the bottom floor. Even if it’s not your thing, it’s worth spending a couple hours here to get a sense of the modern art scene in the city.

Cra. 44 #19a-100, +57 4-444-2622, elmamm.org. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm, on Saturdays 10am-6pm, and Sundays 10am-5pm. Admission is 12,000 COP ($4 USD) per person.

12. Take a Food Tour

If you’re looking to taste a sample of what Medellín™ has to offer, there are a couple of food tour companies that can help. It’s a great way to get a taste for the local cuisine while learning about the country’s traditions in the process. There are plenty of options, such as street food tours from Toucan Café or more traditional local restaurant tours from Medellín City Tours. Both are good options!

Expect to pay 143,000-286,00 COP ($45-90 USD) per person.

13. Visit a Microbrewery

If you find yourself parched after an afternoon of sampling the city’s delicious cuisine, consider taking a brewery or craft beer tour to quench your thirst. There is an up-and-coming craft beer scene in Colombia, and Medellín has over 30 breweries and microbreweries. These are some of the best places to try a local beer:

3 Cordilleras runs tours Thursday and Friday evenings, offering five samples for 25,000-30,000 COP ($8-10 USD) per person.

Cerveza Premium Apóstol has a tour every Thursday at 6:30pm where you can see the brewery, taste a few drinks, and enjoy a snack in the process. Advanced booking is required, and tickets are 35,000 COP ($11 USD) per person.

20 Mission Cerveza has great beer, great food, and it’s a fun place to hang out and meet people. They don’t offer tours, but they do host music events and DJs. It’s super popular and one of the best places in town to grab a beer.

Brew House is a family-owned-and-operated brewery where you can take a tour and sample the offerings alongside their full pub menu.

Medellín Beer Factory doesn’t offer tours, though it does brew its own beer, with over 50 kinds on the menu! It’s a great place to relax with friends.

14. Visit Comuna 8

Much like Comuna 13, this area was one of the poorest in Medellín — and it still is. This district was really isolated until the city built a gondola from downtown, allowing people to get to work a lot more easily.

La Sierra runs a tour to teach people about the history of the area, and, unlike Comuna 13, it’s not overrun with tourists. It’s a small district and the tour doesn’t last long, but you get a much more authentic look at the city and its people and history than you do in Comuna 13 (where the focus is more on street art). I highly recommend it; it was one of the most insightful experiences I had in Medellín.

Finally, Don’t Do the Escobar Tour!

The locals here are not fans of Pablo Escobar. His violent life and legacy caused untold amounts of harm to the city and its population, and while it’s always good to learn about the history of a destination, glorifying this is not something I want to support. You can learn about his life online in a way that doesn’t spit in the face of the locals, many of whom don’t even speak his name. Out of respect for them, I encourage you to skip the Escobar tour.

Where to Eat in Medellín

I ate a lot in this city — and it was amazing! Here are some highlights:

Mondongo – Traditional Colombian food in a relaxed atmosphere. Try the mondongo, a traditional tripe soup. It comes with a ton of side dishes (including giant avocados). Come early, as this place get packed. Try to avoid the weekend. (Cl. 10 #38-38)

Carmen – High-end gastronomy with some of the best food in all of Colombia. It’s expensive but worth it. It was the best splurge meal I had in the country. (Cra. 36 #10a-27)

Mercado del Rio – An awesome food court offering all sorts of delicious food from dozens of vendors. There’s something for everyone here. (Cl. 24 #48-28)

20 Mission – A great microbrewery with delicious food too! Try the IPA. (Cl. 16 #43f-66)

Pergamino Café – A chill café with some of the best coffee in town. I spent a lot of time working here. They make great breakfast food, BLTs, and empenadadas. (Cra. 37 #8A-37)

37 Park – Another great bar and restaurant with a rustic outdoor garden. (Cra. 37 #8A – 4)

Hatoviejo – This is one of the best places to get traditional Colombian food. It’s pricey when compared to some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants you’ll find throughout town. (Cl. 16 #28-60)

***

I was never bored in Medellín. In a country full of hype, this hyped-up city is all that it’s cracked up to be. It has enough activities to fill weeks on end. Combined with the low cost of travel and living, it’s no wonder more and more people are visiting the city.

This guide can help you plan your trip. And while it’s easy to get lost in Gringoland here, try to get out of Poblado or Laureles and see the locals’ side of town.

That’s where the magic of Medellín happens.

Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use it all the time. Here are suggested places to stay in Medellín:

Los Patios: This is an upscale hostel, but you get a lot of value. It’s in a great location and the staff are awesome. It’s always clean and the beds are comfy!

Happy Buddha Boutique Hostel – This is the biggest party hostel in Medellín, so if you’re looking to get crazy, this your best bet! The staff works hard to keep people happy (and drunk), including organizing drinking games, salsa classes, and pub crawls!

The Wandering Paisa – This hostel is located in the upscale area of Laureles, which is the up and coming touristy area of the city. All the dorms are covered in South American and Colombian cultural artwork by local students and each bed comes with a large locker and a privacy divider, which makes it easier to sleep.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!

Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Check out my in-depth destination guide to Colombia with more tips on what to see and do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more!

Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The post The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ultimate-list-medellin/

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melissagarcia8 · 5 years

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The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín

Posted: 04/19/2019 | April 19th, 2019

Once considered one of the deadliest cities in the world, Medellín has undergone a transformation over the last fifteen years that has made it one of the most modern places in all of Colombia.

The city has become a lot safer, there is a fantastic metro and cable car system that could rival the best in Europe, lots of parks, new buildings, libraries, restaurants, and a growing tech scene.

I spent close to a total of three weeks in Medellín.

If you’re looking to visit Medellín (and I don’t see why you wouldn’t be if you’re in Colombia), here is a list of my favorite things to do and see after spending so much time there:

1. Explore the Numerous Parks and Plazas

2. Wander Parque Arvi

3. Explore Jardín Botánico

There’s also a nice (if not overpriced) restaurant in the center if you feel like spending more time here relaxing and taking in the scene.

4. See a Soccer Match

5. Take a Day Trip to Guatapé

6. Take a Free Walking Tour

7. Tour Comuna 13

You can visit by yourself or go on a tour (where a guide will explain the history of the area and the artists). Some of the better tour companies are:

Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour

Zippy Tour

Medellín City Tours

8. Visit the Museo de Antioquia

Cl. 52 #43, +57 4-251-3636, museodeantioquia.co. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 10am-5:30pm and Sundays 10am-4:30pm. Admission is 18,000 COP ($6 USD) per person.

9. Wander the Cementerio Museo de San Pedro

Cra. 51 #68-68, +57 4-516-7650, cementeriosanpedro.org.co. Open daily 7:30am-5:30pm. Admission is free.

10. See the Casa de la Memoria

This museum opened in 2012 and examines the history of armed conflict in Colombia. It sheds light on the struggles the people of Colombia have had to overcome to get where they are today.

It’s a very sobering and solemn place but it offers some important insights. Don’t miss it.

11. Visit the Museo de Arte Moderno

Cra. 44 #19a-100, +57 4-444-2622, elmamm.org. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm, on Saturdays 10am-6pm, and Sundays 10am-5pm. Admission is 12,000 COP ($4 USD) per person.

12. Take a Food Tour

Expect to pay 143,000-286,00 COP ($45-90 USD) per person.

13. Visit a Microbrewery

3 Cordilleras runs tours Thursday and Friday evenings, offering five samples for 25,000-30,000 COP ($8-10 USD) per person.

Brew House is a family-owned-and-operated brewery where you can take a tour and sample the offerings alongside their full pub menu.

Medellín Beer Factory doesn’t offer tours, though it does brew its own beer, with over 50 kinds on the menu! It’s a great place to relax with friends.

14. Visit Comuna 8

Finally, Don’t Do the Escobar Tour!

Where to Eat in Medellín

I ate a lot in this city — and it was amazing! Here are some highlights:

Carmen – High-end gastronomy with some of the best food in all of Colombia. It’s expensive but worth it. It was the best splurge meal I had in the country. (Cra. 36 #10a-27)

Mercado del Rio – An awesome food court offering all sorts of delicious food from dozens of vendors. There’s something for everyone here. (Cl. 24 #48-28)

20 Mission – A great microbrewery with delicious food too! Try the IPA. (Cl. 16 #43f-66)

Pergamino Café – A chill café with some of the best coffee in town. I spent a lot of time working here. They make great breakfast food, BLTs, and empenadadas. (Cra. 37 #8A-37)

37 Park – Another great bar and restaurant with a rustic outdoor garden. (Cra. 37 #8A – 4)

Hatoviejo – This is one of the best places to get traditional Colombian food. It’s pricey when compared to some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants you’ll find throughout town. (Cl. 16 #28-60)

***

This guide can help you plan your trip. And while it’s easy to get lost in Gringoland here, try to get out of Poblado or Laureles and see the locals’ side of town.

That’s where the magic of Medellín happens.

Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Los Patios: This is an upscale hostel, but you get a lot of value. It’s in a great location and the staff are awesome. It’s always clean and the beds are comfy!

BlackPine: This hostel has a laid-back vibe and an amazing kitchen for anyone planning to do their own cooking. There are plenty of electrical outlets and some great hammocks for relaxing!

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Check out my in-depth destination guide to Colombia with more tips on what to see and do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more!

Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The post The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Medellín appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ultimate-list-medellin/

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wanderonwardsvanessa · 4 years

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In the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula, it’s easy to kickback at an all-inclusive resort and let your life pass you by. However, you are absolutely doing a disservice to yourself if you DON’T go and explore the Yucatan Peninsula, local Mayan culture, and the authentic food scene. We were lucky enough to experience the incredible Mayan culture at our own pace with the help of Viajes Con Ciencia. With authentic off-the-beaten-path experiences available, touring with Viajes Con Ciencia gave us the opportunity to explore without the large groups and beyond just the tourist sites.

Our guide for the day was Adrian – the Viajes Con Ciencia owner – and lucky for us, he lived with the Mayan people for many years and even understands the language! It was such a privilege to have someone who deeply understood the Mayan culture, history, and uniqueness beyond just a superficial level.

Mayan Culture Tour

We experienced the Chichen Itza History & Food Tour during our Honeymoon in Mexico. This particular tour focused on Mayan culture, practices and science in the northern parts of the Yucatan Peninsula. Everything was included in our ticket price.

This included:

Semi-private mini bus for no more than 10 people

Ticket and tour of Chichen Itza

Entrance fees to a secret cenote

A homestay meal at a local Mayan family’s home

Description:

Enjoy the freedom that our small group tour of Chichen Itza offers. You will learn about the advanced sciences of the Mayan Civilization, as well as feel the vibrant and the rich culture found in the Yucatan Peninsula. You will visit this ancient Mayan Ceremonial Center, considered a World Heritage Site of Unesco, as well as enjoy a mayan food tour in the historical center of the colonial city of Valladolid. At the end of the day, you will discover one of the most beautiful and secluded cenotes in Yucatan, truly one the highlights of the day. All of this while being joined by our expert in Yucatecan History and Mayan Anthropology.

Our Experience

We were picked up by Adrian at our hotel just after 7:30. There were 9 of us on the trip and we were meeting at central locations to beat the large tour buses that would inevitably chase us along the highway later on in the day. The idea behind the early start to the day was the fact that it was going to take us 2 hours to drive to Chichen Itza and then we wanted to beat the large tour groups to have fewer crowds.

Our tour group was filled with predominantly French speakers, but that wasn’t an issue because Adrian can move between 3 languages effortlessly. It was quite a fun experience to practice our French with our new friends and to share common experiences and travel stories. There are multiple languages offered by Viajes Con Ciencia so there’s no problem with accommodating specific language requirements.

The Drive

Before heading out on the road, Adrian purchased coffees and snacks for the group (included) and then we piled into the mini-bus towards our first destination. Along the way, we were guided through local Mayan towns with architecture that was older than America itself! We listened to different stories, myths and historical explications about the Yucatan Peninsula and its inhabitants. This was a great opportunity for me to ask if ‘the aliens took the Mayans back to space?’ 😂(No).

As we were in a comfortable mini-bus, the ride was smooth and effortless. There was air conditioning and places to charge our phones! On our tour, we had an older woman who had a bit of a mobility issue so Adrian made sure she always had the front seat and opportunities to sit along the way. Most of the locations were accommodating to differently-abled guests, but the Cenote did have a few stairs.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is the jewel of the Yucatan Peninsula and for good reason. Everything is so perfectly preserved, you almost FEEL like you can picture the Mayans playing a ball game for glory under the blazing sun. When we arrived, we were immediately confronted with vendors selling hats. There is A LOT of open space at Chichen Itza so you definitely want to buy a hat. If you’re tempted by the vendors, I would spend no more than $200 pesos per hat (or $10 USD) and that is still very expensive!! Our poor French friends paid $600 pesos for two hats before we could hurry them away from the vendors.

Fortunately for us, Adrian brought us all reusable water bottles and a big jug of water that he would refill with ice. It was the perfect icy treat in bewteen locations to look forward to.

Chichen Itza is a large space with scattered ruins all around. The main attraction is the Kukulcan Temple and this is in the dead center of the park. This is where the majority of the tourist groups go first so be sure to get your Instagram shots in early! You will be there early enough to do so without too many people. Over by the ‘Mil Columnas’ there will be loads of vendors that you can pick-up souvenirs from. They are actually very friendly so don’t be afraid to engage.

After a guided tour, we were able to explore on our own for a bit before returning back to the car for some snacks and ice-cold water.

Secret Cenote

Whilst we were in Tulum, we went to the Gran Cenote – which is just 5 minutes outside of the main city area. Even though we got there 10 minutes before opening time, we were STILL not the first ones there. Not even close. It was a bit chaotic so the ‘secret cenote’ that Adrian took us too was such a MAGICAL experience in comparison since there was virtually no one there.

The ‘secret cenote’ was not-so-secret as it is a privately owned tourist location, but there’s a lot of controls around who can come in and how many people can come. You won’t find any large tourist buses here! When we drove in, our entrance fee was covered already and we were able to change into our bathing suits in a private changing area that was beautiful and obviously recently built. Then we walked down to a cave on a decently paved path (with stairs!) and we emerged into the most beautiful cave I’ve ever seen. The cave was obviously paved to be accessed easier, but the cenote itself was stunning and 100% natural. There were stalactites coming down from the ceiling and the cenote was over 60 meters deep!! There were only small fish and some medium-sized catfish in the water so no worries there.

Before getting into the cenote water, you’re expected to shower and clean your body and hair of any unnatural oils and contents that could disturb the purity of the cenote water. This is VERY important!! Please don’t prioritize your Instagram photos/make-up over the preservation of this amazing natural space! You’re also required to wear a life jacket whenever you’re in the cenote soooo there goes any sexy water shots 😂

Homestay Mayan Meal

Last on our agenda, we had our homestay Mayan culture and food experience. We were able to join a traditional Mayan family in their home for a full meal. In the past, this family had been cooks for the major resorts, but now they’ve decided to bring tourists into their own home to do traditional Mayan cooking experiences. It was such an amazing experience to watch how this food is made and to learn more about what makes well-known meals (like Tacos!) different in this region. We were able to go outside as well to see their outdoor, underground fire pit where they would slow cook pork and other meat dishes.

Our meal included:

Multiple fresh-made agua frescas (or fruit/tea waters)

Multiple types of meat dishes

Spicy vegetable options

Fresh corn tortillas

Dynamic salsas

Small toppings

I chose to tip the wonderful family for their hospitality $200 pesos because money like this goes a long way. Viajes Con Ciencia of course pays this family a respectable wage for their hospitality, but money like this often goes to household bills or special services for the children in the house instead of just running costs for the business. I got to speak with the young girls in the house and I wanted to support their education and future directly.

Conclusion

Viajes Con Ciencia is the ideal way to support the local Mayan culture and community in the Yucatan Peninsula! By spending money in their communities versus paying a big travel company, you are directly impacting the area in a positive way. Not only was the tour well-planned, organized and informative, I just LOVED Adrian’s ethos as well. We talked about traveling, our personal lives, and what we hoped to accomplish with our businesses on a really intimate level. It was so refreshing just to get to know another person beyond just the formal operator-customer level. These are the types of personalized experiences that I’ve come to love and expect from Mexico. It’s the place with ZERO bad food and amazing, friendly people.

Tulum, Mexico: Mayan Culture & Food Tour Through Yucatan Peninsula In the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula, it's easy to kickback at an all-inclusive resort and let your life pass you by.

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rhapsodicdevil · 4 years

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anyway, I saw you posted an ask game so I picked out a few questions for you :) I'd like to know the answers to the following numbers: 2, 8, 11, 14, 31 and 47. also I am super impressed with your english, is everyone in your country so good in english at that age? talk soon! - 🎅

Thank you! everyone in the Philippines knows conversational english, it's our second language. I think it's because I like to read and we speak english at home so that's also why. 2. what are you obsessed with right now? 100% the USWNT specifically Christem Press and Tobin Heath 8. What's your favorite show to binge? I don't usually rewatch shows and movies but I would pick Supernatural 11. If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? I would love to go to Japan or London 14. How would you spend a million dollars? Pay all the bills so I won't have to worry about them lol also a million dollars is a LOT when converted to ph peso and buy all the things I want like all people😂 31. Do you like paper books or ebooks better? Depends on my mood and the place. 47. If you could marry any celebrity, who would you pick? He's not a celebrity per se but I'd pick Benicio Bryant, he's a singer

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damester13 · 5 years

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Entry #23 - (Money) 11/15/19

I have no idea why this topic came to my mind just now, but since I haven't written an entry for quite some time now, might as well entertain this spontaneous one for a while.

I am a thrifty person. I know that it may not have been a very particularly noticeable trait of mine but I believe that I am. I value money, especially my own. As such, I make sure that my money goes to somewhere that has some benefit to me, directly or indirectly. I think I also display this trait when I play certain games (though I am not sure since I stopped playing those kinds of resource management games). Anyway, the point in hand is that I take care of my money.

I started saving money when I was in 3rd grade, I think. My allowance was just enough to buy a snack and drink so my main source of money is when I run errands for my aunt and when I receive money from my parents. The former aint much since mostly its from the change from the weekly newspaper subscription; the latter is much juicier ranging from 100 to 500 Pesos and occasionally a 1K surprise. I keep them in my Justice League piggy bank, but the bigger bills are kept by my aunt. Just so she won't spend my money, I keep tabs of the inflow and outflow of my financial resource. Sadly, most of my savings end up going to me "treating" everyone pizza (as if I can decline at that time. I was just a kid). Anyway, by the time I was in high school, I started saving up on my own without my aunt's supervision and my source of savings is now my allowance. Thing is, I got sort of addicted to DotA at that time so I spend like at most 100 pesos every time I play with friends in a net cafe. Addiction to anything is bad, kids.

College was a lot different considering that I have to allot a portion of my allowance to my trasportation expenses. Going out to drink also became a thing of mine which while mine was not as often others, I tend to shell out a lot in one drinking session. I've treated a lot of people to meals and drinks throughout my lifetime. The closer friend I am with a person, the likelier that I'll treat that person to something.

Yeah, I am a thrifty person. Despite everything I said above, I still stand by it. And I think the key factor to this unwavering self-praise statement I have is the way I view both my own money and where I spend them regardless of how irrational that "purchase" was.

I started spending my own money for my own bigger things during college. I used my savings on buying my own phone, my laptop (paid roughly 50% of its price. 30K was still too much for me), countless pairs of earphones, and even most of my academic and org-related requirements, I paid for it, myself (My tuition excluded...I was under the free tution law by the second half of my uni years, anyway). My main rationale behind this behavior is that since I do not earn my own money, I should treat the money I was given as allowance as my pseudo-income and practice applying sound decision-making when I spend money. That's how I view it. So basically, I buy my own shit after doing Cost-Benefit Analysis on these costly expenses as a simulation for when I finally earn my own kachings. It's the most adult thing I've done but still I wasn't as efficient as I could have been. I remember fucking up when I was handling some money stuff back when I was applying for UP Music Circle. I got scolded for it. "Don't spend money that you don't yet have" is the lesson that I learned.

As for how I see my "purchases", I think I am very lenient in qualifying things that are beneficial. Nothing comes for free in this world, at least that's what I believe. So in every single thing that we get or receive, we essentially pay a cost for it. Enjoyment and entertainment are no exception. So whenever I spend money playing in a net cafe for hours, it was usually either to celebrate something good about my day or to relieve some stress off of me. Of course, I don't justify my DotA addiction with this line of thinking. It wasn't that severe of a case in the first place.

Friendship, as well, costs fortune. I don't know if it's just me, but I often feel like I have to buy people's time to be with them. Whether it's by offering my own time in the future, or by spending real money like treating them, there's always a cost that I have to pay one way or another. Call me a "bad friend" or whatever, I just really think that it's a really big deal to ask people of their precious time and attention that I have to express my gratitude to them somehow. That's why if ever I treated you to something before, know that this is what was going on in my mind. I'm just weird like that. That's why I don't think I actually "trust people". I just trust that I get what I pay for, hence I trust my transactions with people. The more successful transanctions I have with people, the more I trust my partnership and deal with them. Essentially, that person become trustworthy to me. Of course, there are times when I gamble, like when I treat people for no immediate exchange just to see if there there's something ahead for me with that person. Even if just for a small value of friendship, I'll take it if I can feel that we'll probably be better "friends" in the future through it.

Naturally, affection is also something that comes with a price. When my soon to be girlfriend then later on ex came to visit, I had to spend roughly 10K just to spend time with her everyday for a week (I won't go into details as to why it's that much). Not only that, time was also a resource that was very much needed from me. I don't regret a single moment of it despite all the expenses. I actually even wish I did more for her. But things didn't work out in the end.

Now here's the thing. I guess, my self-proclaimed thrifty character is essentially just a result of my "sophisticated" perspective on the transactions in my life. But in reality, I think I just really value money in keeping me "in motion" in this world. I spend horridly a lot in things that I essentially don't have to spend actual money like friends and affection. I didn't have to spend hours in a net cafe just to feel better. I didn't have to drink alcohol (seriously). But I am also a man who rarely regrets things, so none of those matter now.

None of those matter now.

I am now sitting with literally no savings apart from a few change and a hundred Peso bill given to me by my mother. Since I stopped attending school since the beginning of the year, I didn't receive any allowance at all. Nevertheless, I went out for like 5~ times during my LoA period and exhausted my money during those times. I also got sick a while back here in Cavite and have to shell out most of my remaining cash for my recovery foods and drinks and also scratched off the money my mom borrowed from me before as partial payment for the hospital bills and meds. Now I barely have any cash.

If money makes us move forward in our life journey, my lack of thereof restricts me from doing so.

I can't move anymore.

But, not that I would want to anyway.

If I were to win the lottery today, I would probably just give it away to my friends, family, some charity, and people I look up to. They would have better use of it more than I would. They can further push forth towards their dreams or even start off a bigger dream if they want. Since I don't have any of those, I really don't know what to do with any bit of money that I may have. In the first place, I don't think anything benefits me at all when I have nothing that I want. It's weird to be mostly devoid of any wants in life. It feels strangely comforting but scary at the same time.

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roccodreamholidayasia-blog · 6 years

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Subic Bay Nightlife Guide: 7 Best Bars and Nightclubs to Pick Up Filipinas

Do You Enjoy Going Out At Night and Getting Laid With HOT Girls?

“If yes, then you’re going to love this mini guide about Subic Bay’s nightlife focused on the best bars and nightclubs to meet sexy Filipino girls”

Compared to other tourist destinations in the Philippines, Subic Bay does not offer much sightseeing opportunities or the best beach experience, but it has become renowned for its active nightlife.

This small town once had a US military base and the soldiers left a good impression about foreigners. In fact, Filipino women in Subic Bay are crazy for foreigners and are HOT for action.

If you’re like me, you love to pick up naughty Filipino girls at night wearing short skirts and walking around in high heels. Gosh, they’re so addictive!

There are two types of girls that most luckily you’re going to meet in Subic Bay at night:

Party girls who are out for fun and are into a nightstand;

Freelancers; Local girls ‘in the game’ who are looking for customers and money;

Bar Girls working in the numerous girlie bars in Barrio Barretto town.

Looking for good girls? Well, your best bet is to sign up with a popular Filipino dating site. The Philippines is a strict Catholic country still conservative, and most good girls don’t go out at night.

However, all the girls you meet at night are ready to get laid with you because they’re the “bad” one.

If you play the game right, you’re going to sleep with a different girl almost every night in Subic Bay.

That’s why Subic Bay has become my all-time favorite place to party and pick up Filipino women in the Philippines.

Most tourist worship Angeles City nightlife because is packed with bikini and beer bars, but they don’t know what they are missing out down to Subic Bay: cheap booze, cheap girls and a friendly atmosphere.

Yes, Subic Bay has an easy going atmosphere compare to Angeles City besides being much cheaper overall.

So, If you love to party and want to know where to pick up Filipinas at night, then these are my favorite bars and nightclubs where you can get some action…

… Let’s start with the 5 best girlie bars where you can start the night as early as 7 pm and then move on to Subic Bay’s nightclubs which get busy after midnight:

1. Bar Lollipop

This is the biggest bar in Subic Bay. It’s located in Barrio Barretto (a small beach town) with all the other Subic Bay girlie bars.

There is a central stage where the girls dance to get your attention. During weak days and low season there are only 2-3 girls dancing but in high season as many as 10 girls dancing in two sets.

What I like most about Lollipop bar is the friendly attitude of the girls and their big boobs.

There is a pool table by the stage where you can play for free while chatting up the girls. It would not hurt to buy them a drink to get the party going.

All in all, it’s an inexpensive cozy place with a friendly atmosphere.

2. Hot Zone Bar

It’s a small bar but a place where you can have a lot of FUN!

The girls aren’t the youngest in Barrio Barretto but definitely the naughtiest.

What I like most is to sit down at the counter around the dance floor and enjoying the girl’s ass in my face. Yes, the girls are dancing on the counter where you place your drink. That’s is what I call “close action”.

When you buy them a drink, they will start pressing their asses in your face, and they will let you feel it.

If you’re a naughty dude, you’ll love Hot Zone Bar, and if you’re also adventures, they even have a snake show

3. The Office Bar

It’s a well establish girlie bar in Subic Bay with a handful of young and beautiful girls. There aren’t many girls in the Office because they try hard to keep up the standard.

Basically, they are doing the hard job for you in selecting only the finest Filipino girls.

When I visit the last time, I’ve counted 18 girls in the bar with a two-set rotation of 5 girls on the stage. Also, I’ve noticed the girls have a great attitude while they love having fun.

Ask mamasang (the girl manager) to assist you to choose a girl, she is very helpful and knows what the girls are like behind closed doors.

The office bar open at 5 pm, but the hot girls walk in around 7 pm. So, the best time to bar fine is between 7-9 pm.

4. Tropical Rose Bar

It used to be known as Rosie’s Tavern till 2016. Besides the name, not much is change.

There are drop-dead gorgeous Filipino babes who are eager to please.

I recommend visiting the place between 7-9 pm, which is when all the girls are in the bar and the happy hours time.

The party mood is usually in full swing starting from 11 pm until late.

5. Crazy Horse Bar

In Crazy Horse bar they know how to party.

The girls are fun and the owner know how to keep up the momentum.

When you walk in, the girls take you to sit while giggling and playing with you. If you offer a lady drink, they are going to be all over you.

Don’t go there too early, but don’t miss out the happy hours which is between 5-8 pm.

6. Nocturnal Disco

This club is a new addition to Subic Bay, which was much needed for many years.

The club has a spacious dancing floor with a DJ every night and the occasional band playing local as well as international hits.

The atmosphere is great, being international, while the girls are eager to talk to you. You’ve got a better chance to approach local girls, especially after they had a few drinks.

All it takes to pick up here is for you to make eye contact, smile, introduce yourself, and make small talk.

There are also some freelancers, and it will be them who will approach you.

If you are looking for something kinkier, you will also find many ladyboys at the Nocturnal Disco.

Keep an open mind, go with the flow, and have a great night.

7. Club V

The club is merely 100 meters down the road from Nocturnal Disco, and it is popular with friendly locals.

It is a perfect club for group parties, though the tiny dance floor will force you to find another club if you want to go dancing.

There are several VIP lounges on the side of the club and upstairs but you have to buy a bottle of whiskey to gain access during the weekends.

Club V has an international feel to the ambiance with laser lights and huge screens, and you can party the night away with some of the hottest Filipino girls in Subic Bay.

Don’t look for hookers in Club V, you’re better off at Nocturnal Disco.

Let’s Wrap Up Subic Bay Nightlife Guide – Are You Ready To Party?

These are the ultimate places where to pick up Filipino girls in Subic Bay.

The only annoying thing is when you walk in a girlie bar which isn’t busy, and the girls jump on you like wild cows trying to milk you a few lady drinks.

The only thing you can do is to tell them that you want to drink alone for the next 10 minutes and maybe later you’ll pick up one or two girls.

One more thing; To make things clear, if you prefer to spend the nights in the girly bars, it’s better you stay in Barrio Barretto. If you prefer to spend the night in the nightclubs, then it’s better you stay in Olongapo.

In case you want to do both night activities, stay in Barrio Barretto because the area is foreign friendly and take a tricycle taxi for 150 Pesos to go clubbing.

However, before you leave with your girl, insist on seeing their ID because getting caught with an underage girl could land you in jail or set you back 100.000 Pesos in police bribes.

Have fun in Subic Bay.

http://dreamholidayasia.com/destination/philippines-guide/subic-bay/subic-bay-nightlife-best-bars-nightclubs/#ixzz5VzgvnjWT

#subic bay nightlife guide #subic bay nightlife #barrio barretto nightlife

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ciathyzareposts · 6 years

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Amazon – The Bridge of Reloading (Request for Assistance)

Jason Roberts Journal Entry #2: I’ve made it to Rio Blanco – it’s taken a bit of effort – getting past one homicidal pilot and more than one deadly piranha. But for some reason I feel I need some cigarettes – and I don’t even smoke! (Boy those things must really be addictive.) I have $1000 in my wallet – should I go to a shop and buy them like a normal person… nah, I have a better idea… Flashback: Chapter 4

Well, after my last gameplay post, I was politely informed in encoded comments that I had dead-ended myself. Thanks to Voltgloss (and some confirmation from Alex Romanov) I was informed that I’d missed something important in Chapter 4. So I reloaded back to that chapter and tried to find what I’d missed.

First I tried other dialogue items with the ticket seller and barman and see if there was anything I could do with Alberto the Rayon salesman, but had no luck.

Then I furiously looked at every section of every item outside, and I found that the TRUCK and TRUCK DOOR were two separate items – it’s a good time to note that this game has no mouseover tooltips or any way to differentiate which parts of items are separate without actually LOOKing at all parts.

Now that I knew the truck had a door, I opened the door, but there was nothing inside. Fortunately I was paying particular attention as I knew I’d missed something, and I noticed a white pixel that was somewhat out of place.

That while pixel below my feet wasn’t there until I moved (opened) the truck door.

The white pixel turned out to be a pack of cigarettes. I’ve never been a fan of puzzles that make me take things that any normal person would buy at a store, and it’s not like Jason had no money at this point, so I’m not a fan of this puzzle at all.

Anyway, that’s it for our flashback. Let’s get on with the next Chapter.

Chapter 6

After dealing with Tony Martin and the deadly piranhas, I’d arrived at Rio Blanco. El Loco, a giant bully in a yellow shirt, sits lazily in front of the hotel and won’t let me in. I expect I’ll have to get rid of him somehow seeing as he’s the title of the episode.

Other things of note in this village are a cantina, a small trader’s shack, a well, an abandoned church that I don’t seem to be able to interact with and a small canoe. I can sense I’ll be on the canoe in future, but look at the other areas first.

I take some extremely spicy cayenne peppers from a cart, and look at the small trader’s stall. There looks to be lots of potentially useful items here.

I almost KNOW I’ll be needing this item at least.

Unfortunately when I try to take stuff, I’m told that I don’t have enough money. I check my inventory and notice that the cash I took from Allen’s safe is gone – perhaps it got wet and floated away in the plane – anyway, without the ability to make a purchase, and as I also seem unable to enter the church, I check out the cantina instead.

A lot of people are in the bar, but most of them won’t talk to me. The cook will, and is helpful.

But she speaks English with a very American accent which doesn’t seem right for the location.

Got it – so I need to pretend I’m a god!

She tells me that El Loco eats a lot and while I’m in the cantina she’s constantly making meals which a boy picks up and then, if I go outside, I see him take the meal to El Loco, then he comes back, repeating the process.

I decide to spice up El Loco’s next meal with my cayenne peppers, and am told that he’ll notice them unless I hide them in the food. Looking around more carefully I notice a knife on the bar. I wait until the cook turns her back, then take her knife. I combine the knife and peppers in my inventory, wait for her to turn her back again and put the chopped peppers in his meal. After the boy picks up the newly spiced meal, I go outside and watch him give it to El Loco.

El Loco does not like his chicken spicy!

El Loco runs to the well and starts drinking, so I enter the hotel he’d been guarding.

Inside the hotel I find a payphone, a rattrap, a rat hole and a rat that occasionally runs down the stairs to his hole. I take the trap and check out the hole.

Well, hopefully I won’t be needing an index finger for the rest of the game.

I don’t think the rat actually ate my finger seeing as I don’t get a game over screen or die of rabies. Seeing as the most likely place to find rattrap bait is the cantina, I go back there.

Some of the patrons that were there before have left, and one of them hadn’t finished his cheese enchilada, so I take it.

Gee, twenty years in jail for stealing somebody’s leftover food that would have been thrown out anyway – seems a bit harsh.

Anyway, waiting until the cook’s back is turned, I take the cheese enchilada and use it with my rattrap. I then go back to the hotel and put my loaded trap on the stairs. The rat hits it, dies (that’s for biting my finger, pal!) and I empty out his rathouse.

Is 300 pesos a lot? I’m going to assume that’s a lot.

My pesos are all in paper form so I still can’t use the phone, but again checking out the cantina and looking more carefully next to the enchilada remains, I see some peso coins.

After spending twenty years in jail for stealing garbage I’d hate to see what I got for actually stealing money!

I use my peso coins with the hotel phone and dial ‘the number’. I wasn’t sure what number I was dialing, but I’m sure it’s important.

The phone rang a few times, but nobody answered. Then I had the vague recollection of having to let it ring a certain number of times. Checking my old screenshots confirmed that Allen told me I’d have to call a number and let it ring three times. I did that, then hung up and went back to the cantina. After a few seconds, a woman arrived.

I speak to her, and one of my two options always mentions Allen and makes me seem keen. I don’t know anything about this woman yet, and don’t want to give away my identity so I ignore those and tell her I have questions of my own.

Shouldn’t you have said ‘Hasta La Vista, Baby’.

Reloading, I excitedly ask about Allen instead of caring about who she is. She then gives me a small questionnaire.

I failed her test the first time.

I didn’t have a screenshot of me looking at inconsequential items, so I reloaded to a much earlier save and looked at the trophies in my apartment. Allen’s stock car trophies were won in 1952. I looked at other things and kept them in my mind so I could pass her stupid test.

Blue… no, yellooooooooooooooooooow

She tells me she’ll take me to Allen, so I leave. Outside the cantina I now see El Loco punching the boy who delivers his food.

I can get in a canoe and leave, that’s what I can do.

Before getting in the canoe, which the woman is now sitting in, I decide to use my pesos to buy what I can from the trader’s store. I buy…

a paddle, for 25 pesos

poison roots for 45 pesos

a fishing net for 40 pesos

a machete for 70 pesos

some ammo for 100 pesos

That all costs 280 pesos so I assume I have 20 pesos left. I climb onto the canoe, and we get a narrated text screen telling me what happens next. Maya takes me to a hut next to the river. In the hut, I find my injured brother.

So, during the entire canoe and walking trip you never told me your name. Must have been a pleasant journey.

Maya had found Allen near death and nursed him back to health. Allen told me the lengthy story of his expedition. Part of the story was told from his point of view over the opening cutscene, which was quite cool.

I assume the Director’s notes for Allen’s speech was, “say it with the same emotion you’d have if you were reading random names from a phone book, and also as if you’re reading it now for the first time – ACTION!”

So, you were just pretending to be asleep while all your friends died around you. Brave work, Allen. Brave indeed.

But before I left the tent, I put on my much brighter blue jeans.

We give Allen a few more days to get well enough to continue looking, then walked through the jungle. We continue walking until we find an old decrepit bridge. As we approach, we hear gunfire and find Sanchez’ men coming at us.

Seems mighty heroic of you, Allen. Why do I get the feeling you’ll die as soon as the rest of us are safe?

Chapter 7

We start the chapter with Allen shooting while Maya and I stand near one end of the bridge. Sensing danger (the chapter’s called The Bridge of Death, of course I sense danger,) I look around before attempting to cross the bridge.

Seems I don’t have time to look around.

Reloading, I find the obvious item, a sheet of corrugated iron, sitting next to the bridge. I move it.

Allen alternately shoots, then ducks behind the corrugated iron!

Side note: Corrugated iron is such an important part of Australian history that it had a major part in Sydney’s Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2000.

Another Side note: Olympic opening ceremonies are weird!

Well, that’s a problem solved. Now that Allen has cover I’m sure he’ll be able to hold off the bad guys for…

At least it’s nice of the death scene to tell me what I should have bought a chapter ago.

I already had the ammo. Perhaps Allen should have mentioned being low on ammo so I would have thought of giving him some. Either way, I reload, and give him my ammo. Now that he has cover and plenty of ammo, I should have ample time to think about my next…

This is like a much less funny version of the babel fish puzzle from Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Oh well, I’ll just forget about looking around, quickly set up our iron shield, give Allen some ammo, then walk across the bridge straight away.

Okay, so maybe I do need to take time to look around. Looking around more carefully I also find a log, which can be used as a support beam for my corrugated iron. Let’s try again.

Move the iron, move the log, give the ammo. Now, so I don’t fall, I have the clever idea of using my fishing net to stabilize the bridge. I just have to find the right spot.

Um… game… I’m standing on the bridge. How close do I have to be?

I die various ways in this section trying to get closer to wherever the game thinks the bridge is, all so I can try using inventory objects on it. At some point I discover that the middle of the bridge gets a different description, and is labelled BREAK.

I keep trying to find the right place to interact with the bridge, or the newly discovered break. I can’t do anything with Maya as clicking on her just describes the item behind her. Allen can’t help – when I try to do stuff with him the game just tells me he’s too busy. At some point I discover that there’s a vine above my corrugated iron that I can pick up. I do it. Of course, if I try to explore the entire area and am careful to take my time getting over the bridge…

Aah. Let’s try again. Reload, move iron, move log, give ammo to Allen, get vine, cross bridge. Use vine on bridge.

I’m at least a third of the way across – HOW CLOSE DO YOU WANT ME?

I try doing stuff in this area for a long time.

Eventually, I determine that I needed an item I didn’t have. I know I have everything from before Chapter 5, because the hints I got at the end of the last post mentioned an item in Chapter 4. So I went back to earlier in Chapter 5 and looked around more carefully for something that might help me cross a bridge.

How did I not notice this ladder earlier?

Checking out my previous screenshots, I know why I didn’t notice the ladder earlier – it wasn’t there most of the time – it didn’t appear until after I spoke to Maya – and after I spoke to Maya I just bought some stuff and got in her canoe – I hate you for that, game! And I hate that walking around this screen, particularly vertically, takes an annoying long time.

Anyway, assuming the ladder might help me with the bridge, I continued through the very long section of Allen describing his adventures, got back to the bridge, moved the iron, moved the log, got the vine, died, realised I forgot to give Allen the ammo, reloaded, moved the iron, moved the log, gave Allen the ammo, got the vine, died many times trying to use a ladder, vine or net on the bridge or the break…

Then I noticed something. I had been very unobservant! At the top left of the screen in the bridge section was a small picture of Jason, and there was a small picture of Maya at the top right. I clicked on the picture of Maya and could now control her instead.

Yes. I’m an idiot. And yes, I checked the manual afterwards and the icons for controlling Jason/Maya were mentioned there. But, a tip for any game makers – try not to have the first instance of a new interface feature also be a rushed timed sequence – give the player a chance to get used to it in a previous relaxed screen first.

Anyway, I easily walked Maya onto the bridge because she’s lighter than Jason, and used the vine on the break to fix it. Now it should be stable enough for the men to cross.

Then Allen interjects and tells me to go first. I follow Maya across and Allen starts to follow as Sanchez’ men catch up…

You’ve got red on you.

Before Allen dies, he cuts the rope with his machete so the bridge collapses and we won’t be followed. Then we get one of the funniest examples of bad acting I’ve ever seen in a game.

youtube

I think it’s even funnier if you just look at Jason the whole time as he waits for his cue to say his line.

With Allen dead, Jason wonders for a moment if he should now just give up and go home, but quickly determines that he needs to continue so Allen’s sacrifice isn’t in vain. Jason’s next location is marked on Allen’s map – the name of Hans Stroheim has been noted next to the village of Tefe.

I’m now standing in front of a boat, The Amazon Queen, looking at its captain and first mate. I talk to the captain, and after going through some dialogue options, offer him some cigarettes as payment for my passage to Tefe.

What else? Are you serious? I already reloaded to Chapter 4 to get the cigarettes!

I look at what else I have in my inventory that he might like. I offer him my ladder, machete and cayenne peppers. I offer him Jason’s car keys, the map… every single thing I have. And it’s annoyingly time-consuming to do so, as I have to restart the conversation and listen to his greeting every time I want to offer him something different.

Hey, didn’t you used to be one of the Village People?

Looking around, there’s not much I can do here. The cargo, boat, captain, first mate, jungle and stump are the only things I see and I try interacting with them all but can’t find anything to do but talk to the captain. Some of his dialogue options suggest that something else might count as payment.

Look, I’ve spent so long in this chapter, I’m willing to do anything – how about you, Maya?

Let her speak for herself, Jason. If I can’t think of anything to do, you’ll be standing right here forever so maybe you should look at all options.

I once again reload to the village of Rio Blanco, wondering if I’d missed anything else. I did – I find a wooden pole outside, take more of the leftover enchilada and a lighter on one of the other tables in the cantina – a lighter! The captain wanted something other than cigarettes, so of course he was referring to something to light those cigarettes. I play the rest of Chapters 6 and 7 again – through Allen’s long cutscene, through the Bridge of Reloading (a few times, because I took too long to do stuff), watching Allen die. (he’s cutting the support rope – Nooooooo!) And finally, I’m back at the Amazon Queen and can offer the boat captain a lighter as well as the cigarettes.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE

So, I’m stuck. I don’t know what Captain South America wants. Or at least, I don’t have what he wants.

I thought perhaps I’d spent too much money on trading shack items and could buy less and still have some cash, but on reloading realised I had cash when I left town but it disappeared some time before I arrived at the Bridge of Frustration. I took 300 pesos from the rathole and only spent 280 at the store so should have still had 20 pesos. Maybe Jason ate the money to keep himself awake during Allen’s boringly told story – at least Jason only had to listen to it once – I had to put up with it four times.

Perhaps there was something I should have done to rescue the boy from El Loco’s misplaced wrath. I tried talking to them or giving them things, but it didn’t seem to work.

I also tried every single combination of dialogue options (there were 16) with the Captain and didn’t find one that worked.

And so here I am, requesting assistance. As always, hints should be encoded in ROT13, starting with very vague hints, then getting gradually more detailed. Much like Voltgloss’ hints in the last play post.

Thanks in advance. I’m looking forward to getting out of this seemingly endless Chapter!

Session time: 4 hours

Total time: 7 hours 20 minutes

Inventory: Compass, Map, Jerrycan, Cigarettes, Peppers, Machete, Poison root, Paddle, Fishing net, Cheese, Knife, Lighter, Ladder, Small pole, Jason’s Car Keys (NOTE: I can also use the knife with the peppers to create chopped peppers)

Items picked up after reloading old saved games: 5 – Cigarettes, Ladder, Peppers, Cheese (enchilada), Lighter, Small pole. Amount of times the word ‘bridge’ appears in this post: 24

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/amazon-the-bridge-of-reloading-request-for-assistance/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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foursproutwealth-blog · 6 years

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Nomi Prins: The Four Flashpoints Of Volatility

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/nomi-prins-the-four-flashpoints-of-volatility/

Nomi Prins: The Four Flashpoints Of Volatility

Authored by Nomi Prins via The Daily Reckoning,

1 – Trade Wars Flashpoints, From China to Canada and Mexico

Wall Street has knee-jerk reactions to any trade war related headlines.

There are legitimate reasons to be concerned about trade wars. The world is increasingly more connected than ever. Many major American companies that are household names such as Starbucks (SBUX), Boeing (BA) and Apple (AAPL) rely on their exports (and imports) from China for a sizable portion of their overall sales and profits.

If China continues to retaliate against trade war policies from the U.S. with harsh measures of their own, it could hurt revenues of those firms.

But, here’s the latest revelation:

China wants to keep more of what it makes — in China — across a variety of sectors. Trade wars elevate the Chinese government’s desire to do that. The country has just recently launched a new $1.6 billion initiative called “Made in China 2025.”

The strategy entails an increase in research and development spending. That would cause Chinese companies to rely less on international technology and equipment. The more China buys internally, the less it will buy American products or need to export to the U.S.

What all of that could mean is that similar products in the U.S will become more expensive for consumers. That would hit directly at stock of those companies, making them more volatile.

While headlines from the White House continue to target China, our regional trading partners are undoubtedly some of the most important, and currently some of the most fragile.

To the north, Canada is playing up its optimism over NAFTA talks. Rhetoric is one thing, reality is another. It’s important to look at what institutions are doing, not what they’re saying.

Canada is currently enhancing its participation in several other trade agreements, including an updated Trans-Pacific Partnership that does not include the U.S. In the wake of Brexit, Canada has also made important trade links to both Europe and the U.K.

That means it could shift its trade focus away from the U.S., while purchasing fewer American goods. All of that could hurt manufacturers in both countries and increase volatility into the share prices of companies involved.

Southward, Mexico is taking the risks of NAFTA talks going wrong seriously. The threat of failed NAFTA negotiations is considered the greatest threat to the Mexico Peso in 2018, according to a survey conducted by Bloomberg of 100 foreign exchange professionals gathered for a recent event in Mexico City.

If financial anxiety builds, a trade war could ignite a currency war. That would cause central banks to protect or position their currencies in order to fight a trade war, inflicting a pattern that elevates volatility on the markets. Expect trade war headlines and related action to pump up and tear down the markets on any given day.

2 – Geopolitical Flashpoints

The U.S. could attack Syria any minute now in response to its alleged chemical attack against civilians last weekend. Russia has warned Washington that it would face “grave consequences” if Russian military personnel in Syria are harmed in any attack.

Needless to say, any armed conflict between two nuclear powers carries great potential risk. One single incident could trigger an escalating spiral. But it’s not just Syria.

Since President Trump took Washington by storm, the elephant in the room has been the nuclear threat on the Korean Peninsula. When North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took a heavily guarded train to Beijing for what Western media dubbed a “surprise visit,” the markets went into a rally, and then a correction.

The rally was based on the notion that the visit would forge a truce in favor of the U.S. and cause both parties to back down from aggressive saber-rattling.

The tailspin was based on the interpretation that it meant Kim Jong-Un was cozier with China than President Trump believed. Concerns built that this could cause more trade and other agreements between the two nations, excluding the U.S. even further.

Now that President Trump has John Bolton as his National Security Advisor, the geopolitical flashpoint has increased even further. On Feb. 28, Bolton published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal supporting a pre-emptive nuclear strike against North Korea.

That gives us an insight into what policy recommendations President Trump might be provided with now.

Even the perceived threat of a diplomatic fallout and rumors of a military response can elevate volatility. War games between the U.S. and North Korea would be an expected recoil — and that would mean uncertainty over China’s response.

That would give greater rise to volatile conditions in trade, regional security and stability on the Peninsula. By isolating China — North Korea’s top economic partner and military alley — tensions would only escalate.

3 – Stock Buybacks Flashpoints

In order to have volatility, you need positive moves to counteract negative ones. Stock buybacks are on the positive side. When companies buy their own stock in huge amounts, it serves to push up the share prices, which in turn lifts investors’ confidence to also buy their stocks. As a result, these measures push prices up even higher.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones finished 2017 up 28.11% adjusted for dividends (compared to 16.47% adjusted for dividends in 2016.). Despite President Trump taking credit for this rally (as President Obama did for rallies during his presidency), stock markets were actually bolstered by $21 trillion injected from global quantitative easing policies.

Access to that money fueled a record amount of stock buybacks for major companies and banks. They could borrow money cheaply, pile on more debt, and use that debt to buy their own stock. Share buybacks in 2018 have averaged $4.8 billion per day, double the pace from the same period last year.

This had the effect of artificially inflating stock prices. In February, my former employer, Goldman Sachs, indicated that S&P 500 firms would return $1.2 trillion to shareholders via buybacks and dividends in 2018. We see this pattern continuing and acting as a positive counter balance to any of our negative volatility flashpoints.

4 – Washington Political Risk Flashpoints

Remember, it’s not volatility without both positive and negative factors. The most recent, CNN poll showed that 42% of those surveyed approved of Trump. That’s his highest approval level since his first 100-day mark.

Though, that remains comparatively below Trump’s modern-era predecessors, it’s still an indicator of added support for the president’s policies. The passage of the $1.3 trillion budget and tax cuts increases the deficit and U.S. debt burden while alleviating volatility, but the long-term repercussions could raise it further.

Why does that matter?

Because midterm elections are this November. The way in which the country views Trump can (and will) rise or fall by the time elections come. However, if Republicans were to lose both the House and Senate, the U.S would be caught up in more political instability and potentially, impeachment hearings.

That harms market stability. It would also mean even less would get accomplished in Washington.

I’m in D.C. often. Since President Trump took office, I have personally met with more Republicans than Democrats to discuss financial and economic policy — my expertise. One of my favorite Congressmen, from a Southern state, recently told me, “All this stuff — it just makes your head spin right off. Try getting anything done.”

That signals that markets are being left in the dark to guess what happens next. Uncertainty breeds contempt. That’s why volatility is here to stay, at least through the mid-term elections in November.

* * *

As any rollercoaster ride goes, fasten your seat belt and keep all arms and legs in the vehicle. With the first three months of 2018 behind us, it is clear that this year will be very different from the last.

#Wealth

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pretty-prima-blog · 7 years

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How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain?

New Post has been published on http://app2chart.com/how-much-per-tooth-for-a-labial-veneer-porcelain/

How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain?

More Best Price please visit : http://www.bestpriceask.com

How much does they Voyager from Verizon cost at Best Buy? The price of the Voyager when it is in stores like Best Buy. i got mine at verizon for $79 but that be starting a contract i think it is about $130 something $49.99 My brother only just got one I think it cost around 50 dollars. something similar…

How much does your doctor charge for a checkup? I’d bet that most of you have no idea. I’m sure you can detail me what your copay is, but I doubt you know how much the doctor actually charges for a visit. Suppose A charged you $20, but B charged you $100 for indistinguishable service. Which one…

How much is *Need for Speed Shift* at Best Buy (not online price)? I wanna buy if for some one for Christmas best buy surrounded by store and bestbuy online is the same. prices are the exact same. doesnt matter. its 59.99 Source(s): best buy hand I was just in attendance lol, but its $60 because its a new…

How much is the best price to charge for photography services? I am pretty much an intermediate photographer and just getting into digital photograhpy, but have used a motion picture camera for years. Right now I do portraits for free and only ask that my models donate my name out. How much should I charge when I do start to…

How much is the HTC EVO 4G at regular price at best buy? Ive been hearing so frequent different answers about this and im so confused, sprint tells me that its $450 at regular price and that at best buy it will also be $450 but best buy keep saying it will be $599 , i want to pre-order it…

How much is the price of an appartment surrounded by Bogota ? And within other cities of Colombia? Do you know any serious website? How can I find homes and properties, in safe places, at best prices?Thank you contained by advance. Hi. That totally depends on where you want to live. You can step from Estrato…

How much is the price of gold ingots today 7/12/2008 closing on 7/11/2008? I am looking to see gold as scrap, gold ingots in new pieces,and silver as square and new pieces.I am going to different jewelers that buy gold to see what the best price is,I freshly want to know what I am up against and the real prices…

How much is the price of Nintendo DS Lite surrounded by GREENHILLS within the Philippines? How much is that in Greenhills? Brand new logically. Please answer in Philippine Pesos and please give me the store’s dub that offers it at the best price with no pains within the head like insensible pixels, battery that is out of use properly,…

How much is tobacco introduction tariff rate contained by your country? And tobacco price? Thanks for your reply, I just want to sell tobacco worldwide so I try my best to know give or take a few the price and many thing related to it. Please backing me…. best kindly CANADA If you come from another country…

How much it’s de Nintendo Wii price at Circuit city,and at Best buy? and i don’t know why it’s for 598$ at wal-mart,and in other places for 250$ can you explain me Thank U It’s 249. and comes next to one wiimote and nunchuck and wii sports games- golf- tennis -boxxing- bowling etc… The price is higher…

How much money could i carry for nintendo wii? and where on earth is best place to flog? what kind of price (estimation) would i get for my nintendo wii, boxed, 2controllers and 1 nunchuk, 3 games and adjectives wires etc. trade in and cash prices please. also where on earth is the best place to sell. e.g. ebay or…

How much money would i achieve for my wii plus 5 games? How much money would i get for my Wii plus 5 games (Wii Sports, Wii Play, Sonic and the secret rings, Excite Truck and Super Smash Bros. Brawl and where on earth would i get the best price for these? Im not sure but id estimate just about…

How much money would you obligation to hold a rottweiler not counting the price of the puppy? My friend might give me a rottweiler!I don’t know how much I’ll pay?The one who tell me a smart answer i will choose as best! It will be more or less $100 – $200 to have it fixed, plus shots. …

How much of the movie ticket price go to the movie company itself? Like if you buy a ticket for $10, how much of that (percent) isn’t set by the actual theater selling it? Is there a law give or take a few how much HAS to go to the company?If you still don’t understand what I’m…

How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain? Hi. I live in Maryland and am looking for a good cosmetic dentist. I would approaching to get veneers on adjectives of my front teeth an am looking for the best price since I have to pay next to my own money (since insurance doesn’t cover). I can…

How much percent do stores usually cut their prices by for the Labor sunshine mart? When exactly is the Labor day sale starting and when is it finishing? How much do stores cut their prices by and will stores be first on Labor day?What stores have the best public sale and how long does it last?Thank…

How much rotten the ticket price (MSRP) should/can I ask at the vehicle salesperson (toyota)? I would like to purchase a new toyota (currently looking at a tacoma). I would similar to to get it at the best price possible, but also want the dealer to thieve me seriously and not be too offended by an outrageoulsy low offer….

How much should a thirteen year prehistoric girl, spend on her mother for christmas? Please give me a price range, and bequest ideas would be great and most defintley make yours the best answer 20-25 if you own it…or go to the fabric store and take home her a fleece throw for watching tv or cuddling on the couch….no sewing…

How much should I settle for an LA Fitness Membership? From what I’ve read the price depends on how well you negotiate. I’m looking at a new club that a moment ago opened up in my nouns. Any tips for negotiating the best price?What’s the best price that any of you have gotten?I want…

How Much Should I Spend On A Christmas Present For My Best Friends? ok like im 15 and have no brief,, Is $50 (AUD) a alright price or to high or low? It depends on how many best friends you own. When I was 15 my friends and I set a limit of resembling $20 dollars or something so that…

How much thought on international flight to go and get best price.? i am planning a one way trip to israel in february,how much discern should i give when placing the reservation with an agency to attain the best price. just me,one way,i am 49. i am traveling from minnesota usa to telaviv israel. appreciation Kismet gave you…

How much will 20,000,000 sq/miles of manor cost? Yes 20,000,000? just wondering what is your best price? where’s the parkland?Manhattan, where a cheesy apartment sells for $1,000,000, or the middle of the Sahara? What is the price per area? The cost is $201.60 per sq mile Total: $4.032 billion You sure you can afford that? It depends…

How much will a Grooming Package at Petsmart cost? Online it says it depends on size and breed.I have a 5 lb. Shih-Tzu.If you want to see a picture e-mail me.I merely want to have a price and the best package. it some times goes by there consignment and if there badley matted so i waould say since…

How much will i know how to go my yamaha electric guitar EG 112 to be precise within really apposite condition? it only has a gash or two but i want to get the best price i can for it i don’t know what that kind of guitar is approaching but this is what it’s like…

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thereaderscafenetwork-blog · 7 years

Text

How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain?

New Post has been published on http://app2chart.com/how-much-per-tooth-for-a-labial-veneer-porcelain/

How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain?

More Best Price please visit : http://www.bestpriceask.com

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buy app reviews

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zuranimukherjeenudexn · 7 years

Text

How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain?

New Post has been published on http://app2chart.com/how-much-per-tooth-for-a-labial-veneer-porcelain/

How much per tooth for a labial veneer/ porcelain?

More Best Price please visit : http://www.bestpriceask.com

app marketing

buy app reviews

0 notes