#Love Hornbills Day

[arthistoryanimalia]

More for #LoveHornbillsDay:

"Crested Hornbill" now known as the Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis)

painted in 1926 by Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927), reproduced in Album of Abyssinian Birds and Mammals (1930) by the Field Museum. Via BHL.

[snazzy-birds]

Bird Of The Day: The Helmeted Hornbill! These bizarre looking birds are very rare and critically endangered due to poaching. Their most recognizable feature is their naked throat pouch, which is a dull red in males and white in females.

First photo by Steven Whitebread, uploaded to eBird.

Second photo by Daniel Field, uploaded to eBird.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Raven Crowley Platinum Jacket Doodles + Interview

It's that time of year again! Cat and bird double birthday, wahoo :v

First comes the vignettes (this time featuring Silver~), then at the end I’ll go over the details of Miss Raven’s Platinum Jacket design. I’ll also go into some of my thoughts when picking the paintings. And once again, I was too lazy to do digital artwork for this—

Let’s be off to the Land of Dawning’s National Museum of Art now!!

Happy Birthday 100th Anniversary!

Raven: Waaah~ This is amazing! So many works of art, each piece entrenched in rich history and lore… There’s much to spark inspiration here. It’s a writer’s dream come true!

Raven: Let’s see the next one is… Oof!

*Dull thud sfx*

Raven: ?!

???: Zzzz… ?!

Raven: Wh-Who erected this brick wall in the middle of the museum?!

???: Hm? You’re…

Raven: Eh, i-it’s Silver-senpai?

Raven: I apologize for bumping into you. I hadn’t realized you were also around to glimpse this part of the exhibit.

Silver: It’s fine. I apologize as well for obscuring your path. I should have been more vigilant of my surroundings. Instead, I dozed off while standing up.

Raven: What is it that you were looking at before you lost yourself? I was meaning to get a glimpse of it.

Raven, smiling: It’s the famous hornbill from Sunset Savanna!

Silver: You’re familiar with him?

Raven: Of course I am. I’ve looked up to him for a long time. He’s an exemplary avian!

Raven: He served as an advisor, chamberlain, and even chaperone to the royal family, including the King of Beasts himself. There were several attempts to usurp the throne, and it is said that the hornbill remained dedicated to the King of Beasts through each of those fierce struggles. Quite the resume on him.

Silver: Yes, he is very influential and accomplished. Malleus-sama has an entourage of nobles in the capital city who serve a similar role as the hornbill.

Raven: Insider knowledge on the ins and outs of court life… I envy you. I’d love to be a fly on the wall and absorb all that intrigue.

Silver: Actually, I’ve never actually been in that that environment myself.

Raven: You haven’t? That’s a surprise. I’d imagine you would have to be physically by your liege to protect him.

Silver: I’ve spoken at length with my father about this, but he is stubborn. He says the capital city is no place for me.

Silver: “It will take your light, chew it well, and swallow it up.” He never explained more than that.

Raven: Hehe, it sounds like your father really cares about you.

Silver: He does. I just wish he would let me do more for Malleus-sama and for him.

Raven, more serious: I understand your frustration. When you feel like you’re ready for more, but the world denies you of it… It leaves a tight feeling in your chest.

Silver: Like shortness of breath when you’re in an intense workout?

Raven: Er, sure. Let’s go with that.

Raven: There’s also a kernel of truth to what your father said. The world of bureaucracy and politics isn’t for everyone, even if one is only present as an observer.

Raven: Lies, flattery, personal gain, manipulation, deals, backstabbing and double crossing. Such things are commonplace when policy and governance are involved—at least, that’s what I gather from my writing research.

Raven: It can be so oppressive and isolating. One has to steel their wills for these things. It must have been difficult to do, even for the hornbill.

Raven: I think your father wanted to protect your eyes from clouding over from the darkness of that world. He probably still does.

Silver: !!

Raven: Wanting to protect the people you hold dear is a natural instinct, just as wanting to grow up fast and fill in that role as the protector is.

Raven: One day, you’ll be ready to leave the nest and be a part of that world. And when you are, your father will see you off with a smile and tears in his eyes.

Silver: … Yes, one day.

Silver, closing his eyes: …

Silver, opening them: Raven, I’m sure your guardian, the headmaster, feels the same way about you.

Raven, to herself: (Is this Silver-senpai’s way of returning the advice…?)

Raven, to herself: (Thinking about it though, Uncle is more of the type to chuck someone out of the pan and into the fire than to keep them from the stove altogether. Ah, but Silver-senpai is staring at me with such hopeful, expectant eyes. I-It’s fine to play a little into it, surely?)

Raven: A-Ahahaha… Yup, that sounds like Uncle alright…

Raven, to herself: (LIKE HELL IT IS!!)

Silver: You refer to him as “Uncle”, so is the headmaster related to your parents?

Raven: Oh, no. We are not related by blood. “Uncle” is a term of endearment. It would be more accurate to say that he is my guardian, not father or uncle. Still, I recognize him as a father all the same.

Silver: I see. I apologize for my misunderstanding. So you are also adopted…

Silver, smiling: It sounds like we’re kindred spirits.

Raven: Eh, are we…?

Raven, to herself: (WE’RE NOTHING ALIKE THOUGH?!)

Silver: Yes. I also know you are a kind and hardworking person, just like the headmaster.

Raven: (How is it that the longer he talks, the more strays from the truth?!)

Silver: So I think… one day, you’ll be just as revered as the hornbill advisor you look up to, or the advisors in Briar Valley’s court. I believe in you, so please believe in yourself.

Raven: O-Of course I will.

Raven: (How can I say I don’t believe you when you’re looking at me like a baby deer?!)

Raven: I’ve never seen creatures like this before. They’re depicted with the Lord of the Underworld, so I assume they must be his servants.

Silver. They are his retainers.

Raven: Oh, that makes sense. You put two and two together so fast. I guess it must be that retainers recognize other retainers.

Raven: I had trouble coming to that conclusion. When I think of a retainer, a very different image comes to mind.

Raven: Someone tall, muscular, and intimidating! With a mean glare! One look at them kicks your body into fight or flight mode! … Something like that.

Raven: In other words… JUST LIKE SEBEK-SAN!

Silver: …? Is Sebek like that? I know he can look scary, but really he’s a good person.

Silver: But in any case, he is also good at what he does.

Silver: There are other kinds of security personnel too. Ones that serve more covert roles.

Raven, eyes sparkling: Like spies and assassins?! They specialize in sneaking around and collecting information or getting kills in quietly.

Silver: Those are some. You’re surprisingly knowledgeable on this matter.

Raven: I-It’s something I’m interested in. Intelligence and the element of surprise, if wielded correctly, can be their own weapon.

Raven: Hmm… Unfortunately, these two do not strike me as spies or assassins either. They look more like children’s mascots—but I know that looks can be deceiving.

Silver: You’d be right. They say the Lord of the Underworld’s retainers had the ability to change their forms at will. They used that power to make quick work of those who posed threats to his rule.

Raven: Change their forms at will! Such a thing would be highly regulated these days.

Raven: For fair reason, I suppose. It would be easy for anyone to deceive and to commit fraud if they could borrow others’ faces on a whim.

Silver: Do you really think people do that, just going around pretending to be someone else and spreading lies?

Silver: The Lord of the Underworld’s retainers only ever used that power to enact justice and to right wrongs.

Raven, to herself: (S-So pure!!)

Raven: Wh-Who knows? That magic has also been used to do a lot of good.

Raven: Merpeople are able to vacation, work, and study on land thanks to the transformation potions the government distributes. It’s a wonderful system.

Raven: And Jack-san has a unique magic that lets him transform into a wolf. He used it to stop a scuffle at shortly before the interdorm tournament.

Raven: So I think it depends a lot on individual intention.

Silver: I remember that. I appreciate his help with that.

Silver: Raven, you can shapeshift into an animal too, can't you?

Raven: Well, yes. I was originally a real raven, after all. Right now I am a "human" girl though.

Silver: Do you ever have times when you return to your original form?

Raven: I don't do it often. I've found it's not as suitable for my current environment at school.

Raven, sighing: Sadly, it happens involuntarily when I'm experiencing periods of high stress. It becomes bothersome at times.

Silver: That sounds difficult.

Raven: You wouldn’t believe!! S-Some of the students are quite crude and make a game of provoking me and seeing who can make me turn the fastest.

Raven: And then when I turn around and scold them for their poor attitudes, they mock me and tell me to ‘fly away and go cry to uncle’!

Raven, angry: What nerve!! I swear to the Seven, I can’t have a moment’s rest around here!

Raven, under her breath: I may just peck at them one of these days to punish them for their behavior…!

Silver: That’s not nice of them.

Silver: If you ever shift and you need help, come to me. I can speak with the students who were rude to you. You can also rest at Diasomnia until you feel better. I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe.

Raven, panicked: You’ll do WHAT?!

Silver: …? Keep you safe, you mean?

Raven: D-Do you even realize what you’re saying, Silver-senpai?! (H-He’s sounding like a knight directly lifted from a fairy tale!!)

Silver: Don’t worry. I know many wild birds on campus. I can ask them for advice on how to best care for a raven.

Raven: S-Stop talking! Just please STOP TALKING!!

Silver: There is another bird here.

Raven: This one is the parrot belonging to the Sorcerer of the Sands. It's a scarlet macaw, a bird that is skilled in the art of imitating human speech. A highly intelligent being worthy of being the familiar to one of the Great Seven!

Silver: I didn’t know there were so many kinds of birds. Each of them so different than the last.

Raven: The variety among birds is also seen in humans, beastmen, merpeople, and fae. I was very surprised by the revelation when I first came to Night Raven College.

Raven: Truly, this is a place that brings together people from all walks of life. I don’t regret coming here. There’s something new and interesting to see every day.

Raven: … For better or for worse.

Silver: What do you mean?

Raven: When a flock grows, aggression happens. It’s true of both birds and of us.

Raven: There doesn’t seem to be a day that passes where a fight doesn’t break out or someone has to step in to diffuse rising tensions.

Raven: One bird—one person—is manageable. 800? Not so much.

Silver, thoughtfully: I wonder what it would take to help everyone get along better. What do birds do to repair relations after a fight?

Raven: They don’t.

Silver: … They don’t?

Raven: They keep fighting until one gives up and leaves the other alone. Then the victor claims whatever it was they were fighting for—food, nests, territory, a mate.

Raven: But obviously, that doesn’t work for us. The school would never sponsor battles outside of what is necessary for classes.

Silver: That’s…

Silver: … a great idea!

Raven: It is?!?!

Silver: There’s no better way to bond than through training and trading blows. Sebek and I have formed a strong friendship thanks to our own experiences.

Raven: Er, I’m glad that worked for you and Sebek-san but don’t know if that’s such a good idea for everyone to follow…!!

Silver: We can talk to Vargas-sensei about implementing a new P.E. event with a focus on combat. Maybe it could be tournament style with lots of activities. Sprinting, biking, swimming, jousting—

Raven: JOUSTING? In this day and age?!

Silver: Or make it a big game like Beans Day. Would it work better as a new course? That way, it’s longer. Even a club. A Fight Club.

Raven, looking tired: (I forgot how big of a musclehead Silver-senpai is!!)

Raven: How did you even come to this conclusion based on birds fighting for limited resources in the wild…

Raven: Your mind works in mysterious ways.

[Interlude]

Silver: Please consider my proposal. I think it would be a golden opportunity to unite everyone.

Raven: Sure, I’ll pass along the idea to the headmaster… (No way, not happening!!)

[…]

Raven: In any case, I’m off to see the rest of the exhibit. I’ll see you later.

Silver: Yes, see you then. Take care.

*Walking sfx*

Raven: Let’s see what else the museum has to offer 🎵

Raven: …!

Raven: This is…

Raven: Oh, how interesting. This painting is stylized to resemble a stained glass window.

Raven: According to a placard, this is meant to depict the moment when a beggar woman revealed herself to be the almighty Enchantress. Seeing that there was no love in a selfish prince’s heart, she cursed him to become a beast most frightening.

Raven: An enchantress and a curse, hmm?

Raven: …

Raven, turning away from the painting and leaning against it: … Hah.

Raven: I hope he eventually made peace and found his happily ever after.

***BONUS***

More about her Platinum Jacket design + author’s notes on writing the vignettes!

Here is a more detailed look at Raven’s design and full body pose for the initial Platinum Jacket artwork! Her top and shoes are basically the same as any other student's Platinum Jacket; the devil is in the details!

Starting with her hat, it's inspired by a combination of elements from Minnie Mouse. The general shape is borrowed from an old design of Minnie, which features a daisy sticking out of it. Including a flower might have looked out of place here, so I substituted tails with pearl-like beading. The big bow is inspired by a modern design. You'll also notice that Miss Raven's skirt sort of flares out like Minnie's. I figured if there was any design to pull inspiration from Minnie, it should be the one celebrating Disney's centennial.

ashdbudbpfqb I'll be honest, I hate the design of the neckties they went with so I changed Raven's to a cravat. Her sash is a style unique to her and it closely resembles the look of the sashes from the Birthday Boy series of cards. It's secured at her waist by another big bow.

Instead of pants, Miss Raven has some greyish stockings. She tends to prefer skirts and dresses to pants since she's used to her legs being "bare" in her old life as a bird. I think the most unique part of this look is her skirt. In addition to having the shape resemble Minnie's, the skirt is also supposed to resemble a cake with frosting "drapes". The dots along the skirt are meant to look like sugar pearls. You know, because you'd usually have cake for a celebration!

Now let's talk about the Disney images I picked for the card + vignettes www

I chose Silver to be the "interviewer" this year. (It may or may not be because of my recent fondness for the guy/j) Their dynamic is ironic because usually Miss Raven is the "good" person (9 times out of 10 she is dealing with someone way "worse" than her)... but in the presence of the shining beacon that is Silver, she suddenly seems like the snarky and sarcastic one by comparison. They're such a strange mix of grounded and yet also sort of spaced out. I feel like they're totally missing what the other person is saying every other exchange.

At first, I had no idea what to really include for Raven's initial card art frames. I was just going to leave them empty so you could project whatever you wanted onto them, but ultimately I slapped Diablo and the Evil Queen's bird onto there (because I found funny images) and called it a day. Diablo looks like he's about to steal some cupcakes, and the Evil Queen's raven/crow looks hilariously terrified of an apple.

For the vignettes, I chose two bird characters (Iago and Zazu) because I felt Raven could have some insight on them. Pain and Panic were also included because I felt like they needed more attention 🤣 Besides, I can't make ALL of the paintings Just Birds... I tried to stick with movies featuring the Great Seven, but decided to be unconventional for the Groovy artwork. The painting you see there is, in fact, from the opening to Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was very fitting for Miss Raven to see it, given her own background. Like the light trio, she has a unique expression as opposed to the rest of the cast (who look devious in their Groovies). Her look is more resigned and a little bit sad. Sketching her Groovy made me really appreciate just how much work must have gone into each of the official Platinum Jackey Groovies... Those angles and perspectives are so complicated!!

Anyways~ Another year, another Miss Raven birthday done and over with...! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Fossil Novembirb 14: Lost in the Woods

Eurotrochilus by @iguanodont

Even though parts of the landscape were opening up, the forests of Europe weren't done yet - in fact, many began transitioning to the drier temperate forests we know from Europe today! This transition through the Oligocene would have major consequences for bird evolution - I mean, why else would I bring it up? The formation of the first permanent ice sheets in Antarctica made the world drier, and in turn lead to many of the European Islands of the Eocene connecting with one another, forming an actual continent. Well, sub-continent.

So we saw h ow birds were adapting to the plains - how did they adapt to the temperate forests? Well, by more modern groups appearing, too! In fact, this was a busy period of evolution for most animals, as early forms gave way to modern clades and the early adapations that make those clades unique begin to pop up.

Aviraptor by @otussketching

Eurotrochilus, known from Germany during the Oligocene, is a prime example of this phenomenon: it looks almost identical to living hummingbirds, but - unlike living hummingbirds - it was in Europe, not the Americas! Though it wasn't quite a modern hummingbird, having long finger bones like ancestral forms, it had the adaptations needed for feeding on nectar and hovering while foraging for food. As a pollinator, it would have been a key component of the forest ecosystem, helping to pollinate flowering plants and keeping the forest growing. It was also exceptionally common, and may have lead to many plants co-evolving with hummingbirds in the Eastern Hemisphere - so that when hummingbirds disappeared from the region, the niche was left open for the passerine Sunbirds to one day fill it.

We also start to see more and more flighted birds of prey, like Aviraptor. Though small in size, it had long slender legs and sharp talons, and was thus the first raptor adapted for eating other birds as prey - to capture them in the air mid-flight. Sure, it mainly ate small ones, but we all have to start somewhere! And, with all of those lovely hummingbirds and early passerines and barbets around, it certainly had enough food to eat.

Rupelramphastoides by @drawingwithdinosaurs

Yep, I said barbets - the earliest known barbet-like bird comes from the Oligocene European Forests, Rupelramphastoides. One of the smallest members of the Toucan-Barbet group, it had a lot of very modern traits from the group for its early evolution - including long and slender foot bones like living Toucans! It had a small beak, like barbets, and squat wings for flitting about between the trees. Like its living relatives, it probably ate fruit - which would have been plentiful - as well as insects.

Wieslochia, which I discussed on Passerine day, was also present in these forests - it was just a great place for modern tree-dwelling birds to really get their start! Relatives of hoopoes and hornbills, like Laurillardia, were also present - and had long wings and tails, probably for display in addition to movement. Palaeotodus was present in these forests as well as in the savannah, indicating that it was flexible in its preferred habitat - like the living todies of the Caribbean today. Why todies today are only limited to the Caribbean islands, however, remains a mystery.

Oligocolius by @quetzalpali-art

Mousebirds haven't been limited to their modern range yet, either! Though not a Sandcoelid, Oligocolius was a weird Mousebird with the hooked bill of a modern parrot! So, clearly, Mousebirds were experimenting with lots of different niches prior to the modern day - and this is a neat example of convergent evolution to boot! It had a crop, unlike its living relatives, which allowed it to digest tougher plant material. It was common in its environment, found both in the forests and in more lacustrine and coastal areas, indicating it was flexible in this changing world - an extremely helpful adaptation as the ecosystems evolved!

Primotrogon, an early relative of trogons, breaks the pattern of "Like Modern Relatives but Slightly Off" that we've been seeing with these birds - unlike living trogons, it had long wings, a short tail, and small eyes! In addition to it's weirdness, we actually know the color of this bird - it had green secondary coverts, with grey secondaries and primary coverts, though the color of the primaries is not known. Given the rareness of green in animal colors, but how commonly it comes up in birds, this is another example of that phenomenon!

Primotrogon by @albertonykus

Tree dwelling birds aren't the only birds that live in forests, and they aren't the only ones that underwent radiation during this period of environmental change. A weird group of "shorebirds", the Buttonquails, first appears in this ecosystem in the form of Turnipax. Like quails, they are small round ground dwelling birds, but weirdly, their closest relatives are gulls and sandpipers! Turnipax seems to have already been much like its modern relatives, and its possible that the lower diversity of landfowl allowed other avian groups to fill these niches. Rupelornis, a relative of albatross, also lived in the forests of this time - and probably was an ocean going bird, living like modern storm petrels and plucking food carefully from the surface of the water. Like other sea birds, it may have been in forest habitats for the protection - for nesting, rearing young, or other activities. It's a lot easier to hide in the trees than it is to hide at the beach!

This time of environmental turmoil gave dinosaurs new opportunities to diversify - and required flexibility to do so, as the landscape ebbed and flowed between savannah and forest much as it does today. Alas, the climate would not remain stable, and as we continue through the Cenozoic, more and more ecological turmoil will continue to have lasting effects on the evolution of living dinosaurs.

Sources:

Mayr, 2022. Paleogene Fossil Birds, 2nd Edition. Springer Cham.

Mayr, 2017. Avian Evolution: The Fossil Record of Birds and its Paleobiological Significance (TOPA Topics in Paleobiology). Wiley Blackwell.

[devilsrecreation]

Outlanders episode/fanfic idea

Body swap/position swap with the leaders (except Jasiri, she’s safe lol)

1. The position swap is pretty simple. Janja, Reirei, Kiburi, and Mzingo are all arguing on who has the most responsibilities. Sick of the arguing and bragging about everyone’s problems, Jasiri decides everyone needs to walk in each other’s shoes and orders the others to switch places. Janja switches places with Kiburi and Reirei switches with Mzingo. Shupavu and Njano get to watch all the leaders suffer and realize leading the different groups isn’t as easy as they thought

2. The body swap is the more fun version. The problem’s basically the same, except there’s a shooting star involved. Upon seeing it, Madoa is like “Wow! A shooting star! Make a wish, Jasiri!” and Jasiri half-jokingly says “Lol I wish everyone would get to walk in each other’s footsteps”. Little does she know, the leaders wake up trapped in different bodies. And thus, hilarity ensues.

- Janja: Janja thinks ruling over the crocs is a piece of cake since Tamka and Nduli are basically Chungu and Cheezi as crocodiles. Little does he know, it’s a lot harder than it looks, since Janja has to learn how to fight as a reptile while also making sure he gets enough water. I like to think Janja would try to spar with Tamka or Nduli, only to have his tail handed to him

- Kiburi: Kinda similar to Janja while he gets used to being a mammal, but he’s pulling through. However, he’s GOT to teach the other hyenas how to fight cuz during a sparring match, he whooped everybody’s tails. Now it’s up to the rest of the clan to teach Kiburi how to loosen up

- Reirei: Reirei is not doing well as a bird. She may be good at being a mother and the voting isn’t so bad, but she cannot eat an already decaying animal for her life. And it takes about all day to learn how to fly properly

- Mzingo: He’s raised Janja and his clan pretty much their whole lives, he’s sure he can handle a litter of pups and teenagers, right? …….Right? Well, not si much. Turns out his parliamentary rules don’t really work with jackal pups. And on top of that, Goigoi keeps forgetting Mzingo isn’t really Reirei and keeps trying to kiss him (Mzingo may be gay but Goigoi is NOT his type) 😭

Not even the skinks are safe, cuz Shupavu and Njano have switched with Kenge and Sumu hfhfgf. I guess bc they thought Kenge and Sumu’s lives were easier just cuz they had venom to protect themselves

- Shupavu in Sumu’s body: Shupavu was confident Sumu’s life was easy (save for his lack of friends when he was a child) cuz of the stinger. What she DIDN’T realize was that apparently, her new stinger could come off easily and not affect certain predators like hornbills and baboons. She also learns that like Ushari’s venom, Sumu’s venom is rather precious to him and she has to be careful not to use it too much

- Njano in Kenge’s body: I think Njano is the only one who loves his new body. He’s big, he’s got venom, and he has way too much fun scaring other animals for the fun of it. I think his only downside is that he can’t exactly sneak or spy on anyone cuz they all know he’s coming lmao. Like his og form, Njano tends to leave his (or should I say, Kenge’s) tongue sticking out, making Kenge’s body a little less intimidating, much to Kenge’s chagrin

- Sumu in Shupavu’s body: This has got to be the strangest one. A scorpion in a skink’s body. While Sumu kinda enjoys the new look (and he has a much easier chance of making a new friend if he wanted to), he’s no longer venomous. And he’s got a lot more predators than he usually had, making him turn to Shupavu and Njano for protection. Also he internally freaked out when he accidentally detached Shupavu’s tail, thinking he was gonna die (which is realistic for scorpions)

- Kenge in Njano’s body: This is probably the funniest one yet. Kenge, the big venomous monitor lizard with a hatred for anything little is….well, little. And because he doesn’t have any venom either, he’s pretty much harmless. He can’t even be taken seriously cuz Njano’s face is so goofy, he appears angy and that just makes everyone laugh and go “awww”. Lmao poor Kenge

Thankfully, everyone only has to deal with this for a day, since Jasiri manages to reverse it (as for how, off the top of my head, she wishes on the north star)

[kexing]

Mj! The FBSR episode today has me like: 🥹

I especially loved every part of their usual bestie bickering.

Here: 🥰

And here: 🥰

Then there's ALWAYS a part where one or both are using a swear word, and it has to be bleeped out 😂🤣

Takes me back to season 1, the bungee jumping episode. There were more bleep outs than actually words when they were at the top of that tower. 😂

And people wonder why I love them so much? I mean, how could I not love them?? 🤷‍♀️

BESTIE!!!!! aldkkskdksdk same!!!! it’s always soooo good to see them again!!!

and yes! even if this episode wasn’t part of forcebook show real, it would’ve still been one because it had EVERYTHING: rain, bickering, one of them nearly dying, swear words that have to bleeped out, playing around, taking lots of photos of each other. check check check!

LMAOO yeah! the bungee jumping episode was like: 33 i love yous, 67 curse words, 2 actual decent lines that still have i love you and a curse word in between 🤣🤣🤣🤣

god that sure was a moment!

some of my favorite highlights were book being possessed by phupha’s spirit saying he’s a hornbill 🤣

that one time force was going down the stairs and book stopped to worry about him

and of course, hype man force when book said that nothing’s changed about himself in this past year, except he got more handsome and force immediately became past book defense lawyer

look at how happy book is 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭

GET YOURSELF A FRIEND LIKE FORCE!!!!!!!!!

exactly!!!!! for me, loving them is as easy as breathing. i don’t understand how one does not love them or at least not admire their chaotic and yet profound friendship. how they’re amazing hosts, how genuinely and effortlessly funny they are, how they bounce off of each other so well. the natural chemistry and friendship are just so beautiful to witness!!!

fbsr is about best friends making memories together and i’m so glad we get to see a little bit of that. so glad they get to experience fun things together and i hope one day they look back fondly at it.

everything they achieve is great but their friendship is the greatest gift of all ❤️

[xianyoon]

HAI HAI YING <3

i just wanted to pop in and say i hope your day went well and that you nature walk was gooood !! how did it go, btw? i'm curious!

i hope that the weather was good and that the rest of your weekend treats you well ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ stay hydrated and take breaks when you can, and also sunbathe !! photosynthesise and refresh yourself too heehee

li shen u sweetheart ! ! ! ! thank u for giving me the chance to talk about it . . . it was so so fun and i adored getting to talk to them about my culture and heritage along with being connected with my country's fauna and flora ! ! !

there was so much wildlife !! ! ! some animals we saw were : otters ノ monitor lizards ノ hornbills ( TWO !! ) ノ mudskippers ノ needlefish ノ baby crocodile ノ white-bellied sea eagle ノ huge spiders ノ tree-climbing crabs ノ pink-necked green pigeon ノ great egret ノ crows ノ buffy fish owl ! ! so many & it was so cool getting to point all of these out +++ so much gratitude because it had been raining all week but the weather was ! very much perfect ! on the day that we went ! it was so lovely ehhee

i hope you're doing well my love thank u for dropping by ! ! ! ! and all of this back to you – i hope you're taking care of yourself !! ! ! ily !

[brineffxiv]

We have a plan. Make that two plans. At the same time. And I'm going to head up both teams.

On one hand, the Forum is clearly hiding something and we need to get to the bottom of what, particularly if it pertains to the Final Days - which it almost certainly does.

On the other, a tower has appeared in Thavnair and an alchemist named Nidhana has requested the assistance of a capable warrior with the blessing of Light. And seeing as how we're in short supply of those with Arenvald's injury, it's gonna have to be me.

I opt for the former first, since I'm already here in Sharlayan. It just made the most sense. Though, I'm not entirely certain why it's necessary for me to be part of this team, given that - with the possible exception of Estinien - I am the one who knows the least about Sharlayan and the Forum. Ah well, I can overlook that. Time to hit the books. Intense book-reading action!

Despite how much my friends love and care for their country, I am hearing a great many things that I don't like about Sharlayan. First I find that only citizens are free to peruse the majority of the collected knowledge. And further, that there are several layers of authority in the collections. Now I find that there is an active effort to conceal the truth of the world's structure underway. No, I do not think there will be any writing of the Final Days available for us to find, and that disturbs me. The idea that the truth is being kept from the general public because certain authority figures do not think they can properly handle it.

Alisaie and I take a break from the reading and head to the Last Stand for something to drink. We try and find out what the customers know of the Telophoroi and the Final Days, but all they want to do is gossip about Alisaie being disowned.

So I pretend to be a server and chat up the customers instead, which I think is a very silly thing to do. The only thing of note I find out is that the gleaners are extremely overworked of late.

Later, when Alisae and I are enjoying our beverages away from prying eyes, we espy an especially large shipment of goods being delivered to Labyrinthos - the subterranean storage facility below Sharlayan.

We take news of our discovery back to our friends, and they agree that the gleaner traffic is worth investigating. Off to Labyrinthos!

I think this would be more impressive had I come down here during the day.

That said, Labyrinthos is not at all what I expected. And entire manufactured ecosystem below ground... Are the forum planning to hunker down here and wait out the Final Days? This place would make a pretty damn decent shelter from the world above.

That's what I just said, Krile.

I'm sorry Krile, I don't mean to stress you out. Forgive me.

We ingratiate ourselves with the gleaners to find out what's going on to cause all the ruckus. This handsome bunny man informs me that there's a great inventory underway. We confirm that the orders came directly from the forum, but the gleaners haven't been informed of any purpose behind it.

Ah. And apparently it fits the timeline for the Telophoroi's nonsense to have been the impetus.

I'll take your word for it Y'shtola, this is hardly my area of expertise. If you need anything beaten up or slain you can call me.

Oh dear. There is something the matter with Krile that is not related to me being a sarcastic little shit. She claims she's fine, but I worry.

We attempt to gain access to the Archeion's vaults, but are barred from entry. We are also disallowed from accessing the lifts down to the middle tier of Labyrinthos. The gleaners, however, are still permitted to make use of the lifts...

Uh oh. I don't like this guy. He's gonna get us in trouble, isn't he?

I meet up with the handsome bunny man, Erenville, again, and help him capture a hornbill.

Uh. Y'shtola? I'm gonna bet that that's where the forum's suspicious activity is going to lead us. Just a hunch.

Erenville shares with us his suspicions that this great restructuring is leading up to a migration. But while he can share with us knowledge, he cannot help us reach the lower level via the lifts. His cargo is going down separately from himself, and he can hardly take us with him if we're not needed to assist with anything.

He does, however, inform us of an old mineshaft that connects the two levels. If we're brave and don't mind climbing we can make use of it to descend. Off we go!

[evienovo]

A kind girl with a no-nonsense attitude and know-it-all reputation who is as dedicated to schoolwork as she is to gossip. As the next advisor to the king of the Sunset Savanna, she takes everything too seriously – including the running of her dorm, to her housewarden’s dismay.

[Toyhouse profile]

Name: Suzi Manyoya Nicknames: Penguin (Floyd), Mademoiselle Calao (Rook), Feathers/Birdy (Leona), Susu (Cheka) CVs: Seto Asami (瀬戸 麻沙美) (JP), Tara Platt (EN) Gender: Female Species: Hornbill beasthuman Birthday: April 25 Age: 18 Height: 170 cm (5’7”) Homeland: Sunset Savanna Dorm: Savanaclaw Year: 3 (Junior) Class: A (No. 14) Best subject: Protection Club: Arts & Crafts Favorite food: Githeri, chipsi mayai Least favorite food: Raw meat Likes: Folk music, historical fiction Dislikes: Being ignored, repeating herself Hobby: Beadwork Talent: Singing, Badminton Twisted from: Zazu from The Lion King Unique Magic/Signature Spell: Light as a Feather Allows her to manipulate the weight of objects and people, making them lighter or heavier than they are

Personality Suzi is a very responsible person and very diligent in everything she does. She likes order and efficiency and feels the need to step in if things aren't as organized as she'd like or thinks they should be. This almost exclusively applies to how Savanaclaw students behave and daily life in the dorm as a whole, which led her to act as an unofficial vice housewarden since her first year. Leona was against it at first since he thought she was challenging his authority and it caused a lot of arguments between them, but once he realized how much easier she makes things for him he decided to look the other way and only steps in when he disagrees with something. However, other students don't take kindly to her bossing them around, and she gets on some nerves and can step on a few tails so to speak. Due to her responsibilities with schoolwork and matters back home she has relaxed with this by her third year, but it’s still common to have some first-years think she’s the dorm leader for the first few days of class every year. A student at the top of her class, Suzi is very intelligent and knowledgeable not only of academic matters but everything that happens at school, making her the go-to source of information for everything from homework and tutoring to student and teacher gossip. She is very confident in her magical and academic abilities (sometimes to the point of smugness) and doesn’t shy away from demonstrating them, which has caused her to be seen as a know-it-all by her classmates – whether she doesn’t realize it or just doesn’t care is anyone’s guess. Despite being a bit Too Much™ for her dormmates sometimes, Suzi is overall friendly and sociable with students from all dorms (or “diplomatic” as she calls it), and always willing to help. As part of her unofficial vice housewarden duties she’s constantly breaking up fights, helping resolve arguments or mediating other people’s problems. Like most students in Savanaclaw, she has a competitive streak, although she keeps it in check. She is very loyal to her friends, family and the Kingscholars in general; however, she puts her duty above her feelings and plays by the rules, so Leona didn’t even consider including her in his plans to win the Spelldrive tournament, since he knew he’d get an earful about it (he still got it afterwards). The pressures of school life and her many responsibilities (some of which she imposed on herself by choice) cause her to have a short temper and become easily irritable. She loses her patience quickly, can be snappish and blunt, and can offend people without meaning to or realizing it. While other students know to stay clear of her when she’s acting like this, Leona finds her attitude very amusing and loves to tease and torment her any chance he gets just to see her riled up. Secretly, the stress and anxiety also make her prone to panic attacks and insomnia, which she doesn’t share because she “doesn’t want to inconvenience others” but which is really a fear of showing weakness. She has been working on managing her stress (and snapping at others), but there’s not much progress to be seen so far.

Background Suzi is the youngest child of the royal advisor of the Sunset Savana. Despite being familiar with the happenings of court from a young age, she did not know any of the members of the royal family personally other than Falena. Her oldest brother inherited their mother’s job when she retired a few years after Suzi was born but left the post a year later due to some disagreements with the king and later became estranged from the family. Her second brother took the position reluctantly, but did not do a very good job and left after his wife had complications in childbirth. The job inevitably went to Suzi then, but since she was 15 at the time her mother agreed to return to her old post and train her daughter to take her place once she turned 20. Being her family’s last hope to maintain their position at court, Suzi has felt a strong sense of responsibility and pressure since before she enrolled in NRC. Once she arrived, she was excited to be sorted into the same dorm as Leona and took it upon herself to “watch over” him, since as a servant to the Kingscholars she should be helpful to the member of the royal family closest to her at the time. However, she quickly became disillusioned at Leona’s personality and general attitude; she did not like the way he managed their dorm, was on his way to repeating the school year and was surprised (and disappointed) that he seemed to be nothing like Falena, whom she admires greatly. Leona didn’t take kindly to a freshman lecturing him on the running of the dorm and definitely didn’t appreciate the comparisons to his brother, so it didn’t take long for the arguments to begin. They reached an agreement in time, in which she’d be free to manage the dorm the way a vice housewarden would as long as she doesn’t go over his head and in exchange, he’d put more effort into his studies and let her study with him if she felt he needed it. She also convinced him to play chess with her from time to time, since she considers it to be a good strategy exercise for both of them as a member of the royal family and future advisor respectively (he initially agreed because he thought her reaction to him winning every game was amusing, but came to enjoy it over time since it’s one of the only moments when she’s not nagging at him). Despite earning a lot of respect for each other and improving their relationship, they still butt heads and argue from time to time, since Suzi still disapproves of a lot of his decisions regarding the dorm and his attitude towards life in general, but mostly towards his family. As his self-imposed guardian/helper, she was deeply affected by his overblot not only out of concern for him but also because she felt that she should have been able to prevent it from happening in the first place; the fact that a member of the royal family could have died under “her care” has only added to her stress since.

Unique Magic/Signature Spell Suzi’s signature spell is called Light as a Feather, and it allows her to manipulate the weight of anything she touches. She can make things light enough to float, or so heavy they’re impossible to move. It works on objects as well as people, and the amount of blot it produces depends on how long she maintains the spell.

Trivia

She was accepted into Royal Sword Academy as well as Night Raven College, but both of her older brothers attended RSA for a while and were on the verge of being expelled, so her parents decided not to risk it with her

She’s been pestering Leona to study, go to class and graduate since she arrived at NRC, and every time he has to repeat a class feels like a personal failure to her

She adores Cheka but can only babysit him for so long before she loses her composure because he loves to test her patience

She has a nice singing voice, although she doesn’t like to sing in front of others. Leona heard her by accident once and blackmailed her into singing for him when they’re alone sometimes, since he says it helps him sleep (as if he needed any help with that).

She’s a borderline vegetarian

Loves puns and slips them into conversations unconsciously sometimes

Will never admit it, but she loves gossip - she calls it being well-informed on what goes on around her, since "the king's advisor is his eyes and ears and must be knowledgeable about the happenings of the realm"

While she scares many a first year into obeying her orders, a lot if not most of the older students know to ignore her rants and nagging, which pisses her off like nothing else

Has an unexpected sense of humor that not a lot of people get, since she tends to deliver her jokes in the same tone as she says everything else, and it never sounds like she’s joking

She unconsciously shakes her tail feathers when she experiences any strong emotion (like excitement or anger). She has learned to control it more over time but did it very often when she arrived at NRC, causing Leona to call her "Feathers", since it was her most distinguishing trait.

((I have a lot more stuff but I'll post it later cus this is already too long omg))

Profile & intro card templates by @unfinished-projects-galore

Candy template by @cheemawsarchive

[arthistoryanimalia]

More for #LoveHornbillsDay:

Hornbills by T. W. Wood (1823-1903), plate from Curiosities of Ornithology, London, Groombridge & Sons, c.1871. Via BHL.

[kiawren]

13 Feb! Eve of Valentine's day AND fourth day of Chinese new year AND! (MOST IMPORTANT) Love Hornbills day :3 hornbills are my favourite animals but I only Just learnt there was a day for them and it's not just Hornbill day it's LOVE hornbills day. In fact I ALSO DIDNT KNOW they symbolise ETERNAL LOVE and fidelity.. It's so fitting it's the day before valentines day for one of the coolest prettiest animals of all :3

[shinygalaxyperson]

Tagged by beautiful people @creepkinginc and @mikhailoisbaby @rereadanon and @too-schoolforcool ☺️

relationship status: Taken 😍 together for 20 years

favourite color: pink

three favourite foods: cheese, peanut butter and crakers

top 3 tv shows: Shameless, Supernatural and Big bang theory

top 3 characters: Mickey, Dean Winchester and Bucky Barnes

what i’m currently reading: just finished the book Where the forest meet the stars and it's was so beautiful 😭

song stuck in my head: Free by Florence and the Machine

last movie watched: Thomas Crown

last thing i googled: what the french name of the

red head hornbill while reading Africa by @ian-galagher 😉

last song i listened to: Hell or High water from the day's gone game soundtrack

dream trip: always wanted to visit Scotland ❤️

time: 7:06pm

anything i really want right now: one week in a spa resort 😴

I tag @ian-galagher @imikhailotakeyouian @energievie @look-i-love-u @francesrose3 @vintagelacerosette @suzy-queued @heyitsropi @juliakayyy and @ardent-fox

[son-of-hemera]

Day 1: Elephants, Impala, Kudu, Cape Buffalo, Giraffe, Lilac-Breasted Roller (gorgeous bird! I have a lovely video I can send via DM if anyone wants to see it), Southern Ground Hornbill, Chacma Baboon. Waterbuck, Yellowbilled Hornbill, Mairbou Stork, Great Blue Heron, Saddle-billed Stork. Warthog - no pics of these either :(. My phone camera is shit by I'm trying.

[damnslippyplanet]

Slippy Rewatches ATOTS, Episode 5

Previously on ATOTS: hornbills and shower gel

An important housekeeping note: I drafted the first half of this post on my phone and it was *dead set* on correcting “Dr. Nam” to “Dr. BDSM.”  I think I caught it everywhere but if I didn’t, yeah, that’s what happened.  This would be a very different show.

******

We're starting out in flashback again, and just to make ABSOLUTELY sure we're aware that's what's happening, Past!Tian is displaying Mile Phakphum levels of tits-out-ness so his lack of a heart transplant scar is clear. Love it. Perfect

He stumbles out to his car drunk and woozy to participate in some sort of car race, the details of which I neither know nor care about. The point is that Tul is trying to be a decent bro and talk him out of driving, and Nihilist Heart Patient Tian is like, what's the worst case outcome here, I die doing something fun instead of my heart just exploding at random one day?

Past Tian: in need of therapy and a hug.

******

Current Tian is having this flashback because Dr. Nam is offering to let him drive the Land Rover to town and Tian is fully noping out of that. Tian does NOT drive, thanks! 

So they go for a drive and Dr. Nam is reminded of driving Torfun around because they put their hands out the window the same way. This show really cannot decide how hard it wants to commit to mannerisms being transmitted via heart transplant.

Tian thinks back to the cliff, where apparently he gave Phupha a handwavy answer about finding Torfun's lanyard at the house.  He stares pensively out the window.

I think his shirt might be another local villager deal. He's maybe fully trading clothes with Longtae now, which is very cute.

******

Dr. Nam drops Tian off in Chiang Mai to do errands, and Tian is SO excited to be somewhere with cell service. He can call for a ride when he's done! He can use Google Maps to find his way around! 

He calls Tul to say hi, and Tul immediately is like, you've been out of touch for weeks, I am coming to pick you up, don't move!  It's very cute.  I like that this show cares about friendships.

But meanwhile Tian really did have errands. He's going to the library to look up how to make kites! Our boy has decided to embrace having a lesson plan, and I love that for him. 

Back at the base, Phupha finds out Tian has gone off on his own without Phupha's permission and he's the MOST cranky.

But Tian's doing fine. He's found a blind street vendor selling fragrant tea sachets and he buys two with a thoughtful expression that says, "I think I could put this blind man out of business!" 

******

Nam and Tian hook back up for lunch and Nam immediately starts wingmanning again to make sure Tian knows that Phupha is an extremely eligible bachelor. He's so invested. I love him. He also wants to be Facebook friends, but Tian makes the face of Whoops Facebook Will Reveal My Secrets and quickly pretends not to be on Facebook. Buddy, delete your account for real! Be free!

Tian catches sight of one of the Tea Bandits who beat him up. He's sitting with an older man who Nam describes as Mr. Sakda, very influential. I think they're the Tea Mafia. He might be involved in wildlife poaching. Apparently Phupha thinks he's a dick.

The two of them are NOT subtle in the staring and gossiping about the Tea Mafia, so Mr. Sakda ends up sending the waitress over to tell them he's paid their bill. Classy AND intimidating!  Mr. Sakda proceeds to intercept them outside the restaurant, be genially intimidating some more, and grasp Tian by the shoulder for a while just to be creepy. Hate it. Go away, Tea Mafia.

Which he does, just as Tul is about to arrive. So Tian decides he'll stay out overnight if Dr. Nam is cool with picking him up tomorrow.  Oh, man. Phupha is going to have to play the flute so hard about this.

******

Tul and Tian go out for pedicures and product placement beverages, which cause Tian to have a flashback to shirtless wet Phupha drinking the same thing. Double the product placement! 

They establish that Tian is not keeping in touch with his parents, but that his mom hasn't been bothering Tul too much about it. Tian would like his mom to continue to be in the dark about his life, but  he does tell Tul all about his life changing experiences. 

Tul thinks it sounds cool but what about the BIDETS, man.  Team Indoor Plumbing is me and Tul.

Meanwhile Phupha is pacing in front of Tian's house like an absolute weirdo as half the village plus the rangers side eye him. 

Tul and Tian have continued their debate into the evening about whether Tian could ever live village life forever. Like an absolute fool, Tian says dreamily that he knows someone really cool who chooses that life! And Tul is just, oh no, you're in LOVE.  Tian: pouts.

Back at base, Phupha is still on a cranky rampage and it does NOT get better when he finds out Tian didn't come home.

Tian attempts to come out to Tul about liking men, and Tul simply refuses to be surprised. Tul does not care if Tian likes men, he cares if Tian has wifi.

Basically this is just a very cute intercutting of both our leads getting roasted by their friends for LIKING a CUTE BOY and refusing to admit it.

Also Tian is continuing to be slightly worried that maybe he's not gay, it's just Torfun's heart. My guy. Heart transplants do not make you queer.  Which Tul also believes, because Tul is correct in most things.  

******

Oh no, Tian has gone to the bathroom and been intercepted en route by the Tea Mafia.  Fistfight in the restaurant parking lot!  MVP of the fight goes to Tul, who shows up to look for his friend and gets to smash a bottle over the Tea Mafia guy’s head.  The twinks go fleeing out into the night, and they make a clean getaway but Tul is worried the Tea Mafia is going to hunt Tian down in the village.

I am also worried about whether they dashed out on the check and left all of their stuff behind, so I hope one of them goes back the next day or something.  I’m sorry this is who I am as a person.

Meanwhile, Phupa is in fact sulking in his hammock clutching his Lan-Xichen-ass Sadness Flute, but we are spared an actual flute solo.

*******

The next day, Tian and Tul part ways with another reassurance that it’s cool if Tian is gay for Phupha.  Tian also hands over massive quantities of strawberries and sausages from the village that he apparently brought for Tul despite not expecting Tul to meet him, and also despite clearly NOT having that giant container of strawberries with him at any point the day before, but let’s not think about that too much.

It’s more important to think about the face Tian makes when he realizes the Chief has come to pick him up instead of Dr. Nam.

It’s a good face.

******

This whole car ride is excellent.  Tian is in full wheedling please-don’t-be-mad-at-me-for-staying-out-overnight-I-am-just-a-little-twink mode, Phupha is doing his best to suppress his sterner self and remember his friends’ advice to be nice and spoil his twink, and it’s very awkward and very cute.  

Dr. Nam told Phupha to show Tian a good time and some sights, so Phupha dutifully takes them the long way home, via a lookout spot.  With snacks.  Caretaking kink in full effect.  Phupha attempts to deepthroat a very small banana.  It’s fine. This is fine.

Now it’s clearly HOURS later and full dark as they get home, so I assume they spent another six hours at that lookout spot taking photos of each other.  I hate them.

This is the MOST awkward goodbye, the “it’s the end of the date and we want to kiss but we don’t know how to initiate a kiss” energy is SO intense.  JUST KISS YOU WALNUTS.

Tian does manage to get it together enough to invite Phupha to come build kites with Tian and the kids tomorrow.  It’s something, I guess.  Oh my god, disaster gays, get it together.

I could NOT get a good still photo of the face Phupha makes in response to this but please make sure you enjoy it when you watch, friend, it’s INCREDIBLE.

******

The rangers show up at school the next day to find Tian playing with the kids while they all help clean the schoolhouse.  Yod thinks it’s really nice how well Tian fits in, how sad it is he’ll have to go back to Bangkok soon and that Chief should really wife him and knock him up immediately so he’ll stay.

Phupha starts in with some self-sacrificing “I can’t do that” nonsense but then he points out that Tian needs to finish his degree, and that’s actually totally fair.  Tian should finish his degree before he becomes a ranger’s wife, or at least simultaneous with becoming a ranger’s wife.  So I will allow this.

There’s a kite making montage with SO much flirting, it’s very cute.  Phupha likes watching Tian explain aerodynamics, and also turns out to be a secret kite-making genius.  He makes a fancy kite and dedicates it to Tian, because when you’re a rural forest ranger, kites can be a love language.  The kids want the cool kite but Phupha will not give it to them because it’s his Kite of Love. Ugh.  It’s too cute.

Also cute: Longtae, who is out in the field taking pictures.  Someone wife Longtae, too!  Tian immediately conscripts him to help the kids learn to fly kites.

Oh my god.  Oh my GOD.  Tian forgot to learn how to fly a kite.

Tian. Baby.  You have two brain cells, you can’t use them BOTH on being horny for Phupha or shit like this happens.

Thank god for the rangers and Longtae, who DO know how to fly kites, so we get a very cute happy-kids-flying-kites montage.  Tian and Phupha fly their Love Kite.  They’re so into each other.  It’s horrible.

And then Tian collapses while everyone yells and Phupha starts calling for Dr. Nam, because let us forget, that boy used *zero* of his time in Chiang Mai to address the fact that he is *off his heart transplant medication*.

Post-credits sequence: Fully just Tian and Phupha on their date doing a product placement bit about instant coffee.  But it gets us an “I like my coffee like I like my men” joke so I’ll allow it.

[blubushie]

HI im the anon who asked you abt the favorite vehicle thingy. im calling myself goober anon because! I forgot to follow up with this for like 4 days! anyways, im going to ask you a riveting question.....

WHATS YOUR FAVROTIE BIRD!

(mine is scissor tailed flycatcher, bearded vulture, king vulture, and so many others I can't name or else this will get too long but know it includes tonnees of hornbills and birds of prey)

Hello gooberanon! I actually previously answered that here! :]

This one's going to be hard to answer. For raptors it's a tie between the harpy eagle and barn owls. For ratites, as much as I love emus (having one), I'd have to say the southern cassowary because they're awesome and can kill me. That's not a bird, that's a bloody dinosaur. Favourite water bird is probably swans because I wouldn't want to fight a swan, it'd kick my arse.

[sweetswtl0ve]

English presentation

getting to know phillippines

 The Republic of the Philippines is a country that is made up of 7,107 islands. It is an archipelago home to many ethnic groups. The Philippines is divided into three major parts, though – Luzon, the biggest island is home of the capital, Manila. Visayas,  which is composed of many small islands, and Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines that is at its south. The people of the Philippines are called Filipino. In their native tongue, men are called Pinoy and the women Pinay. Their language is of the same name. However, the language is based on the Tagalog dialect and this is why sometimes it is called Tagalog as well 

why visit the philippines? 

well philippines is home to great looking beaches , and many other bodies of water.As you may know boracay a tourist destination and known to be one of the philippines most visited beaches, other than that filipinos also have a pasionate relationship with food. While the Philippines is considered a developing country, Filipinos find ways to still enjoy food without costing an arm and a leg. If you are ever visiting the country, the best way to understand the Filipino food culture is by looking to the streets.

Tradditional clohting of  the philippines 

>women 

The baro’t saya, is an elegant hybrid of Filipino and Spanish clothing styles. The term itself comes from the Tagalog words "baro at saya" or "blouse and skirt", still the basic components of the ensemble 

>men 

Originated from the northern part of the Philippines,The barong tagalog ("Tagalog dress"), more commonly known simply as barong (and occasionally baro), is an embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men

 philippines and their history and culture     

>History

The islands are home to many species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of species of orchids. Tall grasses have replaced the forests, which have disappeared due to logging, mining, and development.

The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals, including monkeys, squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins, chevrotains, mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer, among others.

The binturong, or Asian bear cat, was once prominent, but now this furry mammal is vulnerable. The tamaraw, a species of small water buffalo found only on Mindoro, is critically endangered.

Hundreds of species of birds live in the Philippines, either for all or part of the year, including peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds, and hornbills. The endangered Philippine eagle, which eats monkeys, is barely surviving deforestation.

   >Culture

The culture of the Philippines comprises a blend of traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other parts of Asia. The Filipinos are family oriented and often religious with an appreciation for art, fashion, music and food.

Filipinos are also hospitable people who love to have a good time. This often includes getting together to sing, dance, and eat. The annual calendar is packed with festivals, many of which combine costumes and rituals from the nation’s pre-Christian past with the Catholic beliefs and ideology of present day.

filipino myths and beliefs

Reassure your host that you’re human

A very common line used by Filipinos when knocking on someone’s door is “Tao (person) po!“. Many assume it refers to the knocker calling out to ask if there are any people inside, when actually, it is said to stem from the knocker reassuring the people inside that s/he is a person and not a possibly harmful supernatural creature.

Serve pancit (noodles) at celebrations, especially birthdays

This ever-present dish at Filipino gatherings is believed to represent long life. And while Filipinos today may joke and laugh about actually believing that this noodle dish is served for long life, it remains a staple at nearly every birthday feast.

philippine cuisine

>top 3 most known dishes in the philippines

Chicken Adobo Influence: Spanish

One of the most well-known dishes on our list, chicken adobo’s distinctive flavor comes from a slow cooking process – plus plenty of vinegar, crushed garlic, soy sauce, and black pepper.

Kare-Kare Influence: Native

Kare-Kare is a Filipino stew with vegetables, oxtail, and a thick savory peanut sauce. Originating before the Spanish arrived to the Philippines, kare-kare is a Filipino comfort food.

Sinigang Influence: Native

Often associated with tamarind, sinigang is a sour and savory Filipino stew made with onions, tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, ginger, and pork,fish,or shrimp

Top Philippine Destinations

 Being comprised of many islands, many of the top Philippine destinations are associated with water – beaches, islands, coves, and many more. The Philippines is a tropical country. Almost the whole year the weather here is sunny. That is why i have a list of the best and popular vacation spots in the philippines.

Baguio

Baguio is the summer capital of the Philippines. Unlike most islands in the Philippines (we have 7, 100+), Baguio has the highest elevation. Because it is close to the atmosphere, it is usually cold. If you come from a country with four seasons, this might not be new to you, though. It’s not just the cold that would bring you to Baguio. There are many tourist spots, and the different tribes of Northern Luzon showcase many of their wonderful products such as wood-carving, woven cloth and native accessories.

While Baguio is a city, it is one of the cleanest and greenest in the country, and has in fact, very little commercial infrastructure compared to the ones in Manila. Besides the souvenirs, it is great to go on a picnic at the various parks in this city

Tagaytay

Yet again another elevated city (lower than Baguio though), Tagaytay is a very famous place for tourists because of the variety of foods it offers. There are many restaurants to visit in Tagaytay. It is usually a popular spot for teams for their team-building activities.

There are also many retreat houses in Tagaytay so if you are looking for a place to meditate or renew your faith in God, this is a great place. Tagaytay is livelier during the night. There are many bars that offer flavorful food and drinks. Besides these food trips, you can also go sight-seeing. From the picnic grove, you can see the view of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake.

Boracay

Of course, still one of the most popular Philippine vacation spots is Boracay. The scenery is just divine. People mostly enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches. They enjoy it so much that it has been one of tourist spots that are most likely to be visited by tourists over and over again

Palwan

Boracay used to take the number one spot for travel destination in the Philippines, but the beautiful sights in Palawan are just breath-taking. With more endorsements, it managed to be one of the most popular travel destinations around the world.

Palawan offers a lot of things. Besides the rich landscapes and the great beaches, you can go cave diving or exploring. The underground river is one of the seven wonders of the world. You can go swimming, diving, snorkeling or even island-hopping.

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