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totaldramacruisecontrol · 1 year ago

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Last Time On Total Drama Cruise Control: SOMETHING FISHY IS AFOOT!

CHALLENGE 8: - MANZANILLO, COLIMA “Manzanillo is famous for its sport fishing, and today we're hunting down the mascot of this resort...the blue marlin! Each boat has three posts someone will need to work- the driver's seat to drive the boat, an angler to strap to the fishing chair and reel it in, and a netter ready to catch the fish and land it! The blue marlin is no joke, it'll put up a real fight, and watch out for that nose! Seriously, I don't think the insurance covers for fishing accidents...” “...Anyways, whoever lands the fish first wins. Just know it has to be a blue marlin. I'm not eating any other- um. I mean. I will not accept any other fish. You will be catching and releasing them...” ______________________________________________

Tapirs: Driver: Courtney Angler: Lightning Netter: WayneBeavers: Driver: Sammy Angler: Alejandro Netter: Ripper

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ALRIGHT, DRIVERS. YOUR JOB IS TO CRUISE AROUND AND LOOK FOR SIGNS OF THE BLUE MARLIN. ANGLERS YOUR JOB IS TO CAST A LINE OUT AND HOOK A FISH, THEN REEL IT IN. NETTERS, ONCE THE FISH IS CLOSE ENOUGH, YOUR JOB IS TO CAST A NET AND LAND THE FISH ONTO THE BOAT!

> The Beavers take the lead with a Marlin secured on the line, Tapirs still need find one…. > AND THE TAPIRS HOOK THE MARLIN. BUT CAN THEY HOLD IT?! > BEAVERS HOLD ONTO THE LEAD WITH THE BLUE MARLIN HALFWAY TO THE BOAT! > TAPIRS NEARLY LOSE THE FISH, BUT LIGHTNING SECURES IT IN AND STARTS REELING! > BEAVERS! ALEJANDRO REELED IN YOUR FISH! GET TO NETTING! > TAPIRS. LIGHTNING'S REELING SKILLS WAS ABLE TO REEL YOUR FISH UP TO THE BOAT, GET NETTING! > BOTH TEAMS ARE TIED! > BEAVERS! THE FISH GETS AWAY! ALEJANDRO YOU CAN STILL TRY TO REHOOK IT! > TAPIRS! WAYNE CASTS HIS NET AND SECURES THE FISH! > TAPIRS! WAYNE HAS THE FISH HALFWAY ON THE BOAT! JUST A LITTLE MORE….. > BEAVERS! RIPPER NETTED THE FISH, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GET IT IN! > WAYNE! WITH A HEAVE HO AND A LITTLE HOOT HOOT...YOUR MARLIN LANDS ON THE BOAT! IT WILDLY THRASHES AROUND! > BEAVERS JUST COULDN'T GET IT ON THE BOAT IN TIME! TAPIRS WIN! GAME OVER!

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ELIMINATION: It was Millie who was served the Mocktail of Misery and walked the Plank of Shame. ______________________________________________

What's that? Wayne won't let Chris take the fish and lets it go? That's not good for the Tapirs... "With the Beavers down to 6 members, and the Tapirs with 9, I have decided... Beavers, Pick yourself a Tapir!" "….Jo. Congrats! You're a Beaver now!" ______________________________________________ >Trent pushes Alejandro into the pool. This is the first time Alejandro has been in a body of water this season. His makeup washes off, which reveals his scars. >Harold drank Amy's blood while dressed in a nurse costume. >Harold dons the nurse outfit once again. He and Alejandro, who is dressed as a doctor, sneak into a blood bank with fake IDs to steal blood. The blood is then stored in a fridge and Harold makes popsicles out of some of it. >Alejandro and Amy enable each other, as per usual.

>Ripper finally tells Raj that he has a crush on Wayne. >Raj shares Alejandro the full story behind why he's afraid of birds. (Cassowaries are brutal.) >Wayne won a cassowary plushie from the crane machine. It falls out of his pocket during a talk with Raj. Raj fearfully points it out, and Wayne quickly rushes to boil the thing in the kitchen. Yes, it is left to boil in a pot. They leave it there. >Wayne shares gifts with Alejandro, Raj, and Ripper. The drawing Alejandro is gifted acted as an apology, as Wayne realizes things don't seem to be clicking with them as friends. >The Sea Tails (Alejandro, Raj, Wayne, Ripper) visit a museum. Wayne accidentally brings up several sore subjects for Alejandro. Raj is still shaken and upset from the incident with the cassowary plushie earlier that day. It's clear Ripper doesn't want to be here, either. Museums are boring. Sea Tails meetings usually leave everyone sad, and Wayne feels it is his fault this time. He leaves, not before giving Raj and Ripper a hug. Alejandro does not receive one. >Alejandro, Ripper, and Raj wander into a volcano exhibit by accident, and they attempt to comfort him and take him out of the room as soon as possible. >Raj and Jo have an extremely brief argument. They start talking about their pets and everything is okay. >The Love Square (Brick, Scott, Courtney, Jo) are finally OFFICIAL! >Alejandro lends Ripper his camera. Ripper responds by immediately taking a picture of himself flipping Alejandro the bird. Blood sucking vampires and mounds of trauma, this ship has everything! Is the Love Square stronger now that they're together? Will Alejandro ever find a way to tolerate Wayne? Why is Trent shoving people so much? Find out next time on TOTAL! DRAMA! CRUUUIISE CONTROL!

#recap

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kamalbirdnet · 6 days ago

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Kamal Bird Net – Premier Sports Net Installation in Rajkot

Who We Are

Based in Rajkot, Kamal Bird Net offers professional sports netting solutions—ideal for schools, clubs, residential homes, and corporate spaces. With years of experience and expertise, our team delivers complete installation and aftercare to meet your sporting safety needs.

Why Choose Our Services?

1. Expert Installation & Free Consultation Our skilled technicians install sports nets with precision—whether for cricket, football, badminton, or multi‑sport zones. We provide free site surveys and customized planning to fit your space perfectly.

2. High-Quality, Durable Materials We use premium UV-stabilized nets—comparable to Garware and Tuf brands—ensuring strength, weather resistance, and long-lasting durability.

3. Comprehensive Coverage From safe balcony play areas to full-fledged indoor/outdoor sports facilities, our installations are secure and tailored to your requirements.

4. Warranty & Ongoing Support Enjoy peace of mind with 3–5 year warranty, free inspection, and 24/7 support—mirroring best-in-class service in the industry.

Applications We Serve

Area

Description

Cricket Practice Nets

Backyard pitches or club-level enclosed nets

Football Goals & Enclosures

Yard setups or indoor practice zones

Badminton & Tennis Courts

Court dividers and perimeter protection

Multi-sport Enclosures

Flexible net systems for shared sports arenas

Balcony & Rooftop Play Areas

Safe space solutions for kids and pets

Clients like Sakthi Enterprises and Raj Enterprises in other cities highlight usage in terraces and compounds for preventing damage—our solutions bring similar reliability to Rajkot.

Our Installation Process

Site Survey & Design We measure your space and recommend the right mesh density, net height, and support structure.

Premium Material Selection UV-stabilized monofilament or multifilament sports nets in durable nylon or HDPE.

Professional Fitment Expert fitting on poles, walls, or ceilings ensures taut, safe net installations.

Quality Testing & Handover Post-install checks guarantee no sagging or loose fittings; free inspection included.

After-Sales Care Scheduled maintenance and quick response to repairs for seamless net performance.

Why Kamal Bird Net?

Local Rajkot Experts: Familiar with regional weather and usage needs.

Custom Solutions: Tailored net thickness, color, and framing per project.

Top-grade Materials: UV-stable, load-tested nets with warranty.

Fast & Responsive: Free site surveys, on-time installation, and rapid support.

Ready to Secure Your Play Space?

Enhance safety and enjoyment with professionally installed sports nets from Kamal Bird Net. Contact us today for a free consultation and quote — call +91‑[phone number] or email [email protected].

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netnspike · 6 months ago

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Bird-Proof Your Home with Anti-Bird Net in Raj Nagar Extension

Protect your space with a durable, high-quality anti-bird net in Raj Nagar Extension from Netnspike. Designed to keep birds away without harming them, our nets ensure clean and safe environments for homes, offices, and balconies. Say goodbye to unwanted messes and disturbances caused by birds. Choose Netnspike for effective bird-proofing solutions. Call us today for installation!

#antibirdnetting #antibirdnet #netnspike

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exoticindia · 5 years ago

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Searching For Accommodation in Pench Tiger Reserve

Pench also known as Kipling Country is the destination upon which the story Jungle Book is based. Discover the destination on tiger safari and see the Jungle Book character come alive. Read how to book right accommodation at Pench National Park in Central India.

From relative obscurity to World fame the story of Pench National Park is mired in esoteric. Long time back a wolf child was discovered in the confines of Sant Vavadi Village. The discovery was made by Lt.Moor of British Army during the Raj in India.

The story did not go much far and was limited to few officers but as time went past the antics of a naked human child in company of wolves became a bizarre tale. Kipling came to know of the happening and he quickly wrote a story with Mowgli at center stage. The master creation encompasses the jungles of Seoni Hills as well as the wild denizens that lived there. The “Jungle Book” is a beautiful and esoteric account of an exotic destination in Central India also called Madhya Pradesh officially.

The fascinating depiction of the naked child roaming with the wolves and his antics in the company of Baloo the bear, Baghira the black leopard and Kabaki the wolf is in the imagination of people all over the globe. It is the ever hungry Sher Khan and Kaa the slithering python that accords a twist to the tale and highlights Mowgli’s escapades in the dangerous jungle he lives in.

The movie “Jungle Book” popularized the esoteric saga all over the World and Pench became an overnight sensation. The forests of Seoni Hills now encompass Pench National Park are thriving with tourists ion search of Mowgli and Sher Khan. Many Mowglis now lives in villages that abound in the neighborhood and the jungle characters thrive within the park.

On a tiger safari you can come across many wild denizens and birds that make Pench their home. These are exciting excursions in the reserve well organized and fruitful. To go on a tiger safari you need a permit which you should have procured in advance. Hence before finalizing the trip to Pench book safari permits online at MPOnline Website. The entry is limited hence you should book without delay.

In order to facilitate tourism a number of wildlife or jungle resorts have come up. These are luxury hotels in Pench that provide high end facilities. You will also get budget facilities or still higher up deluxe hotels but prefer the high end ones for ultimate comfort and state of art service.

To choose an accommodation read reviews online or seek a referral from earlier visitors. But reviews are most reliable and you should read them carefully. Almost all the accommodations have a website on the Net. Thus you can contact them and know what all they are providing. Whence you are assured of proper services and facilities book online. The budget properties can be contacted whence you reach the reserve. You can expect discounts from the properties only in the summers season but this is not assured.

For overseas visitors Jungle Plan offered is all inclusive and the best. All booking hassles are taken care of by the hotel. You can stay on American Plan or Room only basis as well. But JP is the most suited. Discuss with the management for the prerequisites and essentials and travel accordingly on the route suggested. In all inclusive JP Jungle Resorts in Pench plan safaris for you and execute well. All your accommodation needs and wildlife experiences are managed by the property in this case. Separate arrangements have to be made for travel in which the property will provide assistance.

#accommodationpenchtigerreserve

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pappaterslogs · 3 years ago

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Pulicat // Pazhavanthangal // November 23 2022 // Part 3

Raj kumar, a mid aged fella, wears a blue shirt, was in the posture of taking hitchhike, was standing at the corner of Adhavan rice mill, which was painted yellow and it looks vintage. It was an off road, filled with paddy field greenery on both sides and the dark clouds above; and raj kumar started his talking about his job as a prawns seller for half a year and another half as a masonry. The green paddy fields, triggers something in him, where all of sudden he was telling about the harvesting festival, on how people wake up early that day, harvest, worship god for making it smooth, and how they celebrate this during pongal festival. He gave a rugged face when was photographed but on request, some varied smiling face was posed; hiding his face and mouth; but one can see the beauty in it.

The village has an old large banyan tree that was painted black inside and green out; it was providing shade to localities, who were taking naps under it. There were a couple of old men, admiring the drizzling on the sitting top of the brick block that was piled near the temple pond. The pond filled with lilies and lotus and droplets of drizzle that intense to form rain. A V shaped wood was fixed on the head, comes the another old man, who is deaf, was inquiring about the native and stuff, but heard none and left.

This route connects short from minjur to pulicat. Minjur is the dead end of chennai outer ring road, filled mostly with the trucks and two wheeler. The highway, also filled with decomposed dog body, that got hit a few days back, was still indicating her presence, even after gone to heaven. The rooster was seen near to this scene, pecking the wet food on the streets, and all of sudden flew up high, amidst a truck that was passing. It was such a kind of rooster that was doing the same stuff to the passerby at the pulicat. They were a man and a decorated cow. He used to bless people on getting paid. Making some positive comments to the cow, and the cow nod YES, giving a positive beam to the payer. He walks all day and blesses people. That was his work.

They were walking towards the Pazhaverkadu lighthouse, which was painted an alternative white and ash colour. Crossing the lagoon was crowded with boats and small huts and people gathered, playing cards in gangs, goli, spinning fishing net, getting the motor ready for fishing, settling the grabbed fishes to the fish auction centre, which held crowds and shouting that blurting numbers in random. The pathway filled with dead and decomposed fish that was extras and not used for sales. There, it is a snake-like fish, in varied size, where some crows and birds prey on them.

There was a shout and playing of school boys, inside the dutch cemetery, of king and queen and minister, in marvellos structure, now ruined a little but the artwork and the writings still remains, was not cared a bit by those littles. Our lady shrine was standing tall near the cemetery. Painted white, bordered blue, and standing majestically, among the small hut of slum. The tiny streets of the slum, all of sudden, show a building from 1950, where an old lady, converted it to a convenience store, and doing her business there, was in focus on clearing her tooth set.

Near to the st. Antony church, a small lone room, not painted colours but with the algae, had a doorless window, where a mid aged woman, hari trimmed, unclean, with staring eyes, blurting some words, was gazing over the sun that was about the set. Her face painted golden with the sun shine and after admiring it, on knowing people staring at her, realised and gradually moved back and hid her face but haven’t stopped the murmuring. It gave a chill moment as the lone building was installed on a deserted sea shore of golden sand that was parallel to ECR, that parallel again with the back water. Some fishermen, on returning back from fishing, were in discussion with the night plans of getting high. He is dark and his face hasn't smiled for long, wears a black bracelet in his ankle and stuff. The town got only one functionable hotel, where the owners were in discussion on improving their profit. Opposite, a little shop, which sells only cool drinks, was in charge of a young boy, who was in conversation on the excess of the stock that the deal had put on him last week.

The parallel ECR connects Ennore, travelling the off round for 20km. A young scholl fella in white and white, got the lift and was on zig zagging the patched road. It was horrible as it goes and the scenario of deserted barren sea shore and the back water on the right compensated for the trouble. The route holds less people and villages but more of cows and was in wonder to whom they all belong? Gradually the scenery gets updated where it shows adani port, L&T ship building, North chennai thermal plant. The whole area is covered with the huge machines that emit dark smokes but none care and riding the two wheels, rushing somewhere to the place where they initially got out deciding it is a bore.

The old lady, around 100 plus kg, took the ride from the thermal power plant to Ennore. She was in constant enquiry on the purpose and stuff and the bikes started to struggle due to the overload. The body was titled to some angle that most of the space was occupied by her and it raised a question on why the ride had been accepted in the first place.

Ennore express highway filled with trucks and only trucks. Parallely, the wave sounds shouting, indicating its presence. A Huge cylinder-like pillar installed to reduce the intensity of the wave, and the aftermath of hitting the pillar, fragments its droplet, and sprays the people and couples who are in sync with the sea.

Some banner that holds the articles, that was published about the Atho street food, was in the background, and the fella who was posing on the post was actually preparing Atho and was serving people. It is at the beach road, backside of HSBC building and crowded fully with people, dogs, beggars, old mens and womens and stuff. The nearby Atho stall was empty and they didn't care either. The empty shop owner was in conversation with a mentally challenged lady, who was already occupied in feeding hot strong tea to the stray dog, which she called her julie, but failed at it after pouring it on the pedestrian. The empty shop owner started giving life advice and philosophy to her. She was already sick of it as this was the same saying that she hears from the empty shop owner all time.

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lostinfic · 7 years ago

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8 | Swimming

Mercier x Betty British Raj AU

Calcutta, 1902. The word ‘dance’ comes to mind, their own choreography of gazes exchanged across the room, brushes of hands and half-spoken confessions. They orbit around each other, destined never to collide it seems; Mercier is upper class, Betty is a governess. And he’s spying on the family whose children she swore to protect. But in this foreign land of spices and silk, of golden gods and lush forests, where cultural norms clash and wane, even destinies must yield to desire.

Rating: Mature Word count: 3.4k You don’t need to have seen either show.

A/N: the bridges mentioned in this chapter are actually in Cherrapunji, not close to Kolkata. Check them out here Tumblr | Ao3 | This chapter on Ao3

≔

Two days after her encounter with Jean-François at the theater, Betty received some surprising news.

“Gabrielle Mercier requires your help,” Lady Wigram announced, entering the governess’ classroom.

Betty looked up from the stitching she was preparing for today’s lesson.

“She sent her carriage. Hurry up, girl.”

As Betty walked past her, Lady Wigram grabbed her upper arm. “I have yet to receive an invitation to that wedding.”

“I will mention it.”

Betty was so surprised, she headed downstairs without taking any of her things.

Lord Wigram came down the stairs at the same moment.

"I have some business in town," he said vaguely. "Will you be back for supper?"

"I-- I don't know."

He looked suspicious. "Surely Miss Mercier won't keep you over for supper. The girls will need you tonight.”

"Yes, your lordship. I'll do my best to be back by then."

Outside the house, a driver held open the door of a closed carriage. Betty stepped in, wondering what Gabrielle could possibly need her help with.

“Good morning, Miss Salinger.”

“Jean-François! But-- what are you doing here?”

“Whisking you away.”

Betty squealed with joy and threw her arms around his neck to kiss him.

In a letter, she’d told him about lying to Lady Wigram about the earrings, saying she’d helped Gabrielle, and he’d found it was a perfect excuse to spend the spend the day with her.

“You crafty devil. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said.

“Can I get a clue?”

“You asked for companionship and adventure from me, and that is what you will have.”

The coach took them well outside the city limits. Betty stared through the window at these new landscapes unfolding before her eyes, feeling increasingly excited.

On a forest’s edge, they stopped in front of a small bungalow, the kind found all across the country, along the roads, for travelers to rest. This one was a bit more posh and cleaner. Jean-François explained it belonged to the French government, for those going into the jungle.

Above a stone fireplace, two rifles crossed under the stuffed head of a nilgai, a large specie of antelope. Betty turned her back to it.

“You will need to change clothes for our adventure today.” He handed her a canvas bag. “Gabrielle lends you these. You may choose whatever you like.”

Betty went into one of the bedrooms. Curious, she emptied the bag on the bare mattress. An assortment of skirts, shirts and hats tumbled down along with a pair of boots, all in various shades of white and brown. After some hesitation, she dared pick a toffee coloured skirt and a white button down, a bit too long so she tied it at the waist and rolled up the sleeves. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, with her pith helmet and flat shoes, she looked like an explorer.

Jean-François too smiled when he saw her.

“Is this alright?” she asked, second-guessing herself. “Seems a bit improper.”

“I doubt we will meet other people. The important thing is that you are comfortable to walk in the forest.”

“I am.”

“Splendid.”

Jean-François shouldered a khaki canvas bag and guided her down a narrow, beaten-earth path. The skirt swished around Betty’s calves, it was shorter than her usual skirts, made for walking in tall grass and mud, she enjoyed feeling the breeze up her legs.

Their footsteps stirred the scent of moist soil and grass. Enormous spiky aloe veras and generous glossy ferns flanked the trail. They housed all manners of colourful caterpillars and iridescent-shelled critters. It was still early in the day, and mist lingered in the palms, sunlight streamed through it in soft beams. On the branches of eucalyptus and tulip trees, birds chirped to their heart’s content.

Ripe mangoes hung in grapes from a tree. Jean-François picked two and showed her how to peel it with her teeth. Juice ran down their fingers and chins, the fruit flesh was warm, sun-gorged, and sweet. It was messy and wonderful.

“We are almost there,” Jean-François said after a while.

“Where?”

“Listen.”

They stopped walking and stood in silence. Soon, the rush and gurgles of water reached her ears.

“A river?”

He smiled and took her hand, the excitement made him look years younger. The path curved to the right, and Betty saw a bridge arching over a flowing river.

Betty gasped. “Is that the bridge you told me about in your letter?”

“I wrote to you about a bridge?”

“You were drunk.”

“Ah. That letter.”

Betty bumped him with her shoulder. “It was charming in a way.”

“I saw this bridge in passing quite a while ago. I have wanted to come back since then.”

“So, you’ve been here before?”

“As I said, in passing, we were on a mission. I know the area a little bit, but I wanted to discover it with you.”

As they approached the bridge, Betty realized it was unlike any other bridge she had seen before. “It’s made out of roots!”

“Yes, the Indian rubber tree—”

“The Ficus Elastica. I read about it in a botany encyclopedia. Oh, it’s extraordinary!“ She smiled wide, pressing her hands to her cheeks as one would when looking at a puppy.

The rubber trees produced a series of secondary roots that the War-Khasis and War-Jaintias tribes pulled, twisted and tied to stretch across the river. It took years to accomplish, but these bridges lasted centuries, growing stronger over time.

“Can we walk on it?” she asked.

“I should hope so.”

Flat stones lay across the surface to facilitate the walk, moss covered them. On each side, roots of all sizes weaved together like a net, as high as Betty’s chest. She walked carefully, one hand clutching the side for support and the other gripping the back of Jean-François’ shirt. Under them, the river rushed by in great frothy gurgles.

A pair of children climbed on at the other end and ran the length of the bridge, passing swiftly under Betty and Jean-François’ arms. Feeling safer, Betty walked faster, enjoying rather than worrying. Crossing this organic bridge, in the middle of a lush forest with a lovely man felt like something out of a fairy tale. Glee bubbled up in her throat from the sheer delight of being so free, and Jean-François laughed with her.

Too soon, they reached the end, and he helped her down. He lifted by the waist and twirled her and held her until she was steady on her feet. They kissed with laughter on their lips.

They walked a while longer, a trail parallel to the river, leading downstream. They crossed path with a few locals, Betty said hello to them, but most bowed their heads and stepped out of their way.

As the day progressed, nearing noon, the air grew hotter and the animals quieter. No breeze stirred the branches. Betty pulled on her collar, drops of sweat slid down her back. She wiped her forehead on her sleeve. Jean-François touched her temple where sweat soaked the fine hairs there. He offered her some water.

"Do you want to stop? You may not be used to this kind exertion."

She huffed. “Try running after three kids all day."

“Fair enough.”

To hell with etiquette, this hat was only making her hotter and palm leaves provided shade enough. She pulled on the ribbon under the chin and fanned herself with the hat. "I must look a right mess."

"It suits you," he said. “I’m hot too. Let us find a nice spot to rest.”

They ventured away from the trail, towards the sandy bank. A month earlier, the river would have been overflowing from the rains. Some distance ahead, a cluster of rocks and boulders slowed the flow and filtered the larger debris. The water sparkled and meandered under the blue, cloudless sky. A hint of freshness rose from it, and enticed Betty.

As Jean-François spread a canvas sheet on the ground, Betty quickly removed her shoes and stepped into the river. A sigh, almost a moan, escaped her lips at the relief of cool water on her swollen feet.

“Will I have to rescue you from the river again?” Jean-François said.

Betty flustered and hurried out of the water. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have.”

“No, no, Betty, I was joking. Here.” He took off his own shoes, rolled up his trousers and joined her.

She blinked in surprise; her whole livelihood hinged on being strait-laced every hour of every day, so she still wasn’t used to someone accepting her deviations from etiquette.

The water rippled around their ankles, then, as the ripples faded out, their reflection materialized on the shimmering surface. Both of them, together, shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling. The sight of it shaped their bond into something tangible. Real, but fragile.

“You were so brave that day when you jumped to save the boy,” he said.

“Careless, more like.”

“No,” he said. “You were brave. I remember you said you would have liked to stay in the water because it was refreshing and you laughed…”

The way he smiled at the memory, shyly, head bowed and lines fanning out at the corners of his eyes, made her heart soar.

“Thank you,” she said, “for saving me that day... and every day after that it seems.”

Jean-François fervently kissed the back of both her hands.

“Shall we go for a swim?” she asked.

“Yes we shall, Betty Salinger,” he said fondly.

Betty hid behind a tree. Her heart hammered in her chest as she unbuttoned her shirt and removed her skirt. She hung them carefully over a branch. After a moment of hesitation, off came the petticoat and corset cover. Her hands shook as she released her corset and unclipped her stockings. Only her drawers and chemise remained, simple white garments with a thin trim of pink lace. With her arms and legs bare, the heat she felt could not be blamed on her layers of clothing anymore.

Hesitantly, she stepped out of her makeshift dressing room, arms covering her chest. She had not let a man see her like this in five years. Jean-François had undressed down to his pants and undershirt. She could tell he was trying not to stare at her.

“Ready?” he asked.

She took his hand ,and they ran into the water, giggling, and dipped their whole bodies in one go. Jean-François emerged, shaking the water off his curls.

“The water is gorgeous,” Betty said.

She floated on her back among the water lilies and closed her eyes against the sun. Her body swayed to every ripple in the water.

Before long, she became aware of her breasts peeking above the water, the wet linen of her chemise clinging to her skin. She kept her eyes closed, pretended she wasn’t aware of it and hoped Jean-François noticed.

A branch fell into the river, and Jean-François stood up to remove it. The white cotton of his pants couldn’t hide the effect she had on him.

“So you really do like me,” she teased.

He studied her with a strange look in his eyes.

“What is it?”

“Who are you, Betty?”

“Pardon?”

“When we first met, you were suspicious of my intentions and I presumed you had been deceived by a man before, but there is more to that story.” He swam closer to her. “And your letters, they show a certain inclination. You’re not… innocent.”

Despite the cool water, Betty’s cheeks flared up. She’d promised herself she would never tell the story, not even to her husband-- if she ever married, which was unlikely in her position.

Betty swam away, to a flat rock and hiked herself up on it. Under Jean-François’ expectant gaze, she fiddled nervously with the edge of her chemise.

“You can trust me,” he insisted.

A lump rose in her throat. She wanted to open up to him.

“The first family I worked for, the man was a doctor. There was a regiment in our town, and soldiers often came to the house for ailments. It’s how I met… him. An officer, from Poland. He said he loved me, promised we would run away together and marry. We were caught, I lost my position, and he left, heartbroken, without making good on any of his promises.”

“This is why you had to use Wigram’s obligation to you father?”

“I would never have found work again otherwise. If I were smart, I would not have come here with you.”

“You’re safe with me, Betty. I always keep my promises.”

“You’ve never promised me anything.”

“Because I don’t take it lightly. I can promise you I will not tell a soul about what happened with the Polish man.”

She held his gaze for signs of treachery-- he didn’t waver.

After a moment, he sat on another rock, facing her.

“What kind of man do you like?” he asked.

“Honest. And kind.”

“I really do like you, Betty.”

Without thinking, she glanced at his crotch, down to a more modest size.

“You said honest and kind, you didn’t say anything about size.”

She laughed.

“Was he a good lover?”

She blushed, not only because of the question, but because of the answer.

“Do you still want me?” she replied instead of answering. “Yes.”

“I ain’t a trollop.”

“I know. It’s not easy for you women.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to do it behind the theatre? Because you thought I was innocent.”

“I didn’t want to do it there because you deserve better.”

“Is a river any better?”

“You tell me.”

Betty considered their surroundings, all these different trees and flowers, insects and animals, wild yet living in harmony. Nature at its purest. And she thought, if humans were stripped from their petty civilities and prejudiced morality, maybe this attraction between her and Jean-François would also be nature at its purest.

“Would you kiss me again? Just a little,” she said.

Mercier slid off the rock, and crossed the river to her. Her breath hitched as he rose from the water. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on each side of her hips. Drops fell from his hair, down his nose, landing on his bottom lip. He slowly cocked his head to the side, her lips parted with an expectant sigh, and he pecked her Cupid’s bow.

“Not fair.”

“Payback’s fair.”

She pouted.

“You said ‘just a little’,” he pointed out.

“You know what I want.”

“You think me a mind-reader. I suspect you don’t even know yourself what you want.”

“I do… but I also know I shouldn’t want it.”

“Do you think what we’re doing is wrong?”

“Well, Lady Wigram—”

“No. What do you think?”

“I think I want more.”

She kissed that spot again, at the base his throat, licked the water up his neck and nipped his jaw. He whispered a French curse before capturing her mouth.

His nails scratched the rock and the tendons of his arms tightened as he restrained himself from touching her body. She had no such qualms and slipped her hands under his shirt, caressing up his waist, exploring his ribs.

Since meeting her, he had not been with another woman, and his flesh reacted wildly to her touch. Like striking a match, sparks of pleasure kindling the heat in his stomach. He had to stop before it consumed him. He leaned back to break the kiss, but she pushed forward, and gently caught his lower lip between her teeth. Something like a growl echoed in his chest, he slid a hand through her hair, and licked at the seam of her mouth and she let him in. They tasted each other’s moans. He bucked his hips into her knees, and she opened them to accommodate his body.

“Betty, I have to stop, before I can’t—” She interrupted his protest with an eager kiss, wrapping arms and legs around him.

She wiggled her hips.

He gave up on resisting her.

With both hands on her bum, he drew her to him. Through the fabric of her drawers, he felt the heat of her sex. He couldn’t resist pressing against her, seeking friction on his hard length. She held him tighter and moved her hips. Mercier hissed against her mouth. He devoured her neck with kisses, travelling lower, licking along her collarbone and over the swell of her breast. Spurred on by her moans, he sucked through her wet chemise until her nipple pebbled between his teeth.

Betty grounded desperately against him. Strangled noises, half moans, half sobs, escaped her throat as she clawed at his back. It wasn’t just water now soaking their underwear.

He wanted to tear their clothes away, but even for that he couldn’t stop. Her scent, her kisses, the way she whispered his name, it all intoxicated him. He’d imagined making love to her slowly, but here he was, sweat beading down his spine, as he rutted between her legs.

Betty bit his shoulder to muffle her cries. She was close. He cupped the nape of her neck to make her look at him. Her hair was wild, her pupils blown wide.

“Please.”

He pushed her legs farther apart, pressing more directly into her.

Between the folds of fabric, his thumb found her sensitive nub. He rubbed tight circles and admired the moment pleasure overwhelmed her. Her jaw dropped, her eyes fluttered shut, and he caught her last breath of release with a kiss.

“Beautiful.”

She covered her mouth with her fingertips, a passing mortification that morphed into giggles. He kissed her over her fingers, sucked lightly on the tips.

Mercier lowered himself in the water, he rested his head on her knee as he stroke himself. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he bit her inner thigh when he came.

“And I was just thinking we’re not so different from animals,” Betty said. The mirth in her voice told him she wasn’t upset by what they’d just done.

“Yes, animals.“ He nuzzled her neck, imitating a cat’s purr, and she scratched behind his ear.

They spent the next hour, lounging idly under the sun, her head on his chest, his arms around her, altering their position only to sip water or grab a snack. Now that she’d revealed the truth about her past, they spoke more freely. An intimacy of minds and bodies, sharing doubts and caresses, secrets and kisses. Every time Mercier learned something new about her, his affection grew tenfold, and with it a protective streak.

“Have you seen another Frenchman at your house? De Brem, he’s blond with a mustache?” he asked.

“I think so, a few times.”

“Has he talked to you?”

“No. Jean-François, what’s wrong?”

He told her how de Brem sent him to Dhaka under false pretenses to harass Gabrielle. “When he was at my house… he saw a letter from you to me.”

“He knows? Why didn’t you say so before?” She raised herself on one arm, alarmed.

“I’m not sure. It may be nothing, but steer clear of him.” And he added, to reassure her, “I’m taking care of it.”

He’d already sent a petition to his superiors and confronted de Brem himself about his behaviour. He couldn’t tell Betty de Brem was now in charge of the investigation on Wigram as Mercier had yet to reveal he’d been spying on her employer.

“It must make your work unpleasant,” she said.

“It already was.”

There was the boredom of this administrative tasks now that the thrill of being in a foreign country had passed, but every day he grew more uncomfortable with the European presence in India. In Dhaka, his mission had been to help a French plantation owner settle a dispute with the authorities to ensure the prosperity of his business. But his wealth came from abusing the local people; they toiled in the indigo fields, from dusk till dawn, under a relentless sun for a meager salary while he sipped brandy in his ornate living room.

“They would be better off without us,” he summed up. “You saw how they fear us and hate us. With good reasons.”

“But I thought we were doing a good thing. Helping them.”

“How?”

“Well, we-- we employ them.”

“As servants, slaves almost!”

Betty flinched at his outburst. “I didn’t think…”

Of course, she believed the propaganda the British empire fed to its citizens. Elaborate intellectual arguments to justify the exploitation: bringing them democracy and a modern lifestyle.

She hadn’t been in India long and always within the British district of Calcutta, surrounded by people who had made their fortune on the backs of Indians. She had not seen everything he had. He described the poverty and abuse he’d witnessed, but censored himself so as not to upset her too much.

Her forehead puckered and her lips set into a grim line. “That’s awful,” she said quietly.

He tugged her back to him, and gently stroke her back.

“Will you go back to France, then? If you don’t like it here,” she asked.

“Maybe. France or elsewhere. Somewhere new.”

“For adventures?”

“For adventure,” he agreed.

“Then you shall need companionship.”

“Indeed.”

They smiled at each other and kissed. There was a promise, on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t sure he could make it quite yet. Soon, he thought, holding Betty closer.

Chapter 9: Shivering

#Mercier x Betty #teninch fic #dwcastover #spies of warsaw #a passionate woman #only one or two chapters left #british raj au #lostinfic writes stuff

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superdecade · 8 years ago

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Levidromes

A levidrome is a word that when spelled backwards makes another word. Well, at least not yet. It is not in the Oxford English Dictionary. Levi Budd is a six-year-old boy from British Columbia in Canada who has coined the term 'levidrome' after spotting that the word 'STOP' spells 'POTS' backwards. After realising that there is no such word in English for this phenomena, a social media campaign has started to get this word in popular usage (hence this post). I wrote a short Python script this morning that will pull all of the levidromes from a dictionary file. The full list is copied below.

youtube

aa ab aba abac abba abo abos abut acca ad ado ados ae aga agar agas agenes ah aha ahs aia aider air airts ajar aka al ala alan alif alma alula am ama amahs amas amen amene amir amis amla amman an ana anal anan anana anes anew anger animal animes anna annat anon ante apod araara arak arb arbas are ares arf aril arret arris arum arval aryl assam asses at ataata ate ates aua auks ava aval avel avid avo awa ay ayahs ba bac bacs bad bag bal bals ban bans bard barf bark bas bat bats bed beef ben bens bib bid big bin bins bird bis blub bo bob bobac bobak bod bog boh bok bon bonk boob boord bor bos bots bows boy bra braced brad brag braw bro brod bros bru bub bud bug bulb bun bunk buns bur burd burg bus but buts cab caba cabob cam camus cap card cares cep ceps cire cires cis cit cite cito civic clat cod cor cos cot cram cran crem cur da dab dace dad dag dah dahs dal dam dap daraf darb darg dart darts das daud daw daws day de deb debut decaf decal decarb dedal deed deem deen deens deep deeps deer dees deet deets def defer deffer deffo deg degami degged deid deified deifier deil deke deked del deled delf delis deliver delos dels deman demit demits den denier denies denim denis denned dennets dens depart deport depot depots derat derats dere dered deres deros derris dessert desserts deus devas devil devils devots dew dewans dewed dexes deys di dial dialer dials diaper dib did died dif dig dim din dinar diol diols diram dit div diva do dob doc dod dog doh dohs dol dom don dons doom door dop dopa dops dor dorb dormin dorp dorps dort dorter dos doser dot doy drab drac drail dram drap draps draw drawer draws dray drey drib drier droob drool drow drows drub duad dual dub dud duel duo dup dups ea ean eas eat ecad ecce ed edile edit ee eel eels een ef eh ehs eke eked elide elides elutes em eme emes emir emit emits emmets emong emos en ene enema enes enol enows er era ere ered eres ergo eric eros ervil eses esnes espial esse et eta etas etat etats eten etic etna euk eve even evil eviler evils ewe exul eye faced farad fe fed feeb feer fen fer fet fid fier fig fila fir fires fled flog flor flow fool fra frab fret fro gab gad gag gal gals gam gan gans gaps gar garb gas gat gateman gater gats gay ged gel gelder gem gen get gib gid gif gig gins gip girt girts git gnar gnat gnats gnaw gnaws gnome gnus gob god golf gon gons goog gorp gorps gos got grad gram grub gu gub gul gulp guls gum gums guns gup gups gur gut guv guy ha habus had hadedah hah hahs hajjah halalah hales hallah hallan halos han hap haram hay he heh henry hep her hey ho hob hod hoh hon hoo hoop hop hos huh hup id ikat imaged io iris iron is it itas iwi jar kabob kaiak kak kam kara kat kay kayak keek keel keels keep keet keets ken keps kier kips kirks kis kiths knaps knar knit knits knob knop knot knots know knub knuts kob kook kor korat kow krab krans kue la lab laced lacer lad laded laer lag lager laid laipse lair lam lamina lana langer lap lares larum las laud lava lavra leat leben led lee leek leep leeps leer lees leet leets leg leir lemel leper les let leud leva level lever levins levo lez liar liard liart lias lied lies lin lion lira lit live lived livre lobo lod loges loid lone loof looks loom loons loop loops loord loos loot looter loots lop los lotos lug luxe lyra ma mac macs mad madam maes mag mak mal malam mallam mals mam man map maps mar marah marc marcs mard marg marid marram marrum mart mas massa mat maws may me meed mees meet meets meg mem merc meter mets mew mho mid milks mils mim mined minim mips mir mis mm mo mod mom mon moo mood mool mools moops moor moos moot mop mor mos mot moy mu mug mum mura mural mures murram mus mut muton muts na naan nab nae nag nah nala nallah nam named namer nametag namma nan nana nap napas nappas naps naras narc narcs narks nas nat naw ne neb nebel ned nee need neep nef neg nek neks nelis nema nemas nep net nete nets neve neves new nib nid nil nimrod nip nips nis nit no nob nod nog noh noil nolos nom non nona nonet noo noon noop noops nori nos not notes notum now noy nu nub nun nur nus nut nuts nys oat ob oba obey obo obol od oda odas offed offer ogre oh ohm oho ohos oi oiks om on ono oo ooh oohs oom oon oop oor oot op oppo orb orf os otic otto oud ova ovel ow owt oxo oy pac pacer pad pah pal palp pals pam pan pans pap par pard part parts pas pat pats paw paws pay pec peed peek peel peels peen peep pees peh pelas pen peons pep per perp perts pets pig pin pins pip pir pis pit plap plug po pod poh pol pols pom ponk poo pooh pool pools poon poons poop poor poort poos poots pop port ports pos pot pots pow pows prat prep prod prog pud pug puh pullup pup pupils puris pus put puy radar rag raga rager rages raggas rail rait raj raja ram ramis rang ranid rank rap raps ras rast rat rats raw ray re real reaps rebus rebut recal recap recaps reccos redder redes redia redips redleg redraw redrawer reed reef reeks reel reels reens rees ref refed refer reffed reffo reflet reflow regal regar regna regnal regos reh reif reified reifier reik reiks reined reird reknit reknits reknot reknots relaid relit relive reliver reman remeet remit renies rennet rep repaid repaper repel repins repot repots res resat resod retag retem retool retrod retros revel reviled reviler reviver reward rewarder rewets rexes ria rial rias ribas riel rif rim rima rime rims rip rits rob roc rod rok rolf rom rones roo rood room rooms roop roops roots rosies rot rotator rotavator rotor rub ruc rucs rug rums run sab sabir sabra sad sadis sado sados sae sag saga sagas sagenes saggar sail sair sakis sal salep salles sallets sam sama samas samen san sanes sap sapan sappan saps sar saran saros sarus sat sate sati sav saved saw saz scab scam scares scot scram scran scur seals seam seat secret seder sedes sedile seed seeks seel seem seems seep seer sees segar segol seil seined seiner seis seisor seities sekos sel selah selahs seles sellas selles seme sememes semes semina sena senas sene senega senegas sennet senor sense ser sera serac seracs seral sere sered seres seric serif serons serres serum sese sesey sessa sesses set seta seton setule seven sexed sexer sexes sey seys sha shad shah shahs shakos shales shama shay shaya she shod shoo shtik si sib sic sidas sies sik sikas siled silen sim sima simar simis sin sined sinnet sip siri siris sirra sirred sirs sirup sis sit six skat skeer skees skeets sken skeps skier skio skips sklim skool skran skrans skrik skua slab slaes slag slaid slam slap sled slee sleek sleep sleeps sleer sleet sleets slim slipup slit slive slived sloid sloom sloop sloops sloot sloots slop slug smart smees smew smir smits smoor smoot smug smur smut smuts snab snag snap snaps snark snarks snaw snawed snaws sneb sned sneed sneer snib snig snip sniper snips snirt snit snivel snod snoep snog snool snoop snoops snoot snores snort snot snow snub snug so sob soba soc soccer sod soda sodas sog soger soh soho sokahs sokes sol solah soled solon solos som some son sonnet sool soom soop sop soras sorb sore sored sorter sos sotol sow soy spacer spaer spag spam span spank spans spar spard spart sparts spas spat spats spaw spaws spay spaz spec speed speel speels spek speks spets spider spik spiks spim spin spins spirt spirts spit spod spool spools spoom spoon spoons spoor spoots sports spot spots sprat sprits sprod sprog spud spug sris stab stag stang stap staps star stared start stat state stats staw staws steed steek steeks steel steels steem stellas stem stemme sten stenned step steps stet stets stew stewer stime stimed stims stink stinker stir stirps stob stonk stonker stool stools stoop stoops stoor stop stoped stoper stops stot stots stoved stow stows strad strap straps straw strep stressed stria strig strips strop strops strow struts stub stum stums stun stunk sturts sub subah suber succus sued sulu sulus sum sumac sun sung sup suras sus susus swad swam swang swans swap swaps sward swat swats sway swey swob swone swop sword swot swots syed syes syn ta tab tae tael taes tag tak taki taks talc tallat tam tan tang tanna tao tap taps tar tared tarok tarp tarps tart tas taser tat tate tats tav taw taws te teed teek teel teels teem teemer tef teg tel telfer ten tenet tenner tennes tennis tennos tenon terces terf terra terret tes tet tets tew ti tiar tic tid tide tig til tiler tils time timed timer tin tink tinker tins tip tips tirrit tis tit toc tocs tod tog tom ton tonk tonker tons too tool tools toom tooms toons toot top toped toper tops tor torot tort tot tots tow tows trad trail tram trams trap traped traps trat trats tressed trew trig trins trips trod trons troop trop troped trot trow tsar tub tuba tubed tuber tug tum tums tun tup tut two ug ulu ulus um umu un urb utu vas vat vav vid vug wad wan wang wans wap waps war warb ward warder warts was wat wats waw way wed wem wems wen wena wert wet wets wey wo wok wolf wolfer won wonk wons wop word wort worts wos wot wots wow xis ya yad yag yah yahs yak yam yap yaps yar yard yaw yaws yay yebo yeh yerd yes yeses yew yews yo yob yod yom yon yos yrneh yug yup zaps zas zel ziz zuz zzz

It is interesting to note that some levidromes are also palindromes. I wonder whether we need a new word to describe this phenomenon also? Furthermore, there is no word in English for "a word that you make up in order to make another word make sense". I suggest: "emordivel" ?

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workfromhom · 5 years ago

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Eduardo Saverin on the ‘world of innovation past Silicon Valley’

Eduardo Saverin will forever be known for co-founding Facebook 16 years ago with four other Harvard classmates (one of whom is still running the company).

But even before leaving in 2009 for Singapore with his shares of the company, Saverin’s attention was on startup investing, and since 2015, he has been laser-focused on B Capital, the venture firm that he launched with another friend, Raj Ganguly, a former consultant and vice president at Bain Capital.

There’s a bit to manage. The two — along with three other general partners — are now overseeing more than $1 billion across four offices and two funds, both of which are anchored by the management consulting giant Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In fact, unlike most five-year-old firms, B Capital has from the outset — partly because of its close ties to BCG — been on a mission to identify interesting startups and trends across the world. A quick look at its portfolio underscores just how wide a net it is casting, with bets that range from Ninja Van, the last-mile logistics provider for delivery services in Southeast Asia, to the LA scooter company Bird, to Icertis, a Bellevue, Washington-based contract management software maker.

We talked back in February with Ganguly about B Capital’s approach. Last week, as B Capital was closing its first bet on a startup headquartered in Latin America (Yalochat), we had the opportunity to talk with Saverin, too, about how he sees the firm growing from here. Our chat has been edited lightly for length.

TC: You were born in Brazil.

ES: I was born and raised in Brazil, São Paulo, then I moved to the West [to Florida, then to Boston for school] and I ended up out here in Asia more than 10 years ago.

TC: I’m surprised you haven’t invested in the region sooner. I’m assuming — maybe wrongly — that you spend time there and have relationships there?

ES: Good things take time. For me, it’s a question of getting to know an ecosystem and getting ready to invest in it. We really do think about investing longer term in a truly global fashion, and we look at entrepreneurs who think of themselves also in a borderless world where they can start in a particular country region, then leverage what they’ve learned to expand across the world. In the case of Yalochat, [a conversational commerce startup that’s headquartered in Mexico City], it’s a Latin American business that is already today in Asia, but could they be the rest of the world? Absolutely. There are these more fabled stories of U.S. companies expanding elsewhere in the world, and even Chinese companies. But why couldn’t a Latin American company do that, or an African company? Our view is that they can.

My background, coming from Latin America, having lived in the U.S. and now living in Asia, [I’m] humbled by the fact that the world isn’t the same. So while we as a firm think about “global first,” it doesn’t mean every part of the world is the same. You need to learn, adapt, get better and get smarter about how each region works and how to do business there. So for us, we didn’t start on day one investing absolutely everywhere, but that is the mission.

TC: I talked with Raj not so long ago and he mentioned that one of B Capital’s startups has a business development person and a sprinkling of other employees in Silicon Valley even though the company isn’t selling into U.S. markets. He said it “helps them get a better valuation.” Are others of your founders doing this, too? Should they?

ES: We talk a lot about the world of innovation past Silicon Valley. But that’s not because you should ignore Silicon Valley. It’s simply because I think there’s been over the years an overemphasis that it’s the be-all center of the innovation. You can’t go to the point of ignoring it — it’s actually critically important, and it will continue to be a big part of entrepreneurship. So we don’t ignore it. But I think it’s important to understand that its dominance won’t remain — not because it won’t do as well but because other parts of the world will do well.

As for whether companies think about creating offices in Silicon Valley, absolutely if it fits the requirements of that particular business. The Valley is a tremendous enabler, but it’s also challenging because for talent, for example, you’re in competition with a wide array of heavily funded companies. For instance, we have an autonomous driving technology company we have backed out of Europe, and if you think about the talent that they can acquire there versus the Valley and some of the price points, and you go down to the bottom-line enablement of that business, they certainly should maintain a large part of their engineering staff in their initial [European] headquarters. But they do have an office in Silicon Valley because I think there are very unique angles that they can bring to bear in terms of talent and skill set in Silicon Valley.

TC: How do you get comfortable with founders all over the world when your firm is sizable but not enormous? You don’t have an office in Europe. You don’t have an office in Latin America. Will that change?

ES: We don’t have what I would say is a dedicated staff [in either region] but because our approach is a partnership-enabled approach — as an example, one of our big partners in our firm is the Boston Consulting Group and they have offices across Latin America and a deep on-the-ground presence — a lot of the time we get introduced that way.

More broadly, our investments come from a variety of means that includes both relationships with founders who we’ve gotten to know and who may have relationships with other upcoming founders and investors, so we also get introduced that way.

TC: What piqued your interest about Yalochat specifically?

ES: It’s a company that’s looking to enable large enterprises on top of the messaging world, which is something we’ve looked at very deeply. There’s a lot of examples in Asia of how messaging applications and conversational commerce has been incredibly effective at enabling a reconstruction of how enterprises engage with their end consumers. So [using] that pattern recognition, we started looking at the space in other parts of the world and at winners in an economy like Latin America, where messaging is just huge.

Facebook use in Brazil, for example, is number three in the world after India and the U.S., so it’s a huge market for social. It’s a massive market for messaging.

TC: Have you invested in conversational commerce apps elsewhere in the world?

ES: No, as we take a bet on each of these categories, we like to back one entrepreneur and go with him across the world.

TC: But you have two scooter-type companies in different parts of the world — Bird in the U.S. and Bounce in India — because the markets are so different. Is that an exception to the rule? Do you think in some cases it makes more sense to bet on local players?

ES: I think in this particular case, when we’re talking about the enablement of new mobility solutions, we viewed the India spoke solution and problem as massively different than what Bird was solving in more developed economies. I think Bird can be pan-global and that it has shown the capability to grow globally. But the India equation was a very different one for Bounce, where you’re seeing a company that looked at [executing on] public transportation enablement at incredibly low cost and doing it with a proven, tested, multi-decade medium, meaning traditional Vespas and motorcycle-style scooters in the region. So these were very different companies at incredibly different price points that I would say are more complementary than anything.

TC: You’ve also made numerous fintech bets in India and Indonesia, I know, and you’re looking to do more of the same in Latin America, where there is similarly a massive number of people who are underbanked or unbanked. How important would you say your relationship is with Boston Consulting Group in seizing on this opportunity?

ES: The idea is to build a big team [at B Capital], but to be enabled truly by partnerships, like with BCG, which help us bring to bear corporate relationships to our startups. If you think about it, the past few decades have been about the rise of the consumer internet. The next few decades will be about how you’re going to bring digital transformation to large traditional industries. These are industries that are much larger than the industries that Facebook or Google tackled in the beginning. The advertising industry is a minuscule part of the GDP. We look at it in comparison to healthcare, financial services or logistics, and technology innovation is going to start touching these massive industries.

As an entrepreneur, should you consider doing it without partnering and leveraging the distribution, regulatory know-how and capital of the largest companies in that space? I know the startup timeline is very different than the corporate timeline in terms of how quickly the clock ticks. But our goal is to be a translation engine and a partnership engine between those industries, which creates a win-win.

It’s less about entrepreneurs in a dorm room trying to “out innovate” and take out the largest businesses in the world. In a lot of cases, it’s thinking about, “Can I do it faster if I leverage an asset or a distribution network or the regulatory reality of a large business, and can I create a win in doing that?” We’re trying to make innovation not just about disruption but about positive and neutral transformation. I think that it will become part of the story. It’s not always going to be the story. But it will become a more important part of the story as you start seeing innovation begin transforming large, traditional industries versus [what we’ve seen with] the consumer internet.

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un-enfant-immature · 5 years ago

Text

Eduardo Saverin on the ‘world of innovation past Silicon Valley’

Eduardo Saverin will forever be known for cofounding Facebook 16 years ago with four other Harvard classmates (one of whom is still running the company).

But even before splitting in 2009 for Singapore with his shares of the company, Saverin’s attention was on startup investing, and since 2015, he has been laser focused on B Capital, the five-year-old venture firm that he set up with another friend, Raj Ganguly, a former consultant and vice president at Bain Capital.

There’s a bit to manage. The two — along with three other general partners — are now overseeing more than $1 billion across four offices and two funds, both of which are anchored by the management consulting giant Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In fact, unlike most five-year-old firms, B Capital has from the outset — partly because of its close ties to BCG — been on a mission to identify interesting startups and trends across the world. A quick look at its portfolio underscores just how wide a net it is casting, with bets that range from Ninja Van, the last-mile logistics provider for delivery services in Southeast Asia, to the L.A. scooter company Bird, to Icertis, a Bellevue, Wa.-based contract management software maker.

TC: You were born in Brazil.

ES: I was born and raised in Brazil, São Paulo, then I moved to the West [to Florida, then to Boston for school] and I ended up out here in Asia more than 10 years ago.

TC: I’m surprised you haven’t invested in the region sooner. I’m assuming — maybe wrongly — that you spend time there and have relationships there?

My background, coming from Latin America, having lived in the U.S. and now living in Asia, [I’m] humbled by the fact that the world isn’t the same. So while we as a firm think about ‘global first,’ it doesn’t mean every part of the world is the same. You need to learn, adapt, get better, and get smarter about how each region works and how to do business there. So for us, we didn’t start on day one investing absolutely everywhere, but that is the mission.

TC: I talked with Raj not so long ago and he mentioned that one of B Capital’s startups has a business development person and a sprinkling of other employees in in Silicon Valley even though the company isn’t selling into U.S. markets. He said it “helps them get a better valuation.” Are others of your founders doing this, too? Should they?

As for whether companies think about creating offices in Silicon Valley, absolutely if it fits the requirements of that particular business. The Valley is a tremendous enabler, but it’s also challenging because for talent, for example, you’re in competition with a wide array of heavily funded companies, For instance, we have an autonomous driving technology company we have backed out of Europe, and if you think about the talent that they can acquire there versus the Valley and some of the price points, and you go down to the bottom-line enablement of that business, they certainly should maintain a large part of their engineering staff in their initial [European] headquarters. But they do have an office in Silicon Valley because I think there are very unique angles that they can bring to bear in terms of talent and skill set in Silicon Valley.

ES: We don’t have what I would say is a dedicated staff [in either region] but because of our approach is a partnership-enabled approach — as an example, one of our big partners in our firm is the Boston Consulting Group and they have offices across Latin America and a deep on-the-ground presence — a lot of the time we get introduced that way.

More broadly, our investments come from a variety of means that includes both relationships with founders who we’ve gotten to know time and who may have relationships with other upcoming founders and investors, so we also get introduced that way.

TC: What piqued your interest about Yalochat specifically?

Facebook use in Brazil, for example, is number three in the world after India and the U.S., so it’s a huge market for social. It’s a massive market for messaging.

TC: Have you invested in conversational commerce apps elsewhere in the world?

ES: No, as we take a bet on each of these categories, we like to back one entrepreneur and go with him across the world.

TC: But you have two scooter type companies in different parts of the world — Bird in the U.S. and Bounce in India — because the markets are so different. Is that an exception to the rule? Do you think in some cases it makes more sense to bet on local players?

ES: I think in this particular case, when we’re talking about the enablement of new mobility mobility solutions, we viewed the India spoke solution and problem as massively different than what Bird was solving in more developed economies. I think Bird can be pan-global and that it has shown the capability to grow globally. But the India equation was a very different one for Bounce, where you’re seeing a company that looked at [executing on] public transportation enablement at incredibly low cost and doing it with a proven, tested, multi-decade medium, meaning traditional Vespas and motorcycle-style scooters in the region. So these were very different companies at incredibly different price points that I would say are more complementary than anything.

TC: You’ve also made numerous fintech bets in India and Indonesia, I know, and you’re looking to do more of the same in Latin America, where there is similarly a massive number of people who are underbanked or unbanked. How important would you say your relationship with Boston Consulting Group in seizing on this opportunity?

ES: The idea is to build a big team [at B Capital], but to be enabled truly by partnerships, like with BCG, which help us bring to bear corporate relationships to our startups. If you think about it, the past few decades have been about the rise of the consumer internet. The next few decades will be about how you’re going to bring digital transformation to large traditional industries. These are industries that much larger than the industries that Facebook or Google tackled in the beginning. The advertising industry is a minuscule part of the GDP. We look at it in comparison to health care, financial services, or logistics, and technology innovation is going to start touching these massive industries.

As an entrepreneur, should you consider doing it without partnering and leveraging the distribution, regulatory know-how, and capital of the largest companies in that space? I know the startup timeline is very different than the corporate timeline in terms of how quickly the clock ticks. But our goal is to be a translation engine and a partnership engine between those industries, which creates a win-win.

It’s less about entrepreneurs in a dorm room trying to “out innovate” and take out the largest businesses in the world. In a lot of cases, it’s thinking about, ‘Can I do it faster if I leverage an asset or a distribution network or the regulatory reality of a large business, and can I create a win in doing that?’ We’re trying to make innovation not just about disruption but about positive and neutral transformation. I think that it will become part of the story. It’s not always going to be the story. But it will become a more important part of the story as you start seeing innovation begin transforming large, traditional industries versus [what we’ve seen with] the consumer internet.

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