elluvians · 7 months ago
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Fuck Around And Find Out cost me an hour of gameplay today lmao. I ended up fighting an enemy during the night and it spawned undead. Also it was near a goblin place and later some harpies and wolves joined the fight too. All of my Pawns died so I had to run away but since it was night I couldn't see anything so I was eventually being chased by another horde of random monsters and creatures which eventually killed me ☺️
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areeis · 4 days ago
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Carry [Spoilers]
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Some notes below [DD1/DA/DD2 spoilers]
Encumbrance/carry weight limit seems to be disliked a lot when it comes to DD, especially since gear counts towards it. I actually really like it as a limitation, especially on lower levels. It forces you to do more inventory management, to plan ahead, to decide whether to go for better protection over better agility or vice versa. I therefore also really like it for Ryoken as an archer. It makes DD2 more challenging in the beginning, too, until you eat enough trove beetles, get gear to help you out, or just don't start as archer, I guess. Of course while playing DD2 I would usually pick up more stuff randomly, so Spectre and suppawns would keep reminding me like Spectre does here. In DD1/DA there were several areas where I decided to return before pressing on, because the whole party just crossed into 'Heavy' and weight really factors in more. Even later in the game it sometimes annoys me that you can't check if suppawns got that one augment to help them carry more in the same weight category, just because it is that important. I also wish notice board reward weapons went straight into your storage instead. All that said this comic is mainly just a funny thing. I'd never let Ryoken carry this much while still expecting fights. Archers don't get the benefit of other vocations like shields or camouflage and while they still got daggers to switch to in DD1/DA their kicks do nothing in DD2 lol so he's got to be able to put in the steps. Spectre would also not go straight to Overencumbered, especially since he'd be able to carry more than Ryoken due to being slightly taller and heavier and his mage gear never being as heavy as Ryoken's. Still, a lot of mages I keep encountering seem to not have the necessary augments or gear to make up for their lack of strength, so Spectre is playing their part here (also because it's funny). I do understand that some players would like their pawn to only have one vocation from start to finish and if it wasn't for the augments I'd have done the same. In the end, as long as Ryoken and Spectre can switch back to their 'own' vocation it's fine with me. Of course this comic is also an opportunity to develop their characters. Pawns are always willing to help, but they aren't always good at it. The sheer number of times Spectre offered to use his levitation to get to a chest and then just came back without even opening it… He's trying very hard lol Here he is as well, but they'll end up splitting the weight after all (as they should be). Later I'm sure they'll find more areas where they can take over tasks for the other, where it doesn't have to be as trial and error as here. Another random thing I like is some items dropping as themselves and others dropping wrapped up in nice satchels. Made it easy to draw the monster drops here~ The dialogue is mostly straight from DD2, but modified since they're mainly travelling as a pair. I wish DD2 accounted for you only playing with Arisen and main pawn but alas… Gear is once again modified stuff from DD1/DA, from what I've drawn them wearing before, but I keep changing that around a bit here and there. This would be from a time when they just started out, Ryoken's therefore much keener on getting better gear for the both of them. Spectre also isn't wearing any headgear yet, either, but that's also because I wanted to draw his hair again..
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cosmicjoke · 9 months ago
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Hi!!👋
What do you think levi's favourite subject to study is? I personally think Maths and physics.
Also, which subject would he be best at?
Tbh I tend to think Levi would be really good at maths and physics like my headcanon is he probably would be the best at it.
Again what do you think?
Hi there,
Well, I don't really know, lol. Levi seems like someone who would be good at a lot of practical things to me. Like good with several vocations. I bet he's a good mechanic, for example, that he would be good at figuring out why things aren't working, like machines that break down, etc... Or he would be good at sewing and mending clothes, that kind of thing. So I sort of always envision Levi, if he weren't a soldier, taking up some sort of vocation, rather than an academic pursuit. That's not to say Levi doesn't have the intelligence for academic pursuits, just that I'm not sure that's where his interests would lie. Levi doesn't strike me as the type of person who would feel okay just sitting around thinking all day. I think he would need to be doing something physical.
Levi does seem to have some math skills in "No Regrets" when he's able to add up Furlan's equation question to Isabel quickly, haha. Whether that expands to something as complex as physics, I don't know. That would seem like something Hange would be more gifted in. But really, Levi just might be. In a lot of ways, one could call Levi a physical genius. He can do things with his body that other people simply can't, not even Mikasa. His sense of spacial awareness and depth perception is on another level, which definitely supports the idea that he would be good at physics. But maybe it's more instinctual with him than intellectual.
Levi does strike me as someone who would be well-read though. I bet he does a lot of reading, whenever he gets the chance. Maybe literature would interest him?
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alwaysabeautifullife · 4 years ago
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Hi Janelle! I was raised as a catholic but had much trauma associated with it because I was a young autistic child and was very open about not liking men and didn’t follow a lot of expected societal/communal rules *hint: I grew up in the Philippines, was raised by nuns, and often looked down upon by same nuns*. I’m finding myself in trouble because I still feel spiritually connected with the religion, but had so much trauma that it also haunts me. What’s your advice?
I am American, but I do know that Filipino culture very much is Catholic culture as well, so I’m sure by simply being Filipino there is a cultural connection that would be impossible to sever, because it’s part of who you are. Which I’m sure makes it even more difficult.
So technically we cannot put mortal sins on a scale, but if we could, I would put the sin of using God and our faith to abuse someone right up there with desecration of the Eucharist. It is a sin so grave, not only does it cause severe mental, emotional and physical harm to the body of Christ, to others, but it has the ability to also “kill the soul”, or permanently turn others away from God forever, to “sever” the a persons relationship with God. It is by definition and every possible way true evil, true hatred, and is the opposite of the life in which every Catholic person is called to. Unfortunately it’s very rampant in this world, and there is no sin I hate more than this, to see my faith used as a tool for such a grave and hateful sin. This is why I am most compassionate and protective of those who have been harmed by people in the faith. I believe the root of this if the person is truly “religious” (some people are not Catholic but use the church and peoples faith and trust as a tool to abuse, this was more common pre-1970 or in societies where a vocation was as promising as a well paid job) is pride, which is why constant measurement of ones (especially those who are of Catholic spiritual “influence”) own words and actions against the sword of humility is most important, as if they are found prideful they should be cut away. But that’s a topic for another long long post (maybe a book lol!).
There is a saying “hell is paved with the skills of nuns and priests”, lots of people believe this is some sort of saying that “even nuns and priests can sin, and are capable of hell” but I fully believe that “hell is paved with the skulls of nuns and priests” because in Catholicism, these are people who have a sort of representation of the life in Christ, they become “faces of God” more so than others within the body of Christ, so when these people abuse and harm others, it feels as though it is directly from God. Very easy is it to associate God with those who practice the religion, so very easy is it to associate that abuse with God.
Now, I’m going to address the guilt I know you are feeling. The guilt based on instruction that we are to practice our faith, devoutly. The issue here is for one to be in a state of mortal sin, you must freely chose without hinderance of free will, to choose to not practice the faith. The thing is, having severe psychological trauma associated with the faith, is absolutely a hinderance to your free will. So the guilt that you feel cannot be placed on your shoulders, instead, it falls to the nuns who abused and tormented you. They bear the weight that you have, they are guilty of turning Christ into an “abuser and torturer” with their hands, and honestly may they see the damage they have done and turn toward God for forgiveness for the state of their soul.
God knows your trauma. He knows that you did not choose this. You did not choose to associate Him with abuse and suffering by “His hands”. He is aware of the mental limitations of a human being, the emotional limitations of the human being. He knows what was done to you, and He shares this suffering. The things they did to you, the things they said to you, the way they treated you, they did to Him, in knowing this I hope you can see how serious it is of a crime they have done. He is empathetic because literally He feels the pain you feel, and the only He thing is...is patient. Your thread of spiritual attachment alone speaks volumes of your strength as a person, and of your faith. To have an trace of desire for the faith, a subtle spirituality, in the midst of facing such trauma, is on a level of heroic, honestly. I want you to know that.
You know before you can approach Catholicism, if you choose to, you have healing that needs to be done. Do not feel guilt. This pain is not your choice. What was done to you was not your choice. There is nothing and was nothing evil about you, the actions that were done to you were most evil, and you are suffering from these actions.
When/if ever you are ready, look for ways in which Christ can instead bring you comfort, the Blessed Mother, the Saints. Know that they are on YOUR side, they support you and your healing.
When/if ever you are ready to approach prayer, I would suggest forming a relationship with St. Joan of Arc (or St. Jeanne d’Arc) , she was treated similarly to you, and unfortunately was put to death as a teen by the Catholic Cardinal of Winchester. She very much did not adhere to the social expectations of a young girl, and her divine visions of the Saints and Angels that communicated with her, her ability to predict the future (and she didn’t hold back) made her “weird” as those who are autistic are perceived by others.
If you desire to walk towards Catholicism in the future, do not expect to jump into the ocean and drown in your trauma, be most gentle with yourself, build for your self a spirituality that is not damaging, but healing, loving, and gentle.
I also want to say that I’m sincerely sorry. Some people might think “Janelle, you have no reason to be sorry, you’re not a Filipino nun”, but I am a Catholic person, I am a part of the Body of Christ. My actions, my sins, they damage others in the name of God. It is very much my responsibility that others in the faith use the faith for harm. My goal is to be perfect in my faith, so this doesn’t happen with my hands. My goal is to do everything I can possible to prevent this from happening, and I personally fail. My sins make hate within the church, my pride commits crimes, so I am sorry. But I do NOT expect or ask for forgiveness from you, instead, I ask you to free yourself from the guilt you feel, and heal your self, gently and most loving, because that’s what you deserve, and don’t ever expect any less than that. Not from anyone, especially not from those who claim to come in the name of God.
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sugar-petals · 5 years ago
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Now you HAVE to do a tarot readings on what sorta dads bts will be
yup, it’s due 😄 today i’ll use my favorite oracle cards with indian deities. i always look into this deck for family matters. the hindu gods are great fun, you’ll love these guys.
taehyung: VISHNU: “Involvement”
this card is about letting go and fully immersing yourself. which you bet taehyung is going to do. it’s pretty straightforward and intuitive to me that vishnu with his call to show one’s loyalty came out. taeyhung, and this won’t be news for anyone, be the most dedicated father ever. on the card he is represented by a dignified vishnu who is classically considered the god of the universe; stepping through a vortex of positivity. he has four arms (=four seasons) that carry the progression of the sun, a lotus to symbolize gratitude, a sparkly club to fight demons, and a shell to bring about silence. so, mister vishnu is a hell of a guy and fully equipped to do his job. which is likely going to apply to taehyung quite seamlessly. he will involve himself all year round (the seasons), be protective, wise, understanding, all while giving his family no reason to miss him. the silence shell also tells me he speaks gently with his kid, he never yells. the mood will be elated for the absolute majority of the time.
jimin — NATARAJA: “Choice”
the guy on the card literally looks like jimin, i’m losing my mind. i mean coincidence? nataraja: he’s short, he’s totally muscular, he’s chubby, his lips are big, and he’s straight up gyrating all over the place like a pro lmao! this guy is sizzling as fuck. synchronicity much 😋 will jimin be the hottest dad in town? you bet your wig! either way, i digress. this card indicates a decision, a compromise, something that calls you with an upbeat tune to leave the old things behind decisively. nataraja (who is actually an expression of the god shiva) is the ‘flame dancer/lord of dance’ deity of choice between destruction or creation. jimin is bound to apply major changes to his life when he becomes a dad, it’ll be outside his comfort zone. this kid turns it all upside down. a challenge to amp up his esteem will pop up pretty early. nataraja dances — much like jimin, that is no coincidence either — to rid himself off fear, ego, beating oneself up. i think this is what jimin wants to instill in his kid himself, to be determined in life. i think they can learn from each other in that way.
hoseok — KRISHNA’S RASA-LILA: “Rhythm”
another card that’s squarely about dancing. a rasa-lila is a feast in which people row up in a circle to krishna’s flute play. legend has it krishna attracted sheperdesses to dance to his music and they had so much fun it lasted for half a year like wow. and yeah, gdi this is literally pied piper. because krishna is the god of love and didn’t want to disappoint his guests, he multiplied himself (!) to dance with everybody. hobi will sort of feel that divide as a dad, too. he wants to share his dance and affection with fans so he’d have a hard time focusing on one family instead of the world as his family. he’d definitely want to keep his craftsmanship and popularity. whenever i see this card pop out, something all over the place is going, he could become a patchwork family dad. this home will never be silent nor underpopulated lol! in any case, just like krishna, hoseok will be the most entertaining parent EVER 😄 his kids will forget time with him and music will be present throughout the home. it’s also the card with the most erotic undertones in the reading, hobi’s sex life will be alive and well.
namjoon — GIRISHA: “Belief”
oh… damn. this gave me a very powerful impression. it’s similar to taehyung’s card, a great dignity is conveyed by the imagery. so, in detail: girisha is the majestic god of the himalaya, mount everest is his home. it’s also shown on the card behind girisha. so, if we interpret this, then: rest assured namjoon will move mountains when he becomes a dad, that much we can already be certain of. he’ll take his task very seriously and won’t mess around much. namjoon will do adulting and raising kids the focused way. now, girisha is about belief but it does not mean religion is a factor here. it is more of a conviction that we as humans are wanted and needed as we are, where we are. someone who doubts himself as much as joon is likely encountering that trust in himself once he becomes a father. this is good news! once he believes he can be a good dad, he will be a good and wise dad. small detail i picked up to give a closing thought: girisha is a deity that meditates a tremendous lot, namjoon might pick this up to balance himself. he’ll be into spirituality and teach his kid about principles of the universe and how nature works. who knows, namjoon might be purchasing oracle cards as we speak.
jungkook: NARAYANA: “Your Potential”
(before we get started here: definitely scroll back to crossread taehyung’s interpretation, it’s the same deity, just in a different form.) i get a sense he will be a very imaginative and resourceful father but also someone who knows when to retreat and think things over. i’ll explain what i mean. on this card, our favorite good ole vishnu again appears in his version of a creator god: narayana. it’s a very dreamy kind of deity we’re seeing here. narayana loves to sleep coiled up inside the world snake ananta who allows him to come up with new ideas he can install in the world. jungkook will be in that kind of occasional limbo, too. he figures out many things to expand and improve in the home and his family. i’d compare his fatherhood to how he learns english, that’s pretty much the same principle. we also see a masculine angelic being kneeling before narayana in prayer, it could be jungkook’s son who really admires his father a lot and listens to advice without rebelling against it. maybe it’s because jungkook can get on eye level with his kid without much trouble. last but not least, the literal interpretation: jk will be a cute and sleepy dad. ♡😴
seokjin — GANGA: “Flexibility”
this card is just... super beautiful! as expected when it comes to kim seokjin, who are we kidding, there’s no other option. we see the lotus goddess ganga float on water pretty much completely unbothered. she’s got her best gown on, the sky is blue, everything is in bloom around her. i think this couldn’t be any more perfect to describe jin as a dad. he looks good (while jimin will be the hot dad in bts, jin will be the dazzling one), he does his thing, he goes with the flow. flexibility is a pretty accurate key word i’d apply to him. since ganga is responsible for the holy and peaceful river ganges, she is said to bring about softness, innocence, going past obstacles. jin is going to be veeery chill about his daily life, with no hurry or pressures whatsoever. that transfers to the kid and his partner so heavily, we’ll see a very wholesome and slow-paced family dynamic play out. it’s the sweetest thing. it really nurtures the child. out of all cards i pulled, he’s by far the most lighthearted dad. i was blown away, the card’s message is such a reassuring and promising one. you go jin!
yoongi — GANESHA/NRITYA-GANAPATI: “Vocation”
and here’s the odd one out to round this up in an interesting way. you won’t be surprised, i wasn’t surprised. you probably already suspect where this vocation thing is going. i see what the cards are trying to tell me over and over. yoongi is pretty preoccupied following his higher calling. not obsessively, but steady and stalwart enough. and since he doesn’t half-ass anything and tends to limit himself to one goal, i don’t think he’s gonna abandon his music and consider fatherhood his new vocation. if he does, mind you, he will consider it like a kind of heart’s desire to work on. however, the god that rules this card pretty much gives away what yoongi will be doing in the near future 😅 nritya-ganapati is an embodiment of the most popular writer god: sweet and relaxed ganesha, i’m sure you’ve heard about him. ganesha is a very creative elephant deity who dances through all ill fate and grants healing. it’s obvious to me that yoongi is very much that. writing songs, sorting himself out (!), doing what he does best. vocation is his prized value, he needs something to put out to the world. becoming daddy woongles is probably something he reserved for later in life, job comes first. all slowly but surely, elephants move with deliberation.
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mysticaltigersorceress · 4 years ago
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For both my gorls: 8, 23, 24, 29, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 51, 54, 61, 65, 66? uwu :lovesick:
lol this took so long, so all of them be under the cut :peepolove:
8. How does your OC talk/what does your OC's voice sound like?
           Renna has a lower pitched voice (contralto for u music nerds), and while she tends to be very sassy, also talks very formally. (Except in the whole honorifics aspect. In Japanese, the only person she’d give an honorific to would probably be Haven, and maybe a few others in… tense situations.) *cough* she also tends to speak very… eloquently… when she’s drunk. RIP anyone who does not have a dictionary on them. (Accent wise, I’d give her a British accent, I know there are different kinds, but like standard BBC)
           Haven’s voice is a bit higher (soprano range), and usually talks very casually, though she is a normal amount of respectful toward strangers. When she isn’t thinking about it, she tends to squish all her words into weird contractions. ‘I wish y’all coulda seen tha!’ … so basically I’m giving her my way of irl talking. So, American mountain west accent?
23. Who are the people your OC surrounds him/herself with?
           Renna usually keeps people at a distance. Usually. Somehow Haven wormed her way in, but that’s not the point. Renna tends to be around criminals
           Haven surrounds herself with people she thinks are good. Just because they’re technically a criminal doesn’t mean they are bad. She loves to be around average people, though she has to be careful to not get them in trouble by association. So Revolutionaries? Check! Whitebeard? Double check!! All these other fantastic people the government do not approve of? ALL THE CHECKS! (There are also a few marines she likes in theory but can’t ever really see because they’d have to bring her in.)
24. Who are the people your OC dislikes/hates?
           Imma start with Haven this time. This child *sobs* has gone through so much crap, and yet, doesn’t really have it in her to hate anyone. Now, there are a few people she would avoid if at all possible. Akainu and [a made up marine rear admiral I have yet to name] are at the top of that list and if she truly hated anyone, it would be these two. She does seriously dislike Caesar Clown (she met him at some point before he was arrested) and actually, she’d probably be able to cross into that border of hate when she finds out what his experiments were after he left the WG.
           Now Renna, hmm where should I start? She feels a lot of anger where Haven doesn’t, so Akainu and [stupid rear admiral?], oh yeah, she’ll decapitate them if she gets a chance. She hates sexual predators and sex offenders, and their apologists and defenders. She also hates the Celestial Dragons, and anyone else who supports the slave trade. So Doflamingo? Fuck that guy, and anyone who works for him. All those are personal, but in general, the thing she hates most are people who are lazy and take credit from others.
 29. What is your OC's level of education?
         Renna has the OP equivalent of a PHD, cuz she is a doctor. (Might not technically have her license anymore, but yk.)
           Haven didn’t attend any sort of school, ever. However, she was taught about botany to help her with using her DF, so she does have a bit of vocational training?
37. What is your OC's biggest dream?
         Renna didn’t have a dream of her own for a long time. But when she was older, she realized she did have a dream: to live her life out as she decided, to experiment, try new things, to fail and not have it be a bad thing.
         Haven’s biggest dream is to have her bounty poster redacted. If that happened, she could settle down without fearing for her safety. (Also, get that surgery on her hip done.)
38. How does your OC react to and handle stress?
         Renna handles stress very well most of the time. Half the crew bleeding out and the other half being dumbasses? *SMACK* here’s the instructions, don’t back talk or I’ll break your other arm too. Sometimes though, if she’s more emotionally invested, then she might not handle it as well. She generally folds inward though to handle the stress, gets quiet and a bit nonverbal. (Won’t talk unless absolutely necessary.) When she’s anxious, bites her lip a lot too.
         Haven has two ways to handle stress; procrastinate feeling it, or hysterically laugh it off. Or both. For the first option, it’s usually when she’s in a fight scenario; can’t deal it rn, so she’ll just cry when she finally has time to stop and process it all. Laughing about it? That happens when she’s feeling anxious but cannot do a single thing to change that fact. Anxious for no reason? Just starts laughing in the middle of the street, and people think she’s crazy. She also tends to get very twitchy when she’s anxious as well.
39. How does your OC handle anger?
         Renna is very used to keeping all her emotions under check, so even when she’s upset about something, she just keeps it to herself. To blow off steam, how she’ll handle it will depend on the options she has. If she’s on an island, if she can find a piano in a bar to play at, she’ll do that for a few hours. If not, she’s going to find the first people she deems scum and beat them to a bloody pulp. However very occasionally, she will lash out, and that just means a lot of yelling, but that is a very rare thing for her.
         Haven doesn’t get angry very often. If she’s upset about something, she’s going to go distract herself until she can think about it clearly. She’ll often seek out performers to watch them, or go wander around in gardens/fields/forests, anywhere she can be close to plants and away from people. But when Haven truly gets angry, well if you’ve heard the saying: “Demons run when a good man woman goes to war.”
41. What is your OC's greatest fear?
         Renna: Eels. Also, her ex-fiance.
         Haven: Akainu and [unnamed rear admiral].
42. What makes your OC happy?
         Renna: Learning new songs on the piano. Also, pretending to be losing in a fight only to turn the tables on them last minute.
         Haven: Making someone else happy, flowers, singing. Also, attending performances of different kinds. Dance? Music? Acrobatics? Theatre? All wonderful.
51. What are some of your OC's morals?
         Renna: Taking advantage of others work is wrong, put forth your own work and effort. Taking away another's freedom is abhorrent. You are under no obligation to save your enemies/those who would spitefully use you. Sexually harassing/assaulting someone is one of the worst crimes in her book. (Abusing another for your own pleasure.)
         Haven: Taking away someone’s freedom is wrong, as is using others for your own agenda without their consent. Mercy is something that should always be granted, unless they have proven in the past that they will bite the hand that fed them. You should help others whenever you are able. Don’t regret anything you do unless it brings harm to another. (I guess unless you meant to harm them.)
54. Does your OC think with his/her head or heart?
         Renna would claim to think with her head, and frequently she does. But, she does frequently make impulsive decisions, so :tpose:
         Haven usually thinks with her heart, but it rarely leads her astray. She is fairly emotionally intuitive, and trusts her instincts and impressions. Over thinking things just gets in the way.
61. What is the general impression your OC gives other people?
         Renna: Cold, aloof, fierce, calculating.
         Haven: Kind, soft-spoken, air-headed, welcoming.
65. What is your OC's favorite drink?
         Renna: Fruit/herb infused water, rose wine.
         Haven: Peach tea
66. What is your OC's favorite food?
         Renna: Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberries, Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
         Haven: Chocolate muffins
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acklest · 6 years ago
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Time for a rant
It’s about time we stopped this “you’re not as valid or successful if you didn’t go to college” bullshit. This attitude is practically quaint, and I’m gonna tell you why.
It’s okay to go to a community college.
It’s okay to go to a vocational school.
It’s okay to get into an apprenticeship situation where a professional trains you to work in a specific trade. In fact, we need to get back to that system.
It’s okay to get specific certifications for the field you’re interested in.
It’s okay to be self-educated. That’s what I had to do. After years of food service, phone banks, retail, clerical work, and various temp assignments, I was able to secure a decent-paying job that put food on the table. But it took me well into my 30s to get there. For the first time in my life, I had health insurance (lolol America). Now my husband is disabled and I support us. I’m extremely privileged to be able to do that.
It’s okay to be someone who dutifully works a job and then just goes home. If you’re happy enough, if you have what you need, who gives a shit? Learn from my bad example: Don’t define yourself solely by your job and how flattering it might be that your manager depends on you. it’s just a job. The days of working somewhere for 20 years and collecting a pension are a thing of the past. A corporation isn’t going to be loyal to you, so don’t be loyal to them. If you see a better opportunity, take it. At the first sign of danger to the bottom line, the corporation will put you up against the wall. They may even feel apologetic about it. But you don’t owe them shit, so be a mercenary.
Here’s how I got my first job: At age 16, as a legally-emancipated minor, I walked into a McDonald’s without an appointment. I was given a paper application. I sat at one of the booths and filled it out, then handed it to a manager, who interviewed me a few minutes later. Because I was able to deal with a human being, I was able to make a personal appeal to prove I was motivated. By the following Monday, I had a job there and was scheduled to work 30 hours a week. Was I anything special? No. I was a traumatized teenage dropout who barely had a GED via a correspondence course who had three roommates in a shitty apartment, where I was about to be kicked out if I couldn’t chip in my share of the rent, groceries and utilities. Were my answers somehow more persuasive than someone else’s would’ve been? I seriously doubt it. It was the human aspect that made it work.
This doesn’t happen anymore.
Here’s how it works now: You see a “now hiring” sign in a company’s window that instructs you to go to their website and submit an application, where countless others will join you. An algorithm scans your resume for a predefined set of keywords that no one bothered to tell you. You may have already lost any chance at the gig, and not only was no human being involved in that decision, but you have no way of knowing if you’re still in consideration. If you make the first cut, you might get a perfunctory interview where a distracted manager asks you some rote questions that they printed out, who only half-listens to your answers unless you drop one of those keywords. This manager will mark you off the list for almost any superficial reason, because they know there are dozens or hundreds of others who are also vying for the same gig. If you make that cut, you’re presented with the job as if it’s an amazing gift. And then you’re expected to give $20/hours’ worth of effort for a $7.25/hour job, or they’ll just go out on the street, throw a stick, and hit a person who’s probably just as desperate for work. On top of that, some of these jobs will expect you to have a bachelors’ degree and immediately exclude you if you don’t.
I lost a receptionist gig because I didn’t have a bachelor’s degree. A receptionist gig. “Thank God I have that Communications degree or I would NOT know how to answer these phones.”
(Don’t even get me started on unpaid internships. If you get some college credits out of it, fine. “It’ll give you something to put on your resumé” is the same as “we’ll pay you in exposure.”)
How can anyone, unless they have grants/scholarships, or a financially-secure family that’s willing to help them out, afford college without going into crippling financial debt? Spoiler alert: Most of them can’t. Back when I was being encouraged to go to college, when it was quite a bit cheaper than it is now, there was never going to be any way I could afford it. The prices have only skyrocketed since then. But here’s the gist of the problem: Millennials are being pressured into getting college degrees, and the college is so prohibitively expensive that most of them are going to be in debt well into their 30s. Oh, by the way, the book for only one of your classes is $150. The one you bought used is the previous edition. It’s all a big shakedown.
If you were able to go to college without working a part- or full-time job on the side, without going into crushing debt, have the decency to admit that you’re one of the privileged few. I’m not saying you didn’t work your ass off to get there and to get your degree. I’m saying that the experience is no longer typical, and for most people in the current generation, not viable.
That’s why I don’t have much tolerance for the whole “lol Millennials/Generation Z haha so dumb” thing that a lot of people in my generation have. AMERICA IS NOT THE SAME CULTURE OR ECONOMY THAT IT WAS, so we can’t judge the current generation by those factors. Technology has changed everything. Corporations have gotten more cold-blooded. Everything is more expensive. The banks are fucking everyone in the ass without even offering to buy dinner first. It sucks and people are out there like “you just need to get a STEM degree.” Are you gonna pay for it, Grandpa?
My son is a millennial. He still lives at home. Most of his friends still live at home. He’s getting a programming certification, and he’s only able to do that because we’re lucky enough to be able to help him pay for the individual courses. All of his friends are in the same boat, working part-time jobs, and in some cases, helping their parents pay the bills. But they’re sneered at by the previous generations because they’re being judged by a standard that’s no long valid. “Where’s your house? Why aren’t you investing in a money market portfolio? Where are your 2.5 kids? You should travel more, see the world. Why are you killing the [blank] industry?” Fuck off.
What we really need is a revolution. This is getting out of hand. We shouldn’t have almost an entire generation that’s struggling this hard. It means things are out of whack. It means there are problems we need to fix.
When I was growing up, a person who worked an entry-level construction gig and another person who worked as a Wal-Mart checker could, in their mid-20s, conceivably buy a small first home and consider starting a family. 
Now, we have people who can barely afford to pay rent even though they have three roommates (and the more roommates you have, the more statistically likely it is that you want to bury one of them in the woods), forced to make horrible decisions like “Well, if I eat only one larger meal in the middle of the day, and then go to bed before I start to feel hungry, I can pay rent this month.” I’d move back home, too. 
Just because someone is selling you a Big Mac and you have a degree does not make you better than them. Better educated? Sure. But a better person? No. Go fuck yourself.
People have their own baggage, demons, and challenges to get through. They don’t need judgmental fuckery on top of everything else. Assume that everyone you meet is doing the best they can to muddle through. It’s that general “try not to be an asshole” thing.
All I have is a GED and a give ‘em hell attitude and some coding books I read, and through sheer luck, a few years of established work experience that might open the door to some better job down the line. But I still get that little patronizing “oh” when someone finds out I don’t have a degree. I dare anyone, on any day of the week, to tell me I’m stupid because I didn’t go to college.
A good place to store that elitist attitude is directly up your ass. 
Get it up there nice and snug, too. 
Anyway, I probably went off track several times and it’s after 2AM so it’s entirely possible that parts of this don’t make sense. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. (Do people still say that? I’m old.)
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gigadracky · 6 years ago
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Multiplayer Event 4/5-4/7
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ギガ伝説の隠し扉/Giga densetsu no kakushi tobira/Giga legendary hidden door
For 2 days this event goes on, today you fight Mordegon!
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This event we get to fight Legendary Bosses from previous DQ games, theres 4 Legendary Bosses but we only fight one and have 2 days to fight him until the next one pops up.
If you are not an Advanced Vocation and have not Revocated atleast once, you have no hope making through this event. These bosses are difficult and deal alot of heavy elemental attribute damage and nasty status effects. If you aren't at a certain level, with good resistances, and properly equipped you are just going to be defeated quickly.
I recommend having a Battle Master, Gladiator, Pirate, or Super Star as your main character, and be Revocated atleast once while being level 70+(basically being level 170)
First off, in order of importance, i will list the needed resistances:
ドルマ/Doruma
混乱/Confuse
デイン/Dein
攻撃呪文/Attack Spell
守備力/Defence decrease
ヒャド/Hyado
CT減少/CT Decrease
I would prioritize having Doruma/Confuse/Dein resitance and then try to have the rest if possible.
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To unlock the Mission Rewards you need to:
Beat the boss with a Skill Finish
Beat the boss in 15 turns
Beat the boss in 10 turns
There is 2 forms to fight, both where once you decrease his HP to almost half his first form will split his rods, making 3 enemies on screen, and his second form he splits into 2. His second form tends to attack 2-3 times so be ready to block and heal!
Having the Rubiss Shield is highly recommended, as when you block not only you heal but also have a buff for a couple of turns where Magic Spells are ineffective. This becomes super useful in the first turn, he uses Dorumoa(high tier doruma/darkness spell,) and his second form he uses that and Meragaia(high tier mera/fire spell.) His Mahyado Blade and Silver Spark (dein/electric attribute attack) is where those resistances come into play. I have only seen him use Mayado Blade once in battle, but he does use Silver Spark a couple of times so thats why I find necessary to have Dein resistance over Hyado. Majority of his attacks are Doruma attribute, being both magical and physical, so try to have as much resistance to that. He also has a nasty skill he likes to use once in a while where he tries to confuse the whoke team.
Dein attribute skills are pretty effective on him, then next will be イオ/Io, ギラ/Gira, and バギ/Bugi. Everything else has a lesser effect of damage. He doesnt really have a resistance thats nullified. Try to have attack skills and spells that are first Dein, then Io, Gira, and/or Bugi.
Best team composition will be Battle Master, Battle Master, Battle Master/Super Star, Super Star. If you dont have anyone as a Battle Master then Gladiator or Pirate will do.
His first form doesn't feel much of a threat, but once you get to his second form he can attack twice, unleash 2 skills, and if you lowered a tier of his HP at the same time he can unleash another skill, totalling to 5 moves in one blow. I have experienced this and let me tell you we got wiped out lol.
You want to pay attention to what turn it is, his Skill CT, and lowering his HP tier at the right time. You wanna pace yourself with it and hope your team holds back with you so you or someone else can guard. Luckly the mission is easy, usually there's a Mission Reward where you have to clear it with nobody dying. But if you have to die or about to die, try to do it in his second form. And also if you are about to revive someone, wait until either his CT skill is done and when his HP tier isn't low where he will unleash a skill. You don't want to revive someone and have them die on the same turn.
Block the first turn, use your skills, and when his CT skill or his HP tier is lowered try blocking again. If you are a Super Star just block, heal, and the give buffs when the enemy HP tier isn't low and his CT skill just started charge. Keep yourself alive, keep others alive, then buff, or Keep yourself aliclve, buff, then heal everyone if they are good on healing or is not blocking.
As for food, you want to use the Yocchi Bun set
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Eating the whole set will give you these resistances:
Dein Resistance +20%
Luck Drop +60
Curse Resistance +40%
Confuse Resistance +40%
Hyado Resistance +10%
Doruma resistance +10%
Agility +5
HP +15
Attack Magic +5
Defence +5
It's the best set that I know so far that can effectively give you most resistances that are important to have. To obtain this food you had to play the DQ11 event that happened months ago. As far as obtaining them right now, i do not know.
You can obtain 2 emblems as drops from this boss, one for the helm and the other for the shield.
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魔道士ウルノーガの紋章・頭/Mage Mordigan's Emblem・Helm
3% chance of Increasing everyone's speed by 30%
Bonus(starting from the top, going left to right:)
Magic Attack +3
Magic Attack and Mending +1
Critical hit +1%
Jibaria resistance +5%
Dein resistance +5%
Seal Resistance +5%
魔道士ウルノーガの紋章・盾/Mage Mordigans Emblem・Shield
ぼうぎょ時の混乱耐性+ 10%/Confuse resistance while blocking 10%
Bonus:
Doramu resistance 5%
Attack spell nullified 3%
Earth Breath resistance 5%
Breath attack nullified 3%
Curse resistance 5%
Yasumi resistance 5%
For helm, the best bonuses are the last 3, for shield its all pretty useful. You have more use for Blue and Red bonuses than the Green. For this event the best bonus for helm is Dein resistance, and shield would be Doramu Resistance and Attack spell nullified.
To obtain the right bonuses for these emblems you just have to keep fighting and clearing this event quest and hope you get it as a drop.
Good luck in defeating him! You get 100gems, emblems from this boss, and some drops from the DQ11 event. If you aren't high level enough to fight him, do not worry! These events come and go so it wont be the last, and you aren't missing much. The only thing valuable about this event is the Emblem drops. So just keep playing the Metal Star event and youll level up in no time, obtaining useful materials to level up your equipment and skills!
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gothicdevice · 6 years ago
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I'm trying to finally, definitively figure out Miklos' military career.
Hasn't been easy cause trying to make sense of Russia's military, paramilitary and intelligence infrastructure is the most complicated thing I've ever attempted for the sake of ocs lol. The military reorganization in 2008/2013, the formation of a central authority for special purpose troops, the SOF and the competing interests and unclear jurisdiction of the GRU, FSB and SVR don't help either. I'm also willing to believe about 80% of the material on their military and intelligence apparatus is paranoid disinformation, so let's just think of all of this as intelligent (?) conjecture based on extensive (frustrated) reading.
After high school Miklos enrolled in the State Institute for Applied Sciences and Engineering (fictional. Amusingly an earlier incarnation of this institution is probably the same one that Vadim taught maths at) for a degree in industrial engineering. About midway through the course he decided to enlist in the VDV, the airborne troops. He finished his degree while enlisted. He could have dodged the 12 month mandatory draft courtesy of Katya and more particularly Arseny, but instead opted to enlist in the professional division.
Miklos' motivations are nebulous. Certainly part of it is a boy's outward turned rage and despair, a youthful sense of invincibility, a lack of interest in the conventional post university career path. Another part of it is detached impersonal curiosity. As a boy he had been fond of reading about historical engagements, the history of long distance shooting, the exploits of snipers in the Second World War. He was more physically fit than most and he wasn't a bad shot. The most father-like things Arseny ever did for Miklos was to teach him to shoot and pay for his judo training. Supporting his shift to MMA came out of his own pocket. His reasons are vague yet his decision seems logical when seen in a certain light, and once he became a paratrooper it seemed increasingly likely that he would follow Arseny's career trajectory.
Katya tried to convince him to go into the engineering or logistic corps, but after his time at Ryazan and several months of training he went into the Air Assault Division. Miklos called home several times in between active deployment in Chechnya and Georgia. After a few short lines of calm, slightly stilted conversation with his son, Arseny would offer the phone to Katya. She would always refuse to speak to Miklos.
After a year in the Division, Miklos applied to the 45th Special Recon Brigade, passed the punishing evaluations and began to train as a spetsnaz operative. At this point I would say that Miklos had plans of joining the GRU Spetsnaz, as it traditionally recruited from the 45th. It's still early to say, however, because he would need at least three years of service in the 45th to be considered for the division. He was 22 at the time.
At 25 Miklos left the service following some injuries sustained in Syria from a land mine. He had also witnessed, from the distance of six and a half feet away, the death of the man in his unit who had triggered the explosive in a fall. An accident. A tragedy, but only one of thousands. His commander was surprised by the request for discharge and tried to convince him to stay on. It seemed unlike the calm, laconic operative to throw it in after witnessing a fatality close up. It's not as though it was the first time.
A somewhat aimless six or eight months followed wherein Miklos went back to fighting, padded the automotive mechanic training he'd received in the service by enrolling in an automotive engineering course and working at a mechanical parts fabrication shop. In the interminable gaps between these various pursuits he drank; efficiently, silently, and without company in pursuit of insensate intoxication. This time it was his turn to mostly ignore his parents' phone calls and requests to see him.
Unable to stay away, Miklos finally applied to the Special Operations Forces where he received additional specialized training and worked in small units. On orders from his superiors he specialized further as a paramilitary intelligence operator able to work independently in enemy territory and without contact with command for extended periods of time. His superiors fond him quick, competent, resourceful, aloof and highly intelligent. Not particularly creative, in their estimation but a hell of a shot. An impressive unarmed fighter. He had no sentiments and never flinched, willing to do anything— within reason— to fulfill mission objectives.
Miklos had lived outside of normal society for years, but living in the gray zone wasn't like anything he experienced before. It was isolated and isolating. There was nothing or no one to depend on but himself. Here even the tenuous party line of defense of his country's foreign interests was left behind, and interchangeable enemies and allies shifted almost hour to hour. Here the idea of power was even more abstract, and there were never any clear winners or losers. Sometimes Miklos felt that he was operating for the purpose of high level political gangsterism. He negotiated the sale of weapons with war lords, ferried bales of US currency to tribal chieftains, met with the leaders of dissident military factions, dealt and worked with mercenaries, thieves, human traffickers and drug mules. Miklos trained guerrilla fighters and provided them with weapons, acted in an advisory capacity to struggling, patchwork militias. On orders he sold and bought contraband and traded them for information, loyalty, manpower or other resources. Several times, to his great amusement, he also escorted and facilitated the transport of British and American covert operatives into zones where they were not supposed to be on the ground, via drug trade routes as part of a high level exchange of information that he was not privy to. He carried out assassinations, quiet operations with little fanfare. More conventionally he sometimes worked in concert with Russian armed forces, going into enemy territory and identifying targets for air strikes. Most of these tasks required that he not identify as working for SOF and if he was killed on assignment he would have died anonymously, his body unlikely to be recovered.
Eventually Miklos leaves the SOF. Here I have to fudge things a little because I am unable to decide whether he leaves after a botched mission wherein he's presumed dead or simply turns in a resignation and, eight months later, turns up on a SOF watchlist of dangerous private contractors. If that happened SOF would simply continue to hire him on contract for tasks they don't wish to be connected to.
Miklos is neither a nationalist or a patriot. He barely thinks of himself as Russian. His motivations are strange but he gains satisfaction from physical mastery and the extremely demanding parameters of his work. It's not unlike being an elite athlete; the vocation requires the same amount of dedication, practice and discipline. Most military forces yearn to instill that kind of workman's pride in a job well done in their own troops for the act of killing. The all consuming mental and physical demands of the work also (almost) ensure that Miklos isn't drowned by his own low grade depression and mounting cynicism.
As for why Miklos becomes a contractor it might be as simple as "the private sector always pays better than the government."
• Arseny is a senior SVR officer. Yeah it makes things awkward.
• Miklos is the name he used when he starts to work as a contractor.
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kaoarika · 7 years ago
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9th HypMic Niconama Rap Battle
Or, also, “it was pretty cute seeing how Subaru is such a fanboy”.
This past program was divided in two big segments: the first with guest KEN THE 390 (and the special lyrics match), and the second which was the one that proceeded as normal (even though, in all honesty, who really thought they would cover 30 minutes with the usual fun shenaningans with our loveable Buster Bros!!! hosts? they had to extend the free half of the program for almost another 15 minutes!)
The first part of the program was very cute, for real. For starters, Subaru and KEN are on somewhat friendlier terms since their participation in a FRISK ad that was released in Autumn 2016, and they also got cast together in Devilman crybaby, earlier this year. But at the same time, you know, “somewhat” really defines that they are still in different vocational worlds and levels, as KEN is considered a professional hip hop artist, while Subaru is a voice actor who considers himself a “baka hip hop seiyuu” and who is in a big 2.5D (afawk) hip hop/visual project that is HypMic.
But the cuteness really leaked as Suba easily shown how much of a fanboy he can really be, as he was very embarrassed showing KEN the basics of the program, or the BB seiyuu interactions as hosts - especially with the infamous HypMic janken. I get it, Suba - we are all in the same boat with our idols *pats pats*.
The special lyrics match had KEN judging the submitted lyrics - not only about the lyrics themselves, but also the BB’s performances as such. He lastly chose Subaru/Ichiro’s; and he even chose to perform one of the submitted lyrics for the Nana musical service app.
The second part of the program was the usual, usual, which started with the announcement for the release fate of the first Battle Season CD, and how the voting will proceed online (in basic, you need to buy the CD, the CD contains a card and a serial that you must put in the special website to make valid your vote); and the intro of more official merch, which in this case were the clothes (they look cool; which I could buy one... but let’s be real, not even the L size of the BB tee would fit me, lmao)... but the highlight was how Ishiya introduced them to the public, lol (he mentioned he was wearing an L size, just for reference).
The (English) Skill’s tongue-twister this time was:
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The final battle (the freestyle one?) was between Suba and Amasaki, and, again, Amasaki won this.
The punshiment juice looked like vinegar (?, and I greatly assume it may be because... the smell visually described was just godawful, that much that...
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the taste was VERY difficult to hide behind a smile (even Ishiya had to stand up for a while because it wasn’t nowhere bearable as the usual). Yuck.
Since this time the program got extended for another 15-or so minutes, the non-premium users didn’t see that much than 5 minutes of the premium half, and, ofc, it was the Otome scenario special segment (I just simply accept this is not going to happen :’) )
Next NRB is next week, April 13th, at 6 AM CST (I think, considering the Daylight Saving Time and all that... I’m not exempt from that either, jfc... it’s 6 AM...! :’3)
Post-program notes:
- Subaru eventually posted a tweet that basically mentioned that besides the fun he had with the program and the guest being KEN THE 390, he proceeded to mention something along the lines that he felt 390 times motivated to keep doing his own things, especially since he interacted more with KEN here (more as “it was a honor to have him in the program, and with great enthusiasm, I feel inspired and motivated to keep doing my work as he does”)
- Earlier this week, one of KEN gigs took place, and I don’t know if it was Subaru the one who was invited to, or if he was the one who invited -pretty sure he was the one who invited-, but the thing is that he went to one of these with Nozuyama Yukihiro (Dice)~. Adorable.
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reinneparas · 7 years ago
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Six hour long bus rides, breathtakingly infinite azures, vast skyward fields, food intake more than usual, flourishing light-bulb moments, contagious high-spirits, heartwarming sparks of inspiration, endearing spiritual reawakenings, and one surprisingly beautiful family ; with so much that happened in three days, here is an attempt to at least sum up the experience one could not easily fail to remember.
It has been our school’s tradition to orchestrate spiritual retreats for the graduating batch of each school year; knowing that this would be our last retreat in high school, the school made sure that it would be one for the books. Our Spiritual Retreat was from November 8 to November 10 at Don Bosco Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas. My section, Boscariol, was the first to go. It was sort of nice to have known nothing about what would happen and just letting everything surprise us along the way.
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Prior to the retreat house, our last stop was at a vineyard resort, Twin Lakes, Tagaytay, where the most beautiful Starbucks of the Philippines is located. We were told we’re to stop for snacks, but it mostly became for photo-taking purposes because of its ig-worthy aesthetic and refreshing view overseeing the clear blue waters of Taal Lake and the picturesque cone of Taal Volcano. 
Wherever you look, it was picture perfect. We took a lot of photos in every corner of the place because honestly, anywhere you look looked nice in the camera. (sulitin na rin yung freshness ng wind)
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Arriving at around 11 am in Don Bosco Batulao, first thing we did was have lunch. Upon finishing, we had a few minutes to go around the place and take numerous photos. We waited until 1 pm to get into our dormitory and get dressed for the hike to Mt. Talamitam. 
Mt. Talamitam is 630 meters above sea level (MASL) and has a 60-degree trail before the peak, which mountaineers would describe as an “easy” hike for beginners. (where is the lie) It was my first time to go hiking and there was definitely nothing easy about it. We trekked in groups and I was part of the last one.
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PULCHRITUDE. We were walking and climbing for so long I forgot I was already far up. My legs were aching and I was so tired and covered with sweat already when we reached the first stop. As I sat down and had a few sips of fresh coconut juice, I looked up and it was the first time I was able to take in the view. It was nothing I’ve ever seen before, all adjectives synonymous to beautiful was all I could ever think of that moment. I was focused too much on how exhausted I was that I forgot to look behind me and truly see how stunning of a sight it was.
With no time to waste, we left our beloved ‘buko station’ and continued our hike to the summit. There was still a long way to go and I had to stop multiple times because my legs were so close to giving up on me, I was so close to giving up on me, too. I was no athlete, and I definitely do not categorize in the physically fit so it was a lot more challenging for me; I have never been this tired in my life (if I were, maybe it was an awfully long time ago lol).
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Almost falling, tripping myself, and slipping was inevitably myriad. I could not count how many times I felt like I was going to die (an exaggeration). As soon as we were close to the summit, the elevation of the terrain was insane. It looked almost like a 90 degree, I literally had to use my hands to climb and hold onto the rocks. 
KAYA KO ‘TO. Finally reaching the summit was the cherry on top; gusts of wind were slapping you back and forth, the scorching heat of the sun striking you just right above your head, and the surreal 360 view of Batangas drawing you into its beauty; there was so much to take in. I never would have thought I would make it but I guess all it took was a little believing in yourself.
The minute I reached the summit, all the tiredness, pain, fatigue--gone! I instantly forgot about how difficult it was to reach that altitude once I saw what a beauty it was that awaited. The journey back down was twice as hard, but thanks to a few good hands, I was able to survive. 
As I was covered with sweat and dirt sitting in the bus looking through the window, realizations started coming. We were on our way back to the retreat house and I started thinking about what happened for the past six hours of my life--I was able to climb a mountain. It was one of those things I thought I could have never done, yet I had. 
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The day after, we had sessions the whole day. I couldn’t take photos because we surrendered our gadgets. The sessions were filled with games that broke the ice, activities that brought out the creative in you, stories that would move you, and song lyrics that fit so well it hit straight you through the heart. 
PURPOSE. The whole retreat circled around one theme: vocation--discovering your mission in life and finding out where God comes in in that mission. It was about finding yourself and becoming the best version of it; lighting yourself up and sharing that light to others as well.
I could go on and on about how much of a good time I had during all our sessions, but the one thing that became the highlight of the retreat was the night where we went through a prayer labyrinth. 
There was a storm that night; it was so cold, it was raining, and the wind blew so hard that it actually helped set the mood. I had so much untouched thoughts stuck in my mind I started digging them during that night that it made me feel uneasy; I thought of all the awful things I’ve done to my family, to my friends, to others, and to myself, that I grew a little emotional.
All that was in my head was that I wanted to be better, I wanted to restart; I wanted another chance to live a good life, a better life. As I walked throughout the labyrinth, I prayed and surrendered everything: pain, resentment, guilt. I let it go all at once.
I never expected to feel a sense of comfort by just letting everything go. I felt so close to Him, I felt Him hugging me, telling me that everything will be alright. My heart felt a little lighter, a little happier. It was as if I was a child again, getting tucked in by a parent, being assured that when I wake up, all will be well, that there was nothing else to worry about, that everything will be okay.
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We concluded our retreat with a mass. We wrote our own mission statements during our past sessions and these were what we offered to the Lord. My heart was in a pleasant bliss; I hugged all of my classmates and felt nothing but genuine love for them, for Him. 
The three-day-retreat in Batangas was not only an experience but a blessing I never thought could create a huge impact. It allowed me to do what I thought was impossible for me to do, it made me appreciate how beautiful and different each individual is, it granted me another chance to redeem myself to others, to the Lord, and to myself, and it made me realize that I have a purpose bigger than I am. 
LIGHT UP. Not everyone gets the chance to experience something that would change how you would see life. It made me look at life in a different perspective. I saw sparks of light and hints of darkness creating starlight and slivers of hope--that even in the gloomiest, even in the blur, you’ll find your way back.
It was just like climbing your way to the highest mountains: some paths may be easy to pass, some may be rocky, some may have the steepest slopes, and some may be a little slippery, but eventually, you’ll get there. The closer you are, the harder it gets, so don’t let it be the reason for you to stop then and there.
There’s a hundred thousand more things I could share about this experience, but it would be too much of a long post. Words aren’t enough to express how inexplicably euphoric it was spending three days in that place with no one but your classmates, your family, and Him to spend with. 
I went home with nothing but a smile stapled to my face, boxes of pasalubong in hand, and a hundred dozen blessings to share.
(credits to the owners of some of the photos)
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sincerelyxgiselle-blog · 7 years ago
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20 YEAR OLD GISELLE WILLIAMS WHO LOOKS LIKE ELLE FANNING CURRENTLY WORKS AS PRINCESS FLORINE IN SLEEPING BEAUTY AT BOULEVARD PRODUCTIONS. THEY IDENTIFY AS A CISFEMALE AND GO BY SHE/HER. AT THE ROGERS THEATER, THEY’RE COMMONLY DESCRIBED BY THE CAST AND CREW AS RESERVED, ROMANTIC AND A DREAMER. HOWEVER, THE CRITICS COMPLAIN THAT THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO BE SENSITIVE, PRETENTIOUS, AND JUDGMENTAL. ALTHOUGH, A GOOD CAST MEMBER KNOWS THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER READ THE REVIEWS.
So I know I’m super late to the party but I wanted to get something out here until I can really start interacting tomorrow so here goes! Hey everyone! I’m Meg, I’m 16, and I’m super excited to start getting to interact with ya’ll through Giselle! Anyways I’m gonna do a few lil random bits and pieces about her just for fun bc why not. (You can expect a her resume and possibly a more strung together bio and whatnot due tomorrow or the next day, but in the mean time I can offer you this. Also if anyone wants to hit me up for plotting that would be super cool, I’m so excited to start this lol) 
Giselle started dance when she was 4 years old. Nothing serious, a ballet and tap combo class; 45 minutes long, the same one that every 5 year old takes at some point or another. It wasn’t that she was necessarily anything special, or the best in the class, or anything like that: she was little and she liked it and that was all that mattered.
And so, she stayed in it. By the time she was 7 she had bumped up to 8 hours a week, by age 9 she was at 12 hours and 3 competition teams. Age 11 was both the height of her dance and the downfall - 21 hours a week, 6 competition teams. It was then she found her true passion - ballet. Sure, it was hard to give up jazz and hip hop. Of course it only got worse from there - musical theater was dropped next, then tap. By 13 she was a pre-professional ballerina. Contemporary and ballet was all she would - could - take. 18 hours at first, 21 once again when she started training in privates. 
That year she decided to drop into homeschooling. Well into the 30 weekly hours now she added character into the mix, the light doses of acro. She modeled off of Vaganova stylings, and did what she could to recreate the American experience of such a school.
At 13 she competed at Youth America Grand Prix for the first time - the Princess Florine Variation. She ranked in the top twelve for her semifinals division. It was then she realized she had a serious possible career in the future. 
She placed second in Youth America Grand Prix one year at 16 and was granted one year full ride scholarship to the John Cranko School of Ballet in Germany. She danced there for two years and continued her education through their vocational college program for one year.
During the second half of her training at the college unforeseeable family events caused her to have to drop everything and move back to America. She had to stop dancing for a few months in-between and due to odd timing has to wait until next season to begin auditioning again. 
In the mean time she’s been practicing honing her skills - taking ballet and contemporary classes daily in L.A, researching what companies to audition for first, and, as of recently, auditioning and receiving the role of Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty. She’s honestly grateful for the role - an opportunity to perform one of her first classical variations on the stage where she performed many of her first roles. As if it’s a full circle of sorts. Of course, she can’t wait to get into the professional level, but in the mean time this is a good place to be in. Content, for lack of a better word.
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optomstudies · 8 years ago
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Hello! It’s #optomstudies here again with another Sunday Study Tip on university life! This will be a multi-part series that hopefully will give a unique insight, since I can go on and on about university, and I love giving advice and helping others :)
PART 0: CHOOSING A DEGREE
Here I’ve put together a list of 20 things that you might not be told outright when choosing your university degree. @exeron
General Starting Tips During High School
It doesn’t matter what subjects you do in senior year, so don’t worry about bonus points, as long as you get a high enough ATAR so that you can keep your options open. Play to your strengths.
But! On the other hand, don’t take history and visual arts for your HSC and expect to be at the same level as your peers when you take a B Science (Advanced Mathematics) degree. You need that calculus knowledge. (Most of the time this isn’t a problem, because most people will choose a degree that aligns with their interests in high school). Again, play to your strengths.
Keep on top of your extra-curricular activities in case you need to go for an interview like with medicine.
Some degrees like optometry, medicine, law, etc. require additional exams like UMAT, so find out early, pay for the tests and mark it down on your calendar so that you don’t forget.
Up to you whether you want to pay extra for coaching, but anecdotally, I didn’t do any coaching and did fine. I had many friends who did coaching and ended up doing poorly. 
Choose a good university. Promise it actually counts at the end of the day. There are cases of people getting employed with low credit averages at big companies because they go to a good university.
Decide What Kind of Career You Want
Most importantly, it’s best if you pick your degree based on the job you want upon graduation. What you study at uni is just a means to an end. It’s a business decision that you are making - trading a few years to get a better career and better income at the end of the day.
Consider practical aspects of the job you want. For example, some of the things that I like about optometry is the fact that you aren’t sitting down the whole day, it’s a job that’s great for locum-ing and part-time work if I have kids in the future, and it makes for a good conversation starter when people ask you about optometric myths (no, looking at green grass does not help your eyes, nor do eating carrots, and having a nightlight doesn’t make you more short-sighted). These are all things that aren’t written down on a piece of paper somewhere, but are things that you can figure out by thinking about the everyday facets of the job itself.
Figure out your career values. These are things that you don’t want to compromise on due to personal integrity, as opposed to areas of interest. Some examples are:
Autonomy and independence
Achievement and advancement prospects
Creativity
Security
Altruism
Prestige, status and respect
Risk-taking and excitement
Material benefits a.k.a. $$$
Power
Team membership
Variety
Learning
Structure and organisation
Problem Solving
Leadership
Work-Life Balance
Don’t “follow your passion”, just “get good”. A lot of people also tell you that you should “follow your passion”, but most of the time you have limited experience concerning the types of occupations in the world, and most of the time there isn’t anything that you’ve developed a strong passion for. You might have a bunch of interests like me; when I was in high school, I enjoyed every single subject, because I just enjoyed learning in general, so the only thing I could think of was literally to become a full time uni student. This video really sums everything up quite well, so I’ll quote from it.
When you work hard at something you become good at it. When you become good at something you enjoy doing it more.  When you enjoy doing something, there is a good chance you will become passionate about it.
Start By Choosing a Good University and Faculty
Choose a Commonwealth-supported university. Don’t saddle yourself with excess debt from a private university unless your grades were so bad that you needed to pay money for a university degree. If you have the choice, don’t opt for these.
Go to open days! I seriously think I wouldn’t have chosen optometry if I didn’t go to the UNSW Open Day. The guy was just really persuasive about the benefits of the career.
Ask graduates! If you’ve got a retail job and have the opportunity to chat with people about their jobs, see what they like about their job and how they got there.
Opt to specialise. For example, if you are aiming to be a financial data scientist, then go for a B Economics and major in econometrics. Sounds simple, but people always argue about choosing a general degree like Commerce so that you have a broader choice and keep your doors open. This is only good if you don’t have an end goal in sight. Specialising shows employers that you have direction and are driven.
However, if you have absolutely no idea what you want to study then at least choose a faculty that you find palatable, try and do your research, or take some core courses that allow you to discern your major. If all else fails, just get the UAC book of degrees and cross out what you don’t want to do LOL
After Starting the Degree
If you start a degree and you find the first semester or two isn’t what you were imagining, unfortunately that’s what happens to a lot of people. Uni isn’t a vocational school that jumps straight into the professional skills. So if you want to be a pediatrician who nurses cute children to health at the end of the day, sorry but you’ll have to start with basic sciences. I’ve seen a lot of people jump ship just cause they didn’t like the first few courses.
Go for Honours if your degree has the option. Just looks a lot better in the eyes of an employer that you’ve tried challenging yourself with a research honours project. A 1 year trade off in studying is worth it.
Don’t worry about the length of the degree. Three years will be over before you know it, trust me! And honestly, university is actually a really great time period. Many of my older cousins reflect on it and say that in a way, it was some of the best times of their lives, because you don’t have the responsibility of the household bills and full time work just yet.
Don’t be afraid to change your degree after the first year. Some microeconomics - it’s a sunk cost.
Don’t think: “Oh I’ve already spent this much time studying this degree, it will be a waste if I change degrees”. Think: “if I spend any more time in this degree that I don’t actually want to study, then I’ll be wasting my future”. 
You aren’t “wasting” your ATAR by choosing a degree that has a much lower cut-off point. For example, if you wanted to shape the future of children by becoming a teacher, you aren’t “wasting” your 98 ATAR by going into teaching, even if the cut-off is 81.
Don’t let other people influence your options. Look, if you’re going to change your uni choice just because someone you don’t like is going there… you’ll barely see anyone except for the people in the same degree as you after 1st year is over. Likewise, parents give advice, they don’tshouldn’t mandate life choices like what you study. 
Good luck with your university applications. Hope you all get into the degree that you’re hoping for! Hit me up if you have any questions :) 
MY STUDY TIPS
Please see my #optomstudies tag or my study tips directory (web only) for the full list of study tips + see my langblr posts + stationery + bujo spreads! ^_^
UNIVERSITY STUDY TIPS SERIES
Part 0 Choosing a Degree - what’s right for you? popular!!
> Things to Consider Before Switching Degrees!
> Changing Degrees
Part 1 Administration - choosing majors, available services, choosing class times etc.
Part 2 Getting to Class - pros and cons of attending class, when you should choose not to attend, advice about choosing a backpack and other essential equipment.
> Laptop Considerations and Recommendations
Part 3 Studying - differences between high school and uni, basic tips on how to keep on track, class types like lectures, tutorials, etc.
Part 4 Extra-Curriculars - what clubs to join, what to do outside class, and other great things to discover around campus.
Part 5 Exams - everything to know about examiners, how to prepare, what happens during the whole examination process.
Part 6 Social Life - differences between high school and university, some hard learnt lessons, etc.
Part 7 Part Time Work
Part 8 Four Secrets The Uni Tells You
Part 9 Best Study Spots On Campus
Part 10 Saving Money 1 - Food, Transport, Entertainment
Part 10 Saving Money 2 - Textbooks, Tax, Scholarships
Part 11 Adapting to Uni Study - 3 big differences from studying in high school popular!!
Part 12 How to Study From Textbooks in Uni
Part 13 Dealing with Lazy Group Members popular!!
Transitioning from High School to University popular!!
OTHER POPULAR POSTS
Weekly Planner Printable with Extra Space for Sat/Sun  popular!!
Overcoming the Planning Fallacy
Study Spaces Masterpost
Studying and your Visual System
Catching Up with Your Studies  popular!!
Sleeping and Waking Up Early  popular!!
My 2017 Planner and Bullet Journal  popular!!
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filtration-products · 6 years ago
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Get Rid of Annoying Pimples & Acne (I Know, What a Beautiful Title For This Article!)
Have you ever had a really sore spot on your skin? Almost everyone has a bother at one time or another. Here are some wee tips you might like to try to make your skin all soft and lovely, and most importantly, blemish-free! WooHoo! We’re done with you, stupid blemishes, or, as another particularly angry woman in a very famous play might say, “Out, out, damn spot!” hahaha! Yes, I’m full of great ideas and terrible jokes, but if you have a laugh and find a remedy that really works for you, and then you share that with a friend, won’t the whole world look better?? lol!
I made this discovery a while back, and I can’t believe how well this works. As with anything, try these ideas at your own discretion…
There are so many ‘solutions’ for problem skin (especially Acne) on different shows and in all sorts of articles, but most of them end in ‘see your Dermatologist’, but it’s my guess that the vast majority of people don’t have regular (or any…) access to a Dermatologist, so I think there’s room for my little ideas. Pass the info along if you know someone who might benefit from it!
Go to your drugstore or local pharmacy and walk right past the Skin Care Aisle. That’s right, I said it. Walk on by! Now get rid of any shame you might have, and go to either the Foot Fungus section (for Athlete’s Foot), or to the ever-popular Vaginal Itch section… still with me? Stopped cringing, yet?? Come on, now, this remedy really works! You want to get whatever is the cheapest tube of any product with Clotrimazole Cream, USP 1% or Miconazole Nitrate 2%. For real! I’m telling you, try it this week, and see if you notice a huge difference in your skin. Worth a try, right? I talked with my pharmacist about it, and she laughed and said they’ve known that for years, so just in case I’m not the very last one to find out, too, go ahead and give it a shot. These creams are waaay less expensive than what you will find in the regular skin care aisle, and, in my own opinion, much more effective.
Still here? haha! Once you try it, you won’t think this is so bad, after all… and you might even want to take a stroll over to the Wart section (this is a good time to make sure no one you are even remotely attracted to is watching you! lol!) and see if you can find a ‘Wart Stick’. No kidding. It looks like a chap-stick, but has a really high concentration of Acetylsalicylic acid in it, which is very good for healing skin, but never on any ‘open wound’ (hope you’re not having your lunch while you’re reading this!).
If you are feeling extra-brave, and God has punished you with Skin Tags, for some unknown reason (I’m kidding, just kidding… God’s probably not punishing you… I don’t really know what bad things you might have done last week, I’m just guessing that maybe you’ve had a little extra fun in your life, and now you have these damn skin tags out of nowhere… and you are afraid of getting them lopped off in some sort of surgical procedure, so if this is the case, you could use a small amount of the ‘wax’ in the Wart Stick, placed carefully directly on the skin tag, and just let the thing dissolve away. Oooh, sounds so lovely!
Aspirin: Here’s what to do: put a couple of regular aspirins on a teaspoon, and add a wee drop of water. Set it by the sink for a minute and it’ll dissolve completely. Put on enough of this to cover the Spot, and let it dry. Leave it on all night if it’s a particularly sore spot. If you like, you can mix it with a wee bit of your favourite skin cream, then apply it to the area. You’ll see a remarkable difference in your skin in no time!
I also tried this in a Mask, mixing the dissolved aspirin (any kind — the coating won’t make any difference) with some Liquid Antibacterial Soap. It really tightens up the pores. Take extra care not to get this anywhere near your eyes!
If you feel like it, you can dissolve a whole lot of Aspirin (Bayer dissolves with the smoothest texture…) in a little container (okay, it’s a plumbing part, but only because I happen to have a lot of plumbing parts around the house, on account a’ I’m in Construction!). A small handful of Aspirin — they’re cheap, so use however many you like.
Anyway, I use them as a Regular Face Scrub, now — just scoop some of the Dissolved Aspirin & Water into the palm of your hand and add some Liquid Soap. Removes all the make-up or dirt (male/female…whatever you get on your face!). Again, watch you don’t get this in your eyes and moisurize your skin afterwards. Very refreshing. Make sure you moisturize your skin after any of these little ‘treatments’.
An even easier FaceScrub is with a little bit of Baking Soda, put it in the palm of your hand and add some liquid soap. Use to very gently cleanse your face, but not very often, because you want to stay youthful for as long as possible, so it seems like a Bad Idea to remove facial cells and what-not, too often, right? lol!
I happen to like ‘experimenting’ with different things, so if there’s something else (nothing Internal, of course…!) that you think it might work on, try it. You can always wash it off right away, if you experience any discomfort.
Here’s something else I tried that worked — I put some Hydrogen Peroxide on a little disposable cotton pad, cleaned my face with it like you would use any Facial Toner, and I couldn’t believe the difference that made to my own skin in about 10 days.
Do this every night before bed, and then every morning when you get up (unless you have Dry Skin), and you will be amazed at how great your skin will look and feel. After 30 Days, you’ll see a remarkable difference, then this will be a habit for life! (Oh, and be extremely careful not to go anywhere near your eyes!)
Use Hydrogen Peroxide as a Facial Toner — it’s great! It’ll really clean your skin and refine your pores, which is always good, right?You’ll see an incredible improvement in your skin within 10 days! Just apply it with a little Cotton Pad. Put some Moisturizer on your face after that… I use Lubriderm Hand Lotion because it’s one of the few moisturizers I’m not allergic to…) It’s handy to have in your Medicine Cabinet for any cuts & scrapes, too. You can buy Hydrogen Peroxide at any Department Store or Pharmacy — it costs about 97 cents for a bottle — very cheap for an incredibly useful product!
Cold Sores (or anything in that family…) — apply the Dissolved Aspirin and small amount of Vitamin E, Aloe Vera gel or any over-the-counter Viral fighting gel directly to the spot. You’ll be shocked at how quickly it goes away.
My favorite new product is this Clear Aloe Vera Gel — I think you can get it at the pharmacy. This stuff is amazing for your skin… I initially got it for a sunburn (because I was reading at the pool and got an annoying burn… you’d think I’d know better by now, right? haha!)
I have the worst time with Allergies, and now I can only use completely Unscented Items (with the exception of Citrus, which I’m still Okay with!). This site has all sorts of useful products for folks like me!
When we first got Tia (our wee dog), I had a really bad allergic reaction to her, but we all loved her sooo much, I went in search of a product that might help, and I found one — Allerpet/d (Allerpet, Inc., Farnam Pet Products). You just rub it on your pet (cover all the fur…) and any ‘pet smell’ disappears. The bizarre thing is that we only had to do it a number of times over the first two years, then rarely after that…this stuff really works!
Hair Tip: One of the best Hair Conditioners that I’ve tried over the years is straight Olive Oil. I have really long, and some might say, crazy hair, so this works well for taming crazy hair — or just making regular hair nice and smooth!
Pour some Olive Oil into a water bottle with a flip-up top. It’s just easier to deal with, that way… and you can leave whatever you don’t use right in the bathroom. Anyway, put a towel around your shoulders and pour the Olive Oil right on the ends of your hair and work it in until it’s saturated. I never do the top of my hair, since it seems fine on it’s own.
If you are lucky enough to live in a Hot Climate, pop out into the sun to let the oil work itself into your hair, otherwise, just go spend some time on the computer or reading while your hair has a nice wee ‘Oil Soak’ I usually leave it on for about an hour.
Wash it out with a fair bit of shampoo, then follow with your usual Conditioner. Watch you step, though, since the oil can be slippy when you’re washing your hair. This is when you might want to rethink your earlier plan to drink your way through the hour wait… ya’ha,ha!
This makes my hair extremely curly, for some reason or another… makes it look like I’ve got no life whatsoever and have been sitting curling my hair into ringlets all day… which I swear, although I hardly do have any sort of Life, I can’t be bothered with that amount of work on my hair. I am willing to comb it, though, which I do right after the treatment, then whenever else I happen to remember. That’s the level of special care I allot to ‘Fancy Grooming’!
Anyway, this really works, and it’s very inexpensive. And you can use the rest of the Olive Oil with a wee bit of vinegar and some spices for a lovely Marinade for the met you might have for dinner! See how practical?
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luvs-like-a-hurricane · 7 years ago
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Hey there my friends! How is everyone?
So many drafts saved, so few posts published! The saga continues with the tension of this internet space, as I discover more and more about who God has created me to be, think about how to express my thoughts, figure out what I want to share here and ponder what, if any, my influence is through writing. It’s a fun journey but one that sometimes means not much actually makes its way past a draft!! To make up for it, here’s a reallllly long one with lots of pretty pictures!
Anyyyyyway. If you follow me on social media or know me in real life, you probably know that I went on a little adventure last month to a place I’d never been before – Guatemala! Wahoo! This was my first time in Latin America as a “backpacker” (LOL) since previously I’ve visited with my family but stayed mostly on the resorts, hanging out on the beaches. This was a very different experience! I also got to travel with one of my best friends and we had just the most fun time. Fair warning, this post may just be a jumble of photos and little stories!
Last year I decided to stop talking and writing so much about desiring adventure and travel and just friggin’ do it. I went to Iceland by myself and it was a really freeing and wonderful experience that I think helped me grow a lot as a person. It’s that “shut up and go” attitude that I’ve tried to carry over into my everyday life since then, from spontaneous weekend trips to Montreal, to canoeing in new places, to trying out a new hobby, to “adventuring” in my own city to find new places to study and explore.
That said, there is something very unique about international travel that I simply love. I love the process of going from one place to another, the fact that I can sit down in this mental tube and a few hours later be someplace totally different. I love, love, love the process of planning and dreaming, only to find myself totally winging it when I get there.  I love meeting people I don’t interact with in my everyday life whether that means locals or other backpackers. I love the tension and being kept on my toes and having everything just be a little out of my hands. I love trying to practice new languages (I got out a little easy this time because Nick’s Spanish is a lot better than mine and he bailed me out a bit hehe!)
Not to mention, the world is crazy beautiful.
Suffice to say, Iceland lit a fire under my feet and had me checking flight prices all winter and spring. After a while, I realized that my cheapest option was probably going to be Guatemala. So I started telling all my friends that I was going and that they were invited. Some people showed interest, a couple seriously. Eventually my dear friend Nick agreed to come along and we booked flights. Over the next couple months we laughed often about the fact that we were ACTUALLY going to go.
Friend!! He put up with me being bossy and sick and bad at Spanish for a whole week! What a guy!!
So here’s 10 things I learned over reading week in Guatemala:
You can be as careful as you like, but you still might get sick. Nick and I were pretty careful about where and what we ate and drank because we had heard that lots of people get sick while in Guatemala (and developing countries in general) but OF COURSE, the day we were supposed to go hiking, we both ended up really sick with some kind of brutal stomach bug or food poisoning. It had us out for the count for a full day/day and a half and didn’t fully go away until more than a week after we’d been home. I actually got it worse a second time after we were home and had to take antibiotics. All that to say a) you can’t control these things and b) you can’t be bitter about it and let it ruin your whole trip. I did warn Nick on day 1 that if anything bad could happen, it would surely happen to me/us. Y’all know the deal #samproblems
    A real-life view of what travel sometimes looks like #dying
2. Travelling with a friend is very different than travelling alone. Not better or worse, just different. When I went to Iceland, I loved that I was totally in control of my own time and that I was only responsible for myself. Travelling with Nick, I suddenly was aware that all my decisions had to work for another person too! There was some tension with that because I had planned most of our trip and felt responsible for whether or not Nick had fun. At the same time, he is an adult and can take of himself. So it was interesting to figure out how to balance those things and how to travel together and how to let each other do their own thing but also be together most of the time. At the end of our trip we had a really good talk about communication and sharing planning responsibilities and how to learn from this trip for future adventures together!
Also, I noticed that I am more chill of a traveller than maybe I realized? I don’t really stress and stay pretty calm in situations that could become concerning and even though I knew that about myself, it was interesting to…notice I guess, what others find stressful about travel. Nick noticed things that I didn’t even think to be concerned about and it was good for both of us to balance each other out in that way because it forced me to consider things more carefully and question my assumptions and I encouraged him to relax a bit. On the flip side (this is going to sound very contradictory), I think I am still a pretty cautious traveller. Like I said, it’s a balance. I don’t act rashly but I also don’t worry once I have made a decision.
Overall, it was super nice to have someone with me along the way, especially since Nick is one of my best friends and he and I haven’t gotten much one on one time since moving out of residence in first year so our time together was really precious to me!
3. “Dangerous” is a relative term and a little common sense can go a long way. Speaking of stress or fear or danger and using common sense, I think it’s worth noting that I never felt unsafe in Guatemala. Before we went, several people voiced concern for us because statistically, Guat has high levels of crime. However that is mostly gang related and concentrated in the capital where we did not stay.  There was one situation in a taxi where Nick thought we were potentially in danger but that was more due to a miscommunication in Spanish than anything else and everything ended up being ok. One other time, we were told a particular hike was unsafe unless in larger groups due to reports of tourists being mugged which, just that stipulation made me a little nervous. But honestly, we never felt like we were in particularly dangerous place. On our part, we took some precautions like not wandering around at night or flaunting expensive things around. In general we found Guatemalans to be very welcoming people who were open to sharing their culture (although sometimes they were pushy sales people lol)
4. A week isn’t long enough to appreciate the complexity of a countries history, politics and culture. Honestly, I have little to say about this except to say that I regret not learning more about Guatemala’s history before I went, that I really loved how present and prevalent the Indigenous culture still was and that I am constantly amazed by my own ignorance to other countries’ political climates, even though I am studying international development.  I have so much to learn.
5. On that note, I’m still learning how studying development shapes my world view. I felt uncomfortable by how many people assumed my trip to Guatemala was to volunteer or do some kind of development work. Aside from the fact that I am still working through how I feel about “voluntourism”, the comments also felt a little accusative, as if my chosen field of study disallows me from travelling in the developing world for my own enjoyment. Yet, in a strange way, it does. Because of my education, I see things differently. I found myself hyper aware of my privilege as a visitor, painfully aware of my relative wealth. Although I am all for tourism because it is a source of income for many people, it’s impossible to visit Guatemala and not see the inequalities, the lack of drinkable water, the poverty.
Yet, as a student of development, I was ALSO really interested in the efforts I saw being made towards empowerment – Indigenous owned coffee companies, a newly opened restaurant that was part of a women’s co-op and vocational school, Spanish schools that teach the language through politics and education on colonial history. I could see small projects and changes happening. On my end, I am constantly learning and travel is just a small part of that. Even though this was a vacation and not an experiential learning opportunity, my education has changed the lens with which I travel and it continues to challenge the way I think and look at the world.
P.s. Like I said I have a lot of mixed feelings but a definition of voluntourism I would feel comfortable with would definitely involve way more awareness and knowledge of Guat than I had and would require longer term investment than one week – but that’s for another blog post.
6. Try to speak the local language. Just try a little. In Guatemala, you kind of had to know at least some Spanish. Although, in the villages, Spanish was actually the second language for many people who spoke one of 20+ Indigenous languages as a mother tongue! Although my speaking isn’t all that great, my comprehension in Spanish is ok and because of that, I got to barter and chat and hear bits of people’s stories – my favourite was talking to our taxi driver about swimming, a favourite activity we both shared. P.s. shout out to Nick for his Spanish skills saving me when I floundered 2 out of 3 times.
7. Backpacker culture is different in different parts of the world. Previously when I’ve stayed in hostels I have found it easy to make friends and fit into the backpacker culture. In Guatemala I found it more difficult to “fit in”. Many people I spoke to had very different perceptions than I do of what traveling looks like, what it’s purpose is and why one should do it. Although I love talking to people with different points of view, I found the backpacking culture in Guat to be a little toooooo “go with the flow” for me. Not that being flexible is bad but everyone I talked to seemed to be traveling indefinitely, with no plans and no purpose, to the point where some of them were rather rude about the fact that Nick and I were in school – because in their mind, school couldn’t possibly be about anything other than conforming to societal expectations. Along with this, I found many of them didn’t seem to understand that their ability to travel in this manner is not a way of fighting back against the capitalist societal norms but actually a result of their Western privilege – hanging out at a hostel for months on end means you are wealthy enough to travel and CHOOSE an alternative to the corporate world. I don’t mean this as a judgement or to paint all Central American backpackers in a bad light because obviously there are many types of people who travel for various reasons, it was just an overall attitude difference than what I have seen other places. That said, Nick and I did of course meet some really interesting people, from a new friend from Colombia to a group Irish girls on their grad trip to a really cool German couple and an older woman on a spiritual journey. Travel always, always, always opens my mind to the diversity of people.
8. 20 is apparently still too young to be travelling. When I was 19 in Iceland I was “just a baby”. Apparently going to Guatemala at 20 still warrants “awww”s and disbelief that young people can take airplanes without adult supervision
9. Splurge on some activities but don’t forget that just being present in a new environment is an amazing way to spend time. I absolutely adored going zip lining in a National Park and I am so glad we spent a day in Chichi at the largest market in Central America. But my favourite memory from our trip is when one morning we got up and went swimming in the volcanic lake. Here’s a little blurb I wrote in my journal that day:
“This morning when I got up, I looked out and saw nothing but trees. With only two walls and no electricity, our hostel room feels more like a secret club house than a bedroom. I got up and wandered down to the lake where the sky was clear and the tops of the volcanoes were visible, towering on the other side of the lake. Carefully picking my way along the boardwalk, I went to a quiet swimming place and jumped in, the clear, cold water enveloping me and then buoying me back up to the surface. As I turned back to shore,  I can hardly believe my eyes. Mountains reach up and up, covered in lush, dense jungle and spotted with coloured houses. Around the summits, fog swirls. Nick and I keep laughing because it honestly feels like we must be in a movie, it’s just so beautiful.”
The sheer joy of being a new place, seeing beauty I had never seen before, floating in blue water and laughing with my friend is a wonderful as any activity I could have planned. When travelling, make sure to take time to just be present in the place.
10. Travel always revives my sense of wonder and reminds me of God’s glory and creativity. Wow, wow, wow you guys. Guatemala is seriously incredible! And it just makes me want to see other places all the more. Seeing natural beauty and diversity always just makes me want to draw close to the Lord and praise Him for all He has created and blessed me with. One morning when I couldn’t sleep because I was sick, I went down and sat on a dock around 4am and sang worship songs as the sun rose up from behind the volcanos ringing the lake. It’s as beautiful as it sounds. Traveling around  and exploring Guatemala revived my child-like sense of wonder and made me grateful all over again for the world God created.
SO that’s about all I’ve got for now I think. I guess I had quite a bit to say! I’m just so grateful for the opportunities I have to explore and live life to the fullest. Thanks as always for reading, for putting up with my ramblings and for following me along on this ever changing, ever challenging, ever exciting and ever grander adventure.
Until next time,
Sam
It took a month but I finally blogged about Guatemala! #readingweek #samsgrandadventure Hey there my friends! How is everyone? So many drafts saved, so few posts published! The saga…
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Strasburg, Kershaw accidents could ramp up the pursuit of Yu Darvish - SweetSpot
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Strasburg, Kershaw accidents could ramp up the pursuit of Yu Darvish - SweetSpot
The early departures of Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg, and the probable repercussions relating to what could occur at the July 31 trade deadline, dominated the news on Sunday.
Kershaw still left after two innings with soreness in his decreased back again and is headed for the disabled checklist. Strasburg also still left after two innings, as a precautionary evaluate due to arm stiffness. We’ll find out a lot more about both pitchers as the week progresses, but if possibly problem proves critical it ought to certainly increase the volume of calls designed to Rangers basic supervisor Jon Daniels as the Dodgers and Nationals inquire about Yu Darvish.
It will make for a hectic 8 days for all worried. The Rangers are forty eight-50 and Darvish is a free of charge agent, but they are however just two.five video games out of the American League wild-card race and would adore to re-indication their ace in the offseason. On the other hand, you have a possibility to extract a high quality prospect for what will most likely be a unsuccessful playoff operate plus, you could do what the Yankees did with Aroldis Chapman — trade him and then re-indication him.
The Dodgers, who may possibly have been in the industry for a starting up pitcher in any case, will now have to make an educated guess on Kershaw’s back again and return day. Right after the game the lefty claimed, “Of course, I’m not optimistic, just since I bought taken out of the game,” even though he wouldn’t look at this personal injury to the herniated disk that forced him to miss out on two-plus months previous time. He was scheduled for exams with the team’s back again expert later on on Sunday.
The Nationals, in the meantime, downplayed Strasburg’s exit after he threw fifty one pitches and walked 3 batters, with Dusty Baker stating he had trouble finding unfastened. However, this is a guy with an considerable historical past of accidents (8 DL stints considering the fact that 2010), so it has to be a cause for issue. Both teams have big leads in their respective divisions, so they can find the money for to be as cautious as achievable with both men. But that July 31 day exacerbates the want to make a decision on their extended-term wellbeing heading into October.
If the Rangers do conclude up investing Darvish , an ace-level starter of his potential is a lot more important to a group now locked into a division title, considering the fact that you know you might be going to get one or two starts off from him in a five-game collection and perhaps two in a 7-game collection. A wild-card contender could miss out on the playoffs entirely or be one-and-completed, so a division leader ought to be inclined to give up a lot more for Darvish considering the fact that there’s a lot more probable value to be extracted from him.
The Dodgers’ playoff rotation would be Kershaw, Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Brandon McCarthy (who just strike the DL with a blister problem) or Kenta Maeda. Although the Dodgers guide the majors in rotation Period, as excellent as Wood has been, he is gone a lot more than 6 innings just 3 moments in 15 starts off. In the switching landscape of postseason pitching, Hill, McCarthy and Maeda are starters you would hope to get five innings from in the postseason. Without having Kershaw to carry a even larger workload, that would transfer a big burden to the bullpen.
The Nationals, third in the majors in rotation Period, would line up with the 1-two punch of Max Scherzer and Strasburg, plus Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark. Presented the condition of their bullpen — even with the modern acquisition of Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle — they are a group that demands a lot more innings from their starters, not fewer. Darvish would be an even even larger update for the Nationals specified Roark’s inconsistency this time (four.eighty three Period).
So the desire for Darvish may possibly have just enhanced, together with the cost to receive him. The odds now have to lean to the Rangers creating a trade.
One particular group that would not want a starter: The Indians have to be emotion excellent about the condition of their rotation after what transpired the earlier two days. Corey Kluber was pushed back again from a scheduled Friday commence due to a stiff neck, but the only issue he brought about on Sunday was whiplash to Blue Jays hitters after striking out fourteen in 7.two innings, tying the 2nd-ideal K overall of his vocation. Since returning from the DL on June 1, he is five-1 in ten starts off with a 1.fifty two Period, 108 strikeouts in seventy one innings and a .163 normal permitted. He is as excellent as any pitcher right now.
The even even larger final result was Danny Salazar‘s return on Saturday, his to start with commence considering the fact that May well 27. He threw 7 scoreless innings, making it possible for just one strike and no walks with 8 strikeouts. He threw seventy two p.c fastballs, reflecting the command and dominance he had of his heater. Quickly, a rotation of Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Salazar and Mike Clevinger (two.73 Period) looks like the ideal in baseball.
Of system, the Indians really don’t have a massive guide like the Dodgers or Nationals, so they may possibly be the one group on the lookout to trade for some offense. ESPN’s Buster Olney pointed out that with Carlos Santana continuing to battle (.740 OPS), maybe the Indians go after Yonder Alonso or another to start with baseman. Rookie center fielder Bradley Zimmer has cooled down after a very hot commence (.557 OPS in July with a 31 p.c strikeout level). Jason Kipnis is on the DL. The Indians continue to be the beloved in the AL Central with or devoid of a deal, but it appears to be like including Alonso would be a excellent transfer.
Astros see Zach Britton up close and individual: Britton closed out Baltimore’s nine-7 win over Houston, striking out two to report his to start with save considering the fact that returning from the DL in early July after missing two months with a sore elbow. He did wander Marwin Gonzalez, but strike 97 mph and his trademark sinker confirmed excellent lifetime. Olney pointed out a few days back that Houston was interested in Britton, and that can make perception if the Astros are inclined to take the possibility on his wellbeing. Their leading relievers all are right-handed, plus the bullpen hasn’t been as excellent the earlier few of months, like blowing a 7-6 guide on Sunday:
April: two.ninety one Period
May well: three.88 Period
June: five.fourteen Period
July: four.forty eight Period
Presented some uncertainty in the Houston rotation — Lance McCullers Jr. had his third straight very poor commence on Sunday and Dallas Keuchel remains on the DL — including even a lot more bullpen depth is a necessity, primarily if they really don’t receive a starter like Darvish or Sonny Gray. Assume of the gain of acquiring a healthier Britton matching up in the Planet Sequence in opposition to all these lefty hitters on the Nationals or Dodgers …
(By the way, Sunday’s save was Britton’s 55th in a row, breaking Tom Gordon‘s American League report. Eric Gagne holds the big league report with eighty four.)
Purple Sox simply call up Rafael Devers: The club’s leading prospect will join the group Monday in Seattle, and John Farrell claimed he’ll make his to start with commence on Tuesday in opposition to Felix Hernandez. The program is for Devers to commence in opposition to right-handers in the beginning, with Deven Marrero enjoying in opposition to lefties. Right after submitting a .944 OPS in Double-A, Devers strike .400 with two household operates in 9 video games at Triple-A Pawtucket. Purple Sox third basemen are hitting .228/.280/.320, position previous in the majors in wOBA Devers ought to certainly be an improvement on that creation.
Hitting a baseball is just not straightforward. So this transpired:
lol the GCL nationals no strike the GCL marlins in both video games of their doubleheader today pic.twitter.com/0Zk3qqUBct
— MLB Stats (@MLBRandomStats) July 23, 2017
Or maybe it is straightforward. Carlos Gomez type of pulled an Adrian Beltre in hitting the go-ahead household operate for the Rangers in the eighth inning of their 6-five win over the Rays:
When you enjoy limbo after hitting a go-ahead homer. https://t.co/Q1eQJ3OYsQ pic.twitter.com/qyP3lKslPx
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 23, 2017
I really don’t want to say the ball is juiced, but I imagine we are going to see a one-handed, damaged-bat household operate as a participant falls to his knee prior to the time is over.
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