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batwritings · 3 years

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Masterlist!

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~Dreamwastaken~

Fucking on Call pt1, pt2

L’Manburg Traitor

Safe Words

Dream and Sapnap pt1, pt2, Video Call

First Time With Dream

God Complex

Googly Eyes on Your Tits (headcanon)

Size Kink

Enderdragon!Reader (headcanons)

New Toy

Pegging

Eating Out and Overstim

Edging and Overstim

Competition ft Technoblade

German Reader (headcanon)

Horror Movies (headcanons)

Handcuffs and Blindfolds

Slime!Dream

Hunted

Poly!DT Pregnancy Scare

Poly!DT No Reward

CNC

Playing With Rods

Helping Reader Through Heat

Soft Dom and Puppy Boy

Sub Dogboy!Dream

A King’s Queen (SFW)

Dream Blob

Who’s the Best Boy Bunny? (ft Sapnap)

Racoon!Reader Heat

Rules for Their Sub (headcanons)

Poly!DT Manhunt

Sub!Dream Gets Caught

Pretty Boy ft Technoblade

Thigh Riding (headcanons)

Business Deal ft Schlatt

Sexual Tension

Sing For Me

Favorite Sniffs (headcanons)

~DreamXD~

Voice Kink

Jealous XD

Vocal Partner

Face-Sitting

Cuddles (fluff!)

Spit Kink

Pleasing a God ft GNF

Jealous + Spit Kink

Wing Kink

Fucking in Front of Dream

Voice Kink + Size Kink

Caught With a Toy

Pegging

Sharing with the Blood God

Courting Satan Reader

Size Kink First Time

Devout Follower

Breeding Kink

How to Break a God

Domming a God ft Foolish

Cockwarming

Dommed by Another God

Baby Time (headcanons)

Corruption Kink

~Sapnap~

Morning Sex

Angry Sex

Virgin Reader

Little Fire Demon (fluff!)

Favorite Hoodie

Dogboy!Sapnap

Googly Eyes on Your Tits (headcanon)

Taking Sapnap’s Virginity

Subnap

Enderdragon!Reader (headcanon)

Blaze Rods

Karlnap

Size Kink

Bunny!Reader

Oral Fixation

German Reader (headcanon)

More Blaze Rod Fun

Horror Movies (headcanons)

Poly!DT Pregnancy Scare

Poly!DT No Reward

Make Him Break

Dual V-Card Loss

Helping With T Injection

Play With Rods

Incubus!Sapnap

Burning the Door Down

Breeding and Daddy Kinks

Need to be Warm(SFW)

Who’s the Best Boy Bunny? (ft Dream)

Baby Time (headcanons)

Body Swapping

Rules For Their Sub (headcanons)

Poly!DT Manhunt

Cockwarming

Sleepy Sex

Size + Daddy Kink

Safe Word ft Karl

Visitation ft Quackity (fluff!)

Anime Binge (fluff)

Dogboy in Lingerie

Favorite Sniffs (headcanons)

~Georgenotfound~

Googly Eyes on Your Tits (headcanon)

Enderdragon!Reader (headcanon)

Dom!George

Horror Movies (headcanons)

Poly!DT Pregnancy Scare

Poly!DT No Reward

Playing With Rods

Arctic Fox!Reader in Heat

Cockwarming

Jealous Dad to Be

Rules for Their Sub (headcanon)

Poly!DT Manhunt

Riding Under the Covers

~Poly Dream Team~

Brat Reader

Voyeurism

Pregnancy Scare

No Reward

Roommates (fluff!)

~BadBoyHalo~ (Fluff Only!)

Favorite Sniffs (headcanons)

~Eret~

Googly Eyes on Your Tits (headcanons)

Betrayal (angst!)

Sucking off Sub!Eret

First Time Topping

Makeovers! (fluff!)

Taking Your V-Card

Degradation

Tailor

Overstimulation

Eret the Tease

Dumbification and Size Kink

Dom and Degradation

Dumb At the Red Banquet

Pegging

Mirror Sex

~Karl Jacobs~

Enderdragon!Reader (headcanon)

Horror Movies (headcanons)

Pretty Puppy

Baby Time (headcanons)

Sleepover Stream(fluff!)

Lazy Days (fluff!)

amab!dom For Karl

FemDom

Safe Word ft. Sapnap

~C!Technoblade~

My Little War Goddess

Biting

Don’t Get Caught

Size Kink

Fucking in His Cloak

Breeding Kink With M!Reader

Sensitive

Anime Body

BOOBS

Googly Eyes on Your Tits (headcanon)

You Are My Sunshine (fluff)

Praise Kink

Size + Breeding Kink

Techno’s First Time

Exercising

Overworked

First to Get You to Cum

Blood Kink

Fucking You With His Sword

Technoblade Solo

Jealousblade

Competition ft Dream

German Reader (headcanon)

Sub!Technoblade

No, You Cum First

Pegging

First Time Squirting

Stretch Marks (fluff!)

CNC

Aphrodisiacs

Cockwarming

Predator and Prey

Back Scratches

Oral on F!Reader

Getting Caught Getting Off

Hate Sex

Thigh Fucking

First Time

After a Long Day (SBI fluff)

Giving FTM Reader Love

Soft and Possessive

Dumbification and Size w/ Bunny

Whiny Techno First Time

Cockwarming and Gentle Sex

Maidnoblade

Make up Blowjob

Unknown Heat

Rules for Their Sub (headcanons)

Pretty Boy ft Dream

Make the Dick Go Brrr

Overstim M!Reader

Thigh Riding (headcanons)

Bunny’s Heat

Enderman S/O (headcanons)

Edging All Day

Sex With a Ghost

Get Together (fluff!)

Favorite Sniffs (headcanons)

~C!Schlatt~

God Complex

Size + Breeding with FTM!Reader

First Time

Cockslut Bunny Reader

Breeding and Praise Kink

Wake-up Call

Body Positive

Head Massage (fluff!)

Thigh Riding (headcanons)

Business Deal ft Dream

Bad Day

Chubby FTM!Reader First Time

Dumbification, Breeding, and Size Kink w/ FTM!Reader

~Awesamdude~

Help Him Relax pt1, pt2

Help With Nightmares

Size Kink

Nicknames (fluff!)

Ice Cream (fluff!)

Brat

Breeding

Praise Kink

Warden in the Bedroom

Interruptions

German Reader (headcanon)

Bath Time (fluff)

Possessive Size Kink

Sam in Rut

Sam Taking Your V-Card

Magic Tricks (fluff!)

Thigh Riding (headcanons)

I Missed You

~Foolish~

Breed the Bunny

Dumbificaton and Edging

Domming a God ft DreamXD

Magic Doll

~Fundy (Fluff Only)~

Help With Dysphoria

Bunny!Reader

Help With His Binder

~Philza (Fluff Only)~

Bird Trinkets

After a Long Day (SBI fluff)

Overworked

~Quackity (Fluff Only)~

Enderdragon!Reader (headcanon)

Date Day!

Horror Movies (headcanons)

Late Night Drive

Visitation ft Sapnap

~Wilbur Soot (Fluff Only)~

After Work Comfort

Conflict (angst!)

After a Long Day (SBI fluff)

Panic Attacks

Reunited

It Wasn’t Meant to Be (angst)

~Ranboo (Platonic Only)~

Visiting During a Stream

Calm You Down From a Panic Attack

Coming Out

~Captain Puffy (Fluff Only)~

Nothing yet!

#bat writes #mcyt smut #mcyt fluff #masterlist

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soniabigcheese · 3 years

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14th December - Let It Go

I know, I know. This ... technically isn’t a Christmas song. But please bear with me. My Muse has been at the mead again. I swear I locked the cabinet where all the booze is stored.

And now ... let this strange little story begin. Oh, and it’s just a story. Anything said here, is NOT a prediction as such ... it’s just fiction.

*******

Gordon was a special little boy. Heck, they all were in Lucy’s eyes, but Gordon especially.

Oh sure, they could all shape shift into their chosen animal forms - with the exception of Alan. He was a late developer.

So ... it was no surprise to see cats, dogs, even a bird, scooting around the old homestead.

But Gordon ... just HAD to be different.

When asked why he chose the form of a selkie, his response was ...

“Why not?” “But .. Gordon dear,” his mom tried to reason with him, “we are hundreds of miles away from water.” “There’s the bath tub,” he retorted, a very rare pout appeared on his usually cheery and smiling face.

She knew she’d lost this argument with her sunny little boy. The way she lost battles with the rest of them. Jeff said she was ‘too soft’. But she always maintained that ‘they were all individuals and couldn’t be shoe-horned into whatever mould he thought they would fit into.’

Jeff had to concede defeat there, as he saw she had a valid point.

Scott was a strong leader and was born to fly. He would do well in the Air Force. But he would have to want to do it. Being forced, would result in resentment.

Virgil ... such a quiet boy. Diligent, loved to tinker with things. A perfect peacekeeper if ever there was one. Would be ideal as either an engineer or in the Medical Corps. But ... he also had that stubborn streak, inherited from Lucy.

John ... with his nose stuck firmly into books. Jeff wasn’t sure where his son fit in. But he knew that John would be amazing anyways.

Alan ... was still a baby so his future was uncertain.

And then there was Gordon. An enigma unto himself. The hi jinks he got into. No wonder Jeff was going grey.

Oh yeah sure, this kid had a wild and colourful imagination. More so ... when he discovered grandma’s Disney collection....

... and ....

.... Frozen.

With THAT song that was played to death after the movie’s first showing at cinemas worldwide. Kids would drive their parents up the wall with repeated wailings of ... ‘Let it Go’

Many years later, and several re-releases, and that song was still going strong.

Until the Global Conflict put paid to all forms of entertainment, as the mother of all battles ground everything to a shuddering halt.

Yeah sure, there were pockets of people, desperate to keep morale going in times of great stress. But ... like most film companies ... Disney struggled.

Now ... where were we? Before I went down that path?

Oh yes. Gordon.

Not only was he an amazing shape shifter, he had a unique talent for bending and controlling water.

So, it made sense ... after watching Frozen for the umpteenth time ... that he thought he’d have a go at recreating certain scenes from the movie.

In the bath ... ... whilst singing this one particular song.

And was rather miffed when his arcs of water, didn’t turn into a more solid structure. Until Lucy gently explained ... before know-it-all John butted in ... that in order for the water to look like it did in that movie, it had to be a certain temperature.

She really didn’t want to kill off his enthusiasm by telling him that it was all a fantasy and couldn’t be done.

And that’s when he decided ... to ...

A. Be a selkie and B. Travel to the coldest part of the world to see if he could make frozen sculptures with his own hands.

He was shown many photos and a lot of video footage at the natural world and it’s amazing qualities. And the beautiful ice formations that had naturally been created.

Which led to yet another of Gordon’s passions.

The environment and his desire to help to save it

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #gordon tracy #lucy tracy #advent calendar adventures #shape shifting

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rogue-seeker · 3 years

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file: mind conflicted, networked bodies

tw: Starscream being bastard and pushing boundaries, Soundwave being creepy Soundwave, body weirdness

Note: This takes place in the NEST base arc of Rogue Seeker before Skywarp and co. show up. Hexbolt is an OC, an uploaded human mind who inhabits a network of drone bodies and fought against the Autobots in the Invasion three centuries prior.

---

"Fascinating, this plethora of bodies."

Starscream grinned and commented as kha purveyed Dr.Hex's collection of drones with gleaming optics. It wasn’t hard to get into the old workshop, after all Starscream was former SIC of the Decepticons and sparkbonded to khyr ship, The Nemesis, kha had bypass codes for all of nir chambers.

The Organic Intelligence, Hexbolt and NEST had moved into the ship centuries prior, but their inferior tech hadn’t unlocked most of the locked rooms. Still, their...occupation was enough that places like this drone workshop now existed.

Kha holographic crest pricked up in interest.

There was the near-human replicant frame, winged and tailed. It was curled in a nest of blankets and pillows on a shelf-loft with human-sized tools, furniture and living quarters with a small kitchenette and a bathing area. It’s breathing was shallow and slow. Starscream took a mild note on the differing scales that the Organic Intelligence used for their differing sized bodies

Tucked away into shelves and cubbies on the shelf-loft was the smaller frames. Kha sneered at the drones in the shape of organic Terran insecticons and fictional ones like the creepy food insecticons from Bugsnax. Artificial birds and small mammals stared at khyr with dead eyes.

On the wall above the sleeping replicant, was the unmoving Kafka-esque drone, in the visage of an Earth roach, its wings crowned with a human face.

Starscream’s holographic feathers flattened against khyr helm in disgust and kha swept khyr holo tail feathers over the roach drone in reflex.

[Starscream: Explain presence.]

Soundwave’s private message burned in the lower right corner of khyr HUD.

Starscream spunned on khyr heel and looked in the darkest corner of the workshop. Ah, there.

Soundwave, keeping sentinel. Zir pigment nanites had shifted to be pitch-black and zir biolights was off. Ze was nothing but a mech-sized silhouette, their visor flashed in the darkness.

[I just need to ask them something, Soundwave. Nothing to worry your pretty helm over.]

Soundwave didn’t reply, but kha could tell they were recording.

Starscream shook khyr helm and turned around. Kha paid zir no heed, let zir go back to being the silent one.

The network was silent, each drone body had empty eyes and dim optics.

Starscream wasn't sure if anyone was home.

Just because the near-human replicant was breathing, didn’t mean there was a mind to pilot it.

Soundwave's presence had a way of ensuring that Hex wasn't around, let alone in what was their private quarters.

There was only one way to find out.

Starscream picked khyr way past several old mechframes, while Soundwave's helm slowly turned to watch khyr movements.

Sitting against the wall was an old familiar drone frame, it leaned against the wall, its four hands clasped in its lap as its legs were outstretched before it.

"Ah, I remember this one. The satellite-former that my darling Skywarp once built, based off that ancient extinct codeline. You used to own this as a drone, Soundwave."

Ze did the barest of nods.

Khyr talons reached out to caress the side of the helm. Kha remembered Skywarp craving violence and metal to grow that frame.

It's faceless visor flashed and its engines rumbled and its vocalizer crackled.

DESIST

The frame boomed out, sounding exactly like Soundwave when angered.

In the corner, Soundwave's data cable unfurled.

In a flash, the Satellite frame leapt to its feet and slapped the data cable away, its own talons glinted.

DESIST

"Ah, so someone is home!" Starscream smirked, khyr own denta flashed in the dim lighting.

"You're an ass. The hell you want!? I was sleeping." Hexbolt said.

"Ah, is that anyway to speak to your elders? After how I settled the status issues between you and Soundwave here?"

Hexbolt turned on their heel and tilted its helm, EM field tense and tight against their frame.

Starscream just cackled.

"You really are like Soundwave, even moving your helm like zir."

Hex just flexed their claws. " Yeah and without me, you wouldn't even be awake with a working body. I doubt you came here to compare the two of us. What is it?"

Soundwave nodded in approval in the background.

Starscream knelt down and picked up the toaster body from its cubby on the shelf-loft. It warbled in annoyance. "I see this little one's currently connected."

The toaster pouted on its screen.

Its little nubby legs flailed.

Soundwave's data cable snaked its way from zir corner to the back of Starscream's neck, kha could hear the slow spin of its tines whir menacingly.

Heh.

Hex folded their arms, all four of them, and silently watched, the visor had the recording mark. No doubt they were studying the dynamics between khyr and their adopted parent.

Starscream gently ran khyr talons over the toaster body and handed Hexbolt's small drone body to the satellite frame. Handing them back to themself. The toaster warbled in appreciation at being back with theirself.

Soundwave's threat didn't relent.

Behind a giant isopod body, several fryder drones watched warily. Kha reached out for them and they skittered underneath.

Another data cable reached out, this one aimed for the base of khyr helm, the tines on this data cable spun even faster.

The old satellite frame ex-vented as the toaster body wriggled itself free. It nubbled its way over to Soundwave, who picked it up with gentle spindly digits.

It chirruped happily.

The satellite frame's claws started to crackle.

"Both of you get out. I went to sleep. Alone for a reason." Hexbolt turned to look at Soundwave, both faceless visors stared straight at each other.

The toaster whined sadly.

Both satellite-mech and toaster eyed each other, a silent battle of wills.

Starscream chuckled.

"Mind conflicted, aren't you? A part of you wishes to stay with Soundwave and recharge like a good sparkling, the rest of you is determined to stay independent and free of flock and adopted creator."

Whirring tines started to slow.

Soundwave's grip on the toaster tightened and the toaster nestled in zir grip.

The satellite frame backed away from both of them and turned their back on both of them.

"Out."

The toaster beeped.

"Yes, that includes you!"

Hexbolt's satellite frame looked over their shoulder. "Well?"

Soundwave nodded, and zir data cables withdrew back into zir now glowing frame. Ze picked up the toaster to its helm and it nuzzled the Voidwing's chin.

Soundwave stalked out the doorway, zir e-m field flickered happily.

"Fascinating. With your network, both your wishes came true. Independence and a good snuggle." Starscream laughed.

"I told you to leave."

"Ah, I need a favor of you."

"Right, when you harassed me awake." Starscream purred and khyr tone became silky.

"It's for science."

Hexbolt's turned around and leaned against the wall, arms crossed and right leg planted on the wall behind them. Their faceless helm cocked in interest.

"Okay, you bastard, I'm listening."

"This frame, you built. " Khyr claws swept over khyr frame. "It's flawed."

Hexbolt sagged a little as they hunched over and their most outer two arms tapped their claws against the wall.

"....I'm not surprised. You are the first and only Cybertronian I've tried to revive. My old mech prototypes fell apart, until that modified Thunderbolt jet came together."

Starscream's smirk grew.

Khyr holo tail feathers slowly curled around the once human drone network in front of khyr. The lack of belligerent debate was surprising but welcome. So different then from dealing with Megatron.

"Yes, you see the problem then."

Their faceless visor recorded the hypnotic movement of khyr holo feathers.

"At least that works, eh? I got the holographic feathers down. That took a while."

Starscream tsked. "Actually."

Hexbolt's helm dipped down.

"It's missing a whole spectrum of color, in the UV range. Among others that don't come naturally to your biological cameras."

"...I see. I was guessing from old video and simulations ran on my network. You understand. The few surviving cybertronian appliances aren't really interviewable."

Starscream nodded. "Still impressive for a species with your limitations. But you know." Kha said, airily.

"It's limiting your communication opportunities. The missing range is a disability. Though....do you even need that to communicate with Soundwave?" Hexbolt's helm looked straight up at Starscream, it bored into khyr, despite the younger network being half khyr size in that form.

Starscream scowled and khyr holo feathers flashed neon blue, the color of life, energon, and rage.

"No. Zir codeline didn't rely on holographic displays for communication."

The ex-Winglord reached out with a claw and gently tapped on the face-screen.

"This? They used."

Hexbolt raised an arm and pushed away khyr claws as Starscream laughed softly.

Hexbolt straightened their back and looked straight up at Starscream, with that eerie blank face. Unlike Soundwave, they never displayed anything to the adult Cybertronians. Kha had only seen them display to other humans and khyr shared creations with Soundwave.

"I'll send you some textbooks on human consent and you send me what you need fixed. Display an understanding of human consent culture and I'll start on your new improved form."

Starscream's optics shuttered.

Hexbolt continued, "Deal? Can't be that hard, Winglord. Just some simple reading you need to get done, while I have to build a whole-"

Starscream scowled. "Please. While your work is quite admirable for your species, I'll still be supervising and giving aid as needed."

"Of course, such supervision and aid doesn't need face tapping. Unless there's some form of cultural meaning, I'm not aware of." Hexbolt looked Starscream up and down. "Now get the fuck out of my workshop, unless you want to know why I survived the Autobot Purges."

Starscream's optics narrowed along with the glowing optics on their holographic feathers.

Khyr crest flattened against khyr helm, streaked with irritated grey. "This will be a fruitful venture, yes? I'm more then happy to let Soundwave know of your progress and emotional state."

Hexbolt stiffened.

"Yes, ze will be quite pleased to know that you agreed to work with me on this." Starscream smiled and slowly sauntered out of the workshop.

The door slid behind khyr as Hexbolt's blank face screen recorded khyr.

-end-

#soundwave #starscream #hexbolt #arc: nest base #maccadam #my writing #rogue seeker canon

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metalgearkong · 4 years

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Ghost of Tsushima - Review (PS4)

9/21/20

Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, released July 2020

Let’s not beat around the bush: Ghost of Tsushima may be my favorite game of this console generation, and one of my favorite games of all time. This is a massive samurai tale crammed with unforgettable moments, characters, and environments. After finishing this game, I felt like I had been through no less than the peak samurai experience in any entertainment medium. Never before have I stood up and given a standing ovation for a video game upon the credits rolling. While feeling complete and filled to the brim, there are small technical aspects that do have room for improvement in the potential sequel. Sucker Punch came out of nowhere and knocked the world on its ass with a fantastic stylized epic feudal Japanese journey, one I can never forget.

Ghost of Tushima is open-world, easily comparable to The Witcher 3 or a modern Ubisoft title. What Ghost of Tsushima brings to the table is its incredibly realized medieval Japanese world, to the same extent Red Dead Redemption brought the mythic American Wild West to life. Authenticity can be found in every corner, and I set the game for Japanese voices and English subtitles to extend the immersion (something I can’t recommend enough). The Mongols have invaded Japan, and their first stop is Tsushima island. The samurai here are all that stops the massive army from reaching the mainland. The details themselves might not be perfectly accurate to 1274 Japan, but the world itself is consistent, which is what’s most important.

The game begins with a huge battle, as we take control of our main character Jin Sakai (Daisuke Tsuji / Kazuya Tsuji) right away. An orphan raised to be a samurai by his uncle Lord Shimura (Eric Steinberg / Akio Otsuka), Jin holds guilt and shame for not being able to save his father in battle when he was young, and strives to be the best warrior possible. The explosive intro gives us a quick intro to the open combat, and leads in to a fairly typical tutorial, adding in brief lessons on stealth, and using evasive tactics & tools. I remember how panful the combat first felt, as each strike looked like something akin to a samurai film. The main villain and leader of the Mongols Khotun Khan (Patrick Gallagher / Tsutomu Isobe) establishes himself as a despicable person, and someone totally opposite to the samurai honor-bound code of combat. He wants to conquer Tushima by any means necessary, and Jin is the only one willing to adapt his fighting style to combat this new dishonorable and overwhelming threat.

Jin Sakai is closer to a Geralt, rather than a blank slate avatar character of a Fallout or Elder Scrolls game; He has a specific personality, background, and motivation. Part of the overarching story is Jin learning to rely on tactics he would normally frown upon in order to stand a change against the Mongol forces. This is something his uncle highly detests and forbids Jin to do, leading to a secondary conflict in the story. This is useful for also explaining in the gameplay why the player can either face enemies out in the open, or scurry around and stabbing them in the neck. Of course, most players will do a bit of both, and whatever suits the situation of how you’re feeling in the moment. The best part is, it’s not an binary dilemma, as open combat and stealth can be used completely intermixed at any time.

Personally, one of my favorite parts about the game was unlocking and finding new apparel and color schemes for my outfits. This game (eventually) allows you to dress anywhere from humble peasant, to shinobi of the night, to fully armored samurai warrior. My only nit pick is I wish the game gave you more cosmetic options to buy or find earlier in the game, as I felt limited to just a few outfits and accessories at first. There’s nothing more awesome than manually sheathing your sword after slicing up a dozen grunts, all the while your cape and robes aggressively blowing in the wind. The game allows you to manually bow and play a flute as well, adding the immersion of every moment of the game. You travel the huge island via horseback, and can summon your horse at any instance with the push of the button. I also love how quickly you pick up items, by merely pushing R2. No needless animations or time spend slowing the momentum for the sake or grit or realism.

One of the most unique aspects of the game is using the wind as your guide. If you really wanted to, you’d never have to open your map to know how to get to your current quest. Simply swipe up on the touch pad, and the wind blows in the direction you need to go (the game doesn’t even feature an in-game minimap or radar). This kicks up leaves, twigs, sand, and other particles which add greatly to the visual appeal of the game, and help make you feel closer to the environment itself. Adding to this is how foxes and birds can lead you to hidden secrets, upgrades, or new gear. With so few HUD elements, focus on paying attention to the environment, and the gorgeous lighting and scenery, Ghost of Tsushima gave me to many moments where I felt spiritually uplifted in its world. Despite not having the budget of a super high end Naughty Dog or Rockstar game, Ghost of Tsushima remains one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played, and much of that leans on the art style and environmental effects alone.

Missions are equally entertaining whether they come from a main character or minor character you happen upon. Most quests may involve (but aren’t limited to) tracking, fighting, sneaking, climbing, riding, and spying. I especially enjoyed quests with specific limitations, such as having to remain undetected and not to kill any guards. Eventually, however, due to the game’s long length, some of the missions do start to show their repetitiveness, and I don’t think it would have been horrible if the overall run time was 10-15% shorter. I also enjoyed the fact that so much effort was put into side activities that feel serene and peaceful, akin to the Buhddist and Shinto side of being a samurai. Composing haikus and bathing in hot springs to increase your total health felt very much in the spirit of a Bushido lifestyle; always a calm in between the storms of violence. The fact that not all side content is action oriented was a very neat and authentic detail.

Samurai duels were some of my favorite parts of the game. Occasionally Jin would come across an opponent or rival with legitimate swordsmanship skills, and has to face them in an arena. These locations where the duels would take place never failed to be more epic than the next. Duels act like boss fights in the game, and incorporate similar combat to the regular open world combat--only Jin can’t use secondary items such as kunai, his bow, or smoke bombs. These moments were ripe for the photo mode, something I used throughout this game constantly, as its packed with incredible environmental design and lighting effects to make almost every moment and location feel like a living painting. Samurai duels were usually never very difficult, including the ending boss fights, but they always looked awesome and felt damned satisfying.

The game does suffer from some minor technical glitches, but these small drawbacks mean next to nothing compared to how impressively the rest of the game was designed and executed. Frequently I would approach an enemy group and want to initiate a stand off (the samurai version of a high noon cowboy duel) but the game either didn’t give me the option or the option blinked on screen for only a moment and I was unable to do it. Something similar would happen for stealth kills, as sometimes instead of doing the assassination animation when prompted, Jin just did a regular slash attack instead, blowing my cover. Situations like this didn’t happen often, but were consistent enough to notice. I give Sucker Punch a huge pass on these small technical details, as they never ruined my experience of the game, remaining small frustrations on occasion.

Ghost of Tsushima is a greatest hits of iconic feudal Japanese visuals, sounds, tropes, settings, and themes. Countless details build upon this heightened version of Japanese history, making this game an all in one interactive Kurosawa film. Everything from the sword duel boss fights, to the multiple fighting stances, to the stealth, to the nature surrounding you, everything has been executed with extreme skill and thoughtfulness. It can have its small moments showing a lack of polish either in the visuals or mechanics, but Sucker Punch more than accomplished what they set out to do. Ghost of Tsushima is the best PlayStation 4 exclusive, and by far one of my favorite games of all time. If you have any interest in the open world genre, and love the Japanese culture and art style, Ghost of Tsushima likely won’t let you down. An amazing adventure wreathed in katanas, honor, blood, wind, and cute foxes.

9.5/10

#ghost of tsushima #ghostoftsushima #jin sakai #PS4 #exclusive #sony #Playstation #Playstation 4 #playstation4 #review #playstation exclusive #open world #feudal japan #samurai #ninja #shinobi #honor #betrayal

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hillbillyoracle · 4 years

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Dealing with Stress When You Live in a Rough Place

This isn't necessarily tarot or shadow work, but I wanted to write a little bit about strategies I've found useful for dealing with my neighborhood in it's current state. All of this can apply to managing stress generally but I'm focusing on folks in my boat. I'm incredibly sleep deprived so it's going to be rambly - I'm warning you now. But hopefully this helps someone.

I've shared a little bit about what's been going on in other posts; we hear shootings at least weekly, people will play loud music so loud the window rattle really late at night, all out brawls have broken out in the parking lot, our neighbors bang against the walls even in the middle of the night, most our neighbors have made it clear they don't like us because we're gay, we've had our car broken into at least 2 in the last month, kids have taken to beating our cars with sticks, climbing on and under them, screaming in front of our house, beating on our door and running off - like y'all it's a lot!

I talk about this so folks can know where I'm coming from. Some folks read this and they're horrified, some folks are going to read that and be like fuck that's tame. How hard a situation looks really does depend on what your normal is and how you were raised. For me, it's pretty intense. I was raised in out in the country so I didn't grow up living really close to people like I have to here in the city. And country neighborhoods have their own brand of rough, do not underestimate it, but most of what I've compiled here is going to be about living in close proximity with other people in areas with high crime rates.

Mindset Shifts

The Sooner You Accept Your Lack of Control - The Better

And I mean really accept it. Not just intellectually understanding that there's not anything you can do, but getting as okay with that as you can manage. For folks who are already traumatized that's a whole lot harder to do. Living in a space that traumatizes you daily will also make that harder as time goes on. But it's been some of the most important work I've done while living in a place that this. Sometimes I cope by being very public about what I'm going through, sometime I cope by

Sensory Management is Not a Luxury, It is a Necessity

This has become overwhelmingly clear to me that sensory overload in rough neighborhoods is a wildly underdiscussed health issue. There's measurable health differences in people who are exposed to a lot of noise versus those who aren't. I'm autistic so this is something I have to do just to function but I've seen a huge shift in my girlfriend's mental health since living here too. Take it seriously and try to attend to it just like you would any other health concern, making it a part of your routine. This is where adapting Polyvagal strategies has come in handy.

Good is Still Good Even If There's a Ton of Bad

There are very few moments of pure joy in a neighborhood like this. One of the reasons that a gratitude practice has been genuinely helpful is that it's shown me how much good can get swept away in the tidal wave of crap in a place like this. So that I don't feel helpless or internalize how worthless places like this are designed to make you feel, I try to resist by reflecting on the good. IT helps me feel like my life still has meaning while I'm living here and it's not a waste to be right where I am right now.

I Am Not Failing Myself For Not Getting Sleep, Food, Safe, Etc

I'm lucky that we've been good on food but sleep and safety have been in short supply. I realized I often felt like I was a bad person for being in this situation where I couldn't sleep, I criticized myself for not being able to sleep through all the noise and getting worked up. I have to remind myself daily that I'm not failing myself for what I can't really control. I'm not a bad person because of what people around me choose to do.

Polyvagal Strategies Adapted

Nature

Ideally, when you're trying to regulate your nervous system, you'd want to get out into nature more. It's just flat out not accessible or safe to do so here. I'm lucky that my room faces a nice tree and when I'm getting stressed, I take some time to just sit and really look at it. I try to notice the details. I also really enjoy feeding birds on my window sill. I invested in a big bag of bird seed with some Christmas money that's lasted me at least a year now but I used to get bags for about 5 dollars at Kroger. If you can't get close to nature, lure it to you.

Need something totally free? You can also pull up livefeeds of bird feeders on YouTube. I used to watch them when I couldn't walk to put out birdseed. Still very helpful. Nature cams in general are great. Put on a nature doc like Planet Earth. Change your computer and phone backgrounds to have natural landscapes. Even just sketching landscapes and having landscape are around your space can help.

If you can buy some soil, dig some up, or swipe some from a public garden bed, you can grow some small plants on your window sill. You can grow a lot of seeds from vegetables and some fruits you get at the store. You can also collect seeds from trees and try to grow them (it's difficult, plant several at a time). Take cuttings of plants you can identify as safe. Extension services will also sometimes send seeds for free. Taking care of a plant really helps us spend more time in the restorative part of our nervous system.

Sound

At the intersection of sound and nature is nature noises. If you're trying to block out your neighbors anyways, nature noises are the best option. I've had the best luck rain and storm sounds. Water noises in particular have a calming effect on our nervous system. If I really need to block something out I'll layer a rain generator over some music I like (rain sounds + Elliot Smith = a vibe).

Music in general can have different activating and calming effects on our nervous system. Pay attention to what music activates you and makes you more likely to be in conflict with people when you listen to it and what music makes you more social. Physically relaxation is harder for me personally to gauge. As a person with trauma I can't always tell when my body is relaxing or not. So paying attention to how I treat others helps me check myself.

Temperature + Touch

When we're warmer, we tend to feel more socially connected than when we're cold. Put on some extra clothes, pile on the blankets, take a bath, or grab a space heater if you have one. It's worth increasing the temp a little if you're stressed. Too hot and we can begin to feel crowded out. So if you're feeling the need to flee, it's worth trying to cool off a little. I usually do this by splashing some cool water on my face.

While we crave touch from others, touch from ourselves also helps calm our nervous systems! Jin Shin Jyutsu has been super helpful for me. There are a few videos online. I recommend searching Facebook for a woman local to me - Jennifer Bradley. I took one of her in person classes before the pandemic and it's been very helpful especially around sleep. I think the only place she's got her recent videos up is on her Facebook page but they're worth tracking down. She's a very good teacher and just a very soothing presence in general.

There's some evidence that just imagining being hugged or held is calming on the nervous system. Some goes for imagining ourselves out walking in nature. Don't be afraid to spend time daydreaming!

Breath + Movement

A lot of unsafe neighborhoods make common advice like going for a walk completely out of the question. However, even just moving more around your space can help. Yoga has been very helpful to me. My partner finds bodyweight exercises really help her. Any movement you feel good doing counts. Including movement you imagine yourself doing as well.

Breathing is movement, or seems to have a similar effect at least. I really recommend checking out a few breath work strategies to use. You've always got your lungs on you so it's easy to use. I like the in for 4 counts, hold for 7, release for 8 pattern. Breath is a direct line to the nervous system and I try to do a breathing pattern several times a day just to regroup.

Cognitive Strategies

Journal Like Your Life Depends on It

I'm not joking. TMS journaling - journaling stream of consciousness very intensely for about 20-30 minutes and then destroying what you've written - has been key not only to me surviving this place but having fewer Fibro flares than when I was living in much calmer places. But honestly all journaling is helpful. I've been keeping a daily journal in Notion and that alone has been helpful. Making sure I've gotten as much as possible off of my mind throughout the day has helped so much. Find a journaling strategy that allows you to take the cognitive load of (or a few) and practice them as often as you can. Not into journaling? I used to take videos of myself talking into the camera and save or delete them depending on whether I wanted to come back to them. Are words rough? Draw your feelings or scenes as you saw them.

Find the Story That Works

There are a bunch of conflicting ideas about what the right view of trauma and the story of it is. I personally really hate any narrative that places me as a victim. For better or worse, I like to look at what I've learned in any giving situation. So in my current situation, when I'm overwhelmed, I remind myself that I'm only getting a glimpse of what some people in places like this go through. It's increasing my empathy and expanding my awareness which allows me to better serve others. It's made me more committed to keeping my materials accessible over profiting. There's been a lot of benefit when I frame it that way. And that works for me. If that story isn't helpful for you - work to find a frame to narrate your experiences - as they're happening - that help you feel more whole.

Conclusion

I'm not sure if these strategies will work for other people but I wanted to at least have something out there than people could hopefully find if they're struggling with the same thing. Basically, if you can't fix it - manage it. Find ways to make the experience less traumatic if you're able to. Manage your sensory input. Do what you can with what you have where you are. Too many folks will tell you that you absolutely have to change your material circumstances before you can address mental health but for many of us that's just not possible. Or in the words of one of my favorite Buddhist teachers, Robina Courtin, "If you can do something, do something, but if you can't, what are you going to do?"

#polyvagal theory #trauma #urban poverty #coping methods #coping mechanism

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lincolnonline · 4 years

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BASICS

Full Name: Lincoln Antonio Clarington-Smythe

Nickname: Link, L.A

Birthday: 12th of March

Age: Twenty

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Hometown: Westerville, Ohio.

Residing: New York City

Sexuality: Homosexual

Occupation / Activities: Self-employed.

LIKES/DISLIKES

LIKES: horror movies, archery, trashy early 2000’s clothes & music, wearing copious amounts of strawberry lip gloss before kissing someone, starting twitter drama, reading people their horoscopes from teen magazines, running for the bus in his heels just to prove he can,

DISLIKES: coffee, fake-deep music, desaturated colors, snitches, boring romantic period pieces, family members who buy him watches and cologne when they know very well he wants more monster high dolls to add to his collection, critics who don’t get his movies,

TL;DR BIO

The son of Sebastian & Hunter Clarington-Smythe and the most expensive ( and conventionally good looking ) surrogate they could find, Lincoln is always doing his best to both represent his family and break the mold. In high school, Link was known for causing trouble and being promiscuous, and now that he’s out in the world....nothing has changed. With his dads paying for his every whim and a half-decent budget, Link is preparing to create bigger & more ambitious film projects and has found himself in New York in order to gain inspiration.

FULL BIO

Lincoln’s knows exactly how great his life is. He’s rich, he’s pretty, he’s talented, he’s smart. He really got lucky in the everything department and he’s proud of it. Even as a kid, Link knew how to get what he wanted. He threw the best birthday parties, had the coolest clothes, made sure his opinion was louder than everybody else. And while his dads could see right through it, it got him pretty high up on the elementary school hierarchy.

Everything about Lincoln’s life was both the biggest moment of the century while also being extremely uneventful. When he came out as gay in seventh grade everyone talked about it, but no one really cared. When the ( true ) rumor went around that Link had accidentally shot an arrow literally into two birds at once during archery practice it became a running joke at school for a hot second before being promptly forgotten. Link didn’t like that one bit. While he didn’t really want to have his name in people’s mouths for the wrong reason, he didn’t want to be just another guy. High school was going to be his chance to make sure he was a someone.

With his fathers already having left a less than stellar reputation when they had attended Dalton, Lincoln had practically been guaranteed a spot on the Warblers. Lincoln wasn’t very passionate about singing and dancing...or at all, really, but he still showed up to rehearsal when it didn’t conflict with his schedule of fucking around and bringing a spare change of clothes to school so he could take dramatic pictures on the school staircases. As far as Link is concerned, until the Warblers do a song that he can actually get hype too, he doesn’t care whether they win or lose.

During his freshman year, Lincoln developed his love for horror movies after catching Saw 3-D on TV one day when he was home sick. It was stupid and the acting was awful and the story made no sense and the violence was gratuitous and he loved it. He couldn’t help but take note of how everyone in these gore movies were boring and white and straight so asked his dads for an early Christmas present and bought himself a half-decent video camera and starting creating his own short horror films. They were more of a trial-and-error of special effects than real movies but they were a lot of fun. And if he could get himself a job after he graduated high school so he could buy some high quality equipment and advertising, he could easily make the next big queer cinema cult classic. It sounded like a solid plan.

After getting kicked out of Dalton his junior year, Link truly found himself at McKinley. And while he wasn’t a huge fan of dealing with the slushing and stupid Glee club drama, he stuck with the club until his graduation. Or lack off. During this time, Link was also working on his first feature film and that unfortunately meant that Link skipped a lot of classes and by the time senior year came to a close, he didn’t have the attendance to graduate. Not that it really mattered because Link didn’t plan on going to college. Link took the first edit of ‘Conversion Camp Slaughterhouse Blood-Bath Blitz Part 1: Lights Out At Eight’ and a bag to New York city and entered it to as many film festivals he could. While reception was...mixed in terms of the theme and the painfully long title, Link knew it was only the beginning and begged his dads for

#crhq:intro

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alfietelevision · 4 years

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Sun in Aquarius Tarot Reading Pick A Paragraph

Sun in Aquarius Newsletter

By AlfieTV

Pick A Paragraph

1|2|3|4|5

Pick a Paragraph Instructions:

Close your eyes, breathe in and out, ask for clarity, then select a number between 1-5. That number is the paragraph in which you need to read. If you feel drawn to another paragraph read that too.

Services Available:

(Paypal/Cashapp/Google Pay/Zelle/Venmo Accepted)

$5 - One Card Pull (One Paragraph and Advice

$25 - Full One Question Tarot Reading (Video or 2 Page Article w/Advice)

$15 - Rising, Sun, Moon Tarot Reading (Two Paragraphs per Sign, w/Advice at the end)

This Weeks Special Services (They Don’t Always Exist):

$45 - Full Monthly Newsletter Personalized for You (Week by Week, One Advice Column per Week)

$25 - 7-Day Love Forecast (w/ Advice and Tips for the Week)

(For more services and information, please message me on any social media site with AlfieTV/DiamondsbyLolito)

Paragraph One

This new sun cycle is calling you to let go of lost causes. Things in your life that haven’t been going fair have kept you in a bit of a straight jacket. You feel uneasy, paranoid, and secretive. This could have came from a financial loss, a missed emotional connection, conflict, or a selection of these. But at the end of all this pain is good karma. Something good is comign in to reward you for the hard work that you’ve been put through. This will be a time of peace and harmony, but this comes on the wings of a lot of reflection. Heal your wounds.

Advice: Take a warm bath, really sit there and feel the water, let it massage the pain away. Drink lemon water, and add cinnamon to your morning coffee or tea. Spend three more minutes outside a day than you do, if you’re really feeling that type of thing, spend thirty minutes meditating outside every day. Take pictures. Read more books. Watch romance novels and laugh more. Do something completely out of your routine. Try to be nice to strangers, but use discernment.

Paragraph Two

Past resentments and heartbreak have led you on a path of healing and possibly even on a new emotional adventure. Take this lust for life and turn it to the outside world. Use your voice, and don’t be afraid to clear the air on things that shrowd your vision. Spend more time convincing yourself than convincing the masses. Now is not the time to be fickle, put your feet firmly on the ground and demand your joy. There is good fortune coming for you, so your stamina will be reinforced with the luxuries of change.

Advice: Order in take out. Take your favorite pair of boots out the closet and wear them out on the town. By new sweaters. Do your makeup like you really want to do it. Burp. Walk around and throw your weight around. Meditate three times a day, five minutes a day. Create a quora account and observe intellectual discussion. Watch how to cook videos on Youtube. Think about enrolling in combat classes. Goof around.

Paragraph Three

Where once there was a lot of upheaval, conflict and disaster between two lovers there is now room for peace, joy, and harmony. Eye feel as if there was a lot of high karmic lessons learned between you and another person. Things that made you transform and grow in ways that you couldn’t have experienced any other way in the right way. There’s a sense of comfort and familiarity in this relationship that it’s hard to shake. Maybe there was a woman in this relationship who was a bit more reckless and dishonest than kind and understanding. This woman is changing, and becoming a bit more stable in her power. She’s learning and growing. Even if this woman is just a part of you and your soul’s story, it’s still something that is being completed. At the handle of this situation, there’s a sense of hell when you dive deep into the past pain, the trauma, and all of that. But there’s a message coming in about there needing to be an end to the victim-victimizer argument. It’s not something that is productive or even stable in this situation and will only cause you more discomfort if it continues. Maybe let go of this love, and if it is a good love, it will come back naturally. Letting go doesn’t mean never talking to this person again, it just means you become a neutral observer and let the energy go, trying not to control it.

Advice: Call your mom or a maternal figure in your life and let them in on your life. Go over to your best friends house and forget about boys and girls for a night. Write a long letter to your past self and congratulate them on getting this far. Say goodmorning to someone you don’t talk to enough. Add a desert to your next meal. Try to go for a walk or run early in the morning or late night before if the neighbourhood is safe (if not, just try to sit outside and meditate.) Drink optimal water. Buy some vitamins for Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Call your sibling and ask them how their day was, and mean it.

Paragraph Four

You’re holding back a lot, and it's keeping you from manifesting your goals and desires as you would like them. There’s this continuous cycle of you always doing just the bare minimum when it comes to a certain goal or project you plan to achieve, and that’s taken a toll on your self-esteem and also on your harvest. If you’d let go of your need to control every little thing that is happening to you, and instead reinvest that energy in creative, reckless, expansion, you’d see yourself growing, changing and being favored in areas you didn’t think were possible. You do not have the bird’s eye view, let your spirit guides help you, calm down, but also, let loose a little.

Advice: Do one extra thing that makes you happy everyday. Whether that means watching your favorite show, painting, sketching, texting the girls, playing football. It doesn’t matter as long as it puts you in a positive vibration. Make a day for self-improvement, on this day, list out all the things you feel are wrong or unresolved in your life, then turn those problems into solutions. Clean your room, start a skin routine, give away used clothes, paint your shoes.

Paragraph Five

The universe recognizes your thoughtful and powerful approach to the conservation of wealth. This has probably taken you years to learn, and it took a lot of pain and missed opportunities. But the truth of the matter is, it’s exactly what needed to happen so that you could feel so emotionally fulfilled now. That’s the power in energy, it understands and validates you as long as you validate yourself. The beauty of this entire thing is that there is a lot of hope and wonder coming your way. Do not be startled by anything or anyone who seems to drop out of your life or seems to be more distant. These things are going to clear the way for new abundance and new prosperity. Your sacrifices are being recognized. Don’t stop dreaming, or praying, or working on becoming the best version of yourself. You’ve already done so much to get here, keep going. You’re doing incredible.

Advice: Go on an adventure. Pack your bags, bring some snacks, and spend an entire day outside. Then after this, take another day off and just meditate and procrastinate (yes, procrastinate) be apart of the moment and that day exclusively, and don’t be afraid to just spend that whole day reading a romance novel or watching a crime drama, it’s okay. The best way to show the universe that you can handle more is showing how you can take time for yourself and enjoy it to. Enjoy yourself! Yes, you can buy that new pair of headphone, but don’t overspend! I don’t have to tell you that though, you’re good with your money.

#Aquarius season #pick a paragraph #newsletter #horoscope #aries #leo #sagittarius #capricorn #virgo #scorpio #pick a card #pick a picture #tarot #tarot reading #free tarot reading #free tarot #sun in aquarius #Aquarius moon #Aquarius rising

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tophatsftw · 4 years

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I read this auto straddle post, and it spoke to me. let’s go lesbians.

what people are fighting about on Twitter

falconer

sensitive, white girl Ikea decor

being in the Midwest (cheese)

which craft stores are ethically sourcing their wool

why pie charts suck

Having multiple conflicting feelings at the same time

Mitski’s right hand in the Geyser music video

Nora Ephron

trying not to be a U-Haul Lesbian and also being a U-Haul Lesbian

Bottle-feeding kittens

my dog & her various doggy woes

being Very Online™

homophobic 80s-90s action/horror movies

Cate Blanchett

large appliances

screaming and crying in socially inappropriate spheres

Sandra Bullock’s entire filmography

Vermicomposting

unlikely instances of near death experiences

the neopets stock market

animals that look like people

Kristen Stewart’s facial expressions

Apocalypse prepping

Satanic philosophy and history

why queers love My Chemical Romance so dang much

casseroles

cultivating hobbies in your 20’s to feel alive again

a fascination with straight people’s behavior

I also am extremely into bees. Like, my dudes, you have — I swear to you, on my mom, that this is an absolute fact — never, ever met someone who knows or cares about bees as much as I do. Everybody says, “Oh, I love bees; hell yeah, save the bees!”… but they’re only ever talking about the European honeybee, apis mellifera, a species transplanted from its original endemic territory to support large-scale agriculture, a practice that has had a purely negative impact on the earth and upon ourselves ever since humanity’s shift to agrarian society from hunter-gatherer culture circa 3000 BCE. Have any of these people who “love bees” even HEARD of solitary species? Do they know about thyreus nitidulus, the neon cuckoo bee? It’s blue! It’s beautiful!

intersectional Satanic feminism

boobs??!

eating a 1lb bag of Sour Patch Kids in under an hour

MILFs

Cringey mid-2000s teen dramas that had too few lesbians

Paul Giamatti’s film and music career

baseball caps worn backwards

Amish romance novels

everything about donuts

wholesome thirst trapping

the Venn diagram of Janelle Monae and Carly Rae Jepsen fandom

insulting men who say gross stuff to me in my DMs

…cooking pasta?

saying embarrassing things that make me want to die in a hole

going on 100 first dates without ever getting a second

Committing to a bit that was never that funny to start with, but now that I’ve started you can pry it from my cold dead hands

knitting penis-shaped pillows

identifying what episode of The Nanny it is based on C.C. Babcock’s hair

running long distances very slowly

puppets, just all types of puppets

communications cables and antennas

girl groups of the ’60s

moss

The Devil Wears Prada Cerulean Monologue

telling people to quit things they should quit

power tools one can rent from Home Depot

Hayley Kiyoko (I’m a three-time award winner of the “Most Likely to Mention Hayley Kiyoko in a Piece Not About Hayley Kiyoko” award at [redacted publication])

Irish country singer Daniel O’Donnell

golden retrievers

geology, specifically volcanoes

Fyre Festival

The Boys Are Back In Town

Film bros and how to shut them down

ruining vegan cakes by accident

having two straight women as best friends

loud eyeshadow

horses, Jodie Foster

Which Lana Del Rey Song to Make Out To

Mid 2000’s MySpace/Emo Culture

lesbian weddings (not my own)

Charcuterie Boards

the perils of being Very Tall Indeed

media to watch while stoned

escape rooms

18th century satire

basket-weaving, I am not kidding do you want to see a picture of my basket

Hannibal Lecter

History of the ball-point pen

swords

old dyke stuff

I’m not a sex toy expert, but I’m sure I could learn

drawing ugly stick figures

70’s soft rock

A-Camp

Big Little Lies, the audiobook of Big Little Lies

middle aged actresses

Bath and Body Works candles

consuming popular media years after everyone else and letting people enjoy it again vicariously through you

how to take care of a backyard above-ground pool impulsively purchased at Target in Denver, a place with no water and weird weather (an ongoing investigation)

spending money I don’t have to support women on Kickstarter

a deep knowledge of 1800s British literature that I did not ask for

treating your plants as your children

HORSES

Should a Duggar ever come out, I am READY to write that article yesterday

aggressive inline skating

Barbra Streisand; circus history

identifying British birds

being an Appalachian in New York during the Year of Our Dumpster Lord 2019 when the New York Times seems determined to profile everyone I’ve ever been to Walmart with

being friends with theater people

how to make couples fall in love with you even when they totally thought they were just going to “try” a threesome “once” lol

Linoleum

#autostraddle #lgbtq

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janchriseurope · 5 years

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Those magnificent men in their flying machines...

What a day ... it was awesomnmmmme....

We left West End at 9.30 to head to Duxford, which is closer to Norwich than London. The traffic was relatively heavy but no real hold ups. Saw some amazing cars... Alpha Romeo, two Bentley’s, one of which was a soft top, and an e-type Jag.

We arrived just after 11 and were amazed at the size of the complex. As we got out of the car, we heard a tonky engine start up... both Chris’s headed for the fence... a Harvard was getting ready to take off.

There are 8 areas to see, so off to the far end... hang on ... there are spitfires on the runway, exciting... OMG they going to fly... well that set the theme of the day....

As we were walking towards #8, I heard a deep rumble and said .. hey what’s that.... hmm the boys said.... it’s coming from that building ... no I said, it wasn’t ... I’m sure it’s out here... with that a Spitfire flew through... two nil to Janet!!!! I knows me Spitfire engine sound....

The number 8 area was about the ground war. As we approached, leaving CW at the fence, I thought hi hum.... more tanks... seen 150 of them... however, this area was more than tanks, it was full of life sized dioramas of trenches, deserts and towns. Really scary seeing a broken home with a bloody big tank hiding inside... there was a large information area on D-Day. Monty’s vans for his office, bedroom including a bath and another one for his map/ situation room were beside a raised area so you could look in..

One thing really got me as a Kiwi.... was the sign, The Forgotten War. Conflict in Asia and the Pacific.... hmm. It was a shock to see it as a ‘minor player’, because to us ANZACS it was such a major influence of the character of our side of the world ....

The four of us would wander off to something of interest then meet up again and look some more...

Number 7 was the American Air Museum... it was amazing how many big planes they could fit in that area, including a stelf fighter, a B52 and a drone.

We grabbed a cup of coffee and decided to go looking for a restaurant for lunch.

We then headed for the #4 display area... hold up Spitfire flying... CW headed out the door in a hurry to get to the fence... I apologised to the staff member, who was actually trying to enter at the same time, and explained that we were Kiwis and didn’t get to see Spitfires flying very often. He asked if Chris was keen on them... oh Yeah.. so he asked if he could borrow Chris for 10 minutes. We had to look a fair distance to find Chris to point him out, but the lovely gentleman headed out and took him off to Hangar 3. Mary, CA and I stayed to have a look at the planes.. I heard the Spitfire return so took off back outside to take a video or two.

I headed off to find CW as he’d been gone longer than 10 minutes. He was in heaven. More Spitfires and the lovely man had actually taken Chris inside the roped off area. He even took Chris’s picture next to them. We chatted and then the boss turned up and explained that the Spitfire we were looking at was the most original they had. It was owned and flown by Ray Hanna the Red Arrows Ace. (Born in NZ).

We backtracked to #4 to find out what we had missed and met the most amazing gentleman. Sgt Bernard Morgan, and a young Sgt pushing him around in a wheelchair. The 95 year old was wearing a chestnut of medals including the French Legion d’honoure. He was extremely enthusiastic about talking to people and explaining that he had been on Gold Beach on 6 June. He was a code breaker in the Airforce so was on the beach to supply information as it came. He still has the message of wars end that came through his office. What a real privilege to meet him. The young Sgt with him was a rugby fan, he’d been to NZ in the Lions Trip. Chris took his All Black badge from his cap and gave it to the sgt. There was a large group of what we’d call ATC cadets wandering around - the young Sgt was their ‘boss’.

More flight watching, Spitfires, byplanes, mustang, Harvard, Kittyhawk, as well as ‘modern’ helicopters(think they were mainly bird scarred) and planes all flew during the day. What a thrill. Both Chris’s went on the Spitfire flight simulator.

Into #2 display which had private that are operational. In the second room was a very tiny acrobatic plane. We all can’t figure how you could fit in it. A few planes were missing as they were out flying. There were adverts for this weekends aurshow for the 75th Ann DDay. We all thought we had a far better day because we weren’t tripping over 20000 off other spectators. As it was there were at least 6 different school groups wandering through.

Display #1 was Airspace. Here there were some amazing planes, the Concorde-we got to walk right underneath. A Harrier, a Sunderland, Mosquito and a Lancaster Bomber as well as a number of others. All close to look at but not tough!!

By this time it was 5.15 so we headed to the shop to see what we could buy. Ouch. Souvenirs are expensive!! A few badges and books later, we met up with Mary and CA and headed for the car park.

It was beer O’clock. Into the countryside, and pub hunting. Chris A had, as a young man, spent some happy hours in The Tickell at Whittlesford. Two beers and twines later, we were in the mood, albeit tired, to head back down the motorway to home and a light tea at 9.00pm.

We didn’t need rocking!

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beezqueen · 2 years

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some days you are the fire hydrant, some days you are the dog. today i was the fire hydrant.

another rough, difficult day. it started out with my supe calling me to scold/reprimand me about listening to music on youtube on my laptop. probably shouldn't have, but didn't see it as a big deal. apparently, the service desk (or whoever monitors bandwidth) has made multiple calls and complaints about me. yay, maybe i should have known better, but really an honest mistake. it's not like i tried to hack the servers or anything. next complaint was about the fact that i started a monday motivational video email, but apparently management "frowns on that." i should, as my supe put it, just focus on mastering the design program and working, and nothing else in my first 90 days.

really and truly, i thought i was doing well and progressing. but my supe made it sound like i'll be lucky to make it through my 90-day probation period. i don't get it. i'm progressing -- making improvements in my design assessments, partnering with others on pursuits, so i am at a loss as to where i am turned into a failure. again, unsure about the where the wheels came off, but no one has complained to my face. other than my supe via phone. and she sounded so very angry -- like i had failed and embarrassed her and the department, that she had made a mistake by hiring me. i don't get it, i don't.

i felt like crying and going straight home after that, but i plugged along through the rest of the day. luckily, i finally got to talk (FaceTime) with my therapist, who I haven't talked with since November. It reinforced why I see her and why she is part of my support system. I told her everything -- about the conflicts with Taylor and Sarah, having a crush on Larry, being betrayed yesterday by my coworker, getting dinged by my supe -- all of it, including the shit John pulled by leaving a lot of my stuff behind at the house the day of the move. I should have been there. maybe then i would still have my Adirondak chairs and footrests, my parent's dining room table, chairs and buffets, my yard art (a bird bath fountain, wind chimes), etc.

I have five coworkers in my aisle -- one is the main manager (Jodie), a lead pursuit manager (Chad), two graphic designers (Jen/Jem and Andrew) and another coordinator (Bethany) and other than my bff Jen/Jem, no one really ever talks with me. Bethany will discuss the pursuit we're working on, but Andrew is not interested in engaging ever. he's private and introverted, so no discussion or engagement. jodie and chad are always in meetings or working from home, so i never see them. the other folks (andrea, she is cool if a little bossy, but nice; megan is super nice, but buried beyond recognition with work; dustin, same scenario and not interested in talking with me; and the traitor, Makenzie, who would throw me under a bus any day, anywhere).

one of my coworkers is located in ohio and i really, really like her. lisa is on the ball and easy to talk too, and having been to our office, knows and understands the practically no-talking atmosphere/culture.

luckily, i can confide in jen about everything -- i think she is confused by my supe's behavior. but how else can i explain it? i got dinged, no question, over minor things. it does wear on me and wear me out. i have no energy once i get home to do anything but eat a box of milk duds, drink a favorite bai beverage, watch tv and go to bed by 8:30 a.m.

tomorrow it's supposed to snow -- pretty lightly, but i already told the supe that if the roads are slick that i will just work from home, which is what i want anyway. i need to recharge my batteries and left alone. which takes being left alone at work and magnifies it. no one reaches out to me other than jen.

i don't have anything to say to my supe. in fact, i don't want to speak with her for awhile. i don't know how long i will be able to do that -- being unresponsive can be taken as being insubordinate, so i can only hope she's stick to emails and i can keep those succinct.

i think what bothers me is that i have presented myself as trustworthy, hardworking, willing to pitch in, doing everything that is asked of me and trying to be proactive. but the distinct impression i get is that none of that is seen as authentic. again, it's wearing on me and wearing me down.

the one thing i really stressed with my therapist is that i have no ability or want to trust anyone. other than ashley and jen/jem. i don't really trust my previous roommates who have their own lives, i don't trust my bff who never calls me, i certainly don't trust my lying ex, or any of my other coworkers. the main manager, jodie, i think she means well, but she doesn't seem to trust me with anything either.

i've always been an open book and very trusting of people, but i can no longer be that way. i've gotten pushed out the revolving door too much in the past year to ever feel like i can trust anyone ever again. and it's sad. i've changed, like a faucet has been turned off inside me and it's never going to change. maybe i'll feel like a different person in a year. i am barely four months removed from a divorce that wrecked my life and but a few months away from when the ex left me forever.

i know i'm expecting too much of myself -- i need to give myself grace and time to recover. but boy, i feel whipped. whipped by life.

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tripsterguru · 4 years

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Belgrade sights - 11 most interesting places

New Post has been published on https://tripsterguru.com/belgrade-sights-11-most-interesting-places/

Belgrade sights - 11 most interesting places

Serbia is a multinational country with a rich and complicated history. The territory of the current state includes lands previously owned by Hungarians, Turks and other peoples. Its culture was affected by the influence of East and West. The capital city of Belgrade, unlike many European capitals, is quiet and calm. The houses of the cobbled streets of the old quarters are like doll houses. The new areas, with their dilapidated walls, remind of Yugoslavia and military aggression by NATO. The nature of plains and plateaus is rich in greenery and full-flowing rivers.

Belgrade fortress

Belgrade Fortress is located in a picturesque place where the Sava River flows into the Danube. Strategically important location determined the fate of the citadel. Like the confluence of two water streams, the economic, political and cultural paths of the East and West converged here. Fierce battles were fought hundreds of times for fortification; tens of times its walls were partially or completely destroyed. Nowadays it is peaceful and calm, because now it is one of the most significant historical monuments for Belgrade. The Belgrade fortress was built 2 millennia ago from white stone, where the name of the city came from. High fortified walls are adjacent to the large cozy park Kalemegdan. The word is translated from Turkish as “battlefield”.

The Turks called the stone fortification a “hill of thoughts”, which corresponds to the atmosphere of peace reigning here. The name of the garden Kalemegdan was assigned to the citadel. Within the walls of the Belgrade fortress are 12 gates, the main of which are Istanbul. Walking along the pedestrian street of Prince Mikhail with its bright shop windows, you will find yourself in Kalemegdan. You can also get there by public transport.

Entrance to the territory is free. Of interest to tourists is not only the fortress, but also several museums, existing churches, towers, statues and the Roman well. For 10-15 euros you can join the tour and learn more about the centuries-old history of this place, its myths and legends. Capital residents have chosen Kalemegdan for relaxation.

A fascinating view of the city opens from the observation deck. On holidays, concerts and festivities are organized on the territory of the park, and on weekdays you can sit in a cafe or just eat ice cream.

Belgrade Zoo

The walls of the Belgrade fortress are conveniently located a spacious zoo with the saying “Park of good hope.” In its history, it was bombarded three times: twice during the Second World War and in 1999 during the armed conflict between NATO and Yugoslavia. In memory of those days, the zoo got its bright name, and its leadership seeks to keep pets in the most comfortable conditions. The zoo is home to more than 2 thousand individuals of 270 species of animals and birds. At the same time, they are looked after properly: the freedom of pets is almost unlimited, and their cleanliness pleasantly surprises. Feathered walk along the paths of the zoo. In a special pavilion you can play with lambs, kids and others.

The zoo of Belgrade distinguishes several of its attractions from the rest. Since 1986, special attention has been paid to albinos. Animals with a white color are collected around the world as a symbol of the “white city”. In the year of the last shelling, a baby elephant was born in the zoological garden. He was given the nickname Rambouillet by the name of the city in France, in which peace talks were held regarding the situation in Kosovo. Veteran of the zoo can be considered the world’s oldest alligator Muya, who appeared here in 1937. The menagerie meets its visitors from 8.00 to 19.30 in the summer, and until 17.00 – in the winter. Ticket sales end a little earlier. The cost of visiting: 400 Serbian dinars (about 4 euros) from 15 years, 300 dinars (3 euros) – from 3 to 15 years. To avoid confusion, carry cash in the national currency and do not give food to animals. After the death of a giraffe through the fault of visitors, the size of the fine for feeding animals was greatly increased.

Princess Lyubitsa Palace

How do you imagine the palace for the princess? In fairy tales it is described as a high castle surrounded by two-meter walls. But in life, everything is a little different. One of the most beautiful buildings of the old city is the palace of the princess (she is also called the princess) of Lyubitsa. The low-rise house, traditional for Belgrade, in white, was erected in 1830 by decree of Prince Milos Obrenovic in the place of their old dwelling. In the new building made 3 floors, one of them is a basement. On the second floor next to the princess’ chambers, a hammam was arranged. Over a two-century history, the palace has changed several destinations.

At different times, it housed a lyceum, a court, a boarding school for the deaf, various museums. At the end of the 20th century, the building was declared a cultural monument and restored. Now the former residence of the wife of Prince Milos is part of the Museum of the capital of Serbia. The palace is valuable in that its architecture, layout and interior decoration are an excellent example of the combination of eastern and European culture of the 19th century.

The museum’s collection consists of furniture and art, personal items of the princess. Here are excursions with the saying “Coffee with Princess Lubitz.” The museum keepers will not only tell the history of the palace and the life features of the ruling family, but also treat them with strong Turkish coffee with Turkish delight. In the basement periodically informative lectures of cultural and historical subjects and creative evenings are held. The cultural monument is located in the old part of the city near the Kalemegdan fortress. Ticket price will be 200 Serbian dinars. There are discounts for students. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Day off: Monday. The exhibition is allowed to photograph without the use of flash.

St. Sava Cathedral

In Belgrade, white is an unofficial symbol of the city. On the hill Vračar in the center of the Serbian capital rises the majestic church of St. Sava of Serbia, built of white marble. According to Christian canons, the sanctuary is not a cathedral, but thanks to its impressive size, this name was entrenched in the people. It is one of the largest Orthodox buildings in the world. Its height is 82 meters, 18 crosses crown the bathing, 49 bells fit in the bell tower. Indoors, at the same time, 10 thousand believers can be present, the choir is designed for 800 singers.

The landmark has no centuries-old history, but a monument was erected on the site of the burning of the relics of St. Sava according to the prototype of St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. Planning for construction began in 1894, and the “first brick” was laid only 40 years later. Since 2004, the temple is considered open to parishioners; it still has not completed the interior decoration. It is worth a glimpse for the sake of the huge and amazing mosaic of Jesus Christ, located under the central dome. Finding the Cathedral of St. Sava is not difficult. It is located in the center of Belgrade on a hill and majestically rises above the city. Around the temple is a cozy park, nearby is the National Library of Serbia.

Museum of Nikola Tesla

Each nation has its own heroes. The Serbs are proud of their great compatriot scientist, whose work has had a tremendous significance on the development of science. The only official museum of Nikola Tesla is located in a small mansion in Belgrade. Even if you have no idea who this man was and why he is considered a great physicist, be sure to visit the museum. Here, an excursion takes place every hour, the first part of which consists of a short video and a short guide story, the second part is much more interested in demonstrating the experiments once conducted by the inventor.

During the experiments, everyone can feel like a Jedi and an illusionist. The glowing “sword” and lightning from touching the Tesla coil are real phenomena that were subsequently shown in films and computer games. In addition to the exposition of various equipment for experiments, the exhibition has a collection of personal items and original documents owned by Nicola Tesla. Among other exhibits is a urn with the ashes of a scientist. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. For those who understand the Serbian language, the tour will cost 250 Serbian dinars. For English-speaking tourists, the cost will be 500 Serbian dinars, and for groups of 10 people – 300. For children under 7 years, admission is free. The mansion is located in the central part of Belgrade at the address: ul. Krunska 51.

House of flowers

The flower house in Belgrade has an indirect relation to floristry, in fact it is a mausoleum in which the bodies of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and his last wife rest. The memorial complex was originally a greenhouse in the residence of the Marshal. In his free time, Tito liked to plant flowers and take care of the garden. Now silence and tranquility reign in the pavilions, trees grow, bizarre statues stand. You will not find an open coffin with an embalmed body, only a memorial plate. In the tomb is a small museum of Josip Tito. His collection includes some personal items and numerous gifts received by the former president from officials. The mausoleum is often not crowded. On the birthday of the father of the people on May 25 and on the day of his death on May 4, the memorial complex is visited by the family, friends and comrades of Josip Broz Tito. The flower house is located on the outskirts of the city. Nearby is the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia. You can get to them by trolleybuses that run along routes No. 40 and 41. Mausoleum opening hours: from 10.00 to 18.00. Day off: Monday.

Ticket price: 300 dinars (approximately 3 euros).

Quarter Skadarliya

Being in museums, having seen enough of various sights of the capital of Serbia, it is pleasant to walk along a quiet street, to sit in a cozy restaurant. In Belgrade, its old part, there is a small region of Skardalia, which is considered to be Bohemian, and travelers compare it with Parisian Montmartre, Odessa Deribasovskaya, and Moscow Old Arbat. On a street with a stone pavement, it is deserted during the day. Toward evening, street artists and musicians appear here, selling souvenirs and trinkets from the stalls. There are antique shops in Scardalia, where you can plunge deeper into the culture of the Serbs. The oldest restaurants in the city are also located here. To live music in a cozy atmosphere you will get acquainted with the national cuisine, hearty and varied.

Initially, the area was inhabited by people with creative professions, they were attracted to inexpensive apartments and delicious food in neighboring cafes. Writers, poets, actors and dancers created an atmosphere of constant celebration in the quarter. This light mood is still in the air. The brick walls of low houses are painted like canvases and decorated with fresh flowers. The Skardalia quarter is easy to find in the Stari Grad community nearby the Republic Square. Tourists are advised to carry Serbian dinars in case you should decide to buy some souvenirs or have dinner. Girls should not shoe high-heeled shoes and thin stilettos.

Gardosh Hill and Millennium Tower

In order to look at Belgrade from above, you don’t need to parachute or fly by helicopter, just climb to the observation deck of the Millennium Tower (also called the Yanko Tower), towering on Gardosh Hill in the ancient Zemun district. The building, 36 meters high, was built in the 19th century, when this land was part of Austria-Hungary. The government erected a monument as a symbol of the millennium of the settlement of Hungarians on the banks of the Danube. Hence the name of the tower. It makes sense to climb Gardosh Hill not only for the panorama of the city. Walking to the hill on Zemun will be a pleasant pastime both in the morning and in the evening. The tower is open around the clock and admission is free. For 15-20 euros, you can join the tour with a Russian-speaking guide.

The old quarters can be reached by buses coming from the city center. Routes Nos. 704, 706 and 707 lead here. The closest Zemun Pochta stop is to the tower, but you can get off earlier and take a walk along the narrow, winding bridge past the toy houses to the stairs on Stara Visoka Street. You will be taken to the Millennium Tower. On the way to the hill you will find several small churches that add color to the bedroom area, which has preserved the best traditions of Europe. A road leads to the hill from the picturesque wide riverbed of the Danube, along which the city promenade stretches with an alley, benches and stunning views. Not far from it there are several small restaurants and cafes in which they cook deliciously at home. On the menu, pay attention to dishes of fresh fish caught in local rivers.

Avalan TV Tower

The Millennium Tower in the old quarter of Gardosh is an authentic monument of Slavic culture. A more modern high-rise building in Belgrade, which majestically rushes into the sky of the capital, is the Aval TV Tower. The attraction is of interest to tourists for several reasons. Firstly, there are no buildings above it on the Balkan Peninsula. Secondly, all over the world there are only a few buildings for which the basis is an equilateral triangle. Thirdly, the tower was completely destroyed during the military conflict with NATO in 1999. It was completely restored and in 2010 is open to the public.

Aval TV Tower is located outside the city on Mount Avala. Near it, 3 monuments of different times were erected. You can get to the place from the capital by regular buses No. 401, 403 and 405. In the summer, on the weekend, an additional route No. 400 is launched. The cost of visiting the observation deck is 200 dinars. For 400 dinars, you can buy a ticket that includes a drink in the restaurant located above. The height of the TV tower reaches 205 meters, and the exit to the site is at a distance of 119 meters from the ground. Here the wind blows and is cool enough, so sitting at the cafe with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate will be more pleasant to watch the panorama that opens. Aval TV Tower greets its visitors daily from 9.00 to 20.00.

Skyscraper Genex

The second tallest building in the Serbian capital is the Genex skyscraper, also known as the “West Gate of Belgrade”. Its highest point is 140 meters. The bizarre, futuristic structure was designed and erected in 1977, when Art Nouveau and brutalism dominated the architecture. The skyscraper consists of 2 buildings of 35 floors, connected from above by a two-story bridge with a rotating turret.

Inside this design is a restaurant. Be sure to dine in it if you are not afraid of heights. From the windows of the institution offers a bewitching view of the western part of Belgrade. Due to its originality, the complex is perhaps the most memorable in all of Eastern Europe. Some publications include him in dozens of the most unusual skyscrapers in the world. The house received its unofficial name because of the Genex company, which occupies one half of the skyscraper. To get to the sights, use buses number 65, 74.

Fortress Vrsac

One of the oldest military fortifications in Serbia is considered a fortress with the unusual name of Vrsac. It is located at the foot of the Carpathians to the west of the border with Romania. The citadel was built in the 15th century during the Turkish wars from granite and mica, therefore, after reconstruction on sunny days, its walls seem to glow. The fortress rises high above the city that grew next to it. The heroic history of the Serbian army is reflected in the coat of arms of Vrsac. The distance from Belgrade to the fortress is about 90 km. Going here just for the sake of the fortress is not worth it, only the castle and several fortress walls remained intact. Set aside a day to explore the ancient city of Vrsac and its attractions.

The historical part of the city is attracted by such architectural monuments as St. Nicholas Cathedral, “Vladichansky Dvor”, St. Gerhard Cathedral and the City Hall. In the vicinity of Vrsac there is the Monastery of Mesic and the town of Bela Crkva. A tour of the historical sites can be diluted with a visit to the winery and a tasting of local wines. Public transport runs from the capital of Serbia to the city of Vrsac. In order to have time in one day to see all the important historical monuments of this part of the country and visit the vineyards, it is better to use the services of guides. The price of the tour depends on the duration of the trip, the route and the number of people in the group.

#Avalan TV Tower #Belgrade fortress #Fortress Vrsac #Gardosh Hill and Millennium Tower #House of flowers #Museum of Nikola Tesla #Princess Lyubitsa Palace #Quarter Skadarliya #Skyscraper Genex #St. Sava Cathedral

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elliegoose · 7 years

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Tagged by @eloquentspeeches! Danke sehr

Rules: Answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions.

1. Coke or Pepsi: They’re equally good, and there are plenty of sodas that a better than both of them

2. Disney or Dreamworks: Disney

3. Coffee or Tea: TEA

4. Books or Movies: I enjoy both in ways that are too different to be comparable

5. Windows or Mac: Windows. But not out of a sense of superiority. Music programs are just marginally easier to download on Windows. Mac is perfectly fine and I quite like it.

6. DC or Marvel: Eh. I’m not much of a superheros kinda person.

7. Xbox or Playstation: I don’t play console. What do you think i have? Money? Bah!

8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect: I’ve never played either, but Dragon Age looks more fun than Mass Effect.

9. Night Owl or Early Rise: Neither. I am a sleep goblin

10. Cards or Chess: Cards

11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Schokolade

12. Vans or Converse: Converse, though I’ve never owned a pair. However, I have owned several Vans, and they have all been garbage shoes.

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash or Adaar: I googled this phrase and all the results were Dragon Age? Unfortunately, in the time between answering question eight and this question, I didn’t start playing any Dragon Age.

14. Fluff or Angst: Fluff, because my heart needs it. I save my being-sad energies for when I’m reading the news and related things. (Because world affairs and politics deeply interest me and I hate myself.)

15. Beach or Forest: The forest, because there are more varieties of forest than of beach.

16. Dogs or Cats: Never make me choose.

17. Clear Skies or Rain: Rain, as long as it’s not constant, or lasts for too many weeks in a row.

18. Cooking or Eating Out: Cooking is wonderful for the activity that is cooking. Dining out is wonderful because I can find food that is far better than anything I could ever make, which I can pay money for instead of spending hours making.

19. Spicy Food or Mild Food: Mmmmedium spice?

20. Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: Christmas/Yule. I like the idea of Halloween far more than I usually enjoy the holiday in any given year. There has only been one time I’ve enjoyed Halloween more than Christmas, and that was years upon years ago. (*ancient man voice* in time immemorial... when i was in middle school... within the last decade.......)

21. Would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: A little too cold. I can’t think when I’m too hot.

22. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Shapeshifting, or possibly something to help me see futures and change outcomes.

23. Animation or Live Action: No preference

24. Paragon or Renegade: I myself am a sweet golden sunshine man, but most of my friends are not and my partner really fucking isn’t, so my sunshineyness is more out of impulse and internal motivation than a lawful morality.

25. Baths or Showers: Showers. I enjoy the concept of baths more than actual baths.

26. Team Cap or Team Iron Man: I’m pretty apathetic about superheroes. I don’t want to have to think about this enough to... wait, what was their conflict over again? Something about imprisoning other superheros, right? I’ve talked about this before with people. At length, in one conversation. I should remember. Ah well. See, this is pretty illustrative of how much I know about the Avengers franchise.

27. Fantasy or Sci-Fi: Fantasy. I’ve read enough scifi to get thoroughly sick of how many scifi novels use the world as their biggest selling point, to the point where it dominates all other aspects of the story. And digging deeply into a setting, having that be the focus of a book--that’s a great way to speculate on concepts. However, it’s not what I enjoy reading most.

28. Do you have three or four favourite quotes? If so, what are they: To be quite honest, I can never remember quotes and proverbs until they become relevant. At that point, I’ll suddenly remember them, then they will slip back indefinitely into my subconsious until they need to be called upon again. It’s weird. And I am definitely exaggerating the phenomenon, but it’s still a thing that happens to me. It makes answering this question difficult.

29. YouTube or Netflix: Their purposes are too different (at least in how I use them) for me to want to choose between the two.

30. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: Harry Potter, but only because I liked it for longer as a small child. I have no love for either franchise anymore.

31. When You Feel Accomplished: When I finish things because I motivated myself to do so, not because I panicked my way through it at the last minute.

32. Star Wars or Star Trek: Eh. Both are pretty okay. The worldbuilding in Star Trek makes more sense, but both franchises are still on about the same level for me.

33. Paperback Books or Hardback Books: It only depends on how much I love the book (and thus how much money I want to put into it).

34. Handwriting or Typing: Typing, mostly

35. Velvet or Satin: Velvet!

36. Video Games or Movies: Video games, maybe? Again, this is another case of These Two Are So Vastly Different, And Aren’t Fun To Compare And Pick Between For This Reason.

37. Would you rather be the dragon or own the dragon? Both?? Because that would mean more dragons???? Hell yeah??!???!!?!?

38. Sunrise or sunset: Sunsets always

39. What’s your favourite song?��I habitually don’t answer this question. Instead, I tell everyone what I’ve been listening to most recently. And those four songs this week have been: Warrior Concerto by The Glitch Mob Make This Leap by The Hunts (yes, to all the nobody who noticed, this is the theme song for The Leap podcast on NPR. Damn all who laugh at me. Public radio is good!) Settle for Satin by Alkaline Trio Saints Preservus by Andrew Bird Pls listen to my musics. Links on all the song titles.

40. Horror Movies yes or no: FUCK OFF. DON’T ASK ME THAT. NO.

41. Long hair or short hair: Loooooooong

42. Opera or Theatre: No. Not Choosing.

43: Assuming the multiverse theory is true and every story ever told has really happened somewhere, which one of the movie/book/tv show/game/etc worlds would you pick to travel to first?: This is a weird way to phrase the question. Anyway, plop me down on the Discworld. However, it should be noted that if Azeroth wasn’t trying to constantly implode on itself with existential crises and global wars every couple years, I might want to go there, too.

44. Are you scared of thunderstorms? Why?: They Are Loud And Annoying And Should Stop Happening Right Outside My House

45. sleeping in or getting up early?: I love to get up early as long as I feel rested when I do, which is rare

46. Favorite color? Reason why?: Greens. When I was a little lad, I liked blues the most, just because those were my dad’s favorite colors. Over the years, I’ve realized I like greens. However, blues are still wonderful. I own far more blue item of clothing than green ones.

47. Favorite podcasts, and why?: Right now, I’m enjoying My Favorite Murder, and whatever the NPR One app happens to line up for me when I tune in every morning. I also used to be a huge Welcome To Night Vale fan. One day I’ll catch up, but there are so many things slated to be read/listened to/watched before that (don’t even talk to me about webcomics). (This one was my question).

Alright! tagging @theludicrousrival @tracers-scarf @pearsquare @mediocrepresident @petrich0rdia @theangriestlittleunicorn @birras0 @timequaked @daxir @lunarchaoswra. Hello, mutuals! Whether or not we’re actually acquainted, you’re all cool and were in my notifications recently, so you’re getting tagged. No pressure to do this though. Also tagging @thehornedwitch just because she’s that rad, and encouraging anyone who wants to do this who I haven’t tagged to go ahead!

#zeroanswers #tag meme #about me

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entergamingxp · 4 years

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Ghost of Tsushima review – a likeable, if clunky Hollywood blockbuster • Eurogamer.net

Quite early on in Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll be introduced to its dramatic, one-on-one duels. Two warriors, a dozen yards apart, face each other down across the divide. Up close: narrowing eyes and crumpled brows. Hands hover at hips, knees bend, feet press down into the earth, muscle, sinew and fingers tighten. Then – bang! – combat. It’s a cracking moment, especially the first time you give one a try, and it’s also a cracking example of what Ghost of Tsushima’s all about. These heightened standoffs begin with shot-for-shot facsimiles of that famous scene from Yojimbo, an Akira Kurosawa classic that’s both a mirror of older westerns and an inspiration for the ’60s greats.

Ghost of Tsushima review

Developer: Sucker Punch

Publisher: Sony

Platform: Reviewed on PS4

Availability: Out on 17th July on PS4

They’re also, once you’ve done a few of them, slightly flat, the enemies you battle mostly re-using the same attacks and movements of ones you’ve faced before, and the concept quickly becomes a little overused, predictably occurring at the end of certain quests, and generally lacking the complexity to require more than a few tries each time. Like the game itself, they go for authenticity through facsimile – recreating moments without the requisite weight and context. And, like the game itself, they’re lacking a little depth. Despite the immediate and undeniable thrill, the gloss can be just a little too quick to wear off.

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Still, much of Ghost of Tsushima is enjoyable enough. Developer Sucker Punch has definitely aimed high with its first full-length effort since InFamous Second Son, way back at the start of the generation in 2014. The much-trumpeted inspirations here are the stirring epics of samurai cinema. It’s a tough genre to crack, nevermind the potential for awkwardness in an American realisation of feudal Japan. Namechecked directors like Akira Kurosawa, who gets his own grainy, black-and-white mode in Ghost of Tsushima, are known for their lengthy epics of extraordinary nuance, adapting – and arguably mastering – the works of Shakespeare, or chipping away at the great problem of the human condition. Next to inspirations like that, Ghost of Tsushima is never really going to compare. It lacks the nuance and the depth, or the dedication, even, to telling a good story itself – as opposed to telling a story that simply keeps out of the way of the mechanics – and the slack left by its story isn’t picked up in those mechanics, either. But it has a kind of Hollywood, popcorn charm, which shouldn’t count for nothing.

In Ghost of Tsushima you are Jin Sakai, a samurai of noble birth, tasked with almost single-handedly fending off a Mongol invasion of the feudal Japanese island he calls home. In doing so you’re forced to evolve, from staid and honourable samurai to the Ghost, master of underhand tactics. And therein lies your central conflict, as the screenwriting gurus would put it: Jin has to defend the people of the island, but he does so at great cost, abandoning tradition, honour, and everything that comes with it. It’s a bit of a cliché – and one that happily departs from Sucker Punch’s stated aim for authenticity, when you read historians’ arguments that for most samurai in feudal Japan, there was no such code of honour at all – but Ghost of Tsushima is good at carrying you along with the drama.

As far as stoic male video game protagonists go, Jin Sakai sits somewhere in the middle, but he’s played with likeable subtlety by Daisuke Tsuji, who leads a fantastic voice cast. It’s a shame they don’t benefit from Kurosawa’s framing – for a game inspired by cinema, Tsushima sure does like a default over-the-shoulder.

It’s helped by some stellar voice work from a cracking cast, including a turn from the magnetic François Chau, of Lost fame, as a curmudgeonly master archer Sensei Ishikawa, and an imperious Patrick Gallagher as the big bad Khotun Khan, a fictional descendant of that famous one Ghengis. There are some stirring sequences, too, especially when Sucker Punch digs a little deeper into its characters to mine their pockets of rage, or just finds an excuse for another heroic charge, while the family-political intrigue is at least more accurate to the period than the lengthy monologuing on honour and tradition. And there’s a stunning, sweeping score to accompany it all, capable of dragging you up from even the deepest mid-game cutscene malaise, carrying you across rolling landscapes and striking wonderfully at the story’s noticeable highs.

What it lacks is the grit to go with the melodrama. Samurai tales are, famously, much the same as what we’d more quickly recognise as westerns, and as such they’re reliant on certain things to really work. One of them is that grit, or rather a sort of tangible earthiness, that comes from a particular grounding in the world. There have been obvious examples of earthy cowboy games recently but the best illustration in this case remains The Witcher 3, which told a similar story of a stoic, semi-outlawed warrior riding into villages and solving problems with his sword, but did so through the immense weight of its world, through the detail and humanity of its side stories and the intimacy of its smaller, quieter moments. There are countless others – Assassin’s Creed’s now known for its side stories that bring levity, heart and mystery, and the first Red Dead Redemption has even been cited by Sucker Punch as inspiration.

As far as the bulk of side quests go, ‘Help! The Mongols!’ is about as sophisticated as it gets.

This is why Ghost of Tsushima feels so frustrating. Side quests are the beating heart of a good outlaw story, the secret to a great samurai game that so many others not set in feudal Japan have managed to master. For Sucker Punch they seem to have been almost an afterthought. There are effectively four kinds of quest in the game: the main story, one-off side quests, mythic quests, and “tales” – multi-step quests – that are tied to a specific named character. The character tales are far and away the highlight – Lady Masako and Ishikawa’s standing out among them, thanks to the strength of the performances and melodrama of the stories – but they’re sadly over before they really begin, and the actual activities involved are still far too limited. Follow a character, track some footsteps, fight some enemies and maybe grind out some instant-fail stealth sections, onto the next. There’s some minor variation on this for the mythic ones but not much – not enough – and the standalone ones are worse, often feeling like a procedural patching together of pre-set objectives and activities, wrapped in the loose-fitting context of another unnamed peasant crying for help from the Mongols. The only reward for your time with them is a nudge of XP or some upgrade materials, as opposed to a chance to really bed yourself into the character or the world itself. They’re a huge disappointment.

In fact, if you pick at the surface of Ghost of Tsushima it all starts to quite worryingly unravel. The world as a whole is beautiful – utterly, undeniably, oppressively beautiful. Such colour! Everywhere you look, it’s crimson, windswept fields and forests of golden yolk. Sunsets and oceans, beaches and snowy mountain peaks – environments of improbable range for a temperate island of Tsushima’s kind, set to broad, enrapturing splashes of orange and teal. The vivid green bamboo jungles, the ephemeral fireflies, the swirling, milky petals that rise and fall with the wind – a wind that could be a game of its own, a magic thing bending everything around you. It’s a sign of a studio that’s mastered the tech, with a console generation’s worth of experience behind it, but what it’s missing is the maturity or restraint to put it to use. Ghost of Tsushima’s bursting with undeniable beauty, yes, but beauty of the obvious, in-your-face kind, the kind that doesn’t offer much thematic or tonal subtlety but makes a great ad for HDR OLED televisions. It’s an odd thing to find a problem with – an excess of sumptuousness – but Sucker Punch is best imagined here less as master painter than overexcited barkeeper, serving up shot after shot of wincingly concentrated emotion, slamming the table and pouring out another – bigger moon! more falling leaves! make it a double! – before you’ve gulped the last one down. It’s a bit much.

Ghost of Tsushima is absolute photo mode fodder. It’s gorgeous, but conceptually that beauty is a little shallow.

More troublesome is the construction of Tsushima’s open world, which is technically open but best described as closed. It’s a big area – there are three parts to the island, the second and third opening up after you reach the end of the first act plenty of hours in, and they contain all the breadth of those wildly varied biomes outlined above – but the sense of closedness comes from how little mystery there is to it. In fact, there’s really no mystery at all, once you get to know the way the game works.

Spanning the island are a litany of fixed, more or less identical locations-of-interest, which all involve a set interaction and a set reward (and all of which you’ll be led to by the game’s clunky, if admirable attempt at using nature for navigation – gallop past a nearby point of interest and a golden bird will appear, piping up incessantly in invitation to follow it to whatever that undiscovered spot may be). Those points of interest never change, though – they never deviate from the set list of things to do that you can check off from lists in the menus. So there are hot springs which you press R2 at to bathe in and increase your max health; fox dens, where you follow a mewling, over-adorable fox to a shrine, which you press R2 at to increase your max charm slots; bamboo strikes, which do at least give you a very brief, quick-reaction button-pressing minigame to beat before their designated reward (there’s an accessibility option for turning off the time-sensitive element, if that sounded worrying to you).

Haiku spots, another point of interest, might be Sucker Punch’s most egregiously fawning decision, and a key example of where they’ve gone wrong. You look at one of three preset points and press X to select a line of Haiku. It’s such a lovely idea, with some nice writing, but practically it’s all back to front, taking an act of observation and conscious mindfulness and making it one of passive follow-the-dot. An attempt at poetry through literalism.

I could go on, but the point is sooner or later you’ll realise this is it. A bird will chirp and, after slavishly following them until now, you’ll decide the bird can do one, actually, because it’s just going to take you off your path to something you’ve already seen and done a dozen times before. Even the rarer, more elaborate activities like Shinto Shrines – locations that sit atop mountains and cliffs, requiring a spot of ultra-light, golden ledge guided platforming to reach – start to wear thin after a couple climbs. The result of it all is a busy world, full of activities, but one that soon feels paradoxically empty of things to do.

A brighter, if still imperfect part of Ghost of Tsushima is its combat. In melee, Sucker Punch has created a kind of Arkham-Sekiro hybrid, which works relatively well. Enemies all have a guard meter as well as a health meter, which will need to be broken for you to really get in there with the pointy end of your katana and do some damage. Much of your success will come from successfully countering, as is the Arkham style: you can dodge and perfect dodge, dodge-roll, parry, and perfect parry, all of which feel snappy enough – although I’d like some attack-cancelling to feel a tad sharper. And while there are unblockable enemy moves, marked with a red symbol – hello Sekiro – most of these can be turned into parryable ones with an early upgrade in the skill tree (Ghost of Tsushima has something between seven and ten skill trees, depending on how you look at it – don’t ask), which unfortunately takes away much of the tension and skill.

The world is so darkly lit and densely packed that often you can’t actually see what you’re doing or where you’re going, so the game resorts to overt and heavy-handed methods to compensate. Trademark golden climbing ledges is one. The guiding wind is another: a great idea for reducing ugly UI that soon becomes an aesthetically pleasing version of the infamously passive big Bioshock arrow.

Where it gets interesting is stances: there are four stances in the game, each granting new heavy attacks effective at breaking the guards of a certain type of enemy. You unlock them and their respective skill trees one at a time – with another slightly repetitive open world task of killing certain numbers of Mongol leaders – but once you do the combat gets noticeably more interesting, becoming a much more conscious exercise. At its most satisfying, you’ll be facing swollen numbers of varied enemies, requiring you to rapidly switch between stances as frequently as every enemy attack, so as to clash swords, break shields, charge archers, parry spears and slash brutes as effectively as possible. In these moments of intimate violence, the music soaring, enemies cowering and crumpled, Jin clad in some imperious armour lashed with rain and soaked in mud, Ghost of Tsushima feels glorious, and also truest to its soily roots.

The problem is they come too rarely – there are a smattering of climactic battles in the story that open with a bang, before swiftly fizzling out – and too late, with the enemies only getting really varied and dense towards the end and the game falling into the usual RPG-lite trap of dishing out its most enjoyable gimmicks after a load of time without (or hiding them behind mythic quests, some of which are only accessible after certain points of the story). It struggles with the camera, which sits too low and close over the shoulder, and doesn’t come with an option to lock onto an enemy. It sounds minor, but can result in annoying hits from enemies out of shot, an awkward inability to act and look around at once, or worse still a totally obscured camera altogether, if you get too close to an object or wall.

In motion Kurosawa mode is stupidly pretty, and lip syncing aside – oddly, it’s not synced to Japanese dialogue – there’s real attention to detail in the conscious application of shade, grain and sound. It’s more than an Instagram filter, and makes me wish Sucker Punch had payed as close attention to samurai games as they have the aesthetics of the films – in focusing on the latter they seem to have missed the basics of what makes them great.

Ghost of Tsushima’s stealth, meanwhile – which is prominent enough to be the driving force of its story, and technically half of your own arsenal – is frustratingly unsystemic and largely underbaked. It’s very much stealth-lite, closest to modern era Assassin’s Creed with even fewer toys, and so you’ll be frequently defaulting to the usual suspects: X-ray vision, throw a jingly distraction bell, pop a smoke bomb if you get in trouble and try again. All of that couples meekly with a range of insta-fail stealth missions and yet another selection of excessively crunching, crackling and squelching neck stabs.

It’s desperately frustrating, because I maintain that Ghost of Tsushima is still, largely, quite fun. The problem is it’s an easy, breezy, lite beer kind of fun – the kind that Sucker Punch is known for, after all – and the blanket genericism of it just doesn’t sit well against such a po-faced tone. It’s another game fallen victim to the palatability blender, coming out the other side as a slightly formless smudge of every genre, without a mastery of any. Going back to Ghost of Tsushima’s roots, as an American game inspired by the comics and the movies of Japan, in a way it’s quite apt. It’s what happens when you want to pay homage, but don’t want to add anything new of your own. It’s Hollywood.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/07/ghost-of-tsushima-review-a-likeable-if-clunky-hollywood-blockbuster-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ghost-of-tsushima-review-a-likeable-if-clunky-hollywood-blockbuster-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

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sailorrrvenus · 5 years

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Frozen Living for 34 Days on the Only Private Island in Central Helsinki

Last winter, I got the beautiful chance to spend time living and photographing on a freezing island located right in the central Helsinki. I spent 24 nights there as the cold winter turned to spring.

It all started when I saw an article about an island that was for sale for one million euros. Katajanokanluoto is the only privately owned island in central Helsinki and is located just a few hundred meters from the Helsinki shoreline. I had seen the island many times before from the Suomenlinna ferry. Suomenlinna is one of the most popular locations in Helsinki among the tourists and one of my favorite places.

I emailed the owner and asked if I could live and photograph on the island. He thought the idea was great and encouraged me to carry out the plan. A few days later, I had keys for the cabin. The only thing left to figure was how to get to the island.

The owner of Katajanokanluoto island had seen this photo just a few weeks before my inquiry. This photo showing sea smoke at sunrise was featured on Finnish national television for ranking 6th in the biggest Finnish photography competition. The owner thought for a second that the photo was taken from Katajanokanluoto but actually it was from a nearby island just 500 meters away. It’s taken in 2017 from Suomenlinna ferry when the temperature was -22 degrees Celsius.

It had been a record-breaking cold winter. It dropped as low as almost -20 °C in Helsinki, so the ice was really thick. The central location of the island meant that there were many open ship lanes surrounding the island. Walking there wasn’t an option. Ship lanes were opened only for huge ships, so they didn’t help for getting a small boat to the island.

I asked a ride from archipelago transportation business. Due to the coldness, they had already postponed all their transportations at that moment. I incidentally met them in Kauppatori while they were trying to free their ship from the surrounding ice.

Even with hours of hard work the ice was too thick for the boat to leave the dock.

I really didn’t want to wait until spring so I had to figure out another option. The only vehicle that can easily move on both ice and water is hovercraft. Luckily I found a guy that imports them and does some transportation as well. He said that he needs to make sure there weren’t any huge ice chunks on the way. When icebreakers operate, the edge of the open lane is sometimes piled with ice, making it dangerous to pass with hovercraft. Few days went by and I got the good news. Ice is flat enough so the adventure could begin.

Just after arriving on the island for the very first time. These sights showing Helsinki cityscape with some of the well known Helsinki landmarks felt unreal.

The trip from the nearby dock to the island was a small adventure by itself. It was really fascinating to watch how effortlessly this versatile vehicle could move over the water and ice when driven by a skilled driver. The ride was over in just a few minutes.

Being on the island for the very first time, and realizing there is no going back before the scheduled pick-up after 7 days, felt oddly relaxing. The sights were amazingly beautiful, the air was fresh, and the cabin was really comfy looking.

This traditional looking cabin served as my headquarters while I was on the island.

Katajanokanluoto island is about the size of a half soccer field, 5000 square meters (~1.24 acres). It looked much bigger on the spot than from the distances I had seen it before.

After circling the island a few times, I went to check out the cabin. Outside very traditional, warm and comfy looking cabin surprised from the inside. White painted walls, stunning board floor, minimalistic interior design with some beautiful art pieces took me far from the traditional cabin views.

Just a few hours after arriving I knew that I would enjoy my stay. The versatile presence of nature felt wholesomely good. It is really empowering to watch the madness of the city from just a few hundred meters distance and feeling mentally really far away from it. Time and events of the world lose their significance. Observing nature and surroundings felt much more important.

One of the many crow encounters.

Crows of the island were shocked about my arrival. At the beginning even opening the cabin door got them bolting to another side of the island. Day after day they approved me better. When watching swans I experienced a beautiful moment of trust. The crow flew and landed between me and the swans just under 10 meters from me. It groomed its feathers like it even didn’t notice me.

Besides the crows, blackbirds, common goldeneyes and swans inhabited the island in the winter time. Later came mallards, white wagtails, and geese. Lots of geese.

Swans swimming against the foul wind in freezing conditions.

Weather conditions varied rapidly. Snow blizzards came without warning and cleared in just minutes.

Winter seed heads between the setting sun and ice.

Ice circumstances and weather conditions varied rapidly throughout the day. Nighttime coldness halts the sea entirely while the warmth of the morning sun revived it back alive bringing chunks of ice from the distance.

As the day progressed, ice gathered on the shore. Changing ice formations, clouds and the tones from the setting sun made sure that all the nights looked different. Snow blizzards arrived in just minutes. Often making it literally snow from left to right. The wind was very piercing and combined with coldness, it effectively revealed the weak spots on clothing. Weather conditions were generally favorable and I had the chance to enjoy sunny moments almost every day.

Ice formations after sunset.

A trawler in mist a few moments before sunrise.

Helsinki shoreline in the sunset.

I spent most of the time exploring and photographing the island. Quilted trousers were needed even in temperatures around zero. Especially when observing birds. I never felt outstandingly cold. The first night I heated up the fireplace. After that, I slept without heating.

I got used to the coldness really quickly. Only the first moments after waking up and getting out from the sleeping bag felt harrowing. “Washing” myself with the snow and bathing in the sea filled with ice cubes were the most shivering experiences. The coldest temperature was 12 degrees Celsius below zero.

One of the many beautiful sunrises.

My morning routine was to get up without hesitating, get the clothes on and go outside to take photos for 2-3 hours until the sunrise. Then I ate breakfast and took a nap. After that, I continued enjoying the fresh air outside and taking photos for the moments after sunset having just a few eating, warming, and resting breaks in between the shoots.

During the first six days, preparing food took a huge amount of time. I prepared a warm meal with the stove using wet wood three times a day. Every time it was a great challenge and I got well-needed practice of patience and fire starting skills. After the first trip, I took my portable stove with me so the meal preparation was much easier and less time-consuming.

Living on the island was really relaxing, healthy and full of well being. Keeping the mobile phone silent and living without grid electricity and computer ensured uninterrupted living. Days went by on a flow state taking photos and doing small tasks. Sleeping difficulties were gone and I slept better than ever. Usually starting around 10 pm.

Geese with landing gears on.

Kaivopuisto toned by the sunset colors

Barnacle geese couple and night fog.

The birds and the moon.

Silja Line cruiser passing the island.

The cruisers passed the island from just a few hundred meters of distance. Bigger ships could be felt as a low-frequency rumbling but overall they made quite little noise and operated just a few times a day. The motor of Suomenlinna ferry kept oscillating noise which could be heard every time in advance. Cabin fever hit me so I felt the urge to go to the shore watching, wondering and photographing the ships passing the island. I can imagine ending up on many photos and videos taken by tourists. Katajanokanluoto island is a pretty popular subject of photography for the people going to Suomenlinna and back.

The first six days on the island was over in an instant and completely without the present of homesickness or getting bored of the scenery or daily routines. I was surprised how quickly the ordinary haste and stress were gone. Small challenges on the island life: trying to keep the drinking water in a liquid state, using a pit in the snow as a fridge and maintaining warmness by clothing, were just the right kind to keep the mind stimulated and to give continuous rewards from the small successes in the day.

Ever-changing ice formations.

Amazing colors of the sunset with the Katajanokka terminal and the Helsinki wheel.

My next trip happened a few weeks later. I got a lift from the same hovercraft business but this time the vehicle was a self-made hovercraft. This sportier looking vehicle turned out to be as stable as the one before and again the trip to the island was successfully over in just a few minutes.

This time the sea was partly open. The weather shifted between snowy cold and warm. First signs of spring were there. Plants sprouted, the smell of the sea was present and the bird count increased day by day. In morning and night, It was fascinating to observe the creation and the melting of the ice on the sea.

I enjoyed my stay on the island more every day. While I was there, my only concern was returning to city life. In an apartment building and in the city, concerns of humanity are present all the time. Schedules, noise pollution, and conflicts. On the island, these worries seem distant. Lack of disturbances and other people created a stronger sense of being in charge of one’s well being.

I did a quick maintenance break on the mainland. Washing clothes, copying data from the memory cards, charging batteries and preparing food. I returned to the island with a small motor boat. The remnants of winter were gone and replaced by the spring livelihood and lightness. Few times I could bathe in the sun shirtless. Birds were also on a spring mood. Moments after arriving, I witnessed the weird mating rituals of mallards and observed how the Canada geese and the barnacle geese were fighting for their territories.

Canada goose attacking its smaller cousin the barnacle goose.

Canada geese couple mating rituals in the beam of the Suomenlinna church.

In the beginning, the bigger Canada geese didn’t tolerate their smaller cousins at all. They did numerous random attacks towards them. With the tiring tactics and the bigger count, barnacle geese invaded numerous spots from the island gaining majority.

In a late evening moment, the cliff on the island was a war ground. As usual one of the defiant male Canada goose shooed away the barnacle goose couple that had come too near. This time barnacle goose had some reinforcements. Other barnacle goose couple joined the fight and the four smaller geese scolded the bully with their aggressive pecking. The Canada goose escaped dragging its neck to the pushes just to bluster and peck its mate. That night the victorious barnacle geese cackle more confident than ever before.

There was a greylag goose nesting on the island too but for some reason, other geese didn’t seem to notice it at all.

The American mink.

In the morning of the returning day, I saw something in the corner of my eye. It was an American mink with a fish on its mouth. The mink leaped under the tarps of the dock. I got a little bit closer to wait and after a few minutes, its curiosity won. The mink came back to stare me a while. This time without its fish.

After returning from the next maintenance break the atmosphere was quite different. Geese had formed their territory and maintained it with aggression. Barnacle geese had eggs on their nests and they were really defiant towards me. At first, I had to gain back my routes by walking them with a broom. Numerous of mean stares, hissings, and fake attacks later I took over their respect and could walk on the island again. It was a game of patience.

Foggy day and the building sites of Kalasatama.

Katajanokanluoto isolated by the fog.

In that week the weather conditions varied from stunningly clear and warm sunny days to cold and misty. There were gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. A few times in the middle of the day, a low flying mist cloud arrived from the horizon covering everything. The visibility was limited to just twenty or so meters. It is a surrealistic experience being on the island in the Heart of Helsinki and not seeing or hearing anything besides the foghorns echoing in the distance.

From the start to finish of the trip, the same basic routines and thoughts repeated themselves. Nevertheless, the adventure changed its shape and developed by time. In the beginning, the snow and ice dominated the landscape. The wintery peacefulness was something truly spectacular and unique. Observing the form shifting ice and getting by on the cold, felt an adequate thing just by itself. Later when animal and human contacts got more frequent, it brought hecticness to living. Advancing spring, enjoying the sun and watching birds gave lots of joy. I really felt that I was at the mercy of nature.

One of the most unique features in photographing on the island were its limitations. Many times there is a bit restlessness about whether you are on the most photographic place or not. On the island the subjects and the spots were limited. To get versatile photos I really had to challenge myself and think the photo expression again and again.

A beautiful symmetrical sunrise.

The cabin and the city in distance.

All in all, the adventure was one of the greatest I’ve experienced. Well-being, peacefulness, and the absence of stress and restlessness felt really good. I returned the island for October and Christmas week. Spending 34 days on the island in 2018.

About the author: Pasi Markkanen is a photographer, artist, and entrepreneur who lives in Porvoo, Finland. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Markkanen’s work on his website. A longer version of this article was published here.

source https://petapixel.com/2019/03/12/frozen-living-for-34-days-on-the-only-private-island-in-central-helsinki/

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