#especially because it's sandwiched between July and September

[hollenka99]

Finally got around to watching Tick, Tick... Boom! tonight and 30/90? Nah man, it's all about 23/22 up in here.

[crimehathnofury]

Today’s crime is a doozie. I heard this story from Bailey Sarian. If you haven’t seen her youtube channel you should. Murder and make up is her thing, and she is fabulous. I was just appalled when I heard this story. It’s about Sylvia Likens and Gertrude Baniszweski. Be prepared this is marked the worst case of torture and abuse. Let’s start, shall we?

So we start this off with a little backstory on Gertrude. Born on September 19, 1928. She was the 3rd of 6 kids. She had a close relationship with her father but not so much with her mother. When her father had died, the relationship grew even more distant. Gertrude dropped out of highschool when she was 16 and got married to her first husband, John Baniszweski. They had 4 children together. John had a violent temper and was abusive. Even though he was abusive they stayed together for 10 years. Gertrude had also gained custody of her children. Within the year of the divorce Gertrude remarried. Though it didn’t even last 3 months. Shortly after that, she remarried her first husband John. They had 2 more children and then again divorced after 7 years. Around this time, Gertrude had been dating and moved in with a man named Dennis Wright.  He abused her. She did however get pregnant twice by him. One of which was a miscarrige(probably caused because of the abuse). The other pregnancy stuck though and gave her one last child named Dennis jr. SHortly after the birth of his son. Dennis sr. abandoned Gertrude. She was left alone to raise 7 children. Her first husband somewhat helped her though checks from him were sporadic. She also suffered depression

Now a little background on Sylvia. Slyvia was born on January 3rd, 1949 in between 2 sets of fraternal twins, Daniel and Dianna (2 years older), and Benny and Jenny (1 year younger). Jenny suffered from polio causing one of her legs to be weaker and a limp. Both of her parents and all 3 brothers traveled around and sold things at carnivals, like soda and snacks. This was a very unstable life moving frequently which the parents didn’t approve of their daughters travelling with them. So they would stay with relatives, often their grandmother. Once Sylvia was a teenager she would babysit to earn some money, part of which she would send to her mother. She would also do odd jobs around the neighborhood. June 1965 Jenny and Sylvia had been staying with their parents in Indianapolis. July 3rd, their mother was arrested and put in jail for shoplifting. So when their father had a new opportunity with the carnival he made a deal with the mother of Paula, Sylvia's new friend. Paula’s mother was Gertrude. Sylvia’s father and Gertrude had made an arrangement where Jenny and Sylvia would stay with Gertrude for a 20 dollar fee and Gertrude would take care of them like they were her own children. However after a couple of weeks the payment that Gertrude was promised failed to come.  This enraged her to the point where she beat them saying “I took care of you bitches for a week for nothing.” It went from 0 to 100 am I right? Total personality change. Anyways, the abuse only got worse from there. If the Likens girls did anything Gertrude didn’t approve of like exchange glass bottles at the grocery store, she would beat them with a wooden paddle. Sadly Gertrude would then turn most of her rage towards Sylvia. It’s said that Gertrude was jealous of Sylvia’s looks and potential. This was mid August. Some of the initial abuse was starvation, beatings, and sometimes eating leftover or spoiled food from the trash. In late August Sylvia had said she had a boyfriend in Long Beach who she met in the spring of 1965. Once this was said Gertrude had asked if Sylvia had ever done anything with a boy.  When she said she had shared a bed with her boyfriend Gertrude  asked ‘why did you do that Sylvia?’ to which Sylvia said ‘I don’t know.’ 

Several days later Gertrude told Sylvia that she looked like she was getting big in the stomach and that she was pregnant. SYlvia thought she was only joking and said back that she might need to go on a diet. Gertrude then told her and the other girls in the house that if they did something with a boy they were sure to get pregnant and then kicked Sylvia in the genitals. Later during dinner Paula, who was overweight and 3 months pregnant herself, joined in abusing Sylvia by kicking her off of a chair saying ‘You’re not fit to sit in a chair.’ Also Gertrude Paula and a neighborhood boy named Randy Gordan Lepper force fed Sylvia a hot dog over done with condiments. When she vomited that up she was forced to eat that as well. Sylvia, in retaliation to being picked on she started a rumor that Paula and her sister Stephanie were prostitutes. However after a boy at school jokingly propositioned Stephanie, she came home and confronted Sylvia. Sylvia admitted to starting the rumor which prompted Stephanie to punch her. Sylvia then cried and apologized to which Stephanie also cried. But that didn’t stop her boyfriend Coy Hubbard from beating Sylvia, Slapping her and banging her head against the wall. When Gertrude found out she took her paddle and also beat Sylvia. On another occasion Paula beat Sylvia so bad she broke her wrist over Sylvia’s teeth and eyes. Gertrude would also force Jenny to hit Sylvia. Jenny of course didn’t want to but she also didn’t want to suffer either. Gertrude then would repeatedly accuse Sylvia of being promiscuous and being a prostitute.  Coy Hubbard and a few classmates would frequently visit and brutally abuse Sylvia, physically and verbally. With encouragement from Gertrude the neighborhood kids would torment Sylvia and use her for judo practices, and burn her 100 times with cigarettes. There was one time that Gertrude forced Sylvia to strip and masturbate using a coke bottle in the living room and stated that she should show her sister what she really was. Then Gertrude had forbidden Sylvia from going to school cause she had stolen a gym uniform. I mean if Gertrude had just bought her clothes maybe she wouldn’t have to steal. Gertrude then beat Sylvia for this. She also went on a rant of the evils of premarital sex and repeatedly kicked Sylvia in the genitals. Stephanie stepped in and said she didn’t do anything. Gertrude still whipped her as well as burned her fingertips with matches. A few days later, because of a stolen tennis shoe, Gertrude beat Jenny. Jenny wanted to wear that shoe on her strong foot. 

I bet you guys are wondering why the sisters didn’t try to reach out to family members. I got the answer. They were afraid. They feared that Gertrude would just make their situation worse. Their parents, whenever they could afford it, would go down and visit them. But in late August of their last visit neither girl showed any distress because they were in front of Gertrude and her kids. Once Sylvia’s parents left Gertrude just turned to Sylvia and said ‘What are you going to do Sylvia? They’re gone.’ In mid September the girls encountered their older sister Dianna. They had tried to tell her the abuse they were forced to endure, especially Sylvia, but not knowing the actual address their sister thought they were exaggerating. Weeks prior to that, Jenny and Sylvia had seen Dianna at the park. 11 year old Marie Bansizweski was also there. Sylvia had mentioned to her sister she was hungry and was given a sandwich. When the Likens sisters and Marie got home, Marie told her family about the sandwich and Gretrude and Paula proceeded to beat Sylvia for engaging in gluttony. Both then also started a scalding bath and shoved Sylvia in it to cleanse her of her sin. When Sylvia fainted Gertrude would beat her head on the bathtub to revive her. Shortly after the father of one of the neighborhood kids told the school she was attending that there was a girl with open sores living at the Baniszewski house. A nurse noting that Sylvia hadn’t been at school in a while went to check it out. Once there Gertrude claimed that she didn’t know where Sylvia was and that she was out of control. She told the nurse that Sylvia had just run away and was a bad influence on her children . Because of this the school made no  further investigations into Sylvia’s welfare. They had no idea what was happening. Dianna finally found out that her sisters were staying at the Baniszewski house she went to try and make regular contact. Gertrude told her that by permission of their parents Gertrude was allowed to not let Dianna see her sisters. By chance though she ran into little Jenny. When Dianna asked about Sylvia, Jenny said ‘I can’t tell you or I’ll get in trouble.’  Due to the increasing brutal and frequent abuse, Sylvia became incontinet. She was denied the use of the bathroom being forced to wet herself. Gertrude punished her incontinence by locking her in the basement. Sometimes Sylvia would be tied to the railing of the stairs with her feet barely touching the ground, She was also kept naked, rarely fed, and dehydrated. That was on October 6th. In weeks prior to being locked up Gertrude would falsely accuse Sylvia of insulting everyone in the family. She did this to try and goad her children into attacking Sylvia. One occasion Gertrude took a knife and told Sylvia to try and fight her. Sylvia replied saying she didn’t know how to fight. In response Gertrude would cut Sylvia’s leg. Neighborhood children were paid 5 cents to mutilate Sylvia. 5 cents? Really? Gertrude also with the help of some neighborhood kids would fill the bathtub with scalding hot water and place her in it, then would take her out and rub salt in her wounds. Also Gertrude and her 12 year old son John jr would rub feces and urine from her 1 year old son's diaper in her mouth. Then they gave her half a cup of water and said that was all she would get for the rest of the day. 

On October 22nd John jr tormented Sylvia by giving her a bowl of soup to eat. She was only allowed to eat with her hands and anytime she would try and eat it he would take it away. Gertrude said that Sylvia could start sleeping up stairs again if she had learned to not wet herself. But Gertrude whispered to Jenny to secretly give Sylvia a glass of water before bed. So when morning came and Gertrude saw that Slyvia had wet herself, Gertrude forced her to insert a glass coke bottle into her vagina in the presence of her children and was forced back into the basement. Shortly after Gertrude ordered that Sylvia go to the kitchen and then strip. Stating that Sylvia had branded her daughters and now she was to be branded. Gertrude then took a heated needle and carved I’m a prostitute and proud of it into Sylvia’s stomach. When Gertrude couldn’t finish the branding she had one of the present neighborhood children Richard Hobbs finish it for her. Then both Hobbs and 10 year old Shirely Baniszewski led Sylvia to the basement and took turns using an anchor bolt to burn the letter S under her left breast. However it looked like the number 3. Gertrude later then proceeded to taunt Sylvia saying that she’ll never get married with that brand. Then Sylvia was forced to show the carving to some neighborhood children with Gertrude saying she got it at a sex party. Later that night Sylvia had told her sister that even though Jenny didn’t want her to die, she was going to die. She could tell. The next day Gertrude forced Sylvia to write a letter to mislead her parents. Telling them that she ran away. The letter was meant to frame local boys for her murder. Gertrude then planned that she, John jr, and Jenny would blindfold Sylvia and then leave her in the forest to die. After Sylvia was done with the letter Gertrude tied her back up on the stairs in the basement. 

October 25th, Sylvia attempts to escape from the basement. She makes it to the door before Gertrude catches her. Gertrude gave Sylvia a piece of toast but due to her state of dehydration Sylvia couldn’t eat it. Then Gertrude then forced the toast into Sylvia’s mouth while beating her with a shower curtain rod till it was bent out of place. Coy Hubbard was there and took the curtain rod from Gertrude and beat Sylvia unconscious. A witness heard a commotion but when it stopped  at 3 am she didn’t call the cops. On the morning of October 26, Sylvia couldn’t speak or control her limbs. She was delirious. She tried again to escape the basement but collapsed on the stairs. Gertrude stamped on Sylvia’s head and just stared at her for a moment. Richard Hobbs came by and immediately went to the basement. He slipped on the wet stairs and fell hard to the basement where he was confronted with the sight of Stephanie crying over Sylvia’s emaciated and lacerated body. They gave her a warm bath, got her all cleaned up and took her upstairs to a bedroom. They rested her on a mattress. Stephanie turned to her little sister Shirley. Shirley said ‘Oh she’ll be alright.’  When Stephanie realized that Sylvia wasn’t breathing she tried mouth to mouth resuscitation. Sadly Sylvia had finally succumbed to her injuries. She died at 16 years old. Gertrude kept hitting Sylvia saying she was faking it; Kept calling her a faker. However she started to panic when Sylvia wasn't waking up. The police were called and at 6:30 they arrived on the scene. Gertrude had given them the note that was written by Sylvia. However Jenny whispered to them that if they could get her out of there she would tell them everything. The trial lasted 17 days but Gertrude was found guilty of 1st degree murder, Paula was found guilty of 2nd degree murder, and John jr Hobbs and Hubbard were found guilty of manslaughter. Gertrud and Paula got life imprisonment. Hobbs, Hubbard, and John jr got sentenced 2 to 21 years. This crime was marked the most horrible. I can see why. I just don’t understand how this could have happened. I wonder if they’re even sorry for what they did. 

What do you guys think? Let me know. Message me or leave a comment. Like and reblog. And if you want to continue to read the cases I go through just follow my blog. Till next time.

[braveskyered]

Knights (Part 19)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

(Special Thanks once again to @nebulous-rain​ for providing one of the illustrations. Please check her out if you have the time!)

-

Do you understand the severity of these terms?

…

…You know what? I don’t think I should repeat myself if you’re just going to ignore me.

Just like in reality, in fiction, anything goes.

Not everything is all lovely sunshine and daisies.

Life is never fair.

Not to you.

Not to me.

And especially not to them.

I wonder how much you’re willing to believe, or even believe in them at all.

After all…

We all make mistakes, don’t we?

And yet one will always never forgive them, no matter the apologies they genuinely give.

Aren’t you the same way?

I look forward to seeing where your journey takes you.

-

Part 19: Thought I Told Ya Stop Fuckin’ With Me!

- - - - - - -

April XX, 20XX

I don't even know what I'm doing. I'm so scared of what will happen to me, but I couldn't let myself go through this. I don't even know what Vivi was thinking. I can't do it. Not even for her.

I can't stay. I have to get out of here. Get away from the monsters that hurt me. It's nothing more than a prison at this rate.

…

I guess I'm a coward to the very end.

I'm sorry ■■■■■ ■■■■ everyone.

-

May XX, 20XX

It's been two weeks since I escaped that hell.

Somehow, things are getting better for me. I don't know why, but I managed to find a job at an auto repair shop and even a place for me to stay at the same time in Cantabile, Tennessee. The shop, Four of a Kind Queens, is a family owned business that's run by the grandmother of the Knights family, Vivienne. She's the one that provided me a job and a home. I don't know how to thank her other than to do whatever I can.

The Knights family is interesting in that they're almost all women (other than those that are married with a husband). Almost all of the employees at the shop are women, too. I actually felt a bit out of place as one of the few male employees there. You'd think it'd be the other way around. Thankfully, none of them seemed interested in me so far.

I can only hope that I'll be able to move on from the past without them finding me. I don't want the Knights family to get dragged into my problems any more than they have to.

I'm just happy to have Galaham with me. I don't know what I would've done, or where I would be, without him.

-

June XX, 20XX

It's been a month since I arrived in Cantabile. It's surprising that I'm still here.

I got a new phone for myself. It's the kind that didn't require me to get a contract since I bought it from an electronics store. I had already disposed of my old smartphone and the SIM on it after I came here. It was rough to let go of it, but at least my photos and other files for my projects are safe.

I just hope that I didn't compromise my safety when I did the switch.

-

July XX, 20XX

Vivienne told me to stay home for the next few days. All I learned was that something had happened in the city that had police going around crazy. Also, someone's family member had gone missing and was reportedly said to be seen in Cantabile. I didn't dare search my name online. Instead I opted to look up missing persons by state.

...I shouldn't be surprised that I found my name and face as one of those missing in Texas. It said that I had left for a solo vacation and never returned, and that my last known location was somewhere in the mountains of Tennessee. It didn't say anything about which town or city I was last seen in or me being hurt, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I want to let my uncle know I'm okay, but I can't. I'm sorry.

-

July XX, 20XX

Vivienne called me back into work today. The police had found the person that was reported missing, and there hadn't been any more unusual activity, so it was safe for me to come back.

She told me that it's not unheard of for abusers to report their victims that have escaped from their grasp as missing individuals, pretending to care about their missing "loved ones." Those blind to the truth would fall for the sob stories and find the victims that have truly escaped, and then drag them back to their tormentors and not know the difference.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make rent since I couldn't work for the past four days, but Vivienne still paid me as if I did. I’ll find a way to make it up to her someday.

I'm worried about my uncle, but I don't want to get dragged back there. I'm sorry, Uncle.

-

August XX, 20XX

The Knights, mainly Elaine (who is Vivienne's youngest granddaughter), have been inviting me to various events lately.

Sure, being invited to the little parties and lunch gatherings meant to keep up employee morale is pretty fun, but now the occasion is attending a Robotics convention. From what Elaine had told me, it was just only her and her family going, but for some reason, I was the only employee invited to come along. Maybe the others didn't have any interest?

Elaine said that it was to get me out of the apartment and the shop. It's true that I don't go out much other than to get the essentials, and even then, most of them were brought to me by delivery, but it's mostly because I don't want to expose myself.

I can't let them find me. I don't want to go back.

-

August XX, 20XX

Elaine and I are dating now, I guess.

I had a good time at the Robotics convention. There were a few moments where I thought I saw someone that would recognize me even though I wore a hat and a different style in clothing and gloves to hide my arm, but thankfully, I was only seeing things. I think as long as I'm with someone I know, I'll be okay.

I say we're dating, but I highly doubt it'll work out between us. I mean, who would want to remain beside someone who has more problems than I care to count? No one in the shop even knows about my arm yet, because I didn't want to get any special/excess attention because of it.

Still, I'm well aware that Elaine has a crush on me (she's not exactly the most subtle about it). I'm not sure what will happen once she loses interest, but I hope we can still be friends at least. Other than Elaine and her family, Galaham is my only real companion right now.

I don't really have much of a choice to stay isolated like I had been, but at least I'm not getting beaten or burned on a near daily basis.

...I wonder if this relationship with Elaine will work out.

-

August XX, 20XX

Surprisingly, Elaine hasn't broken up with me. I just don't understand. What does she see in me? I'm a disgrace to the people I once knew. I feel like a discarded piece of trash that's left out on the curb, and I know I'm still an absolute wreck from all the nightmares of the night that's forever etched into my subconscious.

I accidentally cut my right arm on a rusty pipe at work. Because I didn't have a medical record to provide, Vivienne had me taken to a hospital to get a tetanus shot as a precaution. Although I never wanted them to know, they learned about my left arm and the rest of my injuries. I never saw someone look so horrified. Not at me, but the fact that I had so many wounds still healing and one that never will. To be on the safe side, Vivienne had me go through a complete physical. Examinations, x-rays, even an MRI had been added into the mix.

Even though we reached a compromise in that no one is to ask how I got these injuries back in Texas, I told Vivienne that I wouldn't be able to pay for all of it. She simply said that the director owed her family a handful of favors. Just how much influence does she and her family have? I don't think she would've helped to this extent if I hadn't been Elaine's boyfriend.

...It still feels weird to say that.

-

September XX, 20XX

My wounds from the hell I escaped from are slowly healing. I don't think they'll ever truly fade, but at least they're no longer hurting. I still have to cover my neck with scarves or turtlenecks to hide the very last wound I received, but hopefully that will fade over time, too.

The medication that was prescribed to me last month had worked wonders for me. I no longer have to bear with such crippling phantom pain, and the Knights family, including Elaine, have been helping me move on.

Maybe I can truly start over? Maybe I can truly find a place for myself here? I don't know how I'll ever be able to return the favor for the Knights family.

I think I'll invite Elaine to try out that new sandwich shop that recently opened up with me.

-

October XX, 20XX

Over time, I learned that the Knights family have a side business of sorts. They handle paranormal investigations and even do monster hunting for certain clients. Oddly, only the women of the Knights family do this.

Vivienne had retired from the side business a few years back and runs Four of a Kind Queens after inheriting it from her mother. Her two daughters, Morgan and Caelia, still do the side business occasionally, along with her two granddaughters Elaine and Eleanor. I almost never see Eleanor, since according to Morgan (her mother), she travels with her husband for his job as a contractor of sorts.

Elaine is leaving for one such occasion. She's been hired to investigate an abandoned house since there have been some crazy occurrences here and there. I don't know why, but I couldn't bring myself to stay, so I quickly volunteered to join her. I told her of my past experience as a paranormal investigator and demonstrated my knowledge of it. It was enough to convince her.

I never told the Knights family about the group I used to be a part of. I don't even want to think of the names of who and what I used to know. I was thrown away and cast aside, and I was constantly punished for the things I never wanted to happen.

...I just hope I don't bring Elaine to her death. At the very least, I'll help maintain her equipment and remain in her van. That way if anything went wrong, at least it won't be her getting pushed off. I should probably check ahead of time and make sure there isn't anything that could be used as a weapon to hurt her.

-

November XX, 20XX

I keep telling myself that I need to stop involving myself with the paranormal. That way I won't get hurt anymore, that way I can't be used to hurt anyone. But I couldn't. I can't.

Elaine made the investigations safe. I actually enjoy going on these trips with her.

She listened to all of my concerns, answered my questions, and even took the time to plan ahead with me on what needs to be done. I would help with the preliminary investigation and preparation, and if it became too dangerous for me, I would stay in the van with the protection wards while she went on ahead. In the rare occasions where it was too much even for her, she would back out and call her family for backup.

I love it when one knows when to fold.

-

December XX, 20XX

Elaine and I are still dating here and there.

I still don't know what a date really is, but if the occasional walk around the mountain trails or just having a meal together counts as such, then I guess that counts? (Huh. Redundancy.)

The things I learned about Elaine so far is: She's good at cooking, knows how to work with cars, likes reading science fiction and the occasional romance and horror novels. She doesn't care much for movies unless it really interests her, and even then, that's rare. She loves the family cream stew recipe her grandmother makes.

Elaine started to play some video games with me once I saved up enough money to buy a secondhand console during a sale. I often like to do little commentaries whenever I play, and she started to join in as well.

I'm so thankful to have her as a friend.

-

December 25th, 20XX

Even though I was all but exiled from where I used to live, I still wanted to let my uncle know what I'm fine without anything being traced back to me. Eventually, I came up with a technique that allowed me to do it.

One time I went with Elaine on her trips for the family's side business, I had asked her to buy a stack of notebook paper and some envelopes from an office store while we were out three states over. They were completely covered with wrapping, so there were no worries of her fingerprints getting on them. I made sure to only let myself touch the letters while writing and sending them, so that way there would be no danger for the Knights.

I had written my first letter to my uncle last week. I didn't include much, just that I was fine and that I'm in a much better place, and I asked him in that he doesn't try to look for me. I even went so far as to write it in a way that he would know that I'm not making it up and that I'm actually safe. I won't be able to get a reply from him, and we probably won't be able to see each other again, but hopefully this will put him at ease.

Merry Christmas, Uncle. I'm sorry.

-

January XX, 20XX

The new year. Hopefully it'll lead to a new me.

I'm gradually making a few friends outside the Knights family, but I mainly just stay home and keep to myself. They've gotten used to it; I think. We sometimes get to play some online games together, so that's cool.

-

February 14, 20XX

I got to spend some time with Elaine at a place popular for couples before a job. Granted, Elaine was asked to investigate some disappearances that occurred in that area, but I came with her last minute because I wanted to spend more time with her. It's selfish of me to do that, but I want to prove myself as a person for her. Plus, the last few cases I went with her went okay.

…

The fact that the Knights family are so effective at paranormal investigations and monster hunting, it makes sense now.

The Knights family themselves are monsters.

Elaine ■■■■■■■■ those cultists. Sure, she did it to save me, but she still ■■■■■■ ■■■■.

Dating her was a mistake. Everything has been a mistake. Everything about me has been a mistake.

I broke up with her.

-

March XX, 20XX

I don't know what I'm even doing. I still go to work, but after what happened two weeks ago, I can't look anyone in the eye. I try to avoid them. I know that they can kill me at any given moment. If that were to be the case, I hope they'll at least wait until it's Galahad's time to go, I don't want him to pass after me.

When that incident happened, Elaine begged me not to hate her while crying. After that, she never said anything to me other than when it's time to clock out or the few times her grandmother would buy lunch for the employees. No one in the family told me to leave, but they didn't ask for forgiveness, either.

I fear Elaine, but I can't hate her. What she did was unforgivable, even though she did it to save me. I know I would have died had it not been for her actions, but still. Am I truly worth saving? Enough that someone will kill to do so?

…Real monsters would never save people.

I can't let it be like this. I will talk to her the next time I go to work.

-

March XX, 20XX

I managed to have a heart-to-heart talk with Elaine. I still couldn't bring myself to forgive her for what she did, but I made sure to thank her for saving my life. There are still many things we need to work through, but at least we seem to be on the right page now.

We've decided to give this dating thing another shot. Not to start over, but to pick up where we left off.

I will accept her, monster and all.

After all, the real monster is me.

-

June XX, 20XX

I love her. I love Elaine.

I shouldn't love her. I don't have the right to love her.  I shouldn't let these feelings be a part of me. It's becoming harder and harder to deny it.

Elaine can easily toss me aside should she so choose. But she didn’t. I just can’t understand.

I still confessed to her. Because I didn’t have a ring to give her, I gave her my star spin. She gave me a pin shaped like the moon. The Knights in the night. Heh.

She returned her feelings.

-

October XX, 20XX

Elaine proposed to me.

-

November 11, 20XX

So… I tied the knot with Elaine today.

It feels so unreal. I never thought even once in my life before meeting her that I would ever find love like this. I really don't know how to describe this feeling. I have never felt anything even remotely like this in the past where all I felt was pain.

The ceremony could have been better, though. I wish I didn't have to make Elaine sad when I asked her to keep that one promise for me as one of our vows, but I know this had to be done for everyone's sake, including hers.

Elaine, if you ever read this, I want to say thank you. I love you, and I will do whatever I can to make you happy like you do for me.

...

I love you, too, my star. ☆

- - - - - - -

Red spilled.

Arthur looked down on himself, on his hands, and saw red. Why is the room covered in red? Why are Gwen and Percy covered in red and down on the floor? The clothes of Vivi's son soaked in more crimson. Whose blood is this? He coughed and looked at his hands.

Oh. It's his.

He forced himself to swallow the vomit that threatened to leave his throat. He blinked and saw that the red is now gone. Another hallucination? Definitely not a good sign, but he will have to worry about it later when he took a moment to touch the moon pin on his vest before shifting his focus on the children.

Gwen and Percy, along with Vivi's son Jason, are still standing, looking at him like they're seeing a ghost. The wraith is still floating behind the children, looking like a deer in the headlights. Arthur briefly took note that it's holding something, a blue rectangle of sorts that took one hand for the wraith to hold. A box? Not important.

Arthur knew that he would have to face the wraith again one day. It could have gone in so many ways. In all of those scenarios, it always had the wraith looking angry and vengeful like it always did when it was alone with him.

To think the wraith could hurt him like this.

"Dad…?"

The sound of Percy's voice snapped Arthur out of the fog. It's hard to bear the heat flaring up from his back and neck, difficult to keep the acid bile from bubbling up in his throat, and hard to maintain eye contact with that ghoulish face. It’s not looking angry now, but he knows it’s only a matter of time.

"Gwen, Percy,” Elaine said, “Come over here.”

The three children glanced up at the wraith before the twins subtly nodded to each other, with Gwen quietly gesturing to Jason to follow her as the three left the wraith’s side. The wraith, to its credit, didn’t do anything to follow.

“Arthur, I—"

“Elaine,” Arthur commanded with strain, his fingers barely touching the scar on his neck, “Take the kids with you… and go back to the others. Tell Vivi and Mystery to come here.”

“Are you sure?” Elaine kept her attention to him while keeping the wraith in the corner of her vision, “Isn’t that the one who—”

He nodded. He didn’t want to leave this up for debate. This isn’t her fight, but his. He’ll find a way to fend it off one way or another, and he knows it won’t lift a finger to hurt Vivi.

“Okay,” Elaine nodded back, “But if it tries anything, let me know.”

“There is no need for that.”

Everyone turned to see Niniane with Vivi and Mystery behind her. Arthur had to suppress a shudder as he saw one of Niniane’s hands emit the green-blue aura and point it at the wraith. She looks really mad…!

“No way…” Vivi could be heard whispering, “The seal’s broken?”

‘Seal’? Wait, didn’t her father mention--

“So you’re the one that abused my distant grandson-in-law,” Niniane said as she held it in place with her magic, “I almost couldn’t believe it when I found out that you were still around after nearly eighteen years since your death. Most ghosts typically disappear after a few months,” she narrowed her eyes, “But that’s assuming you had let go of your desire for his death.”

“That’s—” the wraith started before Niniane brought it closer to her face.

“But at the same time, you have been sealed for over seventeen years, so maybe you’ve had plenty of time to… reflect.”

“Niniane, enough,” Arthur said, catching her attention, “This isn’t your fight.”

“Anything that involves my family is my fight, Arthur,” Niniane said simply, “I don’t see why we should leave this one on the loose. I can just easily seal it back to where it was previously, or…”

She let out a cruel smirk just before a dull blue and heart-shaped object flew out of Percy’s grasp and into her own.b

“I can just get rid of it entirely.”

She gave the metal heart a squeeze upon speaking the last word, causing the wraith to wince upon hearing a small crack–.

Arthur managed to hide his shock by swallowing his words. Still, it’s very tempting. Niniane could just easily eliminate the wraith here and now. If she did, then there would be no more burns, no more pain, and-- He glanced in Vivi’s direction and saw how distressed she is. How she looked at wanting to speak up, but unable to defy the one suppressing her. Just like how the wraith had suppressed him in the past. Gwen and Percy look terrified, too.

…This isn’t right.

“Not yet, Niniane,” Arthur said with much effort, “We can’t do that yet.”

Niniane blinked in brief surprise before looking down at Arthur with a glare, “Oh? And why should I delay in destroying this?”

“Because I need answers,” he said, “With what my uncle, the Yukino family, and the Peppers saying that they want all this to end, and why Vivi ‘snapped’ and kept hunting monsters in my name even though she never did anything to this one, or how that ghost managed to earn the kids’ trust, I need to know why.”

Niniane pondered momentarily before shrugging, "I suppose that's an understandable reason. Very well. I will allow you to question them, but I will be watching."

"No, I'll do it," Elaine said as she stepped forward to be beside Arthur, "I need you to watch after Vivian. We can't have her make her way towards us, not to mention that I don't want her to get hurt by that 'dog' again."

Niniane glared at Vivi and Mystery's direction briefly, then nodded, "Very well, Elaine. I will leave this to you. If any of them do go out of line, do whatever you wish," she handed the heart over to her distant granddaughter, "I trust you will make a good decision. And the children?"

"We're staying," Percy said as he and Gwen stood by their father's side, “It may not look like it, but it’s pretty much my fault that we’re in this in the first place.”

Arthur was about to rebuke his son before stopping himself. Like it or not, Percy is responsible for allowing Mr. Yukino to identify him out of an online article by wearing the skull pin and his resemblance to him, and he might be at fault for getting the attention of the Mystery Skulls, too.

But in the end, it’s Arthur’s own fault to allow any of this to happen.

Forget the blame game. Just get this over with. Get the answers I need, and just let this thing die once and for all.

The lives of his three children depend on it.

“I understand. I shall do as you ask,” Niniane straightened herself and shifted her gaze to the wraith and the Mystery Skulls with a narrow glare before walking away, “But like I said earlier, if they were to step out of line, there will be no mercy.”

Arthur watched Niniane leave. A part of him didn’t want her to, but something in his mind is telling him that it was probably for the best that the old woman isn’t involved in this. On a separate note, he could only hope that Morgan is keeping Lance and the Peppers in line, for he didn’t want to get them involved in this, either.

Now, it’s just him, Elaine, the twins, Vivi, her son, Mystery, and now the wraith.

“Jason,” Vivi broke the silence as she kneeled down to her son, “Could you stay with Belle for a while? I need to have a special talk with these people.”

“Do I have to?” Jason asked meekly, “I thought I could play with Gwen and Percy? They’re better than all my classmates.”

“That right?” Vivi gave out an exasperated yet fond smile, “Tell you what, if all goes well, then you can play with them again when we’re done talking.”

Jason looked like he wanted to speak up, but he nodded before giving Gwen and Percy a shy wave. He said something about wanting to talk more about robotics with the twins nodding, then left the living room after looking back a few times.

“Sorry, I didn’t want him involved in this,” Vivi said as she stood back on her feet. She looked at both Arthur and his family, then at the wraith and Mystery before speaking to Arthur, “So… You’re married. With kids.”

Arthur took a moment to make sure that he was between the Mystery Skulls and the twins. It became a comfort when he saw Elaine follow suit and hold his hand like she always did during the nightmares to make sure the wraith wasn’t near the children either. Whatever connection he had with the Mystery Skulls has long been shattered, and he managed to make a new one with the Knights family after meeting Elaine.

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing,” he said while seeing the wraith slowly fiddle with the blue box in its hands, “Still, my condolences for your husband’s passing. He must have been a great man since your family left a shrine for him.”

Like me, she has also moved on from the past.

“You would’ve liked Harry,” Vivi smiled sadly, “Even though the way we got together was… less than ideal, we were able to love one another regardless. He loved me, and he loved our son.”

Something tells me that I shouldn’t pry further…

“But that’s not what’s important right now,” Vivi started to make a move towards him, only to immediately back off upon seeing his glare, “You know how shortly after you left, this town became cursed? By the demon that ruined everything?”

“You need me to help you break it,” Arthur said, unconvinced with his arms crossed, “You realize that I’m not really inclined to help you after you and Mystery almost killed my children.”

“She what?!” The wraith reeled back before turning to the woman in blue, “Vivi, why would you do that?! What were you even doing all this time that made you go after kids?!”

“They can transform into monsters!” Vivi said loudly, “I didn’t know they were Arthur’s kids!”

“Wait, so if we weren’t Daddy’s kids, you would’ve just gone after us no matter what?” Gwen asked as she glared at Vivi.

“None of this would've happened if you hadn’t attacked us in the first place!” Percy looked down on the fake dog, “We were just minding our own business until you showed up saying we shouldn’t exist!”

“We can only apologize for that. We thought you had done something to Arthur when I picked up his scent from the three of you,” Mystery said to Percy, “If we had seen you as you are now, even we would’ve picked up on the fact that you are his son, or at least someone related to him.”

Seeing his children becoming more involved with the monsters of his past is starting to become too much. Arthur covered his ears and started humming the lullaby quickly to himself to drown out the sound. He didn’t care that the lullaby would hurt him. He didn’t want to hear the madness anymore. No more! Please! No more!

“Arthur, isn’t that my--?”

“Oh, shut up! Don’t think we didn’t forget how that bitch nearly chopped up our sister! You’re lucky that she missed, or I would’ve gone for her throat instead of her hair!” Percy growled as he made the throat slash gesture with his thumb upon saying it, “Unlike necks, hair can grow back.”

“So you would have killed her?!” Mystery bared his teeth upon hearing the thought of Vivi’s safety being threatened, “I’m not sure if that would’ve been a wise choice. If that Gashadokuro hadn’t appeared, I would have made you regret making that move.”

“I’m right here, mutt,” Elaine said slowly as her right arm, the hand holding the heart, became skeletal with a black and purple flame, her left eye also glowing purple as she glared at the fake dog that just realized his mistake, “Care to repeat that in front of their mother?”

There was a long silence.

Or rather. It went blank for Arthur. They’re still talking. Still arguing. He set his arms down.

That’s right.

These three, the Mystery Skulls and a monster, tried to harm his children. The wraith might seem against the idea, but he knew the wraith would take away anything Arthur held dear like it had done in the past just to see him in pain.

Not.

This.

Time.

“ARTHUR!” “What are you--?!” “DAD!” “DADDY?!”

Arthur kicked Mystery away from the kids amidst the screams and glared at the fake dog when he gave him a look of disbelief. He never wanted to hear Vivian cry like she had earlier today ever again.

“Arthur,” Elaine immediately went back to normal and came to his side, “Don’t push yourself.”

Upon seeing it, Arthur snatched the heart from Elaine’s grasp with his left hand. He tried to keep his breathing stable, but it’s getting harder and harder to breathe…

…What is this? Why is it so dark and purple?

…

How long has it been? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? …Centuries? The passage of time has long been lost.

Nothing but regrets, nothing but sorrow, nothing but the memories that used to give him a sick sense of satisfaction that now bring him an even more sickening sense of regret and shame.

It’s what he deserved. He knew that.

He could still sense what is going on outside his prison… somewhat at least. His little helpers, the Dead Beats, that were extensions of himself still wandered over yonder here and there, but even though they’re essentially his eyes and ears, they can only sense so much in their extremely weakened state. He has no idea how long it’s been since he was left here to rot by the old traditional shrine maiden that knew how to use the paper seals and chants that could exorcise even the strongest of demons. At the same time, he didn’t know why she chose to seal him instead of eliminating him entirely.

He is aware that he brought this outcome of ruin upon himself, being sealed with the one that ruined everything. The memories it haunted him with within the darkened green, such as the ones he used to be proud of, only brought anger and disappointment upon itself. Sometimes it would leave him alone, and he made sure to treasure those moments of relief. No moment of peace except for these rare precious moments. Despite this, he couldn’t let his guard down and was always on edge.

The fact that it used him to hurt his parents will… It made him feel violated more than he cared to admit.

He has no doubt that this is all what Arthur went though, as well. He wondered if the mechanic is even still alive.

Every once in a while, he would try to distract himself from the now painful memories by singing his song with his little helpers. Sometimes he would sing it the way it’s supposed to, other times he would sing it more sadly and melancholy.

This time I might just disappear…

He chose to sing it slowly and softly this time. The green hasn’t tried to disturb him for a while.

All of a sudden, he sensed something outside. He couldn’t tell what it was since his little helpers were so weak. He couldn’t see them, but he could feel them. Two… no, three? New presences near his prison’s proximity. He may not be able to do anything from where he is, but he hoped that his little helpers would lead them away to safety.

…They’re not leaving. One can float around. But it’s so small… Unless he is wrong, the floating one is… searching for something? The other two that can walk are trying to pursue the one that floats. What are the Dead Beats doing? They’re trying to get into contact with the three, but something is holding them back. One had enough, and so it used a trapdoor to catch the three by surprise. Why are the Dead Beats trying to bring the three to him? There's nothing he can do.

Oh, the one that can fly took one of the two, while the remaining kept falling.

"--en!"

A young boy's voice. Maybe someone calling out to their partner? He wanted to help, but as long as the seal remains intact, he can't leave, let alone move.

A yelp of pain in a girl's voice. She sounds hurt. Did she fall that badly? Is this the person the other voice he heard just moments earlier call out to? Before he could question it any further, something in his vision changed. It's faint, but light started to crack vertically in front of him. To his surprise, when he tried to reach out, he found that he could move. His fingers came into contact with the side of what felt like a lid. He pulled it to the side as hard as he could.

The lid of his coffin fell off with a loud clatter, and he quickly shut his eyes against the bright light.

Am I… free?

Does this mean that Arthur is here?

"Oh… f-frick…"

He slowly opened his eyes to adjust to the light, which isn't much. When his vision cleared, he saw-- That's not Arthur. It's just a kid, a young girl with dark hair and gray overalls, staring at him with an alarmed expression though her eyes.  But the only way for him to be released from his prison based on what the old shrine maiden had said…

“Only those that come after in blood of whose soul you’ve hurt.”

Although he has no idea how, this child is someone that has fit the criteria the shrine maiden had placed. Maybe she knows where Arthur is, or at least what happened to the world outside after he was sealed.

He looked down at himself briefly before shifting his focus to his heart. Still dark in color, and heavily cracked like it had been ever since he realized his mistake too late. How long has it been? What does he even look like now? He thought about looking into his heart, but instead looked up at the child before him.

"You…"

He started as he began to move forward, reaching out for her. Maybe he could lead her back to her two companions and then out of his prison? He tried to speak except he couldn't form the words other than "You."

The way the girl reacted with alarm before running off… felt familiar. He realized that he could move still, so he started to float and moved to follow her. He had to make sure she didn't fall into a trap or worse, encounter the green.

She saw him pursue her. As she continued to run away, she lifted an arm to his direction. He wondered what she was doing before seeing something sparkle in her hands and realized it immediately. She has magic. Why does it feel so cold? He didn't want to hurt her, so he lifted his hand to burn away the ice and nothing else. He tried to speak, but for some reason, he couldn't remember the words he wanted to say. What were they again? He knew how to say his name and one other.

"Arrrrth…"

"No no no no no no no no!" The girl just kept repeating the word, probably more to herself than anything else. She's a lot faster than he thought. How familiar. Maybe he can still warp the place like he used to before he was trapped here?

He knows most of the doors were basically portals that led to other doors meant to confuse people, so when the girl ran into one of the many doors in the hallway, she came out of another door in the same area just a little further down. When she saw him, she briefly looked annoyed, and then kept running in the long hallway and ignored the remaining doors altogether.

He needs to find a way to let her know he means no harm. It took some effort, but soon he was able to conjure a wall to cut off the girl's path to where only two pathways remain. The first path being the way they came, the other being another hall that neither had gotten to yet. Either way, he managed to effectively trap her in a corner.

"You… Arrrrrth…" Why can't he speak properly?! He just wanted to talk to her…

Something must have caught the girl's attention, as she soon went from a guarded stance to one of confusion.

"Are you… trying to say something?"

He looked up at her and nodded.

“You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”

He shook his head.

“Raise your left hand if you understand me.”

He did so.

She looked hesitant before standing up straight, “You’re definitely a wraith. The only way for something like you to exist was if you died a very violent death, and in your last moments, having a very strong desire. In other words, you have unfinished business here, right? Someone murdered you.”

He nodded. When the girl didn’t make a response, he looked down at his heart. Maybe if he shows her the photo inside, she’ll recognize any of the people in it? He allowed his heart to approach the girl for her to look. Just as if she was about to take hold of it--

“GWEN!”

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Back off, you skull ghost!”

Standing in front of the girl, shielding her from him is—! He realized that he is shaking, that he is crying, “Arrrrttthhhh… You…”

Arthur looked taken aback, “Wha--? Why are you--”

Before anyone realized it, he held Arthur in his arms in a soft embrace.

“Arthur, it is you!”

There isn’t any green. He didn’t want to let Arthur go, otherwise it would mean that this isn’t real.

He wanted to let Arthur know how sorry he is and that he learned from his mistake. That maybe things will work out. That maybe, just maybe, things could go back to what everything once was. To be a team again. Maybe get Vivi and then ask Arthur that question with her one more time and hope that he accepts it. That maybe, just maybe, Arthur will forgive him.

And maybe, just maybe… He thought more to himself as he gently held Arthur, who remained still with a look of confusion, by the shoulders to look into the gentle blue eyes he always knew--

…

…

…Wait.

Arthur doesn’t have blue eyes. They’re supposed to be gold like his hair. He’s also supposed to have a patch of dark hair just above his forehead, not white.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that the not-Arthur before him isn’t even an adult, but a child that just reached his teens, just like the girl behind the boy that somehow opened his prison. He took a moment to take in the features of the boy before him. The spiky hair, the way the patch of hair above his forehead looks outside of color, his jawline, his general stature, it’s beyond unmistakable.

It’s not Arthur, but he didn’t doubt this boy is related to him some way.

What sealed it was when he saw a familiar pin on the boy’s vest, one of the Mystery Skulls logo. Unless it’s a replica, only three are supposed to exist, but since it looks so beat up…

Looking at the girl, she doesn’t look like anyone he knew, but he soon found what he was missing. Her eyes were the same gold color as Arthur’s. He then saw her headband with a somewhat beaten blue circle just above her right ear.

“Hey,” the girl asked, her voice shaking, “Do you know this ‘Arthur’s’ last name?”

It took him a moment to answer, “K-King…”

“'Kingsmen'?” the boy suddenly asked, and when he nodded, the two children looked at each other as if realizing something before the boy spoke up again, “Hey, do you remember when you died? Like, the date and year?”

He told them.

“That’s… that’s over seventeen years ago!”

…Seventeen… years?

His heart fell to the floor and cracked.

…

…

…

Huh? 

Arthur blinked and looked up at the wraith. If what he saw was true…

He gritted his teeth. He won’t accept it. He just can’t.

 He glared at the Mystery Skulls while holding on to the heart to the with a tight grip. 

“I don’t know what you Skulls have been doing while I was away, and frankly, I don’t even care,” Arthur seethed as he glared at Vivi, “I let you all do whatever you wanted with me because I know that everything was my fault. Your parents said so, as did Lewis’s family, and as did that monster beside you that you kept because of your damn obsession.”

His grip on the wraith’s heart tightened. The wraith winced. Vivi and Mystery looked taken aback.

“I let that monster have its way with me for the six months we stayed with it because it was the only way you would be happy. I had to learn the rules through trial and error so I wouldn’t go through any more of this,” Arthur pulled on the turtleneck of his sweater to reveal the burn mark on his throat briefly before releasing it, “Just so you could stay happy. But no matter what I did to atone, it wasn’t enough. Not for your family, not for the Peppers, and certainly not for that wraith that’s only been kind to you.”

Vivi is trembling. It would have pained Arthur to see it, but he no longer cared. Not after what she nearly did to his son and daughters, to Elaine’s treasured miracles.

He noticed Elaine’s hand wrap itself around his right shoulder and felt relieved, even though he dared not show it. Not in front of the wraith and the fox.

“What… What were the rules?” Vivi asked with a shaky voice.

Arthur rolled his eyes in irritation. Typical for the wraith to stay silent and play dumb around Vivi like it always did.

“I was not to be alone with you for even a moment, let alone speak to you, even if you were the one to reach out. I was not to perform maintenance on my arm. I was to go first on investigations, entering rooms, crossing streets. After all, you wouldn’t want me to push you to your death, too, now would you? I was not to do any more maintenance for the van, let alone drive it anymore. For all you know, I could’ve tampered with it to stage an accident, even though everyone here knows very well that the mechanic in me would never do that. I was to never sleep past a certain time, even on the few nights where I wouldn’t have nightmares and hopefully, finally, get a full night’s rest for once. Or else I would just be forcefully dragged out of bed and get punished. For all anyone knows, I could’ve been plotting something. ‘No rest for the wicked,’ as the saying goes.”

The Mystery Skulls were looking more and more sick as Vivi looked more and more angry at the wraith with tears starting to form in her eyes. Sucks to be them.

He didn’t dare look at his family right now.

“I was not to eat anything unless all three of us were present. And even then, that had some rules. I wasn’t to eat any of my favorite foods, or anything from the Pepper Paradiso, even if you were the one that provided it to me. Although that one will forever stick after not only getting beaten for it, but also getting tampered food that made me sick at least twice, from cookies with the icing switched to paste to that one meal that had arsenic in it. The only reason I didn’t require a hospital visit for that one was no doubt because I somehow developed a tolerance for it.”

Arthur briefly paused as he noticed Elaine’s fingers twitching at what he just said earlier before continuing.

“Or maybe it was something else, I don’t know or even care. Either way, I had to go without food for days at a time until I had to go to work with Lance, and in the few times I couldn’t I had to resort to eating the weeds outside.”

He felt Elaine’s grip on his arm tighten slightly and heard her whisper his name. He knew that this is the first time she would be hearing about everything he went through in painful detail.

He hated it.

“Your parents, mainly your father, blamed me for your amnesia, when in actuality the wraith was the one that did it to you. The Peppers, on the other hand, told me multiple times that I should’ve been the one who died that day. It’s true, though. Their son’s life had more meaning than mine, after all. I mean, who would you save? A man that has many connections and a promising life ahead of him, or a screwed-up mechanic that was thrown away by his parents with more issues than the stars in the sky?”

Anything I did to make up for what I’ve done, all that I tried to do to heal the damage I caused, was never enough.

“Arthur, why didn’t you say anything?!” Vivi is crying now, “Why?!”

Arthur gritted his teeth, “You were finally happy after everything that went wrong because of me when you were with that ghost. How could I take that away from you again?”

Vivi is trembling, “Even so, you should’ve told me. I could have done something!”

“Not like I could,” Arthur said as he tossed the heart behind him and jammed a finger at the wraith while keeping his attention towards Vivi, “You were pretty forgetful ever since the incident.”

There was a long silence.

“Arthur, are you saying what I think you just said?” Elaine finally asked before furiously pointing at the wraith, “You mean to tell me that he’s been controlling Yukino’s memory the entire time!?”

The wraith looked away. Honestly, its unnerved Arthur that it was showing such human and Lewis-like mannerisms.

“It did erase her memory of Lewis dying, and then Lewis in general. So it wouldn’t surprise me if it could do more than that,” Arthur said, “Either way, so long as I ‘behaved,’ she wouldn’t know. The least I could do was make sure that it didn’t tamper with her memory anymore that it did.”

“Lewis, just why would you—!” Vivi shook her head before turning back to Arthur, “Then why didn’t you tell your uncle anything?! He could’ve done something to help you, instead!”

“All he’d do is pump that shotgun and make things worse,” Arthur spat, “We were lucky the last time that happened. I’m not risking a repeat.”

The sound of the shotgun is not something Arthur would want to hear again, that’s for sure. Not to mention that in the present, as much as Lance means well, Arthur knows that his uncle could very easily kill the children by accident should he mistake them for monsters like Vivi had, or worse, getting caught in the crossfire.

…He shuddered and struggled not to picture any of his family having big gaping wounds or being outright headless.

If anything, this just means that he can’t trust anyone from Tempo. No one.

It hurt. More than he cares to admit.

“That thing wanted me gone. That thing wanted me to disappear. But you didn’t, Vivi. You had me stay, and so that wraith had to make do with things like this,” he pointed at his own neck before pulling at his right sleeve to show the faint hand-shaped burn on his forearm, “And left me with more reminders of my inability to do anything more than I care to count! But I accepted it. It is my fault, after all. That demon took hold of me and had me kill Lewis. His blood is on my hands even though I never wanted it to happen!”

Vivi fell on her knees and kept crying. Mystery immediately went to her side to see if he could offer any comfort

Arthur can’t deny that seeing her in such a state is rather unsettling, but he can’t look away from it anymore. Upon seeing some movement, Arthur looked up and saw the wraith starting to lift a hand as if it wanted to comfort Vivi, only to immediately back off upon seeing Arthur’s glare.

“…Arthur.”

Something cracked.

“You have every right to hate me.”

Crack.

Arthur shuddered upon hearing the wraith speak and held on to Elaine for support. He looked around briefly to see if Gwen and Percy were still around, and briefly saw red as he noticed his son cradling the wraith’s heart in his hands.

“No number of apologies will ever make up for what I did to you, but I still want to say that I’m sorry.”

Crack.

What is this feeling of… sorrow(?) welling up in his throat. Arthur didn’t want to maintain eye contact with the wraith. That’s how it gets people off guard.

“Before you and your family destroy me, I just want to know. If you hated me that much when you left…”

Crack.

Arthur gritted his teeth.

“Why did you name your children with the names I suggested?”

Crack. Crack.

He didn’t.

- - - - - - -

“Oh wow! Look at this view, Arthur!”

The Mystery Skulls had decided to take a rest stop in Tennessee from their drive home after roughly five hours of riding. The rest stop also happened to have a scenic overlook where one could enjoy the scenery of the mountains from the interstate. It has a good view, Arthur had to admit as he leaned himself forward against the stone fence.

“Although I hear it can’t compare to what the Cantabile Mountains at the other side of the state have to offer,” Lewis laughed, “Maybe in the future we can go look?”

Arthur hummed in agreement, even though he remained more focused on reading a robotics tech magazine he had managed to obtain from a convention when they passed by a larger city the day before. The pages held some interesting ideas for prosthetics, which was something Arthur had taken an interest in as of late. He made sure to fold the corners of the pages he needed to look into later when he gets home.

Upon hearing the sound of a dog barking, Arthur looked behind him to see Vivi and Mystery running around. Mystery had been rather restless, and Arthur didn’t doubt that the bespectacled dog is more than relieved to have the opportunity to stretch his legs.

Upon seeing Vivi look so happy, something ached in Arthur’s chest. He didn’t know what to call it, but he knew better than to talk to her or Lewis about it.

“I know you’ll find someone who will love you, Arthur. I know it.”

“Yeah, right,” Arthur said as he continued to read the tech magazine in his hands, “You know how to cook while having the strength to do pretty much anything. And with Vivi’s appetite, any family you’d have with her will probably enjoy that to their heart’s content. Me? I’ve got none of that.”

“Well, actually, we still had some things to sort out before Vivi and I go that far,” Lewis said after some silence, “I mean, there’s still some stuff to work out before we can do that.”

Arthur looked up from the tech magazine he was reading and saw Vivi doing something with Mystery from the corner of his eye. He didn’t bother to pay full attention to them before shooting a glance at the man next to him. Way to be redundant, Lewis.

“Ah, sorry, I’m losing track. You see, you know I’m adopted, and I have no idea who or where my birth parents are. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mom and Dad, but sometimes I just wonder…” Lewis trailed off before giving Arthur a fearful look, “Ah, wait, that didn’t…! Crap…”

A dark cloud formed over Arthur’s head, and his mood felt worse than it already is.

Although Arthur never looked back when he went to live with his uncle after the nasty divorce between his parents, it never stopped being a sore subject for him. He didn’t deny that he would occasionally feel envious of the families Lewis and Vivi have, but Lewis just sounded so selfish there. At least he had loving parents at all, blood related or not.

Sure, he has his uncle, but sometimes Arthur wondered just what exactly a complete and loving family felt like. Arthur knows that Uncle Lance would do anything to protect him, but he isn’t exactly the best at showing affection, often displaying a gruffer side more than anything else. Arthur sighed, maybe he’s the selfish one.

“Gwen and Percy.”

“Huh?” Arthur gave Lewis an incredulous look in response to his friend’s comment out of the blue.

“If, ah, you ever have a son and a daughter, we could name them that,” Lewis laughed while leaning against the railing, “Not only would they fit in with your name like in the legends, but they’re great names by themselves, I think.”

Arthur blinked in confusion before turning his head away from Lewis, hoping that the latter wouldn’t see the blush forming on his face, “I-I guess, but you know that in order for me to even do that, I’d have to get together with someone first. And even then, I don’t know if I’d be good enough to be a father.” Let alone be a good enough partner, he mentally added with a heavy heart.

This isn’t helping his mood.

Lewis hummed in thought, “I don’t know about that. You’re actually pretty good with my sisters, and you even helped us with Paprika back when Dad and I had that car accident shortly after she was born. Mom even said that if it hadn’t been for you, she might have gone to the hospital herself from overwork. Since you’re a great babysitter, I’d say you’d make a great dad.”

Well, he can’t… deny that. Somewhat.

“Still, you’d make a better parent than me, though.”

Lewis didn’t respond immediately, which made Arthur wonder if he had said it with more bite than he intended. Having to watch Lewis and Vivi being all lovey-dovey and virtually ignoring him outside some quick glances throughout the entire drive to where they are now didn’t help matters. Sometimes, he wondered if they even wanted him around anymore. It hurts more than he’d like to admit.

Still. Him? A father? Someone’s significant other? That’ll be the day.

As far as Arthur knows, he’s most likely ace or aro or whatever the heck the label is called. He had tried to figure out what exactly it is through online research, but with so many terms that seem to get added every week, combined with the rather toxic influence with people saying on what is acceptable and what is not only to find the whole thing turned around on its head, or what is “something-phobic” based on what his initial assumptions on the two (or more) terms were, Arthur never bothered consulting any of the online communities and gave up entirely. To him, it was just more trouble than it’s worth.

Then again, it’s probably not wise asking online strangers for help on something like this anyway. Especially once he started finding posts that essentially held the basic message of being something akin to “this label is like this with these very certain criteria or fuck you and go die,” and even blogs that are said to be devoted to supporting these labels just can’t seem to agree with one another. Do they accept this? Do they accept that? He could never find a consistent answer.

He had thought about finding a counselor that specializes on the subject, but not only are there not any reliable-looking ones within a reasonable driving distance from Tempo, their hourly rates without proper insurance is way too high for someone like him. It’s not that Kingsmen Mechanics doesn’t provide insurance for their employees, it’s not exactly the best for those with mental needs. Lance would sometimes make an annoyed comment about that.

And then there’s the fact that Texas itself, and maybe a good chunk if not all of the remaining forty-nine states, most likely wouldn’t accept anyone outside of whoever is perceived as "hetero-normal" or whatever people call it.

Why the hell am I wasting my time thinking about this. Arthur growled to himself in frustration while trying to be quiet enough for Lewis to not notice.

After struggling to comprehend it all, it just felt so pointless. But he still wants to know why and figure it out for his own peace of mind.

As far as he knows, his name is Arthur Kingsmen, a twenty-two-year-old car mechanic and Lance’s nephew. To him, that’s all that mattered. He knows that he desires a companionship of his own like how Lewis and Vivi have for one another, but he just can’t feel the desire with any of the people he has met so far. Not to mention seeing those two together… hurt. He didn’t know why.

Maybe something is wrong with him, but he can’t impose on Vivi and Lewis like that.

And as far as Arthur also knows, he will be alone for his entire life once he goes out on his own.

He briefly entertained the idea of meeting someone, falling in love, getting married, and starting a family… but he knows that’s a mere pipe dream.

His heart ached.

…

One last case.

Just one last case, and then he will leave.

And finally go out on his own.

- - - - - - -

“Or… more accurately, why did you name them after Vivi and… after me?”

Gwen Vivi, Percy Lewis, and Vivian Lulu. The first and middle names he had given to his three children in memory of the two people he cared about.

The wall broke.

“How dare you.”

“What?”

“How dare you claim those names,” Arthur’s hands balled up into fists as angry tears leaked from his eyes, “The one who suggested those names is dead. Dead and gone. Buried!”

He glared at the wraith. He won’t fail to keep eye contact this time. He has Elaine with him, she can stop the wraith if need be.

“You can’t have them,” he seethed, “You’re not taking them to be your playthings. I won’t let you hurt them like you hurt me.”

“I would never hurt them! Why would—”

“They’re not just mine, but Elaine’s, too. Unlike me, she has nothing to do with you or any of this. I’m not going to let her get hurt because of me.”

As soon as Arthur said those words, a loud audible crack could be heard. When Arthur looked to see the source of the noise, he saw Percy still holding the heart, now nearly black in color, and open. Annoyed, Arthur took the open locket from his son’s hands and looked inside to see what it was that made the children’s faces so pale.

...

…The thing felt putrid in his hands. Filthy.

“Gwen. Percy,” Arthur said calmly, “Go to your nana. Stay by Vivian’s side. Don’t let her come in here.”

The twins looked at one another nervously.

“Please.”

It was clear that they didn’t want to, but they obeyed. After waiting a moment to make sure the twins were out of sight and hopefully out of hearing range, the fury Arthur felt slowly started to rise. Gwen and Percy, and maybe Jason, shouldn’t have seen what was inside the locket. They are not to be involved over past issues such as this.

Arthur tossed the locket at Vivi and Mystery’s feet in disgust before clutching the moon pin on his vest, “As soon as you asked me that damn question, I couldn't take it anymore. That’s why I left.”

Vivi’s eyes widened, looking torn and shaken as she picked up the locket, “Wait, you mean tha--that was all it took? Just because that we--, that I asked you out on a date?"

“That’s right,” he said as he made the move to hold Elaine’s left hand with his own, knowing that her wedding ring was visible for Vivi and the wraith to see. He then took a moment to glance at the wraith to make sure it wouldn’t get any stupid ideas before choosing to ignore the look of guilt on its face, “Lewis was your boyfriend, not me. I never wanted you projecting on the third wheel when Lewis went missing or died to be more accurate. You belonged to him.”

“Hey, I belong to no one by my own damn self, thank you very much,” Vivi snapped, “No one but I can decide what my relationships are, not some random person I don’t have any memory with anymore!” She sighed with frustration, “Did you seriously think I would flirt with someone I wasn’t interested in?!”

“Playfully, maybe. Since that’s what friends do,” Arthur shrugged as he held Elaine’s hand closer to himself, “It was still wrong, though--”

“I wanted us to be more than friends even before all that, Arthur!”

…Arthur really wished Vivi didn’t just say that.

“Wait, hold on. Let me make sure I got this straight,” Elaine raised her free hand to point a finger at Vivi, “You, Vivi Yukino, wanted to make Arthur your boyfriend even though you were already taken, and you had your memory of Lewis back when you asked Arthur that question?”

“You can have more than one significant other in a relationship,” Vivi explained, “Sure, there was a huge stigma for polyamorous relationships even back then, but we weren’t going to let that get in the way.”

Arthur risked a glance at the wraith. Curiously, it kept its head hung down, not looking at anyone. He really, really didn’t like the way it’s presenting itself right now, looking like a scolded child. Lewis would have that exact same expression in the few times he had been scolded by Vivi for some reason, and that disturbed him more than he cares to admit.

When Arthur thought about the past, he knew what it was that had become so painful for him whenever he saw Lewis and Vivi being together as partners. He wanted to be a part of that circle, but he knew that deep down, it was entirely selfish of him to want such a thing. What made it worse was that he didn’t even realize it was love he was feeling for Vivi and Lewis until he had realized his feelings for Elaine when she won his heart.

Well, even then, it’s too little, too late. Lewis is gone and dating Vivi after learning of the former’s fate would just be an insult to the dead. Plus, he didn’t want Vivi to project Lewis through him. In the end, there is no point in reminiscing the past or wondering about how things would’ve gone had Lewis not died, had the Mystery Skulls not gone into that cave.

What’s done is done.

“Before I died,” Arthur stiffened upon hearing the wraith speak, “Vivi and I had discussed our feelings for one another and for Arthur once we realized it. We even tried giving him hints and even flirted with him at times, but he always seemed to miss them every time. We were beginning to think he was ace/aro at that point.”

It took a lot of willpower on Arthur’s part to keep himself from shuddering. Shut up. Stop talking.

“Um, yeah, as far as I know, Arthur never knew how to flirt,” Elaine said with a somewhat exasperated breath, “I just kept inviting him to weekly dates and tested the waters little by little with his consent until I knew how he clicked. We were friends first, then we started dating casually, then seriously, and then to where we are now.”

Unlike what happed with Vivi and Lewis, Elaine was never subtle about her feelings for me. Even though I never knew how to flirt, even I could pick up the cues she was giving me. She always told me that she liked me, that she cared, and that she wanted me around. She invited me to cafes, to parks, to the mountain ranges, to peaceful places. She acted like my life mattered. Whenever she took a step forward, she would talk to me. She would communicate with me. I would have never confessed to her had she’d not done that.

I stopped bothering with the labels. It’s pointless. All that matters is that I know my name, and I love Elaine. That’s it.

“Eventually, we decided to just outright tell him after we finished exploring the cave,�� Vivi averted her eyes with a sad expression, “But you know that never came to pass.”

Upon hearing those words, Arthur’s chest ached with a familiar sensation of doubt and a heavy tightness as he looked at his left arm. The awful feeling of loneliness, conflicted feelings, and a heartbreak that never completely went away. Arthur quietly took a deep breath. He would be lying if he were to admit that he didn’t feel anything for Vivi and Lewis anymore, but most of the desire had faded. He felt nothing for the wraith.

He gave his heart to Elaine. He won’t betray her like that. He won’t let her go through such heartbreak ever again.

“I see,” Elanie sighed as she gave Arthur’s hand a squeeze, letting him know she’s still with him, “Since we’re on the subject, perhaps you can actually answer this question since both your parents and the Peppers didn’t give me the full story. From what they told me; things have ‘gone straight to hell’ when Arthur left your lives.”

Arthur could’ve sworn he saw one of Elaine’s eyes glow when he saw her narrow her gaze at Vivi.

“What happened in Tempo after that?”

Neither Vivi nor the wraith responded. They just looked down in shame. Arthur didn’t see a reason to pity them anymore.

“I guess it’s my turn to explain things.”

Arthur nearly jumped when he heard Mystery speak. Had he seriously forgotten that the kitsune disguised as a dog is still around? Even though he was right beside Vivi the whole time.

“Go on,” Elaine looked down at the dog with contempt, “And do not leave out a single detail. Tell me everything.”

“Very well,” Mystery took a deep breath, “As we’ve said before, it all started when Vivi got the phone call from Lance. None of us knew that Arthur had left for a ‘solo vacation’ after he finished his work here. So when Lance called police to help locate Arthur, he came to our place. That’s when he found all the evidence that clued us in that Arthur had been abused by Lewis ever since we reunited. While Vivi’s memory issues is one thing, I do not have any excuse for not noticing Arthur’s pain. I was too focused on watching out for Vivi’s health as I am bound to her.”

A hitched breath from Vivi caught Arthur’s attention. She looks angry, “After you left, when I found out about what my parents and the Peppers… and Lewis have done to you, I was livid. I told them all that if they had to blame someone, they should’ve blamed me.

“I am the leader of the Mystery Skulls, so the wellbeing of everyone was my responsibility. I failed to do that when we went to that cave. If I hadn’t brought us there, or if I hadn’t brushed off your concerns, or had I not suggested we split up,” Vivi sighed before continuing, “Or had Lewis and I talked with you about our feelings before instead of after that cave, then none of this would have happened to us. The one that caused the series of events that led to Lewis getting killed was me. So it’s my fault, Arthur. Not yours. If anything, I should’ve been the one receiving all that abuse from Lewis and the others instead of you. Not that it makes things any better, of course, but still.”

Don’t say that. Don’t say that Lewis is--

“Continuing from where we left off, Vivi and I were trying to search for you by checking whatever leads we could get. All we knew from the police reports was that you had taken a bus to a route leading out to the east of Tempo, transferred a few times within the span of two days, and then boarded a bus that was reported to have dropped you off somewhere in the mountains of Tennessee,” Mystery said, “We elected to have Lewis stay behind since we couldn’t trust him with your wellbeing, but that became our worst mistake.”

The wraith looked at the blue box in its hand, “The demon that killed me… was still around. It took hold of my father and almost killed Paprika by putting a knife to her throat. If I hadn’t been around, then she would’ve died. Vivi was able to save him by,” the wraith shuddered, “By freezing his hand off, but then the demon took hold of me. My mother got caught in the crossfire when she was taking my father and sisters to safety.”

A chill went up in Arthur’s spine. He knew that experience firsthand. A human falling under possession is one thing, but anything that actually has powers that normal people like him aren’t capable of doing? He glanced at Elaine to see how she’s faring and could only feel somewhat relieved upon seeing that she hasn’t changed her scrutiny of the Mystery Skulls.

Although Arthur shuddered that the wraith just kept talking, he didn’t know if it was from hearing it speak or finally knowing why Mrs. Pepper’s body is so full of burn scars. The burns he received from the wraith were tame in comparison. For him, he could just hide them under his clothes. Mrs. Pepper, not so much.

“Vivi and Mystery were able to expel the demon from me, but then Vivi’s grandmother sealed me within my home.”

“Obaa-san said that the seal could be broken by ‘only those that come after in blood of whose soul you’ve hurt,’” Vivi quotes with her fingers, “Since Arthur was hurt by Lewis, Mystery and I knew that we needed him to break it. But there’s one thing I don’t quite understand, Arthur didn’t go anywhere near where Lewis was, so how was the seal broken?”

Vivi, stop calling that thing Lew—

“…Arthur’s children,” Mystery perked up in realization, “If we take ‘only those that come after in blood’ to mean his descendants, then they easily fill the criteria since they’re descended from his bloodline. I do remember Fuyuko-sama once saying that Arthur is an ‘herbivore,’ so to speak. She may have intended for the conditions of removing the seal to be impossible, as she may have thought that Arthur would never have a child, let alone get together with someone. It makes sense.”

Arthur and Elaine looked at one another briefly, the former feeling very uncomfortable. Neither of them liked the fact that Gwen, Percy, and Vivian have more involvement than they thought.

“Well, either way,” Vivi sighed before crossing her arms, “Since Lewis is here, that means all we need to do now is find the demon that tore us apart and cursed this town, and then we can finally end this nightmare. And then once we take that thing once and for all, we all just… talk. Hopefully patch up things and then just,” she let a hard breath, “I don’t know, go from there.”

Getting rid of that wraith would be a real good start.

“About the demon,” the wraith said, “Before your grandmother sealed me, I managed to take it down with me. It was actually because of it that I… ended up learning of everything it made Arthur do to kill me, and then how it caught up to us before we managed to briefly defeat it.”

There was a silence.

“Wait, what the fuck?” Vivi’s voice is steadily rising in volume, “Mystery and I were looking for that thing ever since Arthur left, and you mean to tell me that it’s been with you the entire time?! That thing was torturing the town for over seventeen years!”

“I didn’t even know it’s been seventeen years until Gwen and Percy told me right after the seal was broken! Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to process that?! They were will filling me in on what I had missed and were just about to get to my sisters until you all came in!” It held up the blue box in it hand, “I held on to this ever since Paprika gave it to me!”

Who gave you the right to call them by their names? Arthur bit his lip in anger. They’re not yours.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold up, hold up,” Elaine let go of Arthur and put herself between Vivi and the wraith before giving the latter a pointed look, “To make sure I have this straight. You had been sealed by Yukino’s grandmother, along with the demon, right?”

“Yes...”

“And my and Arthur’s children had broken that seal, therefore freeing you.”

“That’s… right.”

“So if you’re here, then where’s the demon now?”

Arthur’s blood went cold. He looked behind him before running out of the room.

The kids!

As he ran, his anger could not be contained. As a father, he will do whatever it takes to keep his children safe for their sake, and for Elaine’s.

The wraith is too dangerous to keep around.

- - - - - - -

The hunt is over!

And now you are mine!

Hide in shadows give you safety, baby...

But not this time!

...

...

...

You really like to think the contrary, don’t you?

Part 20: Your Enemy???! 

[sunriseskog]

Steel Part 8- Auston Matthews

Word Count: 1024

A/N: hi? i am.... genuinely so sorry lmao pls lmk what u think!! requests are open!

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // MASTERLIST

At this point, you had probably spent at least an hour each day thinking of excuses. Lots of excuses to text him, but even more excuses not to. Ever since your Vacation From Hell, your go-to ‘I don’t even have his number’ excuse had been eradicated. Now that you thought about it, you probably spent even more time thinking of all the things you could have done. It was as perfect of an opportunity as anyone was likely to get. But alas, your self-preservation instincts (or was it just glorified emotional masochism?) had taken priority over your heart.

In your defense, he hadn’t called either. Granted, you hadn’t really left him in a position to feel comfortable doing so, but you kept telling yourself if it was meant to be it would find a way to happen. Although, you had said that before The Vacation and look what happened. The irony was anything but lost on you.

It wasn’t even your best excuse. Bad days had come and gone almost as much as good days, and this particular day couldn’t really be described as one or the other. You weren’t feeling exceptionally lonely, and you didn’t miss him any more than usual. It wasn’t like you were drunk, or the night a few months ago when you had gotten high. It was a regular, normal, mind-numbingly mundane September Sunday sunset and you had come to the conclusion that you just couldn’t take it anymore.

In the past, Snapchat memories had been more of a pain in the ass than anything else. In your head, you knew that you weren’t nearly as happy as the pictures made the two of you seem. But damn, if it didn’t come in handy right about now. It had been the night before the first preseason game of 2017. On a whim, you had decided to clean out Auston’s car because, honestly, it was kind of disgusting. In the midst of sandwich wrappers and empty protein shake bottles, you had discovered a stash of mini smoke bombs that had undoubtedly been there since long before the Fourth of July. There hadn’t been anything good on tv, and the secret arsonist within Auston was more than happy to spend an hour sitting in the driveway with his legs splayed out like a kindergartener. After going through the rainbow at least twice, you had somehow ended up laying diagonally with your head resting on his upper thigh, tracing innocent circles across his lower stomach and twirling his baggy t-shirt between your fingers. The tranquility had prompted you to reach down for your phone, resulting in the very video your finger was hovering over at this moment. Every other smoke bomb had lit and been extinguished perfectly fine, with little to no complication— not including the bit of blue smoke that was still raining your vision. This specific smoke bomb, however, had done the exact opposite. The moment you had panned down from the beautiful view of the sunset, your screen had suddenly been overwhelmed with images of red and orange hue, despite the distinctly purple color of the sphere itself. It was only after Auston had yelped and begun pulling you out of your position that you realized that the object in his hand was not, in fact, smoking, but instead had lit completely on fire and was now singing both the tips of his fingers and the tips of your hair simultaneously.

It was anything but the most romantic memory you had stumbled across in the past few months, but it was here and your self-control was not, so there was really only one thing to do. Honestly, you couldn’t even imagine what had gone through his head when he had gotten the notification. You had woken up every morning, trying to remember what it looked like when his name lit up your screen. Instead, all you had awoken to was an increasing number of days since the last time the two of you had been together. You had taken that from him as well. As heartbreaking as it was for you to realize that he had been doing that to himself, you had taken up the same habit the minute you landed back home. You understood why he did it. It was equal parts a punishment and a break-your-own-heart-so-no-one-else-can situation.

It had taken him longer than usual to respond. Granted, there was a very real possibility that he had not received the notification, especially given that you knew for a fact that his Do Not Disturb was perpetually turned on. Once he did though, you were positive that your heart had skipped at least two beats. It felt even better than you had imagined. Granted, you had to sacrifice a significant amount of your pride in order to reach the point that you were at now, and you weren't entirely sure if it was worth it or not, but it was something. It was a chance. An opportunity to see what could happen if you let your guard down. Worst case scenario, you had cut him off once and, realistically, you could always do it again.

The only issue with that, of course, was that you didn’t want to. You were so fucking exhausted and so fucking tired, and so fucking numb, and so fucking sick of being all of the above. Sick of shutting everything off, and shutting everyone out. So this time, you were all in. There was no barbed wire or protective walls around your heart this time. It was what it was, and the two of you could absolutely choose to crash and burn just as you had in the past, but you’d be damned if you didn’t deserve at least a fighting chance. If you had to go through it all again, if you had to steel yourself again, you would. But you had come to terms with the fact that you would never be able to do it again. It was your last chance, and you couldn’t imagine giving it to anyone else but him.

Here goes nothing.

A/N: pls b nice lol

[perrythetired]

2017 ‘Best Happenings’ Tag

My best friend @petrareads made this tag and tagged me in it :D

“Every year on tumblr I see loads of posts about how sucky the year was - and you know sometimes they’re not wrong but I’m not going to forget the good things either.

Last year I made a post about some of the best things that happened to me that year and I’m going to make another one this year!

And I challenge you all to do the same (yes I’m making it a tag. If this is already a tag then I’m just going to go hide in a corner :)) (also I was inspired by @books-and-cookies post when she asked people to send her the best thing that happened to them that year so thank ya)

here we go!” - Petra

Okay so this year hasn’t exactly been the greatest for me as I moved out of a country that I lived in my whole life and into completely different one. I usually like change but this wasn’t the kind that I was looking for. It’s definitely been hard but this tag is a great way for me to put a positive spin on it :D

Let’s goooooooo!

January -  I spent Christmas and the New Year in Hua Hin! This was the last time I was gonna be at this beach which was really weird for me because I had been going there at least twice a year since I was three. I played my ukulele and read Harry Potter by the beach. I had some super fun late night walks on the beach (because I hate walking on the beach during the day) and I rode around the city on a bike with my parents (we each had separate bikes just to clarify). Oh how I miss Hua Hin :’ )

February - February was mostly spent freaking out over my personal project (which I got a 6 on by the way so HAH @ people who said I wouldn’t make it) but in between all of that, I had tons of fun with my friends and classmates and I’m pretty sure this is the month where I accidentally came out like a million times to so many people. I have no idea why. (side note: I was still closeted)

March - I went on resi with my grade and had heaps of fun! I was lucky enough to share a room with my ENTIRE SQUAD and no one else :D Also for some reason, my anxiety levels skyrocketed and I was a nervous mess but I kept on trying to cover it up. Thanks to my amazing friends, every night turned into a group therapy session and we laughed and we cried and we dozed off and eventually fell asleep together :’) it was beautiful.

April - I went to India! Exploring this totally different culture was so interesting and I learned so much! Obviously, there were a lot of things I saw which greatly saddened me, but I also met and learned about so many people that really gave me hope for not only the parts of India that are suffering but for the future of the world. Also I performed at battle of the bands this month! Say whaaaaaat?! Shy Adriana with stage fright was no longer. I NAILED those bass lines, CRUSHED those vocals and KILLED those harmonies. Oh and I had a shit ton, no wait, a FUCK ton of fun :D

May - Imma be honest, this month was a blur. I vaguely remember screaming at my laptop, chugging coffee at midnight, oh and handing in an incomplete lab and still getting a 7 on it... how the fuck did that happen. ( I didn’t have a conclusion or evaluation... and yes I did ask the teacher to make sure I got the correct mark and he said yea sooooooo... I’m not complaining).

June - This month marked the end of my days as an MYP student and my days as a student at my old school. On the last day, I realized how much I had grown as a person in that school. I started off being alone, constantly feeling unwanted and wondering what the hell was wrong with me. Now I have an amazing group of friends who make me feel like I belong somewhere and who help protect me from my own mind. I realized how many important relationships I had made with so many other students from all ages in my school and how we all helped each other out in different ways. As self-centered as this sounds, I realized that I actually mattered to people, which is something little Adriana would never have believed to be true.

July - July was mostly spent in Canada trying to set up some stuff in our new apartment and figuring out how to get around the city. I did have a lot of fun though! Lots of crying myself to sleep because it was finally hitting me that I was leaving Thailand forever and it would be a while before I saw my friends in person again! But there were still lots of fun times! (By fun times I mean eating and sleeping a lot).

August - This was the month where I was officially moving. It hurt like hell to leave behind the city I grew up in along with all my friends, but it also helped me realize how lucky I am. Living there was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I learned so many things that I wouldn’t learn anywhere else and had experiences that helped shape who I am today. My best memory from this month was having a sleepover with my best friends/saviours for the last time. Never did I ever imagine that I would make such amazing friends, so amazing that it would hurt so much to leave them. I am insanely lucky to have a friendship like that.

September - I had my first day of school which went pretty well! I went to Niagara Falls with my mom, my aunt, and my cousin! We went on the Maid of the Mist and got soaking wet! Then we got tickets to go see a play at Niagara on the Lake where the actors gave me a birthday shoutout mid-scene. :D Oh and I also went to the Terry Fox run that my school held and it was heaps of fun and before that, my new classmates invited me out for a birthday lunch and made my day :)

October - I came out to my mom! It did not go well at all! In fact, it was terrible! But I still did it! And I was incredibly hurt but also incredibly proud of myself because I am a total coward! I refuse to do anything that’s even the slightest bit risky! Yet I still did this! And it feels good to not be in the closet anymore! I also came out to the rest of my friends and that went super well :) And I came out to some of my classmates at school who were incredibly supportive (especially when I told them I was about to come out to my homophobic parents) and they did so many little things that just helped me so much throughout the entire process. They’re such great people :D I also dressed up as Ryuk from Deathnote for Halloween with my friend who dressed up as Misa. Oh and this was also the month where I went to my first BP debate tournament. It wasn’t great, I was super nervous and there was this dude from my grade who I never talk to and he was debating and I had to debate against him and he scares the shit out of me. I’ve never actually talked to him but he seems scary and my friend agrees. So apart from being scared shitless by the debate dude from our grade, getting CRUSHED by opponents and humiliated by judges, we made some awesome friends from other schools and we both suffered together which definitely made us closer.

November - It snowed this month! It was the first time I had seen snow since I was like eight! It was awesome. Okay so it didn’t really snow that much, there were just a couple of flurries but it was super fun. The day after it snowed I got together with my friend group at one of their houses up north and we had so much fun. We watched Tangled while stuffing our faces with ice cream, danced along to BTS (and other Kpop bands’) dance practices and to top it all off we went out for dinner by going through my friend’s backyard, trying not to tumble down a hill full of snow and leaves and branches, walked for a bit through a forest (it wasn’t really a forest, I don’t really know what to call it), tried not to fall while climbing up a hill, probably tresspassed and made our way into a subway to get some sandwiches. I also switched out of physics into history and realized that my TOK, Spanish and History teacher is actually the best person on this planet and has helped me SO MUCH through my rough patches this year.

December - Like Petra said, “December isn’t over yet!” But I did do some pretty cool things. I signed up to do hair and makeup for my school’s play, not really knowing what I was getting myself into (I just wanted CAS points) and I ended up realizing that I’m not half bad at doing makeup and I’m actually pretty good at doing hair. After three nights of doing hair and makeup, on the last night I was invited to the after party! This was the first party I had ever gone to! People got really drunk or really high, I managed to stay the sober and responsible one (along with a bunch of my friends) and I had heaps of fun dancing to Russian rave music while scarfing down a pizza and feeding chips to one of my drunk friends (yes I know that doesn’t really sound like fun but it was funny). And today it snowed! Like a lot! I’ve never ever been in so much snow in my life. It was amazing! So yea.

Despite going through a HUGE change this year, I still had fun :) There were still good things that happened to me. And if I hadn’t moved, I wouldn’t have met all the new amazing people I now have in my life.

I tag: @fantasymirror and @strangertae (hi strangertae! We don’t really know each other but this is a cool tag so yea :D )

[hottubunderson]

Rome- Hop into Your Next Travel Adventure

MAKE ADVENTURE HOLIDAY IN ITALY, ROME

Venice

Venezia, La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic, the Most Serene Republic of Venice maybe your town of canals, palaces, and churches that catches the hearts and hearts of all who visit. Transport into the city is by bus or from the latter by water bus.

Trains terminate and leave from Santa Lucia train channel about the west side of Venice. The channel fronts the Grand Canal whereby water buses (vaporetti) or water taxis are all available.

Automobiles and trainers arrive in the far western border of Venice in Piazzale Roma. There aren't any roadways in Venice so from the following it's by ship or by walking. Venice is your entire world's only really haunted city and walking really is actually a serendipitous experience of detecting vistas from the glorious urban arena.

Ships arrive at the Stazione Marittima.

H2o heaters will be perfect for more extended trips and such as seeing the islands. Additionally, there are more expensive drinking water taxis. Gondolas are only just for brief amorous hops and getting your photograph taken.

Local climate

Summer Time is very hot in Venice. Temperatures ordinary 27°C but superior humidity results in a close, embarrassing setting. Some times, sexy sirocco winds sweep in from the south east-west. Spring is clear and fresh though rain could be heavy. Mists are common in late autumn.

Lodging: from cheap stays to Luxurious resorts

Check Online for the range, location, and cost of Venice resorts

Occasions: what is on and what is hot

Venice gets the personality of the point place, therefore, its festivals really are amazing.

* The first function of this year is that the Regata delle Befana held 6 January.

* The next month sees that the Important occasion in the Venetian calendar namely Carnevale,

That's just a masked and costumed extravaganza.

* Might see that the Festa Della Sensa (Feast of the Ascension) which celebrates the Sposalizio del Mar (Wedding with the Ocean ).

* The arts festival is held just about every odd-numbered season in June at the Giardini Pubblici.

* Festa del Redentore in July comes with a regatta and fireworks festival.

Turin

Turin was termed the European backing of Baroque as a result of the design of a lot of its churches and palaces. In most ways, Turin is different from the standard Italian metropolis. It arouses a powerful French sway with its extensive boulevards with white buildings. With the Po River flowing through the city, and also the Italian Alps standing in the distance, it's a place of fantastic charm.

Transport: getting there and getting away By plane

Caselle Airport lies north of this metropolis and can be joined to the city by bus and taxi. Turin can be readily achieved from Malpensa airport. The prior is really for long and mid-sized excursions the latter mainly for trains.

Turin includes an efficient public transport system of buses and trams and an underground lineup has been started to get the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The City of Turin has just created a community of bike paths across the metropolis.

Climate:

Turin is gloomy by rain and fog at the winter temperatures tending to stay single digit. The summer weeks between May and September are milder though rain continues to be common.

Accommodation: from low-cost stays to luxury resorts

Check Online to the Scope, location, and cost of Turin resorts

Activities: what's about and what's hot

Decision April sees the Festival Internazionale di movie con Tematiche Omosessuali is a five-day worldwide gay and lesbian film festival.

*Cioccolatò in early March can be actually a third party celebration of avocado. Turin sees cherry tastings, sculpture competitions, and stalls across the town center.

Decision Salone Internazionale del Gusto can be actually a five-day festival of wine and food kept biannually. The function is international in comparison to traditional producers from all over the world selling and showcasing their merchandise within a huge street market.

Rome

Steeped in history and rich with monuments famed all over the world - the Vatican, the Colosseum - Rome stands as a captivating sign of culture and history.

Transport: getting there and getting away The most important bus station is located outside the Stazione Termini. Buses run from 6:00 a.m to midnight with some services that are overburdened. The Rome Metro service has two traces, each which go through Termini.

Climate:

The environment is moderate with sunny skies and temperatures. However July and August can be oppressively sexy, November is often rainy, and December to February may be cool.

Lodging: from cheap remains to Luxurious hotels

Assess Online for the range, location and price of resorts from Rome.

Functions: what's on and what's hot

*Holy Week (Easter) is a period when Catholics from all around the planet arrive pilgrimages to pay a visit to the town's churches and to hear that the Pope in the Vatican. On Good Friday a procession of the Cross goes contrary to the Colosseum to Capitoline Hill. This is time as soon as the city reverberates to free concerts, street theater and outside the theatre.

*From September museums, galleries and shops keep open throughout the night in 20:00-08:00 on the situation named Notte Bianca (white night). In addition, it is a time of completely free concerts as well as other happenings all around across the metropolis.

GUIDE TO ROME

One of the planet's most historic and intriguing towns, Rome is known because of the rich legacy and buildings that are important. Lots of stunning temples and ancient destroys have a home in Rome, in addition to countless brilliant shopping places, restaurants and holiday chances. The town has a lot to provide holidaymakers and in addition, offers an assortment of neighboring beaches.

Reputation with all the panoramic River Tiber, Rome includes a population of nearly 3 million along with adventures sexy summertime and especially light, pleasant winters. With yearlong points of interest, lots of people elect to pay a visit to Rome from November to February, the moment the town is in its quietest.

Rome lodges:

currently being just one among Italy's popular holiday destinations, and it's barely shocking that Rome is filled with resorts, catering to many budgets and tastes. That range from remarkable motels within the Centro Storico (historical center ), to newer lodging across the Campo de Fioriresorts in Rome ver quickly turn out to be fully reserved, so don't forget to book your place beforehand. Bed and breakfasts in Rome are famous as pension' and frequently provide especially excellent affordable, using some currently being located near the'Stazione Termini' railroad channel and Trastevere region.

Rome Tourism:

Rome has for a long time been a significant tourist location along with its particular historical allure and major ruins are all famous across the environment. Nevertheless, the metropolis is likewise a fantastic and lively area to see, with lots of notable stores eateries, amusement places, and seasonal festivals. Even the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican town is very amazing, along with all the town's countless free galleries and museums.

Common functions from town comprise lots of operas, ballets, and theatres in Rome's various theaters.

Rome Transport:

With fantastic railroad links to numerous leading metropolitan areas, like Florence and Venice, Rome is Powered by highways, that offer comfortable accessibility to neighboring cities. Rome's Metro metro community, people buses, and trams all give cheap tactics to traveling across the entire city. Automobile leasing is just one of the absolute most well-known methods of traveling out from this metropolis and it is ideal for day trips and trips.

Situated all-around 18 miles / 29 kilometers out of town center, Leonardo da Vinci airport terminal, also called Fiumicino, can be a crucial atmosphere transportation hub. Coping with big quantities of national and global flights every time, ground transport in the airport terminal comprises trains, buses, and auto lease.

Rome looking:

famous for elegant fashion stores and costly malls, buying Rome can be just a significant attraction. Together with lots of bustling stores revolved across the Piazza Di Spagnaalong with additional favorite stores are seen around the town's thorough Del Governo Vecchio spot, near the Spanish actions, together with the Via Sistina, also around through Borgognona. Additionally, the pedestrianized through Frattina may be the ideal location for several severe windowshopping.

Rome eateries:

House to a few of the most significant restaurants around the Earth, Italian dining establishments have been famous because of their fantastic regional specialties, that incorporate freshly made sandwiches, pasta dishes, including paninis, salads, an assortment of cheeses and several different sorts of foodstuff. Alfresco dining table is very well known in Rome, using various bars, cafes and ice cream stores bandied across the piazzas.

ANCIENT ROME

Entrance into the catacombs is just likely with a manual, for protection factors. The direct, a priest or friar, will make clear to you exactly about the real history, symbolism and art of this spot, then walk you through these catacombs.

A trip to the catacombs can be an interesting portion of a day in Rome. Even the catacombs at Rome certainly are a location where art meets faith and history in an exact strong method. You can find plenty of catacombs together by means of Appia Antica, however, maybe not all of them are offered to people.

Before the next century, most Christians in Rome hadn't any official tomb lawns. At the Start of this century, even that the Pope nominated St. Callisto to become Responsible for the burial lands in Via Appia Antica. This really was first of the habit of Christians in lands that belonged to the church. As time passed, these under-ground tomb lawns which have been dug at a tender stone, progressed into some maze of canals, layer on layer.

The tunnels resemble a shadowy labyrinth, therefore they stay near their own guide. The manuals walk quite fast throughout the spot to earn room for the future set. An excursion takes approximately forty minutes.

In that moment there clearly was legislation versus the deceased in the metropolis, S O by means of Appia Antica grew to become the very set of preference to get burials. Even the catacombs and brilliant burial temples are along the road in Casale Rotondo into Cecilia Metella's grave.

You will find just four floors of catacombs the following, and also a statue of St. Sebastian from Bernini. All these would be the earliest to ever be termed"catacombs" following the greek phrases"Kata Kymbas" which necessarily mean" from the graves". All these catacombs will be the sole ones that are readily accessible to people. Obviously, those 4 floorings just the moment reason is ordinarily spacious.

Santa Cecilia was murdered at another of those graves the following. Later on, her grave has been transferred into the church of Santa Cecilia, and also a duplicate of her statue today stands at rather than this tomb.

From the Tricia field of this catacombs that there are scores and scores of graffiti writings in the walls,'' citing St. Peter and St. Paul. People are likely at that moment that their relics had been retained the following before they've been moved into the Vatican. Christians utilized to collect here so as to match them.

The Catacombs of San Callisto (or even Callixtus) -- The burial precise location of this Bishops and Popes are termed right after Callisto who revived and expanded them.

Within the catacombs, you are not going to see bones, however, also the utilization of artwork that embellished with the early tombs of this prosperous and very important.

The catacombs are on the early manner that attached Rome to southern Italy -- by means of Appia Antica. This early road premiered at 312 B.C. and moved across the solution to Brindisi on the Adriatic sea.

If right today you visualize your self spending every daily life at dim, blue seas, staring on bones, then you also may ignore doing it. Through Appia Antica comes with a wonderful opinion. This really is but one among the absolute most lavish places in Rome. The abundant folks of contemporary Rome dwell in these times near the burial area in their early ancestors, while you respect the craft function of their tombs, do not neglect to just take a glance in the gardens and houses throughout the location.

Each time the area at 1 coating has been drained, a second coating has been then dug, therefore the ancient coating is on most notable.

[jafreitag]

Grateful Dead Monthly: Capital Centre – Landover, MD 9/25/76 // Onondaga County War Memorial – Syracuse, NY 9/28/76

On Saturday, September 25, 1976, the Grateful Dead played a concert at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. And on Tuesday, September 28, 1976, they played a concert at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, New York.

The Capital or “Cap” Centre opened in 1973 just outside Washington, D.C. The arena hosted the NBA’s Washington Bullets and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, as well as the Georgetown University men’s basketball team, until 1997. It was demolished in 2002 and replaced by a mall. The Dead played there 26 times from 1974 to 1993.

Perhaps ill-named, the Onondaga War Memorial is less of a memorial, and more of an indoor arena. The venue was built from 1949-51, and Wikipedia calls it a significant example of “World War I, World War II[,] and Aroostook War commemorative,” as well as “an early and sophisticated example of single-span thin-shell concrete roof construction.” Ok, boomer. It’s an old shed. And it’s now called the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial – a name that just rolls off the tongue. The Dead played there five times: twice in 1971 (during the furious five era), twice in 1973, and once in 1976.

These shows were in the middle of a short tour that began in Durham, NC on 9/23 and ended in Detroit, MI on 10/3. Between those dates, the band wound its way north, playing Landover, Rochester, NY, and then Syracuse. The first and third of those nights are commemorated (or memorial-ized, see what I did there?) as Dick’s Picks #20.

I asked Liner Notes’ Chief Dead-itor ECM for his impressions of that particular release. He focused on the Landover show, 9/25/76, and sent this extended review:

Note – Keith’s piano is very prominent in the mix and he is in good form for this show.

The band started touring again in June 1976 after an almost two-year hiatus that began after the Winterland shows in October 1974. There were some big changes when the band returned, the most notable being that Mickey Hart rejoined the band after a five-year absence. It took the band some time to adapt to the two-drummer format. This resulted in an overall tempo slow-down for most songs. However, by September the band started hitting their groove and was working towards the glorious, almost orchestral sound that they eventually achieved in May 1977. There are hints of that progression in this show – especially in songs like Mississippi Half-Step, Sugaree, Cassidy, Scarlet Begonias and Dancing in the Street (sans Mu-tron, of course).

The show starts off in fine form with a Bertha that is speedy and driving. It has a great finale with Garcia adding “whoa’s and woos” in between each “Anymore.”

Minglewood is next. It is only the ninth performance since the band revived it at the Orpheum run in July 1976 after a five-year absence (last played on 4/29/71 at the Closing of the Fillmore East). These early versions are tepid compared to the way it would be played with Brent but the band puts in a very solid performance.

The next highlight of the evening is Cassidy. The jam section is now more developed than it was when the band brought it (back) into the repertoire in June 1976 (they played is once on 3/23/74 and then shelved it until the first show in 1976 – 6/3/76). This is an upbeat version that is totally nailed.

Mama Tried, usually a throw-away tune, has some pep in its step and keeps the energy high. It features enthusiastic backing vocals by Garcia.  

The Peggy-O that follows is gorgeous, especially Garcia’s second solo. Beautiful vocals .

The set closes with a lively Let It Grow, which gets downright frenetic at some points. There is also a short drum break which only happened in 1976 and then things simmer down and become a bit exploratory before the reprise. It is notable that Let it Grow was almost exclusively a second set song in 1976. So this first set performance was a bit of a treat. Additionally, Let it Grow would only be played two more times after this before taking a one-year break, making it all the more special. Instead of ending the set there, the band break tradition and give the audience another treat – a bonus song to end the first set – Sugaree. This version is nice and gooey. More telling though is how it shows early signs of the powerhouse that it was about to become in 1977. 

Set II opens with Lazy/Supplication and Half-Step  which are typically “first set songs.” It’s always interesting to see when the band mixes things up and gives “first-set songs” the second-set treatment.

In this case, Lazy/Supplication fares about the same way it does as a first set song. That is to say that it is not as long or exploratory as we might expect a second set song to be. Also, the Supplication jam seems to get cut-off early, but Weir’s vocals are very amped up!

On the other hand, Half-Step is a horse of a different color. Similar to Minglewood, Half-Step was revived at the Orpheum run in July 1976. It had absent since the hiatus. The tempo here starts off a little sluggish but the advantage of this is that it provides Garcia the opportunity to really dig deep vocally with the way he emphasizes the lyrics (i.e., on my waaaaay).The Rio Grandee-O section is fabulous. Garcia plays fluid, joyful, melodic passages which serve to electrify his bandmates as they approach the vocal section. The energy is palpable. The vocal harmonies are delivered with such confidence that the song feels like an anthem. Keith’s gorgeous piano flourishes add to the joyful vibe. Garcia patiently takes the outro jam to a slow and steady peak – early signs of 1977 (without the massive crashing chords). This is probably the best version of 1976.

From there the drummer’s pound out a brisk and aggressive lead-in to Dancing and the energy lifts off. Once the lyrics are dispensed with, Garcia begins a quick and funky lead that foreshadows the 1977 versions without the Mu-Tron. Things slow down as the vocals trail off. The band embarks on what will be the very last version of Cosmic Charlie ever played. Although I love the album, Aoxomoxoa, I am not a big fan of the slowed-down versions of Cosmic Charlie and St. Stephen that were revived in June 1976. The outro chorus “Go On Home…” on this version is extended and repeated like a chant which makes it gloriously eerie. Maybe it was their special way of giving Cosmic Charlie a final sendoff.

Coming off a stand-alone slow tune, the band needed to pick the energy back up so Scarlet Begonias was a perfect choice. This is an upbeat, full-bodied version that hints at how the song will develop when the band joined it with Fire on the Mountain just 6 months later. Donna is very subdued on the outro and does not overstep as she sometimes can do. Her voice quietly drifts in and out of the music which is the way I like it. 

The show ends with a typical long romp on the St. Stephen > Not Fade away segue which was so typical for this era. A respectable Sugar Magnolia provides the encore for one of the better shows from 1976.

And Icepetal at the Grateful Dead Listening Guide blog has covered the Syracuse show, not only highlighting the show itself, but also discussing ’76 and its audience recordings:

This show is featured almost in its entirety on Dick’s Picks Vol. 20. But it has history from long before it came out commercially, and that history is in part related to demonstrating the glory of AUD recordings from a part of a year that isn’t famous for its soundboards. Most of the SBDs from Fall 1976 fall a bit flat. They just lack a lot of sparkle. As we have been dabbling into this period with AUD tapes, there are a fair number of good ones to be found, and it is now time to add 09/28/76 to this list as one of the more satisfying 1976 AUDs. Very up front, with exceptional low end, this tape permeates the sound field with the power of the Dead’s new (in ’76) sound system. Particularly sweet are the sound of the kick drums and Phil’s bass. These instruments tend to lay very flat on the SBD’s, while in the AUDs you can literally touch the energy coming out of them. The drums, especially, pulse with power. You can almost feel the push on the air, absent almost completely from the soundboards. On 09/28 we are thus treated to that most wonderful alignment of the stars – a wonderful recording of a wonderful performance.

It’s hard not to talk about 1976 without mentioning the dismissing the year gets in many Dead trading circles. Generally you either love 1976, or absolutely don’t. However, even some of the most anti-76 folks out there will generally acquiesce that there are a few glowing spots in this year. 09/28/76 falls into this category easily. In fact, after revisiting this AUD after a good many years myself, I regret that it took me so long to share it here on the blog. This show and recording demonstrate all that I love about 1976, and then some. It was one of the first late-1976 tapes I acquired in trade, and as an AUD, continued to cement my preference for this recording medium over soundboards. For this show, and a few others from the Fall of ’76, the audience tape brings an entirely heightened level of experience to the music itself – not because of the crowd, or the energy in the air, but strictly based on the way the sound of the band comes through on tape.

Icepetal’s typically eloquent rendering of the music is worth a read. He effuses about the long transition between Let It Grow and Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad, as well as the second set Playing Sandwich – Playing in the Band > The Wheel > Samson and Delilah > Jam > Comes a Time > Drums > Eyes of the World > Dancing in the Street > Playing in the Band.

I found a review of the Syracuse show in the college newspaper. Wheel of Fortune is such a great song, ha.

Here’s the Spotify widget for DP#20.

https://open.spotify.com/album/34KjKiNyuggM0g2No4ZnTv?si=R3d3HsVvTXK6Faf1WHAVTw

And transport to an audience recording of 9/28/76 HERE.

Thanks as always to Ed.

More soon.

JF

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[hetmusic]

Women in Music: A Year in Action | HumanHuman

Here we go again! One year on from our article ‘Women in the Music Industry’ and the overwhelmingly supportive response that followed we’re ready to take a retrospective look at what’s been happening in the world of music since then. We’ve brought together a collective of new commentators, including musicians, writers, PRs, event organisers, managers and a radio producer, to give their spin on what it’s currently like for women in the music business.

This time around I asked each of our contributors the same three questions; since last year’s International Women’s Day, what has been your highlight for women in music? what are your thoughts on the visible representation of women in the music industry? moving forward, what changes still need to happen? The answers are a window in a community who are extremely passionate about this topic, and whilst it’s essential that we shed light on the serious issues, the overriding message is one of celebration and positivity.

“I've definitely noticed a more tight-knit community between women in music, which we need to only continue and strengthen.”— Missy Scheinberg, Lunatic Entertainment

Last year one of the hot topics surrounding gender inequality in music was the lack of female representation at the majority of music festivals. Most notable was Reading and Leeds Festival, as highlighted by Crack in the Road editor Josh Dalton with his viral editing of the line-up, which revealed a paltry ten female and mixed acts. The unapologetic response from Festival Republic boss Melvin Brenn, who rather naively stated that “gone are the days where a band was four guys” (via Gigwise), further emphasised how deeply ingrained ignorance of this issue is. While Festival Republic still appears unable to provide a single female headliner - 2016’s choices are an unimaginative selection of Biffy Clyro, Fall Out Boy, Foals, Disclosure and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers - other events are making moves to correct this imbalance. In an interview with Noisey, Glastonbury Festival organiser Emily Eavis states that “we are strong on women this year” and her enthusiastic mention of female MCs like Little Simz and Lady Leshurr is encouraging.

Some have taken it even further by offering female-only line ups at their events, such as Burger Records’ festival Burger A Go Go. Not only is this an excellent name, but their no-dudes rule made room for awesome headliners Best Coast and Dum Dum Girls in 2015, as well as instantly recognisable names like Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Cat Power and Kathleen Hanna (in new project The Julie Ruin.) Speaking to Broadly., co-organiser Lee Rickard explains that the festival is “more of a fun statement than a feminist statement. We're not overtly political, but obviously it does reverberate. I think it makes a statement without having to make a statement; that we can easily put together a bill of this caliber. Hopefully it will make other festivals think twice.” One of our own contributors Erika Alvarez is also hoping to interrupt the pattern with her non-profit event A Great Escape Festival, and she has her own view on why there’s a favourable bias towards male musicians at festivals: “When a band’s demographic is mostly female, they are automatically deemed as unworthy of respect, but if their demographic is mostly male the words “legendary” and “influential” are the first to come to mind.” Being judged primarily on their gender or that of their fans is also a concern for mixed alt-rock band Wyldest, whose female members Zoe Mead and Holly Mullineaux cringe at the idea of their fans liking them simply because of they are women. With this in mind, they give a nod to Savages as a band who aren’t evaluated by their gender but by their music. Mullineaux even paraphrases a statement from Savages’ Jehnny Beth in an interview with Broadly., "Being a woman in music is like being a woman eating a sandwich." Basically, these females musicians don’t consider that they’re doing anything outside the realms of normality, they’re just being themselves.

“It’s incredible to meet both male and female musicians at shows, but when I’m playing within a female dominated line-up, I really have this sense of affirmation with the other female musicians.”— Zoe Mead, Wyldest

This view of music festivals as a world of extremes - either as a blatant machoism or feminist statement - is one that we’ve become rather used to, but hopefully not for long. One event that has already achieved the ideal of equal gender representation is Wavelength Festival, which this year welcomed a mixed bag of headliners (including Duchess Says, Foxes in Fiction and Foxtrott) and more than 50 percent of the stage slots were filled by female musicians. The real achievement lies in the fact that this fair representation of artists regardless of their gender is actually unintentional, as outlined by Artistic Director and co-founder Jonathan Bunce: “It's happened three years in a row, so this theme has just sort of emerged. It wasn't like we sat down and said, 'We have to have a female headliner every night.' There was no grand design. There are just so many talented women making music right now and I think that us, as programmers, are just responding to that” (via Noisey). Missy Scheinberg, who works at Lunatic Entertainment, also urges talent-buyers to take note of these mixed line-ups, especially Australia’s Laneway Festival, which this year has topped their bill with Chvrches, Grimes, Beach House, and Purity Ring. This emphasis on deserved recognition as opposed to the more forced positive discrimination is definitely the way forward for everyone involved in the music industry.

One area of the music industry that still leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the attitude towards women is music videos. These visual aids are an incredibly powerful tool that has flourished throughout the MTV years and onto a generation of YouTubers. Considering this, it’s quite extraordinary that amongst all of the beautiful, artistic, groundbreaking, politically and culturally charged videos out there that the majority of our focus lands on those with the most skin on show. From Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” to Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” to Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Lopez’s “Booty”, these controversial and highly confusing examples of female objectification are well within the view of the public. As Daily Telegraph journalist Justin Coulson questions, “They might be masquerading as empowered femininity, but what are they selling?” accompanied by a natural concern for what his daughters will come to know as normal behaviour. This power struggle is brought further into the light by Louise O’Neil at The Irish Examiner in her piece ‘Are music videos too sexual or do they represent power in women?’, which details that in recent years two camps have emerged in the world of music videos. On one hand, there are those who “have decided to either completely reject the pressure to perform in a sexually suggestive manner”, and on the other, there are those who “have claimed ownership of their sexuality and their bodies.” What’s important here is that artists should have the choice to use their public visibility to explore all forms of identity, rather than one that is forced upon them by society’s warped expectations. As music journalist Christal Yuen quite rightly states:

“There's a lot of misplaced eroticism in painting women as direct projections of their songs.”— Christal Yuen, writer for HumanHuman and Sodwee

There are plenty of current musicians who use their artistry and physicality to embark on new ways of defying gender stereotypes. Examples such as FKA twigs who lines up portrayals of femininity like dominoes in her “MSLL155X” video and Rosie Lowe whose dual metaphor for strength and vulnerability is seen in the undressed frankness of her single “Woman”. Another example is Grimes, who is well known for her array of performance personas and in The FADER’s ‘Art Angel’ documentary, Claire Boucher explains that “Grimes as one person cannot represent more than a couple of ideas. That’s why I started developing some of the other characters - like, really abstract from who I am or how I am [...] Not everything has to fully reflect you.” This willingness to explore how an artist can portray themselves, female or otherwise, has the power to directly influence others in the industry. Our contributor Tsar B, an emerging artist known for her dark and multi-cultural sounding pop, finds Grimes extremely inspiring, especially “the way she emphasises her autonomy and strength, as well as her unacceptance of parochialism.” As we see in the documentary, it’s not only her stage presence that Grimes has under complete artistic control, but the production aspect of her music is also her sole responsibility.

“Sometimes women in the music industry are perceived as an attractive medium between a bunch of guys that make the music and the general public, while actually people fail to realize that they are the foundation of the whole story.”— Tsar B

One artist who has been determined in sharing her whole story is Lorely Rodriguez AKA Empress Of, who released her debut self-produced record Me in September last year. Contributor Alliz Espi, who runs Songololo Music, picks up this album as her personal highlight: “her work as a producer (beat-making included) of her own record, has been one of the first on the scene which was instantly celebrated, rather than being a question - ‘did she really do that?’” Empress Of’s evolution into producer and sound engineer is testament to what can happen when musicians are forthcoming about what they want. Rodriguez recalls the result of being team up with another producer where “It just ended up sounding like that person's music. I thought, ‘this is my first record, I need it to sound like it's coming from me’” (Beggars Music). After that epiphany, she was able to discover herself as a recorder, producer, artist and most importantly as a person. However, it’s not always the case that production credits are placed with the right person. A recent example would be Björk and her Vulnicura LP, in which it was initially misreported that Arca produced the album, rather than the truth which is a co-production between Björk and Arca. In an interview with Pitchfork, Björk talks about the courage it took the put the world right, “I didn’t want to talk about that kind of thing for 10 years, but then I thought, “You’re a coward if you don’t stand up. Not for you, but for women. Say something.”” It’s important for these prominent women to speak up, but it’s equally essential that men within the business lend their voice, such as Björk associates the Haxan Cloak and Matmos who insistently correct the media on their secondary role in the production of these records.

“We have evolved away from a history of music-engineering being male dominated, we've ditched the lab coats and clipboards (literally). But it still is a numbers game.”— Alliz Espi, Songololo Music

As Alliz Espi suggests, it is still numbers game, but the books are finally starting to balance, as reflected in the increased recognition of females at certain awards shows. Keeping on the production theme, the contribution from Women Produce Music (a social media community that promotes female producers, engineers and musicians) highlights this year’s Music Producers Guild Awards, in which Olga Fitzroy received a gong for Recording Engineer of the Year, Catherine Marks was recognised as Breakthrough Producer of the Year, and FKA twigs won UK Single for “Pendulum” and UK Album of the Year for LP1 - both of which she co-produced. It wasn’t only the MPGs where we saw a truer reflection of the arts industry, as Regina Valdameri points out, “At this year's Grammys in the Best Rock Performance category, for example, Foo Fighters were the only all-male band, with Alabama Shakes, Florence + the Machine, Wolf Alice and Elle King filling up the remaining nominations.” The Fives Ws Of editor also remarks that seven of the fifteen artists who made the BBC’s Sound of 2016 longlist were women, including runners-up Alessia Cara and Nao. This is certainly a start for greater equality amongst musicians, but the scene isn’t so rosy everywhere.

Another opinion maker Katerina Koumourou (ANASA PR, JD Management and Cozy Mag) draws our attention to Billboard’s Power 100 from this year, which was critiqued by Suzanne Harrington in The Independent for being made up of 127 men and only 14 women. This same article also discusses the unavoidable topic of current music media, that is the recent Kesha case in which her allegations of sexual assault against producer Dr Luke and request to exit the contract with him were dismissed by a New York Supreme Court Judge on the grounds that it’s “commercially reasonable” for Kesha to remain in the contract. This outcome reveals just where the priorities lie for those at the top of the industry food-chain, and for many it’s sickening to think money comes before an individual’s safety and artistic freedom. However, there is a positive side to this story and that’s female solidarity, with Kesha’s peers publicly expressing their support for her, such as Adele when accepting her awards at the BRITS, Taylor Swift with her $250,000 donation and Lady Gaga’s stand of solidarity at the Oscar’s to name a few.

“Females standing together for their voice to be heard is empowering and I guess it's comforting that she is not standing completely alone with this.”— Katerina Koumourou, ANASA PR, JD Management and Cozy Mag

We might still have a way to go, but it’s a fact that women are stronger than ever before in the music industry, as publicly displayed by Kesha’s celebrity supporters, but also by the growing number of successful women in the business. Whether that’s a music PR like Charmfactory’s Director of Communications Lorraine Long, who has never experienced prejudice on the basis of her gender and strongly believes that “Your sex should be irrelevant, it should come down to being the best person for the job and if you're doing a good job you should be rewarded fairly and equally.” Or a radio producer like Elise Cobain, who works on BBC Radio 1 and 1xtra and is especially enthusiastic about the progression of women in her business sector. Cobain provides a roll call of prominent BBC radio presenters: Annie Mac, Clara Amfo, A Dot and Jamz Supernova, and the list goes on once you step into radio production territory. It’s not only the traditional airwaves that are now transmitting a more representative voice, but online radio is also a bastion of equality. The Electronic Beats listing in ‘Meet the women who are killing it in online radio’ praises significant producers, hosts and managers of digital radio stations. A standout comment made for the article by Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura, a key figure of NTS Radio, asserts the need for greater variety within the industry. As Thorlu-Bangura states “it’s really crucial to work with people from a diverse range of backgrounds in order to have a wide range of perspectives on music and life in general.”

“I'm seeing more and more that women who work hard are being rewarded with brilliant jobs and career progression seemingly regardless of their gender. This change in attitude is something to be celebrated.”— Elise Cobain, BBC Radio 1/1xta Producer

That need for a more diverse demographic across the board is one that is echoed throughout all of our contributions. Katerina Koumourou asks “Is there enough diversity (regarding gender AND race) within these corporations to encourage the changes needed?” and at this moment in time the answer is probably no, at least not yet. This questioning attitude is shared by Tracy Dempsey, a Music Psychologist and creator of Sofa Sessions, which is a music-art showcase hosted at various venues throughout Belfast. This event offers a regular roster of mixed gender artists, but Dempsey believes that she should open up the diversity even further by “showcasing people from various minority groups who might be struggling for visibility, not for tokenistic reasons, but to break a self-perpetuating cycle of invisibility leading to more invisibility.” That’s probably the most important message for International Women’s Day, to break the cycle of invisibility, and where the music industry is concerned we’ve already taken considerable steps to do so, particularly in the online world. As Christal Yuen points out “the digital world of music allows for these artists to release music and be judged on their skill rather than their appearance.” There’s a reason that so many musicians release music virtually and why journalists now live on laptops rather than in newspapers; the internet can be a megaphone for the marginalised.

“The democratisation of the internet, allowing anyone to share their story, be heard, and have that story amplified by others joining in, is hugely powerful.”— Tracy Dempsey, creator of Sofa Sessions and Soulambition

For my last question to the opinion-makers, I asked them “Moving forward, what changes still need to happen?”, and the general consensus is that we should continue to celebrate women in the music industry, we should keep asking questions, and we shouldn’t settle for anything less than equality amongst all genders. Like Songololo Music’s Alliz Espi puts it “the more it’s celebrated now, the more female musicians may dare to take that journey.” Therefore, it’s our responsibility as current commentators and members of the music community to transmit a message of positivity and change, not only for ourselves, but for future generations. No one puts this intention more candidly than music blogger Regina Valdameri, who believes “The ultimate goal is that we won't be surprised anymore when a woman has success in the music industry, or in any industry really, because it will have become the norm.” If we continue down this path of positive visibility and mutual support (all genders included), then one day seeing a woman in the music industry will be as surprising as seeing a woman eat a sandwich.

https://humanhuman.com/articles/women-in-music-a-year-in-action

[ianfaulkner1-blog]

​By Roxanne Reid Which are the best n holidays? If you’re mad about wildlife and , chances are that these 7 parks everyone should visit are on your wish list. They span 7 countries in southern and East . I’ll tell you what to expect, the best time to visit, other things you can do there, and some of the ins and outs to be aware of when planning your .

It’s impossible to compare one park, reserve or wildlife area to another so I haven’t ranked them, but presented them in a logical order from south to north. Just because Kruger is listed first doesn’t mean it offers a better experience than the Mara, which is listed last. Each of the 7 offers something a little different and each deserves a visit on its own terms. Kruger National Park, South A Kruger National Park  is a must. This is South ’s most well known park, about 500-600km from Johannesburg, depending on whether you enter from the south or the north (or a 50min flight away). It’s high on anyone’s list of the best place for in because of its astonishing diversity – 147 mammal species, 507 bird, 336 tree, 49 fish, 34 amphibian and 114 reptile species. Apart from the Big Five, which account for much of Kruger’s popularity, other animals to look for include hippo, crocodile, cheetah, hyena, wild dog and sable antelope. Stop near a waterhole and be patient – you’ll be amazed by how much you can experience. You may see all of the Big Five on a single morning’s game drive, but don’t forget to appreciate the smaller creatures too, to look among the brush for mongoose and into trees for an elusive owl having a snooze. ​

Elephants drinking in northern Kruger

​Best time to visit Kruger National Park The dry season (May to October) is the best time to visit Kruger. May to August is cooler, but October can reach more than 30 degrees Celsius. Birders will enjoy September and October because that’s when the migrants return. I personally avoid December to March, which are very hot and can be wet, with flooding washing roads and bridges away from time to time. Things to do at Kruger

There’s a wealth of things to do in Kruger, from self drives to guided game drives and night drives which are a great way to improve your chances of spotting nocturnal species like leopard, hyena, serval and porcupine.

Guided bush walks, backpacking trails and three-day wilderness hikes are perfect for immersing yourself in nature and experiencing it with all your senses. They’re usually more about tracks, small creatures and plants than big game, but you may get to watch big game like elephants and rhino at close quarters too.

For something different, sign up for a self-drive 4x4 trail or go the full hog with a multi-day camping-out eco-trail through the bush with a guide.

If you’re a keen cyclist you’ll love the guided mountain biking at Olifants.

There’s a number of rock art and cultural heritage sites you can visit too, like Masorini and Thulamela.​

Spotted hyena cubs in the early morning light

Ins and outs

Kruger can get very crowded, with many vehicles swarming a sighting. Visit the south and central Kruger to see the Big Five but expect a crush of vehicles that can result in gridlock; go north for a sense of wilderness and the joy of not having to share your sighting with too many other vehicles.

Kruger offers a huge range of accommodation options, from exclusive but expensive luxury lodges to mid-range self-catering camps and budget camping stays. There are restaurants in many of the larger tourist camps for lazy days when you don’t want to cook.

Given its excellent road network, Kruger is one of the easiest parks to self-drive, even without a 4x4; just get a good map and GPS with accurate software.

There are pleasant picnic spots dotted around the park where you may get out of your vehicle to stretch your legs, go to the loo or have a prepacked meal. You can even hire a gas cooker to cook your eggs and bacon.

Daily conservation fees per person in 2019 are ZAR93 (for locals), ZAR186 (±US$13) for SADC visitors and ZAR372 (±US$26) for international visitors, according to the exchange rate. Depending on how long you plan to stay, it may be worth getting a Wild Card, which means you don’t have to pay entry/conservation fees.

Remember that Kruger is a high-risk malaria area. Even though the risk is lower in the dry season, consult your doctor or travel clinic before your visit.

Etosha National Park, Namibia Etosha National Park, about 500km north of Namibia’s capital of Windhoek, is one of the best places to see wildlife in Southern . Although you won’t find hippo, buffalo, crocodile or wild dog, expect good sightings of lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, zebra and antelope from eland to the tiny dik-dik. The landscape is very open so you can see a long way and don’t have to struggle to photograph animals through thick bush. In the dry season, animals come regularly to a small army of waterholes, which are good places to sit and be patient. Olifantsrus (campers only), Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni camps each have their own waterhole too, so your game viewing doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down and camp gates close.

A clutter of different species at Nebrownii waterhole in Etosha

Best time to visit Etosha The dry season (June to September) is the best time for an Etosha National Park . Summers (October to February) are very hot, with average temperatures well over 30 degrees C. Winter days (May to July) are sunny and warm in northern Namibia, though it may get cold overnight. July and August are very busy in Etosha, with many European tourists choosing to visit during these months. Things to do at Etosha

The best things to do in Etosha are game drives and waiting at waterholes, but spend some time at the in-camp waterholes too, especially at Okaukuejo and Halali’s Moringa waterhole.

The park offers guided drives. My choice would be a sunset drive, which includes some time out in the park after dark for a chance to see nocturnal species. This is special because you’re not allowed to self-drive in the park before sunrise or after sunset.

For something completely different, visit Etosha Safari Camp to experience the shebeen with its energetic township vibe. You’ll find it 10km south of Anderson Gate near Okaukuejo. You can camp or stay in chalets there too if you want to avoid the very busy Okaukuejo camp.

Watching elephants at Moringa waterhole at Halali camp

Ins and outs

The rest camps and campsite ablutions were refurbished in 2007 for Etosha’s centenary and haven’t had much attention beyond basic maintenance since then, so they’re a little tired.

Don’t expect wonderful food or service in the restaurants, even though they’re pricey; the better option is to self-cater if you can. You can restock with basics at the shops in the main camps of Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni.

Daily conservation fees per person in 2019 are N$30 for locals, N$60 (±US$4) for SADC visitors and N$80 (±US$5.50) for international visitors, plus N$10 per vehicle.

Etosha’s fairly simple road network means it’s one of the easiest parks to self-drive; you don’t even need a 4x4 in the dry season. Some of the road markers are a bit faded so make sure you have a proper map as well. You can buy these at the shops in the main camps.

There are a few places where you may get out of your vehicle to stretch your legs, go to the loo or have your sandwiches, although they’re not very well maintained. I prefer to eat in the car at a waterhole, when you still have a chance to see wildlife.

Although the risk of malaria is lower in the dry season, consult your doctor or travel clinic before your visit.

Okavango Delta, Botswana The Okavango Delta in landlocked Botswana offers one of the most diverse s in . Covering between 6 000 and 15 000 square kilometres, this montage of islands, water channels, floodplains, swamps and game tracks owes its existence to the Okavango (Kavango) River that flows from the highlands of Angola. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of few inland deltas in the world. The variety and quantity of wildlife here is a draw card. You have a chance to see some 160 mammals – from elephant, lion, leopard, wild dog, cheetah, hyena, buffalo, hippo, croc, giraffe and zebra to antelope specials like sable, roan, sitatunga and red lechwe. Birding is also excellent with some 500 species, including n fish-eagle, Pel’s fishing-owl and numerous bee-eaters and kingfishers.

Elephants in the Delta as seen from the air as you fly in to one of the private camps

Best time to visit Okavango Delta The best time for wildlife sightings on a Okavango Delta Botswana is from July till October, when temperatures are moderate and the Delta is flooded. April, May and June are a little less busy with visitors though sightings are still good. December to February are hot, wet months. Things to do in the Okavango

Depending on water levels and camp location, you may be able to game drive here, or your activities might be mainly boat-based. Either way, don’t miss poling along the waterways in a mokoro (dug-out canoe) to slink quietly up to birds, frogs and other animals.

Bush walking with a guide is a wonderful way to connect with nature and see small things up close. Note that walking isn’t allowed in a national park like Moremi, but is allowed on private concessions in the Delta, though it may be seasonal depending on water levels and the length of the grass.

For the ultimate close-to-nature indulgence, book a night at a camp that offers a romantic sleep-out on a star bed platform. Wilderness Safaris has a few of them.

Whatever you do, don't miss spending time on the waterways in a mokoro

Ins and outs

Botswana’s high-value, low-impact tourism model is both good and bad for visitors; it keeps a lid on the number of tourists but it also means that the Delta is an expensive destination, filled largely with luxury private concessions that offer exclusive s, with the added cost of flying in over the Delta on a charter plane.

You can enjoy a budget in Moremi Game Reserve in the Delta, where you can self-drive and camp if you have a 4x4 and strong skills in driving in deep sand in the dry season and mud in the wet season.

Daily conservation fees at Moremi in 2019 are BWP120 per person and BWP50 per vehicle (±US$11 and US$4.60 respectively). If you’re staying at a private luxury camp in the Delta, your park fees will often be included in the price of your accommodation.

Malaria occurs in the Okavango, although the risk is lower from June to September. Consult your doctor or travel clinic before your visit. ​

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe A good choice for a Zimbabwe is Hwange National Park. It’s the country’s largest park at some 14 650 square kilometres, or half the size of Belgium. It’s best known for its high density of elephants. Its mix of different veld types makes for game viewing all year round. There are more than 100 species of mammals including the Big Five (though rhino numbers are small and they’re less easy to see because they prefer thick vegetation). There are also hippo, hyena, cheetah, wild dog, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and antelope like sable, eland and kudu. Birders will enjoy nearly 400 bird species, especially raptors. Wildlife relies on pumped waterholes, which are superb places to see game, especially elephant and buffalo. Originally run by diesel generator pumps, they became known as the heart-beat of Hwange. In recent years many have been converted to solar pumps.

Photo by Wilderness Safaris, which has three private camps in Hwange

Best time to visit Hwange The dry season (July to October) is the best time to visit Hwange. This is generally when wildlife congregates in larger quantities around the artificial waterholes to drink. Low season is January to May, when accommodation is cheaper but some of the camps close. Birders will want to visit from October to March when the summer migrants swell the number of species they can spot (like southern carmine bee-eater, for instance). For photographers, the months December to March provide contrasts between dark cloudy skies and lush green vegetation. Just be aware that in these months humidity and day-time temperatures are high. Things to do at Hwange

As with all parks and reserves on this list, game driving will be the hallmark of your experience. But spend time at some of the raised viewing platforms or sunken hides at waterholes for a change of pace.

If you stay at a camp on a private concession on the edge of the park, you will be able to do night drives to spot elusive nocturnal species.

You can also do early morning bush walks on private concessions, a chance to see, hear and smell things you’d miss in a vehicle and to learn from excellent Zimbabwean guides how to interpret tracks and signs.

The Elephant Express, a converted railcar operated by Imvelo Safari Lodges, is a different way to see wildlife on the open plains and in forest woodlands.

Horseback s have become popular, with two operators now working in and around the park.

If you have an interest in culture, arrange to visit a local village to learn about the community.

Since Hwange is about 190km from Victoria Falls, it makes sense to combine your with a trip to this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sunset in Hwange - photo by Wilderness Safaris

Ins and outs

Daily conservation fees in 2019 are US$5 per person per day for locals, US$8 for SADC visitors and US$20 for foreigners.

There’s Hwange accommodation for all budgets, from camping and basic huts provided by Zimparks to luxury camps on private concessions. Although the latter are expensive (but with low-season discounts), they make for a wonderful personal with excellent guides and delicious food, and often come with a hide and a waterhole at the camp.

You can self-drive and self-cater in Hwange but be aware that Zimparks facilities at Main Camp, Robins Camp and Sinamatella are run down and very basic. Bring everything you need with you, including drinking water. To be safe, I’d recommend a 4x4 for self-driving here, especially in the wet season.

Guided drives are in open vehicles.

There are a few places in the national park where you may get out of your vehicle to stretch your legs or enjoy some coffee from your thermos or a packed meal.

Hwange is a high-risk malaria area, especially from October to May. Consult your doctor or travel clinic before your visit.

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South Luangwa National Park, Zambia The particular appeal of the 9059 square kilometre South Luangwa National Park is its unhurried, uncrowded wilderness atmosphere with a high concentration of game. On this Zambia you can expect dry woodland, mopaneveld, and lush riverine vegetation along the Luangwa River with its oxbow lakes. There are 60 mammal species in the park, including elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion and wild dog. You’ll also see hippo, croc, puku and waterbuck along the river, and there are a few special endemic species to watch out for, like Thornicroft’s giraffe, Cookson’s wildebeest and Crawshay’s zebra. Birding is good, with over 400 species, including nearly 40 raptor species and lots of water birds like n fish-eagle, openbill and saddlebill storks, and kingfishers.

You have an excellent chance of spotting leopard at South Luangwa National Park

Best time to visit South Luangwa The best time for a South Luangwa is the dry season from June to October. The best time for birding is from September/October, when summer migrants start to swell the numbers. November, April and May are shoulder season, when you’ll still have good sightings but can snatch some good bargains on your accommodation, although some remote bush camps close. December to March is low season, when temperatures are high, some roads are inaccessible, most of the rain falls and many camps close. Plusses of this period are good birding, lower accommodation prices, fewer visitors and lots of newborn animals. However, sightings aren’t as good as in the dry season because the rains make the bush quick thick and animals don’t have to come to the river to drink. If you hate heat and humidity, you might prefer to avoid October to April. Things to do in South Luangwa

You may spend some of your time game driving, but South Luangwa also offers some of the best walking s in with operators like Robin Pope Safaris and Norman Carr Safaris.

Even if you’re self-driving in the park, budget for at least one guided drive to learn about some of the seasonal roads and good spots for finding game. A sunset/night drive is a good choice because self-drivers aren’t allowed in the park at night and this gives you a chance to see nocturnal species. Guided drives are in open vehicles.

Visit Tribal Textiles at Mfuwe village just outside the park to watch local artists make hand-painted textiles combining traditional n art with contemporary design.

A few kilometres from Mfuwe is Kawaza village, where you can learn about the culture of the local Kunda people. 

Hippos lazing in the Luangwa River

Ins and outs

Daily entrance/conservation fees in 2019 are US$20 for SADC visitors and US$30 for international visitors.

Some camps close in the wet season.

There are a number of private lodges in the park, with prices from the mid range to super luxury. They offer twice daily game drives with excellent Zambian guides who know the area well.

If you’re looking for a budget camping , book at one of the campsites in the Game Management Area (GMA) bordering the park; they’re obviously cheaper than staying in lodges inside the park but there are no fences between the park and the GMA so you’re not cut off from the wildlife.

If you’re self-driving, you need to be fairly adventurous in a high-clearance 4x4 vehicle because many roads in the park are little more than jeep tracks; they get remade each year after flooding. Make sure you have good GPS software because you’re unlikely to get a map of the park when you enter at the gate.

I can’t remember seeing any places inside the park where you can stop to stretch your legs or enjoy a packed lunch.

South Luangwa is a high-risk malaria area, especially from October to May. Consult your doctor or travel clinic before you visit.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania The Serengeti – 14 750 square kilometres of savanna, grassland, riverine forest and woodland in northern Tanzania – is one of East ’s classic destinations. Here you’ll find the Big Five, over 500 bird species and of course the Great Migration, when around two million wildebeest and zebra migrate north from southern Tanzania to Kenya and back again. Big cat sightings are common (especially lions because of their high population density here), as are elephant and buffalo. Don’t despair if you’d rather avoid the crowds that descend on the park during crossing season for the Migration; Serengeti has plenty of resident wildlife that makes for good sightings all year round. Remember to stop to admire the landscapes of plains, umbrellas trees and giant rock outcrops.

Elephants and umbrella trees in the Serengeti National Park

Best time to visit Serengeti There’s good game viewing all year round, but the best time for a Serengeti is probably June to October. Calving season is the end of January to the end of March, when the southern plains are the place to be. Rutting season is June and July, when the herds are in the western Serengeti. Crossing season, when most of the river crossings happen, is from the end of July to October, when the herds cross from Serengeti into Kenya’s Maasai Mara (see below). April and May see the long rains, with the short rains from November to January; these wet, green season months can deliver hefty discounts for visitors compared to the crossing season. Remember that you can have great big cat sightings at any time of year in the Serengeti. Things to do in Serengeti

Apart from your game drives, one of the best things to do here is to visit a Maasai village to learn about their culture and customs.

If you have the budget, don’t miss a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti plains. It’s an experience of a lifetime to look down on the herds as you float by following the direction of the wind.

Go on a walking with a guide to really absorb yourself in nature and its wonders. Just check before you book because not all camps offer bush walks.

Cheetah in the early morning light

Ins and outs

From July to October the Serengeti can get very crowded, with more than 100 or 200 vehicles jostling for space at sightings.

Private concessions on the border of the park give a less crowded experience but it’s a privilege you pay for.

Daily conservation/entry fees in Serengeti are much higher than Southern n parks at US$60 per person per day for international visitors.

Unlike the open vehicles you see in southern , those in the Serengeti are often closed with a top hatch that opens, giving a less immersive experience. If you care about this, check before you book.

Malaria is a risk in the Serengeti, though higher in the rainy months of April, May and November to January. Consult your doctor or travel clinic before you visit.

Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya Say the words Maasai Mara and you’ll immediately think of a classic East n , abundant wildlife and attractive tree-dotted plains. About a five-hour drive from Nairobi (or a quick 45-minute flight), this national reserve in southwest Kenya covers 1510 square kilometres – or 2500 if you include the surrounding conservancies. It forms the northern part of the Great Wildebeest Migration that stretches between Tanzania’s Serengeti (see above) and Kenya. There are 95 species of mammals here, and you’re likely to see a glut of lion, leopard and cheetah, hippos and crocs, giraffe, buffalo and heaps of plains game like zebra, wildebeest and topi. More than 570 species of birds have been recorded.

Stop for a picnic breakfast on a Masai Mara

Best time to go Although the Mara is a year-round destination for big cats and general game, peak season is July to October; you’re most likely to see the Great Migration and maybe some river crossings in August and September. November to May is low season, when you can get substantial discounts, but the long rains come in March and April, so these aren’t the most comfortable months for a Masai Mara . That said, photographers sometimes prefer the wetter months for the lush green grass and the dust-free air. Things to do in the Maasai Mara

Game drives are obviously an essential part of the Kenya experience, but depending where you stay you can also visit a Maasai village to learn about the culture and traditions of these local people.

Take to the skies in a hot air balloon at dawn to see the rolling plains and winding rivers of the Mara beneath you, spotting antelope, wildebeest, zebra and maybe even elephant and lion from the air. Finish with a slap-up breakfast before returning to camp.

Cheetah and cub in the Mara

In and outs

As in the Serengeti, if you travel in the Mara during the Migration your experience will be crowded, with loads of other vehicles all jockeying to see the same sightings.

Daily park fees are high, much higher than in most southern n parks. If you stay inside the park it’s US$70 per person per day for international visitors in 2019, or US$80 if you’re staying outside the park and coming in as a day visitor.

When you book, check what kind of vehicles your operator uses for their s. I much prefer open vehicles for a feeling of freedom and being close to nature, but some in Kenya use closed vehicles with a hatch in the roof.

If you want to splurge, staying in one of the luxury camps on a private concession adjoining the reserve can be a way to ensure a less crowded experience where you have a sighting to yourself and perhaps one or two other vehicles. These camps, like those run by Great Plains Conservation, are all-inclusive and come with a guide to drive you around and explain the ecosystem.

If you want to experience the Mara on a tight budget, it’s possible to self-drive. Just invest in a good map and GPS – and perhaps even hire a Maasai guide to come in your vehicle. You’d need a 4x4 because the roads can be rudimentary and especially difficult after showers. There are campsites in the reserve but they can be fairly basic so stock up in Nairobi and be self-sufficient.

Although malaria is rare in the Mara because of its high elevation, it does exist so consult your doctor or travel clinic before you visit, especially if you’re travelling outside the dry season.

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You may also enjoy Safari honeymoon in : romantic breaks for nature lovers Best n countries to visit for epic things to do Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za

[highvoltagearea]

Traders at London’s famous Camden and Spitalfields markets are fighting to survive. We spoke to the small-business owners who fear they will soon be replaced by big-name brands.

No trip to London is complete without a visit to its world-famous markets. Before coronavirus, shoppers from around the globe would browse stalls under Camden Market’s wooden Victorian-era arches or underneath the soaring industrial pillars of Spitalfields. Small market traders now acutely feel their absence, and fear the worst.

“Summer months are usually the busiest in Camden Market, between July and September,” Maria Costello says. “It’s an absolute ghost town now.” 

She hunches over a sewing machine inside Josiah Amari, her children’s clothes store, named after her son. It doubles as a workshop. A masked customer hesitantly browses her handmade infant kimonos and stretchable baby trousers. A freight train rumbles overhead just as the rare customer leaves. 

International tourists are long gone. Tourists from the US and Japan, who usually pack Camden’s cobbled alleyways, have not returned. Costello’s Middle Eastern customers usually escape the summer heat for London, but they are nowhere to be seen. Very few European customers have returned since Britain eased lockdown in early July. 

Costello is worried. Business is down 90% compared to the beginning of 2020. Since reopening in June, she makes as little as £20 ($260) on “a good day.” Pre-lockdown, Costello could take as much as £700 ($917) in a single day.  

Maria Costello, owner of children’s store Josiah Amari in Camden Market.

Shafi Musaddique

The single mom-of-two has dipped into her personal savings to keep her business and family afloat. Since June’s reopening, Camden Market’s small business traders pay only 30% of their usual base rent — but that hasn’t stopped several closing down, according to the traders Business Insider speaks to.

“If it continues like this and we start paying full rent, we too will have to close permanently,” Costello says.

Japan Craft, a five-minute walk through the market’s labyrinthine brick and wooden tunnels from Josiah Amari, also relies on overseas tourists eager to buy imported Japanese anime memorabilia and customers thirsty for matcha tea and iced drinks. Owner Jeremy Barth says they are now nowhere to be seen, and takings are down 80% post-lockdown.

“We do have some people coming back, but they are local people. Now they come to Camden Market because it’s not as crowded. They appreciate it a bit more,” Barth says. 

From his vinyl stall Disc Disciple Records by the entrance of Camden Market, Daniel Alexander-Harwood has also observed a trickle of locals returning now that tourists aren’t clogging the alleyways, especially when the sun shines. But they are no substitute. 

“A lot of people aren’t carrying bags so you can tell they’re not shopping as much. They’re mainly here for food and drink,” he adds. Locals, Costello says, don’t spend more.

Daniel Alexander-Harwood, owner of Disc Disciple Records in Camden Market.

Shafi Musaddique

Four miles away from Camden Market is Spitalfields Market, a partially indoors space sandwiched between the skyscrapers of London’s financial district and a densely populated neighbourhood of students, artists, startups, and a large Bangladeshi community in one of the UK’s poorest boroughs. 

Spitalfields doesn’t rely as heavily on tourists as Camden. Locals and other Londoners tend to visit but its traders have been hit hard by workers not returning to the offices that surround the market. 

“Sales are down quite considerably, especially Monday to Friday without the lunch and post-work trade after 5 p.m.. But there’s steady signs of improvement here in Spitalfields,” Abilash Jobamputra, cofounder of Chai Guys, says.

Both he and his business partner Gabriel Unger left their jobs at accounting firm Deloitte to set up their freshly brewed chai stall in 2018. Since reopening on June 15, they have worked seven days a week without paying themselves. They both strike a note of quiet optimism, despite having to dip into cash reserves during lockdown to pay for staff whose monthly pay was not covered by the UK Government’s furlough scheme because they were self-employed, and had jobs with multiple vendors. 

Abilash Jobamputra and Gabriel Ungur, founders of Chai Guys in Spitalfields Market, London.

Shafi Musaddique

Market holders at Spitalfields say the post-lockdown system of charging rents only as a commission on turnover has eased financial pressures. Anyone taking in zero revenue pays nothing.

But there are still problems. Kim Innes opened Humble Crumble, a new market stall selling homemade apple crumble, just a week before Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown in March, forcing her to close.

“No one was in the market that week. Everyone was terrified,” she says. 

She says the reopening of restaurants and bars in July has reduced the custom for her stall and others in Spitalfields after she had a “positive” early bounceback in June.  

“It’s so strange in the market right now. It’s busy one day and not the next day. We don’t know who our customers are,” she adds. 

“You have to be flexible to adapt”

London is trying to adapt and find its way through. 

John Li, who set up food stall Dumpling Shack in Spitalfields five years ago, used space elsewhere in the market, now closed to the public in lockdown, to make food for delivery. With uncertainty over when, or even if, people will return to nearby offices, Li plans to take his food stall to them instead. He wants to open a second location in the Isle of Dogs, a residential area where many workers who ordinarily work in the Canary Wharf financial district live.

“That’s the key to getting something positive from this awful situation. You have to be flexible to adapt,” says Li.

Meanwhile, Innes says she faces “a lot of uncertainty,” compounded by a £5,500 ($7,200) rent bill she received from her landlords over lockdown. Yet she remains upbeat about Spitalfields Market’s future, and her own.

“It’s accessible to most people in London. It’s not as far as Camden is for most of us.”

Jobamputra agrees: “The beauty of this market as a location is that it always has a mix of residential, office workers and tourists on the weekends.”

“We used to be funky”

Camden’s reputation for its quirky, independent market and music scene could soon be gone.

“I can’t see anything being good till next year,” says Costello.

She sells products made by other mothers unable to have their own stall and fears the closure of Josiah Amari would damage an “ecosystem” of local female entrepreneurs. 

There’s unease about what could replace stalls like hers. Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi, who spearheads investment firm LabTech, owns 16 acres of land in North London including Camden Market. Many independent market traders, including Costello and Barth, tell Business Insider they fear they will be replaced by established chain brands with higher revenues who can afford to pay higher rents (Sagi did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment).

Barth laments that Camden Market “used to be funky” but stalls have been replaced by chains such as SportsDirect and Dr Martens.

“Lots of businesses who were here for decades have been pushed away,” he says. Coronavirus, he adds, could be one more nail in the coffin.

Most market holders Business Insider speaks to agree: These thriving centres for small, independent businesses are in danger of being torn apart, particularly in Camden. Their futures, and the fabric of these historic London landmarks, hang in the balance.

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[biofunmy]

Highland Park, Los Angeles: A Watchful Eye on Gentrification

When Megan Auster-Rosen, 39, began her house hunt 18 months ago, she knew she would have to make some compromises. A New York City native, she had spent four years renting in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Silver Lake and Echo Park, which together form the City of Angels’s hipster epicenter and reminded her of Brooklyn.

But Ms. Auster-Rosen, a clinical psychologist, and her wife, Ava, a cinematographer, have hopes of starting a family, and were looking for room to grow. They found it by heading northeast, to the historic, racially diverse enclave of Highland Park, where they found a three-bedroom, one-bath bungalow that offered easy access to the sort of funky, foodie, fair-trade shops and restaurants they both love.

“We wanted something walkable, because we’re New Yorkers. And that’s what really sold us on this place,” she said.

Highland Park has twin main drags — York Boulevard and Figueroa Street — both stocked with third-wave coffee shops, artisan bakeries and pretty stores peddling vinyl and vintage handicrafts. In July 2018, the couple paid $749,000 for their bungalow, which is on a side street just minutes by foot from York. Figueroa Street can be reached by car in the same amount of time.

Ms. Auster-Rosen sacrificed one of the house’s three bedrooms for more open-plan living, knocking down a wall at the front of the home and creating a central living/dining space. She had the kitchen rearranged as well, and HVAC installed. There’s a converted garage she plans to turn into a granny flat for guests. Her dog, Tiny, an aptly-named Chihuahua who clocks in at about four pounds, appreciates her new outdoor domain. If and when a baby joins the family, there’s a spare bedroom waiting.

The home is flanked by churches, a fact that initially made Ms. Auster-Rosen wary. “We were like, are they going to be homophobic?” she said. “But in fact it’s been nice. We hear singing on Sunday mornings. We love our neighbors. And we just love having this much space.”

The neighborhood is in the midst of a renaissance, which has made it an affordable alternative for young professionals like Ms. Auster-Rosen who find themselves priced out of central Los Angeles. But its transition is complicated. Highland Park is historically Latino, and as housing prices have crept up, a slew of Spanish-speaking panaderias, bodegas and businesses have shuttered. But crime has also plummeted, bringing new parks, night life and vibrancy to streets that a decade ago were caught in the grip of Los Angeles’s notorious gang violence. Many longtime residents welcome the new sense of security while also bemoaning an erasure of the neighborhood’s long-held identity.

“Highland Park is the new Silver Lake,” said Alison Huddy, a Los Angeles native who runs the real estate team Home Sweet Huddy along with her husband, Jason. “In the ’80s and ’90s the sun would go down and, that was it — you locked your doors because there was so much gang activity … but now, you walk down Figueroa Street at night, and it’s so happening.”

As the makeup of the community has shifted, many of its newer residents — who skew young, white and college-educated — speak openly about their complex love for the neighborhood.

“The gentrification piece is stressful. If we had gone into a house where renters were going to be kicked out, I would have said, ‘I can’t buy this house,’” Ms. Auster-Rosen said. But she and her wife found a home that was being sold — at a tidy profit — by its owner of 15 years. The diversity around them sweetened the deal.

She especially appreciated that Highland Park hadn’t gentrified as much as Eagle Rock, the enclave’s northern neighbor. “In our neighborhood there are Costa Ricans and there are Mexicans. The family across the street is Korean. There’s always different music. I love talking to the neighbors who have been here for a long time.”

What You’ll Find

Highland Park is bordered on the south and east by the 110 freeway, and stretches west almost all the way to Eagle Rock Boulevard. Its northern border sits below Occidental College and the city limits of Pasadena.

Highland Park Bowl, located on Figueroa Street, is Los Angeles’s oldest bowling alley. It was established during Prohibition in 1927 and was beautifully refurbished in 2016, with its original wooden lanes still intact, sawed-off pin holders upcycled into delightful chandeliers, and handsome leather couches that serve as gathering points for house cocktails from its two horseshoe-shaped bars, as well as wood-fired pizzas and live music.

Most commerce is clustered around Figueroa Street and York Boulevard, or Fig and York, as the locals call them.

Many of its streets are filled with Craftsman-style homes and California bungalows. Some historic Highland Park homes date back as far as the 1880s; most were constructed in the 1910s and 1920s.

A construction flurry in the 1950s led to the razing of some of the district’s oldest homes, and today, nearly every block features a site that is under renovation and in the process of being flipped.

What You’ll Pay

In 2016, Gerard Way, frontman for the band My Chemical Romance, sold his Highland Park home — a restored, six-bedroom, midcentury structure — for $1.158 million, marking the first-ever home sale in the neighborhood north of the $1 million mark. Today, there are dozens. The highest sale to date in 2019 was at $1.625 million.

This year through September, 255 single-family homes sold at a median price of $829,000, compared with 268 at a median of $800,000 during the same period in 2018, and 220 at a median of $630,000 during the same period in 2016, according to real estate appraisers Miller Samuel Inc.

The Vibe

“Highland Park fills a void,” said Jason Huddy, the real estate agent. He points to a specific profile of buyer — couples who are first-time homeowners, who either don’t have children yet or have one small child, and are currently renting in trendy neighborhoods like Silver Lake or Echo Park. When they start thinking about growing their families, Mr. Huddy said, they are likely priced out of places like Pasadena and Burbank, which each offer their own walkable downtowns and culture spots. Highland Park, he said, “is a shining beacon of awesomeness — where you can afford a house and you can still keep your identity.”

For JD Rocchio, however, a growing family isn’t a priority, but a strong sense of community is. The 32-year-old Los Angeles native bought his first home in Highland Park in December, a little more than two years after moving his business, Belle’s Bagels, from a pop-up spot inside a bakery on Figueroa Street to a permanent location on York Boulevard. He paid $720,000 for a two-bedroom, one-bath Craftsman-style house that he shares with his dog, Dusty, a hound/pit bull mix.

“There is an any town feel,” he said. “The number one thing I love about living here is you can just pop from store to store and you meet the people who run the businesses — their kids and wives are there, their family is eating in the corner. There’s a sense of connectedness.”

The Schools

Highland Park is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the United States. Nine public elementary schools serve the neighborhood, as well as one magnet elementary.

Benjamin Franklin Senior High serves the area, with an enrollment of more than 1,600. In the 2017-2018 school year, 61 percent of 11th-grade students met or exceeded the state benchmark for college-readiness by scoring a 480 on the EBRW (Evidence Based Reading and Writing) sections of the SAT. In math, 35 percent met the benchmark score for readiness, which is 530.

Across the Los Angeles Unified School District, an average of 58 percent of 11th graders met their benchmarks in EBRW, and 35 percent in math.

The Commute

Highland Park is home to a precious commodity in Los Angeles: a metro stop. The L.A. Metro Gold Line has a station just north of Figueroa Street, and can get commuters downtown in about 35 minutes.

On the city’s clogged freeways, the ride from Highland Park to the heart of downtown Los Angeles can take about an hour. A drive to the west side can be a much longer slog — as much as an hour and 50 minutes — but in off-peak hours, can take only 30 minutes.

The History

Highland Park was settled along the Arroyo Seco river, a misnomer for a body of water and its canyon. Both the river and its canyon have been a transportation corridor for centuries; a railroad bridge built in the 1880s brought a faster link and in the 1940s, the construction of California Route 110 — a.k.a. the Arroyo Seco Parkway — brought the very first freeway to the United States.

Thanks to its location as a transit hub, Highland Park was one of Los Angeles’s first suburban neighborhoods. It was incorporated into the city in 1895 and soon became the epicenter of the Arts and Crafts movement — a fact still evident today in its homes with wide eaves and a handful of Victorian relics. Sandwiched between downtown Los Angeles and what was then the resort town of Pasadena, Highland Park became both a bedroom community and an artistic haven.

The neighborhood has a long and proud history of welcoming outsiders; in the 1970s it became a center of Chicano art collectives, and in the 1990s, it was the beating heart of the punk rock revolution.

The area has seen steady gentrification, with new shops and businesses opening and home prices on the rise, since the early 2000s.

Sahred From Source link Real Estate

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[riannagalvez]

Hello, dolls! Hello, rainy summer! We are halfway through July and I am trying to make the most out of my glorified summer at home with the kids. My maternity leave is making me want to have every summer off, especially now that Little A is going to start school in September! Making the most out of our free time together is an understatement. Between little adventures on weekends with my tribe and planned getaways with friends, there is no doubt summer 2019 is officially one of the best summer breaks ever for me.

One of my favorite out of town trips with my A boys was our anniversary celebration in Philadelphia. My first trip to Philly was in 2013  during winter so I wanted to experience it again with better weather for walking around! We love the city so much because of the restaurants in Chinatown. Since we had more time to visit a couple of restaurants that weekend, we decided to try something new.

Reading Terminal Market

Whenever we travel I look forward to going to food halls/markets like Reading Terminal Market. I feel like it’s one of the best ways to feel like a local. Also, who doesn’t want to be surrounded by so much food? It’s a great excuse to pig out! 😛

There are 76 vendors in the market, which made it difficult for me to pick which stalls to try! I wanted to order from all of them but I kept on telling myself, I just have to go back someday.

The market was packed when we got there! We brought Little A’s stroller and honestly it wasn’t easy to go around with it. So if you are a parent like me, using a baby carrier would be much better.

I was recovering from a bad cold and sore throat when we went to Philadelphia so my body was craving for comfort food. I knew Cajun food would be perfect! The spiciness of the gumbo and jambalaya definitely hit the spot!

A looked forward to getting a roast pork sandwich from DiNic’s. He went to Reading Terminal Market with his family before and got a sandwich from DiNic’s and they all loved it! We can’t wait to go back with Little A again to make him try it. I am sure he is going to love it because he is my sandwich loving boy! 😛

Nothing like freshly brewed iced tea to keep us refreshed. Tea Leaf sells authentic Chinese tea to take home too. A tried the black currant iced tea.

The weather today reminds of our trip to Philly. It was raining and all I wanted to do was eat with my little boy! 😛

Ting Wong

Our ultimate favorite Chinese restaurant in Philadelphia. Our first time in Ting Wong was in 2013 and A and I could not stop raving about it. Thanks to my grade school math teacher Ms. Angel for taking us here! Otherwise, we would have not known about it.

There’s always a wait whenever we go to Ting Wong, especially on weekends! Since it will take us at least an hour to get home, A and I decided to just order our food to go — the wait was not so bad truthfully. I think it took them more or less 20 minutes to pack everything for us.

We brought home our ultimate favorites from the menu (honestly you can never go wrong with anything at Ting wong!). Roast pork, wonton noodle soup, congee, soy chicken, and PEKING DUCK!! YUM!!

I always get a drink from Tea-do after eating at Ting Wong. Their milk tea makes me feel like I am in Asia! They also serve snacks that I have yet to try.

My A boys outside Schlesinger’s.

A introduced me to Jewish delis. I am not the kind of person who looks forward to eating a sandwich, but since A knows what to get whenever we go to a sammy shop, I have learned to like it. Surprisingly, I even crave a good Italian cold cut sub once in a while!

A and I love to try delis in different cities. One of the highly-rated Jewish delis in Philadelphia is Schlesinger’s. They have been open for nearly a century so we knew it was going to be amazing!

One of the reasons why I love Jewish delis!! All the “fixins”!

Delicious chocolate egg cream.

Spencer’s Chicken Noodle

We ordered Little A a cup of soup. The broth was very flavorful and I like how the cup was not filled with a lot of ingredients.

Sliced Tongue and Chopped Liver Sandwich

A is very adventurous when it comes to food. I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve had tongue for dinner. He is the happiest when he gets to eat sandwiches like this.

Braised Brisket with Potato Pancakes

The braised brisket was very tender and the gravy was to die for!! The potato pancakes were the perfect side dish for this. YUM!

The dessert case had me drooling! All the pastries are good for sharing which is awesome because I was able to convince A to try them with me 😛

The chocolate cake was ginormous!! 4-5 people could honestly split a slice.

Our favorite third wheel! ❤

————————

(READ) Best Italian restaurant in Philadelphia ❤

xx

R ❤

Philadelphia Food Guide: Cheap Eats Hello, dolls! Hello, rainy summer! We are halfway through July and I am trying to make the most out of my glorified summer at home with the kids.

[gamerszone2019-blog]

IGN's Top 10 Free-To-Play Games on Steam

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/igns-top-10-free-to-play-games-on-steam/

IGN's Top 10 Free-To-Play Games on Steam

Gaming can put major stress on your wallet and even with seasonal Steam sales, it never feels like there’s enough money in the world to try out all the games we want. Luckily there are a ton out there that don’t cost anything! We’ve been digging into the Steam library and found ten exceptional free to play games currently available, so save your cash.

IGN’s Top 25 Modern PC Games

10. Brawlhalla

Initial release date: November 3, 2015

Brawlhalla could be described as Smash Bros lite. It’s a platform fighter that incorporates powerful weapons and gadget drops that change your playstyle according to the specific item. One minute you’ll be fighting with grenades, then the next you’ll be riding a rocket spear into someone’s face.

Play in ranked or casual matches that support 1v1, 4v4, and anywhere in between. There’s even an alternate party mode with completely different objectives to mix things up. The roster of 46 legends can be bought with earnable in-game currency in addition to real money, but there are always 8 legends available for free every week in rotation.

Aside from the cute sprite art and animations, every legend has different stats that help to make each feel unique. For example, my favorite Legend, Fait, has increased speed and strength but lowered dexterity and defense. Barraza, on the other hand, is more of a tank with slower movement but a high defense stat. Brawlhalla has something for everyone and might have you coming back with friends to play once you get your first taste of victory. – Stella Chung

9. Team Fortress 2

Initial release date: October 10, 2007

Team Fortress 2 is the grandaddy of hero shooters. But don’t play it for a history lesson. Play it because it’s fun, stylish, unique, and still boasts around 50,000 concurrent players every single day. Choose from nine of the most creative and fundamentally dissimilar classes ever crammed into the same first-person shooter to accomplish objectives with the rest of your ridiculous 16-player team.

Don convincing disguises, eat a sandwich and even drench your enemies in piss. If the brilliant core game modes are too fun for you then why not try the cooperative, wave-based Mann v.s Machine mode? And much like CS:GO, the TF2 community has taken it upon themselves to create even more wacky modes like prop hunt, surf, and trading servers where players argue over who has the most valuable hat. – James Duggan

8. War Thunder

Initial release date: November 1, 2012

War Thunder is an absolutely massive military vehicular combat game, featuring hundreds of vehicles from multiple eras and more than half a dozen nations. You’ll progress through the tech tree of your chosen nation’s arsenal of aircraft, tanks, or naval warships.

Choose your preferred arena, be it ground, land, or sea and queue into matches of up to 32 players. Good news if you’re a Mil-Sim buff: War Thunder offers realistic and simulation variants of the normal arcade mode that boast more realistic damage and flight models in addition to things like having to return to an airfield to reload. There’s certainly a lot of progression to work through, but even at low levels, there’s plenty of pretty fun to be had. – James Duggan

7. Paladins

Initial release date: September 15, 2016

Paladins is more than a little similar to Overwatch, but it does some interesting things of its own. What’s unique about Paladins is that it incorporates a card deck system for your champion that grants amplified attributes and enhanced or modified skills that allows you to build towards a specific playstyle.

All cards are free to use for all Champions which opens up customization to a higher degree. There are three major game modes: Siege (a capture the objective and push the payload type), Team Deathmatch (5v5), and Onslaught (a capture the point objective).

And of course, Paladins boasts a roster of 41 playable champions each with unique abilities. For example, my personal favorite, Seris, is a support character who directly heals teammates but is also able to hold her own in a fight since dealing damage heals her. My favorite ability of hers is that she can slip out of dicey situations with her Shadow Travel which grants immunity from damage for a limited amount of time. Matches aren’t absurdly long and getting kills feels super rewarding, especially if you’re trying a Champion you’ve never played before. – Stella Chung

6. DOTA Underlords

Initial release date: June 20, 2019

Dota Underlords is a Valve-created, standalone version of the popular “Auto Chess” mod for Dota 2. At a top-level, Underlords is a deckbuilding tactics game. And while it isn’t exactly easy to pick up at first, it becomes dangerously fun and addictive once you have a few games under your belt.

Each match pits eight players against one another to see who can build the best team of random units drafted from a shared pool. You’ll have to consider unit placement, synergies, stats, effects, your opponents’ strategies as well as properly manage your gold and experience in order to achieve victory. Every match is a brand new opportunity to try a new and fun build, which makes the prospect of playing just one more hard to refuse. – Miranda Sanchez

5. Smite

Initial release date: March 25, 2014

MOBAs can seem daunting to approach but Smite makes it easy to jump right into the thick of it. Most MOBAs are isometric point and click, but Smite is actually unique in that it’s played in third- person. Gods, the roster of playable characters, are deities, immortals, and mythical creatures from ancient mythology from all over the world.

You can play as Medusa, Ra, or even Cupid if you want. The classic game of Smite is a 5v5 but there are other game modes with different rules and objectives that you can choose from. My personal favorite is Joust, a 3v3 mode that’s on a one-lane map with the goal of destroying the enemy’s defenses and their Titan. Joust, along with a few other game modes, usually last about 15 minutes which makes it super fun and easy to hop into a match without worrying about spending a half-hour in one game. Smite is a fresh take on MOBAs and is beginner-friendly to players who might be unfamiliar to the genre. – Stella Chung

Initial release date: August 21, 2012

The Counter-Strike series has been the gold standard of competitive PC shooters for more than 20 years and the global eSports scene for CS:GO has been going strong since the Major Championships were founded in 2013. While CS:GO’s biggest draw is undoubtedly its core bomb defusal and hostage rescue game modes, it also has a plethora of other modes to choose from including the addicting gun game and a new battle royale that went live back in December.

In addition to the official game playlist, CS:GO allows the community to build private modded servers that allow for a variety of creative game types. Some of these custom servers help you with your aim, while others house surfing obstacle courses, and some even create bizarre story campaigns that you just have to experience for yourself. – Stella Chung

3. Warframe

Initial release date: March 25, 2013

From the outside looking in, Warframe can seem impenetrable. Half a decade of updates, system reworks, and ever-evolving stories have made it a complex game chock full of different mechanics to learn. While that can be intimidating at first, Warframe is so dang fun that it more than rewards the time you put into learning it.

Years of updates also mean it holds a well of content so deep you may not see the bottom even after hundreds of hours playing – all of which can be experienced entirely free, as Warframe has some of the most inviting free-to-play systems on this list. It’s a game that truly never stops getting better, and it’s well worth getting comfortable with so you can craft your own space ninja suits and bullet-jump through waves of enemies with the rest of us. – Tom Marks

2. Dota 2

Initial release date: July 9, 2013

Remember MOBAs? Though they are no longer front and center in the gaming trends spotlight, they’re still immensely popular, and Dota 2’s spot on this list is a testament to that. Dota 2 is a highly strategic MOBA with a reputation for its challenging mechanics. But, if you spend any time with it, you’ll see why people like myself have invested years in this game. Like most MOBAs, Dota 2 pits two teams of five against each other on a map divided up by three lanes.

The first team to destroy a key structure in the enemy’s base, called an Ancient (hence the name Defense of the Ancients), wins. All the matches may happen on one map with the objective the same each time, but the growing list of over 100 heroes and plenty of item combinations to go with them makes each match unique. Valve’s constant updates, some of which completely change the map and key mechanics, usually keep the meta fresh.

Dota 2 can be frustrating at times like with any living multiplayer game, but those narrow (or even crushing) wins make it worth it. Even better, it’s all completely free. All updates and all-new heroes. But if you get sucked in, you might find yourself buying cosmetics and its yearly The International Battle Pass that contributes to the event’s immense prize pool. That being said, if you’re are interested in playing, just be prepared to spend plenty of time learning Dota 2’s intricate systems and heroes. – Miranda Sanchez

1. Path of Exile

Initial release date: October 23, 2013

As of summer 2019, it’s fair to say that Path of Exile is the hands-down best ARPG on the market. In terms of post-launch support, developer Grinding Gear Games has candidly raised the bar for the genre. The most recent content update called Legion is Path of Exile’s 10th expansion.

The breadth of unique and replayable content at this point is absolutely massive with depth to match when it comes to character progression and loot. What’s more, all of this great content is free. Its monetization system is more altruistic and less intrusive than many $60 AAA games in 2019. If you’re looking for an ARPG with hundreds of hours of unique gameplay and no signs of slowing down its post-launch support in the near future then look no further than Path of Exile. – James Duggan

Source : IGN

[theconservativebrief]

As fall TV enters October after a very busy September premiere week, you’d be mistaken for thinking it’s stopped to catch its breath.

But you’d be — well, not wrong, exactly. Things have gotten slower. But there’s still tons of stuff debuting, and we’ve been consuming all of it, the better to let you know what might best distract you from the chaos of life today.

This week, we’ve got two brand-new CBS sitcoms, both featuring lead actors of color, The Neighborhood and Happy Together (that’s unusual for a network that has had diversity problems in the past). Then there’s NBC’s new Amy Poehler-produced I Feel Bad, and Hulu’s brand new horror anthology Into the Dark, which will release one new episode per month, themed around a holiday that falls during that month. (Fittingly, the first three episodes are Halloween-, Thanksgiving-, and Christmas-themed.) And finally, the week comes to a rousing conclusion with a new HBO special from the inestimable comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.

Few of these shows are great, and as critics, we often have limited information on whether they’ll get better. (It’s rare to impossible for broadcast networks, especially, to send out many episodes for review beyond the first couple.) But there’s something in all of these shows worth checking out, especially if you’re a particular fan of their genres.

(A note: We’ve only given ratings to shows where we feel we’ve seen enough episodes to judge how successful they will be long-term. For right now that’s just the Conchords special, where we’ve, uh, seen the entire special and can assure you it’s good.)

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Based solely on the pilots of CBS’s new sitcoms The Neighborhood and Happy Together, many progressive young viewers might be more drawn to The Neighborhood. Its gentrification-driven premise — a white family from the Midwest moves into a historically black neighborhood in Los Angeles — holds promise for talking about social issues, while the crackerjack cast (led by Cedric the Entertainer and New Girl’s Max Greenfield) will presumably keep the laughs coming in between the weightier stuff.

Yet in the four episodes CBS made available to critics, The Neighborhood disappointingly doubles down on jokes about how crazy the differences between white and black people are, and even if the cast members are trying their hardest (and they are!), it’s all but impossible to improve upon jokes based on such a tired premise. And that’s before you get to some of the more questionable ideas contained therein.

That’s why Happy Together, which airs right after The Neighborhood, could prove so instructive. It, too, has a great cast, but its pilot is actively bad because the show’s premise barely provides enough fodder for a single half-hour episode, let alone an entire series: A married couple in their 30s (Damon Wayans, Jr. and Amber Stevens West) end up living with a major pop star (Felix Mallard), who employs the husband as his accountant. (It’s very loosely inspired by producer Ben Winston’s brief time with real pop star Harry Styles as his housemate.)

But once you get past the pilot and into the two additional episodes CBS made available for review, Happy Together shows a refreshing willingness to just leap past the awkward premise and do the thing it was born to do: Let funny people hang out together and give Wayans the chance to perform some brilliant slapstick gags.

Happy Together isn’t going to change your life, but its goofy, low-conflict stories about attractive people doing fun things together remind me just a bit of Wayans’s late, lamented sitcom Happy Endings. It’s not on Happy Endings’ level yet, but the idea that it could get there isn’t all that implausible. —Todd VanDerWerff

The Neighborhood airs Mondays at 8 pm Eastern on CBS, and Happy Together airs at 8:30 pm Eastern. The pilots of both shows are available on CBS’s website and CBS All Access, but you can really just skip straight to Happy Together episode two, which airs Monday, October 8.

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NBC’s new comedy I Feel Bad has plenty going for it — including Amy Poehler’s backing as executive producer, a multiracial family at its center, and Sarayu Blue’s (Blockers, No Tomorrow) long-overdue turn in a leading role — so it feels bad to root against it. But I Feel Bad, at least in its first three episodes, is … well, maybe not bad, but also not good just yet.

Broadly speaking, the single-camera comedy format sounds like a perfect fit for a show about an Indian-American mom trying to have it all. But it unfortunately flattens the show’s most interesting element — the fact that Blue’s character Emet is a first-generation immigrant who must negotiate cultural differences with her white husband (Paul Adelstein) and their mixed-race children, while maintaining her relationship with her mother and father (Madhur Jaffrey and Brian George). At the end of the day, I Feel Bad either needs sharper jokes, or to get a little more serious.

Additionally, the idea of career women “having it all” has been widely explored in film and TV, both before and after 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon memorably yelled, “I can have it all!” in the middle of an airport security line, in defiance of being forced to choose between love and a sandwich. And I Feel Bad doesn’t yet promise to revitalize the topic: The show’s writing is thin, as if it has only just discovered that particular conversation about female identity.

In part, this lack of focus isn’t surprising — Blue’s role was not originally written as Indian-American, so the show has clearly undergone some reworking since she was cast. But it either hasn’t been reworked enough, or it’s been subsequently sanitized in a way that seems to question what still is or isn’t considered “normal” on network TV in 2018. —Karen Han

I Feel Bad airs on Thursdays at 9:30 pm Eastern on NBC.

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The anthology format has long been making a comeback, with season-long stories like American Horror Story and more episodic offerings like Black Mirror becoming more common. And yet Hulu’s Into the Dark is singular in its plans to debut one episode every month, with each standalone installment of the Blumhouse-produced horror series revolving around a holiday that falls during the month in which it’s released.

October’s debut episode naturally takes place on Halloween. It’s a bit of a disappointment; despite a strong leading performance from Tom Bateman as a killer for hire, the story trips into unsurprising twists and boring tropes.

But that’s where the anthology format kicks in to the show’s advantage: If one episode falters, it has no bearing on what comes next.

Episode two, set on Thanksgiving, is a blast, in no small part thanks to a wild performance from Dermot Mulroney. And though it won’t air until November, it establishes Into the Dark as unlike its anthology peers in how disparate it feels from the first episode. The two installments feel more like individual movies that would be programmed together in a double feature — indeed, each clocks in at almost 90 minutes — than parts of the same TV show.

As a result, Into the Dark is difficult to recommend as a whole, because any given episode could be a hit or a miss, and the two episodes sent out for review suggest that even the type of horror will vary from episode to episode. But as things stand, the strength of the second episode — on top of how remarkable the series feels as a throwback to old-school anthology shows like The Twilight Zone — is enough to give the series a chance (or several). —KH

Into the Dark premieres October 5 on Hulu, with a new episode every month.

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The Biggest Band in New Zealand has returned, and they’re as small and unassuming as ever.

Thirteen years after Flight of the Conchords made their HBO debut on One-Night Stand, and nine years after their eponymous series wrapped, the aggressively modest musical-comedy duo returns to the network with Live in London, which splits the difference between comeback special and greatest-hits retrospective.

The Conchords haven’t been entirely absent from the comedy scene in the intervening years, though the band has gone relatively low-profile as Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie have found individual career success. But outside of some light bobbles and false starts in Live in London, the pair’s musical and comedic chemistry is as sharp as ever.

Over their 20-year history together, Clement and McKenzie have honed the personas of “Bret” and “Jemaine” to a fine point, and fall easily back into their roles as deadpan naifs, even as they play in front of a sold-out crowd at London’s Eventim Apollo. (The special was recorded this past July as part of a UK arena tour.) It’s apparent from the tiny smiles and stifled chuckles that punctuate their bone-dry banter that the pair is happy to return to the world of the Conchords, and feed off the energy of an appreciative audience.

As such, the Conchords devote a good chunk of Live in London to their most well-known songs, but also make room for new or lesser-known tunes that tend to sprawl and spiral in delightful ways. “Father & Son” and the hyper-meta “The Seagull” are slow builds with satirical premises that become more apparent — and more hilarious — as the songs go on. The “Devil Went Down To Georgia” riff “Ballad of Stana” and “Summer of 1353 (Woo a Lady),” meanwhile, are classic Conchords absurdity, right down to a climactic recorder breakdown in the latter.

That recorder breakdown doubles as a reminder that, for all their silliness, McKenzie and Clement have always been talented multi-instrumentalists with a keen ear for genre- and era-specific sounds. And that is at the heart of what makes Live in London such a pleasure: Watching the Conchords bound between sounds, instruments, and comedic reference points as easily and amiably as they ever did offers an uncomplicated, comforting sort of joy that feels even more special today than it did a decade ago. —Genevieve Koski

Flight of the Conchords: Live in London premieres on HBO at 9 pm Eastern on Saturday, October 6. It will be available on HBO’s streaming platforms beginning Sunday, October 7.

NBC’s Superstore (Thursday, 8 pm) returned Thursday, October 4, and if you’re not already watching this gem of a workplace sitcom, check out its intricately constructed season four premiere — which boasts a lovely twist at its end — to find out why you should be.

ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat (Friday, 8 pm) and Speechless (Friday, 8:30 pm) return to once again show that the network’s family comedy game is so strong it can slide two of its very best shows in that category off to Friday nights in an attempt to relaunch its TGIF brand. If you’ve never seen Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu play Jessica Huang on Fresh Off the Boat, the sitcom that brought her to fame, you owe it to yourself to check out one of the decade’s best comedic performances. And Speechless continues to tell fresh, funny stories about a family where one of the kids has cerebral palsy.

BBC America’s Doctor Who (Sunday, 1:45 pm Eastern/10:45 am Pacific) is celebrating the very first woman Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and a new showrunner (Chris Chibnall) with a premiere that will air live on both sides of the Atlantic, so those pesky Brits aren’t several hours ahead of all of us here in the US. But don’t worry — if you’d rather wait to watch in primetime, it will be rebroadcast throughout the day, including at 6 pm, 8 pm, and 10 pm. (We’ve seen it and can’t say much beyond — it’s really good!)

Finally, AMC’s The Walking Dead (Sunday, 9 pm) is back for its ninth season, which is going to see some major cast turnover. (Don’t click that link if you don’t want to know!) Having to build toward some upcoming departures has given the series a slight sense of renewed purpose — though if you’ve already fallen off the Walking Dead wagon, that renewed purpose probably won’t be quite enough to get you back on.

Original Source -> 4 new TV shows to try, from Halloween horror to the Flight of the Conchords

via The Conservative Brief

[superkrispypeanutstudentstu-blog]

How To Journey Low-cost

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Not solely will you retain your cruise inside your finances, but you may additionally discover you save enough on one shore excursion to assist pay for those costlier, once-in-a-lifetime experiences comparable to a seaplane exploration of the Misty Fjords. Look into hotels that aren't on Las Vegas Boulevard. These aggregators will offer the obtainable flight seats and typically the costs can range wildly between the websites. When flights usually board, one can find that the majority staff are fairly anxious during this time. The much less visited islands, which even have few direct flights offer some unbelievable beautiful options. Couriers primarily journey to main business centers of the world due to the forms of gadgets they ship. Households vacationing with a finances on a shoestring do have to drag out all of the stops to be able to understand a cheerful medium that everyone within the household can stay with. I wish to open your eyes a bit to the wonderful alternatives the world has to offer. The idependent traveller has far higher freedom to vary their plans and discover spontaneously. cheap flights brazil Among the ways for a budget vacation, Camping is among the greatest. Flights begin as low as 99 Pounds from major Canadian cities and the U.Okay. which I imagine is the most cost effective flights to be had. Costs of all items are very competitive compared to Europe or the USA, so it's definitely time to plan to get back house with additional baggage. Another methodology to use when looking for an airlines tickets for reasonable flights is to attend to purchase your ticket until the last minute. It is not necessary to install software to get special low cost fare provides. Quite often, you'll discover that the vacationers on enterprise don't thoughts spending massive sums of cash to obtain tickets, however the average particular person can not afford to do this. 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Do not maintain your money in just one place, just remember to hold your passport in a secure place, and do not just trust strangers - particularly the ones who are very desirous to take you someplace. A tip on the right way to journey low cost for this attraction is to verify along with your resort for discount coupons. "Ding!" means that you can enter your own home zip code after which up to 10 destination airports for provides for deeply discounted fares. It is crucial that you just explore on-line with a preferred travel website in an effort to get cheap flights.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Cost of Living in Spain: A Guide For Digital Nomads

Growing up in Germany, a life in Spain seemed far away in many ways, but was extremely intriguing. From the mild Mediterranean climate and the significant cultural differences, to the cost of living in Spain – the idea of moving my place of residence to the south of Europe has always fascinated me.

In 2016 I decided to take the plunge and officially moved to Alicante, Spain in order to live the Spanish dream for 12 whole months. In this article I will fill you in on everything I learned about the cost of living in Spain, plus useful tips if you are considering to stay in the country for a while.

Visa Regulations For Living in Spain

The first thing you need to do when planning to set up a life in a foreign country (no matter the country) is figure out whether or not you are actually allowed to stay in the country, for how long, and on what visa.

For those of us who have a European residency, moving to Spain is a fairly uncomplicated process and only requires a change of registration regarding your place of residency. For those living outside of Europe it is a different story depending on nationality. See the two paragraphs below.

After handing in a complete application folder at the local police station, you will soon receive your Certificate of Residence (NIE), which is not only a legal formality but also very useful step to help with the varied costs of living in Spain. I will explain in more detail why the NIE is important later on.

For non-European residents who intend to stay longer than 3 months, applying for official residency is more complex, but not impossible. In any case, it will be equally important if you wish to benefit from the low-cost of living in Spain compared to other countries in the EU.

Finding Accommodation in Spain

You can only rent a place in Spain if you can prove that you are registered as a resident for the time of your contract, which is exactly why the NIE is important. There are some loopholes around this but I won’t recommend them in this post.

As for securing good accommodation, timing is very important. Finding a good apartment for a fair price will be almost impossible at the beginning of the summer (May – July), at least in any major city or popular coastal areas. I can recommend to wait for the main wave of tourists to leave in September before starting to hunt down real estate offers.

Hunting is unfortunately the right expression, as taken from experience when I look back at my own apartment search. Although websites like Fotocasa are quite useful for finding offers, the real work begins when contacting the owner or retailer in order to make a viewing appointment. In Spain, it is best to be persistent and call directly instead of writing E-mails.

In Spain, the spoken word counts more than the written message.

Depending on your personal living standards, you can find a room in a shared flat for no more than €150 ($177), a small 2-bedroom apartment for about €300 ($353), or a spacious and modern flat for €600-700 ($700-820) a month.

Considering that the last option would likely come with several bedrooms and at least two bathrooms, an outside area like a balcony and a pretty good location, the cost of living in Spain in terms of accommodation is very affordable.

In about half of the cases, shorter long-term rents (we are talking one year contracts) will come with furniture, which is very useful if you don’t have the budget to invest in the necessary basics like a bed, table, etc. Some apartments would even entail a completely equipped kitchen and other additional extras that the owner or person before you might have left behind.

Note: Prices may vary depending on where in Spain you are looking to rent. Popular international cities like Barcelona and Madrid might have higher prices, less populated areas are cheaper.

Read More: A Guide to Barcelona For First Timers

Grocery Costs in Spain

In Spain, it is common to have at least two, sometimes three types of places to shop for your groceries in your local neighbourhood.

1. The Corner Store

The first one, the little corner store will have a limited selection of items and is likely a bit more expensive, but most products will be local: fresh milk, eggs, regional vegetables and fruits.

This is what my bill for a quick stop at our local corner store would look like:

Whole milk (1 liter)  €1.20 ($1.41) Cheese (200 g)  €3.00 ($3.52) Meat (150 g)  €2.50 ($2.94) Local eggs (10)  €2.00 ($2.35) 3 tomatoes  €1.00 ($1.17) 3 regional oranges  €0.60 ($0.70) Loaf of white bread  €1.50 ($1.76) Bottle of red wine   €3.50 ($4.11) Single beer can  €1.20 ($1.41) 100 g chocolate bar   €1.50 ($1.76)

TOTAL    €18.00 ($21.13)

Note: Don’t forget that most small shops in Spain close between 2:00 – 5.30 pm for their siesta!

2. The Supermarket Grocery Store

Spain has a number of franchise supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, Carrefour and some national brands like AlCampo or Más y Más. Shopping at either one of them won’t affect your general cost of living in Spain compared to other European countries.

Prices here are lower and the selection is bigger than in a general shop. Especially the white bread & cookies section, the fresh fish and meat section, and the wine section which is usually of disproportional size (like three aisles).

Food Description EURO PRICE RANGE Milk (1 liter) €0.95 ($1.11) 0.73-1.20 Loaf of fresh white bread (500g) €1.10 ($1.29) 0.80-1.30 White rice (1kg) €0.95 ($1.12) 0.70-1.80 Eggs (regular) (10) €1.10 ($1.81) 1.00-2.00 Local cheese (1kg) €7.17 ($8.42) 3.00-10.00 Chicken breasts (1kg) €6.50 ($7.63) 6.00-8.00 Beef round (1kg) €11.67 ($13.67) 5.00-20.00 Apples (1kg) €1.33 ($1.57) 0.80-2.00 Bananas (1kg) €1.35 ($1.59) 1.05-1.50 Oranges (1kg) €0.90 ($1.06) 0.65-1.20 Tomatoes (1kg) €1.10 ($1.29) 0.80-1.80 Potatoes (1kg) €1.10 ($1.29) 0.80-2.00 Onions (1kg) €0.86 ($1.01) 0.40-2.00 Lettuce (1 head) €1.06 ($1.25) 0.99-1.20

Also good to know:

Bottle of wine €2.50 ($2.94) Single beer can €0.60 ($0.60) Chocolate bar (100 g) €0.80 ($0.94) Coffee (250 g) €2.00 ($2.35)

Note: The bigger the selection, the wider the price range between high quality and lower price category. Especially when it comes to buying fresh fish, meats, fruits and vegetables. I can recommend watching out for regional and seasonal goods instead of imported products. It will pay off in price and quality!

3. The Local Farmers’ Market

Not every town will have a local farmers’ market, yet they are quite common and popular amongst locals no matter where in Spain you have decided to settle. For fresh foods, this is my first choice when buying vegetables, fish, olives and fruit, and especially when buying tomatoes, oranges, peaches and other products that are in season.

Fresh Fish at a Local Farmers’ Market.

Prices at the local market will be even cheaper than in the grocery store. Plus, you’re supporting regional agriculture AND the difference in taste is incredible. Shopping at a weekly farmers’ market is not only important to reducing your cost of living in Spain, it is also the best way to start life as a local by meeting neighbours and having a chat with your future go-to butcher.

Going Out in Spain

The best way to enjoy an affordable evening out in Spain is to head to a cozy little tapas bar. This is where you’ll find delicious patatas bravas (oven baked potatoes with spicy red sauce) and boquerones en vinagre (salty fish in vinegar) with a cool caña (small beer on tap).

In Spain, letting your cash balance decide whether or not you can afford to go out does not work quite as well as other parts of Europe. Why? Because more often than not, going out is as cheap as eating at home.

The drink around the corner (wine or beer) costs between €1 ($1.20) and €2 ($2.35) and will often be served with something to pick on, like simple finger foods, potato chips or salty nuts. If your hunger is not overwhelming, order one or two homemade tapas or a sandwich for €3-4 ($3.52-4.70) and you’re set for dinner.

Going out for drinks or tapas in Spain is very affordable.

Of course, this is not real going out. Should you plan a romantic date or evening with friends you can expect the following prices:

Meal, inexpensive restaurant €7.00 ($8.23) Meal for 2 people, mid-range restaurant €20.00 ($23.52) Domestic beer (0.5 liter draught) €1.50 ($1.76) Imported beer (0.33 liter bottle) €2.00 ($2.35) Cappuccino (regular) €1.20 ($1.41) Croissant €0.70 ($0.83) Bocadillo (toasted baguette with ham, cheese or tomato) €2.50 ($2.94) Water (0.5 liter bottle) €1.50 ($1.76)

Special Food Deals

Paella Lunch: If you are looking for something special, like a traditional Spanish paella for lunch, you are looking at about €15-20 ($17.64-23.52) per meal and person. However, paellas are usually served in massive portions and can be shared between more people (the price has to be paid for a minimum of 2 people).

Breakfast and lunch deals. These are amazing and also a reason for the low-cost of living in Spain. Breakfast Deal: Coffee + bocadillo or croissant + fresh orange juice = €2.50 ($2.97). Lunch Deal: One drink + starter + main + desert or coffee = €10.00 ($11.74)

Going to the Doctor in Spain

Nobody plans on having to go to the doctor, but if you decide to move your place of residency to Spain for a while, you might not get around it.

The public health care system in Spain is rated one of the best ones in the world and is indeed quite remarkable. You will benefit from free health care services if you are one of the following:

resident in Spain and work in employment or self-employment and pay social security contributions

resident in Spain and receiving certain state benefits

resident in Spain and recently divorced or separated from a partner registered with social security

a child resident in Spain

a pregnant woman who is resident in Spain

under 26 and studying in Spain

a state pensioner

staying temporarily in Spain and have an EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card)

Depending on the city district you are living in, you will be referred to a certain public health care centre, which will be your go to doctor until you relocate your apartment. Your house doctor here has to forward you to any specialist or hospital if needed, unless there is a serious emergency.

For any consultancy or treatment at a private clinic (which are also quite common, so make sure to ask), you will have to pay for yourself. It’s always a wise idea to have travel insurance. Check out World Nomads for a free quote.

Cost of Transportation in Spain

Most people in Spain own their own vehicle and it does not cost too much to buy a car. Some websites sell decent second-hand vehicles for €1,500 – 2,000 ($1,756 – 2,342).

The other option is to rent a car for a day or two whenever needed, which is also very affordable. Fuel prices are €1.17/liter. For a road trip of 100km (60 miles) in a relatively new rental car, that would be less than €10 ($12) for the trip in gas.

The public transport in some areas of Spain is not as advanced as in other European countries, but in comparison to Canada or the United States it is still amazing.

Between major cities like Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, high-speed trains run several times a day and tickets will cost between €30 ($35) and €150 ($176), depending on distance of the journey.

Renfe is one of the main operators for long-distance train travels.

Busses are a good option for medium distance travel (for example offered by ALSA) and cheaper than trains, but also less comfortable.

If you decide to move to a major Spanish city, you can also count on local busses, trams and underground systems to get from A to B. Watch out for monthly or multiple ride tickets, they will save you money and time.

Barcelona: In Barcelona, you can either purchase a 10 Journey Ticket, which is cheaper than 10 single rides, or the Hola BCN Card for 2 (€14.50/ $17) to 5 (€33.70/ $39.60) days (and includes the airport!).

Madrid: The 30-Day Season Ticket is a contactless ticket valid for 30 days, can be recharged on machines in all stations. For those under 25, it’s especially economic to purchase a Young Person’s Season Ticket, which will have a single rate of €20 ($23.50) for all fare zones.

Internet Costs in Spain

Everyone wants a solid internet connection, and this is especially true for Digital Nomads. You will want a stable internet connection in your apartment and probably also a data plan for your phone. Should you already have a European sim card, you can keep using it at no additional roaming costs.

There are a number of good deals for your in-house connection, but not all of them include fast and reliable internet. Doing some research on which signal works best in your area can be key.

Companies like Ono, Movistar, Vodafone and Orange are amongst the most popular internet providers. Másmovil offers 50 MB Internet and unlimited calls from the house telephone for only €10 ($12) /month, with the option to add a cell phone line with 4 GB for €6.90 ($8.11). Orange has a similar deal for €15 ($17.64)/month.

For those of you who aren’t from Europe, make sure that your cell phone is unlocked if you’re looking to use a local SIM card.

What I liked about the Spanish providers is that most of them don’t require signing a long-term contract. That way you can pay per month and cancel anytime with short notice should you decide to change providers or leave the country.

Entertainment & Activities in Spain

My 3 favorite activities are always the free ones, and life in Spain comes with some nice options. With an abundance of free activities, you will save on your cost of living in Spain and still have a blast:

1. Beach It

On mild summer nights or in the heat of the day, is there a better place for relaxing and meeting friends than the beach? In those fortunate communities that are situated close to the coast, social life and activities are concentrated around the beach.

Go swimming, play volleyball with friends, or relax with a sun-downer while listening to someone playing guitar. Especially in the off season, the beach is my happy place and even more beautiful. Spanish families come together for Sunday picnics, locals practice dancing lessons and exercise together. The beach is the best place to enjoy a Spanish day.

2. Join Cultural Events and National Festivals

Everyday there is reason to celebrate in Spain!

One of the most spectacular celebrations I took part in was the Hogueras in the State of Valencia, during which, people party every night for 5 days and have countless processions in order to honour the beginning of Spring. It is celebrated from the 19th to the 24th of June and highlighted with the burning of giant statues by the end of the festivities.

Processions during Semana Santa.

Other important events are Semana Santa (Easter), the Tomatina Tomato Fight (fourth Wednesday in August), Carnival, and New Year’s Eve.

3. Go Hiking, Mountain Biking, or Wine Tasting

What most people don’t know is that Spain has way more to offer than just the beach. Off the coast, the Mediterranean hill country has some beautiful scenic hikes and trails for mountain biking. Especially in winter, exploring some nature walks in your new backyard can be the perfect weekend getaway.

Wine is one of the oldest and most important resources of Spanish agriculture and locals are proud of its quality for a reason. Tasting Spanish wines surrounded by olive groves and orange trees – what a way to spend a Saturday afternoon! A number of vineyards offer guided tours and tastings for €5-10 ($5.90 – 11.70) a person.

Summary on the Cost of Living in Spain

Amongst other European countries, Spain is certainly one of the cheaper ones when it comes to living costs. Here is a monthly budget amount calculated for 2 people based on my own experience:

1. Accommodation rent: €500 ($585) 2. Water and electricity (will be included in some living contracts!): €50 ($58) 3. Groceries: €200-300 ($234-351) 4. Going/eating out: €100-150 ($117-175) (with going out at least 2 times a week) 5. Health insurance: free if you apply for Spanish residency or have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) 6. Transport: €10-40 ($12-47) in fuel or public transport (depending on your mobility level) 7. Internet: €50 ($58) a month 8. Entertainment: mainly free

TOTAL Monthly Cost of living in Spain for 2 people: €1050 ($1,235)

Not only is the cost of living in Spain very attractive, it is a country full of passion. It’s rich in culture and history, and full of incredibly friendly people. My time in Spain has made me love this country so much that it feels like a second home.

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