#from the supermarket (15 minute walk) without half the food i wanted to buy (no backpack/bag space) bc the others just Won't Buy Stuff

[miamicommune]

always going 2 be doomed to being the financially worst off and lowest energy person in a flat whilst also having to buy everything for that flat and do most of the cleaning

[cherry3point14]

Cookies & Milk

Pairing: Dean x British!Reader Warnings: Established D/s, mind you don’t fall down the crack Word Count: 2,172. Summary: Dean buys you some cookies. You call them biscuits. Arguments ensue, lines are drawn and restraints are required. A/N: Have any of y’all met @winchesters-meaty-feast? She’s my pal and partner in crime. We have extensive conversations about many a subject but one day the most important topic arose. Biscuits. I’m a dunker, she is not. It almost tore us apart but luckily we’re stronger than that. Anyway, I drabbled this Dom/sub biscuit thing in our chat and the following CRACK is what snowballed from that. (This is meant to be dumb ok. Don’t come for me over this weirdness.) 

Ao3 if you prefer.

You should close your laptop.

In the late afternoon—underground where the time of day doesn’t matter—even then the light it’s emitting is too blue. Sure, you could turn down the brightness but it’s too little too late. Your eyes are already starting to ache from the strain.

You're not even doing anything important. You started scrolling a few hours ago; a news story that might have been something, but turned out to be nothing. Less than nothing, it was mundane. Dull as dishwater, as your mum might say. You would have closed your laptop then if it hadn’t been for that link at the bottom of the page. To another article, this time about an unexpected cold snap. This leads you to look up weather trends in Kansas, which becomes reading the articles on weather.com. Who even knew weather.com had articles? Still, they do and they’re very informative. The problem is that their data all points to it being cold as balls soon (your term, not theirs). So, now you’re shopping, with a pair of snow boots and two winter coats in your basket. And you’re debating a new scarf to put you over the free shipping threshold.

It is really time to shut your laptop before you go ahead and checkout. Dean hates having to pick up your parcels in town. Always complains that you have a problem. Pretty hypocritical considering the number of breweries he keeps in business. Besides he doesn’t even have a reason to complain, Marta loves seeing him, she lights up like a Christmas tree for him. You walk into the post office and you get a ton of side-eye, plus a ten-minute wait, but Dean? Well, he’s always at the front of her line.

You’re so engrossed in shopping that you don’t immediately look up at the sound of the bunker door. It’ll be Dean, you know that much. He’ll have a couple of brown bags from his supply run and you don't want to insult him by insinuating that he needs help.

It’s for the greater good anyway, the longer you sit here the more chance there is of you buying him snow boots too. Maybe he'll let you buy him a hat too.

Once he’s finished stomping his way down the stairs he sets the paper bags down next to you. It just so happens that's the exact moment you finally look up at him. A grateful smile on your face and over the top fluttering eyelashes—to remind him how loveable you are.

He shakes his head at how obvious you are. “I didn’t buy them for just you.” His unnecessary emphasis is all the permission you need.

“Is that smoke?” You sniff the air, one arm sliding inside the nearest bag, “must be the fire in your pants.”

He tries. Bless his heart. He tries to hold out. You can see him chewing the inside of his mouth as your arm moves about inside the bag to liberally finger his goods. The haul from the supermarket anyway. But he cannot resist your lame jokes and it ends the same as always. He cracks. A twitch of his lip, shaking his head and then an eye roll even Sam would be proud of.

“Other bag, Sherlock.”

“Ah-ha!” You grin when you switch to the other bag. Instead of fresh fruits and vegetables, you’re treated to food of the more processed variety. Plastic bags filled with crisps, a pie carton and, oh he really does love you, biscuits.

You slink back down to your screen, tearing the package open with your teeth as you do. Revitalised by the imminent influx of sugar. Dean sighs but doesn’t say another word. He picks up the rest of the groceries and carries them away. Presumably to the kitchen by the distant sounds of him putting everything away.

It’s another five minutes when he returns with a glass of milk that he puts down next to you. With a determined thump of glass on wood, as if the sound is an entire explanation.

“Thanks, but you know I don’t…”

“Take the damn milk.”

Normally you’d be irritated for being cut off mid-sentence, but it’s his exasperated tone that catches your attention. You even deign to look at him again, ignoring the popup that’s offering an extra 15% off if you enter your email. “You ok?”

He scratches at the scruff on his jaw while he tries to internally talk himself down from the ledge. “Nothing, nothing. Drink the milk, please.”

You look from him to the glass and frown at the white liquid. There’s nothing wrong with it per se. It looks like a perfectly good glass of milk, the kind you might see on a ‘got milk’ ad from the nineties. It’s not that you hate milk, you just prefer your biscuits to have a little bite. Dean should know that by now but if he’s forgotten then you are more than happy to remind him. “You eat your biscuits how you want, let me eat mine how I want.”

In your attempt to be rational you have failed to notice the desperation in his, 'please'. And now you’ve managed to tick him off.

“Cookies,” he grinds out.

“What?”

“They’re cookies. Dammit, you’ve lived here long enough to call a cookie a cookie.”

The outburst is not Dean’s fault. He’s not exactly hoarding MAGA caps and asking you to go back to England. No, this outrage is the product of a very specific joke that you might have taken too far.

Ordinarily, you switched back and forth between American and British all the time. As easy as breathing. You’d lived in the good ol’ US of A for long enough that your brain simply picked out the first word it could reach. A lot of the time it ended up being American without much intention, people understood better. 

And then a few weeks back you’d been on the way to a hunt, sprawled in the back seat. Despite the fact that you were still strategizing with Sam you were comfortable. You could have fallen asleep right there if Sam hadn't kept talking. The word had slipped out on a whim. You called Baby’s trunk a boot.

Dean—being an absolute drama queen—had slammed on the brakes and eloquently asked what the fuck you called his Baby. Apparently, it was the first time you’d said that particular British word.

If you hadn’t found his reaction utterly hilarious that would have been the end of it. Except you did find it funny. The way his face soured, that little crease in the middle of his brow, he was so offended by four little letters. It was beautiful.

Now it’s been a few weeks of very purposeful language choices. Asking to borrow his mobile to make a call, or to wear his hoodie. And you’ll admit the ‘pip pip cheerio’ as he left the bunker earlier had been excessive. That isn’t even a real thing people say.

You’ve been torturing the poor guy with British slang. And because this isn’t the first time you’ve taken a joke too far, you’d usually hold your hands up and apologise. You’re good at apologising. He likes when you have to apologise because you always make it worth his while.

The problem is, biscuit had been an honest-to-god slip of the tongue. It had been the most natural word for your brain to conjure and so his anger seems a tad unjustified. Utterly out of proportion.

“It’s a biscuit.” You repeat as you take a bite, noticing the way his left eye seems to twitch at the crunch.

“It’s a cookie. It says right there on the packet. It’s a fucking sandwich cookie.” He points at the ripped plastic on the table for emphasis.

You sigh with the kind of effort that forces all the air from your lungs. “This country can’t spell half the time, why should I trust the packet?”

“Because you’re eating from it.”

He’s got you on a technicality. And he knows it. He knows it by the telling pause before you speak and the flash of panic in your eyes.

“So?”

It’s not an argument that’s going to win world-class debates but you couldn’t go ahead and let him have the last word.

Dean's problem now is he thinks he’s got you on the ropes, so he goes and gets cocky. He puffs out his chest a little and bites back a smirk.

“So? So… cookies and milk is as American as apple pie-”

“Invented by the Dutch.”

“-whatever. It’s a thing. Which means you gotta sit down, shut up and drink your fucking milk.”

You always love it when he does that. Argues his way to a conclusion whether he’s right or not. It’s kind of ridiculously hot.

Or at least that’s how you justify putting your half-eaten biscuit down. Slowly rising from your chair and crawling onto his lap. You lean in, slow enough to tease him, letting your breath settle over his skin as you whisper in his ear. “I know a way we could settle this.”

“What’re you doing?” He manages between teeth that are grinding against each other. The muscles in his arms are tense where he’s pulling at the rope that holds him.

Any other night and you might calm him down at this point. Remind your good boy that he shouldn’t hurt himself. Or depending on the game you’d remind him who he belongs to, who he’s foolishly directing his anger towards. But there’s no soothing touches or harsh reminders bestowed upon Dean tonight. This game is different. This is a battle for dominance, unlike one you’ve played before.

For the first time, he wants to win as much as you do.

There’s no mutual satisfaction in the room because you’re both out for blood. Where blood equals being right about snack goods. And unfortunately for Dean, he didn’t figure it out before he let you tighten the ropes around his wrists.

“I thought that was obvious, baby. I wanted something sweet.”

His eyes flick between the glass of milk he’d seen you carry in and the cookies plated up beside it. Well, you’d call them biscuits but that’s not what this argument is about.

“Don’t you dare.” There’s a threat in his voice.

For a moment it surprises you and you’re quick to counter him, “I’ll do what I like.” Your tone is reminder enough for him to remember his place.

He retreats a little, gives an inch so that you can take a mile. A breath rattles through his chest doing little to calm his tightly wound body. At the very least, he switches anger for desperation. Dean knows you love it when he pleads, “please Princess. Please, I’m begging you. Dunk it.”

Your entire body glows a little when he calls you by your name. The change in his attitude only urges you onwards though, with a smirk turning up the corners of your mouth.

Your hand finds a treat, fingers picking it up with deliberate, delicate movements. His eyes are wide as he watches you hover the biscuit over the glass as if maybe you’ll appease him. The whimper he lets out when you bypass the drink is almost fulfilling enough that you’re no longer hungry. Almost.

The room takes on an eerie silence as you part your lips and take a bite. A loud, crunchy bite. Crumbs fall onto the table beneath you—probably in slow motion— and chewing only seems to increase the volume.

“Son of a bitch.” He mutters as you swallow, “you’re crazy.”

You hadn’t planned on it but you walk across the room then, half a biscuit in your hand and a satisfied smile on your face. He’s slumped in his chair a little. He’s defeated since he knows he won’t defeat the knots keeping him in place.

“Come on, try it for me.”

“Go to hell.”

It's your turn to roll your eyes, “don’t be so dramatic, you’ve been to hell. This can’t be that bad.”

As you reason with him, you slide into his lap again, which will be torture enough because he can’t touch you. Except you also hold the biscuit to his lips.

“Please. For me. Be my good boy.” You coo as if you're not toying with him.

His thighs twitch beneath you at the use of his nickname and, because he’s always your good boy, he opens his mouth.

5eva tags: @divadinag @darthdeziewok @fluentinfiction @witch-of-letters @supernatural-teamfreewillpage @magnitude101999 @alexwinchester23 Dean babes: @thewinchesterchronicles @akshi8278 @bloodydaydreamer

[erismerald]

𝕝𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕒(Sam Drake x young adult reader)

Hello everybody, this time this story is going to be a little different from the ones I write!! This new story will be inspired by the 1997 film "Lolita" and the story of "First Touch". But I think you'll love it. I'm thinking about writing about 10 chapters, but only later will I know for sure.

This first chapter will be a little shorter, but i hope u like it!

I hope you like it, and remember that English is not my main language, so I apologize for any mistakes!

GOOD READING!!!!

𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: none for now ;)

𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕤: @missdictatorme , @sirkekselord @smdnixcole

__________________________________________________________

It was two hours before I left school, I was too excited to get home! And what is all the excitement about? a good friend of my parents would stay with us for some time and I was very eager to meet him and to be honest by the pictures my parents showed me of when he was younger he was actually quite handsome. he looked very smart and funny, since then i think about his arrival...well i can't deny that i was nervous about meeting him, but my parents always told me about their adventures with him, and that he was chloe and nadine's friend so that made me calm down about it.

While I was in class looking at the clock I got a message from my mum telling me or rather asking me to go to the supermarket to buy some things that were missing, and that if I wanted I could invite bella and will to come to dinner with us.

I looked discreetly at bella and tried to get her attention, and when she finally looked at me I said quietly

"Can you come to my house for dinner? Please!! I explain later... Ah and let Will know"

"okay, and of course I can" she spoke a little confused, looking at the will that was drawing again

"willlll" we call ourselves quiet so we don't get caught "let's go to Y/n's for dinner, okay?" she said throwing a little paper ball at him. she looked at me and nodded, "I'll tell you why later."

time passed and without noticing it was time to go home, my tummy was hurting a lot because of nerves, I wanted so much to look good in front of my parents' friend that I did not eat all day and was very tired but excited for dinner.~

"You're weird, you didn't even eat French fries today, you're sick?" said Will putting a packet of potatoes in front of me. "Today a friend of my parents is coming to have dinner with us, well he came to spend some months with us and I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen...he's handsome and seems to be intelligent, and my mother let him bring you to dinner, because that's why I called you" I explained on the way to the supermarket.

"So let me see if I understand you're nervous because a friend of your parents is gonna stay with you? How old is he?" Bella asked a little confused, taking two potatoes out of the package

"I don't know, I'm confused and he seems to be 48 years old, so what my parents had told me was, he disappeared for 15 years and about 3 years ago he came back here and was in contact with his brother and kept in touch with my parents, but now is working on something hereand needed some place to live so my parents made themselves available to receive him" I spoke with a mouth full of potatoes, and feeling the nerves going away, maybe all those nerves were from being hungry all day long.

We kept talking and while we were shopping we speculated how this mysterious friend would look, and we ended up laughing when one of us came up with something funny to say. Without realizing it, time went by and I suddenly feel my phone buzzing in my pocket and when I look at the clock it was already 7 pm and dinner was going to be at 8 pm, and I saw that the reason my phone was buzzing was my mother calling me:

"Y/n WHERE ARE YOU?!?" my mother screamed, but in the background I could hear laughter... I wonder... "Sam is here and you haven't even brought what was missing for dinner yet, the rest of the guests will be here soon and you'll be nothing" she paused and took a deep breath "I'll give you 10 minutes to be here if you don't, you gonna eat the dog's food" and hung up

"I could hear your mother here" will laugh at the situation, and I just gave him an angry look "he's already there... and his name is Sam."

"Humm sam seems to be a sexy, attractive name, don't you think I will?" bella spoke naughtily staring at will. Oh I forgot to mention, will was bi, so he was like a relationship guro for both of us. "I also think, it may be that the name matches the way he is, so..." he put himself behind us and surprised us "let's walk fast that I want to see the creature, and for more I'm starving" we laughed and started to walk fast,

and who opened it was Sully, who was basically like an uncle to me, and I hadn't seen him for a few months, because of work issues, and because whenever the bastard came I had gone out or was on a field trip to my house.

when we got home I rang the bell hoping my mother would open the door for me but:

"SULLY" I yelled at him, and he spun me in the air.

"Y/N!! oh my god you are so taller, how are you dear? let me help you with things" he offered to pick up some groceries and took us to the kitchen "you are so grown up that soon you will be able to go with me and sam on our trips? and beautiful my darling you are so grown up, and will you my boy already you are taller than me, as time flies." my mother enters the kitchen:

"she only will do that when she starts to try harder at school and get home on time," my mother said, taking up shopping and laughing a little

"Mum!!! I'm almost 19" I complained a bit and looked out the window and saw my dad coming up with sam, he was really attractive and tall, telling me it wasn't too hard to be taller than me being 6 feet tall, but he left me intimidated in a good way.He was wearing a brown shirt with a v-neck, my heavenly vision god... I have to stop flirting with men older than me.

when his glances crossed, sam thought straight away how hard it would be to live under the same roof as such an attractive girl, he took a deep breath and just smiled. he knew his charm would call the youngest's attention.I looked at him and saw him approaching along with my father:

"daughter this is my best childhood friend, Samuel Drake, and sam this is my girl Y/N" my father introduced us and the moment sam raised his hand and pehou in mine to greet me I almost fainted... he looked at me with a smirk and I traveled in his hazel eyes.

"great pleasure to meet you my dear, I've heard a lot about you" sam said gently, in his head he was having fun if he saw my cheeks change colour

"N-nice to meet you, I hope it was good things at least" I laughed a little and tried not to get lost in his eyes.

he let go of my hand and went out to the yard to help my father while sully talked to me

"Y/N? sweetie are you listening?" sully called out for me and I was even more embarrassed when I heard my best friends laughing at me

"yes I am,ahm  we have to finish some things before we go to dinner so, we've already come"

I went in pulling the will and bella with me, we went to my room (which was in the atic) and saw that everyone was in the yard waiting for us, but I still had to put on another outfit because the one I was wearing was very sweaty.

“okay what was that? you seemed hypnotized, what went on in your head?" will ask as soon as we got to my room 

"I don't know it was just... arghh he's so attractive, how lucky I was!" I replied by throwing myself into bed, seeing will and bella sit by my side laughing a little.

"ahaha, you're really weird Y/N ahaha" bella laughed and picked up her phone looking at the time, which in itself only reminded me that I had to take a shower.

"okay  we still have some time till dinner and since you are here u can help my mom" I said running to the closet "I'm gonna take a shower, meet you in half an hour"

"okay, but only if you promise me we'll see a horror movie" the will said putting down the backpack, and looking for something inside the backpack

"okay, that may be, but Y/N?" bella asked if lying in bed

"Yeah?" I said, going into the bathroom 

“try not to take too long, I'm starving and I bet you are too" she said maliciously referring to the event that happened in the kitchen

I went into the bathroom and turned on the water, and I could hear the two of them coming out of the room, I grabbed my cell phone and saw that I still had some time so I could enjoy the bath a little bit.

I took off my clothes and quickly got under the hot water coming out of the shower, I started to think what sam would be like, even knowing that he's already in our house... Will he and I get along? I closed my eyes and tried not to worry about it and tried to be as quick as possible.

While enjoying the bath, sam’s mind could not calm down, he felt guilty for having felt attracted to a little girl, well even if she was almost an young  adult he felt guilty for it but still in his mind he thanked God for coming to work for this city.

Should he have fun with her?  

He was taken out of his thoughts when he saw her friends coming without her, his eyes profited in but she had stayed in his room, he remembered having heard her say that she would have to take a bath, what the fe imagine her body would look upon his.

I got out of the bath and rolled up in the towel and got out of the bathtub, I opened the bathroom door and saw the steam spreading through the bedroom. I went to bed and sat on it for a while, touching the mobile phone.

my thoughts were still on sam, and on second thought it would be ridiculous for him to get involved with a girl her age, especially a shy and a little fat girl.

I always had a low self-esteem but still never doubted my body, I just felt bad sometimes for not being like the standard girls in society.

I let my wet brown hair out of the towel and out of nowhere I heard some laughter coming from the yard and as the window was literally next to my bed I sit on the little built-in stool and open my curtain a bit to try to peek.

My room was dark, just some feathery decorative lights illuminating its interior. I looked carefully at the yard and analyzed who was there: elena, nathan, victor, my parents, chloe, nadine and finally the person who hadn't met Sam yet.

I stared at him and saw that he was really a handsome man, and that he had a body that looked very attractive. And even with the glass window close I could hear his voice...a strange sensation occupied my chest and my beard, as if they were butterflies...I don't know how long I watched him but after some time I felt his gaze stick in mine.

sam felt himself being watched and looked up and saw her peeping out the bedroom window, in that position she was completely adorable and sexy, with her hair falling into wet curls, and her hand holding the towel around her body, that vision delighted the thought of sam who soon tried to tease her a little.

He barely knew her but that wouldn't be a problem for him as he'd be living with her for a while, meeting her would be the best part of his stay, and you can bet he'll want to know every part of her.

he just smiled a little and saw what her reaction would be.

The sensation of his gaze in mine gave me goose bumps all over my body, and I quickly closed the curtain and scanned myself on the wall.

I was panting, nervous, as if I had committed a crime, my heart beat uncontrollably, and sometimes I missed a beat. I closed my eyes and got the courage to look again, I opened the curtain slightly and noticed that he was no longer looking here.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door "Y/N we're back, can we come in?" was interrupted by bella "Are you dressed?"

I almost ran out of that place and picked up my clothes and went into the bathroom with my heart beating a thousand times, why was I so nervous?

"I'm almost but you can come in" I said and started dressing fast.

I heard the bedroom door open and I opened the bathroom door again, showing off my new outfit

"these beautiful, we can finally get something to eat" bella said coming out of the room

I followed them and we went downstairs towards the backyard, and when we got there I couldn't see him, so we were just chatting with the other guests. My dad was having a barbecue and nathan and sully were helping, while the 3 of us were talking to sully and my mom about what we would both follow when we finished high school.

Before long, the drink that filled our glass was over, so I as a good host, I offered to go get mias, even though if I didn't I'm sure my mother would kill me ahahaha.

I left their side and walked on the grass to the dark kitchen, with only one or the other lit, I went to the fridge and took some drinks, but when I turned back I ran into faces with a shadow almost twice my size

"Y/N right?" I looked nervous and saw the sweet look that sam threw at me along with the attractive appearance that he had.

"y-yes it's me" I answered a little nervous, which in my head just seemed ridiculous, why was I so nervous after all? why did I feel like I was burning inside "sam?"

"yeah thats me, so do u need help?" he replied, with a charming smile, I was so bewitched by his smile that I almost dropped the bottles

"Let me help you" he said with a rough voice, his voice made me nervous but at the same time calm. He came closer to me almost trapping me against the fridge, and grabbed the bottles, when he put more light on, I could see the tattoo on his neck...and his muscular arms...and that smile...Y/n!!! for that he is much older than you don't even think anything. Fucking hormones!

for sam to see her act like that just by being around him drove him crazy, at that moment he just ignored that feeling of guilt and will only provoke her as much as he can.

he gave me space to pass in front of him and i was nervous. when we got back to the table everyone was already sitting and bella and will were almost stunned, and soon i realized that the only place left was next to sam, of course i was nervous. i was in a pile of nervous at that time but i took a deep breath and looked at mine signaling me to go to the phone.

I sat down next to sam and heard my father talking to sam:

"thanks for helpping her" my father said laughing if a little when he saw my red face of shame.

"You don't have to thank me I'm a gentleman, she needed  help to bring the bottles and I offered" he explained taking a small leather box and taking out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth...oh mummy what a sexy man, I was hypnotized by him, I couldn't even say anything just stared at him and didn't realise that my father was calling me:

"Yeah?" I said embarrassed, trying to forget the shit I just did. I glanced at sam and he was with a smirk, did he realize I was looking at him?

"why don't you tell sam what you're gonna follow in college" he said and got up from the table to go to the kitchen.

I turned around a bit and sam was already facing me waiting for my answer, his hazel eyes were analyzing every part of me, and that was just making me more nervous. The smell of the cigarette left me with a strange sense of security, until the vibe from my phone woke me up and d "quickly looked at bella and will make signs for me to talk to sam.

"Ahm... I want to follow archaeology, I have always been very passionate about history and I would like to connect with it premanently." I said with a shy look, responding to sam, who raised his cigarette to his mouth, and only after releasing the smoke through his lips did he speak.

"That's pretty good, I've always loved history together with my brother, whom you already know," he said with a hoarse and attractive voice, I swear by everything I was getting excited about just talking to him, my heart was racing but I wanted to keep talking to him:

"Yeah i heard about him, and i really love history, and sully has my biggest inspiration" I said shy.

"if u want i can help you studying" he stopped and looked at me deeply

"yes please?" i was so nervous that my hands were sweating.

sam looked at her and saw that she looked a little uncomfortable, that made him a little uncomfortable too, he wonder if he was scaring her. he couldn't help but think how smart and sweet she was.

"I hope you're ready for this feast!" my father dissecolating on the table the last tray of food

"Bon appetit, everyone!"

Dinner went super well, I talked a lot with Sam and he's a fantastic person and quite intelligent, meeting him gave a feeling of immense joy, something that even I can't explain.

At that moment I was so distracted that I didn't even notice that on the other side of the room Sam was watching every movement of my body. When I looked into his eyes he turned them away I blushed a little, I don't know why this happiness made me feel strange inside.

I looked forward and continued to do what I was doing: "and I finished... Shall we go to my room?" I said, keeping the last glass in the cupboard.

"good actually we have to leave tomorrow I have to help my mother tidy up" bella said

"and I have to go take care of my younger sister, my parents are going to the movies now, but we can watch the movie tomorrow that they think?" he asked and we both accepted, I took them to the front door and depended on them a little sad that I couldn't be with them at that moment.

I closed the door and I felt a spike in the bottom of my tummy and I felt something dripping, so I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could.I opened the door and sat down on the toilet, and can confirm my suspicions, came my period. I put on a patch and walked towards my room and sat down on the bench embedded in the window, the day was beautiful but now it had started to rain a lot, and I just stood there looking at the rain hitting the window, that calmed me down a lot, and today I spent the day on a roller coaster of emotions, good emotions, but still emotions.

I put on my headphones and stood there listening to music and watching the rain falling, reading a good book.

"sam?" Y/M/N called me with a smile, she was wearing a different outfit, where would she go? "Yes?" I answered quickly, getting up from the armchair

"Y/F/N and I are going on a small date just the two of us, could you take care of Y/N, for a few hours please?" she asked me in a sweet voice, that proposal made me dream loudly, since Y/N and I are going to be alone I can try to make conversation with her and get to know her better.

"Of course, don't worry, she's in good hands" I answered calmly

"thank you very much" Y/F/N replied and so they both left.

I took a deep breath and got the courage to go to her, I don't know what is going on but I am a little nervous and this is not common for me. I went up the stairs to her qrato and when I entered she was reading and listening to music, I looked around her room and could her personality reflected in him.

 I was so entertained in what I was doing that I didn't even realize Sam was in my room, and when I looked at him, I was leaning against the door frame watching my room.

"Sorry if I startled you, I just wanted to ask if you were interested in watching a movie with me" he asked with his hand behind his head, which made him very cute. "Your parents went out for a bit, you know... and left me to take care of you" he spoke a little apprehensive

"Well at the moment I'm not in the mood, I've got a bit of a colic" I answered by putting down the book I was reading "but you can come in and keep me company if you want of course"

"Of course, what book are you reading?" he asked me sitting in front of me.

"nothing much, it's just a romance" I answered with a little dry, not because I didn't want to talk to him but because I was dying of pain. I saw his gaze anailing my answer, I couldn't look directly at him without blushing a bit

"Is something wrong?" he asked me by getting a little closer to me, putting his hand between my feet.

"nothing bad, just menstrual pain, that's normal," I said with shame, why did I say that? now he'll think I'm stupid

"That's natural... do you want me to make you a tea? I can make you a tea that relieves that kind of pain" your voice became hoarse and calm again.

"He interrupted me by leaving the room and going to the kitchen. In a few minutes Sam returned with a mug in her hand, approached me again and gave it to me with a smile.

He sat in front of me and looked outside and I could see his tattoo.

"How did you know how to do this tea?" I asked staring at him, and this my attitude surprised him a lot

"Well I've had some ex-girlfriends who taught me how to make this kind of cha and many others," he said with his eyes lit by the moonlight and the lampstand outside. That phrase let me think what it would be like to date a man like Sam.

"You know you look pretty when you think?" he said bluntly, which made me choke on the tea a little.

"thank you I think..." I said super embarrassed, and tried to avoid looking at him. he laughed a little, what a wonderful laugh, I felt calm but at the same time nervous.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked by looking at the cup I had in my hand,

"of course, what?" he said looking at me with an instant look

"What is the meaning of your tattoo?" I asked, looking directly at it, and waiting for his answer, his gaze analyzed my body and that left me hypnotized, for more I love boys or men with tattoos I find super attractive.

He sat down closer and smiled at me as if he was thinking of something he shouldn't have.

"Well I got this tattoo in prison, I was unjustly imprisoned for 15 years and this tattoo means my freedom" he said calmly.

"Have you been arrested?" I asked of course i already knew the awnser but...he got up and took off his coat and put it on my bed, and without warning he lifted up his shirt, I paralyzed...his body was wonderful, he didn't look as old as he was, but something called my attention, some scars that were on his belly

"When I was running away with nathan and rafe I was shot, I ended up staying behind," he said by lowering his shirt and sitting down again. I was flushed and tried to avoid looking at him but he seemed hypnotized with me. He approached her a little closer and I couldn't help but stare at him.

He put his hand on my face, and lowered his thumb down to my lips, his gaze was penetrated into mine, I didn't know how to react, I was just paralyzed there... his touch made me warm, I closed my eyes, and felt him slowly withdraw his hand, I opened my eyes and saw his body move away.

"You'd better rest hon, good night" he said in a husky, seductive voice. He turned and closed the door behind him.

I knew if I stayed locked in there any longer I wouldn't control myself... but seeing her look embarrassed in mine, made me crazy, made me nervous, what's wrong with me? This is not correct, I walked to the livingroom again and I sat there in the dark thinking about what I had done, the interest I had aroused in her.

Is it so bad? I felt an attraction to someone without even knowing her... she was still so young... fuck... ignore this thought, sam. I waited a little longer until I fell asleep sitting there lost in my thoughts.

I stood there not knowing how to react, my heart was beating so fast, I got up and took off my clothes and put on my pajamas.

I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, and touched my lips slightly, I could see my chest going up and down quickly, I smiled and went to bed.

I looked at the window and smiled, closed my eyes and thought of him...did I fall in love?

[anonsally]

Days 36-38 of COVID-19 shelter-in-place

I’ve had three fairly eventful days.

Tuesday, Day 36, started with a good online dance class. Afterwards I vacuumed the last room of the house and emptied the dust canister from the vacuum cleaner again! It is frankly shocking how much dust there was in the house. We felt like we’d accomplished something truly major over the course of 3 days of vacuuming!

Other than that, I did some work and spent a little while in the front yard with the cats. We went to bed much earlier than usual in preparation for getting up early on Wednesday. I think I was asleep before 11pm.

Day 37: I got up at 5am. We left at 6am. Wife had an appointment for a diagnostic procedure at 7am at a medical center in San Francisco. On the bright side, there was basically no traffic on our way there and parking was free. I had to accompany her in order to drive her home, but I wasn’t allowed in with her. So I took a walk in Golden Gate Park. 

Apparently morning people actually go outside early? There were more people than I would’ve expected in the park at 7am! Some were running or biking, others were walking their dogs or pushing strollers. I had a really nice walk for about an hour and a half (I could’ve maybe stayed slightly longer, but I wasn’t sure when they would call me to tell me to pick up Wife, and I knew it would take longer than 15 minutes to get back). I saw lots of birds: a raven, a few robins, some juncos,... but then I found my way to Stow Lake, up on a hill. It’s obviously artificial, but the birds don’t care about that! When I got there, I saw lots of Canada geese with their fluffy babies (you’d never know they were going to grow up to be so mean!), a few coots, and many mallards, including one set of very small ducklings. I also saw what I think were both barn swallows and tree swallows swooping over the lake. Then I passed a woman sitting on a bench looking at the top of a big tree through her binoculars. I looked at the tree and eventually recognised that there was a big bird on a nest (at first it was stretching one wing out at a weird angle, and I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at), and there were several more nests nearby. Keeping my distance, I asked her if they were herons. She confirmed it and said they should be hatching soon! She also remarked that it was Earth Day, which I had not noticed since I would normally have still been asleep at that hour! and she said that the park gets more crowded later in the day. Anyway, later I saw some herons flying and landing in nests. I also saw, in a more foresty area nearby, some squirrels that are different from the kind we have in the East Bay (ours are sort of ginger, with extremely fluffy tails; this was grey, smaller, and with a slightly less fluffy tail) and a Steller’s jay that was pretty unfazed by my proximity. There were also a few small brown birds I couldn’t identify; they seemed to have a stripy front and a comparatively short tail, but without binoculars or a bird book there was no hope of identifying them.

I eventually headed back to the medical center and found a deserted outdoor area to hang around and wait, admiring the view of the city, but I was only there a few minutes before the call came to bring the car around to pick up Wife. She was cheerful and said that the images look normal but the rest of the results won’t be available for a week. She’d been put under twilight sedation and was slightly stoned, I think. I drove us home (on the freeway and the bridge! another major accomplishment!) and we were back in time for my online ballet class. 

Wife took a nap. She is unfortunately having a rhinitis aftereffect from the procedure, which mainly consists of extremely frequent sneezing and an intensely runny nose, but it should clear up in a couple days.

I took the day off work--I was too tired to be much use anyway, and I needed to go grocery shopping for my parents. I was lucky with the timing, in that I didn’t have to wait in line to get into the store, but I was too late to buy the bread they wanted. I got to have a nice chat with my parents when I dropped off their food (staying pretty far away from them), and we saw a goldfinch of some sort in their front yard. My mother doesn’t believe there will be a vaccine for COVID-19. She points out that nobody has ever created a successful vaccine for any of the other coronaviruses, so we are really just waiting for effective treatments to be developed. 

Later in the afternoon, I sat in my own front yard with the cats for a while. I witnessed a very cute scene when Widget was sitting next to a rosebush, and Poppet started stalking him through the tall grass. Widget spotted Poppet coming and ran off. So Poppet nonchalantly settled down in the grass as if that was his entire purpose in going there! 

I headed to bed a little earlier than usual.

Today was Day 38. It was a very warm day, and I decided to wear nice summery clothing and a chunky necklace. In the late morning I braved a supermarket that’s always a bit of a zoo, in hopes of finding toilet paper. I was perhaps a little overdressed for grocery shopping! Anyway, the wait to get in wasn’t actually too long, and disposable gloves were provided. And, because they were limiting the number of people inside, it was actually much less stressful than usual to shop there because it was so much less crowded. Unfortunately, they had no toilet paper, but I bought a bunch of other necessities. 

After work, I took another neighborhood walk. I wanted to figure out what kind of goldfinches I had seen on Monday, and I’m still not sure, but I think they were more likely the (green-backed) Lesser Goldfinch. The house finches were still around too, and I saw a cedar waxwing and an oak titmouse (which my bird book calls “plain titmouse”, a name I take some exception to as this little grey bird has a very nice crest). I also explored in another direction and saw some nice flowers as well as a Steller’s jay.

I cooked some red cabbage with apples, though I it didn’t turn out as well as it could have. Maybe I should have followed a recipe. I made up for it by eating two desserts--a little bit of mango with coconut rice, and later a banana with melted chocolate and whipped cream. 

[lindoig7]

Thursday-Saturday, 20-22 August

Thursday

It was a wild old night, with the wind rocking the caravan and rattling our awning all night.  It rained consistently almost all night and the rocking of the caravan and the pitter-pattering (and occasional hammering) on the roof made our warm comfy bed the very best and snuggliest place to be.  Even when the awning crashed and banged and woke us up, the rain soon invoked the Sandman and we went straight back to sleep again.

We were awake a little earlier than usual, but enjoyed a lazy half-hour or so snoozing before our cuppa and puzzles in bed.  Of course, by 7:30am, the Council workers were out in the rain, mowing the grass across the rampaging creek immediately behind the van.  The whole area is virtually under water so how they avoided getting bogged is a complete mystery to us.  The need to mow the area is just as mysterious because all they were doing was cutting the tops off the grass well away from the paths.  It wasn’t as if the grass was encroaching on the paths or hiding any varmints that might leap out to devour any of the early morning walkers.

We did some supermarket shopping after breakfast, mainly for a few extra things we need to make some tomato relish and peach chilli chutney.  We are getting low on our fancy home-made condiments so decided to make some more.  But as usual, walking past the fridges at Woolworths is a risk.  I spied a few likely-looking seafood bargains so now we need to find room for even more exotic delicacies!

We didn’t have much rain during the day, despite constant heavy black clouds but it was cold, bleak and windy all day and not at all nice outside.  As a consequence, we spent almost all day inside doing odd jobs, more cryptic crosswords, kenkens, sudokus and other pleasurable time-fillers before we fired up the stove and got back into cooking even more wonderful concoctions.

We made a wonderful pasta dish based on the vongoles and prawns we picked up as bargains in the morning – an elaboration on something we have done a couple of times before – vongoles, prawns, bacon, oil, garlic, parsley, smoked paprika, white wine, lemon, salt and pepper – man, what a feast and we never managed to eat it all so I suspect a seafood omelette is in the immediate offing. Even as bloated as we were, the potential for a meal from the leftovers left our mouths watering!

Friday

There was plenty more heavy rain overnight, and wild, wild winds, but we woke to a weak wintry sun and enjoyed a great hot breakfast.  (There seems to be a lot in my blog about food.  Maybe because we eat extraordinarily well and just want to keep experimenting.  We often (sometimes?) start with a recipe, but once the ‘start’ is dispensed with, the creative possibilities are endless and we try to make the most of any variations our imaginations evoke.)

We checked the weather over breakfast, expecting there to be rain everywhere as per the overnight forecast, but found that the Sale forecast looked surprisingly promising.  We had planned another day of cooking, but in light of the forecast, we abandoned (deferred) that and set sail for Sale.  Heather needed more yarn and some better scissors to we stopped at Spotlight on the way through Traralgon and stocked up there.

We wanted to explore the southern part of the Sale Common Wetland.  We had walked around the middle section a week or two ago, but wanted to explore other parts of this very large wetland.  Easier said than done!  We parked near the Swing Bridge (that isn’t like any swing bridge I have seen before – more like an opening or lift bridge) and set off on the soggiest of soggy tracks. We noted that cars – obviously high clearance 4WDs – had used the track, but had bottomed out and some had become bogged.  Multiple wheel-tracks ran in all directions in an attempt to avoid the worst of the deep ruts, but there is no way anything less than an amphibian would have gone through that day.  The track was even a challenge for walkers.  We had to pick our way through deep puddles and quagmires of mud, often abandoning the track for the waterlogged scrub to pass some of the worst sections.  We walked half a kilometre or so but it was becoming increasingly difficult so we returned to the car and set off for other access routes.  Sale was quite sunny, but still quite cool and very windy, but we returned to the walk we had done a week or two earlier and tried to get into the area from the north after our access from the south had been thwarted. We managed to get about 2.5 kilometres, partly along our previous route, before being confronted by water too deep to cross.  We had already traversed a few shallow puddles, but it was just not feasible to go any further without our water-wings!

My diabetes(???) had given me the shakes before we got back to the car so we ate our lunch there and recovered my sugar balance.  We still wanted to explore the northern area so went up to the much more populous and touristy lakes near the town. One of the lakes is Lake Guyatt and we had walked around that last time but the bigger Lake Guthridge was still to be conquered.  We needed to find a toilet and the signs said there was one 5 minutes away in the Botanic Gardens or 15 minutes away where we had just come from.  We opted for the Gardens – alas, NO TOILETS (of course!). Two kilometres later, we had almost circumnavigated the lake when we came upon the toilets advertised to be 15 minutes from our parking spot!  Have I ever mentioned the obvious attempts by all State and local authorities in Gippsland to confuse the public with fake signage?  I have got to the stage where I simply don’t believe any official signs anywhere in the area.

I had thought that it might be nice to circumnavigate the whole wetland area so we tried to do that, only to find that it was virtually impossible.  I reckon it would take a drive of about 250 Km to do it given that we would have had to drive all the way to the coast, then east to find another way north, then all the way back to Sale.  In our explorations, we found another huge contiguous part of the wetland on the other side of the road – presumably unprotected because it is not marked as such on the Council maps even though the main road is the only thing preventing the entire area being a single wetland.  There are at least 2 rivers and 3 bridges linking the water on both sides of the road so it is virtually impossible to separate the RAMSAR area from the apparently unprotected section.

We found an alternative route back to Rosedale, avoiding a trip back into Sale – and thence home in time for a shower before Happy Hour.  Topped up with fuel at Traralgon again on the way but we were still home again by about 5pm.

I had cooked a turmeric and fish meal on Tuesday/Wednesday – a little unusual given that the fish was marinated in the spices overnight, then only lightly cooked, but with additional veges and herbs added after the heat was removed just prior to serving.  Just add rice.  Very tasty and easy as anything to prepare.

Saturday

The Antarctic Blob is exerting its influence very strongly here today.  Lots of wind and rain overnight, some quite heavy, but consistent all night.  And today has been pretty wild too.  The rain had come and gone, but has been a deluge at times with heaps of hail – literally heaps, with it covering everything and piling up against anything blocking its passage.  It was banked up against the shrubbery outside the van for several hours before it finally melted – 6 degrees maximum here so it was very slow to melt.

It has felt really exciting at times in the van with so much wild weather outside and us safe and warm inside and enjoying the experience.  We cooked our tomato relish in the morning and our peach and chile chutney in the afternoon. We had to do a quick supermarket run to buy some extra spices early in the afternoon and I dropped Heather off and drove around the block a couple of times and picked her up at the door again. This was to avoid her getting too wet in the rain, but the hail absolutely pelted down while I was driving around the block – the racket inside the car was horrendous – exciting, but a little scary too.

We had a fairly unsatisfactory Zoom session in the afternoon – the bandwidth here is a real problem, but at least we spent half an hour or so in contact with some of the kids.

[fantasiesandbooks]

Tenerife Sea iv

I don’t own any of the photos.

Prologue 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

You were starting to get nervous as you look into Chanyeol’s hard gaze upon you and then focusing on a very uncomfortable Baekhyun standing almost next to him.

“I got out of the studio earlier and thought to stop by to have dinner with you here but It looks like you already had other things in mind” He said in a harsh tone returning his gaze towards you.

“I can explain” you said trying to sound calmed.

“Why did you lie to me?” Chanyeol said starting to sound upset and crossing his arms by his chest “You said you were going to do chores and cleaning but by the looks of these -he said gesturing at the table where there was a couple of empty bowls and the bottle of wine with two empty glasses left- it seems you already had this planned on your to do list“.

“I didn’t lie!” you rushed to say “I did spend the rest of the day cleaning and went to the supermarket”.

“To buy that.” He pointed out. “No” suddenly Baekhyun intervened and you and Chanyeol turned to look at him, both with a confused look as if you almost had forgotten he was also there. “I brought the wine” He said matter-of-factly and he  slightly shrink at the stares the two of you gave him. “You are not helping” you said to Baekhyun and the boy shrugged his shoulders “I was trying to lighten the mood” he said.

“Are you dating?” Chanyeol asked to nobody in particular, seriousness in his voice. “WHAT?!” Baekhyun and you almost yelled at unison, looking at him as if he had gone mad. “No” both said firmly and you hold Chanyeol’s gaze to show him you were saying the truth. Chanyeol didn’t quit the hard staring –usually, that was the first step he does when he gets angry, boy if you know… Chanyeol and you have had fights before, mainly due to fact that sometimes you can be very stubborn and he on the other hand coud be the same depending on the topic. Nevertheless, you two tried to solve it at the moment or leave each other until time calmed things up which normally is in two or three days depending on why you fought in the first place-.

You gave a heavy sigh “Listen… Baekhyun and I had dinner together because I owed him and I said I’ll treat him dinner”. “Yeah, although she didn’t give me a choice about the place or the food” Baekhyun said, “You didn’t complain about it while you were eating it” you scoffed, “It was delicious!, I’m just stating the facts. Go on…” he smiled and gestured you to continue your explanation. You rolled your eyes at that and kept going “Anyway… we’d just finished dinner and you arrived when we were starting to cleaning up”.

“Why did you owed him?” Chanyeol asked, his voice starting to sound less serious. “Because…” You tried to come up with a reasonable excuse but your brain was blank with an answer. “Because she had asked me to lent her some money and she hadn’t pay me until now” Baekhyun quickly answered, you turned to look at him with wide eyes and just nodded at what he said.

Chanyeol unfolded his arms, starting to seem a little bit more calm “Why didn’t you asked me?” he sighed “I could have lend you the money” he was looking straight into your eyes now, “You were with Sehun in LA when she asked me” Baekhyun answered again, leaving the playfullness aside and looking as serious as he could be while Chanyeol returned his gaze on him and slightly frowned at his response, letting out an awkward “Oh” as if he didn’t know what else to say. “I didn’t want to bother you so I asked him instead” you said.

“I understand” Chanyeol said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. I didn’t mentioned it because I thought it wasn’t important to brought that up and let alone I would have imagined you’ll come here so late” you said trying to comforting him in a way.

“Yeah, everything’s cool Yeol” Baekhyun said approaching him and gave him a pat on the back “You know how can we get all this argument behind and end the night in the best way possible?” He suddenly returned to be his cheerfull self. “With a nice beer in the new bar at downtown” His eyes sparkled, turning to look at you and Chanyeol.

“You are a little drunk already” you pointed out. “I’m perfectly fine” he said as he staggered slightly to his side and bump Chanyeol in the arm causing the last one to throw him a judging look.

“Ah! Come on guys, there’s been ages since I last went out” Baekhyun whined and tried to pull the puppy eyes on you so you would give in.

“You said there has been two weeks since you went clubbing” Chanyeol said, remembering his friend complaining at the dance practice with the guys.

“I mean… yes, but I don’t count that as a social get away. At the club you mainly dance and drink but at a bar you can talk and drink. See my point?” He asked.

“You can also talk in a club” Chanyeol pointed out. “My point is… I just want to drink, eat and talk for the rest of the night” Baekhyun replied, tiredness in his voice, “You’d just literally did that about 30 minutes ago” you said to him, “I want to do it without all the nagging about Sehun” he replied frustraded, immediately widening his eyes at the realization about what he had just said while Chanyeol gave him a questioning look and you on the other side, a half shocked- half murderous one.

“Sehun?!... What are you talking about?” Chanyeol asked him, confusion readable on his face as if he had missed half of the movie and was trying to make sense of the finale. If looks could kill, Baekhyun would had been long gone by now but you tried to keep calm so Chanyeol couldn’t see your nerves spiral up and prayed that Baekhyun will come up with a clever answer.

“Ah… I might had drunk too much, I’m starting to feel dizzy and nauseous” Baekhyun said, making a grimace, lounching himself againts Chanyeol and tried to put his arm  around the other boy making him crouch awkardly “I think we should go now” he put his other hand against his belly and made a pained face -the acting he has done had improved his skills, you have to give him that, but right now your best friend-crush wasn’t buying the act 100%-. Chanyeol took the arm of his roommate off and reluctlantly agreed to leave “Fine we’ll go but y/n, do you have a bottle of water or something like that? I don’t want him to throw up on my car” he made a face of disgust thinking about that. “Sure, they’re in the fridge, you can go grab them and I will give him a plastic bag just in case” you said and Chanyeol nodded, going straight to the kitchen for them.

You turned to look at Baekhyun and slapped his arm “Aah” the boy exclaimed while he rubbed the part where you had hit him and turned to look at you “I’m sorry”, “You better be” you said in a low voice so only he could hear you and go grab one of the plastic bags from the takeout food, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep pretending and he’ll forget about it by the time we’ll get to the dorms” he whispered.

Chanyeol came out of the kitchen with two bottles of water and gave one to Baekhyun “Here, start drinking it” Baekhyun grabbed it and took a zip from it “Well, It was a wonderful dinner, thanks y/n, we should do this more often” the boy gave you a cheeky smile and started walking towards the door, you sneered at his comment and shook your head, he really loves to push my buttons- you thought to yourself, your mind coming back to reality as you locked eyes with Chanyeol “This is the bag for him” you stretched your hand for him to take it, “I took it it from the takeout I assumed was for me, and here” you stretched your other hand with a heavier bag “It’s the one with your food” you gave him a little smile as he took both of them “Thanks” he said and the both of you started walking to the door where Baekhyun was waiting for him “Wait, What about your car?” you asked Baekhyun as he was drinking from the bottle “You can stop by the dorms tomorrow and bring it” he shrugged and gave you his car keys, “If something happens to it, I’ll torture you for the rest of your life” he warned you “Don’t you do that already?” you asked him “Right now I’m considering do that until you’re 70” he smiled mischiveously “Got it” you laughed, he waved goodbye at you and turned to go to the elevators.

Chanyeol sneered at Baekhyun’s comment and look at you “So…mmm…” the tall boy made and awkward gesture and started playing with the bags straps “Sorry again for the misunderstanding” he said sounding regretful, “It’s ok. I’m sorry for not mentioned it and also because now you have to take him home” you said, turning to look quickly at an impatient Baekhyun pressing all the elevator buttons and returning your gaze to the other “Well I have done that plenty of times so one more it’s not big deal” he said trying to sound as if it didn’t matter “But if he does throws up and stains my car you will owe me big time” he said trying to sound serious “Fine, I’ll pay for the washing” you stretched your hand to seal the deal and Chanyeol took it while a crooked smile crept up his lips “That and a home-made dinner. You have never cooked something for me in all this years of friendship” he gave you a reproachful look, “What are you talking about? Sometimes you have eaten things I cooked here” you answered incredoulously “But that are the leftovers you have from things you cook to take with you at work. I want to pick what I’m going to eat” He said smugly and you gave a long sigh “Ok, just remember I’m not Gordon Ramsay” at that Chanyeol smiled a little and nodded “Chanyeol come on” Baekhyun yelled as he was holding the elevator door to prevent it from closing, the other boy turned to look at you “See you tomorrow”, “See you, now go” you smiled and gaved goodbye at him, he turned around and started jogging towards the door to catch up with his friend.

You watch them go and closed the door from your apartment, releasing a breath you didn’t even notice you were holding, “Well, at least this problem was solved” you said to yourself. Suddenly you remembered you still have to talk to Sehun about this “situation” and wanted to dissapear from this planet. Your life was taking a lots of turns so sudden and you didn’t know how to go on with them  but at this moment you just tried to put your mind in blank as you continue with the cleaning.

 The drive to the dorm was particularly quiet this time, mainly because Baekhyun was pretending to be drunk and looking through the car’s window and Chanyeol well, he was just tired from the hectic days he has had for the upcoming album with Sehun and the rehearsals for Exo’s concerts. He gave a quick glance at the other boy “How are you feeling?” he asked, turning his look back at the road “Ah… I feel better now” Baekhyun said trying to sound tired and keeping his gaze on the streets, “So can I ask you why didn’t you  tell me about the dinner?” Baekhyun turned to look at him “Seriously? You are gonna come up with that, again?!” he  asked annoyed, “I just want to know, curiousness gets the best of me” Chanyeol said not turning to look at him.

“Y/N already told you, she didn’t think it was important and neither am I” he pointed out. “Ok” Chanyeol gave a little nod and continue focusing on driving until they stopped at a red traffic light “Do you… do you like her?” Chanyeol asked hesitantly, “Of course I like her” Baekhyun said as if stating the obvious and Chanyeol turned abruptly his face, looking at the orange-pinkish haired boy with wide eyes, “I mean she’s my friend too, I could even called her the sister I’d always wanted to have” Baekhyun finished and the tall boy let out an annoyed sigh “I didn’t mean in that way, dumbass. What I meant to asked is that if you like her as a woman; as a girlfriend material” he explained to which he only got a chuckle from his friend “Oh my god no!. Listen I consider her attractive, I mean her body is insane nowadays, haven’t you seen her at the gym? I was shooked went I picked her up and the out…”

“Ok I got it, you like her physically, moving on…” Chanyeol interrumpted him, frowning a little bit but not that little for that to go unnoticed by Baekhyun.

“Well there’s that part and most of the times I like her personality but I don’t know, the love I feel for her is more…familiar in a way.” He finished, “maybe because she is like me in a certain way”. Chanyeol laughed at the last statement “Boy, you really must be drunk if you think that. You two couldn’t be more different” he said and started the engine again, “I’m not saying she’s my female version. It’s because of the things I do people say I’m funny and she can be funny too in a different way, even if she hasn’t intended to.” A crooked smile crep up his lips as he remembered the embarrasing moments he has witnessed of you “Don’t you agree?” he asked Chanyeol and the boy smiled too, maybe sharing the same thoughts about it “Yeah, I guess so”.

“So what about you?” Baekhyun turned to look at him, “What about me?” Chanyeol asked not turning to face him, “Do you like her in that way?” the other boy said with curiousness in his voice, he could see his tall friend stiffen his grip on the steering wheel a little and trying to avoid his gaze upon him. “I haven’t thought about that really” he cleared his throat and kept looking at the traffic signs –Usually the road from your house to their dorms wasn’t that long but after the turning this conversation had taken, Chanyeol was really hoping to get at soon as posible- “Oh Really?” Baekhyun asked inquiringly not taking his gaze from him, dawn it, I shouldn’t have asked him Chanyeol thought to himself “Yes, right now I’m to stressed about our schedule and the album that the only think I want is to sleep for a whole month straight” he tried to sound nonchalantly and gave the other boy a quick tired look. Baekhyun knew their lives and specially Chanyeol’s were very busy at the moment so he decided to go easy on him for now althought he knew his friend was not being completely honest with him “Fine Sleeping Beauty, I won’t push it but eventually we’ll have to had a deep talk about this” he said as he turned to looked outside and saw they were entering the street to where the dorms were located. Chanyeol didn’t reply at his last comment, too tired to have a discussion with Baekhyun as they entered the parking lot and both men got out of the car.

Once in their apartment both boys parted ways to each of their rooms which were almost one in front of the other, “Yeol” Baekhyun called for the tall boy while the other was opening the door from his room. His friend turned to look at him “Thank you for the ride” he gave him a little smile “anytime” Chanyeol said as he returned the smile, “I will make sure y/n pays you” the smaller boy said cheekly and entered his room “good night” he said and closed the door, leaving Chanyeol laughing and shaking his head as he also entered his room and closed his door.

 The next morning you were feeling a little bit better overall, you took a shower and changed into a casual outfit, had breakfast and decided to go the boys dorms to return Baekhyun’s car. You arrived at the apartment, rang the doorbell and waited a couple of minutes but nobody answered it so you decided to call Baekhyun.

“Hey! I’m outside the dorms. Can you open the door?” you said to him, in the meantime looking around your surroundings as you were getting bored.

“Hi y/n! There is no one at the dorms. We are heading back from practice and we’ll be there in 10 minutes. I can give you the enter code so you can wait for us inside” He said.

“Fine, tell me the code” you said and began pressing the numbers until the door made a sound that meant it was unlocked. “Great! Thank you, see you guys in a bit”. “Sure, bye” and with that both of you hung up the phone. You entered the apartment and took off your shoes, everything was unusually quiet as most of the times you had come most of the boys were here doing a mess of the place –It was a beautiful apartment, spacious, modern decorated, with a lot of rooms althought some of the guys shared the bedrooms- you decided to put some of the new music you had wanted to listen and were not able to until now. You were joyful as most of them were up beat songs and out of nowhere you started to dance- there has been 5 months now since you decided to take dance lessons from every kind of music. Of course your skills weren’t any like the boys but you felt happy because you were improving as time passed by and also going there was like a little escape for a part of your soul you haven’t let anyone see due to your shiness.- You were having your own little party, swaying your hips and wining to the rhythm of the music and were so into it that you didn’t hear the door opened. The first ones to entered was Suho and Chen, who stood frozen in their places with a shocked look on their faces followed by Chanyeol and Sehun with a bewildered look, the last one trying to supress a laugh and lastly Baekhyun and Jongin with an excited look on their features.

“Wow y/n” Baekhyun shouted and you turned to look at them, shocked and embarrasment evident in your face. Baekhyun cheered for you while Jongin and Sehun started laughing, following by the others and you just wanted for the earth to make a hole in the ground and swallow you up. Suho approached you and gave you a pad on your back “enough guys, let her be” he chuckled, you just laughed and hide your face from the others on his chest “I’m so embarrased” you muffled against his chest to which he only laughed more and patted your head. “You should teach me how to dance that” Baekhyun said smirking at you. You were so focused on your embarrasment that you didn’t notice the new hair looks in the boys when you first saw them- Baekhyun was blonde again, Sehun with a silver-platinum hair, Jongin brownish, Suho black, Chen chocolate-brown and Chanyeol White- oh my god! he looks so good, that’s what you thought when your eyes landed on him and felt your cheeks started to flush again making you quickly looked away from him.

The rest of the boys greeted you and most of them went to their rooms leaving you only with Baekhyn and Chanyeol. “So y/n, seems you were having a lot of fun by your own, weren’t you?” Baekhyun said as he was spreading himself on the sofa while Chanyeol went to sit on the couch across from it. “Ahg… leave me alone Baek” you whined and went to sit next to him “I have never seen you dance like that before” Chanyeol said turning to look at you.

“I… yeah… well… I’m improving my skills” you said, eyes on your hands.

“Clearly” Baekhyun snorted and you hit him on the arm to which he only made a pained grimace. “Anyway, why didn’t you tell me you had dance practice his early?” you asked both guys, “We didn’t know, our manager send us a message at 5am. We were supposed to be back three hours ago but after that they decided to dyed our hairs” Chanyeol answered. “Well you look good with them” you said and Chanyeol smile softly at you.

“Thank you, we are getting ready to stop some hearts at the concerts, don’t we Yeol?” Baekhyun said proudly and Chanyeol just shook his head and chuckled “Sure” he started getting up from the couch “listen guys I will go and get a shower, I have to be in the studio with Sehun in 2 hours”. “Oh ok” you said to him “I’ll see you next Friday?” he asked you. “As always” you smiled at him and he returned it, “Ok, see you around” he started to walk towards his room “Bye” Baekhyun and you said at unison “And eat something before you leave” you shouted and heard a “Yes” from Chanyeol and a door closing after that.

You turned to look at Baekhyun who was kinda sleepy on the sofa “Hey”, he turned to look at you with sleeply eyes “Here are your keys” you stretched your hand and handed them to him “thanks” he yawned. “Listen, do you think it will be a good idea if I talk to Sehun now?” you whispered. Baekhyun turned to look at you eyes wide open “Are you sure  you want to do that?” he said doubtfully. “Well, I don’t have a choice since you already told him. Besides, I can’t live with the daily fear of him telling Chanyeol anything about my crush for him”, “Well, in that case I agree with you it would be better if you talk to him now” he said getting comfortable on the couch and closing his eyes “Geez, thanks for encouragement” you said sarcastically and got up from the couch in order to go to Sehun’s room, “Anytime” he yawned and waved at you to which you rolled your eyes and kept walking.

Ok, you can do this, just be honest with Sehun and he might help you or at least wouldn’t mention a Word about it, you thought to yourself as you were standing outside his room. You gave a heavy sigh and knocked on his door, “Who is it?” you heard him asked from the other side of it “It’s me y/n. Can I come in?” you asked, feeling your nervousness starting to increase and tried your best to put it down, “Yeah” he said. You opened the door, step inside and close it again. You found him laying on his back on the bed, “What’s up?” He leaned on his shoulders to look at you.

You didn’t know how to start this conversation so you tried to bring up the subject smoothly “I want to talk with you about something…mmm…personal” you said avoiding his gaze. “Oh! please don’t tell me is something about your period or some other girls stuff” he whined “WHAT?!... Of course not. Why would I talk about that with you?” you asked frowning at him, not knowing how that topic came to his mind. “I don’t know. You said it was personal” he pointed out. “Yeah well, its not that so relax” you assured him. “Ok so, what is it then?” he asked you, “Well… I know Baekhyun mentioned you something about Chanyeol and me” you sighed, standing awkwardly under his gaze, “Ah yes! About your infinite love for him” he said. “Ssh… Could you said it louder? I think the people from next door didn’t hear you” You said sarcastically and sending him a hard gaze, “Wait… infinite love for him?” you asked. “His words, not mine” he stated shrugging. Fucking Baekhyn you thought “Aah…Yes its about that. I’m here to beg you that for all the love you have for Vivi, please don’t mention a word of this to Chanyeol” You pleaded him, approaching to sit on his bed next to him.

“Why?” He asked, standing his upper body so he could be face to face with you. You sighed “Because… I’m not ready to talk to him about my feelings and honestly I don’t know if I ever will be ready to. I have a great relationship with him as my best friend and I know there could be a chance to have that too as a boyfriend but there is also the chance that I might loose the first one if I tell him and I’m too scared to test it” You said, feeling as if the heavy weight you have been carrying all along had been diminished. Sehun could see in your features the worry that came upon you when you were telling him your thoughts and feelings. Although he wasn’t that close to you like Chanyeol or Baekhyun, he really likes you. You’ve been always nice to him and as time went by he’d started to look at you as a sister. “Fine… I won’t say anything to him” he sighed and gave you a small smile, your eyes lighten up and a smile crept up on your lips as you throw yourself at him making you both fell into the bed. “Thank you thank you thank you” you squeezed him in a big hug and the tall boy gasped for air “Ok… too much love. Let go off me” he said in between short breaths and tapping your arms so you could released him. You laughted at this and turned your back, both of you staring at the ceiling.

“Have you make a plan or something to tell him?” He asked you. You considered not telling him about  Baekhyun’s plan to get you a fake boyfriend, specially the part where he was one of the options You were sure he wouldn’t agree on that as he considered Chanyeol like his brother just as the other guys and honestly it would just feel weird if you pretend to be in love with one of them. “Not really” you sighed “Baekhyun suggested I should pretend to date someone but I'm not very keeing with that idea”.

“I think it could work” he said after a couple of seconds of thinking about it, “You think?” you asked doubtfully, “Yeah, like Baekhyun I have seen the way he looks at you sometimes and the way he takes care of you and let me tell you that is not just a “besties kind of affection”. Maybe seeing you with someone else will make him show his true intentions” he said thoughtfully.

“I hope you guys will be right about it” you said, “I could say I’m 93% sure this would work” he said smugly.

“Really? That’s very bold for you to say” you turned to look at him and he turned his head so he could face you “Yep, that’s how I’am” he gave you a crooked smile. You slapped his chest and both laughed at his response. “Ok so I have to go to the studio with Chanyeol today but later on the week you, me and Baekhyun can meet up and discuss the plan. Are you agree?” He asked to which you nodded. “Cool! so I’ll call you to set up the meeting” he said, “Thanks again Hunnie” you smiled at him.

“No problem” he said smiling at you “Now let me sleep” he got comfortable on the bed and you gave a short laugh as you were standing up from his bed. You got out of his room and leaned back on the wall next to his room, so operation “getting Chanyeol” begins now you thought and were feeling kind of excited at that thought.

Thank you for the support and comments. I hope you like the series and enjoy this chapter. I’ve been having busy days with homework but I’ll try to come up with the next one soon. ^^

[beardyallen]

Day 3 - An extensive recap

First, I want to extend my apologies to those who have been patiently awaiting this post. I had every intention of writing this yesterday, which got away from me (as you’ll see if you keep reading), and then I had every intention of writing this in the morning, which disappeared (again, as you’ll see if you keep reading). It’s now 5:38pm on Wednesday, February 20th as I’m typing this sentence, and I’m once again exhausted from a long day.

[Edit 2: TL;DR for the following TL;DR -- A bunch of cool stuff happened, including books, dragons, lions, motorcycles, KFC, banks, SIM cards, a Starbucks, public transit, and traveling to two opposite ends of Beijing in a single day. Also my trip went from horribly lonely and daunting to pretty freaking cool and slightly less daunting in less than 24 hours. Done typing this at 8:55pm]

Edit: It’s legit 8:37pm when I’m making this edit, only a bit after posting the original. I wanted to add a tl;dr for those not interesting in reading all of this shit. Basically, I made 4 friends in Beijing, none of them from the same country, only one of them is white, only one is male, and only one is from the US. All three of these descriptions describe CB, my supervisor. His wife, RB, is Indian and works with children orphaned due to birth defects. There’s ML, a half-Brazilian, half-Japanese Communications instructor at ICB, and her friend R, who is herself a former Chinese physician turned public health professional/liaison/something-or-other that seems far more impressive and is exactly what she wants to be. All of them are really cool, interesting people that I’m very glad I had the opportunity to meet. In no particular order, I went to several bookstores, a Starbucks, a KFC early in the morning, the supermarket (twice) and got beer (both times) for ridiculously low prices, experienced the Lantern Festival (still not entirely sure what this is, but there were dragons and lions and motorcycles doing crazy synchronized stunts in a metal globe) at an amusement park, rode 5-6 different subway trains and a city bus, ate 10+ new foods, bought a book (because of course I did) which has both the original English and the translate Chinese characters on each page, tried to open a bank account, then got a SIM card, then actually opened a bank account, finally unpacked my luggage, and spent 3 hours typing this blog post. Also the long flight and trip from the airport to my new apartment were mostly uneventful. See? Even this was super long!]

The last you all heard from me here was as I was sitting in a bar in the Vancouver Airport, Sunday morning. Which was sort of 2 days ago, but sort of 3. Time zones are funky, especially when you cross the International Date Line. *shrug*

After I finished writing that post, I lumbered over to my gate and waited to board with the other couple hundred passengers. At one point, I noticed an older woman (probably in her 60′s or 70′s?) trucking along on one of those things that I can only manage to call a human-conveyor-belt that you see in airports. I mention this as she, had she been on carpeted flooring, she would have been making good time; as it so happens, she was on the conveyor belt that was going opposite of her destination. She was still making progress, but every so slowly, and seemed maddeningly oblivious to the fact that the floor was fighting her at every step. Fortunately, she made it to the other end without incident, although the same cannot be said for when she attempted to enter the next belt; a concerned employee using that particular belt in the intended fashion beckoned that she stop and try the other. So she stopped walking. And didn’t do anything, even when her feet made it back to where she had started. Naturally, she took a pretty solid tumble, lessened only by the shocked, and rightfully flustered, employee, who managed to help her to her feet as half of the onlookers gawked.

The actual flight, all 9 hours of it, went off rather uneventfully. Especially compared to the above story. It was nice having the longer flight second, as completing the first gave me an unearned sense of accomplishment; I’m nervous for my return as I’ll have actually achieved something when I get back to Vancouver, only to have to sit back down for three more hours. Seems less enticing, especially as I won’t be going back to an apartment that I’m renting. Oh well: that’s a problem for Future-Me, as are most things. I will say that the food on the flight was quite satisfying, and the complementary wine was much tastier than expected! And I managed to read a good chunk of Dan Brown’s Origin.

After landing in the Beijing airport, I managed to get through customs without too much trouble and had my first several experiences of what I’ll just refer to here as stranger-staring. #sarcasticwoo

I was met near baggage claim by an undergraduate at the University who chose to call himself Paul. I would later find out that, although it is common practice for Chinese residents to give themselves “American” or “Western” names, they don’t seem to share those names with their fellow residents.

Needless to say, I was exhausted and just wanted to eat something and lie down without dealing with anymore people. To his credit, Paul was an excellent host, his English was quite good, and he helped me to my apartment without incident. I think he was expecting to escort me to dinner at one of the nearby dining halls on campus (Princess Building), but I (hopefully graciously) conveyed that I would really rather just go to bed. After he left, I took a stroll on campus to the Princess Building to check it out for myself, and then stopped at a nearby convenience store to grab some snacks. GUYS! THEY HAVE CUCUMBER-FLAVORED LAYS POTATO CHIPS!!! And so many other flavors that are mind-boggling, and somehow simultaneously vague and specific.

Once I was back in my apartment, I chowed down on some fruit bread, drank some water, had a moment of near paralyzing fear/anxiety/regret/shame/etc., scolded myself for being (I think understandably) pathetic, and then went to sleep. By that point, I had been up for nearly 23 hours, and it was somehow already 7pm on Monday, Feb. 18. I slept until 6am the next morning.

That morning, I got in touch with CB, my supervisor, who was more than happy to meet with me around 11am. So I spent the morning figuring out how to be an adult person in Beijing. Several standard things took place that were daunting only because I’m in Beijing: showering, brushing my teeth, grabbing some toilet paper to carry with me, deciding how much cash to keep in my wallet, etc. I also came to the disturbing realization that there are precisely three outlets, each with one port. One of them was occupied by the television, one by the mini-fridge, and one was free to charge my tablet; it was then that I decided to try to go shopping and track down a power strip.

Day 2: Merry Mart

First, I want to say one quick thing: the exchange rate from RMB (also called yuan) to USD is approximately 0.15:1. So, as an example, I spotted a can of beer for 5.90 yuan, or roughly $0.90. For those of you who know me, you may understand why this was my first example.

Now, the supermarket that I was heading towards is located on the other side of the north gate of the CAU (China Agricultural University, which houses ICB, or the International College of Beijing, where I’m living and instructing), and my apartment is in the very southeast corner of campus, about a 10 minute walk away. And it’s not even 8am yet. I mention this as, when I approached the supermarket, or rather the building housing the supermarket and a dozen or so other shops, I noticed a KFC right next door. Now, I shouldn’t have been shocked to see the advertisements were for food that you would never find at a KFC in the States, but I was. What I feel completely justified in being shocked at was that the KFC was already quite busy. Naturally, I stepped inside and saw that a “Chicken Burger” with a glass of milk (and maybe a side?) was going for 12 yuan, or $1.80. So cheap!!

I stepped out without buying anything and continued into the supermarket. Oh, the wonders I beheld. I’ll try to keep it short, but I’ll point out that I’ve never paid so much attention in the produce and meat sections of a supermarket as I did yesterday. Once I made it past these sections, I experienced an onslaught of packing that looked both familiar and foreign (yes, I realized how stupid that sounds as I typed it). As I was on a bit of a mission (for hand soap and a couple power strips), I contained my curiosity as best I could. But I did take a peak at all of the flavors of Lays Chips in the snack section...

Fortunately, I managed to find a power strip! They had Philips power strips going for 70 yuan (~$10.50) and some from a company I’ve never heard of for 30/40 yuan. Naturally, I grabbed on of the cheaper variety. It seems I didn’t bring enough cash the first time. I moved on, failing to find anything that I could guarantee was hand soap, but let me tell you: after being around people who I could not understand, guessing at products based on the images along, and recognizing that I’m waaaaay in over my head, I have never been so happy to see a can of Budweiser in my life!

Now, I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure a 3-pack 16-oz or 500 mL or whatever-their-volume cans came out to 9 yuan, or $1.35. What a deal! (Fast forward to this morning, and I stumbled an even better find: 500 mL cans of Guiness with nitrous rockets for 15 yuan ($2.25) a pop! In the States, those usually run $16 for four!)

After spotting way more milk (a recent trend, apparently) than I’ve ever seen, ultra-pasteurized so it can sit on an uncooled shelf for months at a time, heaps and heaps of “sanitary tissue” and slew of snacks that boggled my poor, unworldly mind, I made my way to the checkout. Fortunately, I stick out so damn much that people just expect that I don’t speak Chinese; the look of mild irritation isn’t grating at all, it just lets me know that I’m not the only one who feels moderately uncomfortable at my residing in Beijing for these next 4 months. The interaction at the stand was pleasant enough, and we mimed our way through the bits that weren’t communicable. Then I headed back home to meet with CB.

Day 2: The Book

So, I’m already feeling wildly unprepared to teaching a senior-level mathematics course, but one of the few things that was keeping me grounded was that the book was to be selected by administrators at ICB/CAU, so that would save me having to make most of the decisions regarding content for my Probability class. Moreover, the university would provide the textbooks to the students. Little did I know, and little did CB know, and little did the person supposedly in charge of retrieving said textbooks from the library, no textbook was on file for this class. #sarcasticwoo

FORTUNATELY (can’t believe how many lucky breaks I’m catching!), there happened to be a textbook titled Probability and Statistics for Engineers and something-or-other. To be honest, my eyes glazed over at “Engineers,” not because they are lesser scientists, because they are most assuredly not, but because they just don’t appreciate the fine nuances of theoretical mathematics. That is to say, they’re lesser scientists. ;) #allinjest #imsuretheyvegotsickerburnsforme So, I guess I’m teaching from an Engineering textbook.

During this brief window of time with CB, I learned how various countries measure the breathability of the air, acquired a facemask, and snagged an air purifier. Things necessary to life in Beijing! I was then invited out to lunch with CB and his wife RB; I was unaware that their would be fourth, ML. Having never met RB, and being unaware that ML existed, I waited for the 20 minutes that CB needed to get a couple things ready before lunch in my room, then headed down to the entrance of the Guest House (where my apartment and office are located, in case I haven’t mentioned it by name yet). Waiting there was a 30-something Asian-descent woman who somehow didn’t look like she was a native Chinese resident. Best guess: RB. She smiles at me and asks if I’m here to have lunch with R, to which I say confirm and ask if that’s her. Turns out it’s ML, and a reference to a particular Disney movie popped into my head. (I bet you’re not thinking of the same one I was, though!) Anyway, it’s 12:30pm at that point, and I wouldn’t spend the next 11 hours with ML, a Communications instructor for ICB who has only been in Beijing since September, barely speaks any Chinese and gets by reading it as she knows Japanese. Turns out she was born in Brazil, though! That certainly explained why her features were not quite Chinese.

CB and RB showed up a few awkward, mostly silent, minutes later as, not anticipating a fourth left me just socially awkward enough to just keep my mouth shut and let my mind wander. RB led the way to a Chinese restaurant around the corner, and we had a ridiculously cheap meal. Everything was delicious, even the rice noodles and cabbage dish! CB asked how open I was to trying things I’ve never had before, and I responded that I’m hear to make the make the most of this opportunity. He followed up with, “So, you’ll try chicken feet?” I’ve never so quickly doubted my convictions before! Fortunately, the food we order was basic enough fare for a Chinese restaurant, so I didn’t have to prove my grit just yet.

Day 2: The Big Adventure

During the meal, ML mentioned that the “lantern festival” was that night, and that she’d be joining a friend of her’s somewhere in Beijing, TBD. CB mentioned off-handedly that there was a 4-story bookstore several kilometers away. My interest was piqued, but having no means of transportation, I kept my mouth shut. ML did not. She expressed serious interest in venturing out to the store, and I asked if it would be in imposition if I joined. After lunch, CB and RB gave us a rough pin location for the building, walked us over to a bus stop, explained to me how to use my transit card (Thanks, CG!!!), and saw us off on our adventure. At this point, it seems relevant to mention that, although I have two cell phones (my usual American one, and a Chinese phone bought secondhand from ES) (THANKS ES!!!), I don’t have internet access or any real means to contact CB or RB. I also don’t access to a map app (see: I don’t have internet access). As it turns out, ML’s access is hindered by the fact that her iPhone is apparently dated enough to not operate at full capacity with a Chinese SIM card. So she has spotty internet. SPOILERS: Her cell phone would die later that evening. #dundundun

The bus ride was uneventful, and we got off where we thought was should. Without the name of the bookstore or any solid evidence to suggest precisely where the bookstore was, ML then confides in me that she has frequently found herself incapable of finding her destination, wandered around for several hours, then given up and went home. My confidence was soaring. But, as they say, “When in Beijing...”

After finding a map of the surrounding area and comparing it to a screenshot of the rough-pin-location of the bookstore in question, I managed to match shapes cut out by walkways and roads and spot where we should be heading. The pin led us to a bookstore. But this bookstore had only one floor, although the building housing it had 20 floors and an elevator that looked out over the surrounding area. Needless to say, we rode the elevator for a moment before deciding to continue exploring. Stepping outside, we tried to reach CB...and we did! He gave us a more accurate pin and the name of the bookstore. Only one of those two things wound up being helpful.

On our way over to the new location (2 more blocks West), we stumbled on a developed “alley” that housed a wide plethora of shops, including....A BOOKSTORE!!! Dudes and Dudettes: let me tell you, this bookstore was amazing!! Check out the pictures below:

So cool! But this wasn’t where the pin was located, only had two floors, and when we scaled the spiral staircase, some 20-something employees started walking towards us and speaking in Mandarin. ML goes, “I’m sorry, we don’t speak any Mandarin, but we think we know what you’re trying to say. Have a nice day!” And we walked out of the store with our tails tucked loosely between our legs.

I was I could accurately convey all of the things I saw that struck me as fascinating while we explored this area of Beijing, but honestly there was just too much, and I can’t imagine you all are still reading this carefully, given that I’m not exactly giving the “Reader’s Digest” version of events. Or so you may think. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m doing my best to keep this short while still conveying how crazy this day was. And we’re only a couple hours into my afternoon/evening with ML. I applaud any and all who keep reading attentively. I’ll try to make it entertaining.

I will say that in this alley, I got stared down by a police officer. Mildly intimidating and recalled to mind the other intimidating visual to grace me. Just after checking out at the supermarket that morning, while I was packing the couple of items I had purchased into my backpack, I looked up and saw, for the first time in my life, 4 full sets of riot gear. Helmet, vest, nightstick (or whatever it’s called), and some sort of gun in a padded case. Sure, I know that I’ve been around those things before in my life, but never were they in plain view, seemingly on display.

After a few more minutes, a few more crossed streets, and pulling ML out of the way of a car that didn’t seem to care that she was there, we made our way to the pin’s location. And none of the stores around us bore the name of the 4-story bookstore. But we did find another bookstore.........and it turned out to be the right one! Crazy!! Of course, this was after trying out what we guessed was a calligraphy shop that seemed to primarily sell books? The words on the door were somewhat misleading. Anyway, let me tell you: in spite of being in a bookstore filled with words that I can’t understand, I still felt so calm and secure being surrounded by all of those books!

At this point, ML and I seemed to have figured out each other’s senses of humor and made frequent jokes and shared stores as we roamed the shelves, looking desperately for books written in English. After searching all four floors, some twice, we find a section with no markings nearby that happened to have some books in English. After looking over all of the classics (pretty much all they had), discussing the ones we’ve read, conversing about those we haven’t, we each picked one out to buy. I’ve seen Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World referenced too many times in crossword puzzles and trivia questions to not have developed an absurd curiousity for this book I’ve never read. So naturally I bought it. It seems like a rather nice-looking copy, no artwork to speak of, but elegant in a somewhat formal-Chinese kind of way. It came to 26 yuan, or about $3.90. HOW AM I BUYING A BOOK FOR THAT CHEAP?! WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE?! *sigh* Well, I seem to be getting by without my Kindle fine enough for now...(THANKS AGAIN RS FOR SHIPPING IT TO ME!!! I’ll let you know as soon as it arrives!)

Day 2: The Lantern Festival

At this point, ML had heard from her friend who I will just call R (have yet to become privy to her family name), and we were given the name of the place we were headed towards: Happy Park. By now, it was around 4:15pm, and we needed to somehow figure out where Happy Park was, how to get there, and manage to not get lost in the process by 6:30pm. So we went for tea. The place we stopped in was what seemed to be a solid attempt at a German tea/coffee shop-slash-bakery. And I got a cup of English Breakfast Tea for 22 yuan ($3.30). Not the best deal, but I learned an invaluable lesson: just take a picture of what you want to order! So simple, so elegant, so effective!!! I was also by this time learning that most people make purchases using the main “social media” app, WeChat. In fact, many shops and restaurants don’t carry any cash as WeChat is just a more effective means of payment. You can link a debit card to your account and you’re good to go! (More on this in Day 3).

<I’ve been writing for almost 2 hours! Yikes!!!> <I wonder if I can get a book deal out of this...>

Without really knowing where to find a subway station, ML and I headed back to where the bus dropped us off, thinking at the very least we could head back to campus and the subway station there. (Also, for those of you who don’t know: I’ve never ridden a subway. Sure, I use RTD rails almost daily in Denver, but somehow this just seemed different. Especially given how many lines there are and that we didn’t actually know where we were going...) We found a bus heading back towards campus, hopped on, and almost immediately spotted a subway station. The bus didn’t drop us off for 2-3 more blocks...

After meandering back to the subway station, we found a map and lo-and-behold there was a stop dedicated to whatever Happy Park is. And it’s on the complete opposite side of town. #unethusedyay #adventuretime We plotted our course and hopped on the train without incident if you don’t count the pile of vomit that I would almost certainly have stepped in had ML not avoided it just before me! *phew* The subway itself was on par, if not nicer, than the trains in Denver, if only a bit louder. Confined spaces and all that. By the time we made our three transfers and got to the other side of Beijing, the sun had set, it was 6:20pm, and we had made it just in time! R met us at the station minutes after.

When we turned to see where we were headed, I was floored. Right in front of us with giant glowing words spelling out (in two languages) “Happy Park” was an amusement park that rivals some Disney parks in it’s show-y-ness. As it was dark, I can’t say precisely how big it was, but I was impressed. Tickets for entry were 145 yuan (roughly $20), which I fortunately had brought along that morning, not realizing precisely how crazy the day would get.

Once inside, R informed us that there’d be a show starting in a few minutes. We tried to find a spot, but the girls had trouble seeing over the heads of the people ahead of us. In fact, I had to stand on my tiptoes as most of the people in front of me were holding up their children, phones, and self-sticks. There was a small mound that almost certainly was not intended for foot-traffic, but nonetheless had a solid 75 people standing on 6-foot-tall trees. When we joined the crowd up there, hoping for a better vantage point, we were disappoint. That is, until ML decided to climb a tree. And I joined her. Naturally. I don’t have pictures of the entire show, sadly. I was too busy being floored and hoping that my one leg that was supporting my weight would hold up! I’m also not including them here as I have to format the videos. But stay tuned in the near future for videos!!

After the show, we wandered around the park for several more hours. I was quite impressed. And the food we got was quite delicious!! Small, fried potatos balls, and donut-hole sized balls loosely-based on a Japanese dish that I couldn’t possibly spell correctly, topped with dried fish. YUM! Check out the pictures of some of the attractions we saw:

This was the interior of an Aquariam-themed section of the park. It was a welcome respite near the end of the night, given that it felt like it was nearing 10F outside.

A Mayan temple, with a restaurant inside and, probably, a water-slide ride built into it? Hard to say. If only our phones hadn’t died and we weren’t so cold by the time we made it to the Athenian/Spartan-inspired section of the park! So many cool statues and buildings!

A still shot as 5 motorcyclists entered the arena after some drum-dancers! Stay tuned for videos of them riding inside the wire ball on the right! [Edit 3: the videos will likely get posted as gifs. Quality will probs be not great. One of them will involve the motorcyclists doing loop-stunts, and the other will involve a dragon-dance with dope fireworks. I didn’t get any video of the lion-dancers from earlier in the show, but take my word for it: it was dope as fuck. So much so that I don’t feel bad about dropping an f-bomb in this edit. I can’t possibly find the words after 3.5 hours of writing to convey just how cool this show was!]

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what this is, but it looked cool!

This was a small bridge, reminiscent of the bridges in Europe where people write their initials on padlocks and toss the keys into the river below. From what we could tell (thanks to R’s understanding of her native tongue), the pieces all talk about the love between family, friends or significant others.

After the Aquarium-themed building got us toasty warm, and it was ticking closer and closer to 10pm, we bee-lined it out of the park and back to to the subway station. Another three transfers, some more conversation, and we were back on campus. While on the trains, either to or from Happy Park, I don’t remember which, ML commented on how quiet I had been earlier that day while waiting for CB and RB before lunch. Given how quiet I was at lunch, she was understandably worried that the pattern would continue. If you know me, you know it just takes a bit for me to get comfortable and figure out how to talk to you. Needless to say, I told too many stories with a surplus of details in each of the bookstores, on each of the trains, and all of the time in between. I’m thinking ML is going to be a pretty solid friend these next couple of months, if I she doesn’t get sick of my stories first!

As I alluded to above, it was around 11pm before we were back in the Guest House. I was ridiculously pooped but not entirely unimpressed at how not-jet-lagged I was! I passed out soon thereafter and woke up for the third and final time around 7am.

Day 3: Merry Mart II, the Second Part

Alas, morning came; and with it came a surplus of energy to spent getting my life together in Beijing. I still hadn’t unpacked my luggage, there were too many things my apartment was still missing, and I didn’t have a reliable means of feeding myself as I had been warned (and witnessed) that many places just simply don’t carry cash. And naturally don’t accept American credit cards.

So I packed a small bag and headed out again. I stopped by Starbucks, attempted to order a Black Tea Latte from the girl who said “Morning” to me, and made the false assumption that this particular colloquialism implied English-fluency. I wound up with a regular Latte. Still good, though! After that, I made my way to the KFC near the Merry Mart only to find that this establishment is one described above. My cash wouldn’t do me much good there. *shrug*

In the Merry Mart, I grabbed several more bread-based food items, a microwavable meal in a bowl, another power strip, some gum, and more chips. Pringles. American flavors. Two cans of Guiness, and two bottles of hand soap. This time, I kept track of the price of each individual item so I knew how much cash to have ready at the register. This time went far more smoothly, and I filled my entire backpack with items that ran up to 134 yuan (~$20). HOW?! HOW AM I GETTING SO MUCH FOR SO LITTLE I LOVE THIS!!!

Day 3: Getting my shit together

After that, my mind was set on opening a bank account to connect to my WeChat account. I reached out to CB, who graciously offered his assistance for a small amount of time. Ideally, this wouldn’t take too long. After all, he has plenty of work to be getting on with!

Well, the first bank we tried didn’t work because I’m not staying in town for more than 2 years. The second bank was more accepting. He translated exceptionally while I filled out documents written completely in Chinese. I was having an internal panic attack as I did something that felt incredibly wrong or anything. No, not at all. It’s totally okay to sign your name on documents that you can’t read. Yup, totally okay...

As it turns out, the bank would need to send me verification texts, so I gave them my phone number. But my American phone number wouldn’t work for them (they didn’t even try!), so after 30 minutes of waiting and 10 minutes of paperwork, CB and I headed down the street to get a SIM card and a cellular plan. Oh boy. All told, I think I waited for another hour there while CB got some work done; the paperwork and discussions took another 20-30 minutes. Once I had my phone situated, CB assured me that I could handle the rest of the bank stuff on my own as the staff would certainly recognize me and remember what I wanted. Plus, most of the paperwork was already filled out, right? Right? *sigh

The staff at the bank were less than enthused to find that CB hadn’t joined me. This was gonna be a blast, let me tell ya...

All told, I filled out twice as much paperwork as the staff scrambled to find a way to communicate with the moronic American who didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on around him. Of course, filling out this paperwork and determining exactly what they wanted and whether or not I wrote down the right things (i.e. understood exactly what information they were after) included 5-8 different sessions with several different employees, each with somewhere between 10-70 min wait-times. On the plus side, I’m almost done with Dan Brown’s Origin. Not his best work, but certainly entertaining enough to pass the time in a bank surrounded by people who probably would rather I not exist. To be clear, I don’t begrudge them at all; their service was impeccable, and their patience was never-ending, and the entire thing was significantly less annoying than it had any right to be, given the language barrier.

I left their establishment many hours later with a debit card, Chinese bank account, and the means to buy stuff wherever I wanted to go. And a significant amount of confidence that I can get through the next four months quite contentedly. Granted, I didn’t do nearly as much to earn this confidence as the staff at my new bank did!

After the fiasco at the bank, I went back to the Guest House, unpacked my suitcases, and laid down in bed to type this novella. That was several hours ago.

Convinced that I’ve had a crazy few days?

A coworker from Denver asked me how China has been so far, and I told him that it “[w]ent from shit to fantastic so damn fast.” Hopefully my long, rambling story has here has justified that claim for those of you reading this.

There was only one other day in my life that I can recall feeling as justifiably petrified as I did Monday night. I described the feeling as trying to wake up from a dream only to find that you’re wide awake. I was encouraged earlier today to remember that I don’t have to get through all 4 months of this experience at once; I just need to take it one day at a time. I usually don’t find these adages and idioms to be particularly helpful, but this one seems to be true.

In the future, blog posts probably won’t be nearly as long. Thanks for reading!

Now to finish this beer and book!

Sláinte,

BeardyAllen

[calwrights]

Origin Stories

A birthday gift for my soulmate.

June 26th 2017

Legit went meta towards the end

Fate often times tore people apart,

but,

sometimes fate brought people together,

But only if,

they were meant to be together,

in this life.

Age 7-8

Two kids were lost in a supermarket.

In the same supermarket?

On the same day?

In the same time?

In some lives,

they were not.

But at least once in their lives they were indeed lost in a supermarket on a hot summer day.

Supposed to cling to their mothers skirts and stay close like they were asked to, while their mothers shopped.

But,

well,  

there’s only so much a child can listen to.

Which is why child number 1 found herself lost in a throng of people.

And child number 2 found herself hiding behind one of those new freezers the frozen food was stored in.

Child number 1 didn’t mean to get lost.

An old lady had dropped something from her cart and her mother always told her to respect her elders.

So as an obedient child she help get the old lady’s piece of paper back to her.

Child number 2 did get lost on purpose.

Because in her mind-

It’s what her mother dared her to do.

Child number 1 started panicking.

The nice old lady gave her the pizza coupon as a reward for getting her coupons back to her.

But when child 1 turned around she was lost.

Her mother nowhere in her sights.

Just strangers milled around in an unfamiliar place.

As one would suspect, it’s overwhelming for a kid.

Tears started welling up in child number 1’s eyes as anxiety settled into her bones.

Child number 2 was starting to think that actually taking her mother’s words to heart was a bad idea.

She also started to think that sitting behind a dusty, old, cold freezer eating frozen food straight out of the bag without asking was a bad idea.

What her mother actually said was:

“If you get lost I’m going to leave you and you’ll live here forever.”

Living at the supermarket didn’t seem all that bad to child number 2.

But the loneliness felt terrible.

Child number 1 started to run.

With no aim in mind.

Well, she actually hoped that at least one of the people that she literally ran into would scold her and she would cling to her skirts like she was supposed to and never let go.

But well, fate didn’t end up going so well for child number 1.

Fate just created a misunderstanding.

She ran past the same old lady who gave her the coupon.

And in her haze child number 1 didn’t realize the old lady calling after her.

She also didn’t realize the old lazy still calling out for her and that she started to follow child number 1 through the crowd.

She also failed to see the security guard taking notice of the commotion and coming to the wrong conclusion.

With two people yelling after her the girl ran faster before slipping in front of a CAUTION WET sign.

Child number 1 yelped as oily, crumbly, cold hands dragged her behind a freezer.

Child number 2 had witnessed the small disturbance and decided to take action.

However she didn’t think said action will get her punched straight in the face.

“I saved you! Geez...” child number 2 muttered harshly while holding her aching nose.

Thankfully it wasn’t bleeding.

Child number one responded with a sharp: “I never asked for your help!”

“Well, if you want to go back outside-”, child number 2 accented her words by trying to shove child number 1 through the small opening that was used to get behind the freezer.

“No! No, fine ok! I’ll stay- Stop pushing me!” child number 1 whispered.

Child number 2 stopped and propped herself back up against the freezer.

Child number 1 sat against the wall,

the old woman and the security guard having long since ran past the freezer.

“You should apologize.”

“Why do I need to apologize?”

“You punched me in the face.”

“You dragged me behind a freezer.”

“Do you want to go back outside?”

“...”

“Fine, I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. Besides I think I scared you, haha!”

“I wasn’t scared by some weird… freezer dwelling...chicken nugget eater?- Why are you eating-”

“I’m not eating chicken nuggets!”

“I saw them. Hiding them under the freezer won’t help.”

“You can go back out-,”

“You’re supposed to pay for things before buying them!”

“Shhhhh!-”

Child number 1 looked at child number 2 distrustfully.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Child number 2 said sniffing.

“...”

“You’re crying-,”

“You’re the one who was crying while running into people.”

“I was looking for my mom, ok!”

“...”

“You lost your mom too? I mean- I didn’t lose lose my mom I just…”

“So, we’re both lost?”

“I’m not lost.”

“Yeah, right...Nugget.”

“Yeah, well...Pizza coupon?”

“I’d take just the Pizza part.”

“...ok.”

They eventually came out from behind the freezer and explained to the security guard the misunderstanding.

Then they went off to search for their mothers.

Child number found her mother immediately, and ran straight into the folds of her skirt.

Child number one was so wrapped up in her mother scolding her she totally forgot about child number- Nugget.

And when Pizza turned back around she couldn't find her friend.

Nugget was also searching for her friend from her post on the side of a grocery cart.

Finding her mother was easy with her parent yelling for her.

The cart rattled through the parking lot.

The texture of the asphalt making it quite a bumpy ride.

Pizza helped her mother put groceries into the car.

Nugget took the keys and started the car to get the AC running like she was asked to.

And while their mothers drove out of the parking lot.

Two girls met eyes from two different cars.

One car going left.

The other turning right.

Neither knowing how important, or how painful the other will be in their lives.

And by painful...

It’s painful by how they never quite meet.

No matter how close fate brings the two individuals together.

Age 14-15?

School field trip sounded cool until Nugget got lost.

She wandered off looking at the flock of sheep on the farm.

The class was supposed to be learning about farm animals, but Nugget had already read about them from the books in the library.

Eventually she came to a rusted chain link fence.

And that was the second time she met Pizza.

Pale skin, glasses, and white clothes.

Pizza was coming back from the bathroom when she heard rattling from a fence and a voice shouting nonsense.

She turned around and almost didn’t recognize the kid- no teen now.

Messy curly hair, tan skin, and scars.

Pizza was about to open her mouth and respond when-

“Where have you been?” a loud voice bellowed. Nugget flinched at the loud voice, the rusty fence mimicking her.

One of Pizza’s chaperones came stomping over. Kicking up dry dust and dirt as she went about.

“Ms. W-!”

“We don’t have time! The buses are waiting on us, let’s go!”

The chaperone totally ignored Nugget as she grabbed ahold of Pizzas hand.

Pizza was being dragged back to the buses.

“Wait! What’s your name?”

“It’s-!”

Pizza was cut off by the buses started up, having caught sight of the last lost student.

Nugget was trapped behind the fence. She almost had the idea to climb over.

As Pizza was driven off in a mass of screaming kids, their eyes met once again.

But Pizza was the only one who was behind glass.

And Nugget was only left with imprinted rusted hands,

from grasping the fence too hard.

Wishing there were no barriers to get to know her mysterious friend more.

Age 17-18?

Senior trip usually sucked.

Which is why Pizza opted to go to a medical program.

While her peers were probably getting drunk and making bad life decisions, she was furthering her career.  

She was performing an analysis on a deep shock dummy patient.

Her and other top students were put into the window lab.

Where visiting schools can see what it will be like for their students that join the program.

And as fate would have it,

Nuggets school was visiting.

Pizza didn’t notice the smooshed up face against the glass staring intensely at her, until most of her colleagues were distracted by it.

Time froze for both girls.

Until, staff in white lab coats were ushering Nugget to get back with the main group.

Nugget didn’t want to leave and was causing a ruckus until Pizza make a motion for her to just go.

Pizza’s heart broke at the rejected expression Nuggets face wore.

Nugget reluctantly followed the staff.

She looked over her shoulder through the glass again.

And Pizza had half a mind to leave her simulated patient and find Nugget.

But,

Nugget was already gone.

And the exit only led to the other side of the building.

It was useless.

This time, not only separated by glass.

But by duty, and law.

Age 25-26?

There were so many instances where they just were about to meet.

But something was always between them.

Tearing them apart.

Fate was getting frustrated.

Which is why fate made Pizza miss her alarm at 6:30 am, and that forced her to get coffee from a shop closer to her internship job.

Unbeknownst to Pizza or Nugget.

Nugget was working the shift there during 7-10 am.

Pizza literally fell into the shop, her papers falling all around her.

The sound of the bell literally being killed and a girl falling into the coffee shop at 8:10 am startled Nugget, which caused her to fall off her stool behind the counter.

Thankfully it was just them in the shop at that time.

Pizza called up from the floor while gathering her papers:

“Hey! I know you guys are a coffee shop, but do you have any tea? Coffee really doesn’t affect me and I just need something this morning. I woke up late, green tea would be best, no honey or sugar thank you-!”

“Coffee doesn’t affect me either!- I mean- You got it ma'am!”

Nugget turned her back and started brewing hot water and setting out the leaves required.

Pizza finally captured all her escaped papers and walked up to the counter, placing down money to hurry and get out of there.

“Sorry, the tea is going to take just a minute to brew-”

Nugget froze.

Pizza looked up when the barista stopped in the middle of her sentence.

Their eyes met,

again.

Time froze.

Again.

The timer for the tea went off and out of habit Nugget turned around sharply and started pouring the tea into a cup.

They couldn’t think of anything to talk about, yet.

Nugget ringed up the cup of tea, and Pizza blew on the steaming surface of the cup.

“So, are you late or something?”

“I am, actually.”

“You should go then, you’re in a very worthwhile profession.”

“Kicking me out already...Nugget?”

“Ha! Funny because the last time we met I got the feeling you were the one kicking me out, Pizza.”

“Oh, how the roles have reversed.”

They chuckled into an awkward silence.

“...We never got each others names-”

Pizza’s sentence was cut short by the jingling of the shop door and a crowd of loud businessmen walked through.

“Go, you’ll be late.- Yes! What can I get you sir?”

Frowning as Pizza realized Nuggets words were true she found her feet walking towards the door.

She walked outside,

just to rush back in and-

“I’ll come back! I live near here! I will learn your name!”

All she received from Nugget was a small smile.

And now, thinking back.

Pizza should’ve realized that her smile was forced.

Sad, tense.

Pizza should’ve known.

No matter how much fate can dabble its hands into time and space.

Sometimes, it’s not enough to save someone.

Pizza’s internship was hell that afternoon.

There was a shootout between a gang and a couple of policemen working undercover in a few shops.

Many people were dead or requiring surgery to survive.

Throughout the entire afternoon all Pizza was assisting in surgery were doctors with civilians.

No policemen.

Yet.

Not until Nugget.

Goddamn it, Nugget.

Pizza’s hands shook as she read the report in the operating theater.

       There was just no way they should save her, looking back.

She didn’t have a bulletproof vest on, like the others.

The report didn’t say where it went, but later it was found on a dead kid.

The sacrifice,

went to waste.

Pizza glanced back at the body through the glass.

And in a bitter twist of fate, they were once again separated by glass,

duty, and law.

Pizza read Nuggets information.

  So, Chayanne was your name.

Age 26.

Born June 4th.

Daughter to two Marines.

I watched you go up, kinda.

And you, me.

Mine is Nahil.

I should’ve just told you my name.

Just yelled it.

I’m sorry.

Fate,

Sometimes brings two people together.

Sometimes it doesn't.

And sometimes it brings them together.

Just to rip them apart.

But in another life.

Nugget survived.

Pizza wasn’t late, but decided to try out a new coffee shop.

Nugget was in the medical program with Pizza.

There was no rusty chain linked fence.

Or even the roles were reversed and Pizza was the one on the table.

And in some other life.

This is all a story

Maybe even written by one of them.

In a universe where they know each other's names.

And in that life.

Fate finally succeeded.

Happy birthday moon.

“You will never be completely at home again,

Because part your heart will always be elsewhere.

That’s the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

[yournewapartment]

So I'm a Canadian who will be moving to Scotland later this month for university and I'm wondering: Do you have any tips for getting settled in a new country? This will be the first time I'm buying my own groceries and not using student loans so budgeting advice is also welcome.

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for like at least a month... I’m so sorry! Some posts take more time to write then others. I actually have about four asks that are all essentially this same question, so I’m going to just combine them all into one post. 

As for budgeting... here’s my two cents, in terms of Minimum Wage.

Budgeting on Minimum Wage

Overview

The average minimum wage in the US is $7.25/hr. Even working full time at 40 hours a week, that’s only a profit of $290 before taxes. This is not a fair living wage! You are worth way more than this amount! I strongly encourage you to start looking for another job that pays better, look for something around the $10-$15 range.

While $7.25 is atrocious, thousands of people around the world support families on much less. If they can do it while supporting children, so can you! To live off a minimum wage budget you need to declare yourself independent. If your parents are still claiming you as a dependent YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS. I also recommend that you have the highest amount possible taken out of your taxes so that you get money back from your state at the end of the year, instead of being in debt to them.

What I’ve done is come up with a budgeting plan based off some made up factors and my own personal experience.

Housing

1. City life. Forget about the city! Apartments located in cities can be three times as expensive as apartments in small towns or villages. On top of the extra expense, they’re much smaller and have less amenities included. I’d much rather live in a one bedroom apartment with a dishwasher and a conveniently located Laundromat, than a literal closet with no windows on a fifth floor walkup. Look for apartments twenty minutes to a half hour outside of your closest city. Now you have the close conveniences of a city, with none of those pesky city prices that your budget can’t handle.

2. College towns. Shop around and look at apartments by local colleges. Large colleges with have apartment complexes within walking distance of the school grounds. Landlords know that college students have less money (you might even be a college student yourself) and adjust their prices accordingly. Even apartments next to ivy league schools are priced this way, so don’t be discouraged by the institution’s “prestige”.

3. Locale. Your safety is more important than your bank account. It doesn’t matter if you live in Section 8 housing or in an affluent suburb. Some apartment complexes and neighborhoods are just safer than others. I live in a heavily populated and upper middle class suburb, and the first year I moved in, a drunk woman tried to throw a beer bottle at my car. Thankfully this is the only time this happened to me, but it made me feel unsafe in my environment. Before signing a lease, walk or drive around your prospective home’s neighborhood at night. Take in the atmosphere, and make sure it’s one where you could comfortably run to the local supermarket at 10:30pm and pick up toilet paper.

4. Roommates. Living on minimum wage requires that you find one or two roommates to help split the rent. The more the better! Get together with your more responsible friends, so at least you’re living with people whose company you enjoy. There are lots of “roommate wanted” forums and message boards for you to browse on the internet, but always bring a responsible adult with you before meeting a stranger. Please. Bring your mom if you have too.

Food

1. Low-spoon food. I created this post a few months ago which offers lots of suggestions about cooking and shopping on a budget.

2. Online recipes. Here are some of my favorite online Tumblr cookbook resources.

- College Student Cookbook. Click here.

- Meals On The Go. Click here. (Not a cookbook, but super helpful)

- Broke College Kid Masterpost. Click here.

- Cooking on A Bootstrap. Click here.

- Good and Cheap. Click here.

- Budget Bytes. Click here.

3. I also regularly update my cooking on a budget tag.

Misc Expenses

1. Gas. Shop around and find the cheapest gas in your area. Avoid gas stations next to colleges, highways, and in touristy areas. Look into getting as gas rewards card from your favorite supermarket. I get 10 cents off a gallon with Stop & Shop every time I do a big shop.

2. Dollar store. Get to know your local dollar and bargain stores. You can buy everything from pots and pans to bed sheets there. These stores often sell bulk ramen for $1 and large cans of crushed tomatoes for 75 cents. That’s enough food for you to live off of for several days. When shopping, I make three grocery store stops to ensure that I spend the least amount possible on my pantry needs. I go Dollar Store, Stop and Shop, and then to my local organic grocery store. I’m going to make a list of things that I buy at Dollar Stores and things that I don’t buy at Dollar Stores soon!

3. Cable. We are living in the digital age- you don’t need cable television. Use Netflix or Hulu or whatever. It will save you tons of $$.

4. Internet. As far as internet speed goes, if you’re living with roommates you will probably need a higher speed. Living by yourself, choose a lower one. Most internet companies offer large discounts to new subscribers. These typically only last a year, but will save you serious money. Make sure to take note of when this discount expires, and contact the company before it does. If you don’t, they’ll begin charging you the full amount without notice.

5. Verizon. I just want to take a moment to talk about how much I love Verizon because they have literally saved me so much money in the three years I’ve been with them. After you sign a contract with a new internet company, they charge you a bunch of ridiculous fees like “activation fees” and “installation fees”. I called Verizon and was like “I’m a poor college student, I can’t afford this” and they were like “don’t worry, we’ll waive the fee”. I signed a two year contract with them that saved me $80 on a high-speed internet bill per month (my price being only 50.99 a month). After the contract expired I call them and they put me on a month to month, keeping the price absolutely the same. TLDR- get Verizon if you can.

6. Utility. Get on a monthly budget with whatever utility company services your new apartment. Although it may seem like the cheaper option, paying the actual amount of electricity you spend per month is the more expensive. It’s also unpredictable, and a minimum wage budget won’t allow for it. See this for more info.

7. Amazon. I buy a lot of my beauty, cleaning, and cat products online. Amazon offers Prime shipping free for a year with a student email address, and then offers it at a greatly reduced price after the year. If you are a student, snap up that free deal ASAP. If it’s in your budget, I’d greatly recommend investing in Amazon Prime.

8. Saving money. It’s so important to attempt to break way from the “paycheck to paycheck” vicious cycle. Living this way does not allow for emergency expense money, and trust me, sometime soon you will need emergency expense money. Your cat might get sick or your car may die, whatever it is, it’s always smart to have at least $500 squirreled away. I’m gonna level with you, things have been tight for my budget and I haven’t been able to save anything for the past three months. But this month I will!

Example Budgets

Full Time

Working with the $7.25/hr and 40hr/week model, here’s an example budget for living on minimum wage. That’s $1,160 a month without taxes.

Housing: Let’s say you’re sharing an apartment with two close friends, the rent being $1,500 without any amenities. That rent split three ways is $500 each.

Gas I commute twenty minutes every day, and I drop about $20-$25 a week on gas. That’s $100 on gas a month.

Food: I do one big shopping a month with my boyfriend. We drop around $180 and that’s including toiletries and soap and stuff. So maybe you’ll spend about $100 a month on all your shopping needs.

Cable/internet:  Hopefully you took my advice and skipped cable. Let’s say you’re paying around $50 per month for internet. Split three ways that’s $17 each.

Laundry: Hopefully you’re not like me and are only spending around $20 on laundry per month.

Random expenses: Because there always are some. Let’s just tack on another $100.

With everything added up, you still have around $290 left before taxes! That money can go into a savings account, and after several months, you’ll have that $500 worth of emergency money saved.

Part Time

Working with the $7.25/hr and 25hr/week model, here’s an example budget for living on minimum wage. That’s $725 without taxes.

Housing: In this case, you need to look for apartments in the $800-900 range. In my area, one bedroom apartments go for around $1000, so you may need to get creative with your roommate (I don’t think you could have more than one roommate in this situation). Buy dividers to split the bedroom or studio in half! Let’s say your rent is $850 with nothing included, that’s $425 each.

Gas You’re still looking at a large gas bill per month, so it may be more inexpensive to ride a bike or use public transportation. Let’s say you use public transportation, and spend around $50 a month on that. Or maybe you and your roommate can split gas expenses and share a car?

Food: Pinch those pennies! Use some of those budget cookbooks I linked above to help you cook healthy and delicious meals for under $4 each. See if you can only spend $80 a month on groceries.

Cable/internet:  Hopefully you took my advice and skipped cable. Let’s say you’re paying around $50 per month for internet. Split two ways is $25 each.

Laundry: Hopefully you’re not like me and are only spending around $20 on laundry per month.

Random expenses: Because there always are some. Let’s just tack on another $100.

That leaves you $25 to put in your bank account, if that. This is a paycheck to paycheck situation, and you will probably need to get another source of income to feel secure. But you can still do it!

[ginasneesby]

New Zealand 2018 - first week

So I did it, I planned to move to New Zealand for a year and I actually did it. The last thing that I decided I wanted to do and actually did was to start tap dancing when I was 15 so it's only taken me another 14 years to achieve something I said I was going to do. Obviously, that doesn't include uni and London etc because that was a natural step, this is so far away from my normal life it's a little scary but I'm also very excited for what the year will hold.

I flew on the evening of the 9th of January and was escorted to the airport by my parents, my sister and my two best girls. We had a meal and a drink, I was given some lovely presents and then I made them leave me so I could go sit at the gate and not make a big scene in the departure lounge. I'm going to miss everyone like crazy but I hope travelling and having new experiences will fill that gap; at least a little. My first flight was about 14 hours long, luckily I had nobody sitting next to me so I had a bit of room, but I was also trying to stay awake this journey to try and get on the right time so I watched films for most of the flight and didn't mind being in one seat and up right. Of all the films I watched Deepwater Horizon was probably the best one it made me forget that I was on a plane which is always good when you're sat down for so freaking long. I stopped off in Manila for 3 or so hours, it wasn't too bad although it's a weird feeling to be tired so you want to sit down but also want to do anything but sit down because that's all you've done for the last day and will do again for the next 10 hours. There is also absolutely fuck all to do, so I spent my time listening to sense and sensibility on Audible, I wish I downloaded a better book. The next flight was 10 hours I was in the middle of 4 and every seat was taken and I noticed there was no entertainment system in front of me. Ho Ly Shit!! Luckily my plan was to sleep for most of this flight, I managed about 5 hours having had a little kip on the first flight, but that still meant 4 hours until we landed with no films to watch and nothing downloaded as I have no memory. I can't tell you the last time I cycled through Candy Crush, Angry Birds and other such games for such a long time all while listening to Jane Austen. It was a very boring few hours, but I made it! I landed, collected my bags, got through immigration and customs and after a desperate cigarette got a shuttle which took me straight to the door of my Airbnb in Grafton. I was determined not to ruin the good work I had done on the plane so even though I was pretty tired I went out for a walk found the local supermarket and bought a few things for dinner. It's quite an experience walking around a supermarket hungry and jetlagged, you can't make any decisions on what you want to eat but you kind of want everything, after I walked home with the food I then wasn't hungry at all so I had a few chips and dip and went to sleep. I woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning really hungry so ate a little something, luckily I managed to go back to sleep easily and woke up at a more reasonable time.

My first job was to try and find a car, I had a budget of about $2,000 which is about £1100, it didn't have to be anything spectacular it just had to last me a year! Maybe I was looking in the wrong place but nobody really had cars for that price, they were all a lot more expensive, one dealer did have a car in that price range, it was a bit older than I would have wanted but I thought I'll have a look and take it for a drive, however he came back to tell me but they'd actually lost the keys about a month ago. Good work guys. So a bit deflated and a bit sunburnt, why did no one tell me it was going to be so hot! I trekked back to my Airbnb stopping at a pub, an Irish pub obvs, and then decided to go to an off licence to buy some more beer and try to salvage the day. That's always the best thing to do when you're worried about how much to spend on a car, right? Spend it on beer instead and then the issue is gone. I have to say I did have a lovely evening sitting by myself, on the deck, in the sun, getting slightly tipsy and watching comedy programmes on Netflix (Jess is a life saver!) Although I was slightly surprised, it being Friday night that no one else in the Airbnb appeared or even came to say hello, luckily it wasn't my proper accommodation; that would be really sucky.

The next day I had arranged a number of viewings for places to live, the first one although a nice room was living with a family which I didn't realise, yeah no thanks. The next one was quite nice but unfurnished and quite a long way from any shops or pubs, it was on a highway which would be really helpful to get to work but not so fun when you have to drive everywhere. Also some of the neighbours have swimming pools which the girls who lived there said was actual torture on hot days; however it was still top of my list. The third one was a small room which didn't even fit the bed in and there was only one bathroom between me and two boys, it was also upstairs so I would have had to trek through the house if I needed a wee at night. There was also the slight problem of both boys being vegan, yeah no thanks. I had a few more viewings the next day so I wasn't too worried although it's always slightly nerve-racking when other people have viewed, if they didn't pick me, I may have been forced to live somewhere awful. That evening I have plans to go to dinner with my two aunts who came to New Zealand that day and we're heading down to Queenstown to see my cousin play in the under 19 England cricket World Cup team, of all the places in the world it could have been held, it was here. It was very nice to see some familiar faces and actually talk to some people as I haven't really done that for a few days unless I was buying something. We went to a really nice Thai restaurant called Saan where they recommend you buy the large dishes and share them, we shared some starters and have some smaller dishes to ourselves and were absolutely stuffed, whether that's portion size or jet lag I don't know, either way they paid and I was home by about 9:30 and ready for bed.

Sunday morning and I was getting up at 7 o'clock, unthinkable, but I had a viewing and a carfair to get to, this was going to be my best shot at finding a car for the right price. The viewing before was a nice place with one lady, she liked feeding the pigeons outside her front door which meant that they gathered there and harassed you, and she listened to country and western music... for fun. But the place was nice enough, not too expensive and I wouldn't have to buy a bed which was a big plus, she also give me a lift down to the fair which was about 5 minutes away so I wouldn't be late. She had only shown around one other person and would prefer me so she didn't have to live with a guy; so she went to the top of my list. The car fair was a massive success, they had a whole section for under $5,000 and I saw quite a few around 2000, although was quite surprised to see some very old cars(1994) hoping to get 3 and a half to 4, wishful thinking guys. I'd be interested to know if they sold for when I come to resell my car, I think I could get more for it then I paid, especially as the registration only has to be renewed yearly because it's from 2000; apparently backpackers like this and so are willing to pay slightly more. The guy selling the car told me it have broken down recently and so he had bought another car in the meantime and then fixed the problem so he just wanted to get rid of it, he was selling it for 1250. So not only was it a lot cheaper than most of the other cars it had recently been serviced and old bits replaced for new, we took it out onto the highway to check it would go up to 100 kilometres an hour without exploding and when I was satisfied, and the check came back saying it wasn't stolen and there were no massive debts on it, I bought it!!! My only issue is that it's automatic and only 1.3 l engine, not great for a country with lots of big hills, but I'm pretty much used to it already, there wasa bit of toing and froing changing the owner as I had an international licence and then sending the money as I didn't bring my card reader with me and didn't have data yet, but eventually we sorted it out and I came back home. Adulting level one succeeded. My last viewing was up on the north shore near the hospital that I'm going to be working at, this meant crossing the Harbour Bridge with the amazing view of Auckland CBD that I remember from 10 years ago. The place is setback in the bush and down a wicked driveway that reminds me of a holiday home we once had in France, you don't want to stall on that bad boy! It's a beautiful 4 bedroom house, a decent sized room with the loo right next door and two bedrooms downstairs who tend to use the bathroom. The other people living here are more my age and the landlords have a holiday home down the coast that they're trying to get me to already, so I agreed to take the room on the spot. (And I might head to that holiday home!) That night, I don't think I even made it to 8:30 before falling asleep, it had been a busy day.

My only job for Monday was to move into my new place so I quickly ran into town before my check out to see if I could open a bank account, apparently they're very busy and I couldn't get an appointment for a few days, so I thought I'd wait and do it at the branch near my new place. I did get a SIM card which means I have data, I didn't need a bank account or an address which is annoying as I would have got it on day one, I dread to think what my phone bill will be like after texting a lot of people about viewings etc from my UK number. I also got stung in a parking place as the machine didn't take cash and wouldn't accept my cards, by the time I found another machine it was charging me over the hour so I paid $12 for 45 minutes of parking. Needless to say my true Brit came out and I did a bit of shouting at the machine and may have called the car park a cunt. Check out with simple and I stopped at the supermarket on the way to my new place to grab some lunch stuff, and made my appointment with the bank for Thursday, who knew banks was so busy!? After unpacking most of my stuff I headed back to the shopping mall and into warehouse which is a wonderful shop, you can buy pretty much anything and most things in bulk. I bought a set of shelves where I could store my makeup and random bits and bobs and also a mirror so I have somewhere to do my makeup that isn't the little toilet. I then did a big food shop channeling my sister in planning breakfast lunch and dinner for the week, however I did have to count every cent as I went around as the money I had in my purse is all I have until I get my deposit back. My old landlord has at least been in touch and taken my bank details so hopefully it's on it's way, but I did give them to her on Friday and nothing has appeared yet; this is the only annoying thing about the time difference, for me it's end of day Tuesday where as she hasn't woken up yet so won't answer my text for a while.

I slept very well in my nice comfy bed and was trying to think what to do with my day when I looked out the window and saw it was raining, how bloody rude. After breakfast and lounging for a bit it cleared up so I jumped in my car and drove up the coast to go for a walk, I went to Parry Kauri Park and went for quite a muggy jaunt amongst the trees, the sounds and smells were beautiful. The rain had made the forest smell lovely and every so often patches of sunlight came streaming through the super tall trees, it did however mean I was absolutely baking by the time I finished my half hour walk, on my way back down I stopped in on the coast and sat in the shade looking at the waves enjoying the breeze. I also took a quick detour to Takapuna Beach which is my closest one to see what it looked like, the waves were immense and there were loads of people windsurfing, however it was still lovely and warm. I don't have anything planned for this evening and don't have a firm time frame on when I will start work so I may start planning a little excursion for the end of the week, even if it's only with my landlords to their other property.

[duncanbarker-blog]

The Road to Hana is one of the best things to do in Maui (and all of Hawaii). This road trip along the north shore of the island to the less visited eastern side takes place on a narrow winding road through lush rainforest.

Along the way you can stop at waterfalls, gardens, black, red and golden beaches, bamboo forests, and snack stands serving delicious homemade banana bread.

You can choose to be active and hike through the jungle to hidden waterfalls or stay close to your car and still see plenty.

You can drive the Road to Hana yourself in a rental car or take a private or group bus tour. I highly recommend driving yourself as long as you are a confident driver as you’ll have the flexibility to visit where you want for as long as you want.

There are a huge number of potential Road to Hana stops and it’s impossible to see them all in one or even two or three days, so it’s important to plan a few priorities in advance. The best stops are near Hana, so don’t do too much in the early stages and end up exhausted when you reach the good stuff.

Wai‘anapanapa State Park and its black sand beach is one of the best places to visit on the Road to Hana

Most people drive the Road to Hana in one (very long) day, starting early (6 am is best) and returning the same way they came. A few people continue past Hana and return to West Maui via the Back Road to Hana (more on that below).

We did things differently and stayed in Hana for two nights, and I’m so glad we had more time in this beautiful area.

In this post I’ll share why I think you should stay in Hana, the best Road to Hana stops, and useful tips to make the most of the journey, whether you decide to do it in just one day or more.

How Long is the Road to Hana?

The Road to Hana (officially known as the Hana Highway) is 64.4 miles (103.6 km) long. It includes Hawaii Routes 36 and 360 and connects Kahului (Maui’s largest town and home of the airport) with the small town of Hana in East Maui.

The road takes two to three hours to drive without any stops as it’s windy and narrow with many hairpin turns and one-lane bridges where you have to wait for oncoming traffic to pass. With stops you can easily spend 12 hours on the return journey along the Road to Hana.

A section of the Road to Hana between Hana and Oheo Gulch

Despite the name, one of the major attractions on the Road to Hana is 10 miles past Hana. The Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park, where you can hike through a beautiful bamboo forest, is well worth adding to your itinerary and is a priority for many (including us). The Seven Sacred Pools at Oheo Gulch are also located here.

The bamboo forest on the Pipiwai Trail is one of the best Road to Hana stops

If you’re making a day trip, you’ll need to consider how long it will take you to get to the start in Paia from where you are staying. From West and South Maui (where you’ll likely spend most of your time on Maui) this will add an extra 30 to 60 minutes.

Road to Hana Map

Why Stay in Hana

Everyone says the Road to Hana is all about the journey, not the destination, and recommends not even stopping in Hana as it’s a boring small town. I wholeheartedly disagree.

The Road to Hana is the most beautiful part of Maui, so why rush through it on an exhausting day trip? Even staying in Hana for one night will give you time to explore at a more leisurely pace.

You’ll also be close to two of the most popular attractions, so the next morning you can hike the Pipiwai Trail or visit the famous black sand beach at Wai‘anapanapa State Park before the crowds arrive.

The black sand beach at Wai‘anapanapa State Park

If you stay for two nights, you can visit both places early in the morning, as we did. We had the first half of the Pipiwai Trail entirely to ourselves, and it was wonderfully peaceful (in the afternoon it’s a very different experience).

People say Hana itself is dull, but we found it a lovely little town. It may not have any obvious attractions if you rush through, but I fell in love with it when taking a stroll in the late afternoon.

Hana is described as what Hawaii used to be like, and we found it the least Americanised place we visited with no big supermarkets, strip malls, or fast food restaurants. It reminded us more of the relaxed pace of life and lushness of South Pacific villages.

The sleepy town between the mountains and the sea is green and pretty with wooden houses and grassy lawns full of banana trees and hibiscus plants. We wandered past cows grazing in fields, wooden churches backed by mountains, and the school where kids played baseball while parents laughed and cheered on the sidelines. It was by far the most multi-cultural place we visited in Hawaii.

Wananalua Congregational Church in Hana

We’d heard that the town shuts down in the evenings so we brought food to self-cater, but we didn’t need it as there’s a great cluster of food trucks as well as a wonderfully quirky General Store.

There’s so much to do in this beautiful area that we could have happily spent a week here, soaking up the relaxed atmosphere and visiting the nearby beaches and hikes.

This gorgeous red sand beach is a short walk from the centre of Hana

If you want nightlife and shopping, Hana is not the place for you, but if you appreciate quieter places, it’s well worth spending some of your time on Maui here.

And I think everyone should consider spending a night in Hana, either at the beginning or end of your trip, to enjoy the Road to Hana without the crowds or rush.

You’ll find tips on where to stay and eat in Hana near the end of this post.

The view from our condo balcony at Hana Kai

Road to Hana Tips

App and Guidebook

There’s no cell signal for most of the Road to Hana so you’ll need to plan your navigation. I recommend downloading the GyPSy app, which is a guided audio tour of the road. It works offline, gives you information about the sights along the way, and most usefully on this narrow road, warns you of upcoming turnings to attractions (if you miss a turn it’s difficult to find a place to turn around).

If you are keen to visit some off-the-beaten-track spots, I recommend the guidebook Maui Revealed which includes an extensive list of places to visit on the Road to Hana.

Luggage

If you decide to spend a night in Hana, you’ll likely have your luggage with you in your car. We were worried about this as we’d heard that car break-ins were common and we should never leave luggage unattended. I think it’s fine as long as you practice caution.

Make sure everything is hidden out of sight in the trunk and don’t open it along the route. Keep your most important things (cash, passports, camera) with you. And stick to the more visited spots where there are plenty of other cars and people around. If you turn up at a deserted parking area with broken glass on the ground, don’t leave your vehicle there.

Food

It’s not a bad idea to bring a picnic lunch, but there are a few simple food stalls along the way. Best of all, there are many stands where you can buy homemade banana bread and other sweet treats. Make sure you take advantage of these as you’ll regret it later if you don’t stock up. We’ve written about our favourites below.

What to Pack

Wear shoes suitable for hiking (hiking sandals are ideal although your feet may get muddy) and bring water, sunscreen, insect repellant, and enough cash for the day (many stands don’t take cards). If you plan to swim at one of the waterfalls or beaches, bring a towel and wear your swimsuit under your clothes, as there isn’t often places to get changed.

Fill up your car with gas before you head off.

The Back Road to Hana

The road past Hana and Oheo Gulch along the southeast coast of Maui is known as the Back Road to Hana. Most people don’t continue on this road as they’ve heard horror stories about its terrible condition. This is out of date and most of the road is now paved, although there are some bumpy unpaved sections.

We were fine in a regular car, but if you are a nervous driver you probably want to skip it (but then you probably shouldn’t drive the Road to Hana anyway).

We also heard that driving this road voided your rental car agreement, but we didn’t see anything like this in our contract.

If you don’t have time to stay in Hana as we did, consider driving the route in reverse, starting with the Back Road to Hana, as you’ll get to the Pipwai Trail first when you have the most energy. Our friends Tom and Jenny recommend this strategy. 

A Multi-Day Road to Hana Itinerary

Below I have included the best Road to Hana stops in the order that most people will reach them driving from Paia to Hana (and slightly beyond).

If you have two nights in Hana, here’s our itinerary which allowed us to visit the most popular places early in the morning.

Day 1

10 am – Arrive at the airport and rent a car.

11 am – Pick up a packed lunch at Mana Foods in Paia.

11.30am – Set off on the Road to Hana! We stopped at everywhere on the list below until Upper Waikani Falls and left the rest for the following days.

2.45pm – Arrive in Hana (3 hours 15 minutes from Paia with stops) and check-in to our condo at Hana Kai. We relaxed, wandered the town, and had a food truck dinner.

Day 2

7 am – Left for the Pipiwai Trail (a 35-minute drive past Hana) and visited the Seven Sacred Falls first.

8 am – Started the Pipiwai Trail hike which took two hours return.

10 am – Headed back to Hana with short stops at Wailua Falls, Koki and Hamoa beaches.

11 am – Lunch at our condo.

1 pm – Walked to Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach (20 minutes) and swam and relaxed there.

4 pm – Back to our condo then out for a walk and food truck dinner.

Day 3

8.15am – Left for Wai‘anapanapa State Park.

8.30am – Arrived at the park and walked along the coastal trails and black sand beach.

9.30am – Left the park and picked up coffee and baked goods at Hana Farms.

10.30am – Checked out of Hana Kai and drove the Back Road from Hana to Makawao in Upcountry.

Our Top 5 Road to Hana Picks

If you only have one day you won’t have time for all of the Road to Hana stops below. Our favourites (marked with stars on the list) are:

Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees

Hana Farms Snack Stand

Wai‘anapanapa State Park (black sand beach)

Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach (for confident hikers only)

Pipiwai Trail (bamboo forest)

Best Road to Hana Stops

For each stop, I have included the approximate Mile Marker (MM) where it is located on Route 360. Note that the mile markers change after Hana and count down from 51.

1) Paia and Ho’okipa Beach

The hippy beach town of Paia is the first interesting stop on the Road to Hana, but it’s best to visit another time and prioritise more remote attractions.

The health food supermarket Mana Foods is an excellent place to stock up on snacks and lunch as it has a large salad and hot food bar.

Just past Paia is Ho’okipa Lookout where you can get a good view of surfers and windsurfers riding the huge waves and many turtles on the beach below.

2) Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees (MM 6.7)*

This isn’t a well-known attraction, but it’s definitely worth a stop. By the side of the road between mile markers 6 and 7 (about 30 minutes past Paia) is a cluster of beautiful rainbow eucalyptus trees. You’ll see them on the left and will need to drive a little further along to find a place to park.

These unusual trees have multi-coloured bark that peels off revealing new bark below in streaks of vibrant orange, green and blue. It’s hard to believe they are real.

After you have wandered through the main grove by the road, follow a short trail up behind these to see a huge and even more beautiful rainbow eucalyptus. Just beyond that you can also see a lovely ocean view.

Unfortunately, many people have carved their names into these trees—please don’t do this!

3) Ke’anae Peninsula Viewpoint (MM 13)

On your way to the next stop, look out for a pull off by the side of the road just past Kaumahina State Wayside Park where you can get a view of the Ke’anae Peninsula.

4) Ke’anae Arboretum (MM 16.7)

We chose to skip the Garden of Eden Arboretum ($15 entrance) and visit the free Ke’anae Arboretum instead (30–40 minutes from the rainbow eucalyptus grove). We enjoyed a pleasant 30-minute walk on the easy but sometimes muddy trail through a variety of trees.

If you missed the rainbow eucalyptus trees earlier, definitely stop here as you can see more of them. There’s also a banyan tree, papaya trees, and a taro field at the end of the trail.

If you’ve spent a lot of time in the tropics, it’s nothing spectacular but it’s a nice place to stretch your legs.

5) Ke’anae Peninsula and Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread (Turn off at MM 16.8)

The Ke’anae Peninsula is a short diversion from the main road and the turnoff is just past the Ke’anae Arboretum on the left.

Drive to the end of the peninsula where you’ll find a parking lot, baseball field, and public toilets. There’s a pretty view of the coastline and the waves crashing into the rocks.

Return the way you came and stop at the snack stand Aunty Sandy’s for your first banana bread of the day. Our loaf ($6) was warm and moist and was our favourite on the Road to Hana. You can also buy drinks, ice-cream, hot dogs, and sandwiches.

6) Halfway to Hana Snack Stand (Just past MM 17)

Back on the Hana Highway it’s only a few minutes to Ching’s Pond (just before MM 17) which is supposed to be a good place for a swim, but we missed the turnoff.

Just past this is the Halfway to Hana snack stand where we bought another loaf of banana bread ($6). It was good but not as good as Aunty Sandy’s or another upcoming stand, so if you have a limited banana bread budget, you could skip it.

It took us 30 minutes to get from Ke’anae Arboretum to Halfway to Hana with the peninsula diversion.

7) Upper Waikani Falls (Between MM 19 & 20)

Five minutes past Halfway to Hana is Upper Waikani Falls (sometimes called Three Bears Falls). There’s no parking at the falls so drive about 800ft past to the parking area and walk back to the bridge for a view of the waterfall. You can also walk down to the pool, but the short trail is steep and slippery. You can swim here.

This was our last stop for the day as we continued on to Hana and came back to explore the rest on another day. If you start in the morning, you should still have plenty of time to continue with the next stops.

8) Coconut Glens Ice-Cream (MM 27.5)

Coconut Glens is an ice-cream truck that serves delicious dairy-free coconut ice-cream. They also have a truck in Hana which we visited later.

9) Nahiku Marketplace (MM 29)

If you want lunch at this point, stop at Nahiku Marketplace, a cluster of rustic food stands about 25 minutes past Upper Waikani Falls. We didn’t stop here but the food (Thai, tacos, barbecue) is supposed to be good, and you can also pick up locally made souvenirs like coconut candy.

10) Hana Lava Tube (Turn off past MM 31)

We’d planned to visit this lava tube just off the main road the following day but ran out of time. Our friends loved it, though. It’s $12 for a self-guided tour through a natural lava tunnel. Allow about 30 minutes.

11) Hana Farms Snack Stand (Just past MM 31)*

If you only have time for one snack stand, this one just before Wai‘anapanapa State Park was our favourite. Hana Farms has an array of baked goods, foodie souvenirs (like a tasty pineapple lime hot sauce), as well as coffee and sandwiches.

The banana bread here is great and comes in a few varieties—the chocolate chip banana bread ($7) is particularly decadent. We still dream about the delicious chocolate macadamia nut cookies here—we shared one as it was humongous but later wished we’d stocked up.

12) Wai‘anapanapa State Park and Black Sand Beach (MM 32)*

Walk along the coastal path past the black sand beach to get to this viewpoint

Wai‘anapanapa State Park is probably the most popular stop on the Road to Hana and you won’t want to miss it. It’s famous for the beautiful black sand Pa‘iloa Beach, and you can also walk along the coast for gorgeous views and visit a sea cave, blowhole, and lava fields. The ocean is usually too rough for swimming.

I loved the contrast between the jet black sand, vibrant green hills and deep blue ocean. We visited the park at 8.30am on our last day in Hana (it’s only 10 minutes away) when the light was beautiful and there were only a few other people around (8 am would be even better). We spent an hour here, but you could spend longer if you hike further along the coast.

You can camp here so this would be a good budget place to stay on this side of the island.

13) Hana Town (MM 34)

Just ten minutes further on and you’ve finally reached Hana! As I wrote above, we loved Hana but if you only have one day I understand why people don’t stop.

The only real attraction is the red sand beach (see below), but it’s also worth stopping at the quirky old-school General Store where they sell everything from saws to beer to souvenirs (fresh food is limited).

For fresh fruit, there are lots of honesty fruit stands around Hana where you can help yourself (and leave cash behind) to locally grown passionfruit, apple bananas, pineapple, guava, papaya and more.

Honesty fruit stand between Hana and Oheo Gulch

There are only a few restaurants in town, but opposite Hana Ranch there’s an appealing cluster of food trucks with limited hours (the pizza place is Sundays only!). We had some surprisingly good Thai at Ae’s Thai Kitchen (12–7 pm Wednesdays to Sundays usually) where most dishes can be made vegan ($11 a dish).

On our second night, we enjoyed our cheapest meal in Hawaii at the Surfing Burro food truck. The veggie tacos ($4 each) were made with homemade corn tortillas and generously filled with vegetables, cheese, cabbage, and delicious salsa and chipotle sauce. Simon enjoyed his rice and bean veggie burrito ($8) too.

We finished our meal at the Coconut Glen’s truck with tasty dairy-free coconut ice-cream ($7 for two large scoops).

Food trucks in Hana

Other food trucks in Hana that we didn’t try are Thai Food by Pranee and Braddah Hutts BBQ Grill which are both only open for lunch.

In the evenings it’s best to eat at one of the trucks before 7 pm; otherwise there are two much more expensive restaurants open later: Hana Ranch (until 8.30pm) and The Preserve Kitchen at Travaasa (6–9 pm, reservations recommended, expensive).

14) Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach*

The red sand beach in Hana is unique and was our favourite beach in Maui.

WARNING: This is not a good stop for everyone. Access is along a short but narrow and slippery dirt trail close to the cliff edge. People have been seriously injured here and needed air rescue.

I don’t recommend it if it has been raining or for small children or anyone unsteady on their feet, scared of heights, or not used to trails. We saw some people struggling down the steep sections.

The trail starts through some bushes across the lawn next to the community centre (it’s marked on Google Maps). It took us 10 minutes and we didn’t find it too difficult, but you should wear decent shoes (no flip flops) and be careful.

The absolutely lovely beach is made of red and black volcanic pebbles and sand and has a hidden cove feeling backed by tall rust red cliffs and green ironwood trees. It was fairly busy in the afternoon, but there was enough space for everyone to spread out, and I’m sure it’d be quiet in the mornings.

The rocks protect the cove so the sea is often swimmable. We managed fine but we could feel the power of the waves and wouldn’t recommend it for children. You absolutely should not swim out past the opening in the rocks—we saw someone get stuck and have to be rescued (by another visitor—there are no lifeguards or facilities).

Please be respectful and don’t leave any litter behind or take any sand or rocks with you.

We spent a relaxing afternoon here, something we wouldn’t have been able to do if we were rushing to do the Road to Hana in one day.

15) Koki and Hamoa Beaches (MM 50)

Just past Hana are two more beaches that are worth a quick stop and neither were busy in the morning. You can drive a loop along the coast to them both then reconnect to the main road.

Koki Beach has brownish sand and a lovely red cliff backdrop, but there are signs warning against swimming.

Koki Beach 

Hamoa Beach has greyish sand and bright blue water. This would be a lovely place to hang out on days when it’s suitable for swimming (it was too wavy when we visited). There are bathrooms here.

Hamoa Beach

16) Wailua Falls (MM 45)

About 25 minutes past Hana is Wailua Falls, a pretty 80-foot waterfall that’s good for swimming. You can view it from the bridge or walk down a short steep trail to the pool.

We visited just after 10 am after hiking the Pipiwai Trail (on our way back to Hana) and there were only a few other people around.

17) Ohe’o Gulch and Pipiwai Trail (Bamboo Forest) (MM 42)*

35 minutes past Hana on a rather bumpy potholed road is the Kipahulu section of Haleakala National Park, also called Ohe’o Gulch.

Many people come to visit the Seven Sacred Pools which is accessed along an easy 0.5-mile trail from the visitor centre. Unfortunately, you can no longer swim here or get very close, and when we visited in January there wasn’t much water, so it was rather a letdown. I wouldn’t bother coming out here unless you are planning to hike at least some of the Pipiwai Trail (which starts a short walk away).

The Pipiwai Trail is a four mile out and back hike through lush rainforest that took us two hours. There are some uphill sections and it’s uneven and muddy in places, but we didn’t find it difficult. Hiking sandals were perfect (although our feet got dirty) as it was hot and humid. Insect repellant is a good idea.

The highlight of the trail is the massive bamboo grove which starts about halfway through the outward section. It’s the most extensive and beautiful grove we’ve seen (and we’ve spent a lot of time in Japan). There’s also a large banyan tree and some smaller waterfalls along the way.

At the end of the trail is the 400 ft waterfall Waimoku Falls which drops dramatically down a sheer cliff face in a jungle setting that gave it a Jurassic Park vibe. From here you turn around and walk back the way you came.

We started the hike at 8 am (the benefit of staying in Hana) and didn’t see a single person on the first half—it was so lovely and peaceful. On our way back we crossed paths with about 20 people.

Entrance to Haleakala National Park is $25 (valid for three days) and includes access to the Summit area of the park in Upcountry where you can see the sunrise above the volcano.

This is most people’s final stop on the Road to Hana and they turn around here and drive back the way they came. I recommend continuing on to Upcountry.

The Back Road from Hana to Upcountry

After our two nights in Hana, we continued and drove the Back Road to Hana to Upcountry where we stayed in Makawao.

The road was not as bad as the horror stories we’d heard. There is a bumpy unpaved section but it didn’t last long and then it’s a smooth road the rest of the way. The scenery is very different on this side of the island with long golden grasses, brown rolling hills, and ocean views. It’s very quiet.

Hotels in Hana

I hope I’ve convinced you it’s worthing staying in Hana, at least for a night. Accommodation is limited so book as far in advance as possible.

There’s one luxury resort in town, the Travaasa Hana. The rooms look beautiful and there are plenty of activities on the extensive grounds, but it’s very expensive (over $600). 

Other than that it’s mostly small B&Bs and cottages—search for options on Airbnb and VRBO—plus the one condo hotel where we stayed.

Hana Kai Oceanfront Condos

We stayed at Hana Kai condos and absolutely loved it—it was our favourite place we stayed in Hawaii.

The location is superb overlooking an empty black sand beach. Most of the condos have ocean views and you hear nothing but the crashing of waves and the buzz of cicadas. Waking up to the sunrise over the ocean was glorious. It’s a short walk to the food trucks in town and the red sand beach.

The view from our bed at sunrise at Hana Kai

We stayed in Condo a studio apartment on the upper floor of the second building back. Although it wasn’t oceanfront, we could see over the lower building to the beach and ocean. Whenever I can see the ocean from my bed it makes me happy!

The condo has a high ceiling, lots of light from the sliding doors that lead to a lanai, a comfortable bed, armchairs, and a surprisingly well-equipped kitchen. There’s no air conditioning but the fan and breezes from the screened door were plenty.

Hana Kai is the perfect place to relax after driving the Road to Hana and is well located for many of the major attractions. I highly recommend it and would love to go back myself (and stay a week!).

We paid $360 a night including taxes in high season. There are cheaper units available. You can book direct or on VRBO. 

Camping

There’s a campsite at Wai‘anapanapa State Park, a 10-minute drive from Hana, that would be a budget place to stay in a gorgeous location. Basic one-bedroom cabins (that sleep six) cost $90 per night (two-night minimum) or bring your own tent and pay $18 per night.

You can make reservations on the Wai‘anapanapa State Park website—you must get a permit in advance and print it out. Arrive before 6 pm.

There’s also a campsite at Kipahulu which would be convenient for hiking the Pipiwai Trail but a bit far from any restaurants or shops. Reservations are not required.

Hana Camping Under the Stars rents tents and all the gear you need for camping (pick up in Kihei). 

Summary

The Road to Hana is undoubtedly a Maui highlight, and even if you only have one day, I highly recommend it. But if you can, do consider staying in Hana for a taste of Old Hawaii and a chance to experience this beautiful area at a slower pace.

If you are visiting Kauai as well as Maui, check out our posts on the best things to do in Kauai and where to stay in Kauai. 

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[scytherion]

choose a ship with rin for the ship meme

THIS IS REALLY LATE but wow this ask meme sure is long and I had a few problems with copypaste formatting..

nyehehee okay so I am terrible when you give me a choice and I legitimately thought for four days which rin ship but. I’m going with the reenmacks!!

- who takes longer showers?

maki needs to work off some stress after a long day, and a good long shower is the start of that. then she can really unwind and relax.

- how do they make up after a fight?

maki is too stubborn to just make up after a fight!! rin might also be a lil scared because she doesn’t want to ruin things, she’s aware she isnt the most tactful person. rin tries to chip off maki’s ice, starting with lil cute post it notes apologising and saying nice things and talking about what ticked her off. then she’ll convey it in little actions, like buying maki her favourite dinner. slowly maki can’t stand the sort-of tension she’s created and also how cute rin is, she’ll go back to the way it was eventually. it’s slow, and requires patience, but they work it out.

- who prefers rain and who prefers sun?

rin loves the sun!! it reminds her of warmth, happiness, sports and the beach. very outdoorsy things. maki prefers the rain, it’s better for concentration and the pitter pattering is very soothing. it’s also a good excuse to ask for cuddles, which maki doesnt do unless there’s a good reason, like keeping warm

- 
what’s their favorite place to go together?

an open field! it seems kind of out for maki, but they love stargazing together in the darkness where no one can really see them except each other, and they can talk and tease each other on anything they like. maki loves seeing the delight on rin’s face as it lights up when she recognises a constellation correctly, and rin loves seeing maki’s exhaustion melt away as she talks about the newest space probe she’s read in the papers recently

- whose more likely to win prom king/queen?

maki!! especially if it’s manga maki we’re talking about wwww

rin votes for her every time, advocates her, posts posters of her gf at every corner of campus (”this isnt student president elections or something rin” “YEAH BUT”)

- do they celebrate anniversaries?

at night they do!! they’re really busy so in the day they barely acknowledge it, but they always silently clear their schedule so that they don’t have anything on, and maybe buy a lil something on their way back. rin leaves lil surprises around the house and purposely lets maki go home quicker than her, and maki finds it really sweet!! they arent organised in that the dates are written down somewhere, but the day is engraved in their minds.

- who’d pressure the other into singing karaoke?

do we even need to ask this? it’ll be rin, of course, maki isnt going to open her mouth without some pleading and begging and puppy dog eyes. how did rin even get her through the door.

- what’s their nightly routine?

rin stays up to wait for maki when she has the night shift, writing lil notes or doodles to keep her awake, with some warm milk beside her….. maki comes home to see her gf sprawled out in a mass of scrawled papers and lil doodles and now-cold milk. maki takes her tired gf to bed and before she sleeps, maki gathers up all the papers in a neat lil stack and reads it all before she sleeps…. it’s adorable (she keeps the papers in their stack with the date in a closet.)

when maki doesn’t have night shift, a rare occurrence, they spend the evening cuddling and just chilling around the house, enjoying each other’s company. more than often they’re wearing the other’s clothes

- whose more likely to burn the dinner?

maki, my poor sweet summer child, cannot cook anything whatsoever,,,,, rin is not much better, she CAN cook minimally (more than maki) but she’s too lazy to up the skill in any way, she’s happy to just eat instant ramen everyday. hanayo’s the reason they’re not dead yet (she has a spare key)

- who brings home a puppy/kitten without the other’s knowledge?

both??? a cat would just follow rin home and maki would be horrified because RIN, YOUR HIVES ARE COMING OUT and rin’s just nuzzling the kitty like “it’s okay maki chan I’ll live, probably”

maki would try to stop herself, because of rin’s allergies, but when she sees a cat that doesn’t trigger allergies up for adoption, she doesn’t know when it happens exactly but she’s already out of the door, cat in her arms

- who starts the food fight?

RIN, CHILD, don’t throw ramen around, it sticks to the ceiling and it takes forever to clean up the drips… maki would never throw a tomato anywhere they’re too precious, the food fight quickly ends with maki making rin clean up her mess

- who makes all the food?

……..hanayo/the supermarket.. this couple isnt a healthy one,, where do they get nourishment….. even though maki and rin are in medicine and athletic training respectively, they don’t eat healthily even though they know they gotta.

- who goes shopping?

rin, and with maki being too busy to go along sometimes, there is no restraint, rin comes back with 5 large boxes of sugary cereal

- who loses the kids in Walmart?

maki, she’s half asleep, she really shouldnt be in charge of any child but here we are, what a disaster.. rin comes back from aisle 10 to see everything in a mess, children gone, tracks on the floor and maki sleeping while standing

- who laughs at the other when they trip?

rin, because she’s fully capable of doing a backflip from tripping so that she can look badass, while maki’s just a poor tomato child who probably exercises twice a month,, rin isn’t embarrassed about laughing either. there she goes. the next 15 minutes are spent trying to convince maki to let her walk anywhere near her.

- who lovingly gazes at the other as they sleep?

maki, even when she’s tired from a shift, there’s always a few precious minutes before she drifts off to sleep where she gazes at rin’s fast asleep face and smoothens her lengthening tangled hair, threading her fingers through it, staring in wonderment and amazement.. in the mornings rin wakes up to see a lightly snoring maki and knows she can’t get out of bed right now

- who plays with hair vs whose hair is played with?

EVERYONE’S HAIR IS PLAYED WITH!! in later years rin starts growing her hair but not until it’s flowing, just a lil tangled and shaggy, enough to trie in a small ponytail or fall below her eyes. maki loves to thread her fingers through it and work out the knots. whereas rin loves putting different kinds of hairstyles in maki’s hair, trying lil cute hairclips that maki would never put in of her own volition.. sometimes maki forgets they’re there and goes to work in them

- what do they do in their free time?

cuddle, play with each other’s hairs/the cat, sing lil duets.. they love the sound of each other’s voices still and they mesh together real well.. sometimes they just lie on the cold marble floor and talk about anything and everything,, also stargazing!!

- how organized is their home?

not… at all…. rin’s a human spaghetti and maki can’t be bothered since it’s going to get messy again anyway. hanayo sighs, it’s a warzone, you can’t even see the floor why. it’s not even an organised mess no one can find anything ever.. the cat is better at it than them

- who cleans their home?

hanayo hahahah weLL it’d probably be maki when she gets free time and she eventually can’t stand the grime and mess anymore. it’s definitely not rin, because she can live with any degree of mess.

- who eats all the pizza?

THEY FIGHT, but maki wins because she didn’t go through med school without chowing down on too many pizzas….. she’s had practice. rin’s sports conscience stops her from eating too much, sometimes, but if she’s going for an 8km jog tomorrow she has no qualms

- who leaves their stuff everywhere?

both of them, they’re monsters, someone stop them, pray for hanayo

[healthandfitnessrecipes-blog]

Calamity Jill: Off-Grid Living Inspiration

https://healthandfitnessrecipes.com/?p=8035

By Dr. Mercola

Jill Redwood is sometimes referred to as Calamity Jill, a reference to Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane. An American frontierswoman and professional scout, Calamity Jane was an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and appeared in the Buffalo Bill Wild West show later in her life.1

But this is where the comparison ends. While Calamity Jane2 was known to be an itinerant alcoholic with no formal education, Redwood is a writer and environmental activist who spent her early adult life working in Melbourne, Australia, as a lab technician. Redwood has since been entered into the Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in 20th Century Australia.3

In this short video, Redwood walks through her home and gardens, showing how she has successfully lived relatively independent of supermarkets, manufacturing and electricity for the past 30 years. Although a radical choice for most, Redwood has enjoyed her years living off the grid, is rarely sick and looks forward to remaining on her small farm for years to come.

Jill Redwood — Off-Grid Motivation for Clean Living

If you have ever dreamt about selling everything you own and living off the grid, being completely self-sufficient and in harmony with nature, you're not alone. Redwood, a pioneer of this lifestyle, has been happily living for over 30 years on the edge of a forest in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. In these years she's had no main power supply, main water supply, mobile reception or television.4

As an environmentalist, she works to protect the forests where she lives. Redwood hates supermarkets and only eats the foods she has grown in her backyard, or makes herself on her 15-acre property. She lived on a number of different properties before settling in 1983 on the land she now owns.

Redwood built the home herself, which she said took eight years.5 During that time she lived in a small dirt-floored bark hut on the property. With no building experience, she researched the type of houses early settlers had built and claims,6 “It's just like baking a cake, you just follow the recipe.” In total, Redwood said the house cost less than $3,000 to build. Most of the money was spent on roofing and floor boards. The cracks in the timber walls were filled with a mixture of cowpats and lime.

The house is solar powered with hot water generated on her wooden stove. Her power use is limited to her computer, scanner and internet modem. She uses lights at night, a food processor and a radio on occasion. She says,7 “… when the sun really shines and there's lots of power coming in, I've got a washing machine. That's a luxury.”

Each of her decisions were made with an aim toward reducing her impact on the environment. She is passionate about preserving the environment and her local forest and believes her lifestyle should reflect her goals.8 While Redwood lives a solitary lifestyle she chose at an early age, off-grid living does not necessitate this choice. She felt her life was pointed in the direction of getting away from society and having her own little patch of land with animals. But, she had always preferred a solitary lifestyle.

Redwood’s Home Runs on the Sun

Redwood’s home is completely powered by solar panels. This technology had been very expensive for many years but costs have fallen and are now within reach of many homeowners. The consumption of nonrenewable resources such as oil and gas is finite, while solar energy panels harness energy from a completely renewable source, the sun. Using this you can light your home, produce hot water and run your electrical appliances.

The main benefit is it doesn't produce any pollutants and is one of the cleanest sources of energy.9 In the past, a big disadvantage was the inability to use solar energy to power your home at night. Solar storage batteries, to store excess energy produced during the day, were cumbersome and expensive.

Today, many modern units use a process called net metering, a system hooking your home to the city’s power grid. This then measures the difference between the energy you give back to the grid during the day and the energy you use.

Net metering is a means of controlling energy deficits and is an easier and cheaper method of storing the excess power your home generates than batteries. In some areas of the country where it's sunny for long periods of time, you may build up enough power in your home that the energy company pays you for supplying more energy than you use.

The cost of solar panels has dropped by 80 percent since 2008, and experts expect the cost to keep falling. Solar cells are priced per wattage they generate. In 1977, cells cost nearly $77 per watt. Today the cost ranges from $2.87 to $3.85 per watt.10 An installation on your home may cost nearly $17,000, but in the U.S., with tax credits, it can often be reduced to around $12,000.

However, you don't have to buy your own solar panels as you can rent them. If you rent or lease, most companies provide free maintenance. Some states have an incentive program to encourage people to switch to more sustainable energy production, which may help you cover the cost of installing solar panels on your home.11

It takes the average homeowner between six and 15 years to pay off their solar panels. However, if you live in a sunny climate with a good incentive program from your state, you might accomplish it in as little as two years. Since the average life span of solar panels is 25 years, this may mean you save thousands of dollars on your power bill over the course of time.12 While solar power cells are an advantage in the city, they may be essential in remote areas without access to an energy grid.13 

Water Use in the City

Redwood collects rainwater off the roof or from the local river where she installed a water wheel to get it out.14 She uses this to supply her farm with water for the plants, animals and her own needs. You may have the opportunity to discover a clean spring supply in your area by checking out FindASpring.com.15 You may also want to consider other tactics to reduce your water use and ensure a clean supply at home, including:16

• Shower water. Limiting your showers to five minutes may save you up to 1,000 gallons a month. Keep a 5-gallon bucket in the shower to catch the water as you adjust the temperature. You can use this to water your plants or even flush the toilet.

• Conservation. Consider installing water saving shower heads, faucets and toilets to reduce water use. Add a water barrel in your garden to capture rainwater to water your plants. Don’t run the water while you’re washing dishes or brushing your teeth — run it only when you’re using it.

Fix any leaking or dripping faucets or toilets as the water you lose can add up. Run your dishwasher and washing machine with a full load as half-loaded machines add up to gallons of wasted water. When you conserve electricity you are also conserving water since power plants need thousands of gallons to cool.

• Safety. Remember most water sources are severely polluted, so the issue of filtration to achieve a clean supply has become a necessity. If your home or community has older water pipes, or if you live near a military base or other sites using PFC-laced firefighting foam, the risk your water may be contaminated may be further magnified. As a general rule, I recommend using a high quality water filtration system unless you can verify the purity of your water.

To be certain you're getting the purest water you can, filter at both the point of entry and point of use. This means filtering all the water coming into the house, and then filtering again at the kitchen sink and shower. Unfiltered water can also expose you to dangerous chlorine vapors and chloroform gas. The FDA and other U.S. government agencies report most homes in the U.S. have measurable levels of chloroform gas, courtesy of chlorinated tap water.

Unless you have a whole house water filter, chlorine will vaporize from every toilet bowl in your home and every time you wash your clothes, dishes, or take a shower or bath. Chloroform gas, chlorine vapors and the associated detergent byproducts may increase your risk of asthma, airway inflammation and respiratory allergies.

If you get your water from a municipal water supply and don't have a whole house filter, it’s important to open up windows on opposing sides of your home so you get cross ventilation. Keep the windows open for five to 10 minutes a day to remove these gases.

Pesticide-Free Fruits and Vegetables, Summer and Winter

Redwood lives nearly 90 minutes from the nearest grocery store, so it’s no small feat to gather supplies.17 She doesn’t pop out to the store for food during the summer and winter months, but instead lives off the produce and dairy products produced on her farm. Eggs from her free-range chickens, milk from goats and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables sustain her through the summer months. Her garden produces an abundance, so she pickles and preserves to weather the winter months.18

You don't have to live on a farm to grow some of your own vegetables, as many grow quite well in pots. In fact, with a sunny window, you can keep yourself in fresh herbs throughout the winter months.

Growing your own produce has the added advantage of knowing your plants are produced from non-genetically modified seed and grown without pesticides or insecticides, both of which can significantly change your gut microbiome and thus your health. To read more, see my previous article, “Pesticide Treadmill Jeopardizes Food Safety.”

Raising your own chickens for eggs is another opportunity to ensure you are eating safe food. As recently as the 1920s, chickens were raised primarily for eggs and not their meat. Unfortunately, over the past years, eggs were vilified after misconceptions regarding cholesterol content were highly publicized. In reality, eggs provide valuable vitamins, omega-3 fats and antioxidants, and are one of the best sources of choline.

The only better option to getting your eggs and chicken fresh from a local farmer is to raise your own backyard flock. This practice is growing in popularity and many cities in the U.S. are adjusting zoning ordinances to allow this practice. Requirements may vary depending upon your location, so please check with your city before taking the plunge. However, you might be surprised to find they already allow chickens.

You'll immediately be able to tell the difference between eggs you got from your own hens foraging in your yard and those you purchased at the grocery store. Pastured eggs have a bright orange yolk compared to dull, pale, yellow yolks from caged hens.

If raising your own chickens is not appealing, you have other options. High-quality organic, pastured eggs may be grown locally and are becoming easier to find as nearly every rural area has individuals with chickens. If you live in an urban area, visit your local health food store for the quickest route to finding high-quality local egg sources. Look for farmers markets and food co-ops to meet people who produce your food. With face-to-face contact, you can get your questions answered and know exactly what you're buying.

Credits: Original Content Source

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Thinking about going plastic-free? This eco warrior&#039;s daily diary is all the inspo you need

http://fashion-trendin.com/thinking-about-going-plastic-free-this-eco-warriors-daily-diary-is-all-the-inspo-you-need/

Thinking about going plastic-free? This eco warrior's daily diary is all the inspo you need

If you care about the planet but have no idea how to help, you’re not alone.

New research from SodaStream revealed that 95% of Brits now believe they can personally make a difference to the plight of the planet, compared to just 36% in March 2017. Despite this, 6.2 million still haven’t made any effort to reduce their single-use plastic intake.

Legal & General Investment Management’s ‘Own Your World’ campaign reveals an impressive nine out of ten (92%) of the 18 to 55 year-olds surveyed said that minimising their impact on the environment is important, with 27% of under 35s saying it is *very* important.

Over half have pledged to buy less plastic bottles than this time last year and one third carry a reusable water bottle daily – in a bid to reduce the 19.2 million disposable bottles dumped in landfill every day *gasps*. We’re not just bottling it, as 79% are cutting down on supermarket 5p bags and half are saying no to plastic straws.

This is why you need to get behind World Oceans Day – and what we discovered will shock you

So if you’re hoping to jump on the plastic-free bandwagon, we’ve enlisted eco campaigner and zero waste advocate, Kate Arnell, to share a day in her plastic-free life in the hope that it will inspire you to do the same.

Plastic Free Guide

9 am – I enjoy reading a chapter or two of a book with a cup of coffee in bed for an hour. I work from home so I’m lucky I can set my own schedule. I brush my teeth using my wooden toothbrush and use a sprinkle of bicarbonate of soda bought from bulk (loose!) instead of toothpaste.

9:15 am – Breakfast time! I either have a bowl of organic oats with full fat organic milk that is delivered by my milkman in returnable glass bottles, or two organic fried eggs on toast. And I love coffee, so I buy the beans loose and grind them in my blender and enjoy a french press. No wasteful coffee pods!

11am – Shower up. I know, I have a weird routine, but I like showering mid-morning! I use a bar of soap instead of shower gel, a reusable stainless steel safety razor to shave and a shampoo bar to wash my hair. I’m obsessed with Beauty Kubes at the moment – plastic-free shampoo “kubes” that are made in Cornwall and work so well! To condition my hair I rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar… I know it sounds really hippie and I never thought I’d be someone who uses vinegar on my hair, but it works.

I trialled an eco-friendly shampoo bar and here’s what happened…

For deodorant I pat on some bicarbonate of soda. Some people have a reaction to this, like my husband, so he uses a bicarb-free deodorant that we buy in a compostable cardboard tube by Meow Meow Tweet. I also use an organic body butter that comes in a compostable cardboard container. Some people love to DIY their own beauty products – I’ve tried but it’s not my skill set, so instead, I use a few simple kitchen cupboard swaps and buy the rest. Acalaonline.com is a new site selling plastic-free beauty, which I love.

Makeup was one of the hardest things to find low-waste or plastic-free. I started out by simplifying and considered what I truly need: foundation, mascara, eyeliner, lipstick and bronzer. I managed to find an eye kohl by Fat & The Moon that works as both a mascara and an eyeliner and comes in a recyclable metal tin. I love it when a product is multi-purpose! The foundation I use is non-toxic and comes in a metal tin and I use cocoa powder as a bronzer, which I buy from bulk. The only product that comes with a bit of plastic is the lipstick I use but so far, I can’t find an alternative and only use it when I’m filming or at events. I look for brands that use a lot of organic ingredients and minimal plastic-free packaging.

Your ultimate guide to the difference between vegan, natural, organic, clean and fair trade beauty

11:30am – At this point, I’ll either continue with some work at the computer or sit down to film a video for my YouTube channel. I used to work as a TV presenter but after 10 years, work was getting scarce and I had recently discovered the Zero Waste Lifestyle. I wanted to share my experience via YouTube, especially as there weren’t many people in the UK talking about it a few years ago.

1:30pm – Lunch time. I eat something at home most days, and usually rustle up a stir fry using leftover chicken and veggies or some other random concoction. If I’m out and about, I always carry a small reusable cloth bag with me and can easily find an unpackaged sandwich to go straight in from a bakery or deli. And yes, I eat meat. I was vegetarian for 13 years and it made me really ill. The more I read about meat, the more I appreciate the crucial role animals play in regenerating our environment, fighting climate change and nourishing our bodies. Not all meat is created equal, so I only buy local, organic meat, unpackaged!

Sometimes I’ll catch up with a friend for lunch and we’ll go to a nearby café. When eating out, I request no straw in my drink and return the unused paper napkin to the waiter to reuse – I don’t need it.

3pm – I shop for groceries once a week and then top up with store cupboard staples once every few weeks. If I’m doing the weekly shop, I take a few reusable metal tins with me and some cloth bags and an empty egg carton and walk 10 minutes to a local shop, where all of their produce is organic and loose. The butcher puts any meat straight into the containers (and deducts the weight of the container!), and I use cloth bags for bread and soft items like tomatoes and berries, but everything else just goes loose into the basket and then I carry it home in my larger reusable bags.

This incredible woman encouraged 100,000 people to join her in ending period product waste

If I’m stocking up on dry goods, I’ll visit one of the many bulk shops popping up across the country. London now has several locations to shop plastic-free (there’s a list on my blog!). I can also get beer, wine and oil refills, too. I simply weigh the containers and the shop deducts the weight at the checkout. Sounds odd, I know, but I’ve been grocery shopping this way for five years now and it feels totally normal.

My weekly grocery shop takes 30 minutes, including walking, but for those who are really stuck for time, there are now online stores now selling dry goods without plastic, try plasticfreepantry.co.uk or zero-waste-club.com and for veggies, the organicdeliverycompany.co.uk has a plastic-free veg box delivery.

4:30pm – Time for a cuppa! I make tea using loose leaf and a reusable metal tea ball strainer – a bit like a tea bag but reusable and no plastic. Yep, most teabags still contain plastic!

6:30pm – Let’s get cooking! Before adopting a Zero Waste Lifestyle, I wasn’t a fan of cooking. Now, I LOVE it. In the early days, it was difficult to find things like pasta from bulk, so I learned to make my own. Now it’s really easy to find, so I buy it loose, but I’m pleased I learned a new skill. I mostly buy British produce, so it’s seasonal and I just go with the flow in the kitchen. I rarely follow recipes, except when I’m making bread pudding (from leftover bread), homemade custard or homemade tortillas as I need a recipe for those.

We compost food scraps in our small worm bin on the balcony but some things like citrus peels, cooked meat and fats cannot go in there so for now, those get thrown away in a small paper bag. I’m constantly bothering my council to start offering a food waste collection service and they have just started to trial it in a small area. Fingers crossed it comes our way soon.

Celebrate World Environment Day with these eco-friendly sustainable beauty buys

7:30pm – My husband and I are real foodies and enjoy a good chat over our evening meal. To drink, we’ll either enjoy a bit of organic wine (from a refill) or a glass of sparkling water from my SodaStream Crystal, which comes with a glass bottle and turns tap water into sparkling in a few seconds. The gas canisters are returnable, too.

10pm – I’m definitely a night owl, and if I have a deadline, I will happily start working on it from 10pm until 2am. I’ve tried to fight it for years, but have come to realise I am most productive and efficient working at night. My husband is the complete opposite, so I try to go to bed early with him most nights. He’s been really great at embracing the Zero Waste Lifestyle, although his initial reaction was, “I’m going to fight you on this” when I tried to take away his beloved cleaning products and replace them with vinegar and reusable cloth rags! Since then, he’s seen the benefits: improved health and spending less (especially on cleaning products!) and he’s realised just how unnecessary and destructive plastic has become.

He’s now the first to start talking about it when people ask about zero waste and friends now send him pictures of their reusable coffee cups. If I had any advice for encouraging friends and family to start reducing plastic, it’s this: don’t preach and lead by example. Guilting people into doing something is the worst. Make it fun, laugh when things go wrong and leave perfection at the door. You do you, and hopefully others will feel inspired.

Ready to get started? Here are our picks of the best shampoo bars to get your ball rolling…

[newssplashy]

The scent in the workshop where Brian Christopher makes his wooden furniture is at once inviting and entirely unfamiliar.

American oak shavings on the floor of Christopher’s one-man business, Bicyclette, and pastries in the oven across the hall at an artisanal bakery, Machine Shop Boulangerie,

lend a certain aromatic ambience to the fourth floor of a former vocational high school in South Philadelphia known as Bok.

Christopher used to live in Manhattan and work in Hoboken, New Jersey, before migrating to Philadelphia, where he rented an apartment for half the price and watched his business blossom at Bok, a full-square-block complex that bustles with all manner of commercial enterprises, among them letterpressers and photographers, a hatmaker and a boxing school. Prospective tenants from New York are calling about moving into the retrofitted school, according to the leasing manager. And Italian sportswear company Diadora recently signed a contract to relocate its North American headquarters there from midtown Manhattan.

“One thing I like about Philly is it’s a bit slower paced,” Christopher said. “You do feel like you can slow down, and enjoy yourself a bit more.”

This New York-Philadelphia migration, fueled by a quest for cheaper living, has long existed. But this is not just the same story of young artisans priced out of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. There’s another kind of New York transplant spreading out into Philadelphia.

Down the street from Bok, Kin Yeung finished prayers at Zhen Ru Temple and told a parallel story. She lived in New York’s Chinatown in 2003, regularly visiting Philadelphia to attend this Chinese Buddhist temple in two modified row houses. She soon saved enough money from her jobs in restaurants in New York to ditch her East Broadway walk-up to buy a house in Philadelphia. A second home soon followed, and now she’s a landlord of five properties, often renting to New York expats. “The houses in Chinatown are too small and little and old,” Yeung said, describing how eight people live in her old two-bedroom apartment. “New York City right now — they cannot afford the rent. Too expensive. No one can live there.”

And it’s not just the housing. Back in New York, a bag of bok choy cost as much as 89 cents. “And here I get it for 39 cents!” she said. Perhaps the best perk: In the yard of her home in Philadelphia, Yeung has space for a vegetable garden.

Yeung is part of a quiet wave of immigrants who stop for a few months or several years in New York before finding a more manageable city 1 hour, 45 minutes down the New Jersey Turnpike. These foreign-born ex-New Yorkers are enlivening Philadelphia’s businesses, restaurants and neighborhoods with a diversity only now beginning to come into focus.

The number of residents born abroad has increased 69 percent in Philadelphia since 2000, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts, and immigrants now amount to nearly one-fifth of the city’s workforce. Many arrived via New York.

Bok is topped by two rooftop bars with dynamite views of the surrounding row house neighborhood, where, in a scene straight out of “Rocky,” vendors at the outdoor Italian Market still burn cardboard in garbage cans for heat in the winter. But scattered throughout that old Italian community are a dozen taquerias and an estimated 20,000 Mexican residents. In much the same way, West African immigrants are now dining at halal restaurants in West Philadelphia, and Russians are buying delicacies at the Brooklyn-based Eastern European supermarket NetCost, in the Bustleton neighborhood.

Northeast Philadelphia — an expansive region with strip malls and lawns that New Yorkers might recognize as a relative of Staten Island — is Pearl Huynh’s territory. A majority of the estimated 2,000 Chinese who are members of a new group she founded, the Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association, migrated from New York City. Huynh was born in Vietnam to Chinese parents.

She has lived on Long Island, in Flushing, Queens, and in Chinatown, working as a software developer on Wall Street. Laid off in 2010, she moved to Philadelphia to be near family and began a new life owning and renting properties — and working as a volunteer, helping the legions of Chinese new to the city.

“I see many of them moving down from New York, and they’re kind of low-income and have language challenges,” she said. So every morning, Huynh sends messages to her members via WeChat, a Chinese messaging service, with YouTube English language lessons and announcements about neighborhood events and national holidays. She also educates them on the zoning rules regarding private gardens, and translates their mail during drop-in hours at the local library. Huynh said she had helped eight Chinese renters from New York apply for a Philadelphia property-tax exemption that enabled them to be first-time homebuyers. According to Pew, a majority of Philadelphia immigrants are actually homeowners, compared with an average of 37 percent across a selection of other cities.

“It’s like a flow of immigrants come from New York,” Huynh said. “I’m really proud I’m able to help them.”

Sylva Senat, who comes from Haiti by way of Brooklyn, can witness this renaissance from the roof deck at Maison 208, his sleek French-inspired restaurant and lounge. Senat fell for food when he took a culinary class at John Dewey High School in Gravesend that turned into an internship at Sign of the Dove, the former Upper East Side hot spot. He went on to become sous-chef at Jean-Georges at the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York.

But while working as a chef, Senat also spent some time in Philadelphia — his sister and brother lived there. “Philly became kind of like the getaway from New York,” he said. His sister tried to convince him to move. He said she’d tell him, “It’s a lot more affordable, there’s a lot more things to do here, it’s a little more fun, it’s not as crazy as New York.”

Senat tried out at Buddakan, a game-shifting restaurant from the Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr. During his tryout, Senat spent two days in Old City, where restaurants and retail mix on colonial-era cobblestone alleyways. “I just fell in love with it,” Senat said. “It didn’t take much for Stephen Starr to convince me to stay in Philadelphia.”

Senat and his wife got an apartment right there in Old City. “We are definitely New Yorkers at heart; we like the busyness, and we like the bustle,” he said. “Once we got to Philadelphia it was like, ‘OK, not all major cities are as crazy as New York, and they don’t have to be in order to be great.'”

Senat said his friends in New York have inquired about Philadelphia, because they realize it’s just “easier to do things” in a city with about 1 million fewer people than Brooklyn. He relishes walking into a restaurant in the nicest part of town at 11:15 on a Sunday morning and immediately sitting down for brunch without a reservation. “It wasn’t like a big, you know, ‘Let’s plan this for six hours and let’s do it for two hours,’ which I think kind of happens in New York,” he said. “You have to be very specific about what you want to do and where you want to go, or else: ‘OK, now we’re wandering around New York City.'”

Immigrant or hipster, there’s a chief reason for choosing Philadelphia over New York: Cost of living. The American dream feels more attainable in Philadelphia at the moment. Asked about the flight of immigrant New Yorkers who are being priced out of the city, Seth Stein, a spokesman for New York City’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, acknowledged the “challenges of income inequality and the affordability crisis that many New Yorkers face.” But Stein said that New York is still “the ultimate city of immigrants,” with health care and legal services offered to those newcomers.

Reasonable rents aside, Philadelphia is not an immigrant utopia. A ProPublica/Philadelphia Inquirer investigation recently concluded that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office based in Philadelphia is one of the most aggressive in the country, with high numbers of arrests of immigrants without criminal records. Peter Gonzales, who runs the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, a nonprofit that assists new immigrants in Philadelphia, said Mayor Jim Kenney’s pushback against ICE has helped neutralize the deportation threat. Kenney sued Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the Trump administration’s efforts to withhold federal grants to sanctuary cities. In early June, Philadelphia prevailed, and Kenney did what can only be described as a happy dance on Twitter.

Immigrants are taking note, Gonzales said, getting a message from both their local politicians and their neighbors that they’re welcome regardless of ICE’s actions. “The tension is causing a lot of trauma and distress that people are experiencing, but it’s also bringing people together to fight back,” Gonzales said.

One of the activists fighting back is Prudence Powell. She was an unauthorized 12-year-old when she moved from Jamaica, in the Caribbean, to Jamaica, in Queens. At 17, pregnant with her son, she dropped out of high school. Powell struggled with poverty as she took off-the-books, part-time jobs in New York. At 21, she moved to Philadelphia and found her footing. She became a “Dreamer” through the DACA program for unauthorized young people, earned her GED at Temple University and began volunteering at the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition nonprofit. She now works there full time.

“Being in Philly has really opened up doors, sharing my story has opened up so many doors, DACA has opened up so many doors,” she said. And so has the affordability of life outside of New York. “New York is the first place you go, and then you branch out to Philly or Allentown or York or Baltimore,” Powell said. “New York is always the first stop.”

About 27,000 people move from New York to Philadelphia each year, according to the census, amounting to one of the largest migration flows between metro areas. A separate Baruch College study came up with a smaller overall figure but still concluded that more New Yorkers are moving to Philadelphia than the other way around.

Part of New York’s function, the study said, is to “receive large flows of foreign migrants and to redistribute people across the nation.” Those redistributed to Philadelphia will find a town on a winning streak. The population of the city is growing for the first time in decades, buoyed by both immigrants and millennials in Center City drawn by the luxury of living, working and drinking within the same few blocks. The skyline is rapidly expanding on both sides of the Schuylkill, punctuated by the nearly complete Comcast tower, the tallest building in the city.

The biggest good news for Philadelphians, though, is that the Philadelphia Eagles are finally Super Bowl champions. Public schools closed for the victory parade in February. That’s when Jason Kelce, the team’s center, donned a bedazzled lime green costume lent to him by a Mummers brigade, a Philadelphia-specific kind of performance group made up mostly of blue-collar men. He hollered at the thousands of assembled fans about how a team of underdogs defied expectations by going for it with a trick play on fourth-and-goal and won the championship.

“You know who the biggest underdog is?” he asked. He was speaking just feet from the statue of Rocky Balboa, one of fiction’s great underdogs. This is a town that lost both the capital of the United States and the home of the United Nations to New York, so there’s a bit of a chip on the civic shoulder. “It’s y’all, Philadelphia!” He then led the faithful in a profane chant that ended with, “Philly, no one likes us, we don’t care!”

The thing is, people do like Philadelphia. Immigrants like Philadelphia. New Yorkers, apparently, even like Philadelphia. But Philadelphia nonetheless feels forever slighted by her northern neighbor.

Down the list of transgressions, but not that far down, is the bitter memory of an article that ran 13 years ago in The New York Times Style section claiming Philadelphians occasionally refer to their city as the “sixth borough.” The writer, Jessica Pressler, lived in Philadelphia at the time but, according to the bio on her own website, “was virtually run out of town, and was fortunately granted asylum by New York.” She was excoriated for insinuating that Philadelphia was some appendage of New York.

Looking back on it now, Pressler said the piece “tapped into this resentment” that Philadelphia has toward its “big brother that lives really close and is cooler and gets all the attention.” But that perception may now be outdated, and for one major reason. “New York has gotten in that time so prohibitively more expensive,” she said.

“People don’t see leaving New York as a failure anymore like they used to,” Pressler said. “Now it’s like, ‘That’s a smart thing to do, why would you suffer here?’ You’re going to be able to walk to work and have a grocery store and have a patch of grass — that’s really cool.”

She now lives in Queens but said that two neighbors, both of immigrant backgrounds, recently told her they were moving to Philadelphia. “That sounds like a good idea,” she told them. “That sounds really nice.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Matt Katz © 2018 The New York Times

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[jakehglover]

Calamity Jill: Off-Grid Living Inspiration

By Dr. Mercola

Jill Redwood is sometimes referred to as Calamity Jill, a reference to Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane. An American frontierswoman and professional scout, Calamity Jane was an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and appeared in the Buffalo Bill Wild West show later in her life.1

But this is where the comparison ends. While Calamity Jane2 was known to be an itinerant alcoholic with no formal education, Redwood is a writer and environmental activist who spent her early adult life working in Melbourne, Australia, as a lab technician. Redwood has since been entered into the Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in 20th Century Australia.3

In this short video, Redwood walks through her home and gardens, showing how she has successfully lived relatively independent of supermarkets, manufacturing and electricity for the past 30 years. Although a radical choice for most, Redwood has enjoyed her years living off the grid, is rarely sick and looks forward to remaining on her small farm for years to come.

Jill Redwood — Off-Grid Motivation for Clean Living

If you have ever dreamt about selling everything you own and living off the grid, being completely self-sufficient and in harmony with nature, you're not alone. Redwood, a pioneer of this lifestyle, has been happily living for over 30 years on the edge of a forest in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. In these years she's had no main power supply, main water supply, mobile reception or television.4

As an environmentalist, she works to protect the forests where she lives. Redwood hates supermarkets and only eats the foods she has grown in her backyard, or makes herself on her 15-acre property. She lived on a number of different properties before settling in 1983 on the land she now owns.

Redwood built the home herself, which she said took eight years.5 During that time she lived in a small dirt-floored bark hut on the property. With no building experience, she researched the type of houses early settlers had built and claims,6 “It's just like baking a cake, you just follow the recipe.” In total, Redwood said the house cost less than $3,000 to build. Most of the money was spent on roofing and floor boards. The cracks in the timber walls were filled with a mixture of cowpats and lime.

The house is solar powered with hot water generated on her wooden stove. Her power use is limited to her computer, scanner and internet modem. She uses lights at night, a food processor and a radio on occasion. She says,7 “… when the sun really shines and there's lots of power coming in, I've got a washing machine. That's a luxury.”

Each of her decisions were made with an aim toward reducing her impact on the environment. She is passionate about preserving the environment and her local forest and believes her lifestyle should reflect her goals.8 While Redwood lives a solitary lifestyle she chose at an early age, off-grid living does not necessitate this choice. She felt her life was pointed in the direction of getting away from society and having her own little patch of land with animals. But, she had always preferred a solitary lifestyle.

Redwood’s Home Runs on the Sun

Redwood’s home is completely powered by solar panels. This technology had been very expensive for many years but costs have fallen and are now within reach of many homeowners. The consumption of nonrenewable resources such as oil and gas is finite, while solar energy panels harness energy from a completely renewable source, the sun. Using this you can light your home, produce hot water and run your electrical appliances.

The main benefit is it doesn't produce any pollutants and is one of the cleanest sources of energy.9 In the past, a big disadvantage was the inability to use solar energy to power your home at night. Solar storage batteries, to store excess energy produced during the day, were cumbersome and expensive.

Today, many modern units use a process called net metering, a system hooking your home to the city’s power grid. This then measures the difference between the energy you give back to the grid during the day and the energy you use.

Net metering is a means of controlling energy deficits and is an easier and cheaper method of storing the excess power your home generates than batteries. In some areas of the country where it's sunny for long periods of time, you may build up enough power in your home that the energy company pays you for supplying more energy than you use.

The cost of solar panels has dropped by 80 percent since 2008, and experts expect the cost to keep falling. Solar cells are priced per wattage they generate. In 1977, cells cost nearly $77 per watt. Today the cost ranges from $2.87 to $3.85 per watt.10 An installation on your home may cost nearly $17,000, but in the U.S., with tax credits, it can often be reduced to around $12,000.

However, you don't have to buy your own solar panels as you can rent them. If you rent or lease, most companies provide free maintenance. Some states have an incentive program to encourage people to switch to more sustainable energy production, which may help you cover the cost of installing solar panels on your home.11

It takes the average homeowner between six and 15 years to pay off their solar panels. However, if you live in a sunny climate with a good incentive program from your state, you might accomplish it in as little as two years. Since the average life span of solar panels is 25 years, this may mean you save thousands of dollars on your power bill over the course of time.12 While solar power cells are an advantage in the city, they may be essential in remote areas without access to an energy grid.13 

Water Use in the City

Redwood collects rainwater off the roof or from the local river where she installed a water wheel to get it out.14 She uses this to supply her farm with water for the plants, animals and her own needs. You may have the opportunity to discover a clean spring supply in your area by checking out FindASpring.com.15 You may also want to consider other tactics to reduce your water use and ensure a clean supply at home, including:16

• Shower water. Limiting your showers to five minutes may save you up to 1,000 gallons a month. Keep a 5-gallon bucket in the shower to catch the water as you adjust the temperature. You can use this to water your plants or even flush the toilet.

• Conservation. Consider installing water saving shower heads, faucets and toilets to reduce water use. Add a water barrel in your garden to capture rainwater to water your plants. Don’t run the water while you’re washing dishes or brushing your teeth — run it only when you’re using it.

Fix any leaking or dripping faucets or toilets as the water you lose can add up. Run your dishwasher and washing machine with a full load as half-loaded machines add up to gallons of wasted water. When you conserve electricity you are also conserving water since power plants need thousands of gallons to cool.

• Safety. Remember most water sources are severely polluted, so the issue of filtration to achieve a clean supply has become a necessity. If your home or community has older water pipes, or if you live near a military base or other sites using PFC-laced firefighting foam, the risk your water may be contaminated may be further magnified. As a general rule, I recommend using a high quality water filtration system unless you can verify the purity of your water.

To be certain you're getting the purest water you can, filter at both the point of entry and point of use. This means filtering all the water coming into the house, and then filtering again at the kitchen sink and shower. Unfiltered water can also expose you to dangerous chlorine vapors and chloroform gas. The FDA and other U.S. government agencies report most homes in the U.S. have measurable levels of chloroform gas, courtesy of chlorinated tap water.

Unless you have a whole house water filter, chlorine will vaporize from every toilet bowl in your home and every time you wash your clothes, dishes, or take a shower or bath. Chloroform gas, chlorine vapors and the associated detergent byproducts may increase your risk of asthma, airway inflammation and respiratory allergies.

If you get your water from a municipal water supply and don't have a whole house filter, it’s important to open up windows on opposing sides of your home so you get cross ventilation. Keep the windows open for five to 10 minutes a day to remove these gases.

Pesticide-Free Fruits and Vegetables, Summer and Winter

Redwood lives nearly 90 minutes from the nearest grocery store, so it’s no small feat to gather supplies.17 She doesn’t pop out to the store for food during the summer and winter months, but instead lives off the produce and dairy products produced on her farm. Eggs from her free-range chickens, milk from goats and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables sustain her through the summer months. Her garden produces an abundance, so she pickles and preserves to weather the winter months.18

You don't have to live on a farm to grow some of your own vegetables, as many grow quite well in pots. In fact, with a sunny window, you can keep yourself in fresh herbs throughout the winter months.

Growing your own produce has the added advantage of knowing your plants are produced from non-genetically modified seed and grown without pesticides or insecticides, both of which can significantly change your gut microbiome and thus your health. To read more, see my previous article, “Pesticide Treadmill Jeopardizes Food Safety.”

Raising your own chickens for eggs is another opportunity to ensure you are eating safe food. As recently as the 1920s, chickens were raised primarily for eggs and not their meat. Unfortunately, over the past years, eggs were vilified after misconceptions regarding cholesterol content were highly publicized. In reality, eggs provide valuable vitamins, omega-3 fats and antioxidants, and are one of the best sources of choline.

The only better option to getting your eggs and chicken fresh from a local farmer is to raise your own backyard flock. This practice is growing in popularity and many cities in the U.S. are adjusting zoning ordinances to allow this practice. Requirements may vary depending upon your location, so please check with your city before taking the plunge. However, you might be surprised to find they already allow chickens.

You'll immediately be able to tell the difference between eggs you got from your own hens foraging in your yard and those you purchased at the grocery store. Pastured eggs have a bright orange yolk compared to dull, pale, yellow yolks from caged hens.

If raising your own chickens is not appealing, you have other options. High-quality organic, pastured eggs may be grown locally and are becoming easier to find as nearly every rural area has individuals with chickens. If you live in an urban area, visit your local health food store for the quickest route to finding high-quality local egg sources. Look for farmers markets and food co-ops to meet people who produce your food. With face-to-face contact, you can get your questions answered and know exactly what you're buying.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/07/21/off-grid-living-inspiration.aspx