#getting a work visa for spain

[lazycats-stuff]

Yo, Can u write about Mexican! Batbro (same age or a year older than Damian, like Damian he's a biological son of Bruce) who celebrates dia de muertos, he could make an altar of Thomas and Martha Wayne, he could explain his roots and culture to the batfamily

Sure thing. Damn, Bruce is really mister Worldwide.

Summary: (Y/N) is Mexican. Everyone is curious.

Warnings: nothing bad, talking about Mexican culture, which is really cool with the day of the dead honestly,

Bruce has been thinking about getting a vasectomy, since he has found out about (Y/N), his son who was born and is being raised in Mexico. Bruce slept with a model and hence, (Y/N) was born. His mother loved him, but she wanted (Y/N) to go to the USA, to get a safer life and better education.

Bruce, being ever so suspicious, decided to do a DNA test, just in case. You just never know and Bruce didn't want to be used for his money and a green card for the boy that wasn't his. And once a DNA test showed that Bruce was the father, he took it upon himself to get (Y/N) into the USA and to get him his citizenship.

And immigration is not fun to deal with, everyone knows that. After pulling some connections, (Y/N) managed to get to the USA on a visa for now at least. Bruce has started the process right away with an immigration lawyer, the best on he could find in Gotham city. And since last name Wayne opens up a lot of doors everywhere, Bruce has decided to use that to his advantage.

The boys were not shocked by the news of another biological son. Damian wasn't afraid or threatened and unlike the first time he came to the manor, he's established himself as a biological son. And (Y/N) is a year younger than Damian anyway, so Damian welcomed (Y/N), but of course, it would take time for everyone to adjust to the new addition to the family.

Once (Y/N) settled down in the manor, Bruce sat him down to talk about everything moving forward. Bruce told (Y/N) that he will never prohibit any aspect of his culture and that if there are holidays that are important to him, that they would celebrate it. Bruce didn't want (Y/N) to lose his culture. He wanted (Y/N) to be proud of his culture and seeing the beaming smile on (Y/N)'s face made it all worth it.

So, the two decided to make a list of holidays that are important to him and that they were going to celebrate. (Y/N) made sure to put Día de los Muertos, alongside  Cinco de Mayo and El Grito de Independencia. Which (Y/N) clarified for his brothers. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the bravery of Mexican soldiers who made the French army retreat. El Grito de Independencia is the actual independence day, where they got their independence from Spain.

For some reason, Americans think that Cinco de Mayo is their independence day, which (Y/N) doesn't understand why Americans would think so. Like why? Do they not like to research? (Y/N) couldn't understand it, but decided to let it go since maybe Cinco the Mayo is far more easier to remember for them... No, that doesn't make any sense in that.

Maybe he'll never know.

(Y/N) was doing just fine in school. Bruce noticed how hard working he was. And it wasn't like Bruce had to force him to, he was just doing it on his own. Bruce wondered why, since he was a good student before coming to the USA. (Y/N) just explained how his mother taught that hard work is something that will make him succeed in life. She told him her story of hard work and how she became successful.

And Bruce understood why. (Y/N)'s mom didn't have connections and a last name that could open doors and simply pave the way. Bruce understood that and agreed that his mom did good. You can't expect that last name open up doors for you. Because anything can crumble when you least expect it.

So Bruce encouraged (Y/N) to take breaks, since it's not good to study for a long time. (Y/N) nodded and understood that. He promised Bruce that he would try his best to take breaks and Bruce smiled, knowing that he can't force change over night.

Jason on the other hand, needed help. He couldn't understand Spanish for the life of him. And he asked (Y/N) for help. And (Y/N) was surprisingly a good teacher. Teaching him how to pronounce certain sounds and taught him more than the teacher did. Jason was thankful and (Y/N) had no problem giving him tips he needed to remember certain things.

Dick was more interested in his culture. What were certain traditions of Mexican culture? What were values there? What is something you shouldn't do there? What should you do there? Dick was always more interested in learning about other cultures.

That turned into a nice during dinner. (Y/N) explained his roots and culture to them, beating a few stereotypes along the way and everyone listen intently. (Y/N) also said that he would like to celebrate the Día de los Muertos, reminding them that it start from the eve of October 31st until November 2nd. Bruce nodded having no problem.

What did shock Bruce was that (Y/N) revealed that he made an altar of Martha and Thomas Wayne. Bruce didn't know about it, but wasn't mad. (Y/N) explained what it meant to have an altar. It would mean having pictures of the deceased, alongside some candles and a cross. (Y/N) also added their favorite flowers.

Bruce was touched by that. To have his parents honored and remembered like that was... Touching. And a bit better than the way they do it here in America...

" Can you show the altar to me? " Bruce asked and (Y/N) nodded.

" I will papa. " (Y/N) sipped his water and Bruce nodded. After dinner, (Y/N) would show Bruce the altar of Martha and Bruce Wayne. It was a simply altar, with pictures, probably provided by Alfred, favorite flowers, just like (Y/N) said. There was also a cross.

" And it's normally that simple? " Bruce asked, curiously.

" Well on the Day of the Dead, we make ofrendas, in English language that means offerings. We leave water in the pitcher so that the spirits can quench their thirst, paper banners that are traditional and they represent wind and then we have earth which is normally bread. Then you have candles that are often arranged to look like a cross, so that the spirits can find their way, " (Y/N) explained and Bruce nodded.

" Also, some altars have level. Most elaborate ones have have seven levels, but most have 3 levels. And we also have flowers in Mexico that grow a lot and have a strong smell that is said that spirits are attracted to it to visit their mortal loved ones, " (Y/N) added and Bruce was going to get those flowers for (Y/N), no matter what connections he had to pull.

Bruce nodded as he listened more. He really liked this holiday. It was nice and you can feel closer to your lost ones, rather than in America where you bury your loved ones and then simply visit their grave. Bruce never thought about the spirit of his dead loved ones would come.

But he liked the Mexican mindset on that matter.

" That's a nice way of thinking. That their spirits try to come and visit... " Bruce trailed off, smiling at the altar.

" Whatever you need for the altar, you'll get it. Whatever it is, I'll get it for you. "

(Y/N) nodded, knowing that Bruce would do that.

" Well, you can help with cleaning up the grave, since we take care of the graves to put some offerings there. Oh, you and the rest of the family need to learn a lot. " (Y/N) crossed his arms as he chuckled, Bruce chuckling alongside him.

[vivwritesfics]

POV: Oscar saves reader

An NNTA AU

Just before she is due to marry Carlos, Oscar takes her away

For this, i'm pretending all the US immigration stuff doesn't exist, like, I know its seriously difficult to get a visa to live and work in the US, but i've ignored that here

Series Masterlist

It was the night before the wedding and Y/N was crying into her pillow

You know how the story goes, what happens when she marries Carlos

And, in a way, she knew it too

She knew what was going to happen to her, the impending tragedy she could feel coming

No amount of consoling from Oscar had any effect

In our original story, Oscar disappears to get some beers and let her have one last fun night

But, in this story, Oscar didn't do that

While she had been sleeping, Oscar was wide awake, putting things in place to get her away from Carlos's house

The hardest part had been getting a car and stashing it outside of the gates

If it was still there when they went to escape, he would have been incredibly surprised

"Pack your bags," said Oscar as he gently pulled her away from the pillow and wiped the tears from beneath her eyes

"Osc," she began, but he threw a bag onto the bed and pulled an already packed one from beneath it

Wordlessly, she got on with it, packing her things into the bag

The bag was tiny, not nearly big enough to pack all of her things

But she did what she could

"What're we doing?"

Oscar took her hand and kissed the back of it

He pulled open her bedroom door, keeping his hand on his gun as she looked up and down the corridor

When he saw nothing, he walked out, Y/N trailing behind him

He went to the stairs, kept his gun pointed down as he looked for any of Carlos's men

They had a clear run to the stairs

Oscar kept a tight hold of Y/N as they ran towards the front door

Outside would be a different story - there would be cameras everywhere and probably some men too

"When we're out there, run like hell," he said and waited for Y/N to nod before he opened the door

They did just like that, ran like hell

The gates weren't the most sophisticated and Oscar easily got them open

He took Y/N's hand and pulled her towards the car that was still stashed away

Within seconds they were driving towards the airport, and nobody even knew they had left

"Where are we going, Osc?" Y/N asked as she leaned her head against the window

Finally, he answered her, "The Sargeants have offered us a place to stay in the United States," he said as they drove on the highway

The flight from Spain to the US was long and Y/N slept through most of it

Oscar didn't, though

He kept his arms wrapped around her, alert and protective

When they touched down in Florida, Logan and two other men in suits were there to greet them

"I'm putting my ass on the line for you, mate," (because I love the way logan says mate) he said as he pulled Oscar in close

Oscar looked at the girl behind him

"She's worth it," he said

The Sargeants had multiple safehouses

That was where Oscar and Y/N found themselves, in one of the Sargeant's safehouses

It was their perfect little haven

It was hard for Y/N not to fall in love with Oscar

If she wasn't already in love with him when she lived in Carlos's house, she certainly was now

The safehouse had one bed (because I love that trope)

At first Oscar refused to sleep in the same bed as her

He took a couple of pillows and slept on the floor

But then Y/N insisted that he sleep in the bed with her

They fell into a domestic sort of bliss, and that was how they got together

They didn't think about it the first time they kissed, laying in the bed they now shared

It had become normal for Oscar to hold her close while they slept, still protective

For a full year, their life was normal

Y/N wanted to get a job, she wanted that sort of normality, so she did

She went by her middle name, calling herself Piastri instead of Norris

That made Oscar wear his polite cat smile

Oscar got a job too, working for the Sargeant family

It was really nice, working with his best friend

They went karting together, taking Oscar back to the days before he began working for Webber, when his Formula One dreams were close to being a reality

After a year of peace, Lando found them

It had been a solo mission, something he hadn't told anybody about

His men didn't know, the man that should have been his brother in law didn't know

Lando made the trip to Florida alone, letting Sargeant know that he was on his way

The Sargeants pulled Y/N and Oscar in

Oscar was immediately protective when Lando walked into the room, but the Brit held his hands up defensively

"Relax, nobody knows I'm here," he said, looking at his sister (who had been pushed behind Oscar)

"I'm proud of you," he said, "both of you"

"Both of us?" Asked Oscar, unable to stop the face he was pulling

Lando nodded his head

"You got my little sister away from a marriage that i never wanted to happen"

Y/N stepped forward. "Why are you here, Lando?"

Truth was that Lando wasn't going to come, not until he found out that she was going by Piastri

That gave a certain idea (that they were together) and Lando couldn't not check it out

He was right, it seemed

The way Oscar was protectively in front of her told Lando everything he needed to know

The way Y/N was holding the back of Oscars white button up shirt told him

"I'm here giving my blessing"

"I don't need it," Y/N replied quickly

"I don't care, you've got it"

Taglist (CLOSED): @biancathecool @multi-universe21 @formulas-bitch @gills-lounge @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @carlossainzwho @f1lov3r @samaib11 @charli123456789 @queenofmanydreams @ironmaiden1313 @vellicora @glitterf1 @80sloverry @lightdragonrayne @moonayu @bellsalabanccini @topguncultleader @handsupforamiracle @cmleitora @jenniferrvsesi @barcelonaloverf1life @sbella13 @nicolettecallednikki @darleneslane @thehufflepuffavenger1 @champagneproblems17 @aespie @yukheizcigarettes @rewmuslupin @hollie911 @ashy-kit @ririgy @stqrgir1 @zaynzierulez @minkyungseokie @rafaaoli @carolinesainz @ashies-ln4op81aa22 @measimp @mizelophsun11 @eviethetheatrefreak @andydrysdalerogers @chonkybonky @shobaes @celesteblack08 @watermelonworries @gracielukey @cassie0sstuff @goldenharrysworld @venusesworld @sparklyperfectionstranger @evans-dejong @graciewrote @formulaal

[agendabymooner]

jollibee, madrid and all that romance fiasco ! oscar p. x ofc (filipino!gen z!ofc)

summary: carlos sainz and his wife, magda, were heading back to spain after taking her and her cousins to the final race before the summer break. they hoped to have a decent break but their wishes were long gone as soon as the mclaren drivers told them about their plans to spend their week in madrid - where the couple conveniently lived.

OR oscar piastri had the fattest crush on magda's cousin, paloma 'lomi' san pedro, and needless to say, he wasn't even making it less obvious as he purchased a ticket to madrid just so he could spend his time with her. was he only looking for that summer romance or did he just fall in love with carlos' in-law?

content warning: use of explicit language, oscar and ofc shitting on each other, tagalog dialogues and translation ahead (i'm not as good as i used to be at speaking it, sorry lads), carlos sainz x ofc, mentions of alcohol use, fictional brother character (niño san pedro), carlos has a close relationship with his in-laws, A LOT OF JOLLIBEE, lando norris and oscar piastri being cultured (filipino), filo humour, lowkey protective!carlos

note: melody is in progress and i gotta let this out because i've been looking at too much unhinged filipino memes today. enjoy xx

masterlist

tagged carlossainzjr, charles_leclerc, landonorris, monamagdalena, ninojames

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris, charles_leclerc

monamagdalena "rich in-law" 😭 liked by lomisanpedro

carlossainzjr you weren't "forced" to wear my number 🙄 get it right hermana liked by lomisanpedro

lomisanpedro ur right. i asked for charles' number and they just conveniently "ran out" of my size 🤔

landonorris look at that handsome man in papaya and black tho 🥵 liked by lomisanpedro

lomisanpedro i'm gonna pretend i haven't seen this comment 😕

landonorris guys i think she's a charles leclerc fan liked and pinned by lomisanpedro

oscarpiastri i have a lot of oscar piastri shirts in your size 😊 liked by lomisanpedro

ninojames what 😄

lomisanpedro how do u know my size 🧐

oscarpiastri i've been looking, observing and mentally measuring

carlossainzjr oscarpiastri compadre do you wanna repeat what you just said?

landonorris don't mind me i'm just watching 🍿🥤

logansargeant so you're the girl he's ogling throughout the week??? liked by lomisanpedro

lomisanpedro and you're the florida boy? 🤓

logansargeant fair enough. nice to meet you though 🤠

lomisanpedro likewise sarge 🤠

carlossainzjr posted a new story !!!

tagged ninojames, lomisanpedro, landonorris, oscarpiastri, carlossainzjr

liked by logansargeant, alex_albon, georgerussell63

user1 i just know it hits different spending your vacation in a filipino-spanish household 😭 liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena there's a lot of "ordinary" volume arguments that's for sure 😅

user2 rip oscar's vocal chords. i know it's barely there but it must've abandoned him the moment the sainz-san pedros pulled up the karaoke liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena landonorris might have slipped some tequila to get the party going for oscar 🙃

mclarenf1 lando we taught you better than this

landonorris mclarenf1 what happened to "one more shot lando!"

mclarenf1 i don't like these accusations, lando.

user3 i can just imagine lando, carlos and oscar yelling "THAT'S NOT HOW DRS WORKS" at your cousins lmfaooo 🤣 liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena yeah my cousins live to give carlitos a headache every once in a while - seeing as they live in philippines and all

carlossainzjr we should have a daycare, mi corazon, because we don't get paid enough for this liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena i agree bebe, if anything we lose more than we earn money 🥲

ninojames stop lying to me carlossainzjr you literally helped me get my tourist visa because you said "you wanted to see your favourite cousin"

lomisanpedro oop- lemme just send this to caco rq 🤭

carlossainzjr ay lomisanpedro you do that, i'm not gonna set up the ac in your room 😒 see how long you'll withstand the heat in spain

lomisanpedro i live in ph but yes po master 😇

lomisanpedro if i have to go golfing one more time, i'm gonna hit you with the club landonorris carlossainzjr ninojames

ninojames speak for urself lmfao

landonorris it's ok i can take it paloma 🤪

carlossainzjr watch your words landonorris

landonorris that's not what i meant ??? 🤬

oscarpiastri barca did good last night no? liked by monamagdalena

monamagdalena heheheh carlossainzjr what do you think?

lomisanpedro carlossainzjr you should've shot him in the foot with the paintball when you had the chance 🤡

carlossainzjr i really should have.

landonorris that's tactical and against the fia rules carlos know better.

mclarenf1 yeah what landonorris said ^^

oscarpiastri that is incredibly mean of you, lomisanpedro 🥲

lomisanpedro show me how you cry rq??

tagged landonorris, oscarpiastri, lomisanpedro

liked by carlossainzjr and monamagdalena

monamagdalena putang ina pati pa naman sa spain, y'an pa din kinakain niyo? what the fuck, that's (jollibee) what you guys are still eating even in spain? liked by ninojames

ninojames patingin nga kung pa'no yung galit na mukha ate hahahaha ate, show me how you make an angry face

lomisanpedro ba't ka inggit lmaooooo why are you jealous

monamagdalena hoy lomi at niño, nagluto ako kanina di niyo ba kinain 'yon? i cooked earlier today, didn't you guys eat it?

lomisanpedro maarte yung mga bisita mo madam bertud. your guests are picky, madam bertud.

oscarpiastri monamagdalena I AM NOT picky, do not listen to what that gremlin is telling you

landonorris we ate and even washed the pot of sinigang so that gremlin is lying

lomisanpedro this gremlin is her cousin and how tf do y'all know what we're saying-

landonorris we're very smart men

oscarpiastri i'm a diplomat on the side

carlossainzjr NIÑO YOU AND LANDO JUST RACKED UP OUR BILL FOR DOING THAT TO OUR OVEN 🤬 liked by ninojames

ninojames lando was teaching me his dj skills 😕

carlossainzjr DONT MESS WITH THE OVEN LANDOOOO

landonorris we were trying to get lit 😭 you literally had nothing in there but uno and monopoly wtf were we supposed to do???

carlossainzjr i don't know? not play with fire and not rack up our house bill?

oscarpiastri are we having a filipino language session tomorrow then? liked by ninojames

ninojames with tequila?

oscarpiastri i found their stash so yeah with tequila- we should get some bucket of chickens for the session too :)

landonorris wag puro pulutan, dapat inom din. don't just eat, you have to drink too. liked and pinned by ninojames

lomisanpedro I HAVE TAUGHT YOU WELL, YOUNG PADAWAN 🤩

ninojames monamagdalena rate my teaching skills ate magda

monamagdalena what are you guys teaching these two??? 😭

oscarpiastri the basics magda 😊

INCOMING: dog show 😎 (oscar) SENDER: my pal(oma) 🐝 (paloma)

tagged jollibee, lomisanpedro

liked by carlossainzjr, logansargeant, landonorris

user1 BRO HARD LAUNCHED HIS CRUSH WTF 😭 what god did you pray to?

user2 puro jollibee si bro edi sana nag pinas ka na lang 😭 bro eats a lot of jollibee like you should've just gone to philippines instead

user3 madrid is paloma san pedro, in case you guys didn't know 🤭

landonorris god you are so whipped

mclarenf1 jollibee x mclaren when? 👀

jollibee when there's a philippine grand prix 🐝

ninojames oh so you ditched our session for this? for this ugly ass? liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri we got some palabok and two buckets of chicken joy and we're otw home 😅

ninojames ok maybe i can let you slip for once

lomisanpedro you are so annoying liked by oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri annoyingly considerate when it comes to you because you wanted jollibee this morning 🤭😊

user4 there is too much filipino rizz within pastry guys i think he wins this one

logansargeant was this why you've been rejecting my facetimes today?

oscarpiastri you can wait. jollibee can't.

user5 i'm sorry logan but i agree with him this time

user6 him tagging jollibee 😭 this man is clearly obsessed

bonus !!!

PS the fictional san pedro people

ramona magdalena 'magda' (ibañez) san pedro sainz (carlos' wife)

niño james (balagtas) san pedro (carlos' cousin-in-law)

paloma 'lomi' (balagtas) san pedro (also carlos' in-law)

[girlactionfigure]

With the kindness of strangers, they were able to escape.

“They were taken in by strangers, even housed in a barn along the route of their escape.”

They were refugees, fleeing for their safety, fleeing for their lives, trying to find a new life.

The war-torn country they were living in had been invaded, and they knew they had to get out.

Fortunately, according to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the couple were able to obtain Brazilian passports.

Others trying to escape to the United States, like Anne Frank and her family never made it that far, according to the History Channel, hindered by “American bias against accepting . . . refugees”, which halted most immigration from Europe.

But, first they had to get out.

“On May 10, 1940, Adolf Hitler sent three million troops through the Low Countries into France, according to the Smithsonian. “Parisians fled by the hundreds of thousands before the Germans captured their city on June 14. Among them a young couple, German Jews who had been living in Paris for just four years. They had waited too long. There wasn’t a car or a bicycle left in the city. The husband bought every spare part he could find and built two bikes from scratch. At 5:30 on the morning of June 12, they rode out of Paris with a monkey hidden in the basket.”

Although the couple had previously owned two marmoset monkeys, they did not have an actual live monkey in their basket.

Writer Sarah Stewart Taylor explains further, after the couple got aboard the train:

Hans Reyersbach and his wife, Margarete Waldstein “tried to remain calm as the official came through the train car packed with refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied France and asked for identity papers. When the official saw the stacks of papers inside Hans’s bag, he became immediately suspicious.

“But when Hans . . . pulled out a manuscript for a children’s book entitled ‘The Adventures of Fifi’ . . . the official smiled and passed them by.

“Nearly a year later, after a harrowing wartime escape and journey to the United States”, the couple were able to publish their book “about a mischievous and curious monkey who was always getting into trouble.”

Immigrants Hans Reyersbach and his wife, Margarete Waldstein, used pen names and changed the monkey’s name. Their pen names were H. A. and Margret Rey and the monkey’s name was changed per their publisher to reflect a more American name. “Curious George” would become “one of the most popular children’s books of the 20th century.”

This is a new story for the Peace Page.

~~~~~

According to Taylor, “The Reys were living in Paris when World War II began on September 1, 1939. As news of the Nazis’ advance through Belgium and Holland reached Paris, the Reys began to accept that, as German Jews, they were in danger and would have to leave their adopted country. They were able to secure updated Brazilian passports and collect what they would need for the trip.”

“The Reys boarded a train for Spain in Orleans, France on June 14, 1940, the day the Nazis marched into Paris. On June 23, they arrived in Lisbon. Three months later, after a stay in Rio de Janeiro to secure visas, the Reys arrived in New York. They would live the rest of their lives in their adopted country.”

“The Reys were taken in by strangers, even housed in a barn along the route of their escape. They arrived in New York with almost no money, with their main luggage gone,” according to Rivka Galchen of The New Yorker.

“Little was publicly known about the Reys’ wartime experiences until a 2005 book, ‘The Journey That Saved Curious George,’ written by Louise Borden and illustrated by Allan Drummond. A journal entry of H. A. Rey’s from 1940 included in that book tells us something of Hans’s temperament: Work was going “very slowly on account of events,” he noted, of the week the Nazis breached the French border. A letter of intent to publish ‘Curious George’ from the English publisher Chatto & Windus specifies plans to publish the book barring any international ‘incident involving force majeur.’ And later, a 1944 New Year’s card written from New York reads, ‘Let us think of the future; that’s where we shall spend the rest of our lives.’”

~~~~~

“So far 75 million copies of the Curious George books have been sold worldwide in over a dozen languages,” according to writer Jeff MacGregor.

“You can find the day-to-day, even hour-by-hour notations of their escape in Hans’ meticulous notebooks, saved at the University of Southern Mississippi, in a collection that bears the couple’s pen names: H. A. and Margret Rey.”

“A series of lectures and programs sponsored by the Rey Center and the New Hampshire Humanities Council has put the Reys and their work in the larger context of American history and children’s literature, focusing on U.S. immigration policy,” according to the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“The Wartime Escape: Margret and H. A. Rey’s Journey from France” has attracted a lot of national attention, says Audrey Eisenhauer, executive director of the Rey Center. “This has opened it up to the world,” says Louise Borden of the exhibit. “It has let people know about these perilous times and made them imagine a world without Curious George.”

~ jsr

"Small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life."

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 20)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (20)

Masterlist (other parts here)

YFN had just received an email from the company she now worked for, Lumos. She tried to research the company and the first thing that popped up was a popular charity, followed by several other companies sharing the same name. Eventually she found her company which had nothing beyond a basic internet site and new social media accounts, so she knew they were being honest when they said they were brand new and starting up.

The salary they’d offered her was already high, with the promise of increase based on performance, both hers and Lumos’. The amount of money they were putting into the business and expenses were also much higher than she expected. Someone really wanted this to work.

She looked over at Lucy who was making her own sandcastles and smiled. Once the email had come through, Lucy had insisted she read it and took her time to mull it over. YFN loved that she was doing anything she could to let her make a future in the country, and especially around her profession. That was her Lucy. Always three steps ahead.

She took her phone out to film a little snippet of her as she made her giant sandcastle. She couldn’t help the smile on her face looking at how happy she was. Lucy’s big kid was shining through. She looked up and saw YFN filming her and grinned, gesturing to her sandcastle as if to show it off. YFN ended the video and put it away, looking at Lucy sitting in the sand, a leg either side of her creation. She was wearing black shorts, her whole body tanned from Spain, abs shining with the sunscreen YFN put on her, regardless of the clouds. Her heart felt full just watching her.

“Admiring the view?” Lucy grinned.

YFN felt her face reddening, though she didn’t know why. She wasn’t ashamed to look. She nodded, pressing her lips together to hide a cheeky smile.

“Can you send me that video, little one?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She sent the video and went back to the email on her laptop. The email was promising, and she found herself excited at everything she read.

Her phone rang and she looked at the number, Lumos. She answered it, putting it on speaker, knowing Lucy would be interested.

“YFN speaking.”

“Hi YFN, it’s Joe, how are you?” She sounded lovely, like a mum.

“Hi Joe, lovely to hear from you again. I’m great, just at the beach soaking in all of the sunshine the UK has to offer.”

She laughed. “I dare say it’s nothing compared to what you’re used to in Australia. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”

“No, not at all. I was expecting this today, I’m free to chat.” She smiled at Lucy who gave her a supportive thumbs up.

“Excellent. Okay, well I thought we’d just go through the basics of what we’re hoping to accomplish as a company, our goals and along those lines. If you have the email open, we’ll just run through it together. Also, how’s the work Visa coming along?”

“Perfect, I have it open now. I’ve also spoken to my Visa agent and he’s confident they’ll have it approved by tonight. They’re happy with the contract and 6-month minimum guarantee that you’ve sent through.”

“Outstanding, that’s what we want to hear! Just send that through as soon as you receive it, or if you need any other information. Fingers crossed! Okay, let’s get started. So firstly, as you know, I’ve wanted to start this company for quite a period of time. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in and around the industry, and we’re not seeing the movement in female football that we’ve wanted, so Lumos is a plan to change that. Now, the World Cup has been brilliant for progress, and we plan to latch onto that and keep the momentum building. Over the past year and especially the past few months, I and my friends in the industry have put our feelers out, gotten some feedback and have established interest by a lot of the players. Now, I understand it will start slow, but we’re willing to put the work in and definitely also put the funding into it.”

Lucy looked impressed, nodding as she was talking.

“That sounds fantastic, Joe..”

“I’m glad you agree! To be quite honest with you, YFN, you’ve been the lynchpin I’ve been looking for. I’ve been looking for someone with your experience and after reading your columns and seeing the interviews you’ve conducted, I’m beyond impressed. The research you put into your work, and the way you speak and ask questions to your interviewee’s are smart, and incredibly respectful. I can see that’s important to you, and it’s very important to me. We shouldn’t be asking the same boring questions, or we’ll get the same media trained answers.”

“Oh I completely agree. I was a bit worried at first that this job would encourage me to ask those simple and sometimes far too personal questions, so I’m really happy to hear you say that because people don’t realise that we can go beyond the norm of interviewing, and still remain just like that. Respectful. Not only that, but players will be more willing to open up, accept interviews, and request us if they’re comfortable around us. They’ll also want to use us to get their messages across and I know that if we do this right, the momentum will build and more players will be using us to fulfil their media duties.”

“Outstanding, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear! We’re so, so lucky that you happened to meet Katie so she could recommend you to us. We’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”

YFN was a little embarrassed, she didn’t know how to accept compliments and blushed. Lucy reached over and squeezed her leg in support. “Thanks Joe, that’s lovely to hear. I hope I can live up to your expectations, and I’m excited to get started! It’s a blank slate which means so much opportunity for the company.”

“100% agree. Any chance you’ve found our website and social media accounts?”

“I did just before you called..”

Joe laughed again. “Of course, you have. Straight into work! Excellent. We’re going to get along so well, I already know it. Our IT guy is Noel, and his contact details are in the email. Right now I’ve asked him to make the accounts all bare minimum, as I imagine you’ll want to create a theme to follow..”

“Yes! Absolutely, so I plan on organising a meeting with the whole team for Monday, I just wanted to make sure you were happy with that first..”

“Yes, please! And just for the future, this is your team, your baby. Anything involving the creation of this, meetings, team logistics, etc, all of that is yours. Obviously I’ll still like to be kept up to date with the progress and the plans, but to be completely fair with you, YFN, I run several businesses so I’m quite busy. This company is still in its start-up stages, so I’ll have much more time for it, and I do have a soft spot, this is always going to be one of my priorities, however I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page with this.”

“That’s perfect, I’ll send you through weekly updates and expenses, planning, coverage and everything we change or create along the way. I appreciate the honesty and the communication also, I think until we establish that solid footing, you and I will have to be in a lot of contact to ensure we’re achieving the expected goals, and keeping everything in budget.”

“You don’t know how much this is music to my ears.”

YFN laughed, feeling positive and happy with the plan thus-far. Joe seemed perfect, offering her everything and having the blind faith in her to start up the business almost from the ground, up. “I think we’re starting at a good time, though. We’re catching the start of the seasons, so it gives us time to iron out any issues before the finals for both the WSL and the Conti Cup. A good timeline will be for us to have full coverage by Round 5 on the Conti Cup, and January for WSL, covering both through to the Final. Then we should be fully prepped and running smoothly for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.”

“That’s a very respectable timeline and exactly my thoughts. January will be perfect if we can have full coverage by then.”

“I think it’s achievable, I’ll have a better idea after I research a bit more and talk to the team. I’m sure everyone’s keen to get started! Also, it’ll be quite a heavy work period as we start up, and then when we finally start to get footing, we’ll be expanding to make sure we have the people to cover all games and the email also says you’re hoping for international team and coverage of the other leagues in Europe?”

“Yes,” Joe sounded a litte sheepish. “I know, I know, it’s quite a high expectation, but we’ll get there eventually. Let’s start with the WSL and Continental Cup. Definitely want to be all over the UEFA Women’s Champions League, that’s the first major goal. From there, you and I can talk about expanding to cover Tier 2. Then, depending on the timeline, we want to cover Tier 3 and Tier 4 so we can encourage grassroots and young girls upcoming through the leagues. Then we want Liga F, Serie A, Feminine, etc, also following the national teams, NWSL in the US, A-Leagues in Australia and onwards.”

“Very large goals! That’s great, a lot to look forward to and to aim for. We’ll make sure to split the goals up to feel more achievable for the team, but I think if they know the long-term goal, it’ll make everyone determined and ready to settle down into the job.”

“That’s exactly what we want. The team building and team trust in each other is vital to make this business a success. Anything you need, let me know and we’ll work through it together, that includes extra positions or professionals. I imagine a recruiter may become useful if you become inundated with the logistics.”

YFN nodded, even though she couldn’t see her. She was taking notes eagerly, excited by the conversation as she responded, a little distracted as she typed. “I’ll definitely let you know if we need anything to help us expand..”

“I heard you’re meeting some of the players, also?”

YFN stopped typing and tilted her head. Lucy groaned. She looked over at Lucy who had a frown on her face, gesturing to the phone. “Um… Joe I have Lucy close by who wants to say something I think?”

Joe was aware that YFN was dating Lucy. YFN had made sure she’d told Joe, fearing a conflict of interest, especially with the need to visit Spain. Joe had had the opposite reaction. She thought it was great that YFN was so involved in the industry, knowing that dating Lucy made her closer with the inner circle of football than just being part of a media group. As for Spain, she’d encouraged her to go, offering to pay for flights and knowing that the more she was involved with Barcelona, the easier it would be to expand into Liga F and onwards. She was particularly interested in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati as they had so much influence in the sport. Joe’s ambition was multi-faceted, but positive on all fronts. She wanted to encourage the young female footballers of tomorrow, give women strong rolemodels to idolise, and to bring much needed attention to all of women’s football in general, all around the world. Popular footballers like Lucy, Alexia, Aitana, could help expedite their growth and influence.

“Of course! I assumed she was there with you and then Lucy’s post confirmed it.” She laughed.

Lucy’s post? She looked at a now cheeky looking Lucy as she passed her the phone and stole Lucy’s to check on said “post”. She’d posted the video of her building sandcastles on the beach and grinning at the camera, but more importantly, she’d posted a selfie Lucy had taken of the two of them, YFN sat in-between her legs and being pulled back by Lucy who was kissing her cheek as she smiled. Her mouth dropped open. Hard launch. She looked at the caption.

“Happy place with my happy little Australian” *red heart*

She’d tagged her and YFN looked at the phone in Lucy’s hand, unsure how it hadn’t blown up from all of the notifications it must have had. Lucy winked at her as she moved next to her, resting her hand on her thigh and stroking her thumb there.

“Hey Joe, it’s Lucy.. funny you should mention that, I actually hadn’t told YFN that just yet..”

“Hi Lucy… oh, I’m sorry! I’d heard a few little whispers from a few friends..”

Lucy laughed. “That’s okay, she had to find out eventually.” She looked at YFN who looked curiously at her gorgeously tanned athlete. She couldn’t help reaching out and playing with a few strands of Lucy’s hair that were wildly playing in the wind. “I might as well tell you both.. YFN said a while ago that one of the first things she’d want to do is to have a get-together with a few players to ask them what they want, their likes and dislikes and to start building those relationships.” YFN’s fingers stroked down the side of Lucy’s face from around her temple, down to her jaw as she watched her speak. Lucy leant into her as she did. “So a few of the girls and I made a few phone calls to get some players together for dinner tonight.”

YFN’s fingers paused on her jaw, her eyes softening and heart filling. How did she get so lucky?

“That’s fantastic! A very strong start to everything! Relationship building is the most important thing for us, we want to build and maintain those special relationships with all of the players, so this dinner tonight is going to be the perfect start for that. I speak for our whole company when I say a big thank you to you, Lucy. This is just… beyond the start I was expecting.”

“You’re welcome, and to be fair, I know a lot of the players are excited for this. As you said, word has been spreading for a while now and heating up in the last few months so we’re all excited to see this come to life. The girls I’ve spoken to have been so under represented and misrepresented for so long that they’re excited for this to happen. YFN’s going to have a lot of work, but I know she’s going be the most amazing asset for you and create magic, like she does with everything else.”

YFN’s hand dropped and she looked at Lucy with an embarrassed but thankful expression. Lucy touched that little dimple, her eyes unable to leave it. She handed the phone back to YFN who was almost crying. So much work. She wondered how busy she would be in 13 days when she needed to head to Spain. Joe was aware of it, of course, and immediately approved, reminding her that she didn’t need her permission.

They spoke for a little while longer, talking about the email and the team members they had. The call ended and YFN folded up her little note taking book, pulling the band over it. Lucy’s mouth on hers was surprising, but not unwelcome. She kissed back eagerly, tilting her head and their tongues meeting. It grew a little bit more desperate as their hands tangled in each other’s hair, and Lucy pulled her on top, straddling her in a sitting position. YFN groaned into her mouth at the feel of Lucy’s body against hers. Then her phone rang again.

She jumped, assuming it was Joe calling back and looked at the phone.

“Nan calling. Baby bro calling.”

“Oh shit, Joe really distracted me.” She answered the phone on loudspeaker, sliding off of Lucy, noticing her confused expression. “Hi Nan, hey bro.”

Lucy understood and settled herself behind YFN, legs either side of her and pulled her back to lean on her body. She pulled a blanket around them.

“Hello!”

“Hey sis.”

They changed to Facetime and it was impossible for them to not see Lucy. YFN’s nan adjusted her glasses to better see and her brother looked surprised and unbelieving.

“Oh shit, you weren’t joking.” He choked.

Lucy laughed. “Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you both. I’ve heard so much about you two.”

“Oh, YFN, she’s stunning.” Her nan said, making her choke out a little of the water she was sipping. Lucy and her brother laughed as she coughed the water out of her lungs.

“It’s not just about looks, nan!”

“No, but it certainly helps, doesn’t it?” She laughed.

YFN could feel Lucy’s whole body vibrating as she laughed behind her. She rolled her eyes knowing that Lucy loved compliments.

“Oh and I saw the photos online, very nice!”

Her nan was far past retired, she was a pensioner who spent most of her time playing games on the iPad YFN had bought her, and looking through Instagram and Facebook she’d installed on there for her. She had no idea how to use them and only had a few friends and followers, but that’s all she needed. After that, Lucy took out her phone and followed them both, making sure it was okay first and warning them about random follows that would ultimately pop up.

They spoke for a while, Lucy immediately loved by both, of course. Everybody loved Lucy. Lucy and her brother clicked surprisingly well, perhaps even better than YFN did with him, though she suspected a part of it was his idolisation of athletes and Lucy was nothing if not an athlete. She felt Lucy’s abs against her back, her strong biceps cradled around her own arms and she held her and laughed with her family like this wasn’t the first time they’d all spoken. God, that woman.

By the end of the phone call, Lucy had already managed to convince them both to come over and watch a game, offering to pay for their flights and accommodation. YFN made a mental note to argue with her about that later, or pay before Lucy could. Somehow she’d even convinced her nan who had always said she was too old for flying, Lucy managing to sweet talk her about first class and how much room and food you got. She was excited at the prospect of seeing them both. She’d seen her nan only a few weeks before, but the distance was cruel. Also, she hadn’t seen her brother in 8 months as he was living in Japan, exploring and doing god knows what.

They ended the phone call after a good period, both agreeing to come and watch England play at some point in the near future. She was excited at the thought of seeing her family soon and wriggled back into Lucy to show her happiness.

When the call disappeared from the screen, she saw the notifications and groaned nervously. She opened the post.

*Lucy Bronze MBE tagged you in a post*

*Caitlin Foord liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Caitlin Foord commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Alexia Putellas liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ruesha Littlejohn liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Millie Bright liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Leah Williamson liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Mariona Caldentey liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

She didn’t finish reading the notifications before she cleared them and put her phone away. She’d look later. Right now, she was with Lucy, and she was more than aware that she only had her for one more day. Lucy hummed her approval and kissed her temple.

“Busy third date, hm?”

“Cute lunch, majestic sandcastle, exciting work call, successful first meeting with my family… I’d call that a brilliant third date.”

Lucy nodded against her. “It’s getting late, little one. We need to go; I want us to get unpacked and showered before we go out for dinner.”

“Okay…”

“What’s on your mind? I can hear you thinking.” Lucy nuzzled behind her ear.

“I was just thinking about how I need to say goodbye to you in a day..”

“Don’t think about that.” She whispered. “Let’s enjoy it.”

“I am. My heart is starting to feel sad already though..” She turned slightly to look at Lucy. “Also, just out of curiosity, are we going to not have sex tonight, or just be quiet so Jordan doesn’t hear us?”

Lucy’s head fell back as she laughed. It was one of YFN’s favourite sounds. “Oh, we’re having sex tonight. As for the noise… I’m going to make sure you’re thinking about it for the next 13 days so… good luck staying quiet.”

[mariacallous]

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday aimed at advancing the restitution of Nazi-looted art, as well as personal property stolen during the Holocaust and other eras of political persecution.

The legislation is a response to a court ruling that allowed a work by Camille Pissarro to remain in a Spanish museum instead of returning to the heirs of its original owners. The 1897 painting, called “Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain,” belonged to Fritz and Lilly Cassirer, a Jewish couple who sold it under duress to escape the Nazis.

The painting by Pissarro, a French Jewish impressionist, now hangs in the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. The museum has claimed ownership of the work under a “finders keepers” law of property ownership that is unique to Spain.

In January, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was instructed to decide the case according to California state law. But it ruled that, even according to California, Spain’s legal system took precedence. “Rue Saint-Honoré,” according to that decision, belonged to the museum.

The new California law, signed at Los Angeles’ Holocaust Museum, clarifies that California law should take precedence in local Holocaust art restitution cases. It allows Californians “to bring an action for damages or to recover artwork or personal property, as defined, that was stolen or otherwise lost as the result of political persecution.”

According to the law, “California substantive law shall apply in actions to recover fine art,” and that “the true owner cannot be divested of ownership without actual discovery of their rights in, and the location and possessor of, the artwork.”

The legislation could send the decades-long ownership dispute over the Pisarro painting back to the courts — and award the painting to the Cassirers’ descendants.

“As a Holocaust survivor, the proudest day of my father’s life was in 1947, when he became a U.S. citizen,” David Cassirer, grandson of Fritz and Lilly Cassirer, told the LA Times. “He would be so happy, and grateful, that the people of the state of California have taken action to ensure the return of looted art to its rightful owners.”

Spain is one of the original 44 international signatories of the Washington Principles, a 1998 framework for restituting artwork stolen during the Holocaust. In 2018, Stuart Eizenstadt, the Secretary of State’s special advisor on Holocaust issues, named Spain as one of five countries that fell short on its commitment to the Washington Principles.

Authorities in New York City and around the world have made renewed efforts in recent years to restitute art that was sold under duress due to Nazi persecution. Earlier this year, 21 countries agreed to new standards in art restitution at a conference marking the 25th anniversary of the Washington Principles.

“Restitution is important, not just to get people their property back, but because it is a way to examine the true realities of the Holocaust and keep those facts in the public consciousness,” Sam Dubbin, an attorney representing the Cassirer family, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “It’s stolen property. It’s the Holocaust, which makes it 1,000 times worse, but it’s still fundamentally stolen property. And no one should be able to keep stolen property.”

The oil painting was bought directly from Camille Pissarro by German Jewish industrialist and art collector Julius Cassirer, who passed it down to his son Fritz and his wife Lilly. Lilly was forced to sell the painting under duress in 1939 for about $360 at the time in order to obtain an exit visa for England. The money was then deposited into a bank account that she was not permitted to access.

The painting made its way around the world over the next several decades, eventually landing in the collection of Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, a Swiss art collector and the heir to a German steel fortune. Thyssen-Bornemisza sold his collection to the Kingdom of Spain in 1993, which established a foundation and museum in Spain in his name.

The Museo Thyssen did not respond to a request for comment.

After he learned of the location of the Pissarro painting, the couple’s sole heir, Claude Cassirer, sued for its return in 2005. He died five years later, and now his son David, his daughter Ava’s estate and the Jewish Federation of San Diego County are handling the case.

“For survivors of the Holocaust and their families, the fight to take back ownership of art and other personal items stolen by the Nazis continues to traumatize those who have already gone through the unimaginable,” Newsom said Monday. “It is both a moral and legal imperative that these valuable and sentimental pieces be returned to their rightful owners, and I am proud to strengthen California’s laws to help secure justice for families.”

[studyingnstruggling]

I used to want to study abroad after hs (covid and my mom’s guilt tripping prevented it tho) and I watched a lot of videos about studying abroad in various countries. South Africa, Uganda, Russia, Spain, just to name a few examples. And in the majority of the vids there was a theme of if you’re causing trouble, or getting involved in some shady activity, you could be kicked out and deported with your student visa taken. Especially as a foreigner you should be careful. That was the given thing. Keep your head out of trouble and do your work. Respect the country you’re in even if you don’t agree with all their laws/culture. Why is this logic nonexistent in my country the u.s.? If you’re a foreign student and instead of studying you’re spending your days harassing people at protests, why shouldn’t you get deported? It sounds mean, but why is it ok in other countries for this to be an obvious thing but it’s considered bad here? I don’t understand. Why do some countries get to uphold a rule of law but that’s trampled upon in the u.s./west? If I go to Russia to get a degree, and I go to a pro Ukraine protest and I’m yelling at people, then I should get my student visa taken away and deported. I didn’t go there for that, I came for a degree, and if I’m going to cause trouble I should be sent away then. Not sure why this is so controversial.

[corvid-language-library]

Future Plans

This is mostly me thinking aloud (or rather, writing shit down), so feel free to ignore (it's gonna get long).

Basically, I'm trying to decide what to do in regards to staying in Japan/moving on.

I love living here. I love my job. After a year of doing it, I've learned from my mistakes and I feel like I've become a much better teacher. With the new school year I've implemented some changes in my approach that I know are going to have positive outcomes, and I want to see it through. I want to keep working with these kids, I want to help them grow.

But... I have reasons for wanting to go back to the UK (never thought I'd say that):

Top of the list is my nan having quite severe dementia. That in itself doesn't affect me greatly as I've not seen her for years and was never close to her. However, I know my mum is struggling to look after her. She frequently drives 3 hours to see her, then spends a week caring for her, and while she tries to put a humorous spin on the stories she tells me I can tell it's hard for her. I want to be there for her, maybe even go with her to help look after my nan just to take the burden off of her.

Related to that... I worry that my mum will develop dementia later on and I'll regret not spending the years we could've had together with her. She's the only family member I'm close to really and honestly, I miss her.

Also family-related... I'm missing my niece growing up. I'm not a part of her life at all and that makes me sad.

I'm still considering studying Education Psychology in the city where my brother lives. It would be expensive and I'd need to rely on my dad's money, which I don't really want to do, but it would set me up nicely to either go into research or then apply to do a teaching Masters degree in Norway (plus I'd get to actually be a part of my niece's life for a bit).

I miss having a fucking oven oh my god I want to bake so fucking badly you have no idea.

At the moment I intend to see my contract out for at least the rest of this year. After that, I'm not 100%. I might continue another year and stay until my visa expires (depends on the situation with my nan I guess).

Another plan would be:

Go back to the UK either when my contract reaches its end at the end of January or when my visa expires at the start of January

Come March, apply to university in Norway

Move to Norway the following summer if I get accepted

I'm also considering transfering away from Yamagata if I decide to stay on for a third year, but I'm in two minds. As mentioned above, I want to continue working with these kids and see through what I've started. I also love Yamagata and my team are great and I'm finally making friends! But I also want to explore more of Japan. It's so expensive to travel here from Europe and I doubt I'd be coming back anytime soon, but it's difficult to get to different areas of Japan from Yamagata. If I were in, say, Osaka, it would be much easier for me to go to new places.

Other options:

Just stay in Yamagata and get my visa renewed and settle down properly

Go do TEFL in a different country that's slightly closer to home (maybe Spain or France)

So yeah, those are some thoughts I'm having. I don't really know what to do at the moment and most people just politely listen and then say "well, it's down to you really" and that doesn't help lmao. Thankfully I've got quite a while to decide anyway.

[extraliga-related]

Who are some rookies you'll be keeping an eye on this year?

The kids!! Excellent question!! (Terrible answer!!)

Went with the Extraliga ones, under a read more because I was once again incapable of keeping it short. I have also... mixed up the meaning of the term "rookie" but by then it was already too late. My brain supplied "prospects". 🙃

Tomáš Pobežal -> 2006, C, HK Nitra, Extraliga SVK

Nitra's youth development keeps on going strong. Some guy from Poprad might accuse him of lacking humility which means he's on the right track! Going the same route through the system as Nemec. Made his debut this season, scored twice thus far. Can put a fat check on his hockey IQ. Oh! Got a Michigan against Canada.

Nemec & Jiříček 2.0

You've heard of Šimon and David now get ready for Adam and... Adam. No continuation of the defender duel considering they're up for different draft classes and A. Nemec is a winger, though.

A. Jiříček -> 2006, D, HC Plzeň, Extraliga CZ

Actually doesn't play much differently than his brother. Aggressive two-way defender whose impulsiveness either pays off big time or leads to awkward unfortunate plays. Can he read the play and deceive the opponent with his body language? For sure. Does the execution always come at the right time and place? Nope. Could his timing struggle be compensated by picking up the pace? Perhaps. Either way, might just see him fairly early in the upcoming draft.

A. Nemec -> 2007, LW, MMHK Nitra U20, SVK U20

He's been dominating each of the youth leagues he entered as an underager. Now also a part of Nitra's program, so while his pro-league debut is still awaiting I'm looking forward to it. Him and fellow 15-year-old Tomáš Chrenko (center) are making shit happen on the top line and it's a sight to behold. The accuracy? The seemingly effortless puck movement? Looks promising, even more so if Nemec gets to work on his skating ability and Chrenko grows into his size.

Tomáš Galvas -> 2006, D, Bílí Tygři Liberec, Extraliga CZ

Liberec's new youngest scoring defender! Now getting considerable TOI and moving up in d-pairings! Not as physical as a Jiříček but he's got the brain and Olomouc made a mistake by letting him go. Knows he doesn't have the size (yet) so makes up for it by speed and always staying in motion. Patience, endurance & a whole lot of skill.

Vladimír Dravecký Jr -> 2007, D, HC Košice/SVK U18, Extraliga SVK/SVK2

Getting his first couple of shots at pro-hockey in Košice. He is, in fact, the son of Vladimír Dravecký Sr who is still very much active in the Czech Extraliga. Feeling some type of way about that.

Used to play in CZ but forced to temporarily move to SVK and undergo the U18 stages due to IIHF visa regulations. Sucks, because he's already got an edge over plenty of the guys his age and played a pivotal role on his previous team.

Jaromír Pérez -> 2005, W, Bílí Tygři Liberec, Extraliga CZ

Winger named after Jágr (seriously) who grew up in Spain for the first 7 years of his life. Enthusiastic little guy equipped with a 'team first, individual stats last' attitude which is tragically compelling. If he refines his skills across the board it's going to be a joy to follow his development.

[synonymouswithanonymous]

Chains lol

He's worked several times throughout the last couple of years, his voice over work for an animated film, nightwatch 2, 2 tv shows filmed and aired, two unknown projects one in Scotland (she visited him briefly) and one in Spain. Short film Pic. So it's not like he's been lumping around idle without work lol. He was filming something else in DK about 2 weeks ago, unknown new project. Also worked on his GF's podcast and been on several podcasts.

Now he's got a visa to probably work in NYC like he mentioned in an interview..for an international film.

Bali and Lebanon trips for G2N & RC.

Beyonce concert and Smukfest (article said Johanne was visiting family or friends during Smukfest). Plus a boys trip in Dublin. This is off the top of my head. He travels a lot. Lol Other concerts, even with his Dad.

So I'm not sure why some people are acting like he doesn't leave the house or his girlfriend keeps him chained at her side. That's clearly not what's happening. 😂😂😂😂 that's the new/latest irrational angle I guess. Or that she's keeping him from work or friends for some imagined reason haters imagined her to have. Just bc you don't see instagram posts of him with friends doesn't mean he's not been with friends. Just bc neither person posted them at Christmas together doesn't mean they didn't see each other at all ( their second Christmas together), doesn't mean they didn't have their "couples Christmas" and exchange gifts lol. And how are you going to use what you didn't see as a way to make up a story that she's manipulating him by withholding her presence. or gets mean when she doesn't get her way (lol random irrational assumption). Or keeping him from work and friends.😂😂 I mean really are you kidding me? 😂😂😂😂😂 this is imo, highly irrational.

Maybe they only show what they want to show, on socials, and are private with the rest (they seem more guarded with posts now). They're basically already living together (clothes in closet was posted so educated guess) but we don't see every minute of their days or nights. But again, educated guess, they're having sex. We won't see it ever ( good bc that's extra private) but I'm gonna guess that they are. To hammer my point home about the just bc you don't see it on Instagram doesn't mean it's not happening. Consider work schedules and real life for all involved, consider also when you're in a relationship you will spend a large portion of time with your partner. This is normal. Like when people have kids and unless you visit them you might not see them for awhile. Lol

This doesn't make him weak, it doesn't say anything bad about him at all. It also doesn't say anything bad about her either. Why is he seen as weak or a victim of some kind? It doesn't make sense. Why does she have to a villain to some people? And not just a normal couple with extraordinary jobs? They seem pretty solid even though he travels a lot. But she's an actor too, so she would understand the travel aspect of the job/life.

Sidenote the "hands" video, her face is so adorably sweet looking in the video. They're cute together. The tickling was funny. 😊😊😊

[fapper]

Must do this month

- buy flight tickets to DC and spain (like order today and arrive tomorrow type shit so yk its not possible alr LMAO) $$$$$$$

- cancel phone service

- go to DC immediately go to consulate get visa come back

- start packing RUSHING to go to spain bc im alr late

- clean apartment bc subletting (i live like a bum)

- ship work laptop

- buy box put stuff that didnt fit in luggage in

- ship that box to dorm address ($$$$$$)

And hope to do all this before August 29 but that seems impossible alr

For now im just gonna

- keep sending emails pathetically begging for someone to help me make the visa process fatser bc if not i will be jeopardizing my sem abroad, becoming homeless, and also cancelling my nonrefundable $900 flight ticket to spain.

Me like suicide me like suicide me should suicide

[sincerelyang3l]

💕 OC INFO DUMP 💕

Name: Anathema

Name Meaning: “a thing devoted”

Nickname: Annie

Race: Hispanic

Occupation/Job: Marine Life Veterinarian at Seattle State Aquarium

~ Physical Appearance ~

Age: 26

Eye Color: Hazel/Brown

Hair Color: Black

Type of body/Build: Slim but filled out, medium height

Skin Tone: Dark Tan skin with pink and red undertones

Freckles: Yes 😊

Healthy?: Yes very, she was on a lot of prescription diets for awhile

~ Favorites ~

Favorite Color: Red (she looks amazing in red Fr 💕)

Least Favorite Color: Gray

Food: Anything really, but she especially loves chicken

Literature: When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi

Daredevil or Cautious?: Cautious

Habits: she has a bad habit of digging her nails into her arms when she gets nervous or stressed..

Hobbies: She enjoys cooking, cleaning, and baking

Does she drink?: No

~ Background ~

Hometown: Barcelona, Spain

Type of Childhood: Rough lmao

Story: When she was around 6 years old, her mother and father decided to move to the Americas. They were on visa, so they barely spoke any English, And they were having some trouble getting past border control. Since they spoke little English and didn’t understand much about American customs, they didn’t really think much of it when two men showed up, and offered to take care of their daughter while they figured their papers out.

So Annie ended up with these guys for a long time, who sort of just made her do their laundry, chores, and other stuff. They never got sexual with her or anything, and they did eventually get arrested for kidnapping. After that, she was raised in foster care until eventually ending up being adopted by a doctor.

He was good to her and raised her until she graduated and then went off to become a Marine Life Vet.

It was while she was in college that she began attending church and met her future husband.

Religion: Catholic

~ Family ~

Mother: Whereabouts Unknown; Annie was never really sure if she got into the country or was forced back to Spain, either way, her parents never tried to make contact with her after she was kidnapped.

Father: Her Birth father is also Unknown, but she’s very close with her adoptive father and loves him to death

Siblings: She has an adopted older brother named Carlos who’s overseas with the military.

~ Attitude ~

Most at ease when: Probably when she’s at work with her sea critters or with her husband

ill at ease when: When she’s triggered by something or yelled at

Priorities: She has a big priority of making sure everyone else is happy and took care of before herself.

Philosophy: treat others how you want to be treated

~ Traits/Personality ~

Optimist or Pessimist?: Optimist

Introvert or Extrovert?: Introvert

Talents: She’s a very good cook/baker and she’s very intelligent

Extremely skilled at: Cooking, baking, cleaning, and her job of course. She’s the lead Marine Vet at her aquarium

Extremely unskilled at: Sewing and Painting

Good Characteristics: She’s very kind, she’ll do anything for anyone, even if it’s a stranger

Character Flaws: She’s extremely timid, and she’s quite the people pleaser, so she often doesn’t tell her own thoughts or feelings

Biggest Accomplishment: Majoring in Marine Biology and becoming a Marine Life Vet

Darkest Secret: it’s not a huge deal but uh..she got her husband to break his priestly vows before he was her husband 😦

[overlookedwwiimedia]

Transatlantic (2023)

Basic Story: European refugees wait in Marseilles while the Emergency Rescue Committee attempts to get them visas out of Europe.

Fan Thoughts: Transatlantic is loosely based on the novel The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer, turned into a miniseries by Daniel Hendler and Anna Winger (Deutschland 83, Deutschland 86, Deutschland 89, Unorthodox).  In Marseilles under the Vichy Government, the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC), founded by Varian Fry and Mary Jayne Gold, are working to get artists and intellectuals on a ‘Most Wanted’ list compiled by the Nazis out of Europe and to safety.  Assisting the ERC are other refugees Albert Hirshman and Lisa Fittko, who initially help to guide people over the mountains into Spain.  Over its seven episodes, not only are the actions of the ERC shown, but all those who did what they could to assist refugees in their escape from fascism.  While their level of involvement differs widely, their actions, and every other characters’, all aid the same goal and highlight the many different ways civilians helped people escape.  Juxtaposed against those who helped are several characters who refuse to lend their aid or focus only on their own interests, specifically American companies looking to sell to countries on both sides of the war, and extremely limiting American policies that turned away boats full of refugees in New York.  While touching on these overreaching policies, there is also a purposeful focus on people; the ERC operates out of Villa Air-Bel, a mansion in the countryside where people wait while their visa applications are processed. While they are waiting they find time to throw birthday parties, dance, sing, and generally feel as human as they can in front of the immense danger they face if their visas are not granted.  Not only does this series have the scope to focus in on individual people and pull back for a broader view, it has a somewhat light, adventurous feel created in part by Mary Jayne whose commitment to her missions is only matched by her cheer and eagerness to help.  The adventurous spirit of this show makes it a enjoyable and easy watch that carries you along through the ups and downs and loopholes of getting as many people as possible out of Europe in the 1940s.

Warnings: on-screen deaths

Available On: Netflix

[upstartly]

I was going to hire my friend to do the coding for my games tbh but he was in charge of getting me a job in italy

Basically cause of Brexit I can't just rock up I need like visas and shit and it's confusing from the UK end so he looked into it from his end and was like 'ok so just come here and we'll make you a part time work contract as our nanny and you can use that to get residenza and look for other work' and I was like 'i don't think that's how it works but you know better than me!' And moved to Italy and found a place to live and we were supposed to go get my work contract the first week

And then the second week

And then the guy was busy

And then it had been 6 weeks and I was like '!!! When the fuck are we going??? You made the appointment weeks ago! '

And he's like oh uh we'll go tomorrow

So we go and they're like 'oh that's not how it works lol'

So I wasted a bunch of money and time and may have developed skin cancer while there I'm still waiting for results but moles usually don't double in size and go from light caramel to dark chocolate in a week

And so now he can get fucked I'm going to code this shit myself and maybe I'll move to Spain instead

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Barrytown: We talked to our son “for over 12 hours and he was shaking and vomiting”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 7

March 22, 1976

To whom it may concern:

Our son joined Moon’s group in late 1971 and was coaxed to join by a room-mate. Our son was taking graduate courses. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of a U.S. University in the mid-west. He was definitely idealistic, because he quit his job in his hometown because he felt the institution he worked for charged exorbitant interest rates to under-developed countries.

Mike (this is not his name) has never been home since he joined the group, because we told him we felt he was wasting his life working for Moon. We believe he has been in practically every state in the union, even Alaska, but not Hawaii. We had cards from many places. However, we did visit him twice. We noted the houses were clean where he lived. But I thought the food was not adequate. Both places had an open jar of peanut butter sitting on a table and a loaf of bread. Coffee and tea seemed to be available, but we saw no fresh fruit nor vegetables.

Mail from Mike has been infrequent and short, usually cards. However the very first letter was frightening—rambling and 10 or 12 pages long, trying to tell us why he joined this movement. He talked about the drug problem, the race problem, poverty in the world, etc. And he implied that those who joined this group had all the answers. He never mentioned the name Unification Church nor Moon for over a year after he was in the group.

We seemed to get no Christmas or Easter greetings. One Christmas we got a Christmas greeting with a snow scene. Our family always sent religious cards at Christmas. But Christmas 1974 we got no word at all. Then in February we got word Mike was married by Moon in a mass wedding in Korea. He was married to a German girl we had never heard of.

He said he worked with her in the group for a year, but our daughter, a nurse went to hear one of Moon’s talks the November before and met all the young people with him and this girl was not one of them. So we feel Mike lies to protect Moon. Later (in March) we received a letter from “our daughter-in-law”. She said, “I know you must wonder about your son who went out into the world and married someone you never met before”. But she gave no explanation of this.

Then later we received a letter from our son’s father-in-law from Germany. He and his wife are very good Christian people and they went to the trouble to find a student to write to us in English. They wanted to know about the family now related to their daughter. We immediately told them we did not approve of the Moon Movement and they too said it has been the heartbreak of their lives. She, the daughter-in-law, was still being held in Germany after being flown from Japan in December. They are having visa problems we hear.

Our son was taken back to the States in early November 1995 to Barrytown, N.Y. The father-in-law of our son told us about this and we called for several days before he finally called us back. Then we took a chance on going up to see him, my other son, an ex-Moonie and I, Mike’s mother. The ex-Moonie told him the movement was a big rip-off. We talked to him for over 12 hours and he was shaking and vomiting. It was terrible to see him so programmed that if he broke in the middle of an explanation, he would have to start all over again just like a record. He told us he just read that Franco of Spain died that morning, after we told him he does not read nor listen to TV or radio. Franco, in fact, did not die for several days. Anyway, I stepped into the bathroom for a minute and he fled, because his brother fell asleep. He left his coat and ran out into the rain. We looked for him for a while and then called the ex-Moonie’s mother and she told us to get out of New York quick or we would be arrested. We left and I was so shaken from this experience, I spent 10 days in a mental hospital for my nerves. After witnessing the fear and vomiting, I was relieved to see him go. But later I still cry for what has happened to my intelligent son.

I want to add here too that my son gave Moon $1,400 he had in a local bank. And when he married he defaulted on a state school educational loan. I received a letter about this in January 1975 and I gave the state all the recent addresses I had for my son. My son told me when we saw him November 1975 that he thought Moon paid off his loan. We heard also from a reliable source that Moon charged each person he married $400. Moon now is sending out booklets “Way of World” to presently active Moonie’s parents to make us more understanding. The NERVE he has—we now NEVER get a letter from our son at all. I cannot understand why the U.S. government lets this terrible thing happen to us, the tax paying citizens, and this foreigner with a permanent visa makes fools of us. Someone must be getting paid off. The First Amendment we need, but our judges and law makers administer the law.

Name withheld

_____________________________________

A visit to Ann at Barrytown (1975)

At Barrytown all members must continually strive to lose their identity and become one with Moon’s will (1976)

Ken Sudo and the secret Barrytown 120-day training manual and Unification Church telephone fraud

Physically restrained against his will at Barrytown

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 2 Moon’s mass marriages are “a form of sex perversion”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 3 Our son “seemed to be in a bizarre world of science fiction”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 4 “only if she got rid of the baby and gave it up for adoption”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 5 Moon is a man devoid of of human compassion

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 6 “One of your ancestors was a peeping Tom.”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 8 Many parents suffered heartbreak after losing their children to the Moonies

[motsimages]

I sometimes interpret for a local NGO. Lately I am getting more interpretations than ever before and most of them are Russian LGBT people looking for asylum, for obvious reasons. There has been a boom in Russians coming to Spain in the past month and a half, or at least, for them to come to my region.

And they come to my region, which is one of the most isolated and less touristic regions of all Spain. They look online and they see that Spain is a good place for LGBT people, but they also find that it is easier to get international protection in this very rural and hard to reach region than in other bigger places. And they don't speak the language but they come here specifically.

This is a big surprise to me because before interpreting for gay Russians, I interpreted for Africans. And Africans are not coming to Spain and are definitely not looking for this region. They wanted to go to France, and after months, if not years, of crossing Africa, they are stuck in Spain, in some lost rural region that doesn't offer many jobs because this is where the NGOs had space for them.

Russians have had a hard life, obviously, but they also had time to prepare, to save some money. They are white and European, so the culture is more or less similar and know more or less what to expect. Their trip lasted like 2 days, by plane, with a visa. They have their passport and many of their personal documents. They chose where they were going and they went straight there. Things will look up for them now, things will now be easier. You can see that they are happy and resting, finally. Some even tell you "I sleep better here than I ever slept in Russia". Some had been going to therapy before coming here, they know what mental and physical condition they have and why. At least half of them had higher education. Some of them speak English, probably some of them also speak whatever local language they had, but generally they are monolingual in Russian.

Africans have had a hard life, an extremely hard year before they get here. If they left with money, they don't have any money anymore. They are black and African so the culture is very different and they don't have any references. They chose where they were going and they didn't reach it. They have been used and abused for over a year, so they don't know who to trust. Things may look up for some of them, but they will not be easier. You can see that they are lost and hopeless and don't know where to begin. They have never gone to therapy, maybe not even to a doctor, they are not very aware of their mental state, and they may only slightly aware of their physical condition. Most of them don't even have higher education and if they speak languages other than French, they are non-European languages and they don't know how to relate that knowledge to the new language they have to learn.

And in any case, most of them are men. I see some women and families in the NGO, but I don't deal with them. I have only interpreted for 1 Russian woman once, the only woman that came on her own that I have seen. I have never seen an African woman in this NGO, I had a neighbour though, a single mother who had a Spanish mixed child. Africans are mostly men and they travel alone, unless they come from the Maghreb, some Maghrebians come with their families or spouses.

I know why there aren't many women. I know why many of them don't even try to leave their countries, and what could possibly happen to those who try.

I don't know where I'm going with this. I guess it's just a thing to get off my head so I can keep working there.