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olderthannetfic · 4 years

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Hey, sorry to ask this, but a few days ago I saw a post/discussion about the history of original work on ao3 (i.e. how and when it was allowed). I thought it was in my likes, but it's not, and I thought you had reblogged it recently, but I didn't find it. I was wondering if you have seen this discussion around? Or where I can find more about it? This specific post talked abt how who defended original work on ao3 were not the BNFs, if that helps.

That was me running my mouth in the reblogs of something or other. It’s just the one comment.

But what’s that you say? Some tl;dr about a pet topic? Don’t mind if I do! ;) (To be honest, most of this debate happened years ago, and a lot of the long meta was by me back then too, so…)

Okay, so, the situation with Original Works is actually super interesting and a microcosm of early years OTW wank.

This is going to be even more tl;dr than my usual. To try to summarize very briefly:

There were two big cultural factions. One thought “original” was the opposite of “fan”. That one was in charge of OTW. It was hard to get voices from the other side into the debate because they already felt excluded from OTW.

This divide broke down more or less into Ye Olde Slash Fandom on the “it’s the opposite” side and anime fandom on the “WTF?” side. Americans on one side and a lot of non-US, non-English language fandom on the other.

I. Media Fandom, Anime Fandom, and Early OTW

I went to that first fundraising party that astolat threw in New York City back in… god… 2007? 2008? I wasn’t on the Board or any official position until the committees got started later, but I was around right from the very beginning.

Whether you’re looking at volunteers or at people who commented on astolat’s original post, there were always a variety of fans from a variety of fannish backgrounds. People aren’t absolutely in one camp or another, and fannish interests change over time. If you go dig through Dreamwidth posts to find who was actually participating in this debate at the time, half of them are probably in the other camp now.

If you think like that sounds like a preamble to me making a bunch of offensively sweeping generalizations and divvying fans up into little groups, you’d be right! Haha.

I.a. Ye Olde Media Fandom

There are a lot of camps of people who like fanfic. One of the biggest divisions has been Ye Olde Media Fandom vs. anime fandom. Astolat’s social circle–my LJ social circle–was filled with people with decades of fannish experience and a deep knowledge of the Media Fandom side of things.

Those fandom history treatises that start with K/S zines in Star Trek fandom in the 70s and move on through the mainstream buddy cops like Starsky & Hutch to the more niche, sff buddy cops like Fraser and Ray or Jim and Blair are talking about Media Fandom. I try to always capitalize it because the name is lulzy and bizarre to me unless it’s a proper noun for a specific historical thing. It was coined as a rude term for “mass media” fandom aka dumb people who like, ughhhh, Star Trek, ughhh, instead of books. This is a very ancient slapfight from the type of fandom you find at Worldcon, often called “SF fandom” or plain “fandom”.

(Yes, this leads to mega confusion on the part of some old dudes when they find Fanlore and fail to understand that “fandom” there refers to what these people would call “Media Fandom”. They think only they get the unmarked form. But I digress…)

Media Fandom is a specific flavor of fandom. It’s where the slash zines were. It’s where the fans of live action US TV shows were. It’s the history that acafans have laid out well and that tends to get used to defend the idea of a female subculture writing transgressive and transformative fanfic. On the video side, Media Fandom is where Kandy Fong invented vidding by making Star Trek slideshows.

(Kandy’s still around, BTW. She’s usually at Escapade in L.A. Ask her to tell you about the dancing penises sketch in person. She’s hilarious.)

Astolat and friends had been going to slash cons for years. They founded Vividcon. And Yuletide. That meant that when astolat said “Hey kids, let’s put on a show!” we all jumped to help. This is a lady who gets things done.

From a Worldcon perspective, or even from an older Media Fandom perspective, this group was comparatively young, hip, and welcoming. Their fandom interests were comparatively broad. Just look at Yuletide!

In fact, yes, let us look at Yuletide… [ominous music]

I.b. Yuletide sucks at anime

From the very first year (2003), Yuletide mods have asked for help with anime fandoms, been confused about anime fandoms, or made bad judgment calls about anime fandoms. They’ve fucked up on Superhero comics and plenty of other things over the years, but anime has been the most consistent (well, and JRPGs, but there’s so much overlap in those fic fandoms).

There was already bad feeling about this. There were years of bad feeling about this.

I.c. Where are the historians?

Academic study of fanficcy things pretty much got started with Textual Poachers and Enterprising Women. Other acafans who are well known to LJ and later Tumblr are people like Francesca Coppa who wrote a very nice summary of the history of Media Fandom. These are not the only academics who exist, these academics themselves have written about many other things, and by now, OTW’s own journal has covered a lot of other territory, but to this day I see complaints on Tumblr that “acafans” only care about K/S and oldschool slash fandom.

There were years of bad feeling about this as well.

I.d. What kind of fan was I?

Now, by the time OTW got started, I’d moseyed over to not only a lot of live action US TV but a lot of old-as-fuck US TV that is squarely in the Media Fandom camp. But once upon a time, I was a weeaboo hanging out with my weeaboo friends in college. I learned Japanese (sort of). I moved to Japan. Livin’ the weeaboo dream!

More importantly, I used to be a member of a lot of anime mailing lists back in the Yahoo Groups days. I didn’t realize what a cultural gap that would cause until the original works issue came up on AO3.

I.e. Anime Fandom, German-language Fandom, Original M/M

Once upon a time–namely in that Yahoo Groups era–there was an archive called Boys in Chains. It was where you found The Good Stuff™. Heavy kink and power exchange galore! It was extremely well known in the parts of fandom I was in, even if you weren’t on the associated mailing list. It contained lots of fic, but it also had lots of original work.

Around that same era, I was on a critique list called Crimson Ink, which was mixed fic and original. The “original slash” and “original yaoi” crowds mixed freely and were in fanfic spaces. Remember, this is like 2003. You’re never going to get your gay fantasy novel published in English in the US. A couple of fangirl presses started around then, but they died an ignominious death after their first print run.

Fanfiction.net used to allow original work before it spun that off into FictionPress. We forget this today, but if you were an early FFN person, the separation wasn’t so great either.

Meanwhile, German-language fandom was hanging out on sites like Animexx.de, a big-ass fic archive that prominently mentions also including original work. I have the impression that Spanish-language fandom was similar too.

Shousetsu Bang*Bang was founded in 2005. It was a webzine for original m/m, but it was entirely populated by fanfic fandom types.

In all of those kinds of spaces, there was a lot of “original” work that was kind of slash or BL-ish and seen as fannish if it was posted in the fannish space. These weren’t anime-only spaces. They were multifandom spaces where it was seen as obvious and normal that a couple of huge fandoms like Harry Potter would dominate but that everything else big would naturally be anime.

While fans from every background are everywhere, I found that the concentration of EFL fans living in Continental Europe, South America, and Asia was much higher in this kind of space, even the exclusively English language part of it, than in my US TV fandoms.

II. AO3 Early Adopters

AO3 went into closed beta in 2009. In 2010, it was open to the general public (albeit with the invitation queue it still has). But not everyone was interested yet. Just like fandom is loath to leave the dying, shambling mess of Tumblr, fandom was loath to leave dwindling LJ/DW circles or was happy enough on Fanfiction.net. I used to see a lot of posts like “Why are you guys trying to STEAL fanfic from the original! FFN is enough!”

I literally could not give away the invitations I had. No one wanted them.

So who was on AO3? Obviously enough, it was all of us who built it and our friends. So that means a bunch of oldschool Livejournal slashers coming from fandoms like Due South or Stargate Atlantis.

The queue was open. Anyone could make an account. Everyone was welcome. In theory…

But more and more, there started to be these posts about how “AO3 Hates Anime Fandom” and “FFN is for anime. AO3 is for Western fandoms.” and “If you guys actually wanted anime fandom on there, you’d invite us better and make us more welcome.”

At the time, I found these posts obnoxious. People aren’t purely in one sort of fandom or the other. No one was stopping anime fandom from making accounts. No one was banning anime fandom. If there wasn’t much from old fandoms, that was because old fandoms seldom move.

Things began to change. Trolls on FFN forced the Twilight porn writers out, creating enough fuss and brouhaha to mobilize people who would rather have stayed put. AO3 got big enough that randos found it by accident. Original work started to pop up, posted by people who’d never looked at the rules and had no idea it was not allowed.

III. History of AO3’s Policy

I had argued for allowing “original work” during the initial discussions about the ToS. On one side of this issue was me. On the other, everyone else on the committee.

I was overruled.

Open Door started importing old archives to save them. Boys in Chains was hugely important to fandom history from my point of view. It was slated to be imported… maybe. Except that Boys in Chains is half original. AO3 was happy to grandfather in those stories, but the final archive owner felt, quite rightly, that it would be unfair to tell half of the authors they were welcome in the new space while spitting on the other half.

I was pissed. I had been pissed since being overruled the first time. To me, the fact that it should be allowed was so blatantly obvious that it was hard to even explain why.

(To be honest, this difficulty in explaining why and the even greater difficulty in figuring out the source of that difficulty is what held the discussion back for so long. When every assumption on either side is completely opposite, it’s hard to communicate.)

I felt betrayed. It would be like if you helped build something, and everyone was suddenly like “Well, obviously, we can’t allow m/m. It’s not normal fanfic.”

So we discussed it again and, again, it was me vs. literally everyone else. And still the “AO3 is only for Western slash fandom” bitching rose in volume and more and more people complained of feeling excluded from the new fandom hub. Finally, the committee agreed to open the issue up for public comment and get some more input. I was a fool and neither wrote nor proofread the post. It went out phrasing the question as allowing “non fannish” work or something of that sort.

I was furious. The entire point of the whole debate was that I saw some original work, the original work that belongs on AO3, as inherently fannish. And now this had been presented to the AO3 audience as something completely different. Think pieces were popping up in the journals of everyone I knew about diluting AO3’s mission and how we needed to save AO3 from encroachment. Public opinion was very negative. That’s both because of how the post was phrased and because OTW die hards at the time were mostly from the same fannish background. This tidal wave of negativity meant that there was virtually no chance of changing this poisonous rule. And if the rule didn’t change, the people who wanted the rule change were never going to show up to explain why it mattered.

If you’ve been reading my tumblr, I think you can guess what happened next.

I posted a long post to my Dreamwidth. It was a masterwork of passive aggression. In it, I wrung my hands about how simply tragic it would be if AO3 had to delete all of the original work… like anthropomorfic.

Now, I think anthropomorfic counts as fanfic as much as anything else, but I also knew that it fails most rigorous “based on a canon” type definitions of fic and, more importantly, it’s a favorite Yuletide fandom of many of the people on the side that wanted to ban original work.

That’s a nice fandom of yours. It would be a pity if something happened to it.

Yup. Passive aggressive blackmail. Go me. Suddenly, there was a lot of awkward backtracking and confused running in circles in various journals. The committee agreed to table the idea for a while but not rule out the idea of allowing original works in the future. We agreed to halt all deletions of original work. If a fan posted it, the Abuse Committee (which I was also head of at the time) would not delete that work even though it was technically against the rules.

Time passed. The people on the negative side got tired. I wanted off that committee and had wanted off for ages, but I was damned if I was going to leave before ramming through this piece of policy. Grudgematch till I die! (Look, I never said I wasn’t a wanker.)

After a while, some other fans came forward with more types of “original work” as evidence that it should be allowed. These were from parts of fandom none of us on the committee knew a damn thing about.

This new evidence combined with the gradual accretion of original stuff on AO3 without the sky falling eventually led us to quietly rule Original Work a valid fandom. There was never even a big announcement post. I slipped a word to the Boys in Chains mod myself.

IV. What Were They So Afraid Of Anyway?

So why were people so resistant? Seems like a dick move, right?

Not exactly.

I mean, I was enraged and waged a one-woman war to change the rules, but the other side wasn’t nuts. The objections were usually the following:

I just don’t get why it would be allowed. It never was in my fannish spaces.

Most of our members don’t want this.

Most of the examples of things that ought to be included are m/m. We are privileging m/m if we allow it, and AO3 already has a m/m-centric reputation that can feel exclusionary to some fans.

AO3 is a young, shaky platform that can barely handle the load and content we already have. If we open to original work, we’ll be opening the floodgates. The volume of posting will be so high, it will drown out the fic we’re actually here to protect.

Protecting stuff that doesn’t need protection because it’s not an IP issue would dilute OTW’s mission.

If we allow it, idiots will try to turn AO3 into advertising space, posting only the first chapter and a link to where you can pay to read the rest.

If we add another category of text before we add fan art, that’s a slap in the face of the fan artists we are already failing.

These arguments all make perfect sense in context.

Obvously, the issue with the first two is that different fannish communities have different norms. I knew that a very large community disagreed with the then current AO3 policy, but since so few of them were around to comment, it seemed like a tiny fringe minority.

The m/m thing is… complex. M/M content with zero IP issues is at risk. It is always at risk in a way that even f/f is not (though f/f is also always at risk). Asking for m/m to be exactly equivalent to f/f or m/f in numbers, tropes, whatever is ignoring the historical realities. In our current moment of queer activism in the West, we treat all types of queerness as part of one community with one set of goals, but once you get to culture and art or even more specific activism, this forced homogenization is neither useful nor healthy.

OTOH, AO3 really did have PR problems related to the perception that we gave m/m fandom the kid glove treatment. That objection wasn’t coming from nowhere.

AO3 was shaky. It was tiny when I first brought up this argument. Hell, it wasn’t even in closed beta the first time we discussed this. Part of what made the quiet rules change possible was AO3 organically getting much bigger and OTW having to buy many more servers for unrelated reasons.

The “floodgates” thing was put to rest by tacitly allowing original work before the rules change. We had a period to study how fans actually behaved, and as I predicted, only a small amount of original work got posted. It was indeed mostly things like original BL-ish stories or original work that had been part of a mixed original/fic fest, exchange, zine, etc. Currently, the “Original Work” fandom on AO3 only has 76,348 works. That’s pretty big compared to individual fandoms but tiny compared to AO3’s current size.

The commercial argument was spurious because commercial spam had been against the rules from the very beginning. OH THE IRONY that nowadays AO3 has all these idiots trying to post the first chapter of their fanfic and then direct you to where you can buy the rest.

AO3 has plenty of fanfic of public domain works. One of the problems with gatekeeping original work is that any way you try to distinguish it (not based on a specific canon, not an IP issue, etc.) will apply to some set of obviously allowable fandoms.

As for fan art… OTW has failed fan artists. They needed protection as much as or even more than fic writers. Just look at Tumblr! If we had succeeded at making DeviantArt but allowing boners, fan art fandom could have been safe all these years. Or when Tumblr inevitably shat the bed, we could have scooped up all those people instead of them scattering to twitter and god knows where.

OTW has failed vidders too, at least in terms of preservation. I know I’m not the only one who thinks this. Other major people from like the first Board and shit have discussed this with me offline. Doing some kind of vidding project, possibly outside of OTW is on a lot of our to-do lists. But at least one of OTW’s biggest victories has been that copyright exemption. OTW has demonstrably done really positive things for vidders that other organizations and sites have not. As a vidder, I never expected to see good hosting for the actual video files, and I’m quite content.

But fan artists… yeah. That argument makes sense at least from a place of frustration.

BTW, for the love of god, if you’re a n00b to OTW stuff, please do not reblog this post excitedly telling me that hosting fan art is on OTW’s road map, so yay, good news. Someone always does that, and it’s so irritating. I haven’t been involved in OTW in years, but I used to be, and I know what is on the roadmap. The couple of you who do heavy lifting on sysadmin and coding and policy things are welcome to weigh in as usual. I know none of us like that we can’t host fan art. It’s not what we intended.

Nonetheless, I found this argument to be the perfect being the enemy of the good. If we can save more text now without losing much of anything, we should do it. The fact that we’re fucking up on the fan art front is not a reason to spread the misery around.

V. Is “Original” the Opposite of “Fanfic”?

Okay, so that tl;dr above is why “BNFs” were on one side and “nobodies” were on the other. BNFs from one cultural background founded OTW. BNFs from the other cultural background weren’t even aware that the debate was going on.

But what was the underlying philosophical problem in even having the conversation?

It took me a long time, but I finally worked it out: We had two completely different ways of categorizing writing, and they were so baked into how we phrased questions that everything ended up being unanswerable to the other side. Here is what I came up with:

Schema 1

Fanfic - based on someone else’s IP

Original Work - the opposite

Schema 2

Non-Fannish Work - School essays, stories you are writing to try to sell to a mainstream publisher

Fannish Work Type 1 - based on other people’s characters directly (i.e. fanfic) Type 2 - based on tropes or whatever (“original slash” and the like)

Now, in the current moment when half of Tumblr just got into Chinese webnovels and the m/m ebook industry is thriving in English, original, tropey, BL-ish work is no longer different from “things I am trying to sell”. But this is how the divide was circa 2005 on fannish websites, and it’s the divide that was driving this internal OTW debate.

VI. Let’s Summarize the Camps One More Time

So, again, the debate makes perfect sense if you understand who was involved.

On the mainstream “But that’s not fanfic? I’m confused?” side:

Big US TV fandoms in English

Fandom historians of K/S–>buddy cop slash–>SGA, etc.

Americans

On the other side:

Anime fandom

“Original slash” fandom that had already been chased off of everywhere

People upset that AO3 wasn’t farther on translating the interface and supporting non-English language fandom.

People upset about US-centrism in fandom

Yes, I am very white, very American, and by now very into old buddy cop shows, but this was basically how the breakdown worked. It meant that something that looked like a minor quibble to one side was really, really not.

#fandom history #fandom meta #original work #cowboyformitski

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theravenclawlover · 4 years

Text

Monster

Parings: James “Bucky” Barnes x Reader.

Warnings: +18 Mentions of torture, mature language, future smut, mentions of death, slight depression, mentions of kidnapping.

Word Count: 1,741

Summary: You are one of the youngest members of the Avengers, and you love it. Out of the blue an impossible mission is assigned to you alongside Natasha Romanoff, and it was sure to change your life. Lies, and betrayal from the closest people in your life; they never told you who you really were.

Chapter Number: 7.

Chapter Tittle: What else did I miss?

A/N: You guys... it’s been a solid since I last posted some fanfiction. It’s been a crazy year and we all have been preoccupied with other stuff. I hope all of you are okay and as well as your families. This chapter is super short, and I didn’t notice until I was done. I’ll try to make the last couple of chapters longer, so I can tie anything that I missed before. I hope you guys like it. [side note: I’ve been working a bit on the twins fic and boy it’s long. I think it might be one of my favorites...maybe...I have like a love hate relationship with it. I don’t know when that’s coming up, especially that school is starting up again. Last year before I graduate college. damn.]

Fury had called you and Steve in for an important last-minute mission. Top secret, he’d said. You and Steve were to lead the other assigned Avengers through the mission while they were on the dark on some important information. For their own good, had said Fury. The gist of the mission was to destroy a new-found HYDRA base in South America, but only you and Steve knew that it was HYDRA. Being told not to say a word about HYDRA had been important to emphasize as Fury did not want anyone to go on some side-vengeful quest. For the rest of your team it was just an extraction of some important documents that would allow to locate some high ranked bad guys. It wasn't exactly a lie, there were documents that S.H.I.E.L.D needed to get their hands one. But the secrecy was needed in favor that Bucky wouldn’t get triggered by the mention of HYDRA or direct exposure to anyone who knew what was in his head. And it was the soldier’s first real mission along you and Steve. He was bound to be excited and anxious about it all.

But aside from Bucky, the mission was going to be a challenge to almost everyone in the team. Wanda was made by HYDRA and still held resentment but it was more at the thought that her brother had been next to her throughout it all and now he was gone because HYDRA had been the bad guy all along; Sam had fought HYDRA when they destroyed S.H.I.E.L.D and almost Washington D.C along with it; Vision was ultimately created by a villain that had used HYDRA facilities to try and conquer the world; and the same time the most affected were Steve, Bucky, and you. Two ex-HYDRA trained and raised assassins and one super soldier who lost his best friend during the war by the same organization. Yeah, it was going to be hard. But only Steve and you would know HYDRA’s involvement, and the only left thing to do was hope for the best.

The mission was going taking everyone to Ecuador. Small country that borders with Peru, and Colombia. Apparently, HYDRA was now trying to turn the country into their main headquarters; as far as possible from the States as they could. The country was still in development of better systematic aspects, aiding the organization to hide in a country where no one would think twice to search. But S.H.I.E.L.D did. Noticing that the Quinjet was approaching its landing, Steve turned to the assembled team to go over the mission plan before landing.

"Okay team, we are about to land in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The mission for today is simple: we are inspecting all abandoned buildings that we come across. We are in a big city, so we’re going to be divided by groups,” said Steve as he looked at you to continue.

Bringing up and 3D map of the city, you pointed as you continued on, “Wanda, and Sam; you two are going to take north of the city. Steve, Bucky and I are going to take southside. Vision, I want you to run a quick visual scan of the city range and report back to me or Steve. Take the east and west after the first rundown. If we get anywhere today, tomorrow we go in and see where that takes us.” You look around and see everyone nod in understatement. “But right now, we are going find a hotel and change from out suits. Got to look like tourists."

°°°°°

It took less than half an hour to find a hotel good enough to lay low, disguises were used and thanks to your love for idioms, the language barrier wasn’t much of a trouble as you were the one who most of the talking. It came in handy at the time of asking the receptionist where guys could eat something good too. There was a lot of seafood dishes at every restaurant or little corner you all found, and they tasted as good as they looked. Even though all of you were there on a mission, you had convinced Steve to take a minute to take the beauty of it all. But soon everyone was ready to commence their respective mission. Steve reminded everyone that a map of their area had been added to the watch Tony and Bruce had developed. Everyone went their separate ways and as you saw Sam and Wanda walk away, you wondered how Sam or Wanda were going to handle themselves if someone spoke to them. You had thought him some words as he had decided to join you when watching those damn novellas; nevertheless, he didn’t know enough to even make out a sentence. You started laughing at the thought of him getting all frustrated with himself as his veins on his forehead become visible at his obvious irritation. Steve, and Bucky stopped and looked at you, who had stopped to put your hands on your knees as you laughed a little too loud.

"Y/N? What's so funny, doll?" said Bucky, looking at you with the hint of a small smile on his face.

"You’re laughing a bit hard there," added Steve, the blond man not hiding his smile.

"Well, I was just thinking how…how…. Sam would look all frustrated not knowing what to say in Spanish!!! Bahahaha…." You erupted into bigger cackles as you couldn’t shake the imagine of a raging Sam Wilson.

The men were looking at you then Steve started laughing at your red face and streaming tears. The sound of your hyena laugh had broken the will of the blond man, and now was laughing as hard as you were. It wasn’t that funny really, but it was your attitude toward the joke that made it funny. Bucky stood there, looking at his best friend since childhood, and the girl that made his heart flutter and head hurt from memories. And just as you held to Steve for support, Bucky found himself chuckling at the ridiculousness of all. Your ears caught the sound, and almost immediately your laugh stopped as you looked ahead of you…

You were in a small room, it was hot inside, but just cold enough to send small shivers down your body. You found yourself dirty and sweaty. It looked like you had been training. You heard a door opening behind you, and turning on your heels, you see him. The Winter Soldier. In his usual uniform. He looked dirty too, and just as sweaty. Well what a view: combat boots, those black pants, and that damn white shirt so tight on him. Damn, he looks good. You were brought back to reality when he started talking

"You've improved. Good," he said in English. He normally spoke to you in Russian, as it was protocol. He sounded tired, but he still held that strong voice that had started to make your knees buckle only a couple of weeks ago during training.

"Well, I have to improve. Otherwise dad would be mad at me again, and I don’t like it when he gets all pissed because I can’t defeat you or at least give you a hard time," you said rolling your eyes and crossing your arms in annoyance.

"You know he wants to make you strong enough so he can put you out on missions," he said walking toward the only chair in the room.

"Yeah, I know. But I just turned 16 and he still thinks my powers are not strong enough to fight on missions. I can do it. I know I can, I’ve put down 50 of his lame soldiers in less than a minute. But you are too damn hard to defeat with how massive you are, " you said sighing almost in defeat. A small blush dusting your cheeks as you dared to say that about him.

"You just need to practice more with your powers if you want them to get stronger. You are good at fighting hand to hand, but you need to learn to mix them both in order to be on top." He sounded less strict with his words; he was now more than your instructor…it felt like having a talk with a friend…maybe more.

"Yeah, whatever. So, are we going to train again or what? I really would like to take a shower. I'm all dirty and I smell," you said looking down at yourself. You didn’t like it when he got to see you looking all dirty and messy like that.

"I think we both feel like that. But we must go out and train again but this time they want you to use a bit of your powers towards objects. See if you can concentrate enough to aid yourself in combat," he said as he stood from the tiny chair.

"Okay, let’s go," you said sounding sarcastically happy. Unexpecting, he chuckled at your fake cheeriness making you stop on your track. For the first time since you met him he was finally showing emotions. Towards you. You! You felt damn special, but it made you feel fear as he wasn’t allowed to show any kind of emotions. Once outside everything was quite again, as if the small sound had never happened. You were not going to mention this to papa.

…Steve grabbed you by the shoulder, shaking you a bit, starling you from your mind.

"Hey, Y/N, you okay there? You kind of froze there,” asked Steve, sounding worried about you.

"Hmm? I’m…okay. Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I just thinking of something and I guess I spaced out too hard," you lied.

With a quick scan of your face, Bucky visibly relaxed, "okay then, let’s go. We have a ground to cover."

"Right. Let’s go," you said looking at his turned back as he walked ahead of you and Steve.

As you silently walked, your mind drifted back to your earlier episode. It was the first time you've had a memory come back like that. It was different from the others. This time was one close to when Fury got a hold of you. It felt as if it had been yesterday you had stood in that tiny room. It was weird. You didn’t like the feelings you were having right now. Past you had talked about powers, and Bucky knew about them. Was there more that you didn’t know about yourself?

TAG LIST:

@cnco-ravenclaw-46 @clockworkherondale @john-benderr @boredtotearz100 @musiclover812 @boxofteenageideas @oneweirdbean

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estamos-destinadas · 5 years

Text

I saw some people’s headcanons about JULIANTINA’s Hogwarts Houses and it seems a lot of us are agreed that they’d either be in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. I want to think that both of them will be in Gryffindor because a) they’re both very brave, and b) think how cute they would be just cozying up in the Gryffindor common room together.

But...

Here’s the thing...

If they were magical, they wouldn’t go to Hogwarts. They live in the Americas. They’d go to one of the two biggest magical schools in that continent: Ilvermorny (USA, North America) or Castelobruxo (Brazil, South America). In this essay, I will--

(Sike, because I am subverting that meme)

WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD

Ilvermorny

I think that between Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo, Val and Juls would go to Ilvermorny.

(Before I continue, it needs to be said: JK Rowling coming up with a school in North America that is just a copy of Hogwarts is problematic because it ignores Native American history. In my headcanon, there are several magic schools all over the Americas with a format/system that is more based on Native/Indigenous American cultures. However, Ilvermorny just happens to be the biggest school in North America. It’s an unfortunate side effect of colonialism.)

Valentina, as a Mexican, would have had the option of going to a school in Mexico that teaches a magic system that is more connected to the land’s indigenous magic and harks back to the Aztec Empire. León Carvajal sends her to Ilvermorny because that’s where he went and that’s where he met Val’s mom. His family has always gone to Castelobruxo, but he broke tradition and chose Ilvermorny, in a way setting up Val and Juls’ meeting in that same school. In any case, the Carvajals have always chosen the big European-based schools over the smaller magic school in Mexico because the Carvajal family could trace its lineage directly back to the Spanish conquerors. Like it or not, the Carvajals chose to be educated in a system introduced by European colonists. Your fave is problematic.

Juliana, on the other hand, was born to No-Maj Muggle parents in the USA. While she is Mexican through and through, the small magic school in Mexico simply do not have the resources to find her. Had Chino not dragged Lupe to the US, Juls would have have been invited to study in Mexico’s smaller magic school. In a way, Chino’s actions also set up Juls and Val’s meeting in Ilvermorny. And so Juls goes to North America’s largest magic school, reluctant because she does not want to leave Lupe alone in Chino’s abusive hands, terrified because everything is completely new to her, but also a little bit excited because magic is real.

Their Houses

Like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny has 4 houses: Horned Serpent (mind), Wampus (body), Thunderbird (soul), and Pukwudgie (heart). I think that JULIANTINA could be in Thunderbird or Pukwudgie, and I really really want them to be in Thunderbird but ultimately I think they’d both be in Pukwudgie. (Ridiculous spelling, I know.) Ilvermorny first years are sorted in the middle of the entrance hall with the older students watching them from a balcony on a higher floor.

First glimpse

Valentina is in her third year (13 years old) when Juliana starts her first (11). This is how their first glimpse of each other goes:

From her spot on the balcony, Valentina watches curiously as Juliana shyly steps up to be sorted. It takes a several minutes for a decision to be made -- the same thing had happened with Val 2 years ago -- but finally she is sorted into Pukwudgie. The older students from her new House cheer, Valentina among them. Juls looks up at the balcony and locks eyes with Val, who gives her a smile which she managed to return nervously before shuffling away from the middle of the room.

A couple of months pass before Val & Juls become friends, but more on that later.

Life in a Magic School

In my headcanon, Mexico has one magic school. Most Mexican wizarding families send their children to this school. However, most of the old money families who are direct descendants of the conquistadores (or those who want to seem old money) send their kids to either Ilvermorny or Castelobruxo. In Ilvermorny, these rich or at least well-off Mexican kids form a glamorous circle, set apart from the rest of the students by the language they speak and the wealth of their families.

In Val’s year, the circle of wealthy Mexican kids consist of herself, Sergio, Lucho, and Nayeli. Sergio is also in Pukwudgie and she considers him her best friend, at least until she and Juls start to bond. Lucho and Nayeli are both in Wampus. (Val is not dating Lucho, they’re only 13 years old. In this story, she will never date Lucho.)

Guille and Eva are also part of that glamorous circle. Guille is in his 5th year, a Pukwudgie like Val. Lots of girls have crushes on him because he’s handsome and nice. Eva is in her 6th year and is in Horned Serpent, like her father before her. She is a prefect, has been since her 5th year, and will undoubtedly be the next Head Girl when she’s in 7th year. She’s that brilliant, overachieving student that everyone knows and respects or fears.

There are other cliques of course: the WASP-y kids, the Latinx kids who live in the US or Canada, black girl magic, etc overlapping with the Transfiguration nerds, the music lovers, the jocks, etc overlapping with the Muggle-borns.

The first few months

Juls doesn’t really feel like she fits in any of the established cliques/groups; she’s Mexican but she’s dirt-poor, she’s a US-born Latina but she’s Muggle-born, she’s Muggle-born but she’s not white. She’s an 11-year old daughter of a sicario who had to leave her mother, the only person she trusts, and she’s thrust into a completely new environment where she feels different from everyone else. She feels like a sore thumb in that school full of happy kids who’ve known about magic all their lives, so she does her best to keep her head down.

She makes friends anyway. Or at least a couple of her fellow 1st year girls who have been “best friends since birth” sort of adopts her because it’s Juls and the right kind of people can’t help but want to take her under their wing.

Juls meets Jane first. Jane’s family has always been magical and her grandmother came to the US from Venezuela. (Yes, it’s Jane the Virgin.) Jane is in Horned Serpent, but she and Juls have a class together and they pair up on an assignment during the second week of school. She thinks Juls is interesting so she tries to draw Juls out of her shell, inviting Juls to hang out with her and her best friend Lina who is in Wampus. But as friendly as Jane and Lina are -- and Juls really likes them -- they’ve been best friends for so long, both their families are magical, and they’re both straight so sometimes they talk about things that Juls simply can’t relate to. It’s fine, of course, they still become good friends with Juls, but no matter how inclusive they are, Juls will always feel like the odd one out with them.

Often, Juls goes off on her own, exploring the grounds outside in the very early morning or searching for secret nooks and crannies inside the castle. She’s trying to learn everything she can about magic by experiencing it even as she continues to keep out of everyone’s way.

Valentina, on the other hand, roams around Ilvermorny like she owns it, the way all the Carvajals do. But whereas Eva struts through corridors expecting everyone to get out of her way, and Guille ambles through hallways seemingly untroubled by anything, Valentina runs around the school like it’s a playground.

Val and her group of friends cause a lot of trouble for themselves, sneaking out after hours, skipping classes, sometimes even pranking other students. Val of course never goes too far as to be actively bullying, but Lucho and Nayeli do. She doesn’t like it and she stops them whenever she can, but she still hangs out with them anyway. Guille quite obviously doesn’t like them, but he never voices his disapproval. Eva doesn’t really care about whether Val’s antics inadvertently hurt someone else, but she does care that Val, in her words, “isn’t living up to her potential”. The thing is, Val doesn’t think of Ilvermorny as a place to learn so much as an escape from the Carvajal house, which has been cold and gray ever since her mom’s death.

So for the first several weeks of Juls’ first year, Valentina and Juliana have no interaction. Still, they notice each other. Of course they do. They are in the same house after all. But that’s not the only reason they notice each other. For Juls, she can’t help but be interested in the pretty older girl with a loud and easy laughter and sky-blue eyes that seem to cloud over when she thinks no one’s looking. For Val, she can’t help but be intrigued by the pretty new girl who rarely breaks out into a genuine smile but whose dark brown eyes twinkle whenever she does.

El Dia de Muertos

Eventually, a little over two months after school started, Valentina and Juliana meet properly on el Dia de Muertos, when Mexicans celebrate their dead.

Valentina, Guille, and Eva forego dinner at the Great Hall. Instead, they go to a small trophy room near the Thunderbird dormitories, bringing traditional food and offerings with them. Their late mother was in Thunderbird and she had a lot of achievements at Ilvermorny; a lot of plaques in that Thunderbird trophy room have their mother’s name on it. Even though none of them are in their mother’s house, Thunderbird students know to avoid the trophy room on el Dia de Muertos, giving that room to the Carvajal kids for that one day. The Carvajals sit on the floor in front of a shelf containing their mom’s trophies as they talk to their dad, contacting him through magical means of course. After they hang up Eva and Guille tell Val stories about their mom. Eva and Guille stay until curfew, but Val has always insisted to stay behind and, in this one instance at least, Eva lets her.

Juliana, even though she grew up in the US, has always celebrated el Dia de Muertos with her mom. Chino is never around on said day so, in a way, it belongs to her and Lupe. After having dinner with Jane and Lina that night, Juls goes to contact her mom. It’s not easy to contact anyone by Muggle means in a place as full of magic as Ilvermorny, but several years ago one resourceful Muggle-born student had set up a room where anyone can contact the Muggle world through phones that are also provided in the room. So Juls goes to that “Phone Room” and calls Lupe. In her 2 months at Ilvermorny, Juls has always missed her mom, but she has never missed being back at their small trailer until that day. She impulsively talks about quitting school but of course Lupe stops her. They talk for a long time and when they hang up, Juls realises that she’s broken curfew for the first time ever.

Ilvermorny’s “Phone Room” is right next to the Owlery which is near the Thunderbird dormitories. Juliana has to pass by the Thunderbird trophy room to go back to the Pukwudgie dorms.

As Juls walks by the trophy room, she hears sobbing from inside floating through the slightly ajar door. Concerned, she peaks around the door to see a girl at the far end of the room, her back to the door. Juls can see that it’s Valentina and her concern grows.

Before she can stop herself, Juls asks, “Estas bien?” (In Spanish, because Juls knows Val speaks Spanish. And they will always speak in Spanish to each other unless the situation necessitates otherwise.)

Val sits up straight, but doesn’t turn around. “Fine. I just want to be alone.”

“Sorry,” Juls says. “It’s just that I heard you crying, I thought-- but you’re right.”

Juls makes to withdraw from the room just as Val turns around to see who the interloper is. When she realises it’s Juliana, she calls, “Oh, wait, sorry. Don’t go.”

Juls takes that as invitation to enter the room and join Val. She sits on the floor next to her and looks up at a moving portrait of a woman that looks like an older version of Val.

“That’s my mom,” Val says candidly even as she wipes away her tears. “She died when I was a kid.”

“I’m sorry,” Juls says sincerely, hating the grief she can see in Val’s expression even as she thinks of her own mom. “I can’t imagine...” she trails off, not knowing what to say.

“It was a long time ago,” says Val, shrugging.

Juls takes in Val’s watery eyes and thinks, but you’re still hurting. She doesn’t say that out loud. Wanting to take Val’s mind off of it, she says instead, “Your robe is really beautiful.”

Val’s not wearing her school robes. Instead, she’s wearing a white robe-like top paired with a billowy pants. The white robe has that typical el Dia de Muertos design of a skull and flowers but from time to time, the flowers would bloom and spread around the shoulder area, covering it with colour. Juls has seen moving portraits and pictures in the two months she’s been in Ilvermorny, but this is the first time she’s seen moving images on a robe.

Val looks over at Juls, who is also not wearing her school robes. Unlike Val’s magical clothing, Juls’ casual attire consists of Muggle jeans and a red shirt that has a skull and flower design which she painted on herself as a nod to that day.

“No, don’t look at me,” Juls says self-deprecatingly. “I-- I’m new here, my parents are No-Maj. I didn’t know about magical clothes, or anything about magic really.”

“Well, I think you have plenty of style,” Val says, genuinely liking Juls’ clothes. “Anyway, magic isn’t everything.”

“You don’t think magic is amazing?” Juls asks.

“No,” Val replies surely. To her, it’s just a fact of life. Magic couldn’t even save her mom.

“Well, give me your wand then,” Juls says in her best threatening voice, producing her own wand out of her back pocket and pointing it at Val.

Val stares at Juls in shock until Juls bursts out laughing, saying it’s a joke. Val hides her face in her hands, half-laughing and half-sobbing, so Juls puts down her wand and pulls Val to her, telling Val not to cry.

After they both stop laughing, Val straightens up and offers her hand to Juls. “Valentina,” she introduces herself properly.

“I know,” says Juls, and that makes Val smile widely. “Juliana,” she says, taking Val’s hand.

Val also replies with an “I know,” and they laugh again, both amazed that the other already knows their name, and happy that they have finally properly met.

They continue talking, mostly about their House sorting experience, because Val originally wanted to be in Thunderbird like her mom but she was sorted to Pukwudgie. They also recall Juliana’s sorting, when Val was watching her from the balcony. They soon decide to call it a night because it’s way after curfew. They try to be quiet as they head back to the Pukwudgie dormitories, but they keep bursting into giggles for no reason that it’s a miracle none of the roving prefects catch them.

A friendship blooms

The next day is a school day and Juls drags herself out of bed even though she didn’t get enough sleep. She goes to the Great Hall where, unlike Hogwarts, the seating arrangements aren’t segregated by Houses and students can sit anywhere they please. Juls sits with Jane and Lina, trying but failing not to look around for Val. But Val, who was never a morning person, is running late and hasn’t gone down yet. It isn’t until Juls is leaving with Jane and Lina for their first class of the day that Val hurries into the Great Hall. Val sees her and gives her a wave, which Juls returns along with a small smile, but Val gets called over by Eva so she doesn’t approach Juls. Lina, who has witnessed the exchange, interrogate Juls, walking with her and Jane even though she has a different class.

“Did Valentina Carvajal just wave at you?” Lina asks.

“Um, yes?” Juls says, confused at the awe in Lina’s voice.

“How does she even know you?” Lina presses on.

Jane pipes up then. “They are in Pukwudgie together.”

“Yeah, but still, Valentina Carvajal.”

Jane shakes her head and rolls her eyes good-naturedly.

“What, it’s a big deal!” Lina says defensively.

"Why is it a big deal?” Juls asks.

Lina looks at Juls in disbelief. “Why...?” She starts to explain, but then thinks of something else. “Are you friends with Guille too? He’s in Pukwudgie. Can you introduce me to him?”

Jane laughs at that. Juls is still waiting for Lina’s answer on what the deal is, but they have arrived at hers and Jane’s class. Lina leaves them, but not before asking Juls again to introduce her to Guille.

“Why does Lina think it’s a big deal that I know Valentina?” Juls asks Jane as they take their seats. “Is it because she has a crush on Guille? Because I don’t know him. I’ve only spoken to Valentina last night.”

Jane gives her a sort of pitying look before replying. “See that book you’re holding? Open it to the copyright page.”

Juls does so and she sees that the book is printed by Grupo Carvajal Publishing.

“Grupo Carvajal publishes most of the textbooks used here,” Jane explains. “They’re the biggest publisher in Latin America, but they also publish a lot of English books. I’m pretty sure they have their own newspaper in Mexico too. But it’s not only that. The Carvajals are one of the oldest wizarding families in the Americas, at least of the ones that originated from Europe. They’re definitely one of the most powerful and influential. And, if what I’ve read is true, Valentina and her siblings are descended from Isolt Sayre through their mother.” Isolt Sayre is the founder of Ilvermorny.

“Oh,” is the only thing Juls can say. She knows of course that the Carvajal kids are rich and popular, but she had no idea until now of the extent of their family’s wealth and power. Lina was right, it is a huge deal. She previously hoped that she and Val could be friends, but right now she’s feeling the huge gap between their status in the wizarding community, in any community really.

Sensing Juls’ thoughts, Jane says that just because the Carvajals are rich and powerful, it doesn’t mean that they’re better than everyone else. “Besides,” she adds, “from what I’ve seen, I think Valentina doesn’t care about stuff like that. She’s really nice and friendly with everyone.”

For Juliana, that doesn’t take away the fact that she’s like mud to Valentina’s sky.

Juls tries to avoid Val after that, tries being the operative word. She only manages to do so for a day, and only because Val, who has no idea Juls is even avoiding her, is serving detention for some trouble she got up to a couple of weeks ago (to Eva’s annoyance). On the weekend, three days after they first spoke to each other, Val finds Juls.

Juls is by herself in a quiet and half-secluded area of the castle grounds, not doing homework but practicing a spell that ought to make her drawings move. So far, she has only succeeded in lighting her sketches on fire.

On another part of the grounds, Val is with Eva and Guille laying flowers at Isolt Sayre’s tomb, which has been part of the castle since the founder’s death. They’re walking back to the castle when Val catches sight of Juls. She hurriedly excuses herself from her siblings, checking out halfway through a conversation about their dead ancestors. Eva and Guille can only stare curiously after her as she practically skips towards Juls.

“Señorita,” Val says mischievously, sneaking up on Juls from behind.

Juls, who is just about to cast another spell on her drawings, jumps in shock, accidentally sending a stream of magic towards the ground.

“Ai, me asustaste,” Juls breathes out.

“Hi,” Val greets her properly, giving Juls an almost shy smile.

Juls can’t help but smile back, forgetting for a second about what she’s learned about the Carvajals. “What’s up? How are you?” she asks eagerly.

“Better,” says Val, nodding. “My siblings and I were just at the tomb because we didn’t get to drop by the other day.”

Everyone knows that “the tomb” can only mean the school founder’s resting place; just like that, Juls is reminded about how different their families are. “Oh, right,” she says, losing her enthusiasm, but still putting on a smile for Val.

Val scrambles to prolong their conversation. “I like that,” Val says, pointing to Juls’ Muggle sketchbook, which has fallen closed on the ground. It’s a little singed at the edges after Juls’ experiments, but there are pretty and colourful patterns on the front which Juls drew on herself.

“Really?” says Juls.

“Yeah. I-- I want something just like that,” says Val, meaning the drawn patterns.

Juls thinks Val means the sketchbook itself and she doesn’t believe her. Val’s family publishes magical books; her sketchbook is old, not at all magical, and now singed in places.

“I should--” Juls begins vaguely, picking up her sketchbook. She stands back up only to come face to face with Val’s eager smile.

“Wanna come with me?” Val asks, an idea forming in her head. “I wanna show you something. Please,” she adds in a barely audible whisper.

“I’m trying to learn this spell,” says Juls.

"What spell? I-- I’ll help you.”

“Really?” says Juls. She actually believes that Val knows the “animation spell”, but she doubts that Val will really want to take valuable time out of her day to teach her something.

“Yes, I’m-- I’m a great teacher,” Val says. “But like... what spell are we talking about, because I might not know. But I can still help you! I-- I’ll help you look up stuff or something.”

Juls laughs. Val’s willingness to help is making her forget about their different status in life; or rather, she’s starting to think that maybe it doesn’t matter so much. She likes Val and it seems that Val likes her too.

“I’m trying to make my sketches move like in those moving pictures in books, but they just keep catching on fire,” Juls tells Val.

“Oh!” says Val, surprised that she has an answer. “I know that needs potions, but I’m actually not great at potions at all.” In fact, her last disaster in potions class happened earlier that week; thankfully, it was not quite as bad as that time she accidentally turned all her classmates’ hair into flashing rainbow colours.

“But this book says I only need to use this spell,” Juls says, meaning a book on “recreational spells” that she borrowed from the library.

Val eyes the book suspiciously. It’s thin and doesn’t look reputable at all. “Yeah, if you drew it using quills with special ink.”

“Oh, I only used these coloured pencils, they’re not magic,” says Juls, disappointed. She doesn’t have special quills and she’s sure she’ll require money to get those.

“That’s fine!” Val says bracingly. “You just need to soak it in a potion. I don’t know how it’s made, but I’m pretty sure you can order it from apothecaries.”

Juls thinks that she doesn’t have money to buy anything, but that’s a worry for another day. She wants to spend time with Val now. “You know what, I’ll leave it for later. What were you going to show me?”

Val brightens even more. “It’s a room in the castle, but it’s better if you see it than if I explain it.”

“Ok,” Juls says agreeably as she gathers her things.

Val grabs her hand and leads her towards the castle and Juls follows willingly. Behind them, flowers start to bloom on the ground at the spot that Juls’ spell hit earlier.

Val brings Juls to this abandoned room full of old magical artwork. Val found it during one of her explorations when she was still a first year. She loves finding hidden treasure in that room in the form of magical drawings and even some non-magical ones. She even showed the room to her friends, but none of them is as interested in it as Juls clearly is now.

They spend a couple of hours in that room, Val showing Juls her favourite pieces as they talk about magical art and the process of creating it. Juls even talks about non-magical art, and Val listens to her intently partly because she’s taking No-Mag Muggle Studies but mostly because she thinks Juls has really interesting ideas.

Later, they go to lunch at the Great Hall together. Their respective friends wave them over, but Val only waves back at her friends while Juls tries to convey something like “rain check, I’m having lunch with Val,” in improvised sign language. Val’s friends -- Lucho, Nayeli, and even Sergio -- look at them with raised eyebrows because “is Val really hanging out with that poor first year?” Juls’ friends have a different reaction. Lina is like, “she really is friends with a Carvajal,” while Jane is just like, “I’m glad, that girl seems nice.”

It will be a few years before Vale & Juls get together, they’re still very young after all, but after that day they become each other’s best friends.

Juls still hangs out with Jane and Lina of course but she spends most of her time with Val and they don’t hold it against her.

Val actually stops hanging out with her friends for a while because they said something she didn’t like about Juls, but Sergio apologises to her and Juls after a few weeks so she continues hanging out with him. It’s impossible to avoid him anyway, they are both in the same year and in the same house. Lucho and Nayeli take longer to apologise; Val decides to let what they said slide just that once, but she doesn’t hang out with them that often anymore because she prefers hanging out with Juls.

Guille, who never liked Lucho or Nayeli, greatly appreciates seeing Val spend her time with the nice first year girl in their own House. Eva approves because Val's grades have started improving and she has stopped getting into trouble by breaking curfew.

It’s not that Juliana’s studiousness is influencing Valentina, because she’s not studious at all. She’s just so curious about magic that Val ends up learning more because she wants to help answer Juls’ questions. And unbeknownst to anyone else, Val still continues sneaking around the castle after hours, this time with Juls. It just so happens that Juls, who knows how to be sneaky and stealthy from years of dealing with her dad and his associates, is so much better at not getting caught than a bunch of rich kids who’ve never known danger in their whole lives.

Thus, Valentina and Juliana learn magic together, and actually have fun while doing it. But that is just the beginning.

(Aaaannnnd... that’s it for now, because this has gotten way too long. I’m thinking that Vale & Juls will get together when Val is in her 6th year and Juls is in her 4th, but I don’t know if I even have the mental juices to think about it now, or even write it later. This post exhausted me.)

#juliantina #magic au #this better go in the tags #warning this is long #au #harry potter au #stories #mine

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uglyducklingpresse · 5 years

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“WE ARE ALL SOMEWHAT COLONIZED IN OUR EXISTENCE”: JAMIE CHIANG IN CONVERSATION WITH ZAHRA PATTERSON

UDP apprentice Jamie Chiang interviewed writer and educator Zahra Patterson in February 2019 after the release of her UDP title Chronology, recent winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir/Biography. They discussed Zahra's journaling in Cape Town; her friendship with Liepollo Ranekoa, who passed away in 2012; the impact of language choice in postcolonial literature; tattoos; and more.

Taking as its starting point an ultimately failed attempt to translate a Sesotho short story into English, Chronology explores the spaces language occupies in relationships, colonial history, and the postcolonial present. It is a collage of images and documents, folding on words-that-follow-no-chronology, unveiling layers of meaning of queering love, friendship, death, and power.

Can you talk about the background of your decision to go to Cape Town to find who you are or the meaning of life? Did you find it? (In Chronology, Zahra refers to her journey to Cape Town as a search for herself.)

Yeah, I mean sometimes I get a little dramatic perhaps when I'm writing in my journal.

How old were you? How many years ago was that?

It was the end of 2009 into 2010, so I would have been in my late twenties. I feel a journal is a place to express one's ideas, but it's also a creative space. I wouldn't take myself totally seriously in everything that comes out in a journal. I think there's definitely some self-awareness of one's own—my self importance, but also the quest to find oneself is not just to be made fun of. I think it's an important concept.

How long did you stay in Cape Town?

I was there for around five weeks. As far as the decision to go, it was more spur of the moment. I was in South Africa for a wedding. My cousin got married and instead of going off traveling that far for a week, I thought I would just spend a couple of months if I had to go to that part of the world; there's no point in going for a week, so I was going to stay. I hadn't actually decided where I was going after the wedding until I got there, and Cape Town seemed to make the most sense to me.

It perhaps felt the least imperialistic to go and spend time in such a cosmopolitan, international city as opposed to going somewhere more remote. You're either a tourist or a local, whereas Cape Town is an easy city to integrate into.

I see. On page 33, you mention that you have a tattoo, and in the caption there is this word ke nonyana. What does ke nonyana mean?

It means I'm a bird.

That's the first word you spoke in Sesotho?

Yes. I found the words in Liepollo’s English-Sesotho dictionary one day, and when she came home I spoke them. It meant a lot to her that I’d engaged with her language.

If you don’t mind, could you elaborate the story behind Liepollo’s colleague’s Facebook profile picture. What happened?

It was the day she died, and his Facebook profile changed to her picture. It was an image of her. That was jarring because why somebody would put an image of a friend up, and there are very few circumstances that someone would do something like that and usually it's because they're dead. So when I saw that his Facebook picture changed to her face, it occurred to me that something terrible had happened. And I was at work at the time, so it was just very disorienting.

Sorry to hear that. Did you get your tattoo because of this?

Yeah, so I didn't have anybody to mourn with because I had met Liepollo in Cape Town and we didn't have friends in common. Actually, we had a friend in common—an American who interned at Chimurenga while I was staying with Liepollo who I met once at the house in Observatory and once for coffee in Brooklyn—but she had moved to D.C. by that time, so I didn't reach out to her. It was a very isolated mourning experience. That's kind of why I got the tattoo, just to have her with me and to have that symbol and to think of her every day. Because when you have a long distance friendship, you're not going to think of the person every day. We were in touch every few months. I don’t want to forget her due to not having a lot of people to remember who she was with, so I needed to make her memory permanent on me. I think everybody thinks about getting tattoos in this day and age. My rule for tattoos is if I want it for a full year, then I'll get it, and I've never wanted anything for a year. So it’s my only tattoo.

And ke nonyana sounds beautiful.

Thank you. I think it's beautiful also.

And on page 37 and 38, there’s an interesting conversation you had with a Muslim guy named Saed. I found some of his talk kind of sexist. What was your reaction when you were talking to him? It sounds like he's almost preaching to you, trying to change your idea about what a woman's purpose is in this world.

Exactly! But he also wasn't that; he was as if playing the role that he thought he was supposed to play and open to other ways of thinking. We're socialized beings, all of us. He wasn't terribly dogmatic. I don't think he'd been challenged too much in his way of thinking, but at the same time maybe he had because he was open to being challenged. So yeah, it was very interesting.

On page 47 to 48, you write about the panel What is the value of age and wisdom? at the Bronx Museum of Art. The five panelists are: Vinie Burrows, Boubacar Boris Diop, Yusef Komunyakaa, Achille Mbembe and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. There’s a quotation from Mbembe: “If the language we use is in itself a prison...We have to put a bomb under the language. Explode language!” Could you tell us more about the context?

Achille Mbembe is a leading postcolonial theorist. I think his words are also quite poetic, so he's speaking metaphorically. The context of that part of the conversation is imperialism and language. That intellectuals from formerly colonized nations use the colonial language to express decolonial ideas is problematic, but it's still very accepted. And even these intellectuals who are on the panel, they write in English and they write in French, but they also find it problematic that they do that; however, it's also part of their survival. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o wrote Decolonizing The Mind in the early eighties, where he swore off ever writing in English again, but then he is put into prison and he's exiled, so he can't actually exist in his mother tongue and his mother land; the government there has ostracized him because he speaks out against what they're doing to the people. Therefore, he has to make his life in English in America, he teaches in California.

Circumstances don't necessarily allow a person to decolonize their lives because in order to survive in this society, we are all somewhat colonized in our existence. I think that saying to put a bomb under language is saying that we need to just get our ideas out there. There’s also the visual aspect of it, I see words and letters, like, splattered. Like fucking. . .we need to fuck with language; we need to push the boundaries of language.

As Diop said “Teaching Wolof enhances self-esteem.” Does Wolof have a writing system?

I’m not positive about the history of Wolof’s writing system but I know some, especially in more northern Sub-African countries had created writing systems using Arabic script and maybe some of them now use the Latin alphabet, so I would have to look that up for Wolof specifically.

You use your mother tongue to express yourself because ideas in a specific language can't be translated. When you lose the language, you lose the culture and the history of people. Also if you're writing in any of the indigenous languages to Africa, you're not writing for the colonizer; you're writing for the people who speak that language, which is also important.

A lot of this theory, especially academic theory that is taught in universities, is very limited in its reach. I think even though these are serious intellectuals who write academic works for academia, they're aware and they're problematizing the limits of writing scholarly work for institutions that isn't necessarily reaching the people.

What other languages do you speak?

I speak French. I lived in France for awhile. I would say I used to be bilingual; I'm kind of monolingual at this point in my life.

What about in Sesotho?

I was working on the project (an attempt to translate Lits'oanelo Yvonne Nei's short story “Bophelo bo naka li maripa” from Sesotho to English) originally, but the access to the language was limited. I wasn't able to access decent grammar books, I wasn't able to access the orthography that I wanted to access so I gave up pretty quickly...but it wasn't as simple as giving up. I stepped back because I didn't really feel it was totally appropriate for me to do what I was doing. I think that’s a hugely important part of my text, the part where I put myself into conversation with Spivak and she tells me, via an essay she wrote about translation, that what I’m doing is wrong. I want to learn a language in which I'm going to be able to speak to people. I’m still not totally sure if I should have published what was supposed to be such a personal exercise, so that section with Spivak is essential to me.

On page 72, you wrote Liepollo an email about a friend who taught you how to say Your sister is a whore in Tagalog?

A friend of mine, her first love was Filipina so she knew how to insult people in Tagalog. When she said it, it sounded Spanish to me so I was wondering if that kind of insult comes with colonialism...also a misogynistic perspective can come. Not to say that misogyny doesn't exist in all cultures, although I think there are probably some cultures where it doesn't exist. Just problematizing the way language can infiltrate into a culture and then become part of the existing language but isn't part of that cultural history—the etymology isn’t actually Filipino; the etymology is Spanish.

Are there any books and authors that inspire you a lot?

For this work, Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, that was a huge inspiration. Mouth: Eats Color by Sawako Nakayasu in terms of thinking about different ways, different things that can be done with form and then different things that can be done with translation. It was very liberating to read those two authors. I don't identify as a translator nor as a poet, so most of the things I've read are novels. My background is primarily in postmodern and postcolonial pieces of literature. I also thought about the nature of collage while I was working on Chronology. I looked at Wangechi Mutu’s work specifically for inspiration, but I’ve loved Romare Bearden’s work for years.

Thanks for sharing. The last question, what are you working on now?

I've started writing and hopefully I'm able to continue it. It's a piece that will potentially be called Policy. I'm an educator and I'm pretty passionate about how distorted and messed up the reality of public school systems is in this country. Although one could say I've been researching since I've been an adult, I started specific research for Policy last summer and I didn't start writing it until a couple of weeks ago. It's experimental in form. I'd say it's fiction meets theory, whereas Chronology is memoir meets theory. I'm not sure exactly where it's going but I'm thinking critically about charter schools and desegregation efforts in New York City and also the history of that. So going back to Brown versus the Board of Ed. . .I'll probably address school shootings, the school-to-prison pipeline, school lunches, teachers’ strikes; it’s about as intersectional an issue as there is—how we educate ourselves as a nation, and on the stolen land of our nation.

I think right now, especially with the current administration, though public schools have been in danger for a very long time, our current secretary of education is a billionaire who wants to privatize education, so her agenda is to destroy our public school infrastructure. It's worrisome. Processing this information in a way makes me very angry because it's systemic. It's how you keep people oppressed. If you don't give people access to education, you're not giving them access to themselves. Never mind the tools they need to achieve and succeed in a capitalist society.

I don't feel the United States has a liberatory agenda for education and I want to explore that a little bit in the history of curriculums and pedagogy because there have been, at the turn of the century, there were some really interesting education theorists like John Dewey and Ella Flagg Young, and their ideas for public education were very progressive, such as student driven classrooms, and not having really punitive systems. You find that education in private schools but rarely in public schools, so why are we not educating our youth in ways that let them think critically about the world that they're living in? Educating children to just follow rules and memorize doesn't work for most children. How many do you know in public schools who are excited to go to school every day? I think humans naturally are curious and want to learn and know things. So why is education taking that away from children?

I don't know exactly how the project is going to manifest. It will be weird.

Zahra Patterson’s first book, Chronology (Ugly Duckling Presse 2018), won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir/Biography and received a Face Out Fellowship from CLMP. Her short works have appeared in Kalyani Magazine The Felt, and unbag (forthcoming). A reading of her play, Sappho's Last Supper, was staged at WOW Café Theatre. She is the creator of Raw Fiction and currently teaches high school English at a Quaker boarding school. Her writing has been supported by Mount Tremper Arts and Wendy’s Subway, and her community work has been supported by Brooklyn Arts Council, The Pratt Center, and many individuals. She holds an MFA in Writing from Pratt Institute.

#author interviews #read #zahra patterson #chronology

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formerlyjannafaye · 6 years

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100 Questions

I was tagged by @janes-mike and @el-and-hop and @caseyk112 like 100 years ago and I just finished it now! Oops.

1. What is your nickname? Janaynay, Fayzers, Jan

2. How old are you? 31

3. What is your birth month? February

4. What is your zodiac sign? Aquarius

5. What is your favorite color? Rainbow

6. What’s your lucky number? 2

7. Do you have any pets? not at the moment

8. Where are you from? Canada

9. How tall are you? 5′4

10. What shoe size are you? 8

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? this is so embarassing, I probably own like 35 pairs of shoes (but in my defense, we experience extremes in all 4 seasons during the year) and I am a shoe addict.

12. Are you random? sometimes? but not really.

13. Last person you texted? my dad

14. Are you psychic in any way? i feel like i am really good at reading people and i have a really good memory when it comes to people so maybe a little?

15. Last TV show watched? New Girl

16. Favorite movie? Hard question! ET, Get Over It, Moulin Rouge

17. Favorite show from your childhood? Mr. Dressup!

18. Do you want children? I have one! I’d like one more, I think.

19. Do you want a church wedding? I had one.

20. What is your religion? I am a Christian, which I almost hate to say because Christians are represented so badly today and I am ashamed of this group so often. To clarify, I think Jesus is the bomb and so I try to emulate how he treated people. I’m also a feminist, pro marriage equality, pro choice, pro creation care/caring for the environment, I believe in science, I don’t believe in hell, and I hate violence. So...do with all that what you will.

21. Have you ever been to the hospital? Yes, I go there a lot with my work.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? I literally sweat when a cop car passes me and I’m a goody two shoes, so no! Haha

23. How is life? Its alright. I am really tired today which always affects my mood negatively. And I just watched Infinity War last night so I’m depressed, y’all. (edit: can you tell I started this over a week ago LOL)

24. Baths or showers? Showers (you could not pay me to get into a bath! germs!)

25. What color socks are you wearing? none, its too warm out

26. Have you ever been famous? Once I met the guy who won Canadian Idol and my local grocery store put up a picture of us together in the store and had it up for years. Haha!

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? I used to really want to be famous, but celebs get a horrible deal these days. They have no privacy and our world thinks they owe us everything and really they owe us nothing so I would never ever want to be famous. I like being able to look like crap daily and not have it in magazines.

28. What type of music do you like? I like a wide variety of music, the only music I don’t like, really, is misogynistic rap and country. I am a choral and accapella music nerd, I love it so much.

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yup.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two.

31. What position do you usually sleep in? On my side with my top leg thrown over so I’m in a weird stomach/side position but its sooo comfy.

32. How big is your house? Its a good size! Big enough for us and then to host people that come to visit us and our yard is huge!

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? I suck at breakfast...toast or a granola bar.

34. Have you ever left the country? I have been to Germany, South Africa, Cuba, Costa Rica and the USA.

35. Have you ever tried archery? Many years ago at summer camp.

36. Do you like anyone? Well I’m married, so yes.

37. Favorite swear word? Shit. It is sooo satisfying to say.

38. When do you fall asleep? WAY too late every night. Between midnight and 2 am.

39. Do you have any scars? Yeah I have some from when I had the chickenpox as a kid and had no self control and scratched them off.

40. Sexual orientation? Straight.

41. Are you a good liar? I think I am a horrible liar, because I value authenticity so much and lying makes me anxious.

42. What languages would you like to learn? I would love to learn Spanish since its so beautiful. Really I just would love to not only speak English!

43. Top 10 songs? Oh my! What a question! Imma be safe and just say the top 10 songs I am listening to most often right now: Fall in Line by Christina Aguilera ft Demi Levato, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by BSB, Lost in Japan by Shawn Mendes, Bittersweet Symphony cover by Boyce Avenue, Love You Long Time by Pentatonix, Dive by Ed Sheeran, Nancy Mulligan by Ed Sheeran, New Rules cover by Pentatonix, Casanova by Allie X, Gravity by Sara Bareilles.

44. Do you like your country? I do! I am mad at our leader rn, and appalled that Ontario elected a Donald Trump wannabe as a premier (like WHY HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING ONTARIO PERSONS UGH) but overall I love being Canadian.

45. Do you have friends from the web? Yes! Its the best!

46. What is your personality type? I am an ESFP, an extrovert with introvert tendancies, and I am an enneagram 4 (seriously, google it. That is me to a T).

47. Hogwarts House? Hufflepuff 4 LYFE

48. Can you curl your tongue? Yes.

49. Pick one fictional character you can relate to? I am Anne from Anne of Green Gables, just not as smart. Just as dramatic and short tempered, though.

50. Left or right handed? Right

51. Are you scared of spiders? I don’t like them or want them near me.

52. Favorite food? Chocolate. Chips and Dip. Dill pickles.

53. Favorite foreign food? I love Mexican food so much I can’t even pick one thing. Also naan bread is the BOMB especially when dipped into dal makhani. Uuuuuuugggghh I wanna eat that so bad rn.

54. Are you a clean or messy person? I am pretty clean, messiness makes me crazy.

55. If you could switch your gender for a day, what would you do? Pee standing up, see what its like to not have to deal with bathroom lines, street harassment, etc.

56. What color underwear? Grey.

57. How long does it take for you to get ready? 20 mins, but usually longer because I don’t like to be rushed so I take my time.

58. Do you have much of an ego? I don’t think so? I’m a walking pile of insecurities.

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? I used to bite them but I have TMJ and my jaw is a piece of garbage that cannot withstand biting anything hard without popping all out of place and pain. Fun times.

60. Do you talk to yourself? Yup.

61. Do you sing to yourself? CONSTANTLY.

62. Are you a good singer? I have a pretty decent voice.

63. Biggest Fears? Losing people I love, dying, clowns, bats, cockroaches

64. Are you a gossip? I like being in the know but I don’t like pettiness. That said I sometimes find I have to focus REALLY hard to bite my tongue.

65. Are you a grammar nazi? Absolutely.

66. Do you have long or short hair? Its too long! I need a haircut.

67. Can you name all 50 states of America? Maybe? I might forget a few. The real question is can any of my American friends name the Canadian provinces (the CAN equivalent of states? I DOUBT IT yet we learn the states in school. SMH)

68. Favorite school subject? English and French

69. Extrovert or Introvert? Intoverted extrovert

70. Have you ever been scuba diving? Nope and I don’t plan on it.

71. What makes you nervous? Rooms full of people that don’t like me, small spaces, driving in winter.

72. Are you scared of the dark? Less than I used to be, but I don’t like it.

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? I do daily but thats because I have a toddler and teaching/correction is important in some moments. But you also have to let them fail which is challenging to do.

74. Are you ticklish? Nope. Only my sister can tickle me and its so annoying when she does!

75. Have you ever started a rumor? Not that I can recall?

76. Have you ever been out of your home country? Yeah a few times

77. Have you ever drank underage? I don’t think so, I was 18 by the time I drank anything, I think.

78. Have you ever done drugs? No drugs scare the living crap out of me.

79. What do you fantasize about? Having more time to myself, living alone like a hermit and not having to work, having perfect hair every day, having another kid, living somewhere warm, saying snarky things to my MIL’s face.

80. How many piercings do you have? None.

81. Can you roll your R’s? Yes.

82. How fast can you type? Fast-ish if I’m on a roll but I don’t use the proper hand technique. I get by though.

83. How fast can you run? Run? Moi? HAHAHAHA

84. What color is your hair? Ash brown with a faded rainbow in the back.

85. What color are your eyes? Green.

86. What are you allergic to? Winter mold. Spring is the worst. And I can’t go barefoot on grass unless I want to have itchy swollen feet that I want to scratch off forever.

87. Do you keep a journal? I have one that I’m supposed to write a line a day in but I am the WORST at it. Once I get behind I get so unmotivated.

88. Are you depressed about anything? I feel like I’m sleep walking through my life sometimes, and depression takes away my ability to care enough to be motivated to do anything about it. I swear apathy is the worst side effect of depression for me!

89. Do you like your age? It is honestly the best. I love being 30! I care less about the insecurities that consumed my life in my early 20s. I have more body confidence . I’m more secure financially than I’ve been at any point in my life. And I still feel youngish. Haha.

90. What makes you angry? White privilege, misogyny, Canadian and American politics, Christian people who don’t act loving and don’t seem bothered by it, when people don’t return their shopping carts in parking lots, when people can help others but don’t, cancer, narcissists.

91. Do you like your own name? I have always loved my name. I only know one other person with my name who spells it like me!

92. Did you ever get a foreign object up your nose? Odd question, no.

93. Do you want a boy or a girl for a child? I have a boy, and if I ever get the opportunity to have another kid I kinda hope its a girl. I’m really close with my mom so I always imagined having a daughter to hopefully be close with too. My son is a mini me in every way, though.

94. What talents do you have? I have a semi-photographic memory (so helpful for studying), I learn song lyrics super fast, I can sing any song for you in the correct key it was recorded in (what would you call that? pitch memorization?)

95. Sun or moon? I love sitting in a sunbeam like a cat. But the moon is super comforting to me. Both.

96. How did you get your name? My mom wanted me to have a different name in a sea of Ashley’s and Brittany’s (I was born in the late 80s).

97. Are you religious? My faith is very important to me and relates to all areas of my life, including my job, so yes? But I don’t feel like I need to be in your face about it, that’s not my style.

98. Have you ever been to a therapist? Yes and honestly everyone on the planet could benefit from it! Its the best!

99. Color of your bedspread? White with blue and goldish flowers on it.

100. Color of your room? Light grey.

I feel like everyone already did this but all the same I’m going to tag @earlgreyteagirl, @reddie-to-mileven-it-up, @stevemossington, @maxmayfield and here’s some people who I know already did this but I want you to see my answers haha so here goes @hannahberrie @summer-in-hawkins @jane-el-hopper @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold @thezoomermax @puzzlingsnark @fatechica @mikeweezers

#am i late to the party?#you know it #but running late is my style #sigh #survey

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years

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Wine 101: Txakolina

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by E. & J. Gallo Winery. At Gallo, we exist to serve enjoyment in moments that matter. The hallmark of our company has always been an unwavering commitment to making quality wine and spirits, Whether it’s getting Barefoot and having a great time, making every day sparkle with La Marca Prosecco, or continuing our legacy with Louis Martini in Napa, we want to welcome new friends to wine and share in all of life’s moments.

Interested in trying some of the wine brands discussed on “Wine 101”? Follow the link in each episode description to purchase featured wines or browse our full portfolio at TheBarrelRoom.com. Cheers, and all the best.

It’s incredibly crisp, refreshing, and hard to pronounce. Meet Txakolina (chah-kuh-leena), a white wine that comes from a small but compelling area of northeastern Spain.

In this bonus episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers reviews the history behind the grapes, regions, and wines of Basque Country. He also shares his first run-in with the wine, and explains why everyone should try Txakolina for themselves.

Tune in to learn more about Txakolina.

LISTEN ONLINE

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OR CHECK OUT THE CONVERSATION HERE

Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. “Damita Jo” is the best Janet Jackson album, right?

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 1 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast bonus season. That is a lot to say, but we are here at the bonus season, and it’s so exciting.

It’s not easy to read, it’s very easy to say, and it is a pleasure to drink. If you guys have not heard of Txakolina, we’ve got to talk about it. If you have and you’re confused, let’s get some stuff out of the way.

So, in 2010, I was invited to this exclusive party in Manhattan. It was in a membership-only club, and it was hosted by a wine importer at the time. I had a restaurant and a wine shop, so I was buying wine. I was invited to a Txakolina party. I had no idea what that meant. But, when I left that party, I was obsessed with this wine. The party was kind of crazy. They actually had kegs of this wine, which was wild. You’ll understand that in a second. Txakolina, if you’ve never heard of it, is awesome, and it should be on your radar. I’ll tell you why. It might be one of the most refreshing wines you’ll ever have on your palate. It’s crisp. It’s refreshing. I don’t know if you remember the Portugal episode, but it has a slight effervescence to it, just like the Vinho Verde wines do in the Minho region in northern Portugal.

It’s a whole different story, where these wines come from. The wines are very interesting, but even more interesting is where the wines are from: the northern part of Spain, in a place called the Basque Country. To some, it’s called Basque. To others it’s called País Vasco, and to others it’s called Euskadi. I can’t admit to fully understanding this, but Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions. From what I understand, they’re not like states — like in the United States of America — but they do have borders and their own governments within them, just like states would have their own state constitutions. The leadership of these regions are actually presidents and not governors. I don’t know. I don’t really understand it too much.

What I do know is that the Basque region of Spain is known as ferociously independent, more so than a lot of other regions in Spain. It makes sense. Reading about the history of this part of the world, reading about the people of this country, is just incredible. It’s fascinating stuff. I think it’s a historical anomaly, if you will. The Basque region is very small, in the northeastern part of Spain, bordered by the Pyrenees to the east, the Bay of Biscay to the north, the Cantabrian Mountains to the west, and the Rioja region and Ebro River to the south. But, at one time, the Basque Country was known as Vascone. Their territory went from the Ebro River — which is now south of the Basque Country — over the Pyrenees, going north to the river Garonne, which is the southern river that borders Bordeaux. That’s a lot of real estate, am I right? Now, of course, it’s a very complicated history. It’s fascinating and it’s complicated. Over time, it gets decimated. It gets smaller and smaller, until it’s one of the smallest areas in the northeastern part of Spain.

What’s really cool is that, even though this land and the people of this land were increasingly restricted, the language of the people in the Basque region was never Romanized. The language they speak is ancient to the point where there’s a lot of theories as to where it came from. It is a language that, when you look at it, is very confusing, but at the same time, it’s just extremely fascinating and beautiful — unless, of course, I’m pronouncing it. I’m going to try my hardest, but I apologize in advance for anything sounding weird. It’s not the language, it’s me.

What can be confusing is that there are multiple names for this area. Outside the border of the Basque Country, it’s often referred to as País Vasco, which is a reference to the old, ancient region that it once was, the old country. In general, it’s called the Basque Country, which you see if you’re looking at the wine situation. Basque is said to be an evolution of the word Vascon, but within the borders of the Basque Country, they call their land Euskal Herria. It means “our country.” Their language, which we refer to as Basque, is called Euskara for them. Of course, Spanish is spoken here, but this is their ancient language that they’re really holding onto. When it comes to wine, they use the ancient language for that.

The wine situation in this area is interesting. About 100 years ago or more, there was a very healthy wine-growing region going on. That little louse we talked about last season, phylloxera, completely destroyed that. It never really came back to what it once was. This region of Spain, because it’s protected by a mountain range — the Cantabrian Mountains and the Basque Mountain range — is very wet. It’s a high elevation. It’s very mountainous. It’s very close to the Bay of Biscay, which is the Atlantic Ocean. Because of that mountain range, a lot of the rains get trapped in that region. It’s not the best wine-grape growing region, just like Champagne is not the best wine-grape growing region. Just like Champagne, the people in this area wouldn’t let a little bit of rain and weird weather get them down after phylloxera. These wine growers and winemakers in the Basque region held firm to their local varieties and built a small, yet very significant, local wine market. It eventually moved its way out of the region and onto a lot of places. This kind of wine comes to us and Germany, but most of it is localized and consumed there. That’s one of the reasons why wines coming out of the Basque region have the local language on the labels. The majority of it is consumed there.

What’s cool about all of this is that — even though the language is really foreign to a lot of people — the terms are pretty simple. There are two varieties that are used to make wine in the Basque region. There’s a white grape called Hondarrabi Zuri and a red wine grape called Hondarrabi Beltza. That sounds very different. All it really means is this. Zuri means white in Basque. Hondarrabi is a reference to a town. It’s the white grape of the town, Hondarrabia, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Beltza means red in Basque, so Hondarrabi Beltza is the red wine grape of the town of Hondarrabia. That’s just a reference to where they think the variety came from. These varieties are native to this part of Spain, or at least the Pyrenees. We’re going to get into the specific wine regions in a second. One thing to know is that the majority of the wine made in the Basque region is from Hondarrabi Zuri, the white wine. Over 80 percent of the wine made in this area is white wine. Hondarrabi Beltza, the red wine grape, does make red wine. It’s light and peppery. It’s very good, but you don’t see it on the American market. I had a chance to have it and was very lucky to have it. You’re not going to see it around. If you do, it’s kind of like Cabernet Franc, but a little juicier. On our market, if we ever see it, it’s in a rosé version. It’s blended a little bit into the white for rosés from this area.

In the Basque Country, there are three DOs, or three appellations, and they’re some of the smallest wine regions in Spain. Here is where the word Txakolina comes into play. Txakoli, in the Basque language, roughly means village. Txakolina means “of the village,” basically. There are three DOs in the Basque region that make Txakolina, and the word is a reference to where the wine is made. The first wine region to be awarded to this region, which was in 1989, is the most popular one. It’s in the very eastern part of the Basque region, about 18 miles from the French border. It’s very close to the Pyrenees. The vineyards are mostly in from the coast, just south of a main coastal town called Getaria. The appellation is called Getariako Txakolina. It means “the village wine of Getaria.” Now, get this. This wine region has only 201 acres under vine. It is the principal wine region of the Basque Country, one of the smallest in Spain, but the largest in the Basque. It’s crazy. It’s about 25 miles away from San Sebastian — in the Basque region it’s called Donostia — so it has a really big tourist attraction very close to it. This is where tapas are from. This appellation really defines what this wine is to us as an American market. It is mostly white. There’s some rosé, but they’re mostly white. They’re made from the Hondarrabi Zuri variety. They’re made in a way that has a slight fizziness to them. The thing about this area is that everything is about height. The vines were once trained at a great height so that fungi couldn’t get a hold of these grapes, because it’s been such a rainy region. The land itself is very high. It has a significant elevation because it’s right before a mountain range. Because of its fizzy nature, it’s a tradition in this area to pour Txakolina from a great height into the glass to get the fizziness going. Here, they make the most out of the 201 acres under vine that they can, giving us some of it, giving Germany some of it, but giving a lot to themselves. Good on them. I mean it is their village wine, right?

Going west along the coast from Getaria, we run into one of the major cities of the Basque region. It’s called Bilbao. It’s a very industrial city. It’s highly populated. But, surrounding Bilbao, is the Basque country’s second-largest wine region at 144 acres. It’s named after the province that it’s located in, which is called Bizkaia. The name of the DO is Bizkaiko Txakolina, or Txakoli de Bizkaia. Basically, it means “the village wine of this province.” Of course, the province is also called Vizcaya, which is a reference to the Biscay Bay, which is a reference to the Vasco Country, which is a reference to Basque. It’s all interconnected. These vineyards are also just in from the coast. What’s unique about this particular wine region is that it has a predominance of a grape called Folle Blanche. This is a grape derived from Gouais Blanc, which we talked about all the way in the first season. It’s very old-school. Here, they call it Bordeleza Zuria. It’s blended with Hondarrabi Zuri, So the result is a clean, crisp, fizzy white wine with a touch of herbaceousness.

Now, the thing is, with 144 acres, we’re not going to see a lot of this on the American market. If you’re looking for it, you can find it and probably get it delivered to you. But it’s not easy to find. This was the second of the three awarded to the region in 1994. The last of the three we shouldn’t even really talk about, because there’s only 50 acres under vine in the region. It’s south of Bilbao in the Basque Mountains, and it’s still humid there. It doesn’t get above 68 degrees in this part of the Basque country. It’s further south, towards the Ebro River, almost bordering on the northern part of Rioja, and it’s located in the province of Araba, or Álava. This gives name to the DO, which is called Arabako Txakolina, “the village wine of this province.” As usual, they have Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza, but they also have a grape called Gros Manseng and Petit Manseg, which are very prominent over the Pyrenees in southwest France. Here, they don’t call them that, of course. It’s the Basque Country. They call Petit Manseng, Iskiriota Tipia and Iskiriota. I’m not going to lie. I’ve never tried these wines. They’re only 50 acres. If anybody knows how to get a bottle from that place, please let me know. I want to try it.

So, that is the Basque region. That is the wine made there. That is Txakolina, the village wine of the Basque region. We’re really only going to have the Getariako Txakolina, and it’s going to be clean, fizzy and with bright fruit. It’s always consumed young. It doesn’t matter what the region or DO is for all three of them. These aren’t age-worthy wines. These are wines to be celebrated now. One of the reasons why it’s consumed so much in the region is because it’s enjoyed young, from a height, poured into a glass, made fizzy, paired with tapas.

Oh, man. You’ve got to get into Txakolina, guys. It’s awesome, and it’s around. The rosé is very cool. You get that little hint of pepperiness because Hondarrabi Beltza can have that little Cab Franc thing that I said. I have this idea: Cab Francs from this area. Huh. OK, I’m going to digress, but you get a little bit of a peppery note from the Hondarrabi Beltza in the rosés from Txakolina. Guys, enjoy.

Oh, and that 2010 party I went to? If you can find Txakolina in a keg, it’s awesome. It’s not as traditional as pouring from a great height from a bottle, but pouring from a great height from a keg hose makes it a little easier to get into the glass. OK, I’ll talk to you guys next week.

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there.

And now, for some totally awesome credits. “Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Txakolina appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-txakolina/

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learningrendezvous · 3 years

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Hospitality

HOSPITALITY: HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE

A versatile, affordable and comprehensive multimedia learning resource

The DVD contains six video clips: Kitchen hazards - hot, sharp, wet Hazards of heat Safe use and handling of knives Cleaning, sanitising, disinfecting Manual handling: the hierarchy of control Hands, bodies and food safety

This outstanding educational resource provides an essential introduction to workplace health and safety for anyone training for a career in hospitality, through a series of video clips and comprehensive learning activities.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2015

KITCHEN HAZARDS AND FOOD SAFETY

A commercial kitchen can be a fun and highly rewarding place to work, but also one full of potential hazards and dangers.

This video is filmed inside the industrial kitchen at Bendigo Health in regional Victoria where thousands of meals and other food requirements are prepared for hospital and associated health services every week.

Food Services Manager Damian Martin comprehensively covers a wide range of workplace health and safety areas, taking us through basic kitchen safety in working with hot, sharp and wet equipment and surfaces; and safe and hygienic practices in the storage and handling of food.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2015 / (Middle Secondary - Professional) / 19 minutes

SERVING ALCOHOL RESPONSIBLY

Anyone serving alcohol to customers must do so responsibly. This includes owners and licensees of premises, bar and drinks staff and security and other staff who might make judgments about patron behaviour. Alcohol affects people differently and it's important to recognise when someone is, or is becoming, alcohol-affected to the point where no more should be served. Even more critical is the ability to deal with a situation effectively and appropriately without disturbing other patrons. This video covers the skills required to ensure the responsible service of alcohol and includes interviews with hotel and live music venue owner Greg Dodds and wine bar operators Mark and Meredith Telfer. It is an ideal resource for learners in Hospitality and related courses.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2014 / (Middle Secondary - Professional) / 17 minutes

SME CASE STUDY: CREATIVE FORCE - TECHNOLOGY DRIVING CHANGE

Businesses constantly face change. Technology drives much of it and has drastically impacted every industry and sector in recent decades. Successful small businesses embrace change and use technology smartly. Often it means continual reinvention. This video profiles Creative Force, a small business in regional south-east Australia that started as a print media-based marketing company two decades ago. Today it specializes in web and multimedia development for clients ranging from universities and major health authorities to individuals. The program explores the impact of digital communications and the role that technology has played in completely transforming all aspects of the business over time. It is an ideal resource for upper-level learners in business, small business management, technology and related areas.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2014 / (Middle Secondary - Professional) / 16 minutes

SME CASE STUDY: UNWINED - INTRODUCING HOSPITALITY TO RETAIL

Mark and Meredith Telfer purchased what a franchised retail cleanskin wine outlet. Over the course of nine years they worked the business hard ultimately transforming it into a unique wine bar, complementing the now more up-market wine and boutique beer retail section of their business. Their slogan is 'Come for a glass, leave with a bottle'. This video explores the journey of a small business as it re-invents itself across a decade. It looks at making business decisions, opportunities for growth and sustainability, planning and implementing change to meet customer demands. It presents an excellent case study for learners in courses related to Business Studies, Small Business Management and Hospitality.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2014 / (Middle Secondary - Professional) / 15 minutes

LE CIRQUE: A TABLE IN HEAVEN

Director: Andrew Rossi

In this portrait of Le Cirque founder Sirio Maccioni and his three sons, director Andrew Rossi catches the family at a dramatic transition: the closing of the restaurant in 2004, its celebrated re-opening two years later followed by the nerve-wracking wait for restaurant critics to weigh in on their new incarnation. A must-see for anyone who is passionate about food and dining, this film shows us a family embroiled in the age-old struggle between father, sons, tradition and change.

DVD / 2011 / 74 minutes

THREE STARS

Directors: Lutz Hachmeister

Focusing on nine Michelin starred chefs from three continents, Three Stars depicts the everyday drama of life in gourmet restaurants and includes exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes access to some of the world's most talented chefs as they work in their gastronomic laboratories, hunt for exquisite ingredients in local markets, and gather rare edible plants along rough coastlines. It reveals the business of cooking on the highest level and highlights the various kitchen routines and culinary philosophies of chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Yannick Alleno, and Olivier Roellinger.

DVD-R (Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese & Spanish with English Subtitles) / 2011 / 94 minutes

RESTAURATEUR, THE

Director: Roger Sherman

This intimate film about Danny Meyer, one of America's preeminent restaurant owners, opens in the dining room of Eleven Madison Park in December, 2009. Meyer confides to the camera: "After Tabla and Eleven Madison Park opened, I was convinced I'd made one of the worst professional mistakes of my life." Fade to a vast, concrete space, January, 1998. A much younger-looking Meyer, with Tom Colicchio (chef of Gramercy Tavern), enters the site; Meyer gives him a tour of his hopes and dreams.

We follow the restaurateur and his team for a year as they experience gut-wrenching construction delays, miss deadlines, and fire a chef. We visit Tabla's chef Floyd Cardoz in his tiny home kitchen where he creates his now classic watermelon curry. We're there as chef Kerry Heffernan takes over EMP just weeks before opening.

Danny Meyer bares all in this portrait. Watching him and his inner circle, we witness first-hand how difficult it is to create a world-class restaurant. The Restaurateur is nothing like those reality shows. This is real.

DVD / 2010 / 57 minutes

INSIDE A HOTEL

The MacDonald chain of luxury hotels serves business and leisure customers across the UK. People are integral to their success. This film goes inside one of its hotels to discover what they do.

SERVICE IS EVERYTHING: There's premium on customer service. Guests have to be greeted with a smile. One of the first people you're like to meet is Neil, the concierge. He's virtually a "personal organiser" for everyone who visits the hotel, taking on everything from arranging trips to the airport to finding parts for a 1933 Ferrari! The receptionist is in the front line, too, checking people in, dealing with angry customers, but also the occasional celebrity.

STILL WAITING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: Giuseppe, the head waiter, has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years. He prides himself on the confidence his customers have in him. But things aren't what they used to be, he reckons - and many guests fall below his standards. They don't know what to wear, what to order or even how to eat their food.

THE CONFERENCE BUSINESS: Long gone are the days when big hotels relied on selling people a bed for the night to make their money. Now the big market is the corporate market, hosting things like conferences.

Conference and banqueting manager James has to meet the whims of his business customers - and take it all with a smile.

TRAINING: Human resources manager Fiona says you can train someone to lay a table but not to be good at caring for customers - it's all a question of choosing the right people.

THE MYSTERY SHOPPERS: Colin and Wendy are mystery shoppers who visit hotels undercover to check they're keeping to their standards. A lack of nibbles in the bar or newspapers which they order but don't turn up and Colin and Wendy marks the hotel down.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Working in a hotel is a bit like being on stage. The highs come when you meet your goals, the lows when you fail to make a customer happy. For the receptionist, drunken guests are the biggest problem. Working in the hotel and catering industry takes lots of energy and the ability "to talk to anyone".

THE OTHER SIDE OF HOTEL WORK: By no means all hotel workers find their jobs satisfying. A foreign hotel worker describes experiences of outrageous sexual harassment and bullying. She says she would never let her child work in the industry.

DVD / 2008 / 30 minutes

HOTEL MANAGEMENT AT THE HOTEL MONACO

In the hotel business, there are many opportunities to provide service to customers, and in order to remain competitive; the service design must be excellent thought-out. The Hotel Monaco, owned by San Francisco's Kimpton Group, is a boutique hotel with 7 locations around the country. In Chicago, its property is in a prime location on the northern end of the business district. Its location between two shopping districts and in the heart of the reviving theater district which helps them have crossover appeal for both business and pleasure clients.

DVD / 2003 / (Grades 9-12, College, Adult)

HOTEL MONACO-MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Hotel Monaco Chicago is one of seven boutique hotels owned by San Francisco's Kimpton Group. Kimpton's service concept is to offer the same services and comforts of a luxury chain hotel, but with the personality and individual attention of staying at a friend's home. In an extremely competitive market, the Hotel Monaco Chicago has successfully chosen to feature luxury accommodations in a small, friendly hotel with unconventional decor and unique service elements.

DVD / 2002 / (Grades 9-12, College, Adult) / Approx. 9 minutes

MARKETING A HOTEL: THE CROWN, SCARBOROUGH

Jhe Crown Hotel, Scarborough, used to cater for wealthy holiday makers, but with the decline of British seaside, the Crown fell on hard times. In 2000 it was up for sale and falling to pieces. Then came new hope.

Local businessman Richard Frank set about restoring it to its former glory. He brought in new features â€” a gym and a cafe-bar. A website now offers a "virtual tour" of the hotel. Celebrities are used to get the hotel publicity and prices are cut to make sure the rooms are filled. The marketing tactics are radical â€” but will they work?

DVD / 2001 / 25 minutes

SYSTEMS IN A HOTEL: TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY

This demonstrates the systems in a large hotel. The hotel's booking system shows the rooms available and helps maximise income from the rooms, discounting prices when things are quiet. For each guest the system records a guest history, with details of their likes and dislikes.

When a guest feels a room is too hot, staff use a building management system to turn down the temperature. A housekeeping system records details of a defective lamp to be reported for repair. But while all these different systems bring efficiency, do they really improve the quality of a guest's stay? Or is it all a bit too impersonal?

DVD / 2000 / 27 minutes

INSIDE THE HOTEL BUSINESS

Bill Marriott of Marriott Hotels, and John Coleman, of the Ritz-Carlton in New York and in Washington and Tremont and Whithall Hotels in Chicago, discuss what it costs to build a hotel, how to choose a site, how you staff it and run it so the guests are happy and the owner makes a profit. Bill Marriott has some surprising information about the responsibility he extends to workers at all levels.

DVD / 1983 / (College through Adult) / 30 minutes

FOOD SERVICE EXCELLENCE: CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

Gives students specific information about work habits on the job: the importance of appearance, relating to customers and co-workers, dealing with complaints and interacting with management.

DVD / 60 minutes

FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY: CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU

Viewers will see how the increased number of food products and advanced technologies have helped national food and restaurant chains expand. They'll get a close-up view of careers, from packing and distributing to preparing, cooking and serving food. The program details the training and skills needed for a full range of food service careers.

DVD / 31 minutes

FOOD SERVICE PRE-PREPARATION: GETTING READY AHEAD OF TIME

how professional food workers work back from the menu to be sure all is ready for the rush. They'll follow the morning as bacon & eggs are prepared by the staff.

DVD / 52 minutes

HAZARD COMMUNICATION IN HOSPITALITY ENVIRONMENTS

"Hazard Communication in Hospitality Environments" courses discuss the requirements of the HAZCOM Standard, the hazards that can be associated with different types of HAZMATs, and what employees can do to avoid these hazards.

Topics covered in these products include: Sources of HAZMAT information. Exposure to hazardous materials. Different types of HAZMATs Personal protective equipment and safe storage. Responding to a HAZMAT spill.

DVD / 21 minutes

SHORT ORDER FOOD SERVICE: GRILL MANAGEMENT

Illustrates cleaning and maintaining equipment, cooking zones and techniques for cooking typical menus items such as eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, hamburgers and home fries. Explains the importance of "prepping" food, managing flow of orders while timing for doneness. Discusses interaction between cook and servers.

DVD / 45 minutes

http://www.learningemall.com/News/Hospitality_202102.html

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asfeedin · 4 years

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Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi has everything, so how does he get better?

Due to the enforced break caused by the coronavirus outbreak, it is highly unlikely that Lionel Messi will kick a competitive ball before his 33rd birthday — he reaches the milestone in two months — but as a player who has set absurdly high standards over the course of the last decade-and-a-half reaches the end of his career, the question is often asked: how can one of the greatest to ever play the game keep improving?

I was lucky enough to get an early look at his talent. At the start of 2005 I was in Colombia for the South American Under-20 Championships. Messi was a virtual unknown, even to the Argentines. He had been living in Barcelona for four years, had played one friendly for the first team and there were rumours that he might be something special — certainly Spain were interested in his services — so Argentina made sure they got in first.

2 Related

They did not give him the No. 10 shirt and, at 17, he was two years younger than the vast majority of the other players in the tournament. He cut a shambling, unkempt, tiny figure. Merely to look at him no one could have predicted that he would have a brilliant future on the field … until he got on the ball.

Some of Messi’s genius was already apparent: especially the way that the ball was tied to his left foot as he ran, changing direction and speed as he went. He also showed a precocious capacity to influence events around him, to find space, take the right decision, and ensure that his individual talent was always at the service of the collective. Over the subsequent seasons these abilities have been refined, developed, matured and amplified. In the words of his old friend and former club and country teammate Javier Mascherano, where almost all players are controlled by the game, Messi controls it.

– Stream FC TV on ESPN+ Monday through Friday

As he moves from his early to mid-30s, there is little room for improvement and plenty of scope for decline. Is there much more he can learn or improve in technical and tactical terms? Probably not. Physically, he can only go one way (in the race between time and the athlete there is only ever one winner.) But there is one sense in which he can still improve and does seem to be improving: leadership on the pitch.

Messi’s first 18 months with the Argentina side coincided with the end of the international career of Roberto Ayala. Centre-back and captain of the team, Ayala recalls the young Messi as a painfully shy figure, telling 90min.es recently: “He practically didn’t speak. He came out to train because it was obligatory. If not, he would have stayed in his room.”

And even as Messi grew into a global star, there was always the feeling — especially in Argentina, where a vocal style of leadership is valued — that he was in his own little world, happy talking to his old friend Sergio Aguero but uncommunicative with many others. Until last year’s Copa America.

play

0:30

17-year-old Lionel Messi lists Maradona, Ronaldinho and Pablo Aimar as his idols.

Veteran observers of the Argentina side were struck by the change in his behaviour. Messi was a vocal figure around the hotel, on the pitch and with the press after the game. He was full of encouraging words for his teammates, and was quick to defend the team to the journalists — he even talked himself into trouble, making unwise accusations about the integrity of the competition once Argentina had been eliminated, and picking up a three-month suspension as a result.

• Sources: Mourinho wants PSG’s Meunier • Chelsea: No coronavirus player wage cuts • Liverpool vs Atleti probed over virus • Woodward: Not ‘business as usual’ for Utd • Dutch league cancelled: Ajax denied title • Sources: Chelsea want Aubameyang

Angel Di Maria, who has shared an international dressing room with him since 2008, was enchanted with his teammate. “This Copa America was different,” he said. “I liked the way he spoke to the group and to the press. For the younger players this was fundamental. I really like this Messi.”

This change has not happened by chance. With an analytical mind that is so good at reading the game, Messi appears to have focused on how he could improve as he gets close to the final years of his career. Speaking up may not come naturally to him, but it was what he needed to do in order to develop further.

Whether he likes it or not, his technical excellence and importance to his teams thrusts him into the spotlight and makes his behavior important. And so he has become a leader for club and country. With Barcelona he has defended the group against accusations from sporting director Eric Abidal that some had not been trying hard enough, and more recently made his displeasure known at the way that the club directors were using public pressure to force the players to reduce their salaries.

In his role on the coaching staff of the Argentina side, Ayala said he has been enjoying the mature version of the man he played with almost 15 years ago.

“He’s grown a lot in the recent past,” he added. “Nowadays he’s a leader on and off the field, able to find the right word. He participates in everything, talking to his teammates, asking how they are. He’s vocal before the games, and he does things that really help the group.”

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113-things-to-see · 4 years

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2019

... aka the one where my blog is still broken. Don’t fret, not all is lost, but due to technical difficulties I had to re-import my blog content and 70 posts just fail to show any photos. I will eventually fix all of them but have decided to completely revamp my blog at another point, especially since I will be busy writing my Master’s thesis during the coming semester. So until then, we still have Tumblr. Anyway, I decided to continue the yearly tradition of reflecting on the past 12 months and setting new resolutions (how original!).

In my New Year’s post of 2018 I described a challenging year and was firmly set on improving my self-care in 2019, fully committing to mental health recovery. 2019 was the year where I would start DBT, hopefully the turning point in my mental health journey after feeling stuck in a continuous downwards spiral. I went into 2019 feeling hopeful and expecting change. Spoiler alert: I am in a much better place now. However, getting there has been the most difficult challenge I have ever encountered.

When I set off into the New Year feeling positive and hopeful, I did not foresee that a) this would last for about a week and b) that the turning point I needed lay elsewhere. The packed days leading up to Christmas behind me, the events from the last year started to catch up with me. Re-traumatised by experiences in the mental health system I felt more misunderstood and lonely than I had in a long time and it felt like like the carefully assembled house of cards was finally collapsing, destroying whatever it could in its wake. Although DBT was giving me skills I desperately needed, I found myself at a point where I was unable to listen, so caught up in the over-powering emotional intensity that comes with BPD, so caught up in the downward spiral, so caught up in feeling undeserving of help. The nexts months were chaos. Somewhere amidst the storm, I managed to celebrate my friend’s birthday and then my own 23rd, which was the biggest emotional roller-coaster of all. My mum and me went to Sketch and saw Les Mis, the latter meaning a dream coming true. But blowing out my candles at midnight, all I could think of was how on earth I would make it to 24.

It wasn’t DBT that presented the turning point in my life. Neither was reaching rock bottom or my turbulent birthday or seeing crisis services. No, the turning point happened only when I decided on it. The truth is that BPD (and probably most mental illnesses) will always convince you that you aren’t sick enough. That others have it worse. That xy needs to happen before things change. That you haven’t quite reached rock bottom yet. All in all, I was waiting for a turning point that would never come. That could only created by myself, by deciding that enough was enough. By deciding that I deserved better. By committing to recovery despite my emotional/impulsive side definitely not wanting recovery but quite the opposite. And this was when things finally started to shift. No, it hasn’t been easy and I can’t say that there haven’t been any setbacks. But that’s okay because recovery is 5 steps forwards and 3 steps back. I have now been doing DBT for almost a year and the sessions and skills I have learned have been life-changing (along with medication). Although BPD is still my daily companion, we can co-exist now. I am no longer thrown around between my emotions, no longer in so much distress that pain is the only way I know to cope, no longer feeling unworthy in a group of people. BPD is not me, I am so much more. To spread awareness, I continued to be vocal about my struggles on social media and shared my experiences in blog posts that many others related to. And it was the realisation how commonly people with BPD suffered in the MH system, ranging from re-traumatisation to being left acutely unwell with no support, that made me start my own petition - Lives on the (Border)line. (Eternally grateful if you signed it!).

In non-mental health related news, 2019 was the year I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Although my graduation day was one of the hottest of the year, I got to celebrate if with my family and best friend, drinking cocktails above the roofs of London - it was wonderful and almost let me forget the stressful months of revision leading up to this moment. But despite the stress, studying Psychology has been of the best decisions of my life, allowing me to grow so much academically and personally. Plus I will miss my class a lot, they taught me what kindness and looking out for each other mean. I have now started my Master’s in Clinical Forensic Psychology which includes a placement in a medium secure unit and so far, I have been enjoying it and can see myself working in that field – or another field of clinical psychology – in the future. I can’t believe that I am about to begin my last semester and that by the end of 2020, I will be looking for my first graduate job. I am proud of myself for coming this far and I am so grateful for the opportunity to help others recover.

2019 came with so much more than mental health recovery and a degree. As so often, it is the small things that made the biggest difference. Study sessions that ended in Thai food and wine on the balcony, picnics in Hyde Park, movies, musicals, birthday celebrations, Christmas carols at the Royal Albert Hall, falafel wraps (if you know you know), amazing books and adopting new plants (that are still somewhat alive). I read more classics than ever, partly due to the fact that I struggled with physical illness this year. Following sinus surgery a couple of weeks ago (this one had been coming for years really), I am no longer feeling ill every day and I am excited to be able to well, breathe. Despite illness, I had an incredible summer during which some of my closest friends and my sister came to stay – think mostly really good vegan food with the occasional play at the Globe Theatre (that makes me sound a lot more fancy than I am) and walks along the river. Last but definitely not least, my brother and me spent a week in Crete – think more excellent vegan food, paired with blue lagoons, beaches and cats. Generally, 2019 was a year of friendship for me, both online and offline and then there are those friendships that start online but turn out to be one of the best offline as well and feel like you have known each other for 8 years rather than 8 months. The kind of friendships that become your rock during difficult times (and make you get doughnut deliveries).

Again, I didn’t do too badly on my new year’s resolutions from 2018. I have said that 2019 would be the year of healing and talking openly about mental health and it has been, although I still have a long way to go. My second resolution last year had been to take care of my body and I have, even though being ill forced me to go at a different pace than thought. Lastly, I have managed to meditate more and at least I got further than ‘Necessito un sombrero’ on Duolingo this year. So far so good. So what about 2020? The new decade? (sorry I had to). This year, I not only want to focus on recovery but also on self-acceptance and improving potentially the most important relationship in my life, the one with myself. I want to slow down, take things ad they come and practice gratitude. At the same time, I will continue to raise awareness for mental illness – and mostly BPD – online and share my petition to hopefully get our voices heard. I do believe that together we can make a difference – even if the process is slow, each step will get us there and break the stigma. As said last year, I want to nourish my body and take care of it and I can’t wait to pick up swimming again (and please make me cook something different than pasta every single day, I need ideas (although pasta is pretty darn amazing)). I am also planning to continue my zero-waste journey and start buying my clothes second-hand, something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Last but not least,I want to improve my Spanish, especially since I am planning to visit one of my closest friends in South America this year and talking about hats won’t really sustain a conversation with her family. But until then: hasta la vista.

#borderline personality disorder #bpd #bpd life #mental health #dbt #new year resolution #2019 #recovery

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riverheadbooks · 7 years

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Women in Translation: Anne McLean

Our final #WITmonth interview is with Anne McLean, who has translated each one of Colombian author Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s books. Anne has twice won both the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Premio Valle-Inclán, and she received the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award with Juan Gabriel Vásquez for The Sound of Things Falling. We spoke to Anne about what it’s like working with Juan, why translating is similar to acting, and what she’s excited to read next!

Riverhead Books: You’ve translated all of Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s books. What is the most exciting aspect about translating his work, and what in your opinion has been the biggest challenge?

Anne McLean: One of the things I find with translating literature is that although I struggle word by word, phrase by phrase, sentence by sentence, trying to convey as many components of the Spanish prose into English (and I have to make a lot of decisions as I go along, and some of these are quite challenging and I tend to change my mind, there is also a lot of intuitive, unconscious decision-making going on), once I find the voice and rhythm of a particular piece of prose, I feel there are more moments of excitement than challenges, though I suspect it's just that I unconsciously choose to forget the struggles.

Of course, Juan is male and Colombian, tall and young, and many other things that I am not. So sometimes I find myself surprised or even shocked by things his characters do or say, though it’s quite possible they surprise him too. His fiction isn’t overtly autobiographical (though Javier Cercas says all fiction is autobiography and all autobiography is fiction). But that is also one of the pleasures of translating, which is similar to acting, or reading, when you get to live other lives and experience selves you would otherwise have no access to.

RB: Briefly explain your process of translating a book, from when a project is first presented to you to when the final version goes to print. How closely do you work with authors?

AM: I don’t think I can do that briefly, and I think I have done so at length elsewhere, so how ‘bout if I just answer the second half of your question?

I work quite closely with many of the authors I translate. Not all authors want to be consulted by or involved with their translators, especially if they have no knowledge of the language their book is going into, or if it's being translated into dozens of languages at the same time, which is perfectly understandable. Quite a few of my authors are actually interested in translation and in the English version of their books, but almost never in an overbearing way. Due to the peripatetic and unruly way I learned Spanish, I do tend to ask quite a few questions. I began to learn the language in Mexico, Central America and Spain in the early ’90s, while reading a fair bit of South American literature, first in English translations and gradually in the originals, and Spanish has some pretty distinct regional variations. Anyway, many years later, when Ignacio Martínez de Pisón gave me a copy Los Informantes, and introduced me to its author, I thought it was going to be fairly straightforward to translate. But when I started working on it, I realized how Colombian a lot of the vocabulary was. So a few emails were exchanged over the course of that year, and I probably asked Juan more questions than I needed to, but I think it’s better to ask than to guess, though you don’t always have to ask the author.

RB: What about a book appeals to you that makes you want to translate it?

AM: I've translated lots of different kinds of books, mainly books that I'm keen to share and talk about and widen the pool of people able to read and discuss a book that has hit me on some level.

RB: Is there a newly released or forthcoming translated book (either one you’re working on or one you’ve heard about) that you’re particularly excited about?

AM: I'm very excited about the new Javier Cercas novel, El Monarca de las Sombras. I think it's a sort of companion piece to Soldiers of Salamis, which I translated a decade and a half ago, and I’m looking forward to returning to his obsessions and landscapes, having spent quite a while immersed in Colombian landscapes and obsessions lately.

Hoping I’m allowed more than one…

I was very impressed by Samanta Schweblin's Fever Dream and am looking forward to Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez, both translated by Megan McDowell. In the more distant future, I've just read a brilliant collection of short stories called Seres Queridos, which might be called Loved Ones when it comes out in English, by Uruguayan-born Buenos Aires-based writer Vera Giaconi. Not yet translated, I'm sure this outstanding book will soon find a publisher in the English-speaking world.

The book I've been buying multiple copies of lately is Claude Ponti's My Valley, beautifully translated by Alyson Waters and gorgeously published by the new archipelago imprint Elsewhere Editions.

I'm also looking forward to reading Maja Haderlap's Angel of Oblivion translated by Tess Lewis. A year or so ago, one of her (their) poems appeared in Words Without Borders and several poet and translator friends of mine got slightly obsessed with it.

#riverhead #riverhead books #anne mclean #Juan Gabriel Vásquez #women in translation #WIT #WITmonth

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theseventhhex · 5 years

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Maria Usbeck Interview

Maria Usbeck

Photo by Holland Brown

Albums by Maria Usbeck unfold like the pages of a travel diary. Inspired and informed by her childhood in South America, her young adult life in New York City, and her many world travels in between, it’s music made by a visiting outsider, tapping into a shared core of human expression. Maria returns with her sophomore album, ‘Envejeciendo’, a collection of songs three years in the making, written and recorded across New York City, New Zealand, Japan, and Florida. Titled for the Spanish word for “aging,” ‘Envejeciendo’ is a concept album exploring the universal obsession with youth and our preoccupation with growing older. The tracks are anchored in Usbeck’s personal experiences with adulthood. Navigating unpopular subject matter with humour and tenderness, ‘Envejeciendo’ manages to be much more than a vehicle for sentimentality, and comes with the added benefit of a slew of beach-worthy, rose-tinted toe-tappers… We talk to Maria about using more of our brain, religion and visiting Galapagos…

TSH: How would you summarise your songwriting stance as you readied ‘Envejeciendo’?

Maria: The concept for the record which is the aging process is sort of what guided each song as I was writing them. Like I did for ‘Amparo’ my first solo album, I compiled ideas and sounds that I thought worked within the concept. Slowly mixing it all and defining each track to tackle its subject. It’s almost as if once I’ve got the overall idea for the record, I start living life slowly collecting whenever I find something that fits.

TSH: Having delved into youth and death on this release, do you feel you aligned yourself with these topics for certain reasons?

Maria: Yes, the idea came to me when a friend that I had not seen in a while mentioned that I had a lot of greys - meaning grey hairs that had grown on my head. At first I took it as an offense, it made me feel strange. Then later after reflecting about it more and more I came to the conclusion that it’s all in my head literally. The idea that changing and growing is frowned upon or not as interesting or attractive as youth is something we’ve been told by society - these strange norms of beauty that have been inflicted onto us. That’s just the physical aspect; I started noticing that my way of thinking was changing in regards to activities in my life such as partying. Going out doesn’t seem as appealing to me and certain things are becoming more of a priority over the “fun things”. This record is a reaction of how I feel about the topic and trying to get myself to embrace changing.

TSH: Having looked into the aging process, what did you take away from this subject overall?

Maria: It’s a process that I could dig into for eternity. I wish, obviously I won’t live that long. What I took away is that I really don’t have any answers on many things such as why certain people live longer than others, is it climate? Is it lifestyle? There really are a lot of factors and there is no real true way to prolong life. But we shall see what stem cell research comes up with. I also think that writing this record has helped me embrace the changes that age brings and hopefully people feel this way when they listen to the songs. Best to relax about it. Loving my greys now.

TSH: For this record was the idea of using your surroundings and travels to collage the songs a factor that came into play?

Maria: Yes, but not as much as it was on my previous record. On this one I did spend a lot of time digging the internet for answers. Technology rather than the real world came into play.

TSH: You had the gifted Jorge Elbrecht on board to mix this record, what was the experience like in working with him?

Maria: I’ve known Jorge for ages and he is endlessly talented. I’ve been wanting to work with him for a very long time. Very happy he was able to jump in and mix this record. He is very sensible and has the ears of a moth. Moths have the best hearing supposedly of any creature on earth. Moths and Jorge. I would recommend anyone to work with him if given the chance.

TSH: Talk us through the incentives that you drew on for the track ‘Adios A Mi Memoria’…

Maria: Well, I’m not sure if its technology dumbing us down or if it really is just aging but I find myself forgetting things. And the main inspiration for this song has been watching my grandfather deal with his hints of Alzheimer’s. Sometimes he is super sharp; sometimes he has no idea where he is. It’s really shocking to encounter this, but it also made me think that for him it’s a relief perhaps from some realities. Maybe when we get the brain chip implant that connects us all to the internet we won’t need to memorise or forget anything at all. Joking! I really hope we don’t go there, sounds terrifying and sort of the opposite of evolution in a way. I think we should be pushing to utilise more of our brain rather than just outsourcing it to devices.

TSH: What led you to selecting ‘Nostalgia’ as the album closer?

Maria: That’s what it all comes down to really. I can be nostalgic about physical things as well as emotional. I can miss certain smells and sounds from home as well as miss how my skin looked like 10 years ago. It all falls into this feeling. So it made sense for me to close the record with this song. Sound wise it also captivates some of my favourite sounds; it’s the dessert of the record.

TSH: Can you tell us more about the significance of the inclusion of the recorded interview with your late grandmother on this album?

Maria: My grandma was such a magical person. So full of life and very in touch with her emotions, and she lived in dreams. She read a lot and transported herself into stories. She would often talk out loud about her life and once I decided to record her. That’s where the sample came from. It just happened to be that she talked about this idea of a long lost loved one and I coincidentally was writing about this after meeting a man in New Zealand who brought up the topic. I had to then include her. Also, her voice was always one of the strongest and most emotional I’ve ever heard. So from the perspective of the sound itself it was a no brainer.

TSH: How vital can it be when forming new music to step outside of your comfort zone to allow for new perspectives?

Maria: I think it’s vital; I really did do that for my last record as much as I could. For this one I wasn’t able to as much. It’s interesting that you just get completely different results by experimenting more and more. That’s why I also try to work with others; always working with someone to co-produce helps me get that outsider perspective. I can get pretty wrapped up in concept and sounds very quickly.

TSH: Being immersed in music, which aspects do you feel most deeply connected to via being a musician?

Maria: The writing process and once I’m onstage - I love it. I feel at home. Right before it, I’m insanely nervous and weird but when I get up there it’s comfy. But yes, writing is my favourite part of it all: being able to express ideas via sounds.

TSH: Does religion and experiences of religion seep into your state of mind and thinking?

Maria: It did in the past. I grew up catholic so for my last record I had to express that. Let it all out and confess to the world, haha. I just had a lot of anger and resentment towards religion. I’ve calmed down quite a bit since then and now I choose to just practice my own beliefs which are purely scientific. But I do think that it’s important to embrace and to understand that we are small in this large universe and whether it’s just this one or multiple parallel ones, one has to keep centred and remain calm. It’s easy to overwhelm yourself thinking of the origin of things and the fate we may have. So if religion helps you to remain centred from any outer type of spiritual guidance, that’s excellent. Just no fanatics for me, thanks.

TSH: What were your highlights in visiting Galapagos for the second time recently since childhood?

Maria: Talk about a spiritual journey! It was incredible! The whole thing was a highlight. To be able to experience being there is beyond anything I’ve done anywhere else. It’s a magical place. I recently learned to swim so I was able to go snorkelling and that was definitely one of my favourite moments out there. Looking at the fish and sea turtles was great and I even saw a penguin swimming around and a manta ray. I felt like I couldn’t breathe for the first few minutes because it was so special - my body was in a slight shock. The ocean is a magnificent place and we must work hard to protect it. I’m cutting down my usage of plastics as much as possible and I hope this catches on for everyone.

TSH: What’s downtime like for Maria Usbeck?

Maria: Chillaxing in the woods on my hammock, spending time with my dogs and reading. And the most important part is the wondering. My friends and partner think that I space out a lot… I’m somewhere else sometimes in my head. This is my downtime - my mental exploratory time. It’s very important to wonder. I feel nowadays with phones and so much visual stimulation we don’t have the time to do so. Make the time if you can.

TSH: Finally, what sort of ambitions do you have in mind for your musical endeavours as you look ahead?

Maria: Just to continue to be able to work on more music. Hopefully it’s something that I will enjoy more and more as I grow older rather than the opposite. We shall see! I’m not interested in material success, I just want to able to find the time to express myself musically. If not, I guess there is always therapy and I’ll go there to express my feelings instead.

Maria Usbeck - “Nostalgia”

Envejeciendo

#Interview #Maria Usbeck

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dear--charlie · 7 years

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Dear Charlie,

My birthday is February second and I hate Groundhog’s Day because that’s all I heard about in elementary school on said day instead of Happy Birthday. I hear my parents fight sometimes, more often now than before. I love my siblings. The worst fight was when I hit my little sister with an xbox controller for saying something that I wouldn’t say to friends let alone family. I don’t outright like either sibling more. I wanted to be a doctor when I was seven, I want to be a teacher now. My dream vacation is Ann Arbor, Michigan — exploring the place for days on my own. The most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to me was being called (birth name) by a teacher I thought was accepting in front of the entire class. I still go to therapy and sometimes it helps. The hardest thing I’ve experienced is debatable between /him/ and my attempted overdose. I still haven’t overcome it. I don’t like what I see in the mirror. I think appearances matter in relationships in the sense that the sight of them makes you feel relieved and safe. My favorite movie is The Breakfast Club. The books Perks of Being a Wallflower and the Harry Potter series changed my life. The hardest I’ve ever cried was the day of my attempted overdose, right as I tore up my letters and heard my cousin (favorite person in the world) cry over the phone when I told her I was dying. I love my grandma, dad’s mom, the most besides my cousin, siblings, and parents. The words “we need to talk” do make me sick to my stomach. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. My favorite season is Autumn. My favorite color is yellow — bright, bright yellow. I love rain. I’m only scared of what me dying will do to others. I don’t believe in any god. I’m extremely allergic to poison ivy. My favorite food is mac and cheese or hash browns. My favorite restaurant is Hot Wok, a little restaurant in my mom’s hometown. I love to cook. I care very much about cleanliness. I’m rather liberal in my political views, it’s said I align more with the Green Party than any other. I am absolutely, indefinitely a feminist. My favorite flower is a sunflower. My favorite song is Everything Will Be Alright by The Killers. I would own an entire zoo and aquarium if possible — any animal is allowed in my house. I don’t have much hair to shave off, but I’d give it to anyone going through chemo. I’d love to live in Colorado or Washington. I’d like to honeymoon somewhere in South America or Mexico. My favorite kind of gum is the blue raspberry Hubba Bubba. My favorite candy is KitKats. I’m mean when I’m angry, I have a habit of cursing a lot (well, more than I already do). I’d prefer silver over gold. I didn’t/don’t really have a clique in high school, I was/am pretty alone. My ‘spirit animal’ would probably be my Patronus, aka the derpiest looking dog on the planet (Ibizan Hound). I think I’d be a sunflower or a marigold if I were a flower. I admire my mom and everything she’s done for me. I wish the traits that were more dominate are a strong jawline and no mental illness. I worry quite a bit that I’m a shitty person. /He/ hurt me most, if myself doesn’t count. I thought I was worthless for the same two previous reasons. My cousin can make me feel better when I’m sad. It depends on the person, but typically I prefer hugs over kisses. My house looks out of place in its neighborhood but it fits the definition of home. My dream car is a 1963 Chevy StepSide C-10 pickup in a pale yellow. People become cold because they forget how beautiful the human species is meant to be. When it comes to Nature vs Nurture, nature has almost nothing to do with it — if someone with genes against them is raised in a supportive environment, they’re able to get help and/or understand people care (which sometimes is all you need). I don’t believe in heaven. I absolutely believe in aliens. I hope mermaids don’t exist for their safety’s sake. I don’t believe in reincarnation. I don’t believe in the bible. Sadness that feels like emptiness is my least favorite emotion. The best day I’ve ever had was the second day of 2016’s Michigan road trip (on the way there). Decorating my first apartment with my cousin as a roommate would be the best day. I see myself both as a protector and one who needs protecting. I deal with my pain by taking it out on myself, writing, and isolating myself. I would set up my future first, then give the rest to my family if I had 100 million dollars. Wealth absolutely affects people’s morals if they’ve never known anything else. Writing is one of the best things to ever exist. If I could do it all over again, I’d change November 13th. My biggest mistake was letting myself think I deserve(d) all the bad I got. I wish I spoke Spanish fluently. I’ve only loved two people non-romantically, only one I was in a relationship with. I used to love the person I lost my virginity to. I do realize I’m remarkable. My enneagram is equal parts the Individualist and the Enthusiast. I think there are billions of ways to fix the education system but I’ll summarize in one word: personalization. People who commit suicide are strong — they endured so much, too much, and I love them all dearly for keeping a brave face for so long despite how hard it was. I, under no circumstances, think that people who commit suicide are selfish. If I could, I would tell them that I love them and I’m proud of them even if they aren’t proud of themselves. My favorite memory of childhood is/are Michigan summers, in general. I only like iced tea (sue me), but I love coffee only if it’s almost more milk/sweetener than coffee. The last time I wrote someone a handwritten letter was a couple days ago. The best gift I’ve ever received was the brown, frayed journal from Barnes and Noble my mom gave me on Easter in my freshman year. The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is that I can be my own happiness. The last time I cried was literally like two hours ago. I’m not super competitive about board games unless it’s Monopoly or Scattergories, then I will deSTROY YOU. My favorite board game is Scattergories. I only feel pressured to settle down by myself. I notice a person’s laugh/smile first, or their lack of one. My top three pet peeves are open doors, ignorance when knowledge is accessible, and blatant disregard for others’ wellbeing. I have a horrible fear of spiders, small spaces, and heights. I’ve always wanted to make /him/ pay for what he did but I will never have the courage to go through with it. I isolate myself and/or write when I’m overwhelmingly sad. I learned how to ski once but I don’t remember and never do it. Home is where you feel absolutely safe. Politeness is absolutely important. I don’t mind indecisive people, so long as they don’t blame others for it. There’s never a reason to go to war, not unless a country purposely hurt innocent people from another with its armies/weapons. A lot of things scare me, mostly the lack of empathy in others. I do believe in therapy. I only want to be genuinely happy in life, I don’t care about anything else. I look for someone to face the world with in a partner. I only want to change my mental illness, I don’t want it. I would change the world only to make people empathize and love others, not even love — just care and be aware that others matter. I want someone to love me as much as I love them. I want to feel important. I want to be loved for who I am. I want to be happy. I am not happy yet.

Love Always, Walking Supernova

#dear charlie walking supernova

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bookingbuys-blog · 5 years

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Is Colombia Safe to Visit?

Posted: 6/22/2019 | June 22nd, 2019 Colombia is one of the most popular countries in South America for backpackers and travelers. In 2017 (the last year there were figures), it saw over three million visitors — three times as many as there were 10 years ago! Over the past few decades, Colombia has been working hard to dispel the violent image it earned thanks to the drug cartels that once ravaged the country. While Colombia still isn’t perfect, it’s come a long way since our parents’ generation. Violent crimes that were once common here, such as murder and kidnapping, are no longer everyday concerns for travelers. Kidnapping has declined 92% and homicides are down by 50% over the past two decades. Slowly but surely, conditions in Colombia are improving for locals and tourists alike. But a lot of people still ask me: is Colombia is safe? Table of Contents My Experience in Colombia 10 Safety Tips for Colombia Is Colombia Safe for Solo Travelers? Is Colombia Safe for Solo Female Travelers? Is it Safe to Take a Taxi in Colombia? Is the Food Safe in Colombia? Can You Drink the Tap Water in Colombia? Should You Visit Colombia? My Experience in Colombia Before I went to Colombia, I’d heard countless stories of petty theft. While there, I heard even more. A friend of mine had been robbed three times, the last time at gunpoint while on his way to meet me for dinner. Locals and expats alike told me the same thing: the rumors of petty theft are true, but if you keep your wits about you, follow the rules, and don’t flash your valuables, you’ll be OK. There’s even a local expression about it: “No dar papaya” (Don’t give papaya). Essentially, it means that you shouldn’t have something “sweet” out in the open (a phone, computer, watch, etc.) that would make you a target. Keep your valuables hidden, don’t wander around places you shouldn’t at night, don’t flash money around, avoid coming out of nightlife spots alone at night, etc. Simply put: don’t put yourself in a position where people can take advantage of you. I heeded such advice. I didn’t wear headphones in public. I didn’t take my phone out unless I was in a group or a restaurant, or completely sure no one else was around. I took just enough money with me for the day when I left my hostel. I warned friends about wearing flashy jewelry or watches when they visited. But the longer you are somewhere, the more complacent you get. When you see locals on their phones in crowded areas, tourists toting thousand-dollar cameras, and kids wearing Airpods and Apple Watches, you begin to think, “OK, during the day, maybe it’s not so bad.” Suddenly, you step out of a café with your phone out without even thinking about it. You’re giving papaya. And someone wants to take it. Which is how I ended up getting mugged and knifed. (I’m OK.) This was also just a matter of being unlucky and not specific to Colombia. A wrong-time-wrong-place situation. It could have happened to me anywhere where I didn’t follow the safety rules that help you minimize risk. The experience reminded me of why you can’t get complacent. I gave papaya. I shouldn’t have had my phone out. It didn’t matter the time of day. That’s the rule in Colombia. Keep your valuables hidden. (Especially in Bogotá, which does have a higher rate of petty crime than elsewhere in the country.) I didn’t follow the advice. And I got unlucky because of it. I’d been having my phone out too often and, with each non-incident, I grew more and more relaxed. I kept dropping my guard. What happened was unlucky, but it didn’t need to happen if I had followed the rules. This is why people warned me to be careful. So, if you follow the rules, you’re unlikely to have a problem. All those incidents I talked about earlier? All involved people breaking the ironclad “no dar papaya” rule and either having something valuable out or walking alone late at night in areas where they shouldn’t have. I’m not going to let this freak incident change my view of such an amazing country. I’d go back to Colombia the same way I’d get in a car after a car accident. In fact, I was terribly upset to leave. I was having an amazing time. I still love Bogotá. I still have plans to go back to Colombia. Colombia is amazing. Learn from my mistake. Not only for when you visit Colombia but when you travel in general. 10 Safety Tips for Colombia You can’t get complacent in Colombia. Once you do, bad things happen. You have to stay vigilant. To help you stay safe during your trip, here are a few tips you’ll want to keep in mind as you travel around the country: 1. Stay somewhere with 24-hour security – You always want someone around in case you need assistance. Most hostels and hotels have security cameras or guards. If you don’t feel safe somewhere, don’t hesitate to move on. This way you always have someone to talk to in case something goes wrong. 2. Don’t flash your belongings while you’re out and about – Keep your phone out of sight, and don’t wear any jewelry or watches. If you need to use your phone, do it inside and not out on the street. This is where people get in the most trouble. This is how I got into trouble. Put everything away so you don’t stand out. 3. Don’t travel alone at night – Try to go out with other travelers if you’re going out at night. If you do plan to go out alone or party late, be sure to take an Uber home or have someone call you a cab. Don’t walk alone really late at night. 4. Learn some Spanish – Even just a few phrases can help you in an emergency. Download Spanish on Google Translator so you have it offline as well, just in case. 5. Download an offline map of the city – Having a map will be helpful in case you get lost and need to guide yourself (or a taxi driver) back to your accommodation. If you use your phone at night, be sure to not use it out in the streets. 6. Don’t do drugs – The drugs cartels have crippled this country. Don’t support them by buying drugs. Locals don’t like it because drugs have so devasted the country and doing it just further cripples the country. It’s really disrespectful. Additionally, getting involved with drugs here increases your chances of getting into trouble. Also, doing drugs here is illegal, and you don’t want to end up in a Colombian prison. 7. Keep your valuables separate – Never carry all of them together. When you’re going out for the day, leave some credit cards and cash in locked in your accommodation. That way, if you lose your wallet, you’ll still have cash and cards back at your hostel. Also keep some emergency funds in your main backpack too, just in case. 8. If the worst happens, just give the attacker your stuff – Handing over your things is much better than risking the alternative (trust me). If you have travel insurance, you’ll be able to get reimbursed (just be sure to save all of your receipts). 9 . Download the Prey app to your phone and laptop – If either device gets stolen, for a small fee you’ll be able to track it and remotely turn on your camera to photograph the thief (you can also wipe the data and message the thief too). The app is free to download and only costs $5 USD for additional support should you get robbed. 10. Buy travel insurance – If something does go wrong, you want to be sure you’re covered and someone has your back. Travel insurance can help you find medical treatment and give you money to buy replacements for what was stolen. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially in a country where petty crime is still a problem. So, is Colombia Safe for Solo Travelers? Colombia is safe for solo travelers. While petty crime is still a problem, as long as you don’t flaunt your valuables, you’ll likely not run into any problems. When you go out, only take what you need for the day and leave your other valuables in your hostel or hotel room. If you’re not feeling comfortable, try to meet other travelers so you can explore together. That way you’ll never be alone and will avoid being a target for pickpockets and petty criminals. At night, make sure you’re never traveling alone and that you have your ride home planned in advance. Don’t get into sketchy cabs. Avoid wandering around non-touristy areas at night and alone. I never felt really unsafe in the country during the day or in public places. You’ll see locals with phones out and, generally, going about their life. It’s really at night that you have to be careful. Is Colombia Safe for Solo Female Travelers? While solo female travelers will want to take some extra precautions in Colombia, the country should definitely still be under consideration. Whenever possible, avoid traveling alone — especially at night or in areas where there are not many people. Don’t flaunt any valuables, and avoid taking taxis alone at night. Always have a downloaded map and translator so you can find your way home or ask for help if you need it. By taking some precautions and planning accordingly, solo female travelers will be able to have a rewarding time traveling Colombia. Just make sure to follow the advice and tips above! Here are a couple of helpful posts on safety written by our solo female travel experts: How to Stay Safe as a Solo Female Traveler 8 Myths About Solo Female Travel Debunked 10 Common Qsestions About Solo Female Travel Is it Safe to Take a Taxi in Colombia? Taxis are safe here, but always make sure you call your taxi in advance. Never get into a random vehicle. Even if it looks like a taxi, it might not be one. It’s always better to play it safe. Get your hostel or accommodation to call a cab for you, or download a taxi app (Uber is in Medellín, Cali, and Bogotá) so you can order your own. Avoid taking taxis at night as well (especially as a solo female traveler). Is the Food Safe in Colombia? The food in Colombia is quite safe. Just make sure to avoid any food that’s been sitting out in the sun all day. Look for places with lots of patrons — that’s how you can tell the food is fresh and delicious. Also, make sure any fruit you eat has a peel to avoid it getting contaminated. If you’re a vegetarian or have other dietary concerns, you might be hard pressed to find food here, as most dishes are meat-based. Learn some basic phrases (or download Google Translate) to help you ask questions and find foods suitable for your diet. Lastly, always wash your hands before you eat. That’s the best way to avoid getting sick! Can You Drink the Tap Water in Colombia? While improvements in water treatment are coming along, you can’t really drink the water outside of Bogotá and Medellín. I’d suggest you travel with a Lifestraw or Steripen so you can purify water no matter where you are. That will help you save money and reduce your reliance on single-use plastic. Double win! Should You Visit Colombia? So, is Colombia safe? Yes. While petty theft is a growing concern, the country has so much to offer the intrepid traveler. There is amazing nature, vibrant cities, a fun nightlife, and a growing community of entrepreneurs and digital nomads who call Colombia home. It’s cheap and easy to navigate, and as long as you follow your instincts and use common sense, you will avoid trouble. Even if you’re a solo female traveler, Colombia still has a lot to offer. So, while my personal experience in Colombia didn’t end well, I am definitely planning on going back. Because it’s just too amazing a place not to visit. Just be sure to get travel insurance just in case something goes wrong. The past is not prologue and you always want to play it safe. Travel insurance was there when I lost my bag, broke my camera, and got knifed in Colombia. I never expected those things to happen and was glad I had insurance! You can use the widget below to look up the travel insurance policy that is right for you (or just click here to go to their website directly): Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: World Nomads (for everyone below 70) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too! Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Check out my in-depth destination guide to Colombia with more tips on what to see, do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more! The post Is Colombia Safe to Visit? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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trendingnewsb · 6 years

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Jaylen Brown: ‘Sport is a mechanism of control in America’

As the Boston Celtics star prepares to play in London, he talks to Donald McRae about race, the NBA and the death of his best friend

Jaylen Brown is one the most intelligent and interesting young athletes Ive met in years and it seems fitting that, midway through our interview in Boston, he should retell a parable that brings together Martin Luther King and the great American writer David Foster Wallace.

Weve got two young fish swimming one way and an older fish swimming the other way, the 21-year-old star of the Boston Celtics says as he considers the enduring backdrop of race in the United States. They cross paths and the older fish says: Whats up guys, hows the water? The two younger fish turn around and look back at the wiser fish and ask: Whats water? Theyve never recognised that this is what they actually live in. So it takes somebody special like Martin Luther King to see past what youve been embedded in your whole life.

Three years before his death, Foster Wallace included the parable in one of his most widely-read pieces of writing. Yet it carries fresh resonance when said with quiet force by a young basketball player who stands apart from many of his contemporaries to the extent that there have been numerous articles in which an unnamed NBA executive apparently suggested that Brown might be too smart for the league or his own good.

Brown was the No3 pick in the 2016 NBA draft and now, in his second season with Boston, he is a key figure as the Celtics arrive in London this week as the leading team in the Eastern Conference. Weve already spoken about Browns desire to learn new languages and his interest in books and chess while he loves playing the piano and listening to grime artists from east London. Even more intimately he has relived the death of his closest friend Trevin Steede in November. In the two games after that devastating loss Brown produced inspirational performances, which he dedicated to Steede.

He has also looked forward to playing in London on Thursday, against the Philadelphia 76ers, and answered a question as to whether his young Celtics team may become NBA champions in the next few seasons: Why not this year? People say maybe well be good in two years but I think were good now. Right now weve got one of the best records in the league. I think we could be as good as we want to be. But the more we let people construct our mindset, and start saying two years from now, is the moment we lose.

Last week the Celtics beat LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 102-88. Excitement and anticipation surrounds the Celtics but race still stalks our conversation and it has echoed hauntingly through Browns life. Racism definitely still exists in the South, he says, remembering his youth in Marietta, Georgia. Ive experienced it through basketball. Ive had people call me the n-word. Ive had people come to basketball games dressed in monkey suits with a jersey on. Ive had people paint their face black at my games. Ive had people throw bananas in the stands.

Racism definitely exists across America today. Of course its changed a lot and my opportunities are far greater than they would have been 50 years ago. So some people think racism has dissipated or no longer exists. But its hidden in more strategic places. You have less people coming to your face and telling you certain things. But [Donald] Trump has made it a lot more acceptable for racists to speak their minds.

Jaylen Brown takes on LeBron James earlier this season. Photograph: CJ Gunther/EPA

Brown admits that, when he was 14, It wounds you. But when I got older and went to the University of California [Berkeley] I learnt about a more subtle racism and how it filters across our education system through tracking, hidden curriculums, social stratification and things I had no idea of before. I was really emotional because one of the most subtle but aggressive ways racism exists is through our education system.

In his year at college, before pausing his degree to play in the NBA, Brown wrote a thesis about how institutionalised sport impacts on education. I was super emotional reading about it, he says of his chosen subject. Theres this idea of America that some people have to win and some have to lose so certain things are in place to make this happen. Some people have to be the next legislators and political elites and some have to fill the prisons and work in McDonalds. Thats how America works. Its a machine which needs people up top, and people down low.

Even though Ive ended up in a great place, who is to say where I wouldve been without basketball? It makes me feel for my friends. And my little brothers or cousins have no idea how their social mobility is being shaped. I wish more and more that I can explain it to them. Just because Im the outlier in my neighbourhood who managed to avoid the barriers set up to keep the privileged in privilege, and the poor still poor, why should I forget about the people who didnt have the same chance as me?

What did he think of Colin Kaepernicks protest against police brutality and racism which the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback began even before Trumps election to the White House? It was peaceful and successful. It made people think. It made people angry. It made people want to talk. Often everybody is comfortable with their role in life and they forget about the people who are uncomfortable. So for Colin to put his career on the line, and sacrifice himself, was amazing. But Colin was fed up with the police brutality and pure racism. He speaks for many people in this country including me.

Did Brown understand from the outset that Kaepernicks career was in jeopardy? Absolutely. I wasnt shocked how it turned out. Colin was trying to get back into the NFL and find another team and hes more than capable. But I knew it was over. I knew they werent going to let him back. Nobody wanted the media attention or to take the risk. They probably just wanted to blackball him out of the league.

Thats the reality because sports is a mechanism of control. If people didnt have sports they would be a lot more disappointed with their role in society. There would be a lot more anger or stress about the injustice of poverty and hunger. Sports is a way to channel our energy into something positive. Without sports who knows what half of these kids would be doing?

Were having some of the same problems we had 50 years ago. Some things have changed a lot but other factors are deeply embedded in our society. It takes protests like Kaepernicks to make people uncomfortable and aware of these hidden injustices. People are now a lot more aware, engaged and united in our culture. It takes a special person like Kaepernick to force these changes because often reporters and fans say: If youre an athlete I dont want you to say anything. You should be happy youre making x amount of money playing sport. You should be saluting America instead of critiquing it. Thats our society.

Has his anger been amplified during Trumps presidency? Not really. I just think Trumps character and some of his values makes him unfit to lead. For someone like him to be president, and in charge of our troops? Its scary to be honest.

Trumps Twitter war in November with LaVar Ball tipped the scales, for Brown, beyond credulity. The President accused Ball of being ungrateful following the release from China of his son, LiAngelo, and two other UCLA basketball players after they were caught shoplifting. He demanded a thank you, Brown says of Trump. Its ridiculous. What happened to people doing things out of the generosity of their heart or because it was the right thing to do? There have been multiple situations where its been ridiculous but that one was like: OK Im done. Im done listening to anything you have to say. A 19-year-old kid makes a mistake overseas and [Trump] demands an apology from his dad? I think Trumps unfit to lead.

Jaylen Brown dunks during a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA

Browns readiness to talk about politics and culture might account for the surreal suggestion in 2016 that he was too smart for the NBA. From the outside, smart seemed a euphemism for troublesome. What did Brown think when, as a teenager, he heard words unlikely to be used in conjunction with a white athlete? It was hinting at something very problematic within society. It bothered me but I was so focused on getting to where I was going I never dissected it or pointed it out to anybody.

But I disagree that an athlete cant be intelligent. Some people think that, in basketball, we have a bunch of masculine adults who dont know how to control themselves. Theyre feeble-minded and cant engage or articulate ideas. Thats a narrative they keep trying to paint. Were trying to change it because that statement definitely has a racist undertone.

Brown chose Berkeley because he knew he would be stretched academically. Has he missed the intellectual stimulus since swapping college for professional basketball? Absolutely. Ive missed it so much. Im in a good environment here but at Cal I was learning something new every day. Im now trying to keep well-balanced instead of single-minded. I take piano lessons after I spent the last year teaching myself piano. If Im frustrated or had a bad day, but need to keep engaged, practicing the piano does that for me. Same with the YouTube [vlogs which he makes]. I use the camera so I can show something of this life to the everyday person who is interested in seeing what its like for an athlete on a day-to-day basis. Everybody puts you on a pedestal especially when youre playing well and they make it seem like youre not human. But Im just a regular guy.

During his first year at Berkeley, in his spare time, Brown learned Spanish from scratch and became fluent. Im not as good now, he says. I started again because therere so many conjugations that slip your mind if you dont practice. But I also just learned the Arabic alphabet. Im proud of myself because the pronunciation is hard.

Brown starts to say the Arabic alphabet out loud and, to an untutored ear, he sounds impressive. Yeah, he says with a grin, Im trying.

He describes himself as an introvert and it must be hard being quiet and reflective in a boisterous sporting environment? Absolutely. Its not just the locker room. In life if you stay quiet youll get left behind. So I had to learn to be more vocal and outgoing. I just try to be respectful of everybody. But the closer you get with guys the more you talk to them. It becomes like a family especially when youre winning. Last year I was much quieter but this year my opinion is valued more. We have a good locker room.

Jaylen Browns Celtics are set for a deep playoff run this season. Photograph: CJ Gunther/EPA

The value of that locker room was felt by Brown after the tragic suicide of his friend Trevin Steede. Brown found the will to play against the NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, the night after Steedes death and he inspired the Celtics to a memorable victory by scoring the most points [22] while producing tenacious defence. After the game Kyrie Irving, the Celticss superstar, gave Brown the ball and said: This ones for Trevin.

Before they played again, in Atlanta, where Steedes family live, Brown visited his friends mother and other grieving relatives. He then went out and shot a career-high 27 points. Im so thankful for the people around me. They lifted me up. I dont know what my mental state would be right now without them.

I met Trevin when I moved to Wheeler which is a big basketball school in Marietta, Georgia. Trevin was a year older so he was a sophomore and I was a freshman. They brought me in and there was only one spot left on the team and it was between me and him. They gave it to me.

I didnt know anybody when I first got there so at lunch in the first week Id eat by myself acting like Im on my phone. Trevin came up to me after the third day. Id seen him in workouts but I didnt really know him. He said, Man, come sit over here with us. Ever since then, we were best friends.

How did he hear about Trevins death? His mom called me. Im thinking shes just checking on me or saying hi. But she called to tell me hes passed.

Brown looks down and his hurt is obvious. He also admits he needed the support of Steedes mother to face Golden State. I probably wouldnt have played unless she called me. Brad Stevens [the Celtics coach] asked how I was doing. I told him, I dont think Im able to come in today. He said: Thats fine. Take your time. Three seconds after I hung up, Trevins mom called. I told her I wasnt doing well and I probably wasnt going to play that night. She said: You know thats not what I want and thats not what Trevin would have wanted. So if you can find it in your heart to go out and play for him, do it.

Did he play in a daze, or was he inspired by Trevin to help Celtics win? I didnt feel anything. It was like I was out there by myself.

The chance to play in London lifts his mood. I visited London for the first time last summer. It was great. I went to see Big Ben because one of my idols is Benjamin Banneker [the African American scientist who, among other achievements, worked with striking clocks in the 18th century].

This week Brown would like to hear more grime and to see Arsenal. I like Barcelona because of the players theyve had traditionally from Ronaldinho to Messi. I really like Arsenal too. I like their tradition, and their diehard fans. I hope to see them in London. I think Thierry Henry is going to be there so Ill just hit him up and see if I can get some access to the [stadium] tour, get some shots on the field. Last summer I became really close with Thierry. I got to talk to him and we keep up with each other and he gives me advice about sports and life. Hes one of the all-time greats.

At the Celtics training facility, on the outskirts of Boston, Brown rises to his full 6ft 7in. He looks around the empty court before turning back with a smile when I say weve covered a lot of ground from the mysteries of water for two young fish and the enduring problems of race in America to the impact of learning and the pleasure of following sport around the world. Yeah, Brown says softly, stretching out his hand, thats the way I like it.

The NBA London Game 2018 sees the Philadelphia 76ers host Boston Celtics at The O2 on 11 January. The game will also be live on BT Sport and NBA League Pass.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/09/jaylen-brown-boston-celtics-nba-interview

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2ERJAE4 via Viral News HQ

#IFTTT #Viral News HQ

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ramosalaplaya · 7 years

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How George Saunders became the only British footballer in South America

When George Saunders’ parents swapped Islington for Spain the young footballer gave up his dream of playing for Arsenal, but a new adventure was just beginning.

Being the only professional British footballer in South America might seem a daunting prospect for some but George Saunders isn’t fazed by the challenges of his unusual career path. “A lot of people are in the comfort zone but sometimes in life you’ve got to take a risk,” he says. “You never know what’s going to happen. I took a risk coming out to Colombia and now I’m living the dream.”

Saunders is the first Englishman to play in the Colombian top flight since the El Dorado era of the early 1950s, when a Fifa-imposed suspension on the league allowed clubs to sign players without having to pay transfer fees, thus enabling them to offer vastly increased wages.

The English trio of Neil Franklin, George Mountford and Charlie Mitten were just a few of the many renowned footballers to flock to the country – Alfredo Di Stéfano being another – as Colombia briefly became the leading destination for top players. Franklin lasted only a handful of games, but Mountford and Mitten, who was part of Sir Matt Busby’s first Manchester United team and earned the nickname “The Bogotá Bandit”, stayed for an entire season.

Saunders is now in his fourth year and plays for Envigado, who are currently third in the league – on the same points as leaders Atlético Nacional, who were crowned champions of South America in July when they won the Copa Libertadores. Recent Manchester City signing Marlos Moreno played a starring role for Atlético Nacional. “He’s a huge talent,” says Saunders. “Hopefully it will go really well for him in Spain and he can break through at City.”

After joining City in August, Moreno was immediately loaned out to Deportivo de La Coruña for the season. It is the sort of circuitous journey that is familiar to Saunders, with the 27-year-old appearing for a host of different clubs in three countries on two continents.

Born in London and raised in Islington as an Arsenal fan, Saunders was invited to join the club’s academy as an eight-year-old. It was the same year his father’s construction job took the rest of the family to Spain. Saunders remained in England at first, staying with his uncle and training in the youth teams at Arsenalas he lived every young boy’s dream.

“I went to watch them almost every game,” he says. “I was lucky to play a few games on the pitch at Highbury. But I missed my mum and dad and brothers and sisters. So one summer I went to Spain and was spotted by Villarreal in a summer camp.”

The four years he spent at Villarreal is the longest period he has remained at any one club. “That’s where I learned the language. That’s where I learned how to play football. I’ve got a Spanish style but with the English aggression.”

It was all going well until, in what seemed a decision more consistent with English academies, he was released because of his small build. Moves to Torre Levante and Espanyol followed, with his two years in Barcelona including a call-up to the Selecció Catalana, an experience he recounts with pride. “I think I’m the first ever English footballer to play for the Selección Catalunya. My mum and dad still have the photos. I was in the Under-17 side with Bojan Krkic, Thiago Alcântara, Raúl Baena, Iago Falque, Victor Ruiz and Jordi Alba. They were brilliant players.”

While that sextet remained on the gilded road to success in Europe, Saunders’ route deviated. He left Espanyol and joined Segunda División side Eldense, before eventually being approached by Leyton Orient. “I went for a trial and did really well. I thought ‘They’re definitely going to sign me.’ At the last minute, Russell Slade came up to me and said: ‘You’re more than capable of playing in this league but with our budget we need someone who has played this level before. It’s difficult for a trialist to come over from Spain and for us to take a bet on them.’ They didn’t sign me and then the Colombia opportunity came up. I thought, ‘I haven’t got anything to lose’.”

Like many British players who move abroad, Saunders turned rejection into opportunity. A Colombian friend he had made in Spain was giving business advice to América de Cali chairman when the club’s new Brazilian star suffered an injury shortly after signing. They were in need of a midfielder and Saunders was flown in for a trial.

“I didn’t know anything about them so I looked them up,” he says. “All I looked at was their fans. I saw their amazing videos and massive banners and thought ‘Yeah, I love that’.”

For the first six weeks Saunders waited patiently to be selected. Knowing the language from his time in Spain was a significant advantage, helping him to make friends in the dressing room and understand instructions in training. He also learned that América de Cali had only recently been cleared from the Clinton List, which had imposed crippling financial sanctions on the club owing to previous connections to the country’s drug cartels.

“It was a bad time money-wise,” he says. “But I can only say good things about the club. They paid on time and I was really happy there. It was very different at first, a totally new experience. But I’m the sort of person who can adapt quickly. I’m very chatty and I love a banter with all my team-mates, so I settled in really well.”

When his chance finally came, Saunders grabbed it with both hands. He was picked for a cup game and delivered a man-of-the-match performance. In his second appearance he impressed again, setting up a goal in a crucial league match that earned him a welcome reception from the crowd. After establishing himself in the first team, everything seemed set for Saunders to sign a new contract at the end of the season. But he was suddenly forced to change his plans.

“The fans in Cali loved me but I had a problem with the trainer so they didn’t renew my contract,” he explains. “I was suspended for a game one weekend so had a glass of wine with my girlfriend over dinner one night during the week. I went to training the next day and they asked me about it. They were really strict about it because there are players here who have a drink and might not turn up to training the next day. They took it to another level.

“At that time I was one of the best players in the team and the crowd loved me, but they made a big thing out of it. It was in the papers. Really, the Brazilian player who was injured had recovered and they wanted to put him in the team. But to do that they had to take out a foreigner because you can only have so many in the squad. When you want someone out you can make up any excuse.”

It turned out to be a good move and, just four months after beating Fortaleza 3-0 with América, Saunders returned the favour with his new team on the road to promotion. “It worked out well because I left America and became champion with Fortaleza. We played America five times, beat them three times and drew twice. I had a good game every time, which I suppose sort of rubbed it in a bit, but that’s life, that’s football. Now I’ve got a good name in Colombia and have been playing in the first division ever since.”

A subsequent move to the coast and Union Magdalena didn’t work out – “I had a really bad time there as I couldn’t handle the heat” – but Saunders is now settled in Medellín with Envigado. It is the part of Colombia previously home to Pablo Escobar’s notorious drugs cartel, but the city’s bloody history – which has been dramatised in Netflix series Narcos – doesn’t worry Saunders.

“I’ve been up to the favelas here at Christmas and if you’re with people they know you won’t have any problems. I think anywhere in the world, if you go somewhere you’re not invited, or you go into an area where you shouldn’t be, then you’re going to be in danger. Since I’ve been here I’ve been told ‘Wherever you go, make sure you’re in an area with people you know’ and it’s all been OK. Out of all the cities I’ve lived in I love Medellín the most. I get a lot of attention but I feel very comfortable here because people are really nice to me and polite.”

As well as the right city, it seems Saunders has also found the right the club after a career on the move. He currently plays alongside two former Colombia internationals and relishes the opportunity to play professionally.

“Here in Envigado we have Andrés Orozco and Bréiner Castillo, the goalkeeper. They’re veterans now but they played for Colombia and have had a really good living out of the game. There are a lot of talented youngsters here but many of them don’t have the opportunities money-wise. A lot of them join clubs but then disappear because they come from poor backgrounds and haven’t got the security to be able to carry on playing.”

Saunders’ own journey has finally reached a period of stability in Colombia’s top flight. He lives with his girlfriend in Medellín and sounds content as he talks about his future.

In the background, his friends are cheering on Colombia in their World Cup qualifier against Venezuela. “We’re just watching the game,” he says. “They’re playing in Barranquilla on the coast and it’s so hot there. I played there at 3pm once and it was a joke.”

Having previously remarked that one of the few things he misses about England is pie and chips, Saunders says he barely even thinks about that anymore. He has found new comforts in Colombia, with family the only thing on his mind when he thinks of home. “The only thing I miss is my family. My dad and my mum have been out. My mum was here for my birthday not long ago.”

More than 5,000 miles from London and bridging a 60-year gap in English football exports to Colombia, Saunders is a modern pioneer. But his trailblazing exploits don’t bear a great deal of personal significance. In reality, he’s just a boy from North London who turned up looking for a game. He now hopes the adventure will continue for many years to come.

“I love everything about Colombia: the weather, the people, the food. I’m doing something I’ve always loved. There’s nothing better than waking up and doing what you want to do. Sometimes in life your destiny is written and I think I’m supposed to be here.”

#George Saunders #Envigado #Envigado FC #colombia #un buen muchacho #una buena lectura #muy diplomático le pareció a mi mamá #also when are british footballers getting off their high horses and start playing outside their league #fpc

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