#i mean property is stupidly expensive everywhere

[coldflasher]

me seeing a job listing for a job in romance publishing, which is basically my dream job, with a salary that's higher than my current salary, advertised as remote, and that i'd probably have a solid shot at getting due to my current level of work experience: 👀

me clicking on it and seeing, as i knew it would be, because every job in my industry is, that it's in fucking london, and "remote" actually means "you have to come into the office in central london at least two days a week even though literally every part of this job could be done from home, making it completely inaccessible unless you want to uproot your whole life, move halfway across the country and live in a shoe cupboard*:

[dracox-serdriel]

Defenders

I liked Defenders. I should’ve loved Defenders, but I didn’t. I liked it.

Under the cut for spoilers of all episodes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Defenders.

I understand there are four distinct shows involved here, so a little bit of “WTF” is to be expected. That being said, there are some pretty big problems with the Defenders overall plot.

Plot Issue #1: Who does the Hand bring back?

In Iron Fist, we learn that the hand “rarely” makes arrangements to bring back the dead, but the speaker likely means (it’s hard to tell) that it’s rare for the Hand to bring back an outsider to the organization like Harold Meachum.

I say this because in Daredevil Season 2, the Hand-ninja who Claire kills via shoving him out a window has a Y-incision scar from a previous autopsy, which clearly indicates he had died before. We also see the ninja Nobu - who Elektra incorrectly identifies as “the head” of the Hand in NYC  in Daredevil Season 2 - return being burned alive. And again after having his neck and/or back broken (he was thrown from a roof)... the only time he stayed dead was post-decapitation (thank you, Stick).

While it seems reasonable that a higher-up like Nobu would be given functional immortality, the unnamed Hand-ninja-in-the-morgue suggests that it’s given far more freely than that. Given that one of the biggest points of conflict inside the Hand is Alexandra’s decision to use the last of their “faux-immortal” stew to revive the Black Sky, this seems like an important point. Who does the Hand bring back? How many of their soldiers have this “gift”?

With all the griping over the fact that Alexandra put them all “at risk” by using the last of their stock, you’d think someone (anyone, really), would’ve brought up the fact that the Hand has “wasted” its faux-immortality-goo on others who have been far less helpful (case in point: Harold Meachum).

This isn’t the only question RE: bringing people back. In Daredevil Season 1, Stick kills a boy who was supposedly another Black Sky that Nobu shipped to New York City for “activation.” Stick says he put an “arrow in that thing’s heart.” But clearly, killing a Black Sky doesn’t stop it from being a Black Sky, given that the Hand brought Elektra back to life. So why didn’t they bring the boy Stick killed back to life and make him the Black Sky?

I suppose it could be because the elixir freezes the aging process or doesn’t work on children for one reason or another. Hell, Stick might’ve decapitated the boy or something extreme to prevent that from happening. (But if that’s true, Stick would’ve known that the Hand could bring back Black Skies, and he wouldn’t have so stupidly buried Elektra’s body. Cremation is totally a legit form of burial. There’s no reason Matthew would’ve said no to that, especially if the reason for it was to prevent evil ninjas from desecrating her grave.)

To be honest, I could’ve understood why this point was never addressed in Defenders - except that they made “wasting the last of our serum” a central point of conflict - actually, the sole point of conflict - for our five antagonists. Five antagonists who supposedly have a long history of personal conflict, and two of whom have a very recent history of conflict -- as in, during Iron Fist, they were at loggerheads. There are endless possibilities here, as far as conflict goes. Madam Goa apparently tried to wrest control from Alexandra at some point... but it’s only mentioned in passing, commented on as “the past is the past.” There’s very little in the way of depth here.

Also, everyone keeps bitching that Alexandra brought the Black Sky back to life, yet the Black Sky hasn’t gotten them “closer” to their goals.  Their “goals” meaning digging up a bunch of dragon goo underneath New York City. Why would anyone expect a weapon to succeed at that goal? The Black Sky is a weapon, not a backhoe.

Furthermore, in the span of a few months (six months?), the Black Sky has traveled all over the world (or at least to Cambodia) and killed every member of the Chaste. Except Stick... but that’s only because Alexandra ordered his capture (and let’s face it, he gets taken down, too--just later). The Hand’s only serious enemy - the Chaste - were extinguished thanks solely to the Black Sky. If we’re trying to figure out if the Black Sky is a valuable weapon, that’s the kind of information we should be looking at -- not whether or not she helped dig up dragon goo. Again, weapon -- NOT a backhoe. (For more on this, see Plot Issue #2 and Plot Issue #3.)

Plot Issue #2: If the Hand is so bad-ass, why do they suck so much?

Serious question. The Hand has an enemy organization called the Chaste. We’ve only ever heard of them in the world of Daredevil, and only because of Stick (and Elektra). I understand that the Chaste are skilled, dangerous warriors, most (all???) of whom will kill to stop the Hand. But the Hand are skilled, dangerous warriors, all of whom will kill for their organization, and at a few of (more than likely, many of) whom are functionally immortal.

How is it that the Hand, with all their advantages, has failed to overcome an organization like the Chaste? There’s no reason to suspect that the Chaste get all the naturally skilled fighters in the world - Colleen proves that the Hand has its own recruitment methods, and it’s a lot more subtle than putting a cattle-call for “evil ninjas” or “evil ninja wannabes.” The fact that some - even if only a handful - of their warriors can be resurrected over and over again should’ve given them the edge required to defeat the Chaste a long, long time ago.

But they haven’t. They don’t defeat their strongest enemies until the Black Sky turns up. And even then, they complain that resurrecting Black Sky wasted the last of their reserves. Apparently, wiping out their most dangerous enemy - the only enemy the Hand really had, the only army they were really facing - doesn’t justify that particular expense. Nobody bothers to mention that some of that same reserve was “wasted” on Harold Meachum--you know, the dude who set up Rand Enterprising purchasing a pier for the Hand to facilitate their drug smuggling. I’m sure Harold helped Goa and the Hand set up legit business/money laundering operation through Rand, too, as he served them in secret for many years. But, seriously, come on! Purchasing a pier/money laundering/faux-business deals vs. wiping out the Hand’s only true enemy organization/army? That’s not a tough call. Clearly the Black Sky has done more for the Hand than Harold Meachum. Yet no one speaks  a world about how much of that dragon-goo was wasted on him.

Beyond that, the Hand has certain goals... goals which a bad-ass organization should be able to achieve. They want to return to K’un-Lun, a place from which they were banished, and they want the dragon-goo from under NYC. Why do they fail at both?

In Daredevil, after Elektra and Matthew steal the secret ledger, the lead boss man says that “this operation” has been decades in the works--in planning, starting, and executing. In Season 1, Nobu uses Fisk to acquire property--specifically, the Midland Circle block under which the special dragon goo resides. The Hand covers their activities by putting a building above the giant hole they’re digging and -- my favorite part -- by smuggling the dirt from that hole out via train car. Seriously? It’s New York City. Dirt is everywhere. If the Hand was so bad ass, they would’ve found a more intelligent way to dispose of DIRT than “smuggling” it out of the city via train.

In Defenders, the first episode ends with an earthquake. It’s implied that this happens because Alexandra pushes up the time frame on dragon-goo extraction. As Goa says, “It won’t be quiet.” Apparently, what she really meant was, “There will be an earthquake where an earthquake shouldn’t be!” Still, it begs the question: with all the careful dirt-extraction-and-smuggling going on, WTF were they doing that caused a freaking earthquake?!

Thankfully, the next part of this story makes a bit more sense. They stop digging because they hit “a wall” that they can’t get through. Alexandra quickly identifies “the one thing” that the masters of K’un-Lun value above all else (aka the Iron Fist--why she didn’t just say this out loud? If it was meant to be mysterious, then epic fail.) as the thing that can open the wall. So the Hand decides they need to catch themselves an Iron Fist.

Again, if they’re so bad-ass, then why do they suck so much? Goa and Bakuto both know who Danny Rand is. After the demise of Harold Meachum, the man has (literally) five known associates: Colleen, Joy, Ward, Claire, and Hogarth. Even before the Hand knew they needed the Iron Fist, they knew he was a threat to their enterprises, no matter how small. So why don’t they have someone staking out/watching his associates? There are five of them, and it’s likely that the Hand had people watching Joy and Ward because of their dealings with Rand Enterprises. They have the resources to stake out Colleen (her dojo is still in the same place, guys), Claire (who, again, hasn’t moved and isn’t in hiding), and Hogarth (who might be trickier than the first two because she’s got resources of her own--but nevertheless, she’s also not in hiding).

The Hand frantically searches for Danny Rand starting with episode two... yet Colleen safely works out in her own dojo while the Defenders are under attack at the Royal Dragon. Nobody is there keeping an eye out. Too bad. Had they bothered, then they would’ve had a chance to follow the Defenders to whatever warehouse they went to with a captured Sowande in tow.

I mean, I feel like surveillance is just a basic Smart Thing to do if you happen to have an organization like the Hand--you know, one with resources, power, and people willing to kill (and surely do other unethical things) for you. If you don’t want to kidnap Colleen to use her as bait for the Iron Fist (which, why not? That totally could have worked!), then at the very least, keep an eye on her location. The Iron Fist is bound to go to her (or she to him) eventually. Again, the man has 5 associates. FIVE.

So, they fail epically at getting the Iron Fist. Which blocks their dragon-goo-extraction plan. All because they fail to do a basic Smart Thing that an organization of evil ninjas/criminal masterminds could’ve easily implemented. Again, if they’re so bad-ass, why do they suck so much?

Okay, but that wasn’t their only goal. Right? They also want to go back to K’un-Lun.

In Iron Fist, Bakuto shows Danny a film taken during World War II of an Iron Fist protecting the pass to K’un-Lun from soldiers. Danny watches it and makes no comment about the location, which indicates either that Danny actually has discretion (which, honestly, isn’t that likely), OR that the Iron Fist in the film is protecting the same pass that Danny himself had traveled through (and protected). We don’t know when Bakuto acquired this video, but we do know that the passage to K’un-Lun opens every fifteen years. So if it was open in 1948, then it would likely open again sometime in 1963, and again in 1978, and again in 1993, and again in 2008. (Note: This doesn’t line up with Danny’s entrance into K’un-Lun around 2002 nor his return to NYC in 2017. So clearly the “fifteen years” rule has a bit of leeway to it--unless it’s closer to the “ten year” rule in the comics with about a year of time being open, making it every 11 years or thereabouts.)

My point is, unless Bakuto was telling the truth (unlikely) and only recently acquired this video, he knew the general location of K’un-Lun’s passage opening. If he ever had the goal of returning, why didn’t he have that location staked out? Why didn’t he have a home or disciple living in the general area reporting back to him? Heck, once he had the Iron Fist in his training camp, why didn’t he go straight to the now-unguarded pass and walk right in?

It’s implied that the Hand attacked K’un-Lun sometime at the end of Iron Fist Season 1. Danny spends much of his time in Defenders lamenting his dereliction of duty because everyone in K’un-Lun is dead because he wasn’t there to guard the pass. Of course, he doesn’t know that for sure -- what he saw was that K’un-Lun and its passage simply wasn’t where he left it. And the only dead people they found outside it were soldiers of the Hand. There are tons of reasons for the passage being gone--it’s far more likely that the masters of K’un-Lun closed that passage to earth prematurely to prevent the Hand Ninjas from infiltrating the city... or maybe they’ve closed it forever. Maybe a new passage was created elsewhere in the world.

But whatever did happen, none of the five fingers (Gao, Sowande, Murakami, Bakuto, or Alexandra) managed to get inside. Even though the Iron Fist wasn’t there to guard the entrance.  Again, if they’re so bad-ass, why do they suck so much?

Plot Issue #3: If the Chaste is so bad-ass, why do they suck so much?

It’s possible that the reason that the Chaste manage to persist for so long is that they are, in fact, a deadly army. Maybe they cause real problems for the Hand all over the world... maybe the Chaste really are as bad-ass as Stick says they are.

Trouble is, both Daredevil and Defenders strongly imply that this simply isn’t the case.

For one thing, the Black Sky kills every single member of the Chaste (all over the world), yet the Fingers of the Hand bitch that she hasn’t done enough for them. You’d think eliminating an ancient and actually problematic enemy would be more than enough for them to STFU about it.

For another, in Daredevil Season 2, Elektra says that Nobu is the “head of the snake,” and that taking him down is their best bet to stop the evil ninjas from coming after her/the Black Sky. So does that mean Elektra, one of Stick’s best warriors, is in the dark about who the Hand really is? I suppose she could’ve been lying to Matthew, but given the stakes, that doesn’t seem likely. She honestly thinks that her (their) best bet is to take down Nobu, which makes no sense if she knows about Murakami or any of the other fingers of the Hand.

Even if Stick had a reason fro keeping Elektra (specifically) in the dark, given her inner Black-Sky-ness... then why doesn’t the Chaste know WTF the Hand are doing in New York City? It’s an operation they’ve been planning for decades. And more than that, it’s an operation that is quite ridiculously complex (given the actual goal of digging up dragon goo)--they have funding from criminal enterprises like Gao’s heroin, legitimate business dealings from infiltrating businesses like Rand Enterprises and the Roxxon Corporation. There were undoubtedly others. Which means there were plenty of places to start digging--to start trying to figure out WTF the Hand was doing for decades.

It’s implied that the Chaste have been thwarting the Hand’s attempts to activate a Black Sky for a long, long time. Too bad we know little to nothing about the Black Sky -- for example, how are they identified? If we knew more, it might actually tell us something about the Chaste.

Again, this is one of those things I might’ve been able to let go. Unfortunately, the destruction of the Chaste (their entire army) is part of the Defenders ramping up. It‘s the thing that says, “You four are the only thing that’s gonna save New York City. Ain’t no backup coming.” Conveniently, the only member of the Chaste we know (besides Elektra) survives for most of the Defenders, so we don’t waste time on a new character--but it begs the question... why was Stick singled out? That conveys a level of knowledge/authority that honestly hadn’t been there before. I mean, his connection to Matthew and Elektra was training... he went to these kids and trained them individually. The leader of an organization/army wouldn’t have that luxury. So did he rise through the ranks later? Or was he just so damn scrappy he happened to be the only surviving leader of the Chaste, no matter how low-level he might be?

Thus the conflict: the Chaste was “the army” for the Iron Fist, so their destruction tells the Defenders, our protagonists, that there ain’t no backup comin’, and chances are, anyone who might back you up won’t believe evil, undead/undying ninjas are trying to destroy New York City by extracting dragon goo from under it. Conversely, the Five Fingers of the Hand, our antagonists, simply aren’t impressed by the Black Sky who wiped out their only true enemies--given that they act as if such a weapon was clearly not worth the dragon goo that it took to bring her back! 

So which is it? Are the Chaste actually a problem? If so, why did they complain so much about the Black Sky? If not, then why bother sending the Black Sky after them at all? Why even be worried about the Chaste, if they proved no real threat?

Furthermore, after so long fighting the Hand, why doesn’t the Chaste know anything about them? In Iron Fist, the leader of the Hatchet Men (another organized crime group that had beef with Gao/the Hand stealing their pier), told Ward Meachum a story about one of the Hand’s soldiers--who once had been a farmer, before the Hand brought him back. “They destroy those closest to them first,” the man explained (paraphrased). “All you can do is run.”

Bakuto is much more helpful. He tells Ward that decapitation can do the trick. (Previously, Ward had stabbed his father to death and dumped his body in a lake... unfortunately, Harold spontaneously resurrected in said lake. No dragon goo or ancient device-thingie required!)

Apparently, the rules of the Hand’s resurrections are thus:

It doesn’t stop you from dying--it just brings you back to life.

At least one time, dragon-goo (or something like it) is required.

Post dragon-goo resurrection, the individual will spontaneously regenerate after most deaths... unless their head is cut off. Then the only way for you to live again is MORE dragon goo.

It’s implied that cremating Harold Meachum also prevented him from spontaneously resurrecting. Though I suppose they could’ve also cut his head off before they burnt his body... you know, just in case. (Though it does beg the question--after Fisk said Nobu should be “left to burn”--how did he survive? DID HE SPONTANEOUSLY RESURRECT WHILE STILL ON FIRE?! Sorry, that question required all caps...)

So, we know that the Chaste knew about the faux-immortality thing. Maybe they didn’t know about the beheading (which is reasonable, as given the Hand would have VERY, VERY good reason to keep that kind of thing secret--something only an insider like Bakuto would know)... but surely, someone in the Chaste must’ve WONDERED about how they could resurrect if, let’s say, they took their enemies heads?

I don’t mean just a simple beheading. I mean, cutting off the heads of the Hand ninjas and taking them away--either to be buried or burned or ... whatever. Surely someone in the Chaste thought that this would be effective -- if not to stop them, then to slow them down. Right? What about burning the bodies? Again, this is a reasonable thing to try after killing someone from the Hand. Eventually, the Chaste should’ve known one way or the other if beheading/burning the bodies was an effective way to stop (or slow) the resurrection process.

Again, it’s implied that Stick knows about beheading being an effective means against them at the end of Season 2, when he cuts off Nobu’s head. (He doesn’t take Nobu’s head with him, though. So I guess it’s lucky the Hand was low on dragon-goo... otherwise, Nobu would’ve probably returned...)

It’s also weird that Stick doesn’t behead or cremate Elektra (who is buried under a name known to the Hand). Maybe the Chaste think that the Hand can only resurrect people who have been dead for less than a certain period of time. And Elektra was likely dead for a few days at least, though how they buried her in a legitimate grave with no autopsy is beyond my best guess...

Plot Issue #4: The Architect

Jessica Jones is hired to find John Raymond, the Architect who built the Midland Circle building. You know, the one covering up the giant hole that goes straight down to the dragon goo.

So, this guy -- who has no ties whatsoever to the Hand or the Chaste or anything like that -- is hired to build a building. Great. Then he discovers that nefarious shit is afoot below said building. It’s so nefarious that he stock-piles C4 and makes very specific plans to implode an entire building (a building he designed/built) to stop the nefarity of it all.

To be clear: the Hand is digging to get to a repository of fossils/at least one dragon body. For some reason (never explained), removing the goo of this dragon body (also not explained) will cause the entire city of New York to collapse (again, not explained at all). So, let’s say that John Raymond, all-around good guy, father, and architect, finds out that the Hand (or whoever he thinks they are) are illegally digging/extracting stuff from under the city.

How does a good man get from “illegal shit happening” to “I’mma gonna blow them up!”

 I suppose it’s possible that he discovered that the Hand believed they were digging up dragon bones/goo and that, in so doing, the entire city of New York would be destroyed. This begs the question: how did he believe any of this crap?

Seriously, digging up dragon bones is one thing--and I can even believe that he’d be concerned that such digging causing geological devastation that would harm New York City. But someone in his position would report something like that to the authorities. There’s no need to BLOW UP A BUILDING to stop them! So why is he doing it? The only answer is that he actually believes that dragon-goo extraction will cause city-wide implosion...

But seriously, WHY? How does a normal guy with no connection to any mysticism believe that a few people digging a hole can sink all of New York City? (Note that the earthquake would be a good reason for him to freak out, but he was collecting explosives before that happened... also, again, he could’ve reported the illegal digging to the authorities rather than trying to blow up a building.)

Final note There is a thing that happens where when people say “New York City” when what they really mean is Manhattan (and only Manhattan). This is one reason why people will say “the five boroughs” instead of NYC--to make sure everyone knows they mean “New York City, as in, you know, all of it.” But it seems to me that the that Manhattan--not NYC/the five boroughs--will sink into the earth post-dragon-goo-extraction. I know this is a (comparatively) small detail, but it bothers me nonetheless.

[wenminliang-blog]

How to Photograph The Taj Mahal – Best Instagram Locations India, Jaipur

For those of you who have visited Rajasthan in India, you’ll know that literally everywhere you look makes for a beautiful insta photo, it is quite simply the most colourful and photogenic place, I think, in the world.

But if you’re travelling through India on a tight schedule, that isn’t very helpful, so I’ve compiled a list of my favourite including the most iconic sights to visit, particularly if you’re looking for those pretty, picture perfect instagram shots. This is by no means an exhaustive list but just my personal favourites. It’s more of a bucket list or tick list of the most goals insta locations in Rajasthan.

Pictured above: Me at the Taj Mahal and below the Blue room at the City Palace, Jaipur

If you have limited time in India, are on a strict itinerary and want to use those trending hashtags to full effect, here are TheStyleTraveller recommendations for the Top 10 Instagram locations in Rajasthan and on the golden triangle route.

I haven’t even factored in Delhi here because I didn’t have time on my latest trip. But if you want to add your own locations, think I’ve missed some out, or want to share your tips too, then please let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you.

1 The Taj Mahal

Quite simply one of the most spectacular wonders of the world. It is the most famous symbol of love on the planet, a mausoleum of a kings undying love for his queen. It is the most loved and most photographed building in the world. Which in turn means it’s really hard to get a decent photo of it without a huge crowd in your shot.

Tip 1 – Buy a ticket online so you can skip the queues. Check opening days, it’s currently closed every Friday for conservation (article written in April 2019).

Tip 2 – Gates open at sunrise (usually around 6.30am dependent on season) this is when I arrived and crowds were minimal compared to an hour or two later.

Tip 3 – On arrival don’t dawdle in the gardens, head straight to the Taj Mahal itself and to either of the two burnt sienna coloured mosques which stand either side of the main white mausoleum building. From inside the arches of the mosque you get a beautiful arch framed shot of the Taj Mahal like in the opening shot of this blog.

– For the photo above taken from the water gardens we waited in a small queue of people (about 5 mins) let each of them take their shots then we got our time. It’s pretty easy if you’re patient.

– Shot below is taken inside the mosque next to the Taj Mahal.

– I would also recommend going on a week day, not a weekend or a public holiday if you can, it’s much quieter.

Jaipur Old Town – The Pink City

Set aside a good few hours to discover Jaipur old town, aka the pink city. In this area you will find Hawa Mahal (the wind palace pictured below), City Palace and Jantar Mantar (the Royal Obseravtory) all in close proximity, but they are different buildings each with separate (but minimal) entry fee payments.

We loved it here so much we stayed the whole day, I packed a few different outfits to shoot. We went shopping in the gorgeous handicraft stores afterwards, the markets are also a fab backdrop for photos.

2. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Tip 1 –  In order to get the shot with the full front facade of the iconic building, arrive at the main gate, cross the road in the opposite direction and head to the rooftop cafes on the other side of the street.

It’s polite to buy a drink or a snack and if you ask nicely they should let you get on the roof to take a pic. Be careful though, this is india so there’s no rails, you’re basically on private property, if you injure yourself or act stupidly there’s no one to sue or blame here.

3 City Palace – The Blue Room, Jaipur View Rooftop & Peacock Gate

The city palace is filled with treasures. From the spectacular Peacock Gate (below), to the incredible Blue Room (above) and also hundreds of other shoot locations with no name. I highly recommend a guide, it’s big and not so obvious where to go.

To get to the private quarters of the king (where the blue room is and also the rooftop view) you have to pay an extra fee. It’s expensive by Indian standards, around £35 GBP per person. But it is so worth it. If you get a good guide ours was called Vijay (in house guide at the Jai Mahal Palace) he’ll show you all the best insta spots, give you a history lesson and also politely ask other tourists in Hindi to wait till you get your shot! Now that’s priceless!!

Above: Peacock Gate, Below: the rooftop view from the King’s private quarters at The City Palace.

4  Patricka Gate, Jaipur

Around a 15-25 min drive out of town (dependant on traffic), away from the Pink city is the insta heaven of Patrika Gate. It’s free to get in, there’s literally nothing else here apart from the gate itself in the middle of a huge round about. Get a taxi or private car, get your shot, head home. Job done!

5 Amer stepwell, Jaipur

There are several stepwells in Rajasthan, I know this because we drove to so many. But not all of them let you actually stand on the steps to get a photo. At the moment the Amer stepwell, which is a 20 minute drive North of Jaipur, does let you stand on the steps, but it’s worth checking with your hotel if they are allowing photography at the time of your  visit.Amer stepwell: hadynyah/Getty Images

6 Jantar Mantar, Royal Observatory, Jaipur

This place is simply incredible. Filled with ginormous astrological instruments like huge graphic architectural statues it is one of the the most incredible insta locations I’ve seen. Get the tour guide to walk you through the astrological charts and find out more about what your future holds!

7 Jodhpur & Mehrangarh Fort

The immense castle like structure over looking Jodphur and the Blue City is Mehrangarh Fort (pictured below). Not only for the views of the incredible sea of sky blue houses below, but also the structure and intricate architecture inside, it is a must visit location.

Afterwards head down into the city and wander around the beautiful blue buildings. It’s such a calming and visually stunning city. (pictured above)

8 Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

Umaid Bhawan Palace is the residence of the King of Jodhpur but also doubles up as one the best hotels in the world. If you’re not lucky enough to get to stay there,  head to the museum on site. It’s totally worth a visit just to take in its awesome facade which was where the film The Viceroy’s House was shot and also the spectacular wedding venue of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. Here’s a link to my you tube video all about staying there! 

Me posing outside the incredible architecture with my Avis India chauffeur driven rental car.

9 Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur

The film location for James Bonds 1983 film Octopussy, if you’re not staying at the Lake Palace itself fear not, Udaipur is filled with beautiful marble buildings and the views over the lake from City Palace Museum are stunning too.

Hide in the many arches and alcoves that frame the lake and try and capture the peace and tranquility of this beautiful city. See my full blog about the Taj Lake Palace here and my youtube video here.

10 Monkey temple, between Jaipur and Agra

This was Charlie’s favourite site on our Rajasthan tour. I loved the disused, discarded ghostly architecture of the city and Charlie loved the monkeys! Watch them bathe and play in the uninhabited ancient streets. The monkeys colonised the city when the monks moved out, they are free, happy and have enough food and their new home is a fabulous playground!!For more on Bonnie’s India Road trip click here for the ultimate luxury itinerary and here for the Taj Lake Palace.

That’s all from India for now, next stop The Maldives.

Bon voyage xx

Don’t forget to check out out my You Tube video at the Lake Palace.

  The post How to Photograph The Taj Mahal – Best Instagram Locations India, Jaipur appeared first on The Style Traveller.

[wowroleplayresources-blog]

A Compendium of Metals

Credit to Goldenblood, Dulgrun, and Yatanokogami

In all my years of Adventuring, smithing, and wandering the worlds, the magnificence of metals in Azeroth, Outland and Draenor never cease to amaze me, and I hope the information I have gathered here in this small compendium will help those who are in need of the knowledge. -Ashton Ironblood

Azerothian, Outlandish and Draenor Metals.

Azerothian Metals Pre-Cataclysm, or “Second Sundering”

Copper: An extremely common metal used on all continents for its high conductivity of electricity and heat, it is not an extremely strong metal, and is a poor material for weaponry and armor, but this only saves to make it cheaper and more widespread for Engineers, it is considered one of the first metals to be discovered.

Tin: Often used for creating the alloy Bronze in combination with Copper, Tin nonetheless plays a heavy hand in the training of beginner smiths, black or silver, and is required for the creation of Pewter. Due to how often they were used together, and the creation of Bronze, Tin and Copper are often considered the “Brother and Sister” of metals.

Pewter: An extremely malleable alloy that is comprised almost entirely of tin, with copper, antimony or bismuth added to increase its hardness. Pewter is commonly used for eating utensils and plates, and has deep historical significance to the dwarves of the Wetlands, as the Wetlands produce nearly all of the pewter used by the Ironforge Crafting Guilds, and is used in the Ironblood Thane’s Crown and Signet Ring.

Brass: an alloy of copper and zinc, Brass is well-known for its acoustic properties and its ability to cause loud reverberations across long distances, which is why it is commonly used for musical instruments. However, with the recent uncovering of Pandaria and the Mantid’s use of vibrational and harmonic technology, the usefulness of Brass as an engineering and weaponry component is coming back into question.

Bronze: An alloy composed of Copper and other metals (Almost always tin), Bronze is a staple in the history of Azeroth’s younger, Titanic races. While its strength is less than properly forged Iron, it is more pliable, and its use was extremely widespread hundreds of years ago by the human tribes before their coalition together under the Stromic Banner. Its usefulness has been phased out to the weaponry and armor of “lesser races”, such as gnolls and murlocs, but it will forever hold a place of cultural significance to those who remember days before the Troll Wars.

Silver: Considered by many to be a mostly-ornamental metal, used to display wealth and symbolizing longevity. Silver can nonetheless be mixed with certain key metals to enhance its innate magically-sensitive nature, as well as being used as currency accepted nearly everywhere (Even goblins accept silver, begrudgingly).

Iron: The staple metal of Azeroth, it comes in many extreme forms and qualities and quantities. Mined and consumed in massive quantities every day, this metal found its first major usage by the Titans, who created Iron and Steel constructs, temples and Golems at the apex of their work upon Azeroth. This metal, when properly forged, is strong and stable, and has been the point of interest in many epic sagas, poems, and dwarven liturgies. Not all Iron is created equal, and comes in forms ranging from borderline useless, such as in the Badlands, to the stuff of legends, such as in Dun Morogh.

Steel: An alloy of Iron and Carbon, Steel has found its most major usage in its usefulness in weaponry and armor, being the “Tried and True” metal of warfare, it is just as varied in terms of its strength and quality as Iron is, but the quality is more dependent upon the correct smelting of the alloy rather than where it comes from (But Ancestor’s help you if you have to fight someone who has a Warhammer made of Iron from Dun Morogh and Smelted in the Great Forge).

Gold: “The King’s Metal”, famed everywhere for its commercial value in making things pretty and half-handedly known for its usefulness in transmutation. As for its usefulness, if someone compares an item to “A sword of gold”, that means it’s completely and totally useless. Don’t use Gold for weapons and armor, just don’t.

Mithril: “The magician’s metal”, Mithril is revered by craftsman of all trades for its extremely magical properties and light weight. While it is not as easy to work with, and is slightly less brittle than steel or steel-substitutes, those who have the time and patience to work with this beautiful metal are rewarded with works of art that can double as efficient and magical tools.

Truesilver: “The Archmage’s Metal” Rarer than Mithril or Silver, Truesilver combines the best perks of both metals, creating a metalloid that seems to have otherworldly, almost divine properties. These properties have been so over exaggerated, in fact, that it is believed that Truesilver is the bane of all worgen, and searing a worgen bite with a heated truesilver dagger can prevent the Curse from taking hold, as is expected, nobody has tried to prove this theory true or false.

Thorium: One of the strongest naturally-forming metals on Azeroth, Thorium is renowned worldwide for its weight and it’s resistance to heat. While this makes it extremely difficult to forge and rather unwieldy for those who are not accustomed to its weight, when properly mastered, Thorium weapons can have the grace of a glaive, with the crushing power of a Warhammer, and fire mages hate shields made of the stuff.

Dark Iron: “The Lifeblood of Blackrock Mountain”, Dark Iron, named after the Dark Iron Clan (Or the other way around, the records really aren’t clear) is the –most- fire-retardant, fire-resistant metal that forms naturally on Azeroth. It’s so resistant to heat, in fact, that only the Black Forge near the heart of the Molten Core, where Ragnaros once laid his fiery head, can properly smelt the metal into a useable form, and it is customary that weapons and armor made of Dark Iron only be forged upon the Black Anvil, and a great deal of ore is lost as slag, making the process long-winded and very expensive, but for those who have the time and patience, legends tell that one Mountain King in Dark Iron Armor can defeat a dozen fire mages at once and not even singe his beard.

Arcanite: “The Alchemist’s First Metal”, Arcanite is a strange creature, as it is the creation of arcane crystals and Thorium combined to create something completely alien to their reagents. Arcanite is a strong, heavy metal that is rumored to hold the sharpest edge in all of Azeroth, and is also magically attuned, allowing for enchantments and inscribing with Truesilver. There was controversy over the safety of using Arcanite for a period of time after demons in the Blasted Lands were found to use the metal, bringing up conversations of Arcane and Fel corruption. These questions and concerns were quickly silenced by the mining operations in Silithis, where “Natural” deposits of Arcanite were found underneath dead silithid hives, covered in a strange resin that acted as a catalyst for the reaction. Even to this day, one is more likely to find arcane crystals and Thorium together in hive clusters such as these.

Elementium: A Pseudo-Azerothian Metal that resides within the elemental plane, no metal reacts as readily or as violently to the natural forces of Azeroth more. This metal is unnaturally strong, unnaturally resistant, and STUPIDLY hard to work with without causing a forge-wide explosion from the magical catalytic reaction. Only the most experienced of smiths should even consider working with Elementium, and though weapons made of Elementium are powerful beyond recompense, they are also dangerous beyond recompense, and one must always keep wary that the elements do not take kindly to being warped for mortal’s uses.

Lightforge Iron: A strange and divine material that is both rare and –extremely- difficult to work with, due to its tendency to fracture and crack under certain conditions, Lightforge nonetheless is considered Divine by those who wield it and revere both weaponry and armor created of this strange, touched material. Lightforge is well-known for its tendency to always absorb and reflect light, giving armor a shiny appearance at all times, and making blades and other weaponry of Lightforge glow with a holy energy. Despite the rumors, some demons use Lightforged weapons simply out of spite, and not some hidden higher purpose.

Bloodstone: Bloodstone ore, occasionally used by the Burning Legion in their weaponry of lesser demons, has earned a bad reputation over the years, and is almost completely ignored. While it is nowhere as strong as Steel, it is more magically sensitive, unfortunately, this sensitivity to the arcana often points towards Fel, hence why the Legion uses the metal so readily for the more disposable of their great empire. On one “Positive” note for Bloodstone, when taken to a proper alchemist and treated, it can be distilled into Essence of Agony, which was used for the most powerful debilitating or pain-inducing poisons pre-Cataclysm.

Indurium: Another footnote in Azeroth’s past, before the massive shift to titanium for use in mechanical parts for goblin racers and choppers, Indurium was originally used for parts such as the muffler, and was only found in Uldaman, making it a point of conversation for the Exploration League, Indurium was no longer used after it was found it was extremely toxic to the racers over long periods of time, such as the Badlands 5000 Grand Prix.

Incendicite: A powerful and rare metal, the Wetlands is proud to be the only source of this extremely dangerous and explosive material. Though Seaforium can get most jobs done by itself, if something –REALLY- needs to blow up, an ounce of Incendicite will do what ten ounces of Seaforium do! It’s extremely difficult to process and manufacture safely, as one could expect, so those brave enough to do the job are handsomely rewarded (They don’t have good insurance though).

Ahn’Qiraj Obsidian: While not chemically different than regular obsidian, the druids of the Cenarion Circle have found ways of augmenting this glasslike material into heavy suits of armor, light harnesses comparable to chainmail, and even a shield rumored to be the rival of The Immovable Object, a legendary shield that is given to defenders of both the Alliance and Horde for bravery in the battle of Alterac Valley.

Cobalt: A metal found most commonly in the frozen expanses of Northrend, this metal is often praised as “The rock that saved a campaign”, as the Alliance and Horde were heavily dependent upon mining and forging the metal into weaponry and armor for the Northrend Campaign, and were fortunate to learn that the metal was just as strong as Steel and was easily smithed. Its usefulness in Engineering, combined with its natural strength and ease-of-use has brought up the question of replacing steel’s usage in the military with Cobalt, this will not happen for some time, however, as major Cobalt in mining in Northrend is difficult, due to the large number of Undead still roaming those lands.

Saronite: “The Damned Metal”, those who were unfortunate enough to use Saronite before it’s almost universal ban have been lost to madness, and many who do not know the History of Saronite may be confused by the horror stories told about the Northrend Campaign. Saronite is the coagulated blood of Yogg-Saron, the Old God of Death, and its strength, resistant to elements, and even the Light, are legendary, however, those who are in contact with it, even for but a moment, are damned to insanity, be it partial, temporary, or permanent. There are tales of whole battalions of men lost within the blizzards of Icecrown for simply treading on veins of the metal, their minds deteriorating to dribbling messes within minutes, if not seconds. Only the Death Knights of Acherus and Undead can use the metal without ill effect.

Titanium: An extremely strong metal with a low density and resistance to corrosion, both magical and natural, Titanium was “Rediscovered” in Northrend during the Campaign against the Lich King, and has been used ever since for the aforementioned properties, and while it is a bit impractical to use this in forging weaponry and armor (As it is surprisingly sparse), it has a more powerful, more hidden and more sacred use.

Titansteel: The Magnum Opus of Alchemy and Smelting, Titansteel is considered by many to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, metal on Azeroth. Its creation is difficult, and is held in secret by circles of Alchemists and Master Blacksmiths. The one trait that makes it so sought after, however, is it’s resistance against corruption in all forms, Fel or otherwise. There is little shared about this metal to the public for the safety of the Alchemists that forge this creation of the Gods. The one thing they share to the public is that Titanium is the base metal used for the reaction.

-Post Cataclysm Azerothian Metals-

Pyrite: Commonly known as “Fool’s gold” by many for its similar luster and texture to the valuable commodity, Pyrite, in its normal form, is nothing of utmost importance, however, it is essential in the creation of Truegold, a new and still somewhat unknown material that was discovered by Alchemists during the Cataclysm.

Truegold: A strange and wondrous new metal that does not form naturally on any known plane of existence, but is transmutable through raw unbound elemental power and Pyrite. The abilities of Truegold are still under controversy, and it has been speculated the Royal Stormwind Treasury will be considering creating a Truegold coin to count as a hundred gold coins, though this seems impractical, as the materials required to create even one coin worth of Truegold are far more than one-hundred golden coins. Though it cannot be the base of weaponry and armor, it is extremely sensitive to magic, and has been considered for use in enchanting items, aswell as already being used by engineers in their attempts to create longer-lasting and power-efficient parts.

Ghost Iron: One of the oddities of Pandaria, all Ghost Iron originated as standard iron, before being transmuted by the wondrous nature of Pandaria, as the land is overflowing with spiritual energy, some of that power “Leaked” into veins of iron, transmuting it into the strong, wondrous material we see today. Ghost Iron strong, dependable, extremely easy to forge, and, due to the recent events in Pandaria, is in un-surmounted supply, countered only by its un-surmounted demand, as Seers, historians, architects, engineers, smiths, alchemists, and every profession from A-to-Z has found a use for this strange metal.

Lightning Steel: The creation of Lei Shen and his Mogu Empire, this metal can only be forged under the most difficult and dangerous of conditions, using large amounts of Ghost Iron and super-condensing them with magnetic forces directly from the Isle. Of Thunder, this metal is costly to work with, as much of the metal turns to slag in the forging creation. Despite this, Lightning Steel remains one of the strongest and most resistant materials ever recorded to-date, while not sacrificing its weight.

Living Steel: A transmutation of Ghost Iron, Living Steel is purely condensed spiritual energy that is reactive to any form of enchantment, enhancement, and tinkering, and is considered by many Alchemists to be the Magnum-Opus-Opus. It should be noted with the name, however, that there is speculation to if the steel retains some form of sentience from the highly condensed spiritual energy, and though we have not been able to learn a definitive answer, legends in Pandaria tell of self-aware, speaking blades and weapons of differing personalities, though it is often the case that those weapons that bathe in blood frequently are more prone to violent “Mindset.”

Trillium: A strange metal that comes in two forms: Black Trillium, which is naturally smoother and rounded, and White Trillium, which is more gritty and jagged. These two metals can be combined by expert blacksmiths and smelters into singular bars containing both Black and White, which increases its strength several-fold, though it is slightly imbalanced. Rumors speak of Blacksmiths who have learned to balance the opposing forces of the metals to create a metal that always feels perfectly balanced in the hands of whoever holds it.

-Outland Specific Metals-

Fel Iron: An accursed metal created from the residual fel energies that tore Draenor apart, this malevolent metal is nonetheless stronger than steel, though it is costly to work with, and is also extremely dangerous to wield, as the fel corruption can bleed into the wielder of anyone who holds weapons or armor made of the material, even when they are not wielding it.

Fel Steel: This is Fel Iron times-ten, Stronger than even Thorium, it nonetheless bleeds fel energy wherever it goes, and does not lose this corruption over time, nor do the weapons or armor of this metal corrode. The creation of this metal is kept secret from general public for safety reasons, for those who hold Fel Steel are dangerous in more than one regard.

Adamantine: A strong and wondrous material, at one time, all the Adamantine in Azeroth could be fit into a small room, and was worth more than an entire keep’s value. Nearly indestructible, magically attuned, and revered by the Knights of the Silver Hand for creating magnificent warhammers, this metal is not from Azeroth, and is actually an odd rarity that occurs in the chaotic forces of Outland. Though the price of Adamantine has slightly lowered over recent years, it is still by no means a common commodity.

Hardened Adamantine: Good luck breaking this, while it’s even rarer and more valuable than regular Adamantine, the creation of Hardened Adamantine relies upon its ability to super-condense, and due to this is super-heavy, and borderline unbreakable, to the point where it is theorized it could break even Saronite, which has drawn Knights of the Silver Hand to the metal to create even more powerful warhammers, should they ever cross blades with the Rogue Death Knight.

Khorium: While Khorium itself is not very strong, and is comparable to being the Outland version of Bronze, it is required for the proper reforging and smelting of fel Steel, Eternium, and Adamantium into stronger metals.

Eternium: Not originally used for creating weaponry and armor, Eternium is a very flaky, if beautiful, metal with a luster that does not decay or diminish, hence its name holding eternal in it. During the height of the war against Illidan, however, the Blood Knights under the command of Lady Liadrin, in combination with the work of the Scryers and Aldor, managed to create weaponry that used Eternium in such a way that the weapons could constantly be reforged and re-empowered, making Eternium a staple metal in the final assaults against the Legion at the Sunwell.

-Draenor Specific Metals-

True Iron: A strange and wondrous metal that has quickly been accepted by the inhabitants of Azeroth, this plentiful metal is much stronger than natural Iron, and, when properly smelted with Blackrock, is capable of becoming Truesteel, an extremely dexterous and light material that is rumored to hold an edge just as sharp as Arcanite, and is as lustrous as silver, making it the envy of common-soldier and Noble alike. There is little to fear for them, however, as True Iron is as plentiful on Draenor as iron is on Azeroth. There is speculation to what caused all of the True Iron to disappear from our Draenor, Outland, though the general consensus is that the powerful nether forces that warped the planet transmuted the metal either to Fel Iron or Adamantine.

Blackrock: A borderline flame retardant material that comes in two common forms, Blackrock metal is a strange commodity, while being very common all across Draenor, there are not many uses for it that we are aware of, and only the Blackrock Clan truly know how to properly forge the black metal by itself. When forged correctly, the Blackrock metal can repel flame or create flames, depending on the wishes of the smith that forges is, assuming they are capable of understand the intricate complexities of forging that strange, strange metal.

Jovite: A strange bluish metal found commonly in strip mines in Talador, Jovite is commonly used as artillery shells for its ability to retain its temperature at a stable point for long periods of time, though it is most-likely useless for creating weapons and armor, as it is naturally very brittle, however, it could make leaps and bounds in the world of Engineering in new cooling technology.