#my parents paragraph class 9

[falllpoutboy]

https://x.com/fatfabfeminist/status/1704831795798155630?s=46

when teachers complain about students being passed on to the next grade when they’re obviously behind on grade level by two+ years/grades, why do parents automatically point their fingers at their teachers lmao?? yes students missed up to 1.5-2 years in face-to-face learning due to the pandemic and the remote learning policies depending on their location so now that they’re back for in-person learning like we’re just doing our job and teaching them to the best of our abilities, but due to the curriculum and the policies in place (depending on where you live obvs), we have no choice but to pass them on. teachers make attempts to bring attention to a student’s attendance and grades to their parents but if the parents can’t follow up on the emails we send, the phone calls we make, the voicemails we leave and the parent-teacher conferences requests we send, then that sends a clear message that you don’t care about your kids education beyond the bare fucking minimum.

we get it, parents are busy and have jobs and other priorities and every parent and student has a different story. but if your kid is 12 y/o and is in the 7th grade and is reading/writing at a 4th grade level, is incapable of reading a 200 page novel and goes straight to tiktok or to their ps5 immediately after school, then we are not the problem!!!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 9/3/2024

having a lot of fun with toddler enrichment activities in this household, until we bit through the bag and the foil and the water and hated that experience

listening

fun citypop version of Good Luck Babe! by Amandumb and Sakura Wine, “ganbatte” scans to “good luck babe” SCARY well. this is both off a tiktok my best friend sent me and the spotify recommended weekly

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reading

quite frankly this makes me nervous and i am backing up my blogs as we speak. i sort of believe them when they say that we won't see a difference on the front end, but this is a HUGE migration. SOMETHING is going to go not perfectly.

William Greenleaf's TIME JUMPER (1980, 224p) and Joe Millard (my beloathed)'s Blood For A Dirty Dollar (1980 European reprint of a 1973 American book, 156p). thank you philip. time jumper is from a thrift store somewhere (possibly from the free book shelf at the umass engineering library) and the cowboy book is from ebay. they lied about the condition and the heavy smoke smell so i ended up getting it for free :) in no world is that a Very Good condition book!!!

time jumper! i do not think the back cover blurb (below) is very accurate.

COMBINED DESTINIES! One Earth of the far future, city dwellers live in a technologically advanced environment, while bands of nomads barbarically hunt and farm the plains. Hidden within the city is Erin, a crazed scientist, who is constructing a timejumper. On the plains is a nomad boy who quests after the city's secrets. Unknown to both, an evil force works to keep them apart, for it knows that if they ever meet, a new Earth destiny would be inevitable!

i looooove a bubble city. i love long lingering shots of technology and city-scapes and city politics. i would not call the nomads barbarians, bc they are a trading society who set up crop irrigation in their seasonal fields and have a giant traveling library with card catalogue. i would also not call Erin crazed or hidden, bc he is the richest man in the city. reclusive, yes. single-minded, yes. pretty sane though. he is a little person and i think the book handled this fairly deftly for 1980? most of his obstacles are physical and not societal. finally, the evil force is not working to keep them apart bc it doesn't even know about the outside kid. they mostly just want to stop anyone from leaving.

now that we know the back blurb is lies, what's the deal with this book? mostly wrestling with how automation leads to a loss of purpose and flattening of culture, breaking cycles, cyclical natures of histories thereof, and repeating old sins. however, one of the more frustrating endings ive ever read with the very last paragraph containing the suicide of a minor character. we simply didn't fucking need that last paragraph.

i found the dialogue a little bland but book overall quite evocative. it felt like a sixties scifi show constructed from castoff theater sets. it felt like this screenshot from rollerball. a lot of shapes. a lot of giant gardens. a lot of flattened textures.

i also liveblogged the cowboy book here. we've previosuly looked at the one with the balloon and the jailbreak but this is the one with the mad englishman and the imported castle and the missing scientists. i love a description of Legally Not Lee van Cleef Because We Don't Have A Royalty Agreement

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watching

X-Men: First Class (2011, dir. Vaughn) was way more fun than i was expecting??? it's fun to watch these with my bestie's husband who is a fairly intense x-men fan and Will pause the movie for several minutes to explain why a specific character's death was fucking bullshit or answer one of my stupid costuming questions

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playing

the new mesoamerican fire-aligned nation of Natlan is out in genshin impact! VERY beautiful region even though i think it is a crime, to me personally, to show me a village of observation balloons and then tell me i can't actually go there for six weeks until the next patch.

this is a little bit more of a frustrating experience bc my tolerance for the least little thing going wrong is at record lows. once you hit 100% on a map region it feels more like a true 100% ing the area, which is a little scary bc this usually means you have anywhere from 10-20% more Stuff to do and find and collect. one quest is straight up bugged for me (very unusual) and i cannot get a specific mechanic (the yunkasaur, the little green pokemon lookin motherfucker above, flame spitting) to fire with any sort of accuracy. why have a sight and a center pip if you CANNOT aim it.

some parts of the map look a little more seussical than others.

to whoever made sure this observation balloon lined up with the window when you entered this waypoint building, i see you. thank you.

-

making

fallow week.

[buckybarnesss]

on fire: a teen wolf novel chapters 1-3

on fire was published on july 17, 2012. the day after raving had aired during the show's second season.

it was written by nancy holder who has written many, many tie-in books for multiple franchises but most notably she wrote novels for the buffyverse.

by tapping nancy holder to write the novel confirms to me that mtv was trying to do what teen wolf's spiritual predecessors did and create tie-in novels with the show and on fire was testing the waters for that.

it did not succeed because teen wolf doesn't have the kind of space for that. the timeline is too tight. teen wolf was part of the new netflix binge era. it had a seasons of 12 episodes that were wall-to-wall plot. there weren't silly filler episodes and they didn't do monster of the week plots.

on fire assumes that you have seen episodes 1-5 of the show but it is also an AU of season 1 post-the tell.

i get the vibe that the author was given notes, some information or like an outline that she used to build a plot so it's interesting to see what tid-bits holder uses and refers to that still gel with canon or is consistent with what we know.

this isn't a novelization of season 1 that's for sure but, hey, i took notes.

i'm going to break the novel up into 3 chapter chunks.

so without further ado let's get into it. on fire: a teen wolf novel or as i've been thinkin of it as.

the novel starts right at the very end of the tell after the parent teacher conferences. 

the way it's described when argent shoots the mountain lion brings to mind the scene in to kill a mockingbird when atticus shoots the rabid dog. chris argent is no atticus finch but he sure does learn to walk a mile in someone else's shoes doesn't he?

i somehow always manage to forget that the tell is the episode where allison turns 17. she doesn’t live to see her 18th birthday. shot through the heart man. 

oh my fucking god scott. the way this is written i imagine holder is trying to invoke derek and kate as if there’s some wild age gap between him and allison when they're like 9 months apart in age. allison is not kate jesus chris. look at this shit:

“scott hadn’t known allison was seventeen, a year older than the other kids in their class -- older than him -- and didn’t want anyone to know.”

Fuck Rafael McCall. Meet me outside and catch these hands.

“he knew his dad wasn’t keeping up with child support payments. not that his mom had ever mentioned it.”

this is where the transition into heart monitor would be. it is a pretty terrifying dream scott has. peter’s such a dramatic bitch. scott’s dreaming of being in the woods with everything on fire and then he’s being compelled by peter to come kill with him. which just reinforces my whole thing about peter and scott being psychically connected. we don’t see this with any other alpha-beta connection to this degree. derek senses victoria killing scott in raving but we really do not get this in the show very much as it seems to be a Dark Sided power. but we do see peter use it again in season 6a with the whole “you were my beta first” scene. 

scott mentions stiles’s having ADHD so to me that means that nancy holder was definitely working with the idea that stiles does have it. stiles having ADHD seems like a plot thread that got dropped really quickly by the show but remained in dylan’s acting choices and in fandom’s mind.

scott is the only beta we see experience sleepwalking episodes. it seems tied to the compulsion and mental link he shares with feral alpha peter.

the entire paragraph is something. firstly, it wasn't until night school, the episode after this one, that peter tried to push scott into killing his “pack”. but lol melissa called stiles scott’s “litter mate” and stiles wearing his target shirt that he wore in wolf moon and the one that subtextually could reference the nemeton and eventually scott's pack symbol. i don't believe we ever actually saw that shirt again. the tragedy.

“stiles had on his bullseye t-shirt, and it kind of freaked scott out when he wore it. as if it meant that stiles were a target. They both knew the Alpha wanted Scott to kill him to cement Scott’s acceptance that he was a member of the Alpha’s pack. Who better to take down than the guy Scott’s mom had once referred to as his “litter mate”?”

this is where it's starting to get kind of weird because the plot of this book takes place during season 1 but it’s not strictly following the plot. it feels like an alternate season 1.

jackson has gone missing. when is he not missing is the more appropriate question? 

so chapter 2 starts with scott and stiles joining lydia and allison at The Popular Kids Table to discuss jackson being missing. this wouldn’t have happened in season 1. this dynamic didn’t exist until at minimum season 3. lydia didn’t even acknowledge stiles’s existence until the winter formal at the end of the season. 

jackson’s parents apparently went to paris right after the parent-teacher conference, leaving their high school age child alone for an extended period of time in the middle of the school year? what? no wonder jackson’s fucked up. why didn’t they just go around christmas and instead they waited another three weeks or some shit. that is weird.

jackson’s been left a note from a supposed private investigator about his birth parents while his parents are out of town, which is totally not sus at all. 🙄🙄 lydia's concerned about him looking stupid so she won’t go to the sheriff and she doesn’t even approach jackson’s best friend danny. like, danny would know a lot more about jackson than scott or stiles would. lydia, i know allison is the one who involved scott but for fuck’s sake. 

look even a page later lydia says “he and jackson barely know each other.” then why are you involving scott in what you seem to believe is a personal matter? 

do people just generally know jackson was adopted? i can see lydia knowing but scott and stiles? allison just fucking moved there so she doesn’t know anything about anyone. this is quite the personal piece of information i doubt he’d want others to know lydia. 

this is such an AU because after the parent-teacher conference stiles was giving scott the cold shoulder due to his dad being hurt. 

also stiles is supposedly sitting at this table the entire time lydia, allison and scott are talking and has not given his opinion on the matter yet. very unlike him. if there's one thing stiles has it's opinions on jackson and his father's job. stiles would be all over this.

this fucking line is brutal man -- “stiles was the only person on the planet who knew he had become a werewolf. well, derek knew, too, but derek hardly counted as a person.” that said, i do think it’s accurate to scott’s headspace at this point regarding derek. avoiding seeing derek as a person is a way of detaching himself from the situation he’s found himself in. 

alright so we’ve got a POV change to allison --a nd it’s all about how cute acott is. allison I love you but chill please. 

okay so this is interesting. “her mom had been angry, too. allison could tell that if had been left up to her, she wouldn’t have been so harsh about having to stay all weekend. her mom liked scott.” are we sure we’re talking about the same victoria argent? granted this is pre-werewolf reveal so as far as victoria knows allison is just mooning over a nice normal human boy but i have a hard time imagining this being the same victoria who gave us the crazy eyes and the sharpening your dick metaphor.

this still haunts me.

"except i won’t get to spend time with scott except at school until i’m, oh, 112.” oh right in the feels

this book really assumes you’ve seen episodes 1-5 of the first season. allison’s mentioning aunt kate and the necklace in a way that makes the assumption the reader knows who and what they are. 

jackson’s password for his tracking app is “captain”. that is worse than the password being lydia or like scott famously having allison as his password. y’all suck and have shitty computer security.

these kids are sophomores in high school and lydia and allison are really having a discussion about jackson going to a pay by the hour motel as if that’s a thing 15-16 year olds do in the california subburbs on a regular basis. as if jackson would lower himself in such a way to begin with. he’s snobby as fuck. it’s such a weird conversation.

i am page 20 and i feel like so far this author hasn’t been very nice to stiles. not having him say a word in the lunch conversation about jackson despite not only being very opinionated about jackson whittermore’s general existence he’d also have thoughts on a missing person. like, he didn’t even speak when his dad was brought up as a possible avenue of help which is odd. then about a page later there’s this sort of tone used around stiles that feels condescending about him being hyperactive.

this paragraph is, uh, something that could’ve only been written in 2012 because it feels gross:

“lydia shrugged. then she turned to allison. “tell you what. if the boys are willing to the motel for us ---” “to a motel. to look for a guy,” stiles said. ”maybe you should ask danny?” danny, their lacrosse team goalie, was gay, out and proud. “he could act, you know, more casual about it.”

that said, it does track with stiles being overly occupied with the perception of his sexuality and that danny does shit he’s way too young to be doing which is written around his sexuality. remember the whole older boyfriend and going to the jungle thing is season 2? 

it has been like 23 pages and allison’s got this subplot where she wants to have sex with scott. like girlie you’ve known scott for 2 days, keep your pants on. (it keeps coming up with scott too and it's annoying, okay).

it took stiles barely a paragraph to mention derek hale when the point of view switched to him. sir. 

i’m laughing at how derek’s point of view is paired with stiles in the way that scott and allison’s are. even in the non-canon book the Sterek Agenda is there. 

“a prankster with a wicked sense of humor.” is what derek refers to peter as before the fire. is that what we are calling it derek because i would disagree.

“i dreamed of other alphas coming after me. why? it’s not a crime to kill an alpha. i’m a werewolf. the way we progress in status is through challenge.” now this is an interesting perspective. werewolves progress via challenges. that's still sort of in-line with what we see in canon.

allison and scott are driving into the seedier side of town. AKA what seems to be where the poors live. scott describes seeing boarded up buildings, pawn shops and “some kind of clinic where you could sell your blood.” which I assume is a plasma center where people donate and get paid in return and this little classist shit says “remind me to never get a blood transfusion.” god he’s such a 16 year old..

i saw kate's name on the next page where chapter 4 is

[canarymemories]

hi finally compiling the thread i made the other day on twt abt the first chapter of recital so. welcome to me having far too much to say about my big bang fic skgh

chapter titling is similar to symphony (leo day fic) but instead of music terms, it's ballet terms. i'm nowhere near as used to ballet terms as i am w music terms so they won't have a deeper meaning (at least not on purpose lmao) like some of the symphony chapter titles do, but that's part of why there's nine chapters

a small aside: there is a specific structure i have in mind for the fic. there will be three arcs (if u want to call them that), the first three chapters is the first arc and then there will be an intermission chapter (up to this point is as far as i've confidently planned out so past this point, i can't guarantee anything but. nine chapters is the goal adkgsh). so then chapter 4 and 5 are arc two followed up by another intermission, then the final arc will be chapters 8 and 9. the plan is to stay mostly canon compliant until i don't agree w akira (or kinosei aslkhg), so i'll pretty much be sticking to the canon timeline

please listen to the playlist akdhg most of the songs do correspond to specific things/chapters so it's tied to the story itself plus i've listened to it too many times so. please tell me i'm so right about it 😔 the song i used in the summary of the first chapter is more of a chapter 2 song but i felt like it fit for the first chapter so adkgh (i have. So Many songs for checkmate so. can't wait for that one lmao) (chapter 1 songs are the first four in the playlist, the 5th one could go either way between ch 1 and 2) once more is posted, then i might actually sit here and go on abt why each of these songs is specifically here

writing choices 🎉 the one i want to talk about so so so so bad is the using nicknames in the narration bc if you've read literally anything else i've posted, you'd see that i don't do that, but bc recital is so close to izumi as the narrator, and this chapter is focused on his childhood, i thought it was fitting. there are a few instances of this changing throughout the chapter, such as makoto going from yuukun to makoto in the one flashback section and then staying as makoto when izumi is older, naru eventually changes to arashi.

and the one i really want to bring up,,, izumi's parents are always referred to as mama and papa but there is one singular instance where that's changed and that's during the argument at the end of the chapter.

and then she's referred to as mama again a few paragraphs later and this just goes into the point that i think izumi has a very complicated relationship with his parents. on one hand, they don't support him as an idol and have quite literally told him to his face that he's not successful enough to make it on his own as a model (next door), have treated him more like a doll than their child and they couldn't be bothered to actually ask him what he was interested in, but he still cares about them. he gets offended on their behalf more than once (in ! era at least), but it's just,, complicated. i feel like i can't really properly explain my thoughts here but i have Thoughts. but this is where the vaguely toxic parenting warning comes in from this chapter because the thing is, i don't think his parents were planning for him to feel the way he does about their parenting, they do love him and they do want to have him succeed just. maybe not for the right reasons, yk? ofc that doesn't justify their treatment of him or anything like that, there's just more to it than outright toxic parenting hence why it's subtle here.

what's a little less subtle is izumi's mom living vicariously through him, it's a bit more obvious with the modeling bit than the dance classes but idk it makes sense to me for her to have done them as a child too

baby modelgumi,,, they get their own point here bc i think those might've been my favorite bits to write and genuinely, the baby arashi bit is my favorite part of the whole chapter. they're just so alsdkgh oeugh cute i want to squeeze them in my hands 🥺🥺🥺. my note for this on my list of things to talk about is literally "baby modelgumi :pleading:" they hold a special place in my head and i hope in urs too

i was going to list stories reference but i might wait until i have more done and posted for that (plus i can't remember what story it is that arashi mentions izumi pushed her mouth into a smile as kids) but. portrait and canary hall mentions 🎉🎉

the argument. it's implied a few times in ! that izumi's parents don't really agree with him being an idol (leo says izumi was having isses at home around checkmate/war era). given that they put so much time and effort into having izumi model, i suppose that wouldn't be too surprising, but i think it's important to have some kind of breaking point like the argument scene bc in next door, izumi talks about how his parents treated him growing up and that just makes me think that he probably didn't have much say in his own life and there's just something about being an idol being his first big decision that idk hits a little different and there is more to an extent on this concept in the next chapter in comparing himself to leo and just kind of being like ,, huh...

last thing, so aside from the ending of the beginning section of the chapter, i feel so smart about the ending line of this chapter bc mama's pancakes come up in portrait and there's even a baby izumi homescreen line about it and it's meant to serve as an apology rather than her actually apologizing but i feel like u could take it a few ways but akhg felt so smart when i came up w the ending of the chapter. and i felt the same way when i thought of the first chapter ending and u guys will not like me for that one btu aksdgh <33

baby's first friendship next time 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[crossstitchbossbitch-blog]

Storytime: Believing in Santa, or "I bet you were a delight"

Yesterday on a lunch outing with 5 work colleagues, 3 of whom are parents of kids under 10, plus myself and another young-ish woman who are childless but have enough dealings with sprogs... the conversation turns to Christmas and belief in things like Father Christmas/ Santa, the Tooth Fairy and whatnot.

After general sharing of stories including the parents talking about when their kid stopped believing, or had it told to them by an older kid, I shared my story of having a debate in primary school (y5 or y6, so age 9 or 10) about whether Father Christmas was real.

I had read the Hogfather by Terry Pratchett by that age and shared his solution to the conundrum: that many of these beings can be described as an anthropomorphic personification, and the more belief people have in it, the more real it becomes.

I really like this notion: it gives strength to magic, superstition, beliefs and faith alike. This is how religions rise and fall, how supernatural phenomena won't occur around skeptics and how some things are just ingrained into our collective psyche, because somewhere in our subconscious there is a grain of memory or residual belief about it. It waxes and wanes with the power of collective thought and storytelling, and for those that have time for it, it is as real as you make it.

I didn't say any of that following paragraph, just said the first bit about using it in a primary school debate and it being from Terry Pratchett and the Hogfather; to which the other young woman retorted, "Oh, I bet you were a delight".

I don't know whether I'm meant to be offended. At the time I laughed, and the conversation moved on.

But honestly, I worry that it was meant in a mean way and that kind of upsets me. I have always treasured being able to circumvent the breaking of the illusion and the loss of innocence. I love the fact that reading, an activity always pleasing to grownups, had given me that gift of knowledge and terminology for something I wanted to understand.

Sir Pratchett's influence on the nerdy, the neurodivergent and the not-very-cool is profound and far reaching even after his death. Of course, he was a bestselling author and millions of people have read his works, so I assume neurotypical people have also read his books!

I don't know if I should be sad that this person who called me sarcastically, "a delight", just never got the memo about the wholesome quirky cool that is Pratchett's worldview.

Maybe I am taking offence where none was intended - I guess having a 9 year old use big words could be annoying to adults, but I think it's a good thing. I really wish I could read half as voraciously as I did when I was a child. I miss getting lost in fantasy worlds of literature and by gosh I miss Terry Pratchett. It's it just nostalgia? Maybe. But also if I lose this shit, I probably lose even more of my identity and continue down the slope of depression and anxiety that began around that age. I keep getting told I look so young (I'm 31) and I know that ADHDers do grow up slower than their neurotypical peers. It takes longer for our brains to develop. The ADHD / Autistic brain doesn't "prune" neural pathways and the overlap can contribute to positive and negative elements of cognitive differences. E.g. improved pattern recognition vs sensory overload. I would cite the studies I have looked at, but I can't be bothered digging through my browsing history.

This is one of those times where I overthink the interaction and realise I'm possibly at fault for being "too much", or reflect on a childhood memory and have it reframed as another example of me being neurodivergent and not fitting in. But at that point in time, age 9 or 10, the other kids on my debate team seemed fine with me sharing my point and explaining it, as a means to an end in completing the class debate. I thought I was welcomed.

It's only with this comment, I find myself wondering how much of my past conduct was actually too much or too weird or too different for other people.

Ironically, this lunch came after we had an hour long presentation from the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) team at work... where they specifically outlined how feeling "othered" can negatively affect behaviour.

Cool. Cool Cool Cool.

[ladylooch]

i am simping SO hard for luca fiala rn (which feels like a sin because i love his parents’ storg and he was just a baby then 😭)

BUT here’s a thought: jealous liv 😭😭😭

A/N: Absolutely NOT a sin to simping after Luca. He’s that sweet 🥰 Our lil Livy girl is so lucky! On that note, let’s give it all a little shove.

Luca’s cute yawn reaches Liv on the screen of her propped up iPhone. She is working on a paper while talking to her sleepy boyfriend. Luca had a late night traveling back to Minnesota from California, so he is just waking up. The first thing he does each morning is call her. It’s Liv’s favorite time of the day and she built her class schedule around their morning routine.

“So sleepy. You’re up a little early.” She notes, glancing to see it is only 9:30am there. He is sitting on his couch, the winter sunlight brightening his brown eyes, tossing gold flecks into them.

“Yeah, Willa is over.” He mumbles, glancing behind him as the sound of the oven door opening reaches Liv. Her fingers pause on her keyboard. She turns to look at Luca on the screen. His eyes are above the phone, where she knows his TV hangs on the opposite wall. Willa is Luca’s neighbor, who is entirely too cheery and friendly. Maybe her personality is that, but the way she hovers around Luca makes Liv's skin itchy.

“Oh.” Liv murmurs, then glances to where Luca is, realizing again that he is shirtless. She purses her lips, trying to fight against the jealously and insecurity bubbling in her chest. “That’s… nice.” Luca looks back at his girlfriend, hearing the tightness in her voice. His guest butts in before he can soothe the crunch in Liv's nose.

“Hi Livia!” Willa says excitedly while coming behind Luca. She insists on using her first name, even though Liv has mentioned her preferred name. “You have the sweetest boyfriend!” Liv knows this but puts on a passing, fake smile.

“He is the best, huh?”

“Totally! My oven stopped working and you know how slow maintenance is with their requests.” She laughs faintly. “And this one.” Willa says as she slaps Luca’s bare shoulder. Liv’s fake smile turns into gritted teeth. “Was kind enough to get up early so I could finish making cupcakes for my nephew. He is five today! Wow, time is flying!” 

“It sure is!” Liv exclaims. Luca’s eyebrows pull together, sensing his girlfriend’s further displeasure seep through the phone. “Well, baby.” Liv exaggerates the pet name. “You are just so busy this morning! I better let you go. You should help with those cupcakes. You’re the best froster in the Midwest.”

“Liv, wait-” Luca starts.

“Have an amazing day, Willa! Enjoy the cupcakes!” Liv clicks off.

Anger tightens her shoulders as she looks back at the last sentence she wrote for her paper. Green clouds her vision as she begins to rework her last paragraph. Soon, the green turns into watery tears. 

“Damn it.” She whispers, her bottom lip trembling.

So many emotions rock through her. She’s insanely jealous of Willa spending time with her boyfriend. She’s hurt that Luca didn’t even tell her about Willa being there until it was obvious someone was with him. She is mad at herself for, probably, blowing this out of proportion. And she’s sad. So sad. She misses him right now. He feels so much farther away than he is. Liv curses at how their schedules are continuously not lining up for a visit. 

Liv drops her head into her hands, collecting her tears on her fingertips to wash them away. This is so stupid.

Her phone buzzes with a new text. She knows it’s from Luca. But she doesn’t want to talk more right now. Instead, she pulls her ear buds out, slams her laptop shut, and heads to the gym to run as hard as she can away from this feeling. When she gets back, dripping with sweat and feeling like she punished herself, she grabs the phone, seeing numerous texts and phone call attempts from Luca. Guilt pinches her throat.

Baby, what was that?

Can you please pick up the phone?

Babe. Nothing is going on with Willa and I, if that is what you’re thinking. It’s as innocent as she told you. 

Okay. You’re not ready. I won’t push anymore. I’m going to the rink. If you call and I don’t answer, that’s why.

Liv falls back onto her bed, ignoring the way her sweat bleeds into her freshly washed comforter.

So much for outrunning this feeling.

[itwasthisorthemilitary]

March 18th, 2024

I had such a weird day? So after coming home from the doctors I sat in my bed here and cried for like 30 minutes. And then i was like “suck it up buttercup stop feeling sorry for yourself” and i went to the kitchen to socialize with my parents. We talked for HOURS about politics, my background in art, I learned how to make hojaldras (basically just fried dough), talked to my parents about my family back in the states, lied and said i broke up with a BF to come to Panama (Sorry Shawn 😉). Then at around 2 they were like “vamos” and for the hundredth time since this adventure began, I got into a car not knowing where i was going or for how long.

So i found myself at a beautiful house in Costa Rica. It’s where my mom’s parents, and other siblings still live. My grandmother lost her leg to diabetes so they decided to prick my finger to test my blood to see if the infection was related to diabetes? Rest assured, my blood sugar was normal (incredible considering how much sugar i have here).

Now this deserves its own paragraph.

THE COFFEE. Holy shit. At my real host family, they drink instant coffee and even so it’s not every day. Today, I had 5 cups of black coffee. This family roasts their own beans and honestly after cup five was the closest I’ve ever felt to believing in god. I was also vibrating.

In the house was me, my mom, my aunt, two uncles, the girlfriend of one of my uncles, and my grandparents. All of them are from/live in Costa Rica and even though we were less than 30 minutes over the border, the difference between Panamanians and Costa Ricans is incredible.

One of the aunts, Nana, lives at home and takes care of the grandparents. She’s their home nurse, educated in health care but also specializing in homeopathic remedies. This girl cleaned my feet meticulously. She then made a bath with warm water, saline, and salvia leaves to soak my feet and genuinely it was the best i felt all day. Afterward she rubbed some cream on it, don’t know what, but at this point i didn’t care. I was so grateful to be sitting with this family. I ate fresh pineapple and coconut and spent the day sitting around chatting. I was exhausted, from stress of missing class, battling an infection, and an entire day where I only spoke Spanish (aside from 20 minutes on the phone with Hannah).

As they drove me home around 9:45 we swung by my families restaurant (still in Costa Rica) to pick someone up and sitting there were my 4 supervisors….

They didn’t ask why i was in Costa Rica, standing barefoot in the street as i BEGGED them to let me come to class in the morning. Francisco seemed impressed that i was so adamant on attending and said that I can observe but not necessarily participate because I won’t be able to wear close toed shoes.

My family in Costa Rica says that I am welcome to visit anytime once I get assigned to my site. I get A LOT of bonus point with host families for having no preferences/restrictions from food. There are a lot of complaints about volunteers being picky. Mango hasn’t been an issue because it’s not in season yet. If you’re hungry enough, everything tastes good.

Today made me feel much more confident in my abilities to be at site alone. I saw none of my fellow volunteers all day and I was able to hold my own and make new friends.

[drowninnoodles]

get unfinished writing in ur inbox'd!

The storm

Bzzt… Bzzt… Bzzt… My phone was buzzing. It was probably the nook miles app, i had just caught a bug- Oh wait. No, its my actual phone. Silly me. Itll stop buzzing in a second, then i can get back to playing. But it didnt stop. I went over and picked it up, and it was another emergency alert. This is what, the third this year? A stark contrast from the 0 in the past maybe 3 years. And its only february. The alert is so long, it barely fits on my screen. It says that a cyclone is coming, which i knew,  that there would be high winds, which i also knew, but theres also a paragraph saying that schools will be closed. Why on earth they would feel the need to bug someone with something like this is a mystery to me. It’s nigh-impossible to miss anything about the storms these days, especially after that time. My parents say its to keep everyone safe, but its getting far to annoying. Before getting back to my game, I switch my phone to do not disturb. I bet everyone will be freaking out about it.

However, even after silencing the phone, I still hear a buzzing sound. I look around the room looking for the source of the sound. As I get closer to my closet, the sound gets louder

I put my ear to the closet and listen.

"Hello?" I hear a quiet voice in the closet

"Barry?" Someone answers

"Adam?"

Oan you believe this is happening?

I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here.

- You got lint on your fuzz.

- Ow! That's me!

- Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000.

- Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house!

- Hey, Adam.

- Hey, Barry.

- Is that fuzz gel?

- A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different.

- Hi, Barry.

- Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good.

- Hear about Frankie?

- Yeah.

- You going to the funeral?

- No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances.

- Well, Adam, today we are men.

- We are!

- Bee-men.

- Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive Oity graduating class of... ...9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick ourjob today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times.

- Wonder what it'll be like?

[iamstartraveller776]

I snagged this from @coraleethroughthelookingglass!

1. Are you named after anyone?

Nope. My parents made up my name specifically for my nickname. My mom thought my nickname was too "boyish" and refused to have it on my birth certificate. What's cool is that my nickname (which is what I've always gone by; I love it) is actually a Scandinavian girl's name. My Norwegian mother-in-law was absolutely tickled about it when I first met her.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday. Life is currently tossing me lemons faster than I can make lemonade.

3. Do you have kids?

Yes, a whole bunch of them. I even have a son-in-law!

4. Do you use sarcasm?

Usually only around other sarcastic people, but even then, it's often light sarcasm. I get anxious over the idea of inadvertently hurting someone's feelings.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their vibe. It's probably because of childhood stuff, but I notice people's moods before anything else. And I'm usually not wrong when something seems off about them.

6. What's your eye colour?

A warm but very dark brown. Not quite Ben Barnes dark brown, but close.

7. Scary movie or happy ending?

Depends on my mood. I don't watch as much horror as I did when I was younger.

8. Any special talents?

Um, I can raise my eyebrows individually and make them do the wave?

9. Where were you born?

Southern California, USA

10. What are your hobbies?

Writing, art, playing piano (not very well but I love it anyway), cross-stitching

11. Do you have any pets?

It's more my husband's pet, but we have a little milk snake named Jack.

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

I was a competitive swimmer in high school.

13. How tall are you?

5'4" or 152 cm for my non-American friends

14. Favourite subject in school?

Whichever class had the most engaging teacher. I liked learning, so there wasn't a subject I despised. But there sure were teachers I dreaded sitting in class for!

15. Dream job?

Full-time author. But that would mean actually writing a novel, so...

Tagging anyone who wants to play! I'd love to learn more about any of you!

Here is the list of questions in a single paragraph for ease of copying and pasting:

1. Are you named after anyone? 2. When was the last time you cried? 3. Do you have kids? 4. Do you use sarcasm? 5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? 6. What’s your eye colour? 7. Scary movie or happy ending? 8. Any special talents? 9. Where were you born? 10. What are your hobbies? 11. Do you have any pets? 12. What sports do you play/have you played? 13. How tall are you? 14. Favourite subject in school? 15. Dream job?

[artemismoorea03]

Woke up this morning to pouring rain, gray skies, and realizations that I don’t think I was ready to face. 

I guess it started yesterday, when I was asking my wonderful spouse what he thought I should work on. I gave him the options of ‘Monkies or Phantom’. Because in my head he wouldn’t know them by much more than that. After all, he’s busy working and supporting us. (He takes care of me because of my physical disabilities.)

So, imagine my surprise when instead of just saying “Monkies” or “Phantom” he actually says; “I think you should work on Secrets Lost today.”

I actually kind of froze up and looked at him, completely surprised. I didn’t know he even knew the name of that series but then he added onto it by saying; “You posted part of your Monkies yesterday, right? So work on Secrets Lost.”

Again, I hadn’t mentioned that I posted a second chapter. So I just asked him; “Do you follow me?”

He seemed embarrassed and mumbled; “Yeah, of course I do. I get notifications every time you post anything.”

And that was... shocking to me.

I think he thought I was teasing him by all the questions I asked and how I was acting but it was far from that. I was genuinely surprised that my spouse was taking time out of his busy day just to check his emails and check the notification that he gets from me.

Now, a lot of you are probably thinking “Duh, you guys are married he should support you” but... you guys don’t get it.

Until my partner I didn’t have a lot of that in-person support. When I was younger my biggest supporter was my cousins who I don’t see as much anymore. But other than them I didn’t get that support.

Especially in my own home.

So I guess it’s time for a second story.

Growing up my parents hated us reading. They hated it. They wouldn’t give us any time to sit down and read even if it were for a book report and then they would punish us for not having those reports done. My parents were more of the ‘reading isn’t a real skill, go outside and play in the dirt’ kind of people. And until I was about 8-9 I struggled to read even in class. Not because I didn’t know how but because I was afraid that I would get in trouble.

Scared that my book would get thrown away, that I would be mocked for what I was reading, that I would get lectured for reading instead of going outside.

But then I found the series “Maximum Ride” by James Patterson, namely “The Angel Experiment” which is still my favorite book series to this day. 

It was actually recommended to me by the librarian after my teacher at the time struggled to get me to feel safe enough to find a book for the last book report of the year. The librarian had seen me in there each and every time just grabbing something off the shelf, reading it as quickly as possible before putting it back later that day or early the next day. She knew I didn’t like books and that I was scared to read anything that I might actually like, but she still thought that I should try this series.

I wasn’t sure about the book at first. It was really big, was a higher level than my grade (it was marked 5 for 5th graders), it was hard back, and it was different than what my classmates were reading. But I sat on the beanbag in the library and decided to humor the librarian. 

By the end of the first paragraph I was hooked. No adult, no amount of fear, no amount of degrading I got from my classmates or my parents was enough to put that book down. I finished it in two days, and then read it again because I could. I was hooked, I would go to my parents and tell them all about it, and would get degraded and bullied by them but I didn’t care because it was awesome!

I would talk to the neighbors over the fence about my book, I was talk all about it to my friends on the bus and they would actually listen because ‘what the fuck, Ari actually read a book that they liked’?

I got a high grade on my book report and actually enjoyed writing the book report because I loved the book! 

After that I decided that I wanted to write a book that could make some kid like me just as happy. That book series was directly responsible for getting me into writing. I’ve been writing almost every single day since I finished that first book. Every day for nearly 20 years and while I know that I still have more to learn I know that I can reach it because it’s something I enjoy doing.

Now, my parents hate for reading continued to me writing. When I was younger I was hearing constant comments about writing/reading not being ‘real skills’ or a ‘real job’.

That didn’t work so then they tried; ‘it doesn’t pay much’.

I didn’t care, because I was doing what felt right to me.

‘We’ll never read it.’

They’ve only ever glanced at my notes and berated me for every sentence.

‘nobody will ever read this.’

Well, people do and even when they didn’t I enjoyed writing so it didn’t matter.

When they saw I wasn’t going to stop writing their comments changed, and now I have all these new comments that still just... hurt.

‘You’re not making money’

‘you’re wasting time’

‘your partner wont love you because all you’re doing is writing when you should be doing a real job and not be so useless. You’re just being a burden on him.’

‘You wrote 800,000+ words? That’s awesome. When are you actually going to publish it instead of keeping it to yourself and wasting your time? This is your problem, you never know how to finish anything and you just move onto the net project.’ (Which... is partially true? But if Monkies Aren’t Alright was done until Season 4 came out... so idk if that counts...?)

‘Your sister is having a baby and getting married. What are you doing?’

Well... I’m not really sure I wont kids. I’m already married and unlike my parents I’m happy in my marriage. So... guess I get points for that at least?

ANYWAYS!

I’m getting off track, sorry.

I guess the point of this whole ramble is just because... I don’t know. Guess it hit me on how much support means to me because I’ve never really gotten that before. So seeing all the comments I get, the pieces of art that I’m blessed with by my readers, and the silent support of my spouse and my readers means the world to me.

So... thank you.

Thank you for reading any of my series and for reading this. Thank you for the comments, the hearts, the kudos and just the general support. It means so much to me, and the little girl that was hiding her notebooks under her pillow so they didn’t get thrown away.

Thank you.

[keendaanmaa]

Tagged by the lovely @called-kept *checks calendar* two weeks ago (oops! these are much easier to do on web and I rarely turn my laptop on anymore)

Rules: answer the question and tag fifteen mutuals

1. Are you named after anyone?

My middle name is for a great-aunt who died young and also at least one family friend. I share it with several cousins who are also named after the same great-aunt.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Good question, because I genuinely can’t remember

3. Do you have kids?

Bit hard when I am very very very single

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not really. Occasionally, yes, but not frequently

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

I wouldn’t know, because whatever it is, it completely bypasses my conscious brain

6. What’s your eye colour?

Brown

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Definitely happy endings, but I’m not averse to some drama or scary bits in the middle

8. Any special talents?

Uh. Reading quickly? Idk, let me get back to you on this one

9. Where were you born?

In the same room of the same hospital with the same doctor as Blue

10. What are your hobbies?

Reading (mostly fanfiction 😬), sewing, worldbuilding (since I probably can’t call it writing if I’ve not written a paragraph of narrative for it in years). Recently contemplating some forays into woodworking, which I did a bit of in junior high but haven’t done since

11. Have you any pets?

Just a timeshare in my parents’ golden retriever 😊

12. What sports do you play/have played?

Archery! I was on my school’s team through junior and senior high, and found out this fall that some friends have a target set up in their back yard so I am looking forward to pulling my bow out again when the weather is warm enough

13. How tall are you?

Shorter than Blue, taller than my mom. And most of my coworkers

14. Favourite subject in school?

In high school, probably the sciences (I took chem, bio, and physics all the way through). In college....probably anything about humanity as a group? So, that one history elective, my sociology classes, world religions, etc. I very very much prefer the physicality of nursing for my full time pursuit, but I found the subject matter of the humanities side very interesting

15. Dream job?

Exactly what I’m doing now! Nursing in a small rural hospital where you have to know something about everything and you get to know the people and community well 😊

Tbh i don’t actually have fifteen mutuals to tag, and I think everyone I would tag has already done this or been tagged..... so I guess open tag for anyone who sees this and wants to join in!

[burnt-pencil]

I am not a good person, and I say that as a perfectly correct thing to say.

I have been repeating this to myself for half an hour now. I am not a good person, I am not a good daughter, I am not a good sister, I am not a good student, I am not a good friend.

I am not a good daughter — I resent my parents despite their best efforts to give me a good life. I focus on those times they didn't hug me, they didn't reach out. The last resentment I added to the list was when they told me next time I came home they would buy me some stuff from a bakery that recently opened in our town. I've come home five times since then and they have completely forgotten. They simply got too much on their minds, and I cannot blame them, but it still itches for some reason.

I am not a good sister — Yes I love my little brother very much. Yes I would do anything in the world for him! And yet, and yet, I recognize I cannot look at him without being envious. He has our parents' complete support. They have always been by his side when he needed it, and he needed it a lot. He's got a disability so of course he is going to need more support than me!

And yet, and yet... It kinda sucks. Actually, it fucking sucks a lot. I have always dealt with my problems alone, because I didn't want to burden my parents. I always take my emotions and put them in a box where they won't be in the way. Everybody around me told me and my parents I was a gifted child. So I continued being a gifted child while my brother was a disabled kid. One of us needed support, and the other one could do everything she put her heart into! She could absolutely achieve everything she wanted!

So where the fuck did that child go and why am I crying in her bed.

I am not a good student — I was a gifted kid yeah I get it. A pleasure to have in class. Always got good marks. Always writing the best essays, always making the best project, always giving it her all.

I did not fucking care about school one bit. I'm skipping class today, in fact, because I cannot keep it together anymore and if I gotta feel like shit, better feel like shit when I'm not surrounded by other people that could not care less about me.

All I did in school was so I could feel recognized. Teachers liked me and I was taught that was the greatest achievement a student could strive for. My parents were happy when I got good grades! Wasn't that great? Wasn't that all I needed?

Seems like it fucking wasn't because two days ago my mother told me to go congratule my brother for writing a two paragraph text. Of course I was happy for him! That's a big achievement for him! I just kinda wish my mother would have put the same energy into rasing *me* up! I am selfish and Im coming to terms with it. I remember once, in highschool, I got an 8 instead of a 9 or a 10. It was still a good mark, I tell myself years down the line. But at that moment my mother seemed disappointed, so I practiced and studied more and more everyday, til I finally got a 10 in that subject.

She was happy, because it was a good mark, but that was all. It was not bad, but. I wish she could have recornized how much effort I put into it, at least.

I am not a good friend — I am writing this in my room while my roommate and one of my greatest friends since six years ago is in the living room with her boyfriend-not-boyfriend. I am getting annoyed by her laugh. I used to like it, but these past months it sounds too high pitched, too irritating. I may just be in the wrong headspace, but she just feels different. I may still just be resentful after yesterday, when she insisted I go with her and her classroom friends to have lunch, and she did not even talk to me a single time. A completely unkown to me friend of hers talked more to me than she did. And I am not particularly outgoing and comfortable with strangers, and she has known this for a long time, so idk. Maybe I'm just trying to find reasons to get angry at her. At my friend. At one of my best friends who each day I feel more separated from.

If I told any of those people now that I am not a good person they would inmediately refute me. I have always been a good person, good daughter, good sister, good student, good friend. How date I suggest otherwise.

And yet I'm kind of curious about how they would react if I told them I want to ruin my life. I want to throw out the window everything good I have ever been and I want to burn everything good I have ever done. I want to ruin my life and spit on the dust and rubble and become a messy ugly crying and sobbing and screaming thing. I want to see if they would confort me then. Would they still say that they love me?

[ulearn4today]

ENGLISH OLYMPIAD GRADE 3 MOCK TEST 4

International English Olympiad

Class 3 / Grade 3

PRACTICE SET – 4

 WORD AND STRUCTURE KNOWLEDGE

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD TO FILL IN THE BLANKS IN THE PAIR OF SENTENCES

1.    Do you want ______ a phone?

      Do you want to _____ your phone?

A. cell, cell

B. cell, sell

C. sell, cell

 CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD THAT BEST COMPLETES THE RELATIONSHIP

2. WORKER is to FACTORY as CAR MECHANIC is to _____

A. MACHINE

B. TOOL

C. GARAGE

3. BLOOD is to HUMANS as SAP is to _____

A. TREES

B. ANIMALS

C. BIRDS

COMPLETE THE SENTENCE WITH THE CORRECT WORD

4. In America, a sidewalk is actually a _______

A. pavement

B. embankment

C. catchment

CHOOSE THE ODD WORD OUT

5. _______

A. helicopter

B. aeroplane

C. rocket

 6. _______

A. spectacles

B. newspaper

C. books

 CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION TO COMPLETE EACH SENTENCE

7. I’ve been living in this house _____ 2000.

A. since

B. for

C. from

 8. ‘Can you show me _____ good pens, please?’

A. any

B. some

C. few

9. ‘Nick, are you coming to school tomorrow?’

“No, I ______’

A. would not

B. am not

C. do not

10. ‘Did Dolly _____ about her performance in the test, Mrs. Hopkins?’ asked the teacher.’

A. told

B. tells

C. tell

11. The clever dog jumped _____ the garden wall and escaped.

A. on

B. at

C. over

12. ______ is an endangered species

A. The tiger

B. Tiger

C. A tiger

 13. ‘Wait. I’m ______ to finish.’

A. nearly

B. almost

C. about

CHOOSE THE LINKING WORD THAT BEST COMPLETES THE SENTENCE

14. You can play with my toys for ______ you like.

A. as soon as

B. as far as

C. as long as

15. Some tigers may appear to be white because they ______.

A. Are different from the orange ones.

B. Suffer from a rare skin disease.

C. Lack a special colouring agent in their skins.

 READING

FOR QUESTIONS 15 TO 21, READ THE PASSAGE AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW.

 THE WHITE BENGAL TIGER

I’m sure you have seen hundreds of Orange Bengal Tigers but did you know that there are White Bengal Tigers too? They are unique for their white color fur which is not a result of any disease. It is actually because of the absence of a pigment or color giving agent, which is found in orange coloured Bengal Tigers.

If you compare the White Bengal Tiger to an Orange Bengal Tiger, you will notice the former are somewhat bigger. Even as cubs, they are bigger than the Orange Bengal Tiger Cubs and tend to grow faster and heavier.

The White Bengal Tiger’s stripes are like our finger prints - no two tigers are the same! Also, the stripes of the tiger are a coloration of the skin.

Did you know that several hundred White Bengal Tigers are currently in captivity worldwide, with about 100 being found in India alone! That’s sad, isn’t it?  I hate the very idea of keeping any animal in captivity, let alone tigers. Another thing I don’t like is showcasing these majestic creatures in entertainment business. It is not fair to force animals to work in circuses, is it?

Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha is the host zoo for white tigers. In 1980, the first litter of white tigers were born to Deepak and Ganga, both normal tawny tigers. Subsequent litters of white tigers have been distributed to zoos both at home and abroad.

At present, the park is home to over 34 white tigers. The good thing is that the population of White Bengal Tigers is on the increase! Yippee! Their unique fur has made white tigers popular in entertainment, showcasing exotic animals, and at Zoos. I am not very sure if that is something good to the tigers. What do you think?

  16. An individual white tiger can be identified from its ________

A. fingerprints

B. fur

C. stripes

17. Which of the following statements is TRUE in the context of paragraph 2?

A. An orange tiger is usually bigger and heavier than a white one.

B. A white tiger is usually bigger and heavier than an orange one.

C. An orange tiger cub is usually bigger and heavier than the white one.

18. According to paragraph 5, Deepak and Ganga were ______

A. First known white tiger cubs born in captivity.

B. Parents of the first litter of white tiger cubs.

C. A tiger couple that worked in a circus.

 19. White tigers are popular in the entertainment business showcasing animals because of ______

A. Their size and weight

B. Their unique stripes

C. The colour of their fur

20. Which of the following views does the author hold?

A. Animals should be allowed to lively freely in their natural habitats.

B. The white tiger population is slowly decreasing.

C. Some animals have to be kept in cages for entertainment purposes.

21. According to the passage, the current population of tigers in the Nandankanan is ______

A. Several hundred

B. One hundred

C. Over thirty four.

CHOOSE THE BEST RESPONSE

22. If someone thanks you for something you did for them, what would you say in response?

A. OK, OK

B. No mention, please.

C. You’re welcome.

23. ‘______is this pen for, please?’

A. How much

B. What price

C. What’s the cost

24. ‘Mom, can I ______ another chocolate, please?’

‘Sorry, there isn’t any left in the refrigerator.’

A. buy

B. have

C. give

25. If someone makes a mistake, which of the following words is he/she most likely to use?

A. Wow!

B. Yuck!

C. Oops!

FOR QUESTIONS 26 TO 30,

CHOOSE THE BEST OPTION TO COMPLETE EACH BLANK.

THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA

Italy’s leaning tower of Pisa is ______(26)_____ freestanding bell tower of the Cathedral of Pisa. It is _____(27)_____ worldwide for its tilt to one side. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third _____(28)_____ structure in Pisa’s Cathedral Square. The tower’s tilt began _____(29)_____ construction. It was caused by an inadequate foundation on ground which was too soft on one side to properly support the structure’s weight. The tilt ____(30)______ long before the structure was completed and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized. It was partially corrected by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

26. _______

A. a

B. an

C. the

 27. _______

A. well-known

B. little-known

C. unknown

28. _______

A. old

B. older

C. oldest

29. _______

A. in

B. during

C. while

30. _______

A. started

B. has started

C. was started

CHOOSE THE BEST RESPONSE

31. ‘Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a _____ of water.’

Look how ____ and weak you are. Don’t you eat anything?

A. peal, peel

B. pale, pail

C. pail, pale

 32. ‘The boys had a hard time finding ______ classroom.’

A. they’re

B. their

C. there

33. ‘Where do you get all these fantastic ideas from? I find them totally _____! They make no sense at all.’ yelled Mrs.Wodehouse.

A. serious

B. stupid

C. boring

34. _____ he is rich, he is miserly.

A. Whereas

B. Because

C. Although

35. Situation : You have to politely ask for some drinking water.

A. Can I have a glass of water, please?

B. Give me a glass of water, will you?

C. I want a glass of water, do you hear?

[artcallednaturalviews]

Out Loud I Scream With day to days In prepositional Not my title Just day after day A full sentence of And continually To a paragraph Out loud I scream Professor held hands Here’s a one They see it be it breathe the life back into us We had a student Why’s my class so See em low Where’s the Silo To take a class I heard in accolades Out Loud I Scream Silo Not of words of assembly Slavery in Diguise Not convinced Show me taking elsewhere Parental Advisory Parents never saw the potential A teacher didn’t speak Or hap haphazardly This has this not Watch this on further A teacher knows A days of fall for next mid year outcome Who to support Who not A teacher knows more than just two working parents But when class the teacher Beneath US A teacher knows better than I the parent I spend more time with all the kids Multiply my 9 months times a < or > 20 If you can Parent You look down upon me A Teacher Out loud I scream when no kids around Let alone The school supplies Always a bitch For parent Blame I’m paid by Government With UR Taxes I have 9 months than out I should save for summer You didn’t save for Let alone for Also for That new parental pick up ride is nice Thanks for showing My parental teacher four times a year But I can’t speak to Authorities On assumptions Keep Professional Out loud I scream All by myself solo Yes low And children, we can’t speak the language All new or not at all taught A veiled shadow during those days over the statue, when a triumph was in charge, and no one listened Not toppled like an author said just veiled But migrating CoVid stand still idle government until next elected took in all of it No one listened Look new Faces Dragonflies A change

[letterstoponyo]

08/30/23

dear ponyo,

i’m sorry i haven’t been writing to you. i have not been in the proper headspace to articulate my thoughts. all i kept doing was tuning out everything in my head, even the good stuff. i’m not okay, and i don’t know how to tell people that i’m not. i’m about to start a semester with a lot of classes to take on and i have the faintest idea if i could pull any of it off. i’m sorry if this isn’t a letter updating you of what changes our home underwent recently, i just really need to get it out in the open that i’m in a terrible place mentally and i want to tell people about it without dragging them down with me.

i miss you ponyo. i always do. my belief in a lot of things is always tested by the odds i’m dealt with but i never not believe that you’re still out there, someplace fun and painless. and that you pay us a visit when most warranted.

i know you still visit us. and i know you’re here right now. earlier tonight i told your dad that i cannot wait for ponpon and yoshi to grow a little bigger so they’d be able to climb up the shelf you used to sleep at, right beside the lamp. and before i even finished the second paragraph of this letter i found yoshi walking back and forth that shelf. they weren’t able to do that before tonight and i know that was no coincidence. that was you, and it was such a warm moment. how do you make us feel loved even from a place unseen? i needed that. i vehemently, desperately needed that. i know you taught yoshi how to climb the shelf. i know you wanted to alleviate what i was carrying in my chest and head even just slightly, in your own little ways. you didn’t just do slightly, you did the whole nine yards and more lengths after that. i love you ponyo. you’re a hero. i don’t know what good i did in life to have ever deserved to be your parent in the 9 months you were alive. i’m still your mom and your dad is still your dad beyond death’s schedule. our bond cannot be severed by even the sharpest of the grim reaper’s blades. you’re ours and always will be.

you’re gone two weeks now. no it doesn’t get easier. but the little gifts you leave through the whole of our home help remind us that death isn’t like a period that ends a sentence, but a comma that pauses but allows you to carry on still.

yours always,

mom and dad

[lunarmote]

An update...

I’ve been the happiest I’ve been in 4 years. This is such a weird feeling. I find reasons to self-sabotage or to tell myself I shouldn’t be feeling this way. You get so used to a constant of sadness that you want to invite it back. The absence of those feelings makes me antsy.

I’ve discovered a few things about myself. One is that I really need to be connected to other people in order to function. I used to think I was extremely introverted because I had no one; my single parent worked a 9-5 and attended night classes and how convenient it was to barricade myself in my room after school and consume media. Or invest in solo hobbies. It wasn’t all that bad (so I thought), so I kind of assumed there was nothing more to life. But even back then, there were signs. I’d go to the downtown Starbucks, the one with 4 out of 5 busted outlets, just to hear the chattering of strangers. Sometimes the low drone in the background helped me to concentrate, but during momentary lapses of self-awareness, I'd feel consumed by such a gaping feeling of emptiness that I’d pack my stuff and start on the lonely journey home.

The more people I talk to, the more I realize I am really enriched by simply being in others’ presence. There is no electrifying feeling of “clicking” with “your people.” I am energized in general by the buzz of exchange. I get home and I might not remember what happened and what conversations we had but I feel a lightness in my body, and if the conversation happened in the morning, this lightness sets my mood for the rest of the day.

Sometimes I get this feeling that I’d prefer to be a ghost so I can linger in the spaces that others are and so they don’t have to be pressured to present their public self to me. I’m not interested in eavesdropping on personal conversations. Most of the words don’t register, anyway. I just like being in the presence of other people.

I’d like to start writing again, but I’m not really sure what to write about. Plus — here’s the more annoying problem — I have a habit of editing and reshaping my paragraphs until what I originally wanted to say is completely unrecognizable. Because my thoughts never come out right and I keep thinking it’s a matter of my slippery grasp on the English language. Maybe it’s time to make peace with the fact that I’ll always feel some kind of barrier between my need to express myself and natural language.