Bisan is calling for another global strike!
I saw some posts just outlining Jan 21st, and wanted to clarify that Bisan has called for a full seven days of action.
What a global strike would look like is:
calling in sick to work
purchasing bare essentials ahead of the week so you can observe the general boycott of goods / buying as little as you genuinely can
putting in a concerted effort to elevate Palestinian voices and make it clear that this strike is in support of a permanent ceasefire!
For those who will have to purchase necessary goods during this time, please observe the brands that the BDS movement is asking us to boycott!
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Right now is also a good time to mention some better uses for your money during this week.
Available e-sims in Gaza are running low!!
Mirna El Helbawi and her team are working round the clock to continue to connect Palestinians as Israel does its best to cut them off from the rest of the world.
You can learn how to purchase and send e-sims here, and below you’ll find a list of what is currently needed (the areas in brackets indicate what region you should select to buy e-sims in).
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CareforGaza is an organisation that does verifiably good work, distributing supplies directly to Palestinian families.
They have a Gofundme set up at the moment, but because of Gofundme’s poor track record regarding refusing to transfer funds to Palestinians, I’d recommend continuing to donate directly to their PayPal here.
Good luck to all of you. Don't turn away from Palestine!
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Connecting with people and not taking things personally can be hard at times. I used to be able to detach myself easily from things that are unhealthy for me, but I’ve been having a hard time doing so lately. It’s probably because I allowed myself to be vulnerable without any boundaries. Hence, I realized how important it is to have boundaries, particularly regarding things that matter to you.
I’ve realized that I struggle to adopt the “let them be” approach in my life. Allowing people to treat me based on how they want to doesn’t sound healthy especially when they are being shitty. I can’t let people treat me as a back burner. I can’t let people treat me as a convenient friend. I can’t let people treat me as someone who is just squeezed into their schedule instead of making time for me. I prioritize myself above anyone else and I would never allow myself to be trampled on by other people.
I used to be hard on myself when I reacted in a certain way to things not going my way, but I learned to accept the fact that that’s just how I am. I hold grudges. I hate it when I’m being taken advantage of. I dislike liars. I cut off people easily. I would never allow a person who hurt me to leave freely without facing consequences. If people start treating me badly, I’ll detach myself from them until my patience runs out and that’s when I’ll cut them off. I get mad when something toxic is happening in my life. All of these are valid ways for me to show self-respect.
Not taking things personally is one of the best approaches that I’ve learned. It allows me to step back and detach myself easily from people or situations that might affect me negatively. An example is when my friend canceled our hangout on the same day. I can get mad at them for canceling, but would it be helpful for me to get mad? No. Then I’ll just think that them canceling has nothing to do with me but more about them. They canceled because they’re feeling down. They canceled because they got lazy. Or perhaps it really has something to do with me HAHAHAHAHAHA—okay, I get it. I might get a little upset about that, but I won’t dwell on the feeling because it doesn’t serve any purpose.
A victim of bullying and a people pleaser in the past learned not to take things personally????? I find it fascinating how much I’ve grown during the past few years, especially during the pandemic. I used to think that I was already satisfied with how I was in the past, but then I realized that the only thing that is constant in life is change and it made me feel at ease because what do you mean I can still become a better person than I am right now????? Pursuing self-development has been one hell of a ride because one moment I’m doing so much better and the next, I’ve reverted back to my old habits. Being self-aware has been one of the best feelings in the world, but maintaining self-awareness was a bit of a challenge for me, especially as a female who gets her period monthly (iykyk). It is the best feeling in the world because you finally know who you are. You might not have things figured out, but it’s still okay because you’re still growing. The world didn’t end when I was 16, 19, and last year.
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Ok, but why do I imagine Eight being the unofficial child of Pearl x Marina?
Because I imagine Eight was minding their business and all of a sudden, Pearl would slam the paper down and said “You’re adopted now”
Basically OTH at the start of their world tour haha, I love that they took Eight with them.
I have more detailed thoughts under the cut for those interested in my ramblings, analysis and interpretations of the characters.
Disclaimer: This is my own take on it, don’t let it ruin your fun!
I personally don’t really subscribe to the fandom’s ‘pearlina moms’ headcanon.
On the one hand, I am an absolute sucker for the ‘found family’ trope, and I definitely think Agent 8 and OTH fit in it!
On the other hand, I think people immediately put Pearl and Marina into the ‘parenthood’ box, a little too eagerly. Not saying this specific ask is that, btw, it just reminded me of some instances i’ve seen.
I personally think that the relationship between OTH and Agent 8 is a little more nuanced & sibling-esque, for the following reasons:
1. Within canon, we often see 8 being referred to as a friend by both Pearl and Marina.
Pearl does it more explicitly (see that one interview at her house), whereas with Marina it’s more insinuated (ex. In the Side Order dev diaries, she starts calling Agent 8 as ‘Eight’, which is stated to be a name used by their friends).
Pearl seems to be an accidental-duck-parent of sorts who haphazardly collects octoling teenagers & young musical talent. It goes in line with her whole mentor-esque leader personality, and i’m sure these disoriented teens find relief in an idol who seemingly knows what she’s doing (she really doesn’t).
However she doesn’t act in a parental manner. More-so like your estranged gay cousin who hit it big in another country and is down to show your queer little butt the ropes.
Marina on the other hand seems to have a more empathetic approach with Agent 8 (opposite to Pearl’s brashness). Marina clearly connects with Agent 8 through their shared experience as defected octoling soldiers, and probably sees her younger self in them. She’s already caring as it is, but this is accentuated during octo expansion given the circumstances.
I feel however that, unlike Pearl, Marina has a bit of a harder time actually forming a bond with Eight at the beginning. Their similarities (seemingly) end at their shared experience, and probably leaves Marina awkwardly wondering how to approach them further. What we can assume though is that they become closer friends during OTH’s world tour, given the events described in the Memverse Dev Diaries.
Meeting Eight during difficult circumstances (OE) and helping them get out creates a sense of camaraderie between them, which probably devolves into genuine care, established friendship and a strong bond amongst the three overtime.
2. Pearl and Marina are very career-centric both in Splat 2 and 3.
It is reasonable that the two young idols, who see their fame and musical recognition rise spectacularly & fast, are not particularly interested in settling down at this point in their lives.
Now entering her late 20s, Pearl is most definitely still interested in keeping the ball rolling with Off the Hook’s international success. Her character often points towards restlessness, freedom and discovery. There has definitely been character development in regards to her maturity in Splatoon 3, but these aforementioned traits are still ever present in her demeanour & decision-making.
Marina on the other hand can be seen slowly blossoming from a supporting character to being her own person. She definitely develops more self-confidence by Splatoon 3, but is still naturally bashful. It’s clear that she is allowing herself to explore & open up to new things for her own sake. She remains a caring and somewhat nurturing individual, but she is at a stage where she’s learning to live for herself and not for others.
Parenthood (and all the responsibilities and sacrifices it entails) at this moment of their lives would probably freak Pearl out, and stunt Marina’s personal growth.
3. The age gaps between OTH and Agent 8 are too close for it to create a parent/kid bond.
This makes their relationship a little hazy in regards to roles; 8 is still young enough that they may seek out rolemodels and mentors (still relatively influenceable), but they’re also nearing their 20s. By this point they are fairly self sufficient, have a sense of their personal values & identity, and they are relatively responsible & mature.
Pearl and Marina are 8’s seniors by approximately 4-6 years. However, in Splatoon 2 they’re entering their early 20s and their career has just begun to take off.
They are both still relatively youngsters, albeit older & more mature(? glancing at Pearl) youngsters than 8. This places them in a position where they can guide 8 and offer certain support and resources, but lack the maturity and experience of a full-fledged adult. This would approximate their relationship closer to that of siblings in a family setting.
Pearl & Marina are also less likely to feel a duty towards Eight as an adult would with a child. Instead, the latter’s circumstances are more likely to incite feelings of rapport and compassion as a fellow young inkfish.
Now, with all of this said, I will acknowledge that friendship/found family is MUCH more nuanced than a strict binary.
From personal experience in my last years of college, I did find myself caring for my fellow freshmen as though they were my kids, in certain ways. Hell, I called them my kids.
I acted as a proud parent whenever some of them achieved something, attempted to pass down my knowledge to them, and was protective of them to a certain extent.
They also annoyed me sometimes, like younger people do haha. And i’m sure I annoyed them too!
So I wouldn’t put it past OTH to call Eight their kid and have this mentor/parent-esque rapport with them in certain circumstances.
This is all based both on canon & my own interpretations of it, but still closely aligned to what has been shown in-game.
So if you have a different interpretation of Agent 8 and OTH, that’s great! I love to see people’s personal headcanons. Ultimately, Agent 8 is meant to be somewhat of a blank slate for the players to mold, with some hinted-at personality traits of their own.
As long as you have fun with these characters, that’s all that matters. This is just my personal opinion on their relationship in-game.
If you read all of this, you deserve the biggest golden star for listening to my incessant yapping 🤲⭐️
Feel free to bother me about this or other opinions you may have in my inbox, just be kind please!
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