#quality control app

[ykhdc1w]

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[jcmarchi]

Smart Buildings: The Key to Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in a Hybrid Era

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/smart-buildings-the-key-to-attracting-and-retaining-top-talent-in-a-hybrid-era/

Smart Buildings: The Key to Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in a Hybrid Era

The world of work has been in a state of flux over the past few years. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work became the norm, and as the dust settles, hybrid work models are most common. This shift in norms has been so profound it’s left commercial giants like Canary Wharf Group with 21% vacancy rates as of this year. Despite varying predictions and trends about the future of work, one thing remains clear: the power dynamics between employers and employees have changed dramatically. No longer can businesses compel their workforce to work from the office through sheer authority. Not when they can turn to a competitor company that offers more flexible terms. Instead, they need to offer genuine reasons for employees to willingly come back. This is where smart buildings come into play. Transforming offices into dynamic, receptive and ergonomic spaces is not just about embracing new technology. It’s about creating environments that attract and retain top talent.

Understanding Employee Needs

Employees have become accustomed to the convenience and comfort of working from home. With families and personal lives to juggle, they value the ability to maintain a flexible schedule and avoid the daily commute. Over half of employees say that working from home even makes them more productive. Whether leaders share their views or not, they will need to build a case to bring a happy and productive workforce back to the office. And winning employees back takes more than empty promises or clever sales pitches. Offices need to transform into places employees actually want to be. They need to offer an environment that rivals the home experience in terms of comfort and convenience. Since the majority of employees are looking for ways to drive their productivity, smart buildings can also make that extra bit of difference to keep them happy and engaged.

Comfort, Convenience, Productivity

A recent survey by insightful (cited by Fortune’s Sasha Rogelberg) found that over a third of employers estimate workplace distractions cause up to 25% of work time loss every week. If their estimations are even half accurate, this is a massive problem. Smart buildings reduce workplace distractions by leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) devices, artificial intelligence (AI), and other advanced technologies to create a responsive and adaptive environment, conducive to better output. Offices where lighting, temperature, and air quality are automatically adjusted based on occupancy and individual preferences not only optimise comfort but also enhance productivity by minimising distractions.

For instance, smart sensors can monitor and adjust lighting to reduce eye strain, while climate control systems maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the day. Smart buildings can also provide seamless connectivity and ensure that essential amenities, such as clean bathrooms and functional showers, are always in top condition. They can even tell you exactly where your bike is parked, saving time at the end of a long day. By eliminating these small yet significant inconveniences, businesses can create an office environment that employees look forward to working in and even do a better job.

Spontaneous Interactions

One of the primary arguments for returning to the office is the value of spontaneous interactions and cultural cohesion. In-person interactions foster collaboration, innovation, and a sense of community that is hard to replicate in a virtual setting. None express this view more ardently than in-person hardliner and CEO of Boots, Seb James, who declared the office to be a much more ‘inspiring and fun’ place when everyone is present, during his announcement of the five-day office return. Smart buildings facilitate these spontaneous and collaborative interactions by bringing common areas, meeting rooms and other shared spaces to life, as well as advertising workplace social events on a centralised app for everyone to see and move into their calendars.

Through the use of AI and IoT, these buildings can monitor foot traffic and occupancy levels, ensuring that spaces are used efficiently and that employees can easily find available meeting rooms or collaboration zones. By providing real-time data on space usage, smart buildings can also help managers make informed decisions about office layouts, resource allocation and social preferences, further enhancing the overall work experience.

Health and wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of employees have become paramount concerns, especially in the post-pandemic era, with over 46% of UK employers citing work-life balance, mental health and wellbeing support as a key challenge in retaining skilled workers. Smart buildings can play a crucial role in promoting a healthy work environment. Advanced ventilation systems can monitor and improve air quality, reducing the risk of airborne illnesses. Touchless entry systems and automated cleaning schedules can minimise the spread of germs and ensure a hygienic workspace.

Smart buildings can offer wellness features such as standing desks, fitness centres, and relaxation zones, which can be easily accessed at the tap of a button, encouraging employees to take care of their physical and mental health. By prioritising employee wellbeing, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to a healthy and supportive work environment, making the office a more attractive place to be.

A sustainable workplace matters

Beyond enhancing the work experience, smart buildings also offer significant benefits in terms of sustainability and cost savings. By optimising energy usage through smart lighting and HVAC systems, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and operational costs. Water usage can be monitored and managed more effectively, contributing to environmental conservation efforts.

These sustainability initiatives not only appeal to environmentally conscious employees but also reflect positively on the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) profile. In an era where top talent often seeks employers with strong ethical values, with environmental activism being a priority value for Gen Z employees, showing a genuine commitment to sustainability can be a powerful differentiator that attracts talent and fosters a sense of pride in the company they work for.

Give your employees a reason to come into work

As businesses navigate the complexities of hybrid work models and changing employee expectations, creating an office environment that attracts and retains top talent becomes imperative. As Claire Williams, Chief People and Operations Officer at Ciphr, recently said, “Creating clear purpose, transparency and good communications, a strong and forward-thinking culture, diversity and social impact – all come down to the time that leaders are willing to put in and spend with their employees.” To spend quality time with your employees, you need them in the office. You might not be able to get them to come in everyday, but you can create an environment where a hybrid week, tilted in favour of the office, becomes preferable to employees. Smart buildings, by enhancing comfort, productivity, convenience, health, and sustainability,  will help you achieve this.

So, as companies contemplate the future of work, they should consider this: attracting and retaining top talent requires a collaborative, productive and comfortable office environment that facilitates a healthy and socially responsive culture. This is made possible by smart buildings.

[techdriveplay]

What Is the Average Price of an Electric Scooter?

Electric scooters have become a popular mode of transportation, offering an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional vehicles. As more people look into this convenient travel option, a common question arises: what is the average price of an electric scooter? The average price of an electric scooter can range from USD 300 to USD 1,500, depending on factors such as brand,…

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ARE YOU EVIL PHYSCHOPATH LIKE THE JOKER?? TAKE THIS STUPID ASS QUIZ THAT DEFINITELY KNOWS

[sunrizef1]

Lost in Japan

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x Reader

Warnings: None, cursing

Authors Note: I was almost done with a max fic and this song overtook my mind until I finished this. Also trust, I will be using bear as a nickname for Oscar in every fic from now on.

Summary: Lost in Japan by Shawn Mendes

Word Count: 5.1k (this was supposed to be short)

Oscar was bored. Lando was off celebrating a successful weekend somewhere out in the city of Shanghai while Oscar was sat alone in his hotel room waiting for the flight McLaren has organized to get him back to England. He hadn’t won. He hadn’t even gotten a podium. So there wasn’t much for him to be exactly thrilled about. So instead, he was just scrolling through his phone, checking various social media apps before he finally landed on Instagram.

He clicked on the first Instagram story at the top of his page, which happened to be Lando’s. He ignored the pictures of him celebrating at some party, tapping through the various shots of him getting more and more inebriated. He was with Max and Charles at the party so Oscar wasn’t too concerned. He clicks through a few more people stories before landing on a specific one that makes him slow down.

Oscar stares at his phone screen, eyes glazing over your Instagram story. He’s clicking through passively, pausing as he gets to one of you at dinner the night before. He lets it play out but quickly clicks back when he notices the Tokyo, Japan tag that you’ve placed near the top of the screen.

As Oscar stares at the picture, trying to take in every detail, he’s struck by an idea. He clicks out of the app, opens up his messages and navigates to your contact, already standing up from his hotel room bed to grab his already packed suitcase.

It didn’t look like he’d be using that plane ticket back to England after all. He clicks the call button under your name, holding the phone between his shoulder and his cheek as he grabs his things, exiting the room after he slides his backpack on.

The phone rings for a bit too long, making Oscar slightly worried that you wouldn’t pick up but it does eventually connect and Oscar is met with the sound of your voice filtering through the phone speaker. The door shuts with a soft click behind the Aussie as he steps into the hallway.

“Hello, Oscar,” you hum through the phone. Oscar can practically hear the smirk on your lips even through the low quality iPhone speaker.

Oscar huffs a laugh at your tone, dragging his suitcase behind him as he walks down the hall, “Hi, y/n.”

"What can I do for you?” you ask and Oscar can hear shuffling from your end of the call. As the words leave your lips, he reaches the elevator, tapping the button on the wall to call it to his floor.

“Do you have plans tonight?” Oscar reaches the point quickly, trapping the phone back between his shoulder and ear as the elevator opens and he steps in, tapping the lobby button.

You pause for a second, proccessing the question and contemplating your answer, “Besides falling asleep in a few hours? Nope.”

Oscar hums, pulling the phone into his hands and typing impatiently into google as you speak. He finds the soonest, and nicest, flight to Japan he could, purchasing the ticket without a second thought.

“Why?”

Oscar freezes for a moment, looking up from the ticket he'd just bought to narrow his eyes at the elevator door, “I saw you're in Japan-”

“Oh, so you're stalking me now?” Oscar rolls his eyes as you laugh through your question, painting the image of your grinning face in the Aussies mind.

“Shut up, no, anyway-,” Oscar sighs, dragging his suitcase out of the elevator as it reaches the lobby, “Im in Shanghai, I thought I'd fly over to see you.”

Your silence on the other end of the line is deafening. Oscar even checks to make sure the call is still connected due to how quiet you were. Taking your lack of response as a bad sign, Oscar starts to ramble, hoping to do a bit of damage control, “Just because I'm only a couple hundred miles away and the race is over and I'm bored. Its just been so long since we were so close, especially during the season and I miss y-”

“When does your flight leave?”

Oscar, who’d frozen on the sidewalk outside the hotel, unfreezes to gesture for a taxi. It was only a five-minute drive to the airport from the place Mclaren had been staying so he hoped this wouldn't take too long. He mutes for a moment to tell the driver to take him to the airport. The driver nods, pulling away from the curb.

“Uhhhh-” Oscar navigates through his phone to check his flight details as he sits back in his seat, “Half an hour?”

“Ooh, you better hurry then,” You hum, a playful tone laced through your words, “Dont want to miss it.”

Oscar laughs happily, just glad to hear you joking along. He does find some reality in your words though, doing the math to see if he even had enough time to make his flight. He was honestly running on hopes and prayers at this point.

“What made you suddenly so inclined to fly to Japan on a random Sunday?” Your voice pulls Oscar out of his thoughts and he pauses, smiling abashedly as the answer comes to his head.

“Just can't get you off my mind.”

Oscar can’t see you. But if he could, he'd see a warm smile carved onto your face due to the warmth his statement had caused.

“I don't know Osc, I'm actually pretty tired. Might just head to bed,” Oscar rolls his eyes as you try and stifle your giggle.

“Do I need to convince you to stay awake, then?”

You huff a laugh, humming in affirmation, “I’d love to hear it.”

“Well,” Oscar starts, racking his mind for some suggestions of what to say to get you to agree to this, “You don't miss me?”

“I never said that,” You reply quickly. Oscar raises an eyebrow, head falling back against the seat as he trys not to groan.

“So you do miss me?”

You hum quietly, the sound almost too low for Oscar to hear it through the phone, “Maybe a little bit.”

The Aussie chuckles, “I thought so.”

“Can you blame me? It's been a while. I miss my favourite koala bear,” Oscar gets the sense that the words were meant to come out teasing but he can't help but notice how genuine they sound. He laughs nonetheless.

He's about to respond when the cab comes to a sudden stop and he looks out the window to see the airport in front of him.

“Shit, I'm here.”

Oscar swings his backpack onto his shoulders, rifling through a pocket to find enough cash to hand to the driver, not really considering an exact amount and, instead, just asking the driver if that was enough. When the driver tries to hand change back, Oscar leans away, grasping the door handle to swing the door open to get out. He grabs his suitcase as well, leaning down to shout back into the car.

“Keep the change, thanks mate!” Oscar shuts the door, dragging his suitcase behind him as the cab drives away.

“Such a gentleman, I take it you're at the airport now?” you tease him, a genuine questioning tilt laced in your words.

Oscar nods before remembering you can't see him, “Yeah, just got out of the car.”

Oscar rushes through the large door, holding it open for an older woman to walk through before he steps in past her. He glances around the room, trying to find airport security so he could get to his gate.

“You gonna make your flight?” you seem to be finding a lot of amusement in his frantic rushing.

Oscar huffs, pinning his phone between his cheek and shoulder to check his watch. He still had about twenty-five minutes to get to his plane.

“Twenty minutes,” he responds, walking quickly down the hall when he spots a sign directing him that way.

“Ooh! Ah, I have faith in you. If you're anywhere near as fast as you are on the track I'm sure you'll be fine.”

Oscars eyes trail over the hall, locking onto the security gates and causing him to walk a little quicker, “You watch the race today?”

You don't respond for a few minutes but when you do, your voice is a lot more calm than it had been a few moments before, “Mhm. You did good Os.”

Oscar lets out a sigh, shaking his head as a grin fights its way into his lips, “Thanks, I'm glad you think so.”

Oscar steps into the security line, grateful for the fact that there are only a few people in front of him. He ignores the weird glance the old lady in front of him sends his way as he rushes to a stop behind her, replying with a tight smile.

“Its not just me, Osc,” you reply, sensing his disdain for the days race through the phone, “Everyone thinks you did well.”

Oscar hums, stepping up a few steps as a couple of people pass through, leaving just the old lady in front of him. As he reaches the bag scanners, he pins his phone on his shoulder again to lift his bag up onto the conveyor belt, tossing his bag down beside it.

“One second,” Oscar responds, muting his phone to drop it into a bowl along with his airpods, sending them through along with his bags.

After he's put all his things on the belt, he steps away, walking through the metal detector when the agent signals for him to go.

It takes a few moments for the agents to check his bags but when they come through he pulls the suitcase off and sets it beside him, turning back to slide his backpack over his shoulders. He slides his AirPods into his hoodie pocket and picks up his phone, unmuting the call before walking away, his suitcase in tow.

“Im back,” Oscar clicks away from the call for a few seconds to check his flight details before putting the phone back to his ear.

“Did I just get sent through a security scanner?” you sound amused and Oscar can practically see your smirk just from the tone of your voice.

“Didnt want to hang up,” he grumbles, searching the signs above him for his gate, walking quickly when he spots it. A clock on the wall indicates that he's still got 15 minutes to get to his flight. He thinks about it for a few moments, quickly realizing that it was 15 minutes until scheduled takeoff and boarding would actually end in five minutes.

“Im honored-”

“Fuck!” Oscar cuts you off, too busy now sprinting down the airport corridor to think about that fact, “Shit! I'm gonna miss it!”

You don't respond for a few seconds but you eventually do, a loud laugh echoing from your throat as you take in his situation.

“Oh my god, are you late for boarding? Osc!” you laugh, the image of the driver sprinting down the hall engrained in your head.

He doesn't reply, the phone now down near his hip as he runs to his gate. The run feels like an hour but, in reality, was only actually a few minutes, the clocks on the walls ticking down as if mocking the Aussies poor planning.

He finds some kind of respite, though, as he finally gets to the gate, slowing down as he steps up to the gate agent. The lady seems surprised to see him run up but she doesn't turn away, instead glancing him up and down with a concerned look before responding.

“Hi! Do you have your ticket?” the woman is surprisingly kind about the question, especially considering she had been preparing to leave as he'd rocked up.

Oscar nods, still trying to catch his breath. He pulls his phone open to navigate to the ticket, facing the QR code forward for the agent to scan. She does so before nodding politely and leading him down the path toward the plane.

Oscar lets out a sight of relief and lifts the phone back up to his face, “I made it.”

Your laugh has calmed down but you snort at his almost war-torn sounding voice, his strife obvious due to his lack of breath, “Congrats, man.”

He gets lead onto the plane, thanking the woman who'd brought him and smiling at the flight attendants as he walks a few steps past them. He finds his seat, dropping his phone onto it to lift his phone and stow it away in the overhead bin. He grabs his phone and sits down, relaxing into the seat after setting his backpack on the ground.

“I’ll be in Japan in a few hours,” He says, running hand over his face, “See you there, yeah?”

You hum, “See you there, bear.”

Oscar ignores the nickname, pretending it didn't make him smile, “Im gonna hang up now, promise you won't be asleep when I land?”

You laugh, “I promise, Oscar. I'll even go get a red bull for some extra energ-”

“Yeah, nope. Goodbye.” Oscar interrupts before you can endorse the rival team.

“Bye koala bear,” you respond and the phone clicks softly as you hang up. Oscar sets the phone down to pull his airpods out of his pocket, connecting them in order to watch some movie for the flight.

The flights only a few hours long but it feels a lot longer than that to Oscar. It's a haze of random Netflix shows and bagged pretzels, the monotony of the flight boring Oscar out of his mind.

He's relieved when the plane touches down, his proximity to the front of the plane allowing him to stand up and grab his things fairly quickly. Its about 9 pm local time, the sky outside not shedding any light through the plane windows.

Oscar walks out into the airport, grateful to be off the cramped plane and finally move his legs again. He stops at one of the few shops still open to buy an overpriced bottle of water, pausing as he spots a bag of those haribo peach rings you like so much. He doesn't think much as he grabs the bag, throwing it onto the counter beside his bottle and offering the cashier a polite smile.

After paying, he grabs the bottle and the bag, grasping them in the same hand as he pulls his suitcase along with the other one.

He strolls through the airport, trying to rid himself of the fatigue from the race and the plane ride. The only thing keeping him from falling asleep was the thought of seeing you again.

Speaking of you, Oscar doesn't realize he has no idea where you were staying or where you were until he's stepped out of the airport doors, standing on the sidewalk with his suitcase sat next to him. He tries to recall if you'd told him anything about your Japan trip or even if he'd seen anything on your story but he comes up empty.

He clicks on your contact, pressing the phone to his ear as the call rings. He frowns as you decline, confused as to why you'd hang up.

He's just about to walk back inside to wait when a car horn honks, causing Oscar to look up in front of him.

His eyes widen as they lock onto an orange Mclaren 570s Coupe, the car shining beautifully under the street lights. As he stands and admires the car ahead of him, the window closest to him rolls down and he sees your head duck down to lock eyes with him.

“You getting in?”

He laughs incredulously, opening the passenger side door and carefully sliding his suitcase into the small storage space behind the seats.

He sets his backpack on the floor below him, flopping back into the sear and sliding his seatbelt on. He sets his water down and tosses the bag of peach rings into your lap, “Nice car.”

“Thanks,” you reply brightly, eyes widening as you observe the bag of candy before moving it into your hoodie pocket, “Thought id go all out with the rental for the few days I'm here.”

Oscar hums, glancing around the nice car, coincidentally a Papaya McLaren. He refused the urge to ask you if you'd been thinking of him when you'd picked the vehicle.

After you make sure his seatbelts on, you pull away from the airport terminal and navigate onto the main road, pressing play on your playlist to let music filter quietly through the speakers.

The car glides smoothly down the streets of Tokyo, bright lights reflecting off the sides of your face. Oscar looks your way, completely aware that your attention was locked on the road, giving him the free pass to admire you.

Your eyes dart around the road in front of you, neon lights reflected in your irises. Your teeth dig at your lower lip, chewing lightly as turn the car. You’ve got one hand on the wheel, the other one moving around between the center console and the fraying edge of your shorts. You're wearing a quadrant hoodie and Oscar can't tell if its his or if you both just owned the same hoodie. The fit didn't help, he knew you bought your hoodies oversized anyway.

You glance over as you come to a stop at a red light, grinning when you see his eyes on you.

“What?” You ask, laughing slightly as you lean back from the wheel, splitting your attention between the road and Oscars face.

Oscar shakes his head with a small smile, his own attention turning out the window as you drive through the green light.

“Have you eaten?”

Oscar shakes his head, “Nah.”

You nod, taking the next turn to pull into a parking lot, stopping the car after you find a spot. You step out and Oscar takes this as his cue to get out as well, shutting the car door gently behind him.

When Oscar gets around the car, he finds you leaning against the edge, your feet crossed as you wait for him. He steps to your side and you push off the car, the familiar beep of it locking ringing out as you walk away.

As you both walk toward the restaurant, you step into Oscar's side and he’s quick to swing an arm over your shoulder. You wrap an arm around his torso, reaching the other up to tangle your fingers with his.

He's only slightly disappointed when you have to drop his hand in order to open the door. But you keep your hand against his ribs and he keeps his arm around your shoulders, not ready to let you go yet.

The second his feet pass the threshold of the building, he's hit with some of the most delicious scents he'd smelled in his life. This late at night there isn't much action apart from a few stragglers who Oscar assumes had just gotten off work and needed a bite to eat.

An older man swings around the corner from the kitchen, faint food stains gracing his otherwise white apron. He has a huge grin on his face and it only increases when he sees you. He pushes his glasses up on his nose, wiping off the steam that had accumulated on the lenses.

“Ah! You're back again!” The man calls out to the pair of you. Although his words do make Oscar assume the man was mostly talking to you, “And you brought your boyfriend!”

You don't correct the man and after seeing the grin on your face, Oscar doesn't either.

“Yeah, he just got in from Shanghai. Haven't had dinner yet.”

“Go, go,” the man smiles, pointing toward the dining room, “Sit where you want, ill get to you in a second.”

The man waves you both toward the tables and you step out of Oscar’s grasp. He doesn't have to be disappointed for long as you wrap your hand in his to lead him through the restaurant, stopping at a booth before sliding in. Oscar slides in the seat opposite of you, his legs knocking against yours under the table.

Quickly, the man, who Oscar now assumes is the owner, comes over to the table, setting down two glasses of water and a pair of menus in front of the both of you.

“You know what you want?” The man grins as he gestures toward you, seemingly familiar to you. Oscar takes a sip of his water, letting the coop liquid run down his throat.

You nod happily, “Yeah, I think so.”

The man pulls out a small notebook to write down whatever you say and you continue by saying a few different dishes, the only one Oscar having had before being sushi. He doesn't say anything, knowing that you knew more about this place and the menu than he did.

After you're done ordering, the man walks away and strolls into the kitchen, handing the order to the woman behind the counter before placing a small kiss on her cheek.

Oscar looks back to you, a small smile on his face after seeing the couple who seemed to be running the restaurant themselves, “You’ve been here before, then?”

You nod, leaning over to take a sip from your glass, “Yeah, came here yesterday for lunch.”

Oscar hums, glancing out of the booth to look around the room. Paintings and neon signs decorate the walls and what seems to be photographs taken in the restaurant all line the wall by the entrance. Oscar can vaguely see that the photos of are different people posing, all with happy looks on their faces. He huffs a breathy laugh when he sees one of you with your friends.

The time spent waiting for your food is filled with casual conversation, Oscar asking a lot of questions about how your Tokyo trip had been so far.

You don't ask about the race. There's some kind of unspoken understanding that Oscar had run to Japan to get away from racing for once. Here, with you, Oscar wasn't Mclaren racing driver, Oscar Piastri, he was just Oscar. Or “Bear”, as you called him. A nickname that you seemed unable to let go of. Oscar pretended to be annoyed every time you said it but he couldn't deny the smile that formed every time he heard the Australia-themed moniker.

“Bear?” There it is. Oscar looks up with a raised eyebrow, deducing that you'd asked a question he hadn't answered.

“I asked if you're staying with me tonight.”

Oscar snorts before smirking, shaking his head as he locks eyes with you, “Yeah, wouldn't dream of being anywhere else.”

You blush, looking down toward the table, past meals having left vague food stains on the wood.

Before you can respond, the man returns, plates and bowls balancing in his hands. You look up politely, smiling as the man starts to place the food on the table, “Thank you so much.”

The man grins as he places down the last plate, “Of course. Enjoy.”

He walks away and you turn toward Oscar who stares vaguely at the food in front of him, “Dig in.”

You make a move for your chopsticks, looking over the food before taking a bite of whatever is immediately in front of you. Oscar glances around, not sure where to start.

Noticing his hesitancy, you pick up a piece of what you'd been eating and bring it up toward his lips, pulling back after Oscar bites into it.

“What is this?” Oscar asks as he chews, covering his mouth as he speaks. Whatever it is, it's pretty good, having a light and slightly sweet flavour. Its also a bit more rubbery than chicken, but its pretty good nonetheless.

You swallow your own bite, having scooped up some rice along with it, “Unagi. Grilled eel.”

The only indication of Oscar's surprise is his widened eyes but after a few seconds, he reaches over to take another bite, humming as he chews on the eel. You smile, moving on to grab some kind of skewer.

You slowly move through the foods, explaining each one to Oscar as he tries them.

They're all good but Oscar's favourite is the yakitori, the skewers of grilled chicken. By the time you've finished the food on the table, Oscar is about ready to pass out.

So you pay as soon as you can, Oscar grumbling about his inability to pay for the meal, lacking the proper currency. He does Venmo you when you put your phone down, though.

The owner makes playful conversation with you, thanking you for coming around and telling you you're welcome back anytime. Oscar just stands with his head on top of yours, trying not to fall asleep.

You're about to leave when the man calls you back and you turn around to see him holding a camera in his hands, “For the wall? Need to remember the happy couple.”

You laugh, glancing around to see the many many photos of various friend groups on the wall behind you, turning back around with a soft look as you nod. You lean into Oscar who wraps an arm around you, tilting his head toward you. You tangle your hand with the one on your shoulder, holding up a peace sign with your other one.

The familiar click of a camera sounds and the man smiles warmly, waving you both out the door, “Have a great time! Thank you for coming!”

You wave goodbye, stepping out of the restaurant and pulling out your keys to unlock the car. Oscar untangles from you to walk to the passenger's side and step in. You drop in as well, setting your phone down in the centre console. Oscar is staring out the window when he feels something drop in his lap and he glances down to see the bag of peach rings he'd bought you.

“Can you open that?” You ask, starting the car and putting it in reverse. You glance over your shoulder as you pull backward, one arm behind Oscars seat and the other on the wheel.

Oscar, at risk of getting caught staring, turns his attention to the candy, ripping the edge and grabbing a few pieces to throw in his mouth.

Once you've got onto the main road, you hold out a hand and Oscar drops a couple pieces which you proceed to eat.

The drive is quiet, the both of you feeling the exhaustion of the day catch up to you. You eventually pull up to the hotel, stopping the car and stepping out. Not before grabbing more candy from Oscar, though.

Oscar leans over to grab his suitcase, stepping out of the car and sliding his backpack on. He grabs his water bottle from the airport, stuffing it into the bottle compartment on the side of the bag. He looks up and starts walking, stepping by your side as you enter the hotel. You stroll through the lobby, leading both of you to the elevator.

As the elevator starts moving up, you both lean against the wall, letting the quiet music be the only sound beside a couple yawns.

The elevator dings as it passes each floor. Oscar watches as you dig your key card out of your pocket, running your fingers along the edge absently.

The doors slide open, leading you to walk out, Oscar in tow. You drift down the hall, humming along to whatever song was playing in your head. Oscar vaguely recognizes it as Taylor Swift.

When you reach your room, you scan your card and push the door open, holding it to let Oscar pass through.

He does, pushing his suitcase next to the far side of the bed. He can hear you setting your things down, the familiar clink of keys on glass ringing out in the otherwise quiet room.

“I’m gonna use the bathroom,” he says lowly, sliding past you and into the attached bathroom. He can hear you hum in affirmation just before he shuts the door.

When he emerges, you're sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling off your shoes before tossing them on the floor. You’ve taken off your hoodie (or Oscars) and its not lain over the chair across the room.

You glance up, smiling as you see the Aussie walk out, “Hi.”

Oscar huffs amusedly, sliding off his own shoes as he walks toward you, “Hi.”

You hum, looking up as he walks closer to you before leaning slightly to angle his face toward yours. You both pause for a few moments, waiting to see who'd break the stand-off first.

It ends up being you, as you pull his face down towards yours, your kiss almost searing. The kiss feels like it lasts a lifetime and Oscar almost wishes it could. He does pull away, though, just to move you away from the edge of the bed, smiling when he hears your laugh ring out after he's practically tossed you onto the mattress.

He moves up as well and before he can even get his bearings, you're pulling him back down again, hands in his hair and your lips on his.

The next morning, Oscars awoken by the sound of your quiet laugh. He rolls over with a tired groan, wrapping his other arm around your torso.

“What are you laughing at?” he grumbles, tiredness clear in his voice.

You turn to face him, looking impossibly beautiful for having just woken up. You hold your phone toward him and Oscar glances down at the screen before looking back up at your face with a questioning glance.

“Lando sent me a video this morning,” you start, closing your phone and tossing it aside to grasp his tired face between your hands, “Its quite funny.”

“What was it?” Oscar mumbles, leaning to press a small kiss on your forehead.

You lean back, looking him in the eyes and seemingly trying to hide your smirk, “It's a video of his teammate sprinting through the Shanghai airport.”

Oscar groans, trying to ignore your warm laugh, “Fuck.”

He's not really mad, not when the video was the source of your happiness right now.

There were a lot worse sights to wake up to than your happy face beside him.

——————————————————

Tags: @casperlikej @evie-119

[blockchainblast]

Farm-to-Table Revolution with Blockchain

Who won’t love food? A few might eat to live, and the rest will live to eat. 

So, it’s no surprise that the restaurant industry thrives all year round, regardless of the season or weather. 

The pandemic brought numerous challenges for people, which in turn prompted the restaurant industry to embrace new methods of operation. From contactless menus to cashless payments, restaurants are exploring innovative solutions to keep customers safe while still delivering high-quality food.

A promising technology that helps restaurants attain the above operations is Blockchain Technology. 

Are you looking for an expert team to integrate blockchain technology into your restaurant business? Obtain top-notch blockchain development services and relish the success of your business.

Now, let’s check the in-depth analysis of how blockchain ramps up the restaurant industry.

Enhancing Transparency and Trust

Blockchain enhances transparency and builds trust between restaurants and their customers. Transparent Dining leverages blockchain to track the provenance of its plant-based proteins and share this information with customers. So, by scanning a QR code on their food, customers can learn about the source of the ingredients. This level of transparency enhances trust and commitment to quality.

Improving Employee Training And Tracking

Blockchain helps track the skills and training of its employees. This innovative technology enables the restaurant to validate the skill attainment of external hires applying for senior-level roles. Additionally, blockchain provides a secure and private way to validate the health status of employees. By ensuring that employees are adequately trained and protected, the restaurant can improve the overall customer experience.

Streamlining Financial Management

Blockchain delivers a systemic process to identify lease expirations for non-owned properties, manage existing location expiration, and provide a shared ledger for all related paperwork. Further, blockchain minimizes the number of disputes and the amount of time spent researching them and allows team members to focus more on analytics and supporting operations.

Would you like to develop blockchain technology and run your restaurant tension-free? Seek the finest enterprise blockchain development services from our experts, who make your path clean and easy.

Enhancing Regulatory Compliance And Food Donations

Finally, blockchain enhances regulatory compliance and food donations at Transparent Dining. This ingenious technology ensures that the regulatory body is on a blockchain network. Also, it enables the right information to be provided to the right people. Besides, blockchain is being used to onboard partners quickly and provide transparency to the movement of food. This technology also ensures that the restaurant can donate food to local food banks in an auditable way.

Time To Keep The Cutlery Parallel

Blockchain technology is recasting the restaurant industry by enhancing transparency, improving customer experiences, and optimizing operations. From validating employee skills to tracking the provenance of ingredients, blockchain is helping restaurants to build trust with customers, increase efficiency, and reduce waste. While the future remains uncertain, blockchain technology is providing restaurants with the tools they need to adapt to new challenges and thrive in the post-pandemic world.

Do you want to make your customers trust you and take your restaurant to the next level? Then, reach out to the best blockchain consulting company that assists you with customizable services at affordable prices.

[katrinkunze]

From Farm To Table: Know How Blockchain Technology Ramps Up Restaurants

Who won’t love food? A few might eat to live, and the rest will live to eat.  So, it’s no surprise that the restaurant industry thrives all year round, regardless of the season or weather.  The pandemic brought numerous challenges for people, which in turn prompted the restaurant industry to embrace new methods of operation. From contactless menus to cashless payments, restaurants are exploring…

[homeswapsblog]

Best feature and functionality you should have in your travelling agency or business software

The yearly income for the travel and tourism sector is roughly 63% derived from online reservations.

You can handle online bookings effectively with a competent hotel reservation system. By automating reservation procedures, the possibility of human mistakes and financial losses in the hotel industry is decreased.

A simplified booking process also enables hoteliers to give customers a more user-friendly booking experience. While selecting a hotel reservation software, take into account the following factors.

The mechanism for booking hotels online :

A user-friendly interface that benefits both visitors and employees is a must for an effective hotel reservation system.

The reservation procedure will be greatly facilitated by a practical calendar front-desk perspective. The program must contain a plugin or JavaScript that can be integrated into the website for your hotel. It should also be able to link visitors to a portal or microsite where they can finalize their bookings online.

Without having to navigate through your website, the booking engine should give your visitors all the details they would need, such as rates, packages, hotel kinds, add-ons, inclusions, and other information.

Learn more: https://www.inspironlabs.com/

[techdriveplay]

ACCENTUM True Wireless delivering the essential Sennheiser sound experience with modern features

Today, Sennheiser introduces the latest addition to its portable lineup, the ACCENTUM True Wireless. This cutting-edge device combines signature Sennheiser acoustics, dynamic wireless capabilities, and an innovative ergonomic design, making it the perfect choice for those with an on-the-go, connected lifestyle. “ACCENTUM True Wireless builds upon the renowned qualities of our over-ear…

[onemonitarsoftware]

Hidden call recorder with automatic recording - ONEMONITAR

ONEMONITAR's automatic recording feature takes the hassle out of manual operation. Set it up once, and let the app automatically record all your calls without any additional input required.

Let ONEMONITAR handle your call recordings automatically. Start monitoring today!

[orangameelectronics]

Ultimate Gaming Immersion with the Top-Rated HiFi True Wireless Gaming Headset for iPhone & Android

Get ready to take your gaming experience to the next level with the top-rated HiFi True Wireless Gaming Headset for iPhone & Android. This state-of-the-art gaming headset offers ultimate immersion and unrivaled sound quality, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the virtual world. Designed with gamers in mind, this headset combines cutting-edge technology with ergonomic comfort to provide you with an unparalleled gaming experience. Whether you're playing intense first-person shooter games or exploring vast open-world environments, the HiFi True Wireless Gaming Headset delivers crystal-clear audio and precise sound positioning, ensuring you never miss a beat. With its wireless connectivity and long battery life, you'll enjoy hassle-free gaming for hours on end. The headset is also incredibly lightweight and features a comfortable, adjustable headband, allowing you to play for extended periods without discomfort. Compatible with both iPhone and Android devices, this premium gaming headset is the perfect companion for gamers of all levels. So, gear up and get ready to embark on an unforgettable gaming journey with the HiFi True Wireless Gaming Headset for iPhone & Android. Experience gaming like never before and immerse yourself in a world of sounds with the ultimate HiFi True Wireless Gaming Headset for iPhone & Android. Please kindly click here to share more details/specifications of these Earbuds as follows: https://user185638.psce.pw/5q22hw