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natromanxoff · 3 years

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19 - The Dynamic Duo V Montreux

Hello folks. I was sitting around twiddling my thumbs and I thought I would give the old hard drive a clean up, so before I dump a load of rubbish I thought I'd better answer these before I throw everything in the recycle bin. Let's start with a lady from New Jersey who goes by the name of Dorothy who gave me a very interesting offer for the next time I'm in New York. If you're reading this Dorothy, could you send Jacky your email address so I can reply to you. I've just opened up a "secret" Hotmail account so I can send replies without pestering the lovely Mrs Smith all the time, and to test it I went to the guestbook and picked a few names at random. Maybe I should reply to the irate drummer, but if I do that he'll just reply to me and the girls in the office will miss out on laughing at him as well. Staying with the skin bashers for a mo, Ron Hansen in Madison is a drummer, and said he liked my jokes and reckons Mr Irate uses three sticks, two in his hands and one up his arse (his words not mine). Would I be correct in saying your a Zep fan Ron? Today's question is, "What do you get if you cross a drummer with a roadie?" The answer is a stupid roadie.

Moving on, last time around I mentioned a drink which we consumed in Brazil, and the charming Sonia and Dina informed me it was called Caipirinha, and a pleasant little tipple it was to. Somewhere in Australia there is a lady called Karen who is listening to the Offspring CD non-stop, so I'm gonna have to try and answer her question as she has such great musical tastes, even though she wants to know the..........(flashing lights, fireworks, drum roll) Hoover Salesman Story. ARGHHHH. Its actually a very short tale, and I think it's quiet boring but it seems to have grown in stature over the years, and as always I'm gonna drag it out and start from the first skiing expedition that I ventured on with RT.

Having checked my trendy little biog mag, I reckon the year is 1980, and the dynamic duo are in Montreux putting the finishing touches to Fun in Space and we have a few days off before a tour starts in Zurich when Rog says, "Let's go skiing." He had skied a few times before and was ok at it, but I had never put a pair of skis on in my life. I said, "Lets go, but you ski and I'll just get pissed." He then went on about what a buzz it is and how I would love it, etc. As we were touring soon our American crew had to fly out, so I called up Jim Devenney and told him to come over a couple of days earlier cause we were gonna ski. Jim is a great skier and was on the first flight available and I picked him up at Geneva airport ready for some fun. That night we hit the town and have too many drinks and Rog goes off to bed semi early, while Jim and myself sat out on the jetty of Duckingham Palace with a ghetto blaster, Derek and Clive tapes, and a vat of wine singing disgusting songs at full blast, which must have echoed over to France. Suddenly we hear a French voice screaming at us and we have no idea what he was saying so we carried on goofing around, and the next thing I hear is a huge splash as Devenney falls in.

Let me assure you that a drunk trying to get a drunk out of Lake Geneva is not an easy task, but we succeed and head back to DP and retire to our rooms. I'd just got into bed when I hear a crash and go to investigate, only to find JD had gone in the wrong room and was trying to get into a baby's cot, and getting him out of there was harder than getting him of the lake.

Next day Roger, Dave Richards, his wife Collette, Jim and myself set off to Zermatt, and on arrival we stock up on skis, passes and other skiing paraphernalia (big words now!) Dinner, drinks and off to bed. Next morning we're up and ready to go, and thinking I'll never ski again after this I refuse to waste money on a ski suit, so I wear jeans. My second wrong move, the first was agreeing to go. The hotel owner wouldn't let us leave the hotel without first drinking a couple of Sambuccas, not my idea of a good breakfast, eggs, bacon, tea, toast and Italian liqueurs, but who are we to refuse. Next I've got to try and walk in those godamn boots, and we eventually arrive at the top of the Matterhorn.

The OK skiers, RT and Dave set off on their own, Collette begins a very slow trip down while JD tells me he'll stay and teach me. On go the skis, and down I go, flat on my arse. Up I get and I'm off, for all of about 2ft before I'm down again. This is not any fun. After a couple more tumbles my great mate Jim said, "If you're gonna f*** around I'm going." And thats the last I saw of him all day. Thanks pal. I'm standing there watching people ski and think, "It can't be that hard. If you stand like this, lean like that, you can ski." So I stand and lean in the correct positions and I'm away, screeching down a mountain with only one very small problem, I have no idea how to turn or stop, so as I'm flying past Collette, and she reckons I looked very worried, I yelled for some advice and all she said was, "DIVE." Sound advice, so thats what I do, and by now I'm getting wet. I wait for her and then we set off together, the blind leading the blind, with me diving at the slightest bit of speed or bend in the piste. A million years later we eventually reach the bottom of this awful slope and it's finally over. Wrong. Theres a T-bar to get on so we wait in line till it's our turn. You're supposed to put the bar just under your bum and it drags you up, but I'm 6ft and Collettes about 5ft 5in, so the bar was either in the middle of her back or around my knees, and no one told me not to sit on the f***ing thing and we bounced around for a while until we fell off. I'm now getting really pissed off with all this, "Get me a helicopter," I demanded from Collete. She told me they don't just send them, you have to be hurt. I replied with, "I'll break my f***ing arm but I've gotta get off this mountain." Realising I'm not getting a copter I light a ciggie and ponder.

We agree to split up and go with someone our own height, so I ended up with a great German guy who was really helpful. Once on the T-bar I can see that it goes way up and I would have to ski back down to base camp, and in case you've forgotten, I can't ski, so I said that I was gonna bail out, and jumped off. I then head of in a straight line to the cable car, skis on the shoulder and wading through 3ft of snow in a pair of very heavy and very cold jeans. What seemed like hours of wading I make civilisation and head to the bar for a triple strength coffee and a triple scotch while everyone gawked at me cause I looked like I had a shower fully clothed. Yeah, I wanna do this again.

Dinner that night was great fun for the others cause they got to take the piss out of me. Their day will come. The rest of the nights activities shall remain sealed away, but a good time was had by one and all. The tour went smoothly and I try and put Zermatt behind me, except Collette, still to this day, takes great delight in telling everyone about it, and everytime she says it she makes me look more and more pathetic.

The next winter appears and I'm at home and the phone rings, "CT, wanna go skiing?" To which my reply was nothing like, "Oh I'd love to you fabulous little drummer boy." I can't believe he talked me into it again, but this time we were gonna do things correctly and go to Aviemore in Scotland and take lessons, this was the saving factor in his plan. So once again we pile into the Range Rover and aim north. We split the driving (for a change) and had a good journey up through the snow covered mountains till we get to the resort. A usual night was on the cards, dinner, drinks and bed, then up bright and early for some lessons and a good day on the slopes. This time we've both got the correct outfits so we head off to where our little group of idiot skiers are. We're all standing in a line, with Rog and me at the end, and each person gets to snow-plough a few feet. These clowns have less idea than my first try, and it's also incredibly cold and we've now got icicles hanging off our hair. It's our turn and we both look like olympic champions, but the only thing wrong with getting it right the first time is that the instructor then turns his attentions back to the start of the line. Here I am once again standing on the top of a mountain, freezing cold with two 'things' stuck on the end of a pair of stupid boots, and I inform His Royal Highness that the next trip away involves sand and sun, no excuses, end of argument. RT agreed that this wasn't much fun and thought my idea worth considering.

We finally heard the two magic words, "Lunch Break." We're gone in search of some good HOT food and a nice beaujolais, and we found both. We also found that the hotel bar had an amazing selection of whisky, and we had to try as many as possible. We're now semi pissed and decide that as we're warm we might as well go back to this lesson even though we are very late, and the instructor looked at us and said, "Where have you two been?" Rog came back with "Trying lots of your wonderful scotch's." He was fine with that answer and we carried on trying to learn something, and would you believe by the end of the day I could actually turn and stop.

Back to the hotel for a nap before dinner. Over a very nice meal and a couple of little drinkettes we agree that it's far to cold here and we'll clear off the next day, so into the bar we go with our earlier mission of trying all the scotch's. We were sitting at a table chatting away and cracking jokes with each other and end up talking to the couple on the next table, swapping skiing stories, needless to say mine were very short, and having a bit of a laugh, when the woman said, "What do you two do for a living?" God knows why, but I said; "We're Hoover salesmen." At first they didn't believe us but we both started going on about the difference between domestic and industrial cleaners, uprights, backpack types, ones you pull along the floor. We went on about the different wattage, suction power, the amount of pressure on Axminsters and Wilton carpets, even a couple of car expressions like overhead this and thats. What the hell do we know about vacuum cleaners? But boy are we good at this. After about 30 mins of utter bullshit the subject finally changed and they wished us all the best with our door to door salesmanship and off they went to bed. We then had to reassure each other what we actually did for a living, had some more drinks and tried to work out how we knew so much about cleaners as both of us have spent most of our lives trying to stay well away from them. We spent the drive back to London having a good laugh about the one day we spent in a Scottish ski resort.

Well that's it folks, the story of a small company, R & C Taylor,..... Hoover Salesmen. I did learn to ski quite well, and whilst in Gstadd doing the Shove it album Spike flew out cause he fancied learning to ski, and the fool asked me to teach him. I wasn't much help because everytime he fell over I burst out laughing cause I kept seeing myself in Zermatt, and Spike looked just as worried and stupid as I did.

Before I go I noticed that Jacky had to get her boiler fixed and said for me not to make a comment, but little things like that spark me off and I remembered that when we were recording in the Townhouse Studios I had a little, no a big affair with the studio chef. Every three months Virgin would do a magazine for all their staff, written by all the heads of various departments, airlines, studios, video, shops, films, etc. and they would say what was going on with their particular section. Alan Douglas, who was chief engineer of all Virgin studios wrote who was recording where, and he wrote, "Queen are in studio 4, and Crystal, their main man is stoking the kitchen boiler." I thought that was hilarious, but Jane went ballistic. That's it for now.

Loadsa luv Crystal (Carpet cleaner to the stars)

#oh i suppose i forgot to queue this!#queen #queen band #roger taylor #roger meddows taylor #spike edney #crystal taylor #crystal's tales

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everamazingfe · 3 years

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Magic in the Mundane

Fic Summary: Everyone had something special about them, their own personal bit of magic. Most found out about their abilities early, but Gavin had always been a bit of a late bloomer. Luckily, Michael comes by to help him put the pieces together.

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Words in this chapter: 5521 Pairings: Gavin Free/Michael Jones Warnings for this chapter: None

Notes: Written for Kait (@uy8hg) for the RT Writer’s Discord Secret Sunshine event! All of her prompts were amazing and I spent far too long trying to decide between them, but I'm so glad that I decided to go with this one because it was so much fun to write. Check the source for a link to read it over on A 0 3!

Prompt: Someone discovers a new power or something that they find really cool, and they want to show it off to everyone else, with varying levels of success.

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In a world full of wonder, it wasn’t always easy to appreciate the beauty in the mundane, but those who had magic running through their veins found it quite simple. The way that magic would manifest itself in those people wasn’t always the same, though. Sometimes, the magic was in their personality. Jack had a warmth about him that could make anyone’s day better in a matter of seconds. Trevor’s charisma was off the charts, he was such a smooth talker that it was hard for anyone to dislike him unless they really tried. Other times, it was in their looks. Alfredo had a smile that could light up any room, big and beaming and bright enough to outshine the sun. Geoff had amazingly artistic tattoos that seemed to come alive if one looked at them a little too long (he would always deny this, but there was a gleam in his eye that made everyone think twice about his words). Sometimes, it was something else entirely. Their magic came in the form of special abilities, of genuine magic. Lindsay could speak to animals, using their skills for good a majority of the time, but otherwise causing mischief. Michael could create just as well as he could destroy, rendering entire buildings obsolete and creating new ones in their wake.

There was a little bit of magic in everything, but oftentimes there were those that couldn’t see it in themselves. That was where Gavin stood. He was a smooth talker, sure, but not as smooth as Trevor. His smile wasn’t as bright as Alfredo’s. He didn’t have any magical abilities. Though he was welcomed into their group, he didn’t feel as though he belonged. He didn’t have any magic. They insisted that he was part of their crew, magic or not, and that he was welcome, but sometimes he didn’t want their comforts. He just wanted to be left alone. It was hard enough to be the lone member of the mundane in their little crew, he didn’t want their pity points on top of it. Still, it didn’t stop them from trying to help.

“Maybe you’re just a late bloomer?” Fiona suggested to him late one evening when the sun had already set, laid out on her back on the roof of a building Michael had created just for her. Her magic was her ability to be good at anything she set her mind to, with an unwavering confidence that Gavin admired (and sometimes envied), even when it was misplaced. “Or you could just be totally oblivious to it. That’s always an option.”

He let out a soft sigh, shrugging a shoulder as he turned his head to look at her. “Someone else would’ve noticed it in me by now though, I think. Everyone has something, even if they're not the ones who see it.” Those who had magic were usually pretty good at picking it out in others. It had been how those without genuine magic had discovered theirs. How Jack had discovered his warmth, how Ky had discovered her strength, and so on.

Fiona bit her lip, going quiet. He had a point there, but she didn’t want to admit it. She hated when he was right. “Maybe your magic is just being an idiot?” There was a grin on her lips, but the way that she spoke made it sound like a genuine suggestion. Gavin couldn’t help but burst out into laughter, his and Fiona’s giggles echoing out across the landscape.

“Kind of a shitty magic, don’t you think, Fifi?” He asked finally, when his sides ached from laughing and his lungs begged for air. “I know Michael would certainly agree with you, but… I really hope that’s not it.”

“I don’t know, Gavvy. Could be. But I hope that’s not it too. I think you’re made for something a bit better than that.” Instead of pity, or jokes, she gave him a vote of confidence, and there was a little gleam that formed in Gavin’s eyes at her words.

“You mean that?”

“Of course I do!

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The day after speaking to Fiona, Gavin was still thinking about her words. Despite how good it had made him feel in the moment, they’d ended up putting him in a worse mood than usual, and it was hard for him to even begin thinking about the magic he might have held. Was he really meant for something better than the idiocy his friends assigned to him? He wasn’t sure.

He’d set out on a hike, outside of the city that they’d made for themselves and into the woods surrounding it. Some time out in nature always made him feel better, more at ease, more connected to the magic of the world around him. The small nuances on how the ecosystem worked together to thrive always intrigued him, and he was jealous of how cohesive it all could be.

“I’m just a bit too all over the place for it, I guess,” he muttered to himself, taking a seat on a fallen tree. The moss was soft beneath him, and he ran his fingers over it as he talked to himself. Working through his thoughts aloud always made them feel less jumbled.

A figure sat down beside him with a heavy sigh, and a hand was placed over his. “Don’t beat yourself too much, Gav,” Geoff said quietly, wrapping his arm around Gavin and pulling himself close. “We can’t all be something special, otherwise there wouldn’t be anything special at all.”

Gavin let out a long sigh, leaning into the gent when he was pulled in. He’d stopped asking how Geoff could find him so easily long ago. It was the same answer every time, ‘I just know where to look, you assholes aren’t exactly all that hard to find,’ said with that same glint in his eye. “Yeah, I know. But it’d be nice to be able to do something more than exist.”

Geoff hummed softly, rubbing his thumb gently over Gavin’s shoulder. It always made him feel guilty when any of his friends were upset, particularly Gavin, but he’d been so hung up on the same thing for so long. “Are you sure you don’t just want an excuse for the attention to be back on you for a change?”

The lad sat up quickly, pulling away from Geoff and cutting him a confused look. “The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just saying! Going around talking to everyone, being all mopey about not having magic? Pretty good way to get everyone to pay attention to you for a change, right?”

Gavin scoffed at the notion, pushing Geoff away from him. “That’s not what I’m doing at all!”

“Are you sure?” He asked, arching an eyebrow as Gavin stood up suddenly.

“Yes.” They’d had a few new members join their ranks, and attention was divided as they worked to expand their little city and network with others, but he hadn’t minded people paying less attention to him. If anything, he enjoyed it. It meant there was less pressure on him to perform. “Now, I’m going. And this time, you’re not allowed to search for me.”

He didn’t even know where he was going, he just wanted to go away. He wondered if that’s what everyone thought, or if Geoff was just trying to get a rise out of him. If they all thought that way, they’d certainly never said anything of the sort, but this was how people were going to treat him, Gavin didn’t want to be around them.

“What a dick,” he muttered to himself, pulling his cloak tighter around himself as he walked deeper into the forest. It was a beautiful green and gold tapestry, the hues blending together to make a simple but pleasing pattern. The threads had been hand-woven by Matt and enchanted to protect its wearer from whatever may come their way, and it did a remarkable job.

As he ventured deeper into the woods, the trees grew taller and thicker, blocking out the sun’s rays and sending a chill through the air. As the coldness began to creep in, the cloak kept him warm and made him feel safe. However, it couldn’t protect him from the turmoil inside his own mind.

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In the city center, Michael was having a different sort of crisis, and his angry shouting could be heard all across the land.

“You said what to him?!’

His relationship to Gavin was indiscernible at best, no one knew whether they were deeply in love or mortal enemies, but one thing was certain: he was fiercely protective of the fact that he was the only one allowed to bully Gavin, and anyone else could only do so with his permission. Whether they were soulmates or archnemesis, Gavin was his boi first and foremost.

“I just suggested that maybe being an idiot was his form of magic! It was funny, we were both laughing!” Fiona said, completely oblivious to the way that Michael was shooting daggers her way. Usually Michael played along with her playful teasing of Gavin, so when he didn’t continue to make jokes, she looked over. “Don’t you give me that look, you’re thinking it too.”

“I’m not, though.” Fiona scoffed, and Michael all but growled. “I’m not. You all underestimate him, and when he does find his magic, you’re going to be blown away. All of you will be.” There was a special sort of conviction to his words, one that was usually reserved for saying the most ridiculous things completely stone-faced.

Michael stormed off after that, ignoring Fiona’s demands for him to keep hanging out with her. Movement came from the bushes on the outskirts of their community, spotted just out of the corner of his eye, but his attention snapped towards it in an instant only to reveal that the movement was caused by Geoff. His eyebrows furrowed as the other tried to pretend like he wasn’t covered in burrs and twigs, like he wasn’t trying to sneak out of the brush and back into the city unnoticed.

“Do you know where Gavin is?” he asked instantly, lifting a hand swiftly to raise a dirt wall behind Geoff, who was trying to retreat back into the bushes as quickly as he’d come out of them.

“Why would I know where he is?” Geoff asked, his voice pitchy and lilted like he certainly did know where Gavin was, but also that he knew that revealing that information would get him in more trouble with Michael than not at the same time.

Michael’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, the ground beneath his feet rumbling and propelling him like a moving walkway until he was nose to nose with Geoff. “Because you know where everyone is, you always know.”

There wasn’t fear in Geoff’s eyes, but the man’s chest rose and fell rapidly with anxious breaths. The staredown was long and tense, though he eventually relented, letting out a long sigh as the wall behind him fell. He wasn’t going anywhere. “I spoke to him in the woods maybe an hour ago, he told me that I’m not allowed to look for him, but here.” He reached into his gear, pulling out a weathered piece of parchment that was rolled and tied with a thin strip of leather. A map, one that he’d made with the same magic that lived in his tattoos, that not only held the lay of the land but also markers for everyone who lived in it. Geoff offered it to Michael, who quickly swiped it from him and unrolled it. “He never said anything about you going after him.”

The lad hummed quietly as his eyes scanned the map for the forest green marker that indicated Gavin’s name, wordlessly stepping beyond the brush and into the woods towards it.

“I don’t even get a thank you?!” Geoff cried out behind him, annoyed by the lack of gratitude. The ground beneath his feet rose suddenly, knocking him off his feet and onto the earth. He cried out, flailing his arms in an attempt to stop himself from falling, but it was futile. Michael was already gone.

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The woods looked easy to traverse on the map, and they most likely would have been if Michael had stayed on the trails, but he opted to make a beeline towards Gavin. The terrain was rocky and there were steep cliffs off the beaten path, but it was nothing that he couldn’t handle. He could mend and mold the earth to make it easier to traverse, creating stairs along the cliff faces for an easy descent. The climate was what was really getting to him. The chill in the air was unbearable for him, only getting worse as the sun began to dip down, and he had a bear’s pelt to keep him warm. Gavin’s frame was thinner and frailer than his own, he most likely wasn’t faring any better.

He lit a torch as night fell, raising up dirt and stone walls around himself to block out the cold and keep himself safe from the nocturnal monsters around him. After jamming the torch into the wall, he unfurled his map and saw that Gavin’s marker had stopped moving and was instead spinning around in frantic circles. Evidently, he was trying to make camp for the night as well. With a swift movement of his hand, miles away on the other side of the woods, similar walls raised up around Gavin, and the marker finally stopped moving. Satisfied that his boi was safe, he settled down, wrapping his pelt around himself tightly for warmth as he laid down to sleep.

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Gavin was startled as the dirt walls rose up around him, terrified that something was trying to trap him within them, though he quickly became at ease when he realized what it meant. Geoff had listened and wasn’t going to be searching for him, but Michael was certainly looking out for him instead. The fear that came from being alone out there dissipated as he ran his fingers down the dirt, pulling out several clumps of roots and knocking bits of earth loose. Dirt walls were less than fancy, but they were a great comfort regardless.

He slept easily through the night with a newfound sense of safety, his cloak pulled tightly around himself for warmth. It worked wonders against the cold. As the sun began to rise, it didn’t emerge from the clouds, the sky grey and dreary as rain began to fall. Gavin could hear the rain hitting the tops of the trees, but even as he began to move none of the drops ever hit him. Above him, the branches of the trees bent and molded, shielding him from the downpours as he walked. No doubt this is Michael’s doing, he thought to himself, a small smile forming on his lips. No matter how much they seemed to argue, the other lad still managed to be protective of him. It was something he was always grateful for, even when the others seemed to give him shit for it.

His pace that day was slower, more leisurely now that he had calmed down some, but he still had no intentions of going back to the city. If Michael was the only one who cared enough to come for him, they could start their own city far, far away. Together. He quickly shook the thought from his mind, pushing his hood down and taking a look around. Though the trees were tall above him for now, he knew that if he just kept going they’d give way to a beautiful, grassy plain. He couldn’t wait to walk on grass again, the dirt and stones beneath him were starting to make his feet ache.

Several yards from where he’d first had that thought, he had to stop, kneeling down to untie his boots so he could re-lace them tightly. Moving slowly, he bent down, not wanting to end up with another cut on his knee from landing too hard on a rock like he’d already done far too many times this trek. But the terrain beneath his knee was soft, and as he looked down at his boot, he saw that there was soft, lush grass beneath him. Not dirt.

“What on earth?” He asked himself, brushing his fingers through it. There was some grass on the forest floor around him, but it was rough and patchy, nothing like this. “Michael’s really outdone himself this time.” With that thought, he smiled to himself before continuing to lace up his boots with deft fingers. Before he stood, he spotted a small wildflower that had bloomed among the blades , and he gently picked it and placed it behind his ear. “What a dope.”

What Gavin didn’t know was that Michael didn’t have the ability to create foliage or flowers underfoot. No one in their community did. And with each step that Gavin took, more of it sprouted up from the dirt beneath him.

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Night fell again soon enough, and Gavin wasn’t sure where he was. He could’ve sworn that the forest gave way into plains at this point, but instead he found himself in the middle of the desert. Stupidly, he’d continued on, just in case the plains were just beyond it, though now he was too tired to turn back.

“Maybe Fiona was right,” he muttered as he sat down in the sand, digging his toes into it and wiggling them for some amusement as he propped his cloak up over himself like an umbrella. It was nighttime now, but it would be morning again soon enough. He didn’t want to end up burnt to a crisp before he even woke up. No walls came up around Gavin this time either, so it was up to him to protect himself.

Gavin leaned forward against his knees, peering up at the night sky for a few long moments. Jeremy had spent many long nights back in the city teaching him the constellations and the stars within them, though he could never tell which ones were real and which ones the lad had made up for his own amusement. Orion was certainly real, but Beauregard’s Chariot was almost certainly not. Almost. He picked that one out, finding comfort in its familiarity, before he decided it was time to get some rest. Toes still in the sand, he laid back, arms crossed beneath his head as he closed his eyes. He had been so focused on the sky that he was unaware of what was happening in the sand beneath him.

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With Gavin’s slowed pace, Michael was able to start gaining on him. He raced through the trees with even greater speed now that he was beyond the craggy cliffs and difficult landscape, the earth moving beneath him to propel him along. By nighttime, he’d closed in on Gavin’s position, and he was stunned by what he saw.

Smack dab in the middle of the desert, where not even cacti could manage to survive due to the horrible heat and scorching sunbeams, Gavin found himself within an oasis. That same lush grass and wildflowers were no longer just underfoot, but in a wide circle around the lad, almost tall enough to completely hide him from Michael’s view. Small trees were even beginning to grow, supporting Gavin’s cloak above him in place of the flimsy sticks he’d set up before.

“Gavin?” Michael called softly, stepping forward with caution in case it was a facade, a trap of some sort. The desert was known for causing hallucinations, for preying on the hope of the desperate. That was the kind of magic it held, and it was very skillful at using it. But as he knelt down at the edge of the circle and reached forward to feel the greenery, sure enough, it was real. “What the hell? Gavin! Wake the fuck up!”

The lad sat bolt upright with a start, catching himself in his cloak and fighting it off with all the fierceness of a kitten. Sleep was still gripping him, catching him somewhere between being wide awake and deep asleep, but he was quickly coming to. “Who’s there?!” He shouted, finally tossing his cape away from himself and looking around in confusion. “Michael?” That wasn’t the last thing he expected to see out there, but it wasn’t the first either. “What are you doing here, Michael?”

It had taken everything in Michael not to laugh at the display in front of him, but he quickly wiped the smirk off his face to look offended when Gavin addressed him so incredulously. “Jeez, don’t sound so happy to see me,” he drawled, rolling his eyes before shuffling forward on his knees. “Mind telling me what all this is?” He arched an eyebrow, gesturing to the small haven among the sand.

However, Gavin had no more answers than Michael did. “I’m not… I’m not sure what it is,” he responded earnestly, glancing between it and the other lad before reaching for his cloak. “I thought you were doing it. You’re not?” Michael shook his head fervently, and Gavin only frowned as he pulled the garment on. “Then who is?”

Michael shrugged a shoulder, humming a soft ‘I don’t know’ before standing, stalking around the mysterious growth. This wasn’t anything that anyone he knew could do, and when he tried to make it happen himself, all he could do was raise the earth itself. He couldn’t make anything grow from it. Which left only one option…

“Come here,” he said suddenly, and Gavin looked at him like he’d asked him to do something insane. “Stand up! Get the hell over here!” When there was still no movement from him, Michael reached forward, hauling Gavin to his feet and yanking him out of the circle. Sure enough, grass sprouted up beneath the lad’s feet, extending the circle and connecting it to wherever he stepped. “Holy shit… Gavin! Look!”

Gavin had thought that Michael was angry at him, scolding him, but the tone of his voice was nothing but excited. Thrilled, even. He followed Michael’s gaze down to his feet, but he wasn’t quick enough to put the pieces together like the other had. “This happened to me back in the forest too! I don’t know what’s going on!”

“You’ve found your magic, that’s what’s going on!” Michael was practically screaming, bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking at Gavin with a big beaming grin. “You can make stuff grow! That’s incredible!”

That made things click for Gavin, finally, and his grin ended up matching Michael’s. “I can make stuff grow!” Geoff was going to be blown away, everyone was. He wondered if Michael would be okay with them going back to the city immediately, they’d be able to get there by morning thanks to his abilities. “Fiona was right!”

The other bristled immediately, his grin turning to a frown in a fraction of a second. “Fiona was… Right?” She’d told Gavin that his magic was being stupid, that his special ability was being an idiot. This certainly wasn’t that, not by a long shot. “Gavin, this isn’t stupid. This is awesome! Fiona wasn’t right.”

“What? What are you on about? No, she… She said I was made for something better than what everyone else thought. And she was right! Oh, and she’s had such shit luck getting flowers to grow at her place too, no wonder!” Gavin threw his arms around Michael’s neck, wrapping him in a tight hug that was fueled by nothing but pure glee, and he could only hug him back just as tight. “We have to get back there, immediately. Everyone is going to be so jealous, Michael-boi.”

----------------------------------------------------

Some proper rest would’ve been a great benefit to them both, but Gavin had insisted that they return to the city as quickly as possible. The moving ground beneath their feet made it a relatively quick task, and Michael had managed to find a well-worn trail that made it even easier. They were back in the city by sunrise, and while the excitement had died down in Michael to give way to sleepiness, Gavin was no less giddy. Probably because he’d climbed on Michael’s back at one point and managed a small nap. Lucky bastard, Michael had thought to himself when he’d heard the soft snoring in his ear, but he hadn’t woken him up.

“Michael. Stop here, Michael,” Gavin urged, nearly losing his balance as the dirt beneath him ground to a halt suddenly. They were just outside the city, inside the same bushes that Geoff had attempted to sneak out of a few days prior, hidden from view as residents began to leave their houses to begin their tasks for the day. “I’m gonna get on your back-“

“You’re not taking another fucking nap,” Michael interjected, and the other huffed and waved him off.

“No! I’m gonna get on your back so I can do a grand reveal, you dolt. The flowers appear when I step, and if I step too soon the surprise will be ruined!”

“Hey, assholes!” Jeremy’s voice boomed across the city center, no doubt hearing the commotion, and Gavin quickly began to scramble onto Michael’s back.

“Ow! Watch it, you’re gonna knock off my glasses! Stop!” Michael huffed, swatting at Gavin’s hands as they reached for purchase anywhere they could. He stepped out of the bushes once he was settled, looking annoyed while the lad on his back was nothing but gleeful. “Hey, Lil J! I rescued our favorite dumbass. You’re welcome.”

Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh as Gavin let out a little ‘hello!’ and waved, though he was curious about why the other was on Michael’s back. It wasn’t unlike Gavin to demand piggy-back rides. Though normally once Jeremy was in view, he made it his mission to climb onto his shoulders instead. “Gav, are you hurt? What’s going on?” He stepped up with caution, ready to call for help if needed. Injuries weren’t uncommon, but if Gavin needed to be carried, it must’ve been serious.

“No, the asshole’s not hurt. Not yet, at least. He’s just got a surprise for you,” Michael assured, rolling his eyes. “For everyone, actually. Do me a favor and ring the bell? They’re gonna want to be here for this.”

An eyebrow shot up, but Jeremy was quick to comply with the request. He crossed the city center, grabbing the rope and pulling it once, twice, three times to signal that it was a meeting of utmost importance, but not one that brought bad news. When the bell rang three times, it meant that there were good things to come.

Soon, all of the residents of the city were there, eagerly awaiting to learn the reason for this meeting. Very rarely did the bell ring thrice, and there were hushed whispers and guesses of what was to come. They all fell silent when Michael, with Gavin still on his back, stepped forward.

“I’ve found my magic,” Gavin announced, savoring the look on everyone’s faces as they processed that announcement. Particularly Geoff’s, whose face was twisted into one of apologetic guilt. A sense of satisfaction bubbled up inside of him at that. And of course Fiona was delighted, jumping up and down and pumping her fists, shouting ‘I knew it!’ before she even knew what Gavin’s magic was. It didn’t matter to her. Alfredo and Trevor were also excited, but only because their beloved Dusk Boy had finally joined their ranks, though Jack and Matt simply looked skeptical. He couldn’t blame them, really. Why now? Why did it take so long for him to find it? Those were the questions behind their eyes, and Gavin wished that he had answers for them.

When he felt like he’d let the suspense hang in there air for long enough, he stepped down. For a moment, nothing happened. Matt was about to open his mouth to complain about being dragged out of bed for a grand display of nothing. And then, all at once, a beautiful display of lush grass and flowers appeared at his feet. The more he focused on it, the bigger it grew and the more beautiful it became. No longer was it simply wildflowers, either. In the hours of their journey, he realized he could control the types of flowers that grew. He opted for sunflowers this time. Everyone knew that they were his favorite. It was proof that the magic was his, and not anyone else’s pretending to be his.

The reactions were mixed, and Gavin deflated a little as several people seemed unimpressed and walked off to return to their duties. It wasn’t the most spectacular power in the world, he knew that, but it was his and he liked it. That was what mattered to him. There wasn’t much time for him to mope though, as Fiona quickly rushed him, wrapping him in a hug and lifting him off his feet.

“Gavin!” she shouted, stepping back to inspect the flowers closer. She plucked a few blades of grass, feeling them between her fingers. After a few seconds, she gasped, her eyes lighting up. “You can help me grow flowers at my place!”

Gavin laughed, nodding quickly and beaming at her. He could always trust her to cheer him up. “I can, yeah. No wonder you’ve not been able to grow anything.”

“Yeah, cause you stole my green thumb! That’s hardly my fault.”

“Oh, I dunno about that. You should’ve been keeping a closer eye on it.”

They bickered back and forth, Michael watching with a tired but fond smile, until Fiona decided that she’d had enough and thumped Gavin on the side of the head before racing off. The lad was too exhausted to follow, so he just stepped over to Michael, the foliage underfoot following him as he went. Everyone else came up to congratulate him in time, Geoff doing that and apologizing for the harshness of his words in one awkward convoluted mess that Michael wasn’t even sure was an apology, but Gavin understood what the gent was trying to say. He’d learned to decode Geoff Speak over the years.

Still, the person whose opinion Gavin valued the most was Michael’s, and once the excitement had died down and they’d retreated to their homes to rest, Michael stopped by to give it.

“I’m real proud of you, Gav,” he said, making himself comfortable on the bed next to the lad without a second thought.

“Proud of me?” he asked, snatching his blankets back from the lad as he tried to steal them. Michael always did this to him.

“Yeah. Proud of you. For putting up with the bullshit and finding your magic. Even if it was a total accident.” Michael snorted out a soft laugh and smiled, crossing his arms beneath his head and looking over at the other. “You just lucked into it, just like you lucked into everything else.”

“Including you?” Gavin arched an eyebrow as he met the other’s gaze, desperately wanting to wipe that smug look off his face.”

“Especially me, are you kidding?” That comment earned him a gentle smack to the chest, a kiss to the cheek, and a mutter of ‘I’m going to make a tree grow through your damn house.’

To everyone else, their relationship was indiscernible at best. But Michael and Gavin knew exactly what they were to each other, they didn’t need anyone else in their business about it. They were partners. Not just in life and love, but in their magic as well. As he learned how to hone and control his abilities, Gavin would decorate the city and beautify the buildings that Michael had created. And once he had mastered his skills, Michael began to create buildings specifically for Gavin to embellish. Dirt roofs became his signature style, the gravity-defying feature held together by the roots of the flowers that Gavin planted into them. The city had never looked better, and even those who were initially unimpressed by Gavin’s abilities had to admit that it was perfectly suited to him. He took great pride in rubbing it in their faces.

Gavin was happy to not be a member of the mundane anymore. His spirits were higher, and he felt more useful to the city. His abilities, with more practice, extended beyond flowers and grass and into fruit and vegetable plants. The magic that Gavin held could sustain them all.

But Gavin had always held magic within him, in Michael’s eyes. He had never been mundane. That gleam in his eye when he got another crazy idea to cause chaos was nothing if not supernatural, and his ability to find the fun in even the most boring of situations had proven to be valuable time and time again. It just hadn’t been the form of magic that Gavin had always desired, so he never took note of it despite it always being there. Michael was just glad he could finally see it in himself too.

#ragehappy #rpf #mavin #oneshot #magic au #secret sunshine #secret sunshine event #fic #my fic #my writing #everamazingfe

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onepieceimaginationdomination · 5 years

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Can you do a headcanon for Law, Kidd, Ace and Marco s/o telling them that she was abuse mentally, verbally, physically, and sexually for a couple of years and that they are to afraid to ask for they're love also afraid being themselves, how would write on how they react with this new information, how they feel about it and how to show them what love really is and how it really feels. Also seeing their body full of scars and saw how broken and unloved in their eyes. Give detail to please.

Ok so, any sort of abuse is an issue. If you are triggered by any of this, please do not read this. I only want the best for you guys and for you go be safe. If you need help, please don't hesitate and seek it.

💔Law: Finding out that his s/o was verbally, physically, and sexually for a couple of years and asking if he loved them, he could see their hesitation and his face scrunches up. He never expected his s/o to go through such a tragic incident but all he could do is stand there. He thinks to himself, thinking about how amazing they are, analyzing their features and seeing the scars. Law looks down, tears were forming but he wants...no needs to be strong for them. "Law? Are you ok??" Law places his sword on the ground and holds them. He holds them so tightly before bringing them both to the ground. He was holding them so tight that they could feel his heart pounding. It was very apparent that he was emotional. "I promise.." He whispers softly, "nobody will ever hurt you like that again...not while I'm alive. Not while you stand beside me. Why didn't you tell me sooner? We could've avoided so much...we could've avoided..." He presses his face into their shoulder. "..Me telling you that you're not strong enough..." Law kisses them gently on the temple, hoping that it would someway make them forgive him for all those times he went too hard. From that day forward, he didn't yell, didn't grab, didn't do anything aggressive towards them.

💔Kidd: Finding out that his s/o was verbally, physically, and sexually for a couple of years and asking if he loved them, he would stand there in disbelief. He would honestly think it's a joke. "Haha you have a dark sense of humor ba-" that's when he sees his s/o look away and revealing a scar on their neck. He went from his loud self to a quiet and protective self. Kidd takes them by the hands before lifting their face gently and looks deeply into their eyes. "...Who did this to you?" His voice was deep and terrifying, he now has murder on his mind. How dare anyone lay their hand on s/o like this!? They will pay for everything they have done!! A slow, painful de- his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sniffles. His s/o's sniffles. Kidd, feeling his heart break, picks up his love bridal style and carries them into his quarters, gently laying them on the bed. His s/o sits up and wipes their eyes, seeing Kidd on his knees in front of them. "K-Kidd..?" He takes their scarred hand and places meaningful, gentle kisses on each one. Kissing every single inch of each one, his s/o knows he's upset. He keeps going, moving up their arm. "My darling.." He whispers in their ear, "I may be a large idiot who is...aggressive and hurt people, along with being a king, but I promise you that I will never raise my fist to you..ever. I promise to be here by your side until you decide you can't deal with me anymore." Kidd looks into their eyes once more. Seeing this rare side of Kidd makes his s/o believe that he swears on his word. "I would never stop loving you, Kidd.." He smiles at them before planting a sweet, lingering kiss on their lips and cuddle for the rest of the day. From that day forward, Kidd is careful about his yelling and fighting around his s/o. He tries to be on his best behavior and succeeds because his s/o feels safe.

💔Ace: Finding out that his s/o was verbally, physically, and sexually for a couple of years and asking if he loved them, he immediately yells. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?" His s/o jumps back in fear, giving Ace a full view of scars going up and down. He gasps and tears flow, "I-I'm sorry...I'm so so sorry baby...I didn't mean to- oh man.." He is so ashamed at that one moment he wants to kick himself. Ace covers his face with his hat, but his s/o can see his mouth and jaw. Then the tears. Big, clear tears running down his face. He could never deal with these sort of things, even if it came to his other crew members and especially people he cares most in this world. His body shakes, "how could anyone...hurt a beautiful soul like yours...? H-How could anyone leave those scars?" It takes a few minutes before he looks up, eyes puffy and tears dried. He calms down and scoops his s/o into his arms, rubbing the back of their head. His hug makes s/o calm a bit, it was comforting, it was safe. They hug back, kissing his chin. "I'm sorry for not telling you..." Ace smiles weakly, "You have every right not to tell me...I just...appreciate that you trust me..you took your time and told me..." He lifts their arms and kisses the top of their hands, then their palms, then their cheeks and finally forehead. "Scars doesn't mean you are weak...it means you survived. I may not be a good with words or magic, but..I can at least try to help you. I love you s/o..more than you believe."

💔Marco: Finding out that his s/o was verbally, physically, and sexually for a couple of years and asking if he loved them, he's completely silent and stares. He stares in disbelief, in horror, shock and anger all in one. But his s/o sees that he's completely neutral, there is no difference except...his left eye slightly twitching. All of a sudden, he lets out a deep sigh, slowly dropping his head and making his way over to his s/o, towering over them. S/o is immediately intimidated but then Marco hugs them, gently and resting his forehead against theirs. He places a hand on thier cheek and caresses it. "Thank you for letting me know...but, I have to say, I want to murder whoever did this to you. Whoever hurt my angel, whoever dares to lay their hand on you..but I won't. I much rather take care of you and help you heal rather than go on a killing spree. You are far more important than you know, s/o. You have..inspired me, help me become...more expressive. You are gorgeous from head to toe, please...allow me to show you." Marco looks at them with pleading eyes, but they agree. He smiles and takes them to his room before giving them a night that they feel loved for once in their life. It was an emotional experience, but Marco promised to do whatever they wanted and that he will be so gentle in which he kept that promise. From that day forward, his s/o is comfortable and happy, telling Marco whatever is bothering them and he vows to take care of them as long as they walk side by side.

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basicshadowhuntersstuff · 6 years

Photo

This week in Shadowhunters news, updates, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes. All the stuff you need to stay up to date.

Official Promotion

Maia saying what we're all thinking. #Shadowhunters

FreeformTV tweeted: Just leaving this here. via @ShadowhuntersTV.

Awkward prom posing during #Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 10. #FBF

When #Parabatai meet. #Shadowhunters

Clary's face at the end. 😏 #Shadowhunters

What's your favorite Maia moment? #Shadowhunters

Luke has always been selfless. #Shadowhunters

Hey handsome. Behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters Season 3B. [4]

Shadowhunters In The News

Clevver (article): Dom Sherwood Blown Away by Fan Support, Despite End of Shadowhunters

TeenVogue (article): "Shadowhunters" Star Dominic Sherwood Has "Hope" for the Series Thanks to Fan Support

Seventeen (interview): 'Shadowhunters' Star Katherine McNamara Shares Her Most Embarrassing Stories [2]

ComicBook.com (article): 'Shadowhunters' Star Reflects on Fan Support After Cancellation

ShumDario News (interview): Our Crazy Rich Asians Review with Harry Shum Jr. on Representation and Small Victories

Observatório Cinema (article): Shadowhunters | Ator sentiu “esperança” por conta do apoio dos fãs após cancelamento da série

Courier Mail (interview): Shadowhunters star Dominic Sherwood goes bar-hopping in Brisbane

SpoilerTV (poll): The SpoilerTV Favourite TV Series Competition 2018 - Winner and Final Words

SyFy Wire (article): 66 Bisexual+ Characters in Genre TV

The Series Regulars (article): ‘Shadowhunters’: Magnus Bane’s Positive & Powerful Bisexual Representation

TVFanatic (article): 31 Couples Who Accidentally Fell In Love

Just Jared Jr. (article): This Is The One Thing That Dominic Sherwood Wanted To Change About Jace in 'Shadowhunters'

GLAAD (article): why we, the stans, love shadowhunters

PRIDE (article): 9 TV Shows with Bisexual Guy Characters

Twitter & Social Media Stuff

Sydney Meyer (Helen Blackthorn) shared a photo of herself as Helen: Half and half 😉 [3]

Jack Wall (composer) tweeted: Just finished the 42nd spotting session for our show Shadowhunters on Freeform that Trevor Morris and myself have been scoring for the last 2 years. An emotional series Finale and an emotional goodbye. Thanks so much...

Darren Swimmer (showrunner) tweeted: If the previous 40 episodes are any indication, the score for the finale 2-parter is sure to be amazing.

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) shared a photo: Last music spot with ⁦@DSwim⁩ ⁦@lonewolflindsay⁩ ⁦@jackwallmusic⁩ where we went over score, songs & sound fx for finale #sonicheroes #superears #thankyoulindsayandjack #shadowhunters

Lindsay Wolfington (music supervisor) tweeted: Bittersweet final music spot with these guys. Can’t wait for you to hear! And yes, I teared up. #Shadowhunters #Shadowhuntersmusic

Jade Hassoune (Meliorn) shared a photo of himself as Meliorn on Instagram.

Kat (Clary) shared her Seventeen interview: Thank you @seventeen for putting me through the 🔥 of the emoji challenge! Really made me 🤔 and 🤣. All my ❤ ! Check out the 🔗 for the full 📽! https://youtu.be/zUBD0xNDzLI

Isaiah (Luke) shared a photo on Instagram: Who wore it better? #losersclub

Javier Munoz (Lorenzo Rey) shared a quick make-up trailer video: Missing you peeps... #BTS Hair & Make-Up post shooting.... @ShadowhuntersTV @NicolaNCD @HarryShumJr @EmeraudeToubia @PrinceRoyce @Kat_McNamara @BriBriGuy23

Wevents Production announced David Castro (Raphael Santiago) and Nicola Correia-Damude (Maryse Lightwood) as guests for The Hunters of Shadow 3 in Paris.

Matt (Alec) tweeted his costars accomplishments: If you don't know already, @Kat_McNamara is heading over to @CW_Arrow, @isaiahmustafa is crushing #IT2, @HarryShumJr is in @CrazyRichMovie and more, @WainwrightAE is in #raisingdion. More updates from the rest of the cast coming soon! Send them your support and love!

Sydney Meyer (Helen Blackthorn) tweeted: Proud baby sister. Arrow is lucky to have you. Give em hell 👊🏹😉👏🙌❤

Wevents Production announced Will Tudor (Sebastian Verlac/Jonathan Morgenstern) as a guest for The Hunters of Shadow 3 in Paris.

Nuno DeSalles (cast trainer) shared a photo of Matt (Alec) on Instagram: #motivationmonday !!! The #infamous #midworkout expression!! @matthewdaddario psyching himself up for the rest of the #workout Thank you again to @ac3_photos For another great shot!

Harry (Magnus) tweeted an animal request: @MatthewDaddario yo, hit us with another Koala pic and maybe a kangaroo too.

Harry (Magnus) shared a video of a tour of his “backyard” via a new app.

Taylor Mallory (writer) tweeted: When your Discover Weekly playlist tries to make you cry... @jamiegorenberg @EmeraudeToubia #Shadowhunters #3x08

Brian Hui (makeup artist) tweeted: Super excited to be the new makeup HOD on S4 of The Expanse! Don’t worry SH fans, you’ll still get BTS of 3B but I hope some of you will join me in outer space! #TheExpanseSeason4

People’s Choice Awards

Shadowhunters is a finalist in three People’s Choice Awards categories, #TheSciFiFantasyShow, #TheBingeworthyShow, and #TheShow. Kat McNamara (Clary) is a finalist for #TheFemaleTVStar and Harry Shum Jr. is a finalist for #TheMaleTVStar.

Voting on the People’s Choice Awards website can be done here.

ShadowhuntersTV posted on Twitter and Instagram:

We’ve. Been. Nominated. Retweet to vote #Shadowhunters as #TheScifiFantasyShow in the #PCAs.

We sure can. Retweet to cast your vote for #Shadowhunters as #TheScifiFantasyShow in the #PCAs.

You and your #parabatai can help us win as #TheScifiFantasyShow. Retweet to vote for #Shadowhunters in the #PCAs.

@Kat.McNamara is a finalist for @PeoplesChoice Awards #TheFemaleTVStar of 2018! Vote now, link in bio. You can vote up to 25x per day. #PCAs

There’s no shortage of magic in #Shadowhunters. RT to vote for us as #TheSciFiFantasyShow in the #PCAs.

We’re a finalist in the @peopleschoice awards. RT to vote #Shadowhunters as #TheShow in the #PCAs.

He’s wonderful both on and off screen. RT to vote for @HarryShumJr as #TheMaleTVStar in the #PCAs. #HarryShumJr

Somebody hug us. We’re a finalist in the @peopleschoice awards. RT to vote #Shadowhunters as #TheBingeworthyShow in the #PCAs.

And so are all of you. RT to vote for #Shadowhunters as #TheBingeworthyShow in the #PCAs.

We made it to the finals. RT to vote for #Shadowhunters as #TheSciFiFantasyShow in the #PCAs.

Vote for #HarryShumJr as the @peopleschoice’s #TheMaleTVStar? Challenge accepted. RT to vote for him in the #PCAs.

People’s Choice Awards tweeted:

Vote for Shadowhunters by retweeting this post: #Shadowhunters #TheShow #PCAs

Vote for Shadowhunters by retweeting this post: #Shadowhunters #TheBingeworthyShow #PCAs

Vote for Shadowhunters by retweeting this post: #ShadowHunters #TheScifiFantasyShow #PCAs

Vote for Katherine McNamara from Shadowhunters by retweeting this post: #KatherineMcNamara #TheFemaleTVStar #PCAs

Vote for Harry Shum Jr. from Shadowhunters by retweeting this post: #HarryShumJr #TheMaleTVStar #PCAs

Harry Shum Jr. ✔ Champagne ✔ #Shadowhunters Nominations ✔✔✔ #PCAs

In The News

TVLine (article): People's Choice Awards 2018: Grey's, Shadowhunters Lead TV Nominations

Just Jared Jr. (article): 'Shadowhunters' Earns Five People's Choice Award Nominations - See The Full List Here!

Matt Carter (article): Shadowhunters gains ground at People’s Choice Awards; what it means

Hidden Remote (article): Shadowhunters nominated for 5 People’s Choice Awards (and 4 of them were write-ins)!

Nerds and Beyond (article): Sci-Fi/Fantasy Finalists for People’s Choice Awards

Billboard (article): 2018 E! People's Choice Awards Finalists Announced: See the Full List

E!News (article): 2018 People's Choice Awards: Complete List of Finalists

TVFanatic (article): People's Choice Awards 2018: Grey's Anatomy, Shadowhunters Lead the Way

PureFandom (article): People’s Choice Awards: ‘Shadowhunters’ fans won’t back down

Kathie Lee and Hoda (video): Exciting news! We just announced additional @peopleschoice award nominations! Get in on this second phase of voting! Voting is open now through Friday.

E!News (interview): He wasn't an original #PCAs nominee, but #Shadowhunters fans are no joke!

E!News (article): Harry Shum Jr. Pops Champagne Over Shadowhunters' Unprecedented PCAs Write-In Votes

Cast and Crew Reactions:

Kat (Clary) tweeted her thanks and voting instructions for each category!

Kat (Clary) posted about her nomination on Instagram.

Harry (Magnus) tweeted his thanks and voting instructions for the PCAs.

Harry (Magnus) shared a video thanking fans for the nominations encouraging voting on Instagram.

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted: The people have spoken! Congrats ⁦@Kat_McNamara⁩ on your much deserved PCA nomination. Your talent & dedication & positivity are an inspiration to us all #ClaryFairchild #girlppwer #shadowhunterslegacy #shadowhunters

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted: Of the people and for the people! Congrats ⁦@HarryShumJr⁩ on your PCA nomination. Your talent knows no bounds. There is nothing you can't do #magnusbane #rolemodel #Shadowhunterslegacy #Shadowhunters

Darren Swimmer (showrunner) tweeted: It's an honor to have been able to work with #PCA finalists, @Kat_McNamara and @HarryShumJr, and I am incredibly glad their amazing talent is being recognized by those who matter most - the audience.

Matt (Alec) tweeted his support: Hey! @Kat_McNamara and @HarryShumJr are nominated for #PeoplesChoiceAwards! Go to their pages and vote for them. Its the smartest choice you'll ever make.

Harry (Magnus) tweeted: My reaction this morning looking at my phone.😲😆

Kat (Clary) tweeted: Amazing work, angels! If you want vote, make sure you use all three hashtags! There are many posts for Shadowhunters, Harry and me that only have 2#s - you need to hashtag the name too for it to count - like this - #KatherineMcNamara #TheFemaleTVStar #PCAs 1 RT = 1 vote

Oz Comic Con

Matthew Daddario (Alec) and Dom Sherwood (Jace) spent a weekend in Brisbane, Australia at Oz Comic Con.

The entire panel can be seen on the Oz Comic Con Facebook Page.

Clare Kramer shared a number of photos from the weekend’s panels:

Here’s @MatthewDaddario on the @OzComicCon main stage! #Shadowhunters #OzComicCon18

Here’s @DomSherwood1 smoldering at a fan @OzComicCon. #OzComicCon18 #Shadowhunters

.@MatthewDaddario and @DomSherwood1 are cracking up the #Shadowhunters panel audience with their stories of mean magpies, eyepatches, and swimming kangaroos. #OzComicCon18

Deep thoughts with #Shadowhunters @MatthewDaddario: Why do they call them action figures? @DomSherwood1: Because you can make them do actions. #OzComicCon18 @OzComicCon

.@DomSherwood1 “You broke the sword.” @MatthewDaddario “I did not break the sword! The ground and the manufacturer conspired to break the sword!” #Shadowhunters #OzComicCon18

“This is what happens. I ramble, then he rambles, and people lose interest.” @DomSherwood1 on his #Shadowhunters panel with @MatthewDaddario #OzComicCon18 [1]

It’s time for the #Shadowhunters panel with @DomSherwood1 and @MatthewDaddario @OzComicCon, and it’s a packed house! #OzComicCon18

Here’s @DomSherwood1 telling the crowd @OzComicCon that @MatthewDaddario doesn’t like pandas. #Shadowhunters #OzComicCon18

SPOILER ALERT @MatthewDaddario @DomSherwood1 #Shadowhunters #OzComicCon18

It’s time for the #Shadowhunters panel with @DomSherwood1 and @MatthewDaddario @OzComicCon, and it’s a packed house! #OzComicCon18

“Matt had a lot of sugar before coming out.” @DomSherwood1 on @MatthewDaddario @OzComicCon #OzComicCon18 #Shadowhunters

Here’s @MatthewDaddario’s profile @OzComicCon, all chiseled and whatnot. #shadowhunters #OzComicCon18

#SaveShadowhunters (continued)

On June 4th, it was announced that Freeform wouldn’t be continuing on with a fourth season of Shadowhunters. Here are a few major highlights. (Our full roundup for #SaveShadowhunters can be found here.)

Amazon Adviser (article): Is it time for Amazon to save Shadowhunters?

Other News

Kat (Clary) will be joining the cast of Arrow in a recurring role for Season 7:

TVLine (article): Arrow Season 7: Shadowhunters' Katherine McNamara Joins Cast

Kat tweeted: THRILLED to finally be able to share this news. So excited to be joining @CW_Arrow! Thanks @tvline

Hidden Remote (article): Arrow Season 7: Shadowhunter’s Katherine McNamara joins the cast

The Series Regulars (article): Katherine McNamara Nabs Recurring Role On ‘Arrow’

TV Guide (article): Stop Everything! Kat McNamara Just Booked Her First Post-Shadowhunters Role

Just Jared Jr. (article): Katherine McNamara Joins 'Arrow' Season 7!

Entertainment Weekly (article): Arrow casts Shadowhunters star Katherine McNamara in recurring role

ComicBook.com (article): 'Shadowhunters' Star Katherine McNamara Cast in Major 'Arrow' Role

Screen Rant (article): Arrow Season 7 Casts Shadowhunters Alum In 'Pivotal' Role

Digital Spy (article): Shadowhunters star Katherine McNamara lands a crucial role in Arrow season 7

Matt Carter (article): Shadowhunters star Katherine McNamara reacts to Arrow season 7 casting

Kat shared a thank you video: Thank you, Angels! My heart is so full from all the love for #Arrow and #ShadowhuntersLegacy. SO many exciting things in store on all fronts. @ShadowhuntersTV @CW_Arrow

Glitter Magazine tweets their congratulations: Congrats to #Shadowhunters' @Kat_McNamara as She Joins Cast of Arrow

Elle (video and article): Activists, Designers and Actors Share Their First Time Voting featuring Kat (Clary)

#shadowhunters #bss news roundup #saveshadowhunters #peoples choice awards #oz comic con

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someblackgamerguy · 6 years

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Rimworld: My New Addiction

It's not so often that you hear a game on steam going out of early access hell. Personally, I browse steam and see some games that are wonderful and still in early access, sometimes I tend to wonder what the full product becomes. I've tried out My time at Portia as well as Oxygen not included! Both amazing games in their own right and obviously a tad bit rough around the edges, which is to be expected in an early access game. I sometimes get worried though. If you were to browse steam's early access and greenlit games you might need to shuffle through a good bit of less-than-savory products such as Hentai Legends. But once in a while, you get an amazing game that just breaks out of its early access stages and gets a full release, and this game is Rimworld.

At first glance, I thought this game would seem to be a simple colony building survival game, a standard, collect the wood, build a house, hunt for food type of game. I was proven wrong almost instantly when I first started to see the world the crew that was randomly selected for me was being dropped in, After that, I knew that I was in for an interesting ride.

The game begins with you choosing a Storyteller and a difficulty, Each storyteller has their own way of handling events throughout the game. There are different types of encounters, like foreign settlers running away from another faction, traders selling weapons and sometimes slaves. You can choose to open your border and let them pass or attack them and become a raider camp. But when you land (depending on the scenario you choose) You have randomly selected individuals with different stats pertaining to, construction, crafting, medical and shooting. You work to create a safe camp for your settlers to live peacefully and survive.

This game is very slow and akin to tower defense game when you raise the difficulties. Waves of enemies coming into your base while you defend with the turrets and gunners. The difficulty doesn't stop there though, Your settlers can start social fights, threatening to kill each other, or have mental breakdowns. There's so much flavor text in this game it's going to be near impossible to read all of it in one solid playthrough. After a week with this game, I am still learning new things. New ways to handle temperature, different biomes, and savage creatures.

The fun didn't stop there for me, as someone who enjoys a lot of Bethesda games like Skyrim, Oblivion, and the Fallout series I am pretty fond of the modding community. Rimworld has so many mods that will vary your gameplay cycle leading you to more than just a couple of hours of digging, mining, and building. Some of my favorite mods added more biomes, dinosaurs, androids, and the ability to create scientific abominations! The games art style aren't really too much to write home about, but it really grows on you after an hour or so in. and well when you start building your bases, that sense of pride you feel after you make your first village or camp will make you forget all about that.

Now this game isn't perfect, there's quite a few that I feel its lacking when it comes to its boring yet complicated UI. The point where its harder to keep track of some areas and maybe a way to create more squads of units in an easier manner. Rather than memorizing some names. I would enjoy it more if I can sort my colonists based off their skills. Where instead of looking in the work menu and marking checkboxes I can have a whole window dedicated to a Logger, a Hunter or a builder. In the base game its really easy to keep track of 3-5 people but when your colony grows it grows difficult, and it's not because of lack of resources. It just gets harder to keep track of everyone's health. There's a point where the game isn't difficult because of the hard encounters, but difficult because you can't keep track with its UI.

There's another issue i feel that this game needs to improve on and that's the AI, There are so many times I want to point and click to what I want my settlers to do like a standard RTS, even though I know it isn't that way, the AI of some characters are so slow or dumb they can just stand and get shot at without even bothering to do a melee attack. The melee attack options feel almost pointless as well when there are guns that not only damage people so much, it leads fewer other options when it comes to weaponry of more in-your-face variety. My complaints can be fixed with mods but I feel that when there's a mod that fixes a problem in your game when it comes to balancing I feel it becomes more of a necessity than a modded addition.

I mentioned earlier that this game has a slow start, and to elaborate on it. I took almost 8 hours to get a pretty good colony of 10 (without prisoners) and feel extremely safe. The best part was that I wasn't burnt out afterward. I got some sleep just thinking of new ways to make my next start more efficient and ways to improve my current civilization, let alone start wars or be at peace with close factions. Though 8 hours is a long time, it felt really relaxing. I was able to watch my shows and listen to my podcasts while I play.

In total this game has just got out of early access and I really would recommend it to anyone who likes town building games, and anyone who wants a game they can sink hundreds of hours into while still only covering the barebones surface of what the game has to offer you.

If I had to give it a score I guess I would give it an 8/10 Its really good but I still feel like the mods give the game that extra edge that makes a good game great.

#rimworld #indie #games #video game #review #blackgamerguy #black guy gamer #steam #cheap game #pretty good game #mods

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multipleservicelisting · 4 years

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The international destinations welcoming US tourists back

Editor’s Note — CNN Travel updates this article periodically. It was last updated in its entirety on January 11. The US State Department advises that travelers consult country-specific travel advisories via their website or consult the CDC’s latest guidance. Before you make any international travel plans, check these sites first and again before you depart.

(CNN) — Once one of the world’s most powerful travel documents, the might of the US passport has shriveled during the Covid-19 pandemic. With US Covid-19 cases soaring ever higher, many nations continue to view America with trepidation.

The European Union has omitted the United States from its list of countries whose tourists may visit. Americans still can’t vacation in their neighbor to the north, Canada, nor head to many Asian favorites.

While most US travelers are staying close to home, some still want to go abroad. For those people, there are still popular vacation options such as Mexico.

Whether travel to open international destinations is responsible or advisable is up to you. Nations might change rules dramatically at any time. You may have to adhere to curfews and mask mandates. Rules’ violations might involve stiff fines or even jail time. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US State Department provide Covid-19 risk assessments by country.

What follows is a list of countries, in alphabetical order, where it’s still possible for US passport holders to go for a vacation:

Albania

Set on the Adriatic Sea, Albania remains open. The US Embassy website states that while there’s no Covid-19 test requirements or quarantine, you can expect a health screening. Mask requirements and new curfews are in place.

Anguilla

This British territory in the Caribbean is accepting US visitors. You must be preapproved; click here to start the process and read up on extensive Covid-19 testing requirements, including the specific type of test you must get, as well as mandatory quarantine and insurance.

Antigua and Barbuda

Turners Beach is found on Antigua’s southwest coast.

Shutterstock

US travelers 12 and older to Antigua and Barbuda “arriving by air must present a negative Covid-19-RT-PCR (real time polymerase chain reaction) test result, taken within seven days of their flight,” according to the country’s tourism website.

Visitors are subject to monitoring by health officials for 14 days and another Covid-19 test may be required, which could mean quarantining while waiting for the result. Masks are required in public spaces.

Aruba

Scroll down to the “Dutch Caribbean” entry below for information on Aruba and other islands in this group.

The Bahamas

UPDATE: Visitors 11 and older to these sun-kissed islands must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result no more than five days old before arrival. Once you have the negative result, you can apply for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa here, where you must opt in for Covid-19 health insurance. Get updates on the islands’ travel website.

Bangladesh

US citizens may travel to this culturally rich South Asian nation. The US Embassy in Bangladesh says you must have a medical certificate with English translation stating you’re negative for Covid-19, with the test taken within 72 hours of travel. You must also “home quarantine” for 14 days even with a negative test.

Barbados

Hammocks and sunbeds under the palm trees are the calling cards of Barbados.

zstock/Shutterstock

US citizens must complete an online form and submit it 24 hours before travel, the US Embassy reports. You must present a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test result, taken within 72 hours of arrival. As the US is designated a high-risk country, you must still quarantine at an approved hotel or resort until you get a second test and negative result. Find out more at the Visit Barbados website.

Belize

Belize, known for its jungle wildlife and diving, is allowing international visitors, including US citizens. To enter, you must download the Belize Health App and have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within three days of arrival. Or you can be tested upon arrival at a cost of $50.

Bermuda

Bermuda requires each inbound passenger 10 and older to apply for travel authorization at the cost of $75 per adult and $30 for flight crew and children 9 and younger. Upon arrival, passengers must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken no more than five days before departure. More tests are required on days 4, 8 and 14 of your visit. Read Bermuda’s extensive requirements here, including a new traveler’s wristband rule.

Bolivia

NEW: This landlocked South American country allows US visitors who have a negative Covid-19 test taken within 10 days of a flight departing North America. Expect a health screening. No quarantines are in place. Check here for details.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Old Bridge in Mostar is one of the most iconic places in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Marco Secchi/Getty Images

The US Embassy in Bosnia says US citizens may enter with a negative Covid-19 PCR test result that’s less than 48 hours old.

Botswana

US citizens can enter this safari favorite in southern Africa with a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before departure. If you fail to provide test results or show coronavirus symptoms, you will be forced to quarantine for 14 days at your own expense. Another test will be given on the 10th day. For details, check here.

Brazil

Starting December 30, Brazil is banning entry by land and sea (with a few exceptions) and put stricter measures on visitors by air, who must fill out a health declaration and present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken with 72 hours of boarding the flight. Read the embassy website for more details.

Cambodia

If you want to go to Cambodia, the rules are quite stringent. You’ll have to pay a $2,000 deposit and you must possess a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 72 hours of arrival. You must also take two more Covid-19 tests — on arrival and on day 13 of a 14-day mandatory quarantine. You must also buy a $90 local health insurance package.

Chile

This South American country full of amazing mountains and lakes recently opened to US citizens. You must fill out an “affidavit of travelers” form 48 hours or less before boarding, present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours of boarding your final flight and have proof of Covid-19 health insurance with $30,000 minimum coverage. Click here for more details.

Colombia

UPDATE: All arriving passengers to Colombia should either have a negative result from a Covid-19 PCR test taken no more than 96 hours before departing; take a test upon arrival and quarantine waiting for a negative result; or quarantine for 14 days. Find out additional details here.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is allowing residents from all US states access. Visitors must complete a “health pass” form but are no longer required to take a Covid-19 PCR test. You must have proof of travel medical insurance, which you can get in Costa Rica. Get more details here.

Dominica

Dominica is a lush, rugged Eastern Caribbean island.

Peter Schickert/picture-alliance/dpa/AP

This eastern Caribbean island is open. All travelers to Dominica must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result, recorded between 24 and 72 hours before arrival, and complete an electronic Immigration and Customs form via Dominica’s online portal 24 hours before traveling. US travelers should expect further testing and screening as it’s deemed a high-risk country.

Dominican Republic

People traveling to the Dominican Republic no longer have to show a negative PCR Covid-19 test result on arrival. DR authorities will give breath tests to no more than 10% of random passengers plus anyone showing symptoms. You must also fill out a health affidavit.

Dubai

Scroll down our new entry on United Arab Emirates below.

Dutch Caribbean islands

Find out the important details on these various Dutch islands in the Caribbean by clicking on the links:

Aruba: All US visitors 15 and older must fill out a health assessment and have a negative Covid-19 test result. Aruba has eliminated its list of US states that require extra testing. JetBlue passengers can take an at-home, saliva-based test. Check the Aruba tourism site for all the specific health requirements.

Bonaire: It’s possible for US citizens to visit here. You must transit through Curaçao (see below) and comply with a host of testing and quarantine protocols. Find out the details on Bonaire’s tourism website.

Curaçao (update): The island of Curaçao is allowing entry to US citizens from all 50 states starting January 1. All visitors must present proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours of traveling. You must fill out a digital immigration card at dicardcuracao.com.

Saba (update): This unspoiled island has extensive entry requirements for US citizens, including getting government permission, a negative Covid-19 PCR test result and 10 days of quarantine. Check the details here.

Ecuador

Photographers get to film the wildlife of the Galapagos within inches of their cameras.

Ecuador requires US travelers to present proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 10 days of arrival to avoid quarantine. Testing is available for those who don’t arrive with a negative result. You must quarantine at an approved facility while waiting for results. The Galapagos Islands require additional entry requirements. Click for details on those.

Egypt

UPDATE: US travelers to Egypt need to present a negative PCR Covid-19 test result. Carefully read the US Embassy’s update on the timing of the test — to be safe, it should be no older than 72 hours before flight departure. Travelers must present paper copies; digital copies aren’t accepted. Children 5 and younger are exempt. You may be required to show proof of health insurance.

Ethiopia

UPDATE: Known for its surreal landscapes and ancient culture, Ethiopia requires arriving US citizens to have a medical certificate with a negative Covid-19 RT PCR test before boarding their flight that’s no more than 120 hours old. In addition, Ethiopia requires a seven-day quarantine.

French Polynesia

US travelers are welcome to the islands of Tahiti and Bora Bora. French Polynesia requires a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of departure, to be presented before boarding. You will also be provided with a self-test kit to take on your fourth day. You must fill out an online ETIS form before you go.

Ghana

A West African cultural jewel, Ghana is open to US travelers. You must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result that’s 72 hours old or less. Arriving passengers then must take a second test that costs $150. There’s also a temperature screening.

Grenada

This Caribbean island is welcoming US visitors, but they must do the following: Present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result within seven days of travel; have a minimum four-day reservation at an approved hotel for quarantine; and take a second test to be allowed to move about or remain at the hotel for the rest of the vacation. Check here for details.

Guatemala

Antigua, Guatemala, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Shutterstock

UPDATE: All people 10 and older entering Guatemala by air and land must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken 96 hours or less upon arrival. No quarantine. Travelers who have been to the UK or South Africa may be denied entry.

Honduras

UPDATE: Travel to Honduras is permitted with a negative result from a Covid-19 PCR or rapid test. You must also fill out an online precheck form. Travelers who have been to the UK or South Africa are restricted.

Ireland

UPDATE: US travelers are still allowed to visit Ireland, but recent restrictions on movement could make it a very limited vacation. You must finish a 14-day quarantine upon arrival and fill out a “passenger locator form.”

Jamaica

Jamaica requires completion of an online “travel authorization” and the possibility of being tested upon arrival. All passengers arriving from the United States 12 or older are required to upload negative Covid-19 test results to receive travel authorization. The test date must be within less than 10 days of arrival. Read the website’s requirements carefully as it has explicit instructions about taking tests and where you can go.

Kenya

Three giraffes graze with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. Kenya is open to US travelers who have proof of a negative Covid-19 test.

Courtesy shutterstock

UPDATE: Loved for safaris, Kenya is open to US travelers with a negative Covid-19 test result taken 96 hours or less upon arrival and who pass a strict health screening. No quarantine. Outgoing visitors must comply with the Trusted Travel initiative.

The Maldives

The Maldives has reopened to all international tourists. All arriving tourists age 1 or older must have a negative result for a PCR Covid-19 test taken within 96 hours of arrival. There is no mandatory quarantine. See the Maldives’ official tourism website for details.

Malta

Travelers wishing to sidestep the EU travel ban and who are willing to quarantine can visit Malta. Passengers who transit via a “safe corridor country” that allows US visitors may enter Malta after they’ve been in that country for 14 days. For example, US travelers can stay 14 days in Turkey and then be eligible to enter Malta. All passengers must fill out Public Health Travel Declaration and the Passenger Locator forms before departure.

Mexico

San Ildefonso Cathedral in Mérida, Mexico, is one of the oldest churches in Latin America

Shutterstock

UPDATE: Though the land border between the United States and Mexico remains closed through at least January 21, US travelers can still fly to Mexico. No testing requirements are in place, but the State Department lists numerous states to avoid because of crime. You can expect temperature checks and other screenings upon arrival.

Montenegro

Montenegro welcomes Americans with a negative Covid-19 PCR test result or a positive coronavirus antibody test result, neither older than 72 hours. Travelers 5 and younger do not have to show test results. No quarantine with a negative result, according to the US Embassy in Montenegro.

Morocco

This North Africa favorite is open to specific US travelers only. You must have reservations with a Moroccan hotel or travel agency or be invited by a Moroccan company, the US Embassy in Morocco says. A printed, negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 48 hours and a serological test (can be outside 48 hours) are required. Expect a health screening, though no mandatory quarantines are in place. Limited flights available.

Namibia

US citizens can visit the desert nation of Namibia, which requires a negative Covid-19 PCR test result that’s not older than seven days. If the test is older than seven days, you’ll be tested and placed in quarantine at your own expense as you await the results.

Nicaragua

Home to volcanoes and beaches, Nicaragua is open. You must have a negative result from a Covid-19 PCR or serology test. No time frame is provided for how recent it must be.

North Macedonia

Panama

US visitors can visit Panama City (above) along with the country’s wildlife areas.

LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

A Covid-19 PCR or antigen test with a negative result, taken 48 hours or less before arrival time, is required to visit Panama. If the test results are older than 48 hours, you must take a rapid Covid-19 test at the airport. Read the government’s detailed requirements here. You must also fill out an online health affidavit.

Peru

Travelers from the United States may enter Peru for tourism with a negative Covid-19 test result less than 72 hours old. Peru reopened Machu Picchu on November 1.

Rwanda

All international visitors to Rwanda must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test, taken within 120 hours of departure to Rwanda. They also must take a second test upon arrival, shelter in a hotel and receive their results within a day. The national parks are open, including primate tracking. To enter a park, you must have a negative test result less than 72 hours old.

Senegal

Senegal is known for it music, but beaches such as Saly are a draw as well.

GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images

Senegal, known for its beaches and music, is allowing US tourists to visit. To enter, all people 2 and older must present an original Covid-19 PCR test certificate with a negative result that was taken five days or less before arrival. There’s no quarantine.

Serbia

Serbia had been one of the easiest countries to visit with no testing requirements, but that changed on December 21. Now, US citizens need to provide a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within the previous 48 hours or a negative antigen test.

South Africa

One of the most popular destinations in Africa has reopened to US citizens. South Africa requires a negative Covid-19 PCR and/or serology test result taken within 72 hours of departure. Keep in mind a Covid-19 variant has been discovered in South Africa — check reports closely before you make plans.

South Korea

UPDATE: As of January 8, US visitors to South Korea must provide a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours of departure. US travelers must also quarantine for 14 days upon arrival even with a negative test. You must also submit to health screenings.

St. Barts

The island of St. Barts is open. Visitors are required to show a negative Covid-19 PCR test result, taken within 72 hours of arrival or a negative antigen test taken within two days of arrival. Those staying longer than a week will need to pay about $150 for an additional test on their eighth day. Find out more here.

St. Kitts and Nevis

This Caribbean island federation reopened on October 31. You must fill out a Travel Authorization Form before arrival and upload a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken 72 hours or less before you start your trip. Travelers staying seven nights or less must have a second PCR test 72 hours before leaving on hotel property.

St. Lucia

Pigeon Beach in St. Lucia awaits if you meet the requirements.

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

US citizens 5 and older traveling to St. Lucia must provide a negative Covid-19 PCR test, taken within seven days of arrival. Visitors must also complete a travel registration form and arrive with a printed copy. You must have confirmed reservations at a Covid-certified property for the duration of the trip.

St. Maarten

UPDATE: St. Maarten has reopened to US travelers, who must present a negative result from a PCR test for Covid-19. It must be 120 hours old or less. Starting January 11, Covid-19 health insurance is mandatory. Be sure to read the website for very detailed instructions on what type of testing is allowed.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

UPDATE: US travelers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken 72 hours or less before arrival. You’ll be retested upon arrival. As the United States is considered a high-risk country, expect a lengthy quarantine up to 16 days and additional testing. You must also fill out a prearrival form.

Tanzania

A favorite for safaris and beaches, Tanzania is open to tourists. Incoming passengers are required to fill out a health surveillance form and have a health screening. You might also have to take a Covid-19 test if the airline you’re flying with requires it.

Turkey

UPDATE: On December 30, Turkey started requiring that US citizens and all other visitors must have a negative Covid-19 test result taken 72 hours or less before their flight to enter. Previously, Turkey did not require a test. Passengers must complete an information form and prepare to be checked for coronavirus symptoms.

Turks and Caicos

Visitors to the Turks and Caicos must fill out a travel authorization form and provide a negative Covid-19 test result taken within five days of arrival. Children 9 and younger are exempt. Travelers must complete an online health questionnaire and carry travel medical insurance to cover any Covid-19-related costs.

Uganda

NEW: This lush nation in Central Africa is open to US tourists who have a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than 120 hours before departure. Outbound travelers must also present a negative test. Read more here.

United Arab Emirates

NEW: The UAE has recently relaxed entry requirements. Tourist visas for US citizen are being issued at the Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports. Travelers 12 and older must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result within 96 hours of departure. Even with a negative test, you can still expect a mandatory quarantine and a follow-up test. Check here for updates and details.

United Kingdom

UPDATE: Technically, US travelers may still travel to the United Kingdom. But travel to the United Kingdom for leisure is being highly discouraged because of the new coronavirus variant. You should closely follow news reports and watch for updates on the US Embassy link here before making any plans. If you choose to go, you must have a negative Covid-19 test result taken 72 hours before departure. Click this link for more details on this rapidly changing situation.

Zambia

Known for Victoria Falls and wildlife, Zambia is allowing all international travelers to enter. You’ll need a negative Covid-19 test result taken at least 14 days before arrival. There’s also a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Recently removed from the list

The following countries had been allowing US citizens to enter but are closed again or removed by CNN Travel for other reasons: Croatia (no Americans allowed to enter until at least January 15) | Belarus (because of mass protests) | Haiti (CNN has been unable to confirm important details on quarantining).

Omitted countries

CNN Travel has omitted certain open countries if they had very limited numbers of US travelers before the pandemic; have ongoing or recent armed conflicts, terrorism or rampant crime and unrest; or have entry requirements so extensive and complicated that they put the country out of reach of almost all US citizens. However, you can click here to check for the status and entry requirements, if any, of any country in the world.

from Multiple Service Listing https://ift.tt/2LINDKh

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bangkokjacknews · 5 years

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Thai tourism to 'CARRY ON AS NORMAL' during virus crisis

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to inform tourists and travellers in #Thailand and around the world that tourism events and activities scheduled during this month and the next will take place as usual.

They include international events; such as, the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2020 on 2 February, GSB Thailand Open 2020 presented by EA from 10-16 February in Hua Hin, Honda LPGA Thailand 2020 on 22-23 February in Pattaya, and PTT Thailand Grand Prix 2020 MotoGP, from 20-22 March in Buri Ram. In addition, Thai Buddhists will celebrate the Makha Bucha Day with traditional activities at temples across the kingdom. TAT would like to reiterate that Thailand is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other countries to further understand any infections caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and to ensure that they are prevented and controlled. There is no outbreak of 2019-nCoV in Thailand To-date, the Ministry of Public Health has confirmed 14 cases in Thailand (13 Chinese and a Thai). Five of them (four Chinese and a Thai) have recovered and returned home. The other nine Chinese patients remain at medical facilities. Thailand has effective health surveillance systems for disease control Thailand is implementing an intensive and unremitting screening and surveillance for the 2019-nCoV, especially at the international points of entry, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Krabi International Airports. The screening covers passengers and air crew on all flights from China. Nationwide medical labs have been upgraded for a real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) laboratory technique allowing blood test results to be obtained within three hours. This is part of the ongoing intensive screening and disease surveillance for the 2019-nCoV. Thai public and private sectors step up hygiene measures As well as airports, mass public transport including the BTS Sky Train, shopping malls, hotels, and public areas have stepped up hygiene measures, including extra cleaning and disinfection as well as providing hand sanitisers. This includes the preventive measures by all airlines comprising passenger screening and ground service measures and inflight service measures. Tourism business operators to monitor for symptoms For tourists and travellers in Thailand, tourism business operators are instructed to monitor for symptoms of their customers. If any traveller has respiratory symptoms including coughing, sneezing, panting or a runny nose after arriving from any affected areas, tourism business operators are to seek medical care at a hospital immediately and inform the doctor regarding the person’s history of recent travel from China. How to reduce your risk of coronavirus infection For regular updates on the 2019-nCoV situation in Thailand, tourists and travellers can visit https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/intro.php, which is available in Thai, Chinese and English and includes the following guidelines: The 2019 novel coronavirus can be prevented using the principles for respiratory disease prevention, i.e., washing hands, wearing masks and avoiding contact with patients who have a respiratory disease. People can still travel to China; however, it is recommended to avoid visiting crowded places and making contact with patients who have respiratory symptoms. If this is unavoidable, people should wear a mask. If anyone has symptoms including coughing, sneezing, panting or a runny nose within 14 days after departing from Wuhan, China, please seek medical care at a hospital immediately and inform the doctor regarding the history of recent travel to China It is recommended to avoid visiting markets selling carcasses or live animals. If touching or handling live animals, people should wear gloves. Regularly wash hands with water and soap or use alcohol gel. It is also recommended to avoid using your hands to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do not use or share personal items with others (i.e. handkerchief, glasses, and towels) since pathogens causing respiratory disease can be transmitted to other people through secretions. It is recommended to avoid eating uncooked food. Once again, TAT would like to affirm travellers and the international community that every effort has been made by the Thai authorities to prevent the outbreak of 2019-nCov in Thailand. For additional questions, please call the Department of Disease Control Hotline 1422 or the Tourist Police Hotline 1155. – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

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thezachrogers · 7 years

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SUMMER MOVIE RECAP

I know, I know; It’s been over two months since I have written anything and I am sorry! There are PLENTY OF MOVIES to go over. Half of this will be a rent list and half will be a theater list. This will be a different kind of post, it will be a “See or not to see” list. So, here we go.

IN THEATERS NOW:

Spider-Man: Homecoming PG-13 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.1/10 on IMDB

SEE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX!!!

Holy cow guys, what a great movie. Rotten Tomatoes is ranking it in the top 5 comic book film list ever. Tying with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, Fellow MCUer and the film that started the MCU 2008′s Iron Man, and Logan. This has definitely been the year of comic book films with five already released and one more on the way.

My wife and I saw this movie in IMAX and it did not disappoint. This is the first Spider-Man film I’ve actually liked in 13 years since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. The prologue of this film picks up following the events of 2012′s Avengers with a New York clean up crew led by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) cleaning up the mess the Chitauri Army, Loki, and the Avengers left. Another time jump to Peter Parker filming on a go pro the events that took place during Captain America: Civil War in 2020. Then another time jump two months later to where this story takes place.

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is a sophomore in High School and is considered a loser nerd. Nope there is no Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborne, or J, Jonah Jameson in this version folks. This takes us back to the basics. Peter is just trying to navigate how to be a teenager and have powers. Interestingly enough, this is the first cinematic Spider-Man without an origin story, AND IT WORKED!

Yes, Hot Aunt May is the best part of the movie. Marisa Tomei stole the whole movie. I think she should get her own spinoff. She is a great mother figure to Peter. And Tony Stark (RDJ) cannot get over how unbelievably attractive she is.

The entire cast top to bottom, Holland, Tomei, Michael freaking Keaton, WOW WOW WOW; Jon Favreau, Zendaya, everyone is fantastic in this new take on Spider-Man.

Go see this movie in theaters. Excited for what we are going to see from the new Spider-Man, Mr. Tom Holland!

Wonder Woman PG-13 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.9/10 on IMDB

More babes.

Gal Gadot is the fox of all foxiness. She is also incredibly elegant, witty, and stands for unity and love in DCEU’s take on Wonder Woman.

She didn’t come to a fresh start in Batman v Superman. One of the worst comic book films of all time, the script was so bad they only gave her three lines of dialogue. She was the only thing that makes the film watchable because she stole the entire movie. With Zack Snyder at the helm of the DCEU, the Wonder Woman film was not so promising with three out of three bad movies already on the slate.

This film was shockingly good. All the characters were great. Chris Pine was amazing, Danny Huston was a great villain, and the reveal plot/twist of the main villain was also great. This movie was full of action, great visuals, stunts, and humor!

This movie was not full PC (politically correct) and try to push feminist agendas which I liked. It portrayed women as loving, caring, smart, and charming, but can be badasses and not over sexualized.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE BEFORE IT LEAVES THEATERS!!!

Despicable Me 3 PG 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.4/10 on Rotten Tomatoes

Universal looooooves milking their franchises. Mummy, Fast and Furious, Despicable Me, Jurassic...the list keeps on going.

Gru and the Minions are back for the 4th time in seven years to take on another evil villain who thinks he is badder than Gru, IMAGINE THAT!

Yes, it has its humor, yes its a great movie for kids, but unless you have kids, there is no reason to go to the theater to see this. Save your money for Dunkirk or Planet of the Apes.

If you love these movies, wait for rental, it will be out in September.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales PG-13, 29% on Rotten, 7.0 on IMDB.

Unfortunately in today’s cinema culture, if you do not have a good score on Rotten Tomatoes 24 hours prior to release, you’re not going to do well in the box office. Sad day for the swashbuckler franchise.

I honestly thought it was one of the stronger movies in the franchise. It was a whole lot better than the third and fourth installments. Unfortunately it did not do well enough to include a sixth installment, so it is looking like this is the final adventure for Captain Jack Sparrow.

I liked it, but didn't love it. What this film did was make my love for the first two films grow and appreciate the characters a lot more. I don’t care what anyone says, Geoffrey Rush is part of the heart and soul of this franchise, His character in this final installment makes him one of the most lovable anti-heroes (or villains) ever. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann make their return and they get the ending we were all hoping for. Javier Bardem is 100x better than Bill Nighy’s awful CGI filled Davy Jones character. Due to the technology, this is the best film of the franchise as far as visuals go. With the new characters they could have easily renamed the film Pirates: The New Generation.

This movie honestly needed a lot less Johnny Depp. It was overacted and too much. I like him less and less every film.

This will be a great movie for rentals, probably your best renter this year. It is still in limited theaters, but don’t go out of your way to find it. It will be out on digital 9/19.

The Fate of the Furious PG-13 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.9/10 on IMDB

Guilty pleasure.

I hate to love these movies, but I do. We watched on Exodus KODI on digital and I was surprised at how good it was and how they can keep the plot going. I would rank it as third best in the franchise next to the original film and Dwayne Johnson’s debut in the franchise: Fast Five.

Following this film there will be a F9 and F10, as well as Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham getting their own spinoff from the franchise after studio altercations between Johnson and Diesel. Vin, we know you are Dom Toretto, but clearly you cannot smell what the Rock is cooking...step off.

Great renter, I wish we would have seen in theaters, but it will not disappoint in your living room.

Gold 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.7/10 on IMDB

It’s strange. Matthew McConaughey is one of my all time favorite actors, but since Interstellar in 2014, all he has done is crap movies. Makes me hesitant to go see The Dark Tower next month. I honestly think he believes changing his appearance and weight will win him Oscars and Emmys. I mean he did it for Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective, it will work again right?

No Matthew, it won’t.

If you want to completely waste your time, watch this movie. One of his worst films to date. Now on DVD and Digital.

Saban’s (Mighty Morphin reboot) Power Rangers 45% RT, 6.2 IMDB

It just keeps getting worse and worse people.

If you’re a 90s kid, you loved the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, if you go back and watch the nostalgic 3 season series on Netflix its so campy for its time. Its as bad as the 60s Batman series, but yes I understand it was made for kids, as this film probably was too. Its not made for grown ups who watched the series as a child, if that was their goal, they did a terrible job. Its such a campy 2017 movie. The CGI is not even that good and you can tell it was done a tight budget. Looked like a TV movie.

Sorry 22-30 year olds, but let the nostalgia on this one stay nostalgia and don’t see this movie. (Don’t worry the sequel wasn’t greenlit). Now on DVD and digital.

A Dog’s Purpose 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.7/10 on IMDB

All dogs don’t go to Heaven apparently. Nope, they get reincarnated into other dogs’ bodies. Yes people, yes that is the plot of this film, told from a reincarnated dog’s perspective who remembers all of his lives. What a retarded concept for a movie. My wife was watching at home and I caught the last hour.

It might be the stupidest movie I have ever wasted precious life on. No one should see this movie, I am not even going to let you know of it’s availability for rental because I would do a disservice to you.

Well that’s a rap peeps! Next review will be on Nolan’s Dunkirk dropping next weekend!

Thanks for reading!

#spiderman #spider-man: homecoming #iron man #marvel #wonder woman #f8 #fast 8 #the fate of the furious #pirates of the caribbean #pirates 5 #potc #dead men tell no tales #despicable me 3 #minions #aunt may

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theedinburghreporter · 6 years

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The good thing about Tartan Week is that there’s lots to do. The bad thing about Tartan Week is that there’s lots to do, meaning that somewhere along the line something has to give.

We arrived in Stewart International on Wednesday night on a Norwegian Airlines flight direct from Edinburgh full of pipers, dancers and musicians excited about the opportunities the next few days would present. One piper, Donald Ban who is the instructor for the Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band, even gave us a few tunes at 36,000 feet.

This was the first time that a band from the Western Isles had gone to Tartan Week, and they won a prize for the biggest overseas contingent. When they performed at Ellis Island, they played Maid of Barra, a tune specially written to commemorate their former band member, Eilidh MacLeod, who died last year in the Manchester bombing.

Sgoil Lionacleit from Benbecula, South Uist attending the Tartan Day Parade in New York with Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown, (centre).

As a spectacle there is nothing quite like a pipe band striding down Sixth Avenue with drummers following, all colourful in their kilts and marching to the beat. Yes, we can listen to pipers on Princes Street or the Royal Mile any day of the week, but there is something quite magical about traditional Scots music of all kinds played to a backdrop of skyscrapers.

On Saturday there was nothing quite like the Grand Marshal, Scottish singer songwriter KT Tunstall clad in red James Hare tartan silk from head to toe, and rocking the occasion from start to finish. It was inspirational of her to choose King the retired greyhound to accompany her.

KT Tunstall the Grand Marshal at the Tartan Parade in NYC with her rescue greyhound, King.

She told me that looking at some old historical Scottish paintings had given her the idea. The decision by the committee to choose her as the first female Grand Marshal was unanimous. She made New York her own for the day, and her enthusiasm was entirely genuine.

Dogs are already a big part of the parade, with dog competitions before the main parade.

Leading up to the day itself there are many chances to meet up with fellow Scots whether they are part of the diaspora or visitors like us. The presence of some high level politicians and public figures makes this more than just an exercise in tartan tat.

Lord Thurso, Chair of VisitScotland, attending the Tartan Day Parade in New York

We met the Chair of VisitScotland, Lord Thurso, who was on a trip to the US dealing with the business of bringing Americans to Scotland to see what we have to offer. He told me : “America is our biggest overseas market and the overseas tourists who come to Scotland outspend domestic tourists by a factor of 2 or 3 to one. About 80% of the Americans who come to Scotland live in this Tri-State area. This week is a fabulous opportunity to get a large number of them in one place. ”

The Economy Secretary Keith Brown was also in the US talking business with the Americans. He spoke at Bryant Park just off Broadway where the Declaration of Arbroath was read out at an Observance Service. He talked of Andrew Carnegie saying, “After he had become extremely wealthy in the steel production industry he changed course and became a generous philanthropist for education and the arts. You will know his name from Carnegie Hall just a few blocks up the road and the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

“Then there was John Muir who created the Sierra Club and the father of the US National Parks.”

Standing with the New York Public Library just behind him, Mr Brown explained that it was another building made possible by Andrews Carnegie. He said : “Scottish -Americans are woven into the fabric of American culture, and all of you here are part of that rich tapestry. It reminds me that every time I have been at this event in New York we seem to attract Scots who are just walking by. It’s amazing the draw of the pipes. ”

Mr Brown wore a tie that the World Fair Trade Tartan delegation from Edinburgh had given him. . He concluded : “It is a real honour to be here firsthand to witness the Scottish passion and pride on display. It is a strong reminder of the enduring relationship and friendship between our two countries. It is a truly humbling experience to see the close affinity which many people here in the US have with Scotland. Being here today makes me very proud to be Scottish.”

This was simply awesome. @Lou_piper playing on Sixth Avenue #NYCTW pic.twitter.com/LpC5puevOB

— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) April 9, 2018

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh was not in New York, but his official piper Louise Marshall was there with the World Fair Trade tartan clan. We met The Rt Hon Lord Provost of Glasgow, Eva Bolander, (wearing a fabulous tartan coat which showed off the Lord Provost’s chain beautifully) who told us as she passed by : “Its fantastic to be here. I am so enjoying it.”

Former Lord Provost Eric Milligan and his wife Janice

Our own former Lord Provost Eric Milligan was there resplendent in his tartan trews, invited to be guest speaker at the Edinburgh Napier University brunch hosted by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrea Nolan at the Harvard Club New York.

Andrea Nolan FRSE MRCVS OBE is Professor of Veterinary Pharmacology and Principal and Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University.

Professor Nolan told me :”It is important for me to be here in New York to connect with the wonderful alumni who live here on the East Coast of the USA. All of them have spent time with us in Edinburgh and they are all hugely enthusiastic about the education they got at Napier.

“We are also launching the New York chapter for alumni, so for Edinburgh Napier that’s a first, and a tremendous occasion

“The second reason I am here is to support Scottish Higher Education with the help of The Scottish Government as they celebrate Tartan Week. It is a truly brilliant occasion from the moment you turn the corner into Sixth Avenue to the end of the parade.”

The Scottish Parliament was represented by Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh. accompanied by Johann Lamont MSP and Clare Haughey MSP.

The sights were many and varied, from three people dressed up as Nessie to the fabulous pipe band outfits.

NYPD Mounted Police on 6th avenue leading the Tartan Day Parade.

KT Tunstall and the Up Helly Aa Jarl Squad Tartan Day in New York City, 2018

A member of the Up Helly Aa Jarl Squad 2018 participating in Tartan Day in New York.

Enjoying Tartan Day in New York.

The Highland Divas attending the Tartan Day Parade in New York, wearing the World Peace Tartan.

Enjoying the Tartan Day Parade in New York

Louise Mitchell (Centre) wearing the fair trad tartan with friends in New York at the Tartan Day Parade.

On Friday at the Observance Ceremony on National Tartan Day, The Declaration of Arbroath was read out and its significance explained by a young American whose parents are both Scottish..

April 6th was the day chosen to be the day to salute Scots and Scots-Americans because it is the anniversary of the Treaty of Arbroath, a petition signed in 1320 by Scottish nobles addressed to the Pope asking for his assistance in pressuring England to recognise Scottish independence and to bring about a lasting peace.

He explained : “David Ross in his book On the Trail of Robert the Bruce wrote : “Its not only one of the most outstanding documents in Scottish history, but of world history too. It is the epitome of all that is admirable in patriotism. It speaks of a mans right to freedom and his right to defend it. It speaks of Scotland, that wee country on the edge of the world, and of its people who desire nothing but the chance to live in peace. It is a lengthy document but some of it must be quoted here.”

Flower of Scotland was sung in the park during which the whole audience stood and sang along. It wasn’t perhaps as rousing as at Murrayfield on a Calcutta Cup day but it was beautiful and quite moving.

President of New York City Tartan Week

Elsewhere the fact that this was the twentieth anniversary meant that the American organisers had some tricks up their sleeves. President of NYC Tartan Week, Kyle Dawson, rang the opening bell at Nasdaq on Friday morning, National Tartan Day. The Empire State Building was lit up blue and white especially.

Howie Nicholsby was doing a roaring trade in kilts in an Irish bar called Blooms which had turned Scottish for the week Belhaven provided beer for Happy Hour and the two singletons flown over by the Tartan Week committee were provided with other single people to meet. (There was a preponderance of women however.)

Alex Salmond was sitting on a bar stool in Blooms chatting to anybody and awbody while waiting for his film crew to arrive. He was recording some packages for his RT show both in New York and Washington which you will be able to see next week. He didn’t think The Donald would be one of his interviewees, however he was good enough to slot in a brief interview with me, when he revealed that he will interview the former Catalan minister Professor Carla Ponsati, on his touring show in Edinburgh and Dundee at the end of the month.

A selection of young Scottish musicians entertained the audience in Bryant Park, including Hannah Read & Friends, Craig Weir, The Highland Divas, Forest Legion Pipe Band, Canada and Lisa Kowalski.

Craig Weir is a much feted young Scottish musician particularly during Tartan Week. He sang in Bryant Park and was booked to play at Club Cumming too. The lyrics in one of his own songs are pretty apt: ‘Nae man can tether time or tide…..’

No truer word was spoken. Soon it was all over – hopefully we will be back next year!

We flew to New York City Stewart courtesy of Norwegian Airlines

Norwegian offers the UK’s only direct flights to Stewart, New York from Edinburgh Airport with fares from £159 one-way in brand-new Boeing 737 aircraft. Stewart Intl. Airport is a gateway to New York State’s key attractions and offers a 90 minute express shuttle service direct to New York City. Book now at www.norwegian.com/uk or dial 0330 8280854 (opt. 1)

#NYCTW 2018 Tartan Week 2018 – a good time was had by all The good thing about Tartan Week is that there's lots to do. The bad thing about Tartan Week is that there's lots to do, meaning that somewhere along the line something has to give.

#New York City #Scotland #Tartan Week #USA

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sheri-s-incredible-journey-blog · 7 years

Text

November '17

November 4th, then November 10th and now I am finally finishing this post on December 2nd!

The last 4 day sailing trip was the most challenging of all my cooking/sailing experience and if I hadn't already decided not to do it anymore, well... good thing.

Our last trip we had Captain Dave (who is the owner of Manitou) and it was the wine trip. A 4night/3 day full boat and we immediately headed out to the lake. We were sailing with incredible wind and made the destination of Charlevoix in one day, whew! Last trip we made it on the second day.

We left early the next day and headed right back out into it... and we proceeded to have 2 full days of 15-20Knot winds which for those on deck it was amazing! For those of us down below (and in this case only Harriet and me) it was 8 solid hours of trying hard not to fall over or throw up. Actually H got sick both days and I never did but thought I was going to pretty much the whole time. H is a real trooper and rallied to do her part. Remember we still needed to make food for 31 folks, no matter what!

On a schooner, things in the galley are always on sticky mats, so that they won't fall while we are heeling (rocking side. Because this was a wine trip all hors d'oeuvres and dinners were paired with wines, our apps were a bit more "sophisticated" than normal. I had made lovely pear chutney to go with brie cheese for an app when I was overcome with major nausea and went up above for a bit of air and horizon. (For those that may not know, seasickness is always lessened by being on deck and looking at the horizon.

In the three minutes that I was on deck, we hit an enormous wave just right and crashed down and with that crash ALL things in the galley that were not literally tied down ended up on the sole in a pile with the chutney at the very bottom... wtf!!

The only "good" thing about all of this is guests are so accepting and happy for whatever can be done because they are so impressed that we could come up with anything let alone something that tasted good too!

So that was the end of that... had dinner with all the crew before I left and then headed into the rest of this adventure.

I took 6 days to drive to Port Townsend, WA... staying at Airbnb’s along the way. It is always interesting staying in people's homes and always a unique experience. Almost always really nice, I have been fortunate (although I do have a story for later).

Traveling through the west I was again reminded how incredible this country is. If you have never ventured on a road trip cross country I highly suggest it! I think because I am in such a different place than the last time I traveled (1998) my perspective has changed quite a bit. The flatness that is the Midwest was beautiful and much more interesting than before. The badlands of the Dakotas still takes my breath away, the Rocky Mountains as you approach from the east just stand up right out of the earth, so big and bold. And as I came into Washington, the eastern part of the state is a plateau with grassy land and mountains in the distance. Coming up the peninsula heading to Port Townsend, the landscape changed drastically to huge evergreens, rocky shore and the ocean! I missed the ocean, especially the smell~

In Port Townsend I had a wonderful visit with my friends Susanna and Michael. They rent a very cool small cottage and I got to sleep in their landlord's granddaughter's playhouse. A bit of a hobbit house in the backyard and it was fun! We did a bit of the tourist thing along with a visit to the farmer's market and a hard apple cider festival. Ate some yummy food, played some games and had some great conversations. What more can you ask for?

I left S&M and drove to my friend Bev's house in Redmond Oregon. The trip there was just amazing, I left PT and went down Rt. 104 along the coast, rocky, damp and so very green and then I left the peninsula, drove into Oregon and… just like that I was in high desert with creosote bushes, rocks, sand and pretty much nothing else! Wow all in the space of three hours~

I ended up spending a week there and really enjoyed myself. Bev is an old friend and a fairly recent widow and still having a difficult time adjusting. We didn't do too much, went out to breakfast and lunch, I cooked dinner a couple of nights, spent an afternoon at her son's house playing a game with the family and basically just hanging out. Something I needed to do. Traveling is exhausting!

From there I drove to Oakland, Ca. where my friends Jess and Shannon live. I have known Jess since she was 4 and I catered their wedding three years ago. They own a lovely little house with an awesome backyard in the heart of the city. We ate some great food, went to the farmer’s market, ate more great food, went to a Day of the Dead festival that was pretty awesome, drank many whiskey drinks with this incredible mixer that was sweet and spicy and the drink was the best! Unfortunately the store that sold the mixer was closed when I left the area! L Maybe that was a good thing? L

After 4 days in Oakland I headed to central California… with no real plan and no more folks to visit. I was planning on camping for a few days hopefully in a free area (lots of free camping on National Forest land). That did not work out so well… mostly because the sites were so remote and vague that I didn’t feel comfortable staying so I ended up at an Airbnb or hotel. The one place I was sure I could camp in So Cal is a place called Ocotillo Wells, a state recreation area that has awesome free campsites in the desert with picnic tables, ramadas (a shade canopy) and fire ring. I stayed there for a week when I traveled the country 20 years ago. So off I went to OW, arrived on a Thursday (needed to be there early as it is a very popular weekend destination for off roaders) to find many open campsites and I was psyched! And then I got out of my truck and the wind was blowing about 15 mph, in the desert, out in the open with sand going everywhere. And I said to myself… self, do you really want to try setting up your tent in this? I talked to the campers next to me and they told me the wind was supposed to keep up until the next day, sooo… off I went to find another place to stay. I was bummed!

If you have never stayed at an Airbnb it works like this: you look at all the offerings in the area that you want to stay within your price range (mine is always under $50) and needed dates, you then send a request to the homeowner that you would like to stay there and they get back to you fairly quick. If they accept your request Airbnb then charges your credit card and you are all set. Like yelp there are reviews for the place below the listing so you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting into… most of the time. This time, not so much… I followed directions and headed to the Salton Sea (in So Cal), took a left where I was supposed to and continued driving into the desert. So far so good and then I saw some graffiti on some rocks that said “The Slabs” and knew that was what I was looking for, so I continued to drive for another mile or so and realized that as I was wandering further into the desert there were more and more trailers, huts, hovels, RVs and general encampments and suddenly understood these folks were all squatters! I arrived at my camp and the first thing I asked was are you a squatter and he said yes he had lived there for 15 years. Oh boy. He showed me to my “room” which was a 12x12 wooden box, insulated and covered on the inside with blue plastic and no windows… in the desert! The man was very nice and was so proud that he had a generator and Wi-Fi along with a trailer facility that was the ladies room (he rented out three different spaces). It had a toilet with water in it and to flush you poured in a bucket of water and when I asked where it went he said into a hole in the desert floor. Let me be very clear the man was extremely nice and I got great vibes from him but I was pretty clear that I could not stay here… what to do, what to do? While the owner went to town, I set up my laptop to check messages and while online I heard scratching and finally a mouse came from the ceiling and into my “room”. And that was it for me, the way to get out. Mind you I am not afraid of mice, rats or any rodents really but I knew that this was my way to leave and get my money back. So I am waiting by my truck when he arrived back and I just sort of flipped out, said how I had seen mice (wtf?), was petrified and could not stay in a place that had rodents, he was very nice (I can only imagine what he was thinking in his head), I asked if I could get my money back, he said yes and I left… whew! Drove 40 miles or so and got a hotel.

After that experience I decided that I needed to head towards Arizona a bit earlier than planned but my friends MeiMei & Bruce were very gracious and told me to come on over. So this is where I have been since November 4th.

I flew to Vermont on Thanksgiving night for a retreat and meetings for Dinners with Love and arrived back this past Thursday. My plan is to leave early next week and head to Texas where my niece Michele lives and will spend the holidays with her and her husband. Mike (my nickname for her) is a Christmas freak and it will be a lot of fun spending time with her.

As soon as I reached MeiMei & Bruce’s house I started earnestly looking for work. I applied to 20 jobs or so with only one call back. I have been pretty bummed and am thinking my age is starting to work against me. The one call back I got was the only job I actually wanted and after a second phone interview yesterday I got the job, yay! So I start in January at Texas A&M University for a company called Campus Cooks. I will be the cook for a sorority of 48 young women making lunch and dinner M-F. It pays very well, the hours are no more than 43 a week, if school is closed, and I don’t work but do get paid. It is a national company and all they do is provide cooks for frats and sororities, so if I like it and they like me then hopefully I can stay with them for a few years and try out different campuses. If I don’t like it then the gig ends in May and I will seek another new opportunity.

My plan is still to head to Europe in May and depending on whether I want to go back or not to A&M in the fall will determine how long I stay!

Wow, this is a long post, hope it is not too boring and I will again try to not wait so long and have to write a novel!

Happy Holidays to all of you, may the season be filled with love and light! xo

November 4th, then November 10th and now I am finally finishing this post on December 2nd!

The last 4 day sailing trip was the most challenging of all my cooking/sailing experience and if I hadn't already decided not to do it anymore, well... good thing.

On a schooner, things in the galley are always on sticky mats, so that they won't fall while we are heeling. Because this was a wine trip all hors d'oeuvres and dinners were paired with wines, our apps were a bit more "sophisticated" than normal. I had made lovely pear chutney to go with brie cheese for an app when I was overcome with major nausea and went up above for a bit of air and horizon. (For those that may not know, seasickness is always lessened by being on deck and looking at the horizon!)