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#swedes trying to be aussie

mysticdoodlez · 9 months

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The attempted Australian accent takes me out every time

#bad omens #noah sebastian #nicholas ruffilo #jolly karlsson #i firmly believe that it's Jolly with that accent #swedes trying to be aussie #a wild ruffilo

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aus-wnt · 2 years

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looks like sam has been doing the media rounds. another interview

https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/matildas/exclusive-kerr-opens-up-on-matildas-really-crappy-cup-nightmare/news-story/729a41078c637999299bcc74fd534260

Matildas captain Sam Kerr has opened up on the team’s heartbreaking exit from the Asian Cup – and backed under-fire coach Tony Gustavsson to guide the Australians to glory at the 2023 World Cup on home soil.

The Matildas won Asia’s continental tournament in 2010 and reached the final in both editions of the competition since then, and were confident of once again challenging for the title in India in January.

But Australia was dumped out at the quarter-final stage in a 1-0 defeat to South Korea, marking their worst ever result in the competition.

In an exclusive interview with FoxSports.com.au, Kerr said the result was a ‘hard pill to swallow’ but the Matildas ‘gave everything’ at the tournament.

“Yeah, obviously (it was) really disappointing. Really, really crappy. I felt like actually the first half of the game we dominated, we had so many chances. But it was honestly one of those games where you just kind of sense, like, ‘oh, we’re gonna have to scrap a goal here’ because nothing was going in for us.

“We hit the cross bar, we got a few calls against us and then in the second half, we didn’t play our best football and obviously there was a chance there to win it. But it’s a part of football, it really sucks and sometimes it’s a hard pill to swallow.

“But yes, should we have performed better? 100%. But we gave everything and as disappointing as it is, we literally gave everything at that Asian Cup and in tough circumstances. So it was disappointing, but I feel like other than maybe the last 15 minutes of the game, we did everything we could.”

Almost as soon as the final whistle signalled the end of Australia’s cup dream, Kerr was back on a plane to London – though she concedes she found it difficult to put her national team disappointment out of mind.

“It affected me when I came back to Chelsea. I was obviously really disappointed because I was back at Chelsea playing in games that I had planned to watch in India. But look, I obviously hate (losing). I didn’t watch any games after that. I get really disappointed, but I’m a footballer.

“You can’t win everything you go for. You can’t score every goal you try. You’re gonna fail and that’s part of life and you’ve just got to get back up.

“I had a big game on the weekend. We played Arsenal then we played City so it was so quick. Like I literally had to keep going and had to get going again and wasn’t gonna (dwell on it). For me it’s just like, what’s next?”

Swedish mastermind Tony Gustavsson guided the Matildas to a best-ever Olympics finish of fourth place in Tokyo last year, but his record of six wins in 20 games in charge of Australia combined with the team’s Asian Cup failure has put the coach under a mountain of pressure.

But Kerr is backing the Swede – a successful former US women’s national team assistant – to lead the Aussies to a best-ever result at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, saying that changing coaches a year out from the tournament would be ‘the worst thing in the world’.

Asked if he was the right coach for the Matildas moving forward, Kerr said: “Yeah, of course. I think we’ve always had this happen to us as a team, where maybe before the World Cup we haven’t been performing or things have happened where they fired our coach, or got a changeover of coach right before the Olympics or the World Cup.

“So for us that would be the worst thing in the world, because starting fresh again – it’s just we’ve done it three or four times now.

“It happened when we lost Hesterine (de Reus, 2014), when we lost Staj (Alen Stajcic 2019), when we lost Ante (Milicic, 2020), it’s always a year out from a major tournament. For us that’s really tough. It’s really difficult.”

Kerr said the team is going through a transitional period as a host of young players get up to speed with the long-established core of the squad.

“I think for us we’re committed to being the best team,” Kerr added, “but it’s going to take time. Like the Olympics, we’d been together with Tony for three camps maybe, max, and we had such a good performance. So obviously the bar is set high.

“But we have such a different ever-changing squad at the moment. If you look at the squad, every camp, it’s so different. So it’s really hard to build all these relationships … We’re all committed to sticking together and doing what we believe in … Us as a team, as a national team, have to really commit to wanting to make the national team better, but I think it’s going to be a bit of a journey.”

But the Chelsea superstar, at 28 and in unstoppable form for Chelsea, is unwavering in her belief that the Matildas can challenge the world’s best.

“I always believe in this team,” she said. “I give everything for the national team and I know every single player does – like we wouldn’t be playing overseas and missing our families for two years if we didn’t want to win for the national team. I’d be home on the first flight if I didn’t have the national team. I wouldn’t be doing all of this just for fun!”

“But no, we’re really confident. We haven’t had the results in the last few games, but look at what we did at the Olympics off three camps with Tony and five or six new young kids. We are really confident, we definitely need to improve and we definitely need to spend more time together.”

Co-hosting the Women’s World Cup next year alongside neighbours New Zealand is a major milestone for the sport in Australia – and Kerr is bullish the Matildas can be a ‘real force’ at the tournament.

“We’re so excited for the moment. But the most important thing is like, everyone talks about ‘this could be a great moment for women’s football’.

“It could be a great moment for us if we win it or we go as far as we’ve ever gone, because we don’t want to just go as tourists. We want to go as a team that everyone’s talking about. But we’ve got just over a year to become real force.”

#Sam Kerr #Matildas #AUSWNT #Chelsea Women #Chelsea WFC

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projectourworld · 3 years

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Apparently it's no longer politically-correct to direct a joke at any racial or ethnic minority, so try this one:

An Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman, a Welshman, a Ghurkha, a Latvian, a Turk, an Aussie, two Kiwis, a German, an American, a South African, a Cypriot,

an Egyptian, a Japanese, a Mexican, a Spaniard, a Russian, a Pole, a Lithuanian, a Swede, a Finn, an Israeli, a Dane, a Romanian, a Bulgarian,

a Serb, a Swiss, a Greek, a Singaporean, an Italian, a Norwegian, a Libyan, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist and an Ethiopian went to a night club.

The bouncer said, "Sorry, I can't let you in without a Thai. "

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hellsbellschime · 5 years

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One thing I like about Vikings is the accents, like often when you watch period pieces that are set in a period involving non-British/American countries and people, you have them just speak in a British accent or American accent. But I like how they have British actors, Aussies and Americans try and speak in a Scandinavian accent. I think Kathryn said it’s meant to be a Swedish accent or a variation (1/2)

Honestly, Swedish accents fascinate me, because when Swedes speak English, it’s so different from their Swedish accent when speaking Swedish. Also the Swedish English accent varies, some sound Swedish-American and others sound more British. Swedes have a high percentage of people speaking English and I read that the reason for the different accents is based off the TV/Films they watch, so if they watch US TV it’s more American and more Brit TV more English. (2/3)

For me a good example is this Swedish singer, Måns. Like around 2015-2016, when I saw him speak his accent was more American, when he was presenting it was even commented on with his host who had a British-Swede accent. Then this year, he was promoting something in the UK and he visibly has changed its accent, it’s more British because he now has a British wife and lives in London. But it’s fascinating because other countries that speak English, they clearly have their own accent. (3/3)

Yeah I really can’t stand that whole thing where a British accent is a replacement for any foreign accent under the sun. I agree with Swedish accents too, but one thing that I have noticed when it comes to actors doing American accents when they’re from another country is that it seems like American accents are pronounced in a kind of unusual place in the throat, if that makes sense? Like for instance it always sounds like English or Australian actors who are doing an American accent go an octave lower for it. But I do agree that Scandinavian’s speaking English do often sound more American than they do British, it’s interesting.

#accents for ts #Anonymous

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valtteri-77 · 6 years

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F1 Advent- Day 4- All of the grid.

All 20 drivers clumped into the ice rink, 2 by 2. Once they had all arrived, they looked between themselves in confusion as to why someone had brought them here. From the side of the rink, Charlie whiting walked out with a small smile "I'm glad you all could make it, now all of you can Ice skate, right?" The elderly man asked and was met by nods, some apprehensive. "Good, because today you are all doing Ice hockey, to find out who is team captain, please will you all come and choose a stick from this tin." The man refered to a tin in his hand and shook it for emphasis. "Whoever's got a blue tipped stick is the captain." He explained.

The drivers slowly came one by one and pulled out a stick, some groaning (Daniel) and others cheering (Stoffel) when they weren't chosen as Captain. Once all the sticks had been chosen, everyone looked for the captains. The two Finn's meekly raised their blue tipped sticks to the sky "Perfect, an age-long battle, rekindled." Daniel narrated quietly. Charlie turned towards the pair. "Very good, now choose your teams..."

Soon after, two teams filtered onto the pitch. The blues consisted of Valtteri, Marcus, Lewis, Kevin, Lance, Esteban, Hulk, Daniel, Brendon and Romain. On the Red side were Kimi, Seb, Charles, Pierre, Fernando, Stoffel, Carlos, Sergio, Sergey and Max.

Marcus and Sergey positioned themselves in-goal and 5 others filtered out. Brendon, Romain, Esteban and Lance to a side from the blues, with the Mclaren pair and Carlos and Sergio joining on the bench.

When the game started, it was clear that Valtteri's side had the advantage in the defense, Marcus refusing the puck to come into their net. To be fair, mainly the nordic quartet, Seb, Lewis, Daniel and Max. were either playing or trying, the others occasionally helping or standing to a side or looking awkward. Daniel whistled innocently as he stuck out his skate causing max to have evasive action and crash right into the side of the box, earning a giggle from the Aussie "What was that for!" Max shouted as Charlie sighed raising up his hand to stop the pair from fighting out. After the first time slot was up, Valtteri's team were leading 3-1 to Kimi's team. "It's a shame." Stoffel mused. "We have what we have. I would like a better score but this is what we have." Fernando added. All four from the bench substituted on, with only Kimi and Seb staying on for their team as Marcus and Valtteri stayed on for theirs. "knock those Ferrari's down, show them why Mercedes still rules." Lewis whispered to his team-mate with a grin, sticking up his thumbs.

The second half was much closer between the teams, but a late zip from Valtteri, battering past the defence and shooting from the left, scored a goal for his team. The end score was 9-8.

Valtteri's team cheered wildly, Lewis and Valtteri hugging each other tightly, earning a low-key wolf whistle from Daniel. After a moment, Valtteri looked back at Kimi's side and skated over catching Kimi just before he left "Hey Kimi." He called and the other Finn turned to look at him "Hä?" He asked "That was a good game, I hope we can play each other again soon." He proposed, holding out his hand, to which the elder took with a firm handshake and a smirk "I'd like that." He replied.

And thus, Charlie decided from the growling Max and the Kevin who looked as if he was going to smack Nico into a wall, that Finn's and Swedes are dead serious about the sport and some idiots shouldn't be trusted.

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Day 4 / 24

I'm sorry if any of the infomation is wrong I've never been ice skating or done ice hockey so I had to rely on what I've seen and such.

Either way I hope you all like it (kudos if you spot the Fernando reference)

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sandjsbeachbumbonanza · 4 years

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Day 20 – bar swings and tequila shots

We had our sixth COVID test in three weeks this morning. This one will allow us to leave the island and go to St Lucia on Sunday.

J asked the front desk if we could do a boat trip to Mustique, which is a nearby private island that is home to the rich and famous. Unfortunately, we were told that the island was closed to visitors at the moment due to a posh wedding.

Now that we are free to leave the hotel, we headed out to Jack’s Beach Bar, which is affiliated with our hotel. Jack’s is located at the bottom of a steep hill, only accessible by stairs. It was well worth the walk. It’s an open and airy restaurant and bar. It is situated directly on the beach on the Caribbean side of the island near the harbour. There are lots of sailboats moored off the beach. The beach is sandy with a reasonable amount of space between the bar and the water. There are six umbrellas for guests to use while lounging on the beach. The crowd was mostly from our hotel, save for a few boaters who came in on dinghies. The water was crystal clear and you could see down to depths of at least 12 feet. We rate this beach a 9.95. S deducted some points because there are a few rocks and it’s not possible to sit at the edge of the water due to a drop off.

The drinks at Jack’s were excellent and the service was prompt and friendly. The prices for the drinks and food were also fairly reasonable. We intended to have a late lunch / dinner there but the day took a different turn. Jack’s is a must do in Bequia. After spending some time in the water and having some cocktails, J wanted to go try out another bar, which she had read about online. The bar is called Bar One but it is known to locals as the ‘floating bar’. It is literally a platform floating in the middle of the bay, accessible only by dinghy. As the water taxi is not currently operating, the staff came and picked us up from Jack’s and took us out. It was literally a two-minute ride to the bar. It is possible to swim off of Bar One, but this requires using a slim metal ladder with rounded rungs which was not the easiest thing to manoeuvre. J did manage to go for a swim. S decided that the drinks were more important.

The bar is in a squared off area in the middle of the platform, where the bartender and his arsenal of cocktails were accessible to all. There was one toilet and the whole thing was covered by a canopy and is well shaded. Our bartender was Ivor, who started the business along with is brother-in-law. Ivor mixes great drinks. However, Ivor doesn’t take credit cards or IoUs, so it’s a cash only business. We had some US dollars and some Eastern Caribbean dollars. We slapped them on the bar and told Ivor to keep the drinks coming until the money ran out. Today was ‘Thirsty Thursday’, which meant the Mount Gay rum drinks were only USD5 a pop. As he doesn’t serve Diet Coke, we had to switch to rum and ginger beer after our first round of excellently spiced Bloody Mary cocktails. If we had stuck to the posh cocktails, our funds would have been depleted rather more quickly. At first, we were the only patrons at the bar.

While sitting their sipping a drink J noticed that what appeared to be decorative ropes draping from the ceiling to the bar were actually swings that are used as barstools. This is the first time we’ve ever sipped rum on a bar swing. J said it’s even better than a bar stool as your chair is literally a swing. We were later joined by a couple of Americans who were also sceptical that we didn’t quarantine for 14 days because we are staying at the Bequia Beach hotel. However, they backed off when we informed them that we had had 6 COVID tests in the last 3 weeks and just came from Barbados. The couple said that when they arrived, they received a court order mandating that they quarantine for 14 days in their villa. They had just sold a business in the US and were down here indefinitely.

We were then joined by around 10 Canadians who had come in off a yacht. They were a lively bunch, but S managed to wind them up by poking fun at Justin Trudeau. After some lively banter, S said “we still think you’re nice”. They denied it and S reminded them that they had to be nice, they are Canadians. Not accepting that, one of the female Canadians decided to moon S as they departed on their dinghy.

We were next joined by a group of three Swedes and an Aussie. They had just sailed from Cape Verde to St Vincent and the Grenadines, a 17-day crossing of the Atlantic. They were very nice and we had a few drinks with them as well.

Another Canadian, Tania and her boyfriend joined the party and Ivor handed over the reigns to one of his friends and started drinking with the guests. Bar One is a very social place and another must-see in Bequia.

We finally decided it was time for dinner, well after dark, the staff took us to shore in the dinghy to grab some food. We stumbled into Mac’s, which has a very casual open-air section and a more formal section. As we were in swim trunks and flip flops, we opted for the casual area. We had to check first though to make sure they take credit cards as all of our cash decided to stay on the floating bar when we left. J had a burger and S had a fish burger. They were both very good and the prices were extremely reasonable, so we would definitely recommend them. After eating, we called a taxi to take us back to our hotel.

We decided to stop by the bar for a final nightcap, or so we thought. Maurice is working the day shift, so Candy was our bartender tonight. She knows everything about every guest in the hotel and informed us that they all have nicknames. She wouldn’t tell us ours, but did tell us all the good, current hotel gossip. Candy said the big wedding on Mustique is for Tommy Hilfiger or one of his family (apparently he owns a property there). Before we finished, we were joined by another couple, Maryanne? and Andrew. She was Danish, he is English. Unlike everyone else we’ve met, they live in Cambridge, not London. We had a great chat with them and then Maryanne decided it was time for tequila shots and dancing. Candy passed around a large plate of communal salt and lime ends. While the other three took tequila shots, J wisely sat this one out, noting that in her experience, no night that finishes with tequila ends well.

Sadly we confirmed that one of S’ daughters will not be able to join us due to COVID restrictions. It is very disappointing but we hope we can see her next year.

#bequia #beach #beachlife #bar #stvincentandthegrenadines #beachbums

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minrcrafter · 6 years

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ImagineCraft [Semi-Vanilla][SMP]{Whitelist}{1.12.2}{17+}{Community}{Dynmap}{Anti-Grief}{Multi-World}

Description

ImagineCraft is a whitelisted MineCraft server established May 25th, 2015. Most of our player base is within the USA and Canada; however, we do have numerous Europeans (~30% of the player population) (Brits, Dutchies, Irish, Finns, and Swedes) along with a few Aussies. We typically have around 5-10 players online during peak times and even more during special events. We would love to have you join us in our very community-minded MC world.

Perks

Your base is protected from griefing.

Newer Map! ImagineCraft is now on what we refer to as "Season 2" after a map reset on Dec 14, 2016 after just over 1.5 years of play! So if you're looking to not be far behind on player economy and still want to contribute in a positive manner, there is room to do so! We performed a map reset for technical reasons as our old map was 45Kx45K and disk space became an issue as well as needing to increase the borders due to game updates introducing new chunk generation behaviors. The community voted for and ultimately approved the map reset. Going forward we are making efforts to future-proof the map from resetting by utilizing a smaller border that expands as chunk generation behaviors change with game updates.

Go Exploring! The world is adequately sized with a reasonable border that allows for plenty of room for exploration and contains a vast variety of unique biomes! Feel free to claim an area or two to call your own or take the time to get out there and explore for whatever it is you're looking for, whether it's a specific biome or just a really cool landscape with an awesome view of the setting sun. If you find something cool, let us know!

Quick Travel - In Season 1, we utilized a warp system that relied on players having a set point to warp to as well as warp from...which was a big boon on a 45Kx45K map; however, with our Season 2 update and utilizing a smaller map, the community has installed an outstanding nether hub transportation system that allows for very fast travel using ice and boats, or jumping, or even minecarts to get where you need to go. You can quickly get from one end of the map to another in mere minutes.

MultiWorld - In addition to having an awesome survival world, we also have a creative world (inventory does not transfer) for testing purposes (palette schemes, redstone, etc).

TeamSpeak for voice chat so that you don't have to worry about typing "Creeper" when one is barreling right for your friend and flashing. ssSsSSsSsS BOOOOOM!!!

Server Admin/Owner and Mods that play the game just like you do. One of the largest complaints I've seen about other servers is immature staff. You won't find that here and we all know the line between staff duties and being a player so our powers are not abused. Myself, the owner, is 34. My Admin team is composed of players aged 23, 25, and 35. While age may just be a number, these individuals are very mature and conduct themselves in a professional manner while representing Staff functions.

There is always a contest, game, or special event that is occurring. We have held build contests, theater events, treasure hunting contests, trivia, and other assorted events. View our video of the Ghast Gauntlet Race or check out our YouTube channel for the most recent videos.

Community Wiki. Ever join a server and not know what has been done or where to go? Don't worry about that here with ImagineCraft. The entire community maintains a wiki that will help you get started, point of locations of interest, plugin commands, farm locations, pvp arenas and how to access them, etc. Plus you also get a tour when you join to show you the important things so you'll know what's what.

Be Yourself!. Nothing says be yourself than hanging out on TeamSpeak voice chatting with everyone and chilling inside dubtrack (plays songs for everyone simultaneously). Some of our most fun moments on the server have involved karaoke moments. Check out ImagineCraft sings Aqua's Barbie Girl and a new hit (I didn't even know I was being recorded by one of my players), me singing Ekzim sings Call Me Maybe. On a side note, it's a good thing I'm better with computers than I am at singing, hah.

Rules

As of Nov. 7th, 2015 we only accept players that are 17 years of age and older..

No malicious activity which includes griefing, hacking, or theft. We average one ban a month since May 2015. With theft being the leading crime, followed by x-rayers.

Player mods that defeat the challenge of playing on a semi-vanilla server are not allowed. An example would be running an x-ray mod or modified resource pack for direct access to ores.

Players are encouraged to lend a helping hand and to do things together like exploring, building, working on large-scale projects, etc. We get that sometimes it's cool to be solitary, but we're trying to avoid the lone ranger types that just go off and you never see them again. Why bother playing Multiplayer?

Be mature (as in, the opposite of immature, not meaning mature as in Rated-R mature) and remember the golden rule, do unto others and you'd have them do unto you. We are all about a positive experience on ImagineCraft and any negative behavior (aside from tasteful pranks) will result in you being banned.

Chat is to be kept family-friendly. TeamSpeak has a 17+ channel so you can be "adult" in there if you'd like, but our in-game chat is kept clean as we have a few under 17 that were here before the rule was passed to admit only 17+. Don't worry, they're exceptional and completely awesome.

Server Plugins

I do my best to preserve the vanilla feel as much as possible while allowing for certain plugins to be utilized to help enhance your experience. Here are some of the extras:

Dynmap - It's like Google Maps but for a Minecraft server. We even use it for some of our neat treasure hunts, such as Geocaching. Video here if you're curious about how we do geocaching on ImagineCraft.

PvP Plugins(2): We do have quite a few players who like to mix up the PvE experience with some PvP. Globally, PvP is disabled so unless you go to these areas, you won't have to worry about PvP. We have various arenas setup for Free for All as well as Capture the Flag. If you enjoy PvP and want to build arenas, I'll work with you to make it happen. The great thing about these plugins is that you can PvP without having to worry about losing your gear as your inventory is saved prior to playing and replenished after the match has ended. Kits are provided.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - Ever wish you could still keep in touch with those in game when you're out and about? No problem. We have an IRC bridge in place that will allow you to keep in touch with those in game on various devices and platforms. You can even just use a web browser instead of an actual IRC application. If you don't know anything about IRC, don't worry, our Wiki will walk you through everything you need to know to get started.

Server Specifications (Great Performance!)

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Intel Xeon Processor E3-1220 3.10GHz

Ram 32 GiB

Disk 240 GB SSD

Bandwidth 1 Gb Port

33TB Bandwidth transfer/month

Additional Information

Community Outreach Blog started April 14, 2017. The purpose of the blog is to give you additional insight into what is happening on ImagineCraft and to learn about our players.

Ongoing Reviews - All I did was ask for honest reviews from my players. You can read through the feedback there if you are curious about the server from a player perspective and why they enjoy the server as well as what would they change if they were the owner/admin.

We conduct surveys periodically to continuously drive for improvement on ImagineCraft. The latest survey, March 2016 had 42 total responses. These surveys cover everything from play experience, community feel, evaluating staff, and even staff feedback related to their job functions. If you really want to know what we're about, if you go through this, you'll know exactly what you're getting into. I'm a huge data nerd and this captures ImagineCraft completely. ImagineCraft is seriously dedicated to improving and ensuring a positive play experiences for everyone. Past Survey: Dec/Jan 2016

Interested in Joining ImagineCraft?

Come by www.imaginecraft.org and put in an application. Once approved, your access on the forums will be upgraded and you'll see the server information for Minecraft as well as TeamSpeak for voice chat. If you don't receive an activation email upon registering, check your spam folder. You will be presented with one anti-spam challenge question during registration that is minecraft related. I have listed the possible questions along with their answers below.

Q. What grade of pickaxe must you use to mine obsidian?

A. Diamond

Q. What are the first 3 letters of our minecraft server name combined with the last 3 letters?

A. Imaaft

Q. A creeper hit by lightning becomes a _____ creeper.

A. charged

Q. Don't pick on these guys in the Nether or they'll gang up on you (2 words, plural)

A. Zombie Pigmen

Q. Zombies can sometimes drop what awesome food item?

A. Carrot

Thank you

Thank you for reading over this posting and we hope that you are interested to come check us out and join a community of like-minded gamers with talent! We are excited to be able to provide a great environment for you to play without worry of your creations and we'd like to see you develop and cultivate your skills. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced Minecraft player, we'd love to have you be involved with our community.

Thanks again!

#Minecraft servers #minecraft

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eurosong · 7 years

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Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to today’s Eurovision statistical map, where we will be taking a look at Google trends over the past week to try to answer one question: other than their own representative, which Eurovision ‘17 song and artist are people in the myriad ESC countries present and past searching for? What I found very interesting is that the runaway favourite, Italy’s Francesco Gabbani, is the most searched artist in only one country - Germany. The fact that the frontrunner is not the most popularly searched representative in more countries is a real surprise for me; as is the fact that the host nation entry, usually a matter of curiosity, is the most searched song in no country, and that the perennially tipped Swedes see their singer only most searched in Croatia and Belarus and not in any of their Nordic comrades’ nations.

In total, 18 countries have sent a singer and song that is most searched in at least one country, making the ESC lands an extraördinarily colourful patchwork. Most of these representatives are most searched in just one or two countries - often neighbours (like Serbia’s most-searched country being Montenegro; Montenegro’s, surprisingly, being not Serbia but Albania; Austria’s most-searched being Germany, Georgia’s being Armenia, Ireland’s being the UK), culturally linked countries (like Greece being Cyprus’ most-searched); or because of other curiosities (Australia’s most-searched is Denmark, not least because Anja Nissen was born there.) Then there are a few unexpected and peculiar exchanges of most-searched status, like the fact that the Netherlands’ most searched representative is Jowst and Norway’s is O’g3ne.

There are a few countries who are most-searched in a wider variety of other nations. Belgium’s Blanche is most searched not just in France but Poland and Lithuania; Australia is the most searched in 7 countries, six of which in Northern Europe and three of which Nordics (what is it with the Nordic-Aussie connection? Or are the Nordics simply the most curious to see if Australia is still in?)

Similarly, France’s Alma is most searched in 9 far flung nations, most of which in the south of the “ESC-lands” - from three of France’s neighbours as far away as the Caucasus, where Azerbaijan and Armenia are united in most searching for her. The artist with the most countries most searching him is currently Portugal’s Salvador Sobral, who came top in 10 countries. Salvador’s geographic reach is particularly intriguing, taking in a few Balkan nations, 2/3 of the Baltics, Russia, Denmark, Spain and the small state trio of Luxembourg, Andorra and Malta.

Will search interest translate into interest to vote? Only a few days remain until we find out!

#eurovision 2017 #eurovision #maps #esc #esc 2017 #eurovision song contest #google #salvador sobral

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willswalkabout · 7 years

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Beijing. So as you may have figured, President Xi Jinping isn't a big tumblr fan, making it impossible for me to post anything while in China on any social media platforms. I'll try and briefly cover my 70 hours there in this post. You don't realise, or at least I did not realise how much I relied on the internet until you experience life completely without it in a huge and complex city. Most people visiting China will buy a VPN before they go. For those that don't know this is a 'Virtual Private Network', and is effectively a way of lying to your device, and telling it that you're in fact in the UK or USA, and therefore getting round the blocking of Google etc. The other way of partially solving he problem is using an alternative web browser. This works for the vast majority of people, unless you are the new owner of a Google manufactured phone, in which case you're getting nowhere. My first day in Beijing involved an hour and a half trying to get through immigration. It turns out that although there is such thing as the '72 hour free visa' which I had planned to exploit, and did eventually, the immigration officials aren't too happy about it. They were probably annoyed that I clearly wasn't using it for 'business', the desired purpose, and also maybe were a bit put out that I thought I could see the world's largest nation in a few hours. Once reaching my hostel on the extremely efficient and very cheap subway system, I had a walk to Tiananmen Square. It's a slightly odd experience. Firstly because it is not a particularly public square. For example there is not a single bench or place to sit, and you have to go through a slightly more laid back airport security tent before entering. And secondly the bizarre chain of events, where at 6pm they lower this huge flag, and begin to herd those in the square to the exits. The preferred method of this being police vans, something I found quite ironic given the history the square has with removal by vehicle... That evening I spent time with David, an architecture student from Dortmund, Germany, who you see in shirt swap photo above. He also left today, for Shanghai, and is spending 4 weeks in China. I was up at 7am the next day for a tour of the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall, with a group called the Beijing Hikers, ran by expats. It was a great way of meeting people who lived in Beijing but were viewing it from a western perspective, and it was undoubtedly the most stunning hike I have ever been on. NZ will have its work cut out come April. I met some great characters on the walk. The two tour guides were American, and then there were 2 Portuguese, 3 Austrians, 3 Brits, and 3 more Americans. One tour guide by the name of Mill, was one of the most interesting people I have ever met. After growing up in Chicago, she has since taught English, and lived in Bolivia, Nepal, S.Korea, Japan and Beijing. It has led her to be practically fluent in 6 languages, including Mandarin, Nepali, and Korean. I also met a Portuguese lady who had recently moved to Beijing to teach. She spoke of how astounded she was and taken aback, by the work ethic of her students. They have been on holiday for the past few weeks due to Chinese New Year, and yet she spoke of receiving over 100 emails on some days, requesting both higher quantities of, and more challenging work. The students on her course will go from not speaking a word of Portuguese to being native speakers, in 4 years, and many will do so never leaving Beijing. In the evening a group formed of 5 solo travellers, and a couple of guys from Atlanta, Georgia. There was myself and David, along with a Swede, a Swiss, and an Aussie. Nigel, the Australian features in a photo above. For him it was day one of 5 and a half months studying economics and law in Beijing as part of a semester abroad. We went out for hot pot, which couldn't be further from he Lancashire variety. Coals heat a broth to boiling, at which point you dip in ham and mutton, in order to cook it in under 15 seconds. After this we went to a nightclub that was a good laugh, and crazy to see how much the wealthy Chinese spend on a night out. Due to being Western and the club wanting to take our photos, we were waved through and given free drinks, fortunate given the prices. I mainly hung out at the hostel with guys from the group on Wednesday, as the previous day had lasted around 21 hours including a 15km hike and some moderate alcohol consumption. My mind is yet to be completely made up on Beijing. It's not a particularly cheap place to travel, particularly by Asian standards, cheaper than say Paris, but more expensive than Berlin. I think the 72 hour thing is great, and I would do it again if I'm back this side of the world, as there is so much to see, but wouldn't rush back to China for a longer stay, at the moment. I'm now in Hong Kong, and feel this kind of roundup will work for now as I can easily make notes at the end of each day. Therefore I hope to post something on Wednesday, which will be my first of 2 days in Bangkok before heading to the island of Koh Samui.

#beijing #china #greatwall #gapyear #backpacking

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delwray-blog · 6 years

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VICTORY WILL BE OURS

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE VICTORY! Twas the night before victory when through all Nordic lands, The Patriots were stirring in their cities, homes, and clans. Dreams were hung on victory, they wondered, did they dare, Hope that deliverance and freedom soon would be there? The Nordic children were nestled, all snug in their beds, While visions of freedom danced in their heads. And Mama with her prayers and I with my Glock, Had been preparing for years while we now watched the clock. Then finally it arose, the trumpet call for action! We sprang to our feet, there would be no distraction. We gathered our gear, in a moment prepared to dash, Hail Heritage and Race! To the conflict, we flew like a flash. For too long our People had suffered, Zionist boots on our throats, The enemy controlled our lives, our banks, media, and votes. For decades our Kinsmen labored under an oppressive Zionist rule, But most Whites lived in apathy, being played for a fool. Yet scattered here and there were a brave, hardy bunch, And tonight was the night, Mama and I had a hunch. We would take back our lands, shake off the yoke of oppression, Our People needed us, as for the fooled, we would gather without them. Mama and I marched to the battle, would we live, would we die? What did it matter, our Kinsmen needed us, we had to try. As we drew nearer, what to our wondering eyes should appear, But hundreds of thousands of our People, from far and from near! They came from the hills and the valleys, from the cities and towns, From the four corners of the earth, they came from all around! Our Kinsmen arrived with a twinkle, a prance and a pounding of feet, They were finally ready for freedom and tonight they would not be beaten. The White man at last realized, they finally discovered, That it’s their Heritage and Culture which are to be treasured. Our Kinsmen came with courage, they came without fear, They knew that this was the night to claim what was dear. Tell us, who opened the eyes of this vast, gutsy group? Was he a General? A President? No! He was a Duke! The man who never gave up, the man who was brave, The man who loved his Heritage, who would not be a slave. Duke was ridiculed, Duke was taunted, they tossed him in jail, Yet Duke fought on for his People, he worked without fail. His courage never slacked, faith in his Kinsmen you could not rob, When the time finally came, Duke was the man for the job. When his Kinsmen caught sight of him, the crowd roared with joy, With Duke there was no question, their enemies they would destroy. He raised his hands, and with a hush the crowd became tame, Then Duke whistled, and shouted, and called his People by name: “Now Aussies and Swedes! Now Norwegians, Danes, and Brits! On Germans, On Americans, all our Kinsmen with true grit! Join in our struggle, quickly, for the time is now here!” A huge roar filled the sky as each White man gave a cheer. “We’ve waited far too long and this is the night! Victory is here and now for all People of White! We’ll save our Heritage, our culture, the future of Man Come, join with me now!” And Duke laid out his plan. And then, in a twinkling, when the speech was complete, Mama and I heard the marching and stamping of ten thousands of feet. They came! Our People came, from far and from near, They came to defend our shared Heritage, they came without fear. Mama and I ran to join the throng, and when we turned around, Duke came toward us so lively and quick with a joyous bound. He was dressed like a common man, no different than us, And his clothes they were simple, no frills, no fuss. His eyes proved his Heritage, they were blue as the sky, His cheeks were like roses, his White skin did not lie. His whiskers and hair graying, yet he was spry as he ran, And his smile was so catching, a true Nordic man. “We did it!” He exclaimed, “Our People finally came through! Your determination and patience helped your courage too. I’m so proud of our Kinsmen, they really came through! And we couldn’t have done it without Patriots like you.” “Our enemies cowered and fled before the one weapon we held, Our enemies fled when they realized we had this weapon to wield. Not a punch was thrown, no one fired a shot, Our enemies ran like the brave Jews they are not.” Confused, Mama and I looked at the vast Nordic throng, What weapon could they possibly hold that would scare away wrong? Turning back to our leader, Duke saw the question in our eyes, “TRUTH,” he joyously exclaimed, “Truth won tonight, not lies.” By L. R. O. www.saveyourheritage.comsaveyourheritage.com

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newssplashy · 6 years

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Entertainment: Get your fill of the world cup in New York City

NEW YORK — In New York you can eat, drink and watch the games with Serbs, Swedes, Senegalese or wherever there’s a TV over the bar. Here’s a handy guide to help you find your inner expat.

Argentina

Thursday, 2 p.m. vs. Croatia

June 26, 2 p.m. vs. Nigeria

Boca Juniors Restaurant, 81-08 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst, Queens

You would be hard-pressed to find a wilder soccer atmosphere — not just for Argentina, but for any nation — than, this steakhouse, named for a popular Buenos Aires team.

Elmhurst has been a center of Argentine culture since the 1960s. Before each match, expect boisterous crowds in the streets, with some fans adding to the celebration with homemade musical instruments. If the party is overflowing at Boca Juniors, try La Esquina Criolla, at 94-67 Corona Ave. (or just walk two blocks in any direction).

Australia

Thursday, 8 a.m. vs. Denmark

June 26, 10 a.m. vs. Peru

The Australian NYC, 20 W. 38th St., Midtown Manhattan

Here’s a reason for Australia fans to wake up early to root for their team: the 22 televisions at this two-floor bar will all blast the games. Australian beer will be on offer, as well as a traditional Aussie breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, baked beans and vegemite toast. When Australia scores a goal, vodka shots will be passed around.

Belgium

Monday, 11 a.m. vs. Panama

June 23, 8 a.m. vs. Tunisia

June 28, 2 p.m. vs. England

BXL Zoute, 50 W. 22nd St., Manhattan

BXL Zoute (“BXL” is the airport code for Brussels, Zoute is an affluent neighborhood on the North Sea) is a home base during major tournaments for fans of all stripes, not just those of the Red Devils. For the early games, get a gaufre — an authentic Belgian waffle — that pairs well with any of the Belgian beer on tap. If you are stuck in Times Square, Zoute’s sister bar, BXL Café on 43rd Street, is a fine option.

Brazil

Sunday, 2 p.m. vs. Switzerland

Friday, 8 a.m. vs. Costa Rica

June 27, 2 p.m. vs. Serbia

Miss Favela, 57 S. Fifth St., Brooklyn

This bistro next to the Williamsburg Bridge opens as early as 6 a.m. during the World Cup. The TVs will stay on throughout the tournament, and in addition to the live music each week on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, Miss Favela will have live Brazilian music for each of the country’s matches. In Manhattan, fans can try Sounds of Brazil at 204 Varick St.

Colombia

Tuesday, 8 a.m. vs. Japan

June 24, 2 p.m. vs. Poland

June 28, 10 a.m. vs. Senegal

D’Antigua, 84-16 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights, Queens

This bar-restaurant has five TVs and two projectors showing every game, but expect the liveliest crowds for Peru and Colombia. “Especially when Colombia plays, it’s incredible,” said Diana Narvaez, one of the owners, remembering the last World Cup. “People were screaming, and after, if the game was good, we had a DJ so people danced.” Those watching morning matches can enjoy arepas and tostones for breakfast. Fans might also try El Basurero, equally rowdy, in Astoria at 32-17 Steinway St.

Costa Rica

Sunday, 8 a.m. vs. Serbia

Friday, 8 a.m. vs. Brazil

June 27, 2 p.m. vs. Switzerland

Bogotá Latin Bistro, 141 Fifth Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn

This restaurant has added TVs throughout the restaurant — at the bar, in the main and side dining rooms, and on the patio — to welcome the World Cup. They will be showing every game, but plan to arrive early for the matches involving Latin American teams (particularly Costa Rica and Colombia).

Croatia

Thursday, 2 p.m. vs. Argentina

June 26, 2 p.m. vs. Iceland

Cafe Baltazar, 43-03 Broadway, Astoria, Queens

There are very few bars in the city where you can sit with a drink for an hour and hear nothing but Croatian; this is one of them. After Scorpio Cafe closed last year, this lounge became the center of Croatian soccer in New York. Eat in advance, as there is no kitchen here. Nearby is Studio Square, a beer garden where you can expect a great Croatian turnout, and where all tournament games will be shown.

Denmark

Thursday, 2 p.m. vs. Australia

June 26, 4 p.m. vs. France

Danish Athletic Club, 725-741 65th St., Sunset Park, Brooklyn

It’s no surprise that this 126-year-old athletic and social club will be the viewing place of choice for Denmark fans, in a neighborhood once full of Danish immigrants. All games will be shown on two 55-inch screens in the main restaurant and bar. Aquavit cocktails and Carlsberg Elephant beer will be available during all three games. Another option is the Scandinavian-friendly sports bar Tonic Times Square.

Egypt

Tuesday, 2 p.m. vs. Russia

June 25, 10 a.m. vs. Saudi Arabia

Jasmine Lounge, 25-50 Steinway St., Long Island City, Queens

Sip an Egyptian tea or enjoy an apple-flavored hookah at this lounge in the heart of Little Egypt. If you can’t find a seat here, try Taj Mahal Lounge, Café Istanbul, Rose Hookah Lounge or one of the other hookah joints that stretch along Steinway from about 25th Avenue to 32nd Avenue.

England

Monday, 2 p.m. vs. Tunisia

June 24, 8 a.m. vs. Panama

June 28, 2 p.m. vs. Belgium

Highbury Pub, 1002 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

Highbury Pub is filled to the brim whenever the North London club Arsenal has a game. Expect the same for England matches — or most matches, for that matter. This place is tiny, so when someone orders a meat pie, the aroma quickly fills the pub. Across Brooklyn in the South Slope is the Black Horse Pub, where the crowd for big games tends to spill out onto Fifth Avenue.

France

Thursday, 11 a.m. vs. Peru

June 26, 10 a.m. vs. Denmark

Le Baratin, 26 Greenwich Ave., Manhattan

There is no shortage of French boîtes showing Les Bleus on TV. This West Village bistro will employ both a television and a projection screen, and each time France scores a goal, patrons will be treated to Champagne. A long-standing Francophone venue in Brooklyn is Bar Tabac, a Boerum Hill bistro that’s open for breakfast every day.

Germany

Sunday, 11 a.m. vs. Mexico

Saturday, 2 p.m. vs. Sweden

June 27, 10 a.m. vs. South Korea

Goethe Institut, 30 Irving Place, Gramercy Park, Manhattan

This nonprofit cultural organization will be packing its library with about 200 Germans and Germanophiles, eager to see if the reigning champions can repeat and earn what would be the country’s fifth World Cup title. German beer and riesling will be served, and representatives from the Institut will be around to discuss German culture, sporting or otherwise. A rowdier option is Zum Schneider, an East Village beer garden, always packed when Germany plays.

Iceland

Friday, 11 a.m. vs. Nigeria

June 26, 2 p.m. vs. Croatia

Bloom’s Tavern, 208 E. 58th St., Manhattan

When Iceland played in Euro 2016, making it to the quarterfinals in its first major tournament appearance, the consulate organized a viewing party at this classic Irish pub. The bar is now so strongly associated with Iceland that the country’s flag has a place of honor on the ceiling. Iceland’s World Cup debut coincides with Bloomsday, the celebration of the events of James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses,” so expect a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Reyka Vodka, Iceland’s first vodka distillery, is also sponsoring a series of events at sports bars around the city, including at Beer Authority, at 300 W. 40th St., for the Croatia match.

Iran

Wednesday, 2 p.m. vs. Spain

June 25, 2 p.m. vs. Portugal

Colbeh, 32 W, 39th St., Midtown Manhattan

Colbeh might be fancier than most places on the list, but Iranians swear by this well-established Persian restaurant — the games will be on three 42-inch screens — that serves lamb, beef and chicken kebabs.

Japan

Tuesday, 8 a.m. vs. Colombia

June 24, 11 a.m. vs. Senegal

June 28, 10 a.m. vs. Poland

Izakaya/Samurice at Canal Street Market, 265 Canal St., Lower Manhattan

The small East Village eatery Izakaya won’t let its size stop it from cheering on Japan; Yudai Kanayama, one of the owners, has arranged public viewing parties a short walk south. At Canal Street Market, the restaurant shares a stall with Samurice, where it will offer $1 miso soup during Japan’s games, as well as a chicken katsu special. (Bonus trivia: Katsu means “victory” in Japanese.) Doors open 30 minutes before each Samurai Blue match. Another option is Azasu on the Lower East Side, at 49 Clinton St.

Mexico

Sunday, 11 a.m. vs. Germany

Saturday, 11 a.m. vs. South Korea

June 27, 10 a.m. vs. Sweden

Cantina Rooftop, 605 W. 48th St., Midtown Manhattan

A safe bet to get a bar stool during a Mexico game is Cantina Rooftop, an enormous rooftop spot in Midtown. Or for a more authentic experience, make your way to Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, where you’ll be hard pressed to find a bar or restaurant not playing the game. But you might have a hard time finding an open seat. Try Juan Bar, at 96-15 Roosevelt Ave., in Corona, which is attached to the restaurant Tortas Neza. Or watch the game at one of the four televisions at Tacos Morelos, at 94-13 37th Ave. in Jackson Heights. In Brooklyn, go for the restaurants and bars on Fourth and Fifth avenues in Sunset Park, like Tacos El Bronco and Tacos Matamoros.

Morocco

Wednesday, 8 a.m. vs. Portugal

June 25, 2 p.m. vs. Spain

Arabesque, 4 E. 36th St., Midtown Manhattan

Morocco’s games will be shown on a large projection screen in the private room at this popular restaurant and bar. One of the owners, Omar Balouma, has promised free shots with every goal Morocco scores.

Nigeria

Friday, 11 a.m. vs. Iceland

June 26, 2 p.m. vs. Argentina

Buka, 946 Fulton St., Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Along the border of Crown Heights, this restaurant attracts a vibrant Nigerian crowd — especially for Super Eagles matches. While “buka” is a slang term for a hole in the wall, you can expect excellent food here with an adventurous menu, including appetizers like isiewu (goat head) and nkwobi (cow feet). Also in Brooklyn, the Afro Carib Network and Nollywood NYC are hosting a cover-free party for Nigeria’s opening match at Milk River, a two-level restaurant and lounge on Atlantic Avenue, near Barclays Center.

Panama

Monday, 11 a.m. vs. Belgium

June 24, 8 a.m. vs. England

June 28, 2 p.m. vs. Tunisia

Michelle’s Cocktail Lounge, 2294 Bedford Ave., Flatbush, Brooklyn

Michelle’s, a longtime jazz club, has recently become a popular pre-show spot since the nearby Kings Theater reopened, but it remains the local hub for all things Panamanian.

Peru

Thursday, 11 a.m. vs. France

June 26, 10 a.m. vs. Australia

Mancora Restaurant and Bar, 97 First Ave., East Village, Manhattan

Famous for its ceviches and rotisserie chicken, Mancora will show the games on two 70-inch televisions. Customers can nibble on house-made plantain chips and sip caiparinhas, Peruvian beer and purple corn juice — a Peruvian specialty. Shots of tequila when Peru scores a goal.

Poland

Tuesday, 11 a.m. vs. Senegal

June 24, 2 p.m. vs. Colombia

June 28, 10 a.m. vs. Japan

Christina’s, 853 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Christina’s is a Polish diner in Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s long-standing Polish enclave. Count on Christina’s to have pirogies ready and the TV on for every game. In addition to the many Polish options in Greenpoint, Ridgewood and Maspeth in Queens have their share. Try Rogner Café & Lounge in Ridgewood, at 63-59 Forest Ave.

Portugal

Wednesday, 8 a.m. vs. Morocco

June 25, 2 p.m. vs. Iran

Raizes Churrascaria, 39 Nassau Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Although Raizes won’t be open for Portugal versus Morocco (too early), it will make up for it by going all out for the other two games they’ll play on the six televisions throughout the cavernous restaurant as well as on a large projection screen. Expect Portuguese beer specials, shrimp Mozambique and salt cod. For the more intrepid fan, there is no better spot to watch Portugal play than in Newark, New Jersey’s Ironbound District. In addition to the many bars and restaurants along Ferry Street, try Sport Club Portuguese, a neighborhood cultural center at 55 Prospect St.

Russia

Tuesday, 2 p.m. vs. Egypt

June 25, 10 a.m. vs. Uruguay

Russian Baths, 1200 Gravesend Neck Road, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

This is about as close as you will get to the culture of the host country without boarding a flight to Moscow. The Russian Baths are part sports bar, part bathhouse. Your team just lost? Cool off in the pool, relax in the sauna or hit the steam room. Free admission to the sports bar; $45 to use the baths. A reasonable substitute is Café Max Kebeer, nearby in Brighton Beach, which plans to show every match. Expect a minimum charge of $30 per seat.

Saudi Arabia

Wednesday, 11 a.m. vs. Uruguay

June 25, 10 a.m. vs. Egypt

Bai’Dar Cafe and Restaurant, 6810 Third Ave., Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

While not specifically a Saudi haunt, this hookah lounge caters to a wide swath of Arab clientele in the large Middle Eastern community of Bay Ridge. The lounge, open 24 hours, will show every World Cup match and serves a variety of drinks and Middle Eastern delicacies.

Senegal

Tuesday, 11 a.m. vs. Poland

June 24, 11 a.m. vs. Japan

June 28, 10 a.m. vs. Colombia

The Senegalese Association, 121 St. Nicholas Ave., Harlem

The neighborhood around 116th Street in central Harlem is known as Little Senegal, and at its heart is this cultural center, which will be showing all the games. Many fans will watch the matches over ataya, a Senegalese tea traditionally served in a ceremony lasting several hours. To get in the spirit, try the Dakar chicken wings at Ponty Bistro Harlem, at 2375 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.

Serbia

Sunday, 8 a.m. vs. Costa Rica

Friday, 2 p.m. vs. Switzerland

June 27, 2 p.m. vs. Brazil

Kafana, 116 Avenue C, East Village, Manhattan

Kafana, typically open afternoons and evenings only, will open at 7:30 a.m. to cheer on its squad, serving a traditional Serbian breakfast, including gibanica (cheese pie) and zeljanica (spinach pie). “Last time we beat Germany,” the owner, Vladimir Ocokoljic, said, “it was 9:30 in the morning and everyone was dancing on tables and chairs.” The German beer garden Zum Schneider is across the street, so the block will be full of energy. Another option is the Serbian Association of New York, a cultural center and social club in Glendale, Queens, at 72-54 65th Place.

South Korea

Monday, 8 a.m. vs. Sweden

Saturday, 11 a.m. vs. Mexico

June 27, 10 a.m. vs. Germany

Kum Gang San, 138-28 Northern Blvd., Flushing, Queens

The festivities at this 24-hour Korean barbecue restaurant are sponsored by the Korean Sports Association of New York, which will have an expert on hand to offer commentary and lead cheers (in Korean) for the South Korean games. In Manhattan’s Koreatown, plenty of places will be hosting events, including Soju Haus, MK Karaoke and Bangia.

Spain

Wednesday, 2 p.m. vs. Iran

June 25, 2 p.m. vs. Morocco

O Lavrador, 138-40 101st Ave., Jamaica, Queens

An Iberian staple, O Lavrador will show the Spain matches in both its 65-seat bar and its event room. Specials on sangria pitchers. (Portugal fans attended during the last World Cup, so the first match may have a little heat.) Meanwhile, all locations of Boqueria, a small chain of tapas bars, will be showing games during regular restaurant hours. If Spain wins, Boqueria will offer patrons a beer on the house. At its new West 40th Street spot, Boqueria will open at 6:30 a.m. for all games, even when Spain is not playing, and breakfast will be served.

Sweden

Monday, 8 a.m. vs. South Korea

Saturday, 2 p.m. vs. Germany

June 27, 10 a.m. vs. Mexico

Tonic Times Square, 727 Seventh Ave., Midtown Manhattan

Expect a large contingent of Swedes (and Danes) at this centrally located sports bar. During the World Cup, revelers bring their own Scandinavian native food and pastries — while the bar serves a full menu and breakfast for the early morning games. A more low-key venue is the Church of Sweden in Midtown Manhattan. Both a church and a cultural center, the institution, at 5 East 48th St., will show the game against Germany. Coffee and cinnamon buns will be served.

Switzerland

Sunday, 2 p.m. vs. Brazil

Friday, 2 p.m. vs. Serbia

June 27, 2 p.m. vs. Costa Rica

Café Select, 212 Lafayette St., Manhattan

This festive Swiss spot in SoHo keeps Christmas lights crisscrossing its ceiling year-round. They’ll be showing every World Cup match on a TV above the bar and a big screen in back.

Tunisia

Monday, 2 p.m. vs. England

Saturday, 8 a.m. vs. Belgium

June 28, 2 p.m. vs. Panama

Cafe Borbone, 25-07 Steinway St., Astoria, Queens

The section of Steinway Street just south of the Grand Central Parkway is known as Little Egypt, but it’s home to a mix of people from North Africa and the Middle East. Of all of the options on this strip, a go-to spot for Arab football fans is this nondescript Italian cafe; don’t expect to sip your macchiato in peace if a local team is playing. In general, a stroll down Steinway Street will reveal other hookah bars with TVs, some of which might even open early for the World Cup.

Uruguay

Wednesday, 11 a.m. vs. Saudi Arabia

June 25, 10 a.m. vs. Russia

Charrúa, 131 Essex St., Lower East Side, Manhattan

There are only 40 or so seats at this Uruguayan bistro, but during matches, the owners throw open the windows and serve South American street food. Expect a boisterous scrum during Argentina and Brazil matches as well. For early games, Tabaré, a Uruguayan restaurant in Williamsburg, will be serving a breakfast of ham and cheese medialunas, a traditional sweet pastry similar to croissants, with a full menu of traditional fare for later games.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

source https://www.newssplashy.com/2018/06/entertainment-get-your-fill-of-world_17.html

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takenews-blog1 · 6 years

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Killing the Easter Bunny and Different Wacky, Worldly Easter Traditions

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/killing-the-easter-bunny-and-different-wacky-worldly-easter-traditions/

Killing the Easter Bunny and Different Wacky, Worldly Easter Traditions

Baskets stuffed with completely painted oval eggs, kids merrily filling their baskets with the treats, goodies and sweet and the Easter bunny. These are the timeless pictures conjured up by Easter in America. However how do others all over the world have fun this vacation initially impressed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Australia Within the Land Down Beneath, the Easter bunny shouldn’t be welcome. Crops throughout the continent have been decimated by the quick-footed pests, which has lent them no favors from the native populace. As a substitute, the Aussies have fun the Easter “bilby”…a local endangered rodent with rabbit ears, because of Nicholas Newland of “Basis for a Rabbit-Free Australia”. The Easter bilby was designed to lift consciousness concerning the risks of feral rabbits and to exchange them with true native wildlife. Is bunny different has impressed the whole lot from conservation initiatives to kids’s books. That’s one thing everybody can hop on board.

New Zealand Only a hop, skip and a bounce away from their neighbors, the Kiwis are additionally no followers of hares. In actual fact, they’ll get downright murderous. Their Easter custom requires a hunt, with a prize of $NZ three,500 to whoever carcasses probably the most hoppers. Easter indicators the top of over 20,000 rabbits yearly. One explicit hunt within the Central Otago farmlands has web over 287,679 rabbits over a 24 12 months interval. Bloody Sunday certainly!

France Identified for its culinary prowess and the vanguard of egg-based delicacies, it’s no marvel the French make an impression…a large, egg-tacular impression. So each Easter Monday, the folks of the French metropolis of Haux spherical up all their leftover eggs and try and make the world’s largest omelet, or one that may no less than feed the complete city. Consisting of over 1000’s of eggs, this large dish can feed as much as 1,000 folks. Final 12 months’s submission measured nearly 10 toes in diameter and consisted of over 5,00 eggs, 21 quarts of oil, and 100 kilos of bacon, onion, and garlic…every. Now that will be some ldl cholesterol checkup…

Germany In Deutschland it’s a tree takes heart stage throughout the Easter vacation. In a convention of unknown origins, the tree’s branches are adorned with 1000’s of Easter eggs, making a pastel-laden masterpiece. Probably the most well-known instance is an apple tree in Saalfield, a metropolis in Japanese Germany. First modestly adorned with simply 18 plastic eggs, Volker Kraft and his household now common use over 9,000 eggs yearly. The file holder for many eggs in a tree, although, belongs to a crimson oak on the Rostock Zoo, which totaled 79,596 eggs in 2007. Marvel what any nesting birds considered that.

Greece The Mediterranean nation is residence to an enormous inhabitants of Orthodox Christians, and their time-honored traditions are steeped of their non secular beliefs. All Easter eggs are dyed the colour crimson, the colour of life and victory, to represent the blood of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion and resurrection. Since historical occasions the egg has been an emblem of the renewal of life, the crimson eggs are supposed to ship a message of victory over demise. Afterwards, these “blood” eggs are used within the making of Easter bread tsoureki, a basic mainstay Easter delicacy. Actually the Greeks take Jesus and breaking bread critically.

Poland A basic Polish custom is the butter lamb, additionally known as Baranek Wielkanocny, and it’s precisely what you’d anticipate: a lamb made fully out of butter, to be devoured on Easter. The superstitious Polish additionally forbid any males to participate within the strategy of baking Easter bread. The reasoning? They imagine a person’s mustache will flip gray and the dough will fail to rise. Facial beasts resulting in failing yeast? That’s a brand new one. Sweden A secular vacation, Easter is widely known by Swedes with a meal of eggs and pickled herring. Extra noteworthy is the custom of youngsters dressing up as Easter witches, portray their faces whereas sporting previous and discarded garments. Folklore recollects witches that flew on broomsticks to bounce with the satan at a famend meadow known as Blåkulla. Some youngsters will even knock on doorways for treats, which definitely begs the query: is it Easter…or Halloween?

Columbia In South America, Columbians additionally bask in an attention-grabbing menu for Easter Sunday that’s heavy on native elements. Reasonably than sweet and eggs, the populace delight their palettes on iguana, turtles, and enormous rodents. Turtle egg omelets, iguana soup, and cayman or turtle stew (served with coconut rice and fried yucca) are few of the readily consumed dishes. The menu comes as a compromise in melding the imported Easter traditions with meals that was available. Guess you make the very best with the sources you’re given?

Photograph courtesy of https://humblelore.recordsdata.wordpress.com/2013/05/img_1984-640×478.jpg

World Easter celebrations are formed by locale, sources, and naturally cultural traditions. Whether or not rooted in deeply non secular societies or people who pre-date them, Easter gatherings typically contain a lot totally different choices that bunny rabbits and Easter egg hunts. However that doesn’t make them any much less colourful, and which may be eggs-actly the purpose. From Jesus to the Easter bunny…how far we’ve come!

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minrcrafter · 7 years

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ImagineCraft [Semi-Vanilla][SMP]{Whitelist}{1.12.2}{17+}{Community}{Dynmap}{Anti-Grief}{Multi-World}

Description

ImagineCraft is a whitelisted MineCraft server established May 25th, 2015. Most of our player base is within the USA and Canada; however, we do have numerous Europeans (~30% of the player population) (Brits, Dutchies, Irish, Finns, and Swedes) along with a few Aussies. We typically have around 5-15 players online during peak times and even more during special events, 20+. We would love to have you join us in our very community-minded MC world.

Perks

Your base is protected from griefing.

MultiWorld - In addition to having an awesome survival world, we also have a creative world (inventory does not transfer) for testing purposes (palette schemes, redstone, etc).

TeamSpeak for voice chat so that you don't have to worry about typing "Creeper" when one is barreling right for your friend and flashing. ssSsSSsSsS BOOOOOM!!!

Rules

As of Nov. 7th, 2015 we only accept players that are 17 years of age and older..

No malicious activity which includes griefing, hacking, or theft. We average one ban a month since May 2015. With theft being the leading crime, followed by x-rayers.

Player mods that defeat the challenge of playing on a semi-vanilla server are not allowed. An example would be running an x-ray mod or modified resource pack for direct access to ores.

Server Plugins

I do my best to preserve the vanilla feel as much as possible while allowing for certain plugins to be utilized to help enhance your experience. Here are some of the extras:

Server Specifications (Great Performance!)

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Intel Xeon Processor E3-1220 3.10GHz

Ram 32 GiB

Disk 240 GB SSD

Bandwidth 1 Gb Port

33TB Bandwidth transfer/month

Additional Information

Community Outreach Blog started April 14, 2017. The purpose of the blog is to give you additional insight into what is happening on ImagineCraft and to learn about our players.

Interested in Joining ImagineCraft?

Q. What grade of pickaxe must you use to mine obsidian?

A. Diamond

Q. What are the first 3 letters of our minecraft server name combined with the last 3 letters?

A. Imaaft

Q. A creeper hit by lightning becomes a _____ creeper.

A. charged

Q. Don't pick on these guys in the Nether or they'll gang up on you (2 words, plural)

A. Zombie Pigmen

Q. Zombies can sometimes drop what awesome food item?

A. Carrot

Thank you

Thanks again!

#Minecraft servers #minecraft

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dreweric · 7 years

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June 2016, El Camino de Santiago, my Journey-of-Self-Discovery

Can I do this, can I make a Camino Family?

My Band-of-Brothers

The Camino is a funny place. Relationships start; they burn hot and can have a life-span of a few minutes or a few days. In this world of fast paced connecting, we have what is affectionately coined “The Camino Family” which constitutes a group of individuals walking together and staying together for whatever time they last.

I haven’t seen very many of these relationships last much longer than eight days. My first Camino family lasted that long. My second and third Camino family lasted even less. Enter family four and five. I finished the Camino splitting my time between them. On my last day I walked into Santiago going it alone, leaving both families–only to reconnect with both as they came into Santiago. If this sounds confusing, I’ll attempt to sort it all out, there is so much to tell.

What I’ve learned on this journey has been based on attaching, separating and learning how to be ok with what is. We learned to honor our individual needs and to walk together in a way that best supports us all. It was an enlightening experience to pay close attention to energy and subtle body language.

I came up with this explanation and many fellow pilgrims agreed. The Camino is about 32 days in length. So, if you equate that to the length of the relationships you have here on the Camino then one day equals one year, ten days equals ten years. (A Camino flip on dog years!)

For shorter encounters, six hours might equal six days and one hour could be an entire day in the real world.

So, imagine 32 years of your life and the people who will impact you during that time. Imagine meeting them all in a day, a week or a month. This is a lifetime of learning, meeting and growing at warp speed.

So when I say my band of brothers is still walking together after so many days, that’s quite an accomplishment.

I met one of my brothers the day I climbed the mountain. He was staying in my Albergue/Hostel. We didn’t talk much at all. He is from Australia and currently lives in England. I will call him the Aussie. I learned that the Aussie is two months younger than I am, and it’s a kick to remind him of that. He was walking with a coworker, originally from Canada.

This past week I was feeling pretty sad and lonely, still in the middle of processing how I felt about chasing the popular kids. It was then that I met another brother from Sweden. He turned in his chair and started talking to me in his slight Swedish accent. On the attractive scale he is pretty damn adorable and is in his mid 20s. I will call him the Swede. I certainly didn’t mind chatting with him even though my feeling of worthiness was at a low and I was feeling a little afraid of him.

I joined him at the table for conversation just before he received a phone call. I moved back to my writing on the lawn, still feeling sad. Eventually I realized the only person isolating was me. It was time to take action.

I got up, put my computer away and looked in the dining area to see who was around. The Swede and Aussie were in conversation at a table. A lovely woman joined us completing our new group of friends. We spent the next five hours talking, drinking and eating, all without getting up from the table. It was a special evening.

The Swede was sitting across from me and was very attentive throughout the evening, making long eye contact with me while we talked. I could clearly see we had a connection and would probably spend some time together in the next few days.

As it turned out we were all sharing a room and the Swede seemed quite interested in me as he kept up a conversation in between teeth brushing and getting ready for bed. Now my intuition was telling me he wanted to walk with me tomorrow.

Facebook:

—Thursday, June 23— Because of my confusion and chasing the popular people, which I no longer am, I got a cold. Please send me healing energy. It’s very mild so no worries.

Walking with someone is essentially going on a first date here on the Camino. If you walk for more than an hour that means the date has been going well. You really don’t know what’s going to happen. It could end in an hour, last many hours or continue for days.

I wake up every morning not knowing who I will walk with, meet, where I will stay or how fast I will walk. Everything is up in the air, which is exciting and scary at the same time.

—Added new photos— Good morning world, hello from the other side. No shadow yet, soon…

On this morning I woke up with my realization that I was chasing the popular kids—a recurring theme. It was very heavy on my heart and I could tell something was about to happen for me, including a shift in perception. I could feel my heart racing with the heaviness.

At 5:30 a.m. my alarm went off. I was getting ready but the Swede was still sleeping. I wanted to run out of the hostel, but I had this intuition he really wanted to walk with me. I was torn, I had something to process and he was still sleeping. So I reach over to his bunk and tapped his foot figuring if he wakes and starts the morning process then maybe we will walk, but I’m not counting on it.

My foot tapping worked, he rises and starts slowly buzzing about his stuff. His belongings appear to be everywhere as he begins packing them up. In other words, to me, he was a typical 20-something trying to get ready. I saw he wasn’t moving fast enough and I chose to leave. I didn’t see him before I left and felt bad because I just really knew he was reaching out for connection.

I took off, out the door, on my way in the dark of early morning. Still not knowing who I would walk with, who I would see or where I would sleep and still trying to figure out what the hell was going on in my head about the popular kids. I eventually had my realization and cried, leaving me raw and emotional.

I came across a beautiful bridge with pollen fluff on the ground that looked like summer snow. The light was just coming over the mountain. Across an amazing stone bridge was a tiny home with unusual metal furniture, artwork and benches. It was a beautiful setting to do some writing.

I also thought I would wait for the Swede to catch up. I was ready to spend some time walking with him after having an “aha moment” during my writing. Half way into my writing he walked up and said, “I was looking for you this morning but I didn’t find you.” I replied and said, “Yeah, I know you were looking for me. That’s why I am waiting here so we could walk together.” He seemed pleased. It was several days later when he told me about some girl accidentally hitting his foot that morning. I told him it was me waking him up. He had no idea and was tickled it was me.

I closed my computer and we walked on. Now remember, most pilgrims go deep and vulnerable in a matter of seconds. This was no different, we immediately jumped in.

Perhaps an hour in, I said something that really hit home for him. So much so he needed to stop walking for a second. I saw he needed a minute so I told him I would walk ahead and see him in a bit. When this happens you never know if you will walk again or not. The Camino is that unpredictable.

When I found a place to pause again he walked up with Aussie from the night before and the three of us walked the rest of the day, sharing and opening up about ourselves and our lives—my favorite conversations.

The Aussie was a bit angry, shut down and closed off. He barely smiled but was willing to walk with us. The Swede was full of stories about Sweden. He continually talked about Sweden, it was a hoot. Like white noise, I can still hear his accent in the background of my Camino, I loved the sound of it.

We spent that first day together and I could feel a real connection between us. Not really sure what would unfold but I was willing to stick this out and go for the ride. By now, I have grown quite accustomed to being in the company of men on the Camino so I wasn’t having an issue about letting my flags fly and being myself.

Actually I started to realize that I am attracting these men. They both seemed sensitive and emotional and somewhat giving. I could see Aussie was struggling with opening up but I am the type of person who doesn’t really let someone get too comfortable in their comfort zone. I push them right out of it with my coaching ways.

After another long day of walking we began a tradition of drinking beer for the electrolytes (after marathons they give out beer.) During our first full day, I have pushed buttons, made them leave their comfort zone and forced deep conversation about themselves, their lives and surprising me, they still stuck around.

That is an amazing feat. When I get going with my coaching/spirituality conversation, it can be overwhelming for some people. I could see I was pushing them and they both loved it. I even set some ground rules for our discussions and they were happy to oblige.

You can’t use the word “but” as in “yes but”.

You can’t use the word “sorry”.

You don’t have to answer a question right away, you can defer for a later time.

You must be open for possibilities, not closed to new ways of thinking.

It’s your Camino you do what you need on your Camino.

“It’s your Camino, NAMASTE” a way to keep a little humor in our conversations. (Sidebar: In the Whole foods parking lot, Namaste has a slightly different meaning. That was my parking spot, NAMASTE. That was the last grocery cart NAMASTE. You’re not going to put your cart back, NAMASTE! Are you getting the meaning?)

I was astounded that they enjoyed the rules. When we talked and were all open it was a beautiful experience as we were open all the time.

We established patterns like purchasing supplies after a long day walking to make sure we had pre-dinner beer and wine for our long conversations.

After our second day of walking I saw a young man sitting alone on the front stoop of the albergue. He looked as if he wanted a hug. So I asked him to join us for pre-dinner wine and he accepted. That small invitation lasted far longer then we all expected.

“I want a hug” is from Germany so I will call him the German. His English sounds pretty good but you can tell he gets a bit lost if we speak too fast. I never expected him to stay long because of the language barrier and there are lots of Germans on the Camino for him to hang with.

So the German is a little bear type kid whom you want to constantly squeeze or hug or both. He is so kind he exudes a loving presence out of every cell in his body.

I literally saw him pick up three snails off the road and move them to the grass on the opposite side. I doubted that he’d ever get to Santiago if he picked up every snail on the way. He even picked up a couple of worms and moved them. He told me once, “I don’t want it too easy for the birds to get their food. It is important for the birds to exercise while hunting.” (His words, no kidding.)

—Friday, June 24— I don’t know what’s happening but I like it.

So let’s review who the characters are…

The Swede is super cute, great accent and a bit flirty to anyone around him. He is flirty, confident and himself all at the same time—a real charmer who likes to push your buttons and boundaries. You can see he is sensitive, emotional and open.

This would be the second person I encountered on the Camino with those traits and I had fallen in love with the first one. But this time I was more present to this type of behavior and knew not to get sucked into the trap of his allure.

The German was clearly sensitive, open and highly emotional with a loving manner you don’t see in many men or people in general—just a bear of a boy.

The Aussie was a different story. I couldn’t figure out why he was there and walking with us. I wasn’t sure if he was interested in conversation, being emotionally open or just enjoying the energy and flirting tension that could be thrown about in our new boundary-less environment.

He was angry and pretty closed down when I met him. He was struggling with his Camino and traveling with a work colleague. Who wouldn’t have a difficult time traveling with a work colleague? So I sat back and waited to see just what Aussie wanted to get from our new band of brothers.

I am highly emotional, my sensitivity and intuition are off the charts. I just had my heart opened on the Camino so I was ready for anything the Camino was going to bring forth. I was so ready and prepared for these guys to walk into my life at just the right time.

My belief system is, “Every conversation and experience has a benefit and a purpose.” I believed we were forming a Camino family that would serve a purpose for each of us. I was excited to see where it would go and what the lessons would be.

Clearly I can attract sexual tension as seen earlier on the Camino. I am also attracting emotional, sensitive, loving and kind individuals. This makes me really happy. All these men seemed to be comfortable with themselves, each other and me. I have never felt this level of comfort before with other men. In three days time (three years on the Camino) I felt at home. I felt a calmness wash over me, a peacefulness. I felt they had my back and I didn’t have to be afraid any longer, especially in the wake of the Orlando tragedy.

On the second day we walked, I was just a little unsure about the Swede because he seemed a bit snappy during the day. This turned out to be a benefit since a great lesson unfolded for me. I pulled back a bit in an effort to give him space since I know I can be a bit overwhelming at times.

On the Camino you can have a relationship so intense that it feels like a Roman candle shooting high into the sky. Once a Roman candle burns out, it’s done. I didn’t want this band of brothers to burn out so fast.

So, on that second day I decided not to shine so brightly in an effort to keep from igniting the Roman candle. It seemed to work because none of us tired from being together. So much so we would walk and talk all day then grab some beers and wine and drink and talk till bedtime. Our beds were even in close proximity to each other. Then we would wake up and repeat, day after day. It was like summer camp for all us boys; it was like a family, a Band-of-Brothers

The Aussie, slowly but surely, started to soften. He started to smile. Ever so slowly he showed signs of opening up. I kept pushing him with questions and wouldn’t let his answers be surface ones. I wanted to really hear the truth from him, he hated/loved it. He had nowhere to hide and wasn’t interested in walking away; he stood there, clearly outside his comfortable zone and grew.

One special morning we were walking to the big cross. Here is where pilgrims leave their burdens. The idea is to bring a rock from home that represents our life burdens and leave it at the base of the cross. This is a particularly difficult part of the trip. We were all emotional and had feelings of foreboding about the experience. Eventually we split up and arrived at the cross, claiming our own space.

However, prior to our splitting up, I started to cry about my burdens, about losing my mom and my divorce this past year. On my mother’s nightstand, when she transitioned, was a baby Jesus from a miniature nativity scene. I have held it all these years. When I was moving out of my apartment, someone told me to bring one thing with me from home. Then said I’d know what item to take when I saw it. When I packed and found the baby Jesus I knew it was the one item to take with me. I also had a rock from the garden at my first apartment as a single man. I was now choosing to leave both burdens at the cross.

The Swede saw me getting choked up and started to reassure me it would be all right. He told me to go ahead and feel. I am not sure all he said but it was working. I cried harder as we walked. It was like he was channeling my mother.

Then he surprised me by telling me to forgive my mother, to let it all go. I was in full blown tears; he was bringing up pain that I needed to get out. Eventually the crying slowed along with the talking. We eased back into our own worlds and continued getting closer to the cross.

When it was my turn to find the cross, I climbed the rocks on its base that were left by other pilgrims. I found the spot and placed my mother’s baby Jesus and my divorce rock next to a lovely bracelet and a flat rock with the date on it written in chalk. I took a picture through my tears and felt the emotion of the experience.

In sharing our emotional rawness, I showed Aussie the picture of my baby Jesus and the rock, he was flabbergasted. Without knowing it, I placed my burdens against his rock. We both have pictures of the same spot. We were stunned how divine intervention played its part on bringing our burdens to the exact spot—no coincidence there.

My Band-of-Brothers and I had such an ease with each other we never once questioned anyone’s feelings, emotions or actions. It was like we had a psychic connection and we understood. We would walk separate, take a different pace then come back together with ease and love. When someone would slow a bit or walk ahead we all knew that they were taking the reflection time and the personal space they needed. We were all attached to the flow of the Camino and one another’s flow, effortless, smooth, loving and beautiful.

— He picks up snails on the road and puts them in the grass. I saw this 3 times. He is always looking at flowers and searching for little critters. He requires you to share his food. And always looks like he wants to hug you. This is how a man should be, kind, warm and loving. He is German and I love him.

J.M.H.— When you come back, (if you come back) remember these lessons learned…

The German required the most space. He floated in and out all the time. He would be with us one minute, we would look back, and he is furrowing for critters along the path. He loved the animals of the Camino, truly loved them. That was his Camino.

— My friends socks, the German! And I quote “I will wear them one more time!!!” I made a gagging sound!!!

Mark H.— think they can walk the rest of the way by themselves.

Salvador C.— That’s cute, give him a surprise gift with tons of socks.

He also talked with his hands incessantly. He held them close to his head and shook them about, however his hands didn’t further any conversation, they just shook about. It was totally awesome to watch his boyish energy and loving charm. I could sit and look at him all day, just watching him talk, or sitting quietly. He often caught me looking at him and would instinctively know how much I cared for him—and I could feel his affection for me. He was the most loving individual I met on the Camino. I love him and he loves me.

— He is emotional, vulnerable and kind. He exudes love in every direction always talking, always sharing, always looking for connecting. He is from Sweden and I love him.

Ray S.— With everyone you meet , they have a story of their own , then you become a part of their story forever . That’s cool…

The Swede had such charisma and you could feel his loving energy. Sometimes I felt it a little too much. He could use a little practice dialing some of that energy down a bit. We laughed and shared, made jokes and got drunk several times, it was so much fun. He was so free with his love which was intoxicating.

Luckily now, I was better prepared for intoxicating young men and I was able to resist this one’s charms. I was able to accept him for who he was and I did love him, in a safe way for him and me. He is the most charismatic loving person on the Camino, I love him and he loves me.

— My younger brother. He smiles and I see the boy he tries to hide. I have watched him be reborn from a caterpillar to the loving soul he shows off today. Exuberant with a boyish energy. He is from Australia and I love him.

Ray S.— Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly…

The Aussie is the most transformed individual I met. He went from a caterpillar to a beautiful schmetterling (the German word for butterfly). He now freely uses the word love and openly gives hugs. On those first few days he described his home life as nice, pleasant, and good. Now, he uses expressions like “fucking fantastic,” “incredibly cool” and” totally awesome.” The words he uses now have passion in them. The man has gotten way sexier, happier and has a bounce in his step when he walks. He appears so fucking happy to be alive and walking the Camino. I am sure there is no other place in the world he would rather be than here, with us, in Spain.

I once asked him a question and he answered with, “That was nice” I shot back with, “just nice? That’s the best you can do?” Several days later after an in-depth share I said, “That was a nice exchange, thanks.” He looked me dead in the eye and shot back, “NICE?” Wow, the student becomes the teacher. Today, he is the most passionate man I have met on the Camino. I love him and he loves me.

Mark W.H.— Can not wait to read your book… If you could only see your journey from this side. Emotional-Raw-Masculine-Real… Your shadow will always be with you.

— Today is a good day. Last night over wine we discussed a plan we all agreed upon. The 5 of us would get up at 5:15 and walk early into Leon, Spain. Spend a long day in Leon at a nice albergue, then leave a little late the next day. Which means we will be spending the day together exploring Leon. It was a relaxed walk and short. The company was perfect. These are good men. We walk well together. We fit well together. Today is a good day with my band of brothers.

Erik T.— Wow! Awesome my friend. The frame in which you see and experience all others will never be the same. The power of traveling…

When we were together in Leon we had a blast. We were tired and wandered around the city trying to figure out what we wanted to see and do. Several ideas were thrown about with no real interest. We finally ended up near the Leon cathedral and I said, “Ok, it would appear all we really want to do is find a bar, sit, and drink and talk more. So let’s make a circle around the cathedral, completing our sightseeing, then we can sit in a bar somewhere for the rest of the night.” That made everyone happy.

—Saturday, June 25— I’m in Leon Spain exploring with my buds, this town is great. Welcome to my reality. I feel something happening in my future.

After the fourth day together I made a decision. With all I’ve learned up until now about men and how to be comfortable with them, I decided not to withhold anything about me, including my need for physical touch and expression. Yes, I was going to get physical with these men and they were going to like it. I wasn’t going to hide my affection for them, I was going to touch them and kiss them in a way that is acceptable for them, mostly.

I decided I was going to wake them up with kisses and that’s just what I did. I even told them what my plan was after our walk, over electrolytes—beers. We talked about everything. I talked about my blog, everything I’d learned thus far and falling in love with a boy on the Camino. I even shared what the men of the Camino, including them, are teaching me. I told them everything and they didn’t walk away. I felt their love all the time.

The next day the Swede and German were still sleeping and I sat on the Swede’s bed and rubbed his arm till he was awake and then gave him a kiss on the forehead. He smiled and laughed as I got up. I went to German’s bed and rubbed his arm till he woke up with a big grin on his face. Pure love. So I got up higher and smooched on him all over his forehead as he giggled and squiggled like a boy. They both loved it. Weeks later I finally gave the Aussie his kiss when I felt he was ready for it. He accepted it with a smile. Good men they are.

— I woke my boys up with kisses, they are still taking about it. Love these boys.

Sherry S.— Love it!!! THAT’s “our” Drew!!

We even had a guest walk with us for a few days. I will call him Atlanta. He was a very kind man, great smile, big heart. He was lying in his bunk snuggled in his sleeping bag so nicely. I just walked over to him and kissed his forehead as I left the room. I kissed him before any of the others. All he said was, “He is a good guy, that Drew.” Don’t ask me why I felt I could kiss his forehead, I just did it on instinct.

— Having lunch with my band of brothers, I love these guys, good men.

Ken C.— Adventures make life long friends, keep it up, u inspire me. My dad told me when we lived in Germany to remember everybody u meet, the things u see, the feelings u have, it may be the only chance you have in life too experience them. Treasure them. Glad you are, be safe, have fun. That was 1975 and I remember everything, life is good.

When you’re walking as a group you figure out who is the strongest and weakest and you make adjustments according. Luckily the Swede with his bad knees kept himself medicated and was very interested in walking our slightly faster pace. The only one with a deadline to leave was the Swede who was as invested in arriving in Santiago on a timely basis as the rest of us were.

After six days of walking we had a genuine rhythm that was working really well. The four of us tended to keep up in the front while the Aussie’s coworker with his blistered feet, tended to take his time a bit more and walk in the rear.

— I used to wake up not knowing who I would meet, where I would go or who I would talk to. I don’t anymore. Now I know. I love these boys and they love me. And I’m proud to say, I am the oldest. Lol.

Ann A.— Drew…You’ve come a long way from that scared boy who left Wilton Manors… You’re now a Camino Man in Spain… Amazing Journey… I am loving every minute watching you grow…

On the Camino groups form and fall apart all because of walking rhythm. You could really love your Camino family but if their Camino rhythm isn’t jiving with yours, then you need to let them go. It’s their Camino, Namaste!

However, we had been working really hard on our rhythm, pace, honoring the need for individual quiet time and the ability to talk endlessly with each other. It was a magical exchange.

On the seventh day it fell to shit…

—Sunday, June 26— We have a new guest in our midst.

We had another amazing walk on day seven. Everything was perfect. The five of us were in sync with rhythm, conversation, quiet time and walking speed. What could happen to break this apart?

That night Indiana walked into our lives causing a shift. We transitioned from what was to what it would be. Our honeymoon stage was over. A new reality started that night.

Indiana sat with us just before dinner. She was very pretty and similar in age to the Swede and the German. She was friendly, confident and easily shot back some quick one-liners. She seemed as if she would be a good fit and meld well with our established rhythm.

She told us it was her plan to finish the Camino in ten days and make her flight connections. I, of course, understood the Camino much clearer than she did and knew her plan would never work. The Camino has its own plan for finishing. Try as you might, you cannot fight the Camino and win.

Over dinner, drinks and conversation I could see her connecting with the charming Swede. I said no less than six times, “Don’t fall under his allure and charm, it’s intoxicating”. Clearly I must have been having intuition of some kind.

I invited her to walk with us knowing she might not be able to keep up since most new walkers get blisters. We all had them in our first few days.

Sure enough the next day, her painful blisters slowed her pace. The Swede chose to walk more slowly matching her pace while the rest of us walked at our normal rhythm.

We could feel the connection separating with one of our own like a long tether about to snap. I observed, all day, a shift in the energy flow from us, towards her. At one point even the Aussie asked me, “Why am I feeling jealous?”

I explained to him that it will be fine and all will work out in the end. He loves us and he has our back. There’s nothing to worry about because of the love and care we all share for each other.”

That day when we arrived in town, we ventured out for lunch and electrolytes (beer). During lunch we talked. However this time, our rather liberal views were in conflict with her conservative point of view.

She brought up her interest in attending a bullfight which surprised us all. None of us felt comfortable with the treatment of the animals in such a situation. Remember the snail loving German!

It was during this lunch I began to realize Indiana might not be a good fit for our Band-of-Brothers. My Camino has been filled with loving individuals that I have chosen to walk with. Now I was faced with walking in the company of someone whose opposing views make me uncomfortable. Having different views wasn’t the only problem.

We make it to the hostel later in the day and check in. Now we are a bit offended, jealous and disappointed she is walking with us and changing the flow of the group we have worked so hard to develop. We felt like our brother was slipping away from us.

We can clearly see that the Swede and Indiana have a “connection.” Their chemistry is palpable. What most concerns us about their connection is how the Swede’s girlfriend will feel about his connecting with another woman on the Camino. My concerns for this situation run deep because I care for all my brothers.

Ann A.— Interesting situation…All I can say is if the Swede and Indiana hook up the Swede’s girlfriend will start to cause drama. That is NOT what any of you need because indeed you have formed a great band of brothers… I’m afraid that you may have to walk away from the Swede if this happens… It will disrupt your harmony. Girls have a way of doing this… And men fall into their clutches like helpless souls… This will definitely affect everyone involved… If this should happen, walk away from the drama… You have worked too hard for the Swede to disrupt these connections… Too bad Indiana stepped in…

That evening, while the Swede and Indiana were taking a nap, the Aussie, the German and I planned our walk into Santiago—how long it will take, how many days and miles and what our plans are when we arrive. We decide to average 20-24 Kilometers a day and not rush ourselves, arriving on a Friday. The German wants to walk onto Finisterre (The end of the earth) while the Aussie has a flight on Sunday. I am open, with a flight on Tuesday, and have no rush.

We decide to get in early on Friday and spend Saturday together. Sunday we would all go our separate ways after two days of relaxing and drinking together in Santiago. Our plan was set. All we had to do was let the Swede know to see if he is on the same page.

The next day we walk and, in general, the familiar energy connection was evident between the Swede and Indiana, although today they seem to be even closer and further separated from us. This feeling leaves a break in the circle, our connectedness.

Later in the day we checked into the albergue. Once checked in they showed us the dorm. The Swede picks his bed first. The bunks all around him are open and we each take one surrounding him, leaving no room for Indiana to be near him. I am sure it was just a coincidence. It would appear we were feeling a bit protective of him, since we all sensed the potential impact this could have on his relationship back in Switzerland.

When Indiana approached us and asked me if the bunk next to the Swede was open, I said no it was mine and pointed out the bunk across from us was open. With a sad face and turndown eyes she took the further bunk. I felt I might have been a little harsh, I wasn’t really sure what to do, I was going on instinct, as we all were.

As drinks and dinner progressed they all but ignored the rest of us and were giggling and talking with each other. We were all getting very uncomfortable. I even overheard her ask him to “move bunks”. My concerns grew by the moment.

On and on they giggled, touched and chatted. The sexual tension was palatable. Remember, he was giving me/us the same flirty energy just a few days ago. It appears to be one of the tools he uses to win people over, being charismatic, flirting and sending sexual energy in all directions. Now I am witnessing his sending that energy to a woman that isn’t his girlfriend.

I needed a break from this, in walks a homosexual, I assume, my knight in bright clothing. The Brit was sitting at a table behind me. I noticed him and his friends during drinks. It peaked my interest since it had been almost three weeks since I had a conversation with another gay man. So I jumped up and entered a conversation with the Brit and his friends. It went well.

Now I am jumping back and forth between two groups, two tables and making new connections with some Brits. I like them and they seem to like me. What a joy it is to flirt with a boy. It’s been so long since I have had the opportunity since everyone I have meet for the last two weeks or more has been straight.

My other table of brothers and the guest from Indiana weren’t getting along so well, apparently Indiana was over sharing her conservative views again upsetting the rest of the men.

Indiana and the Swede finally left the table and went to bed earlier than the rest of us. The Brit’s girlfriends went off to bed leaving us alone to get to know each other a bit better. My band of brothers joined us for the tail end of the evening before leaving for bed.

I was happy to see my brothers show an interest in my new friend. I felt so loved when they both came over to join us for conversation. It was a gesture of kindness that I noticed and appreciated. I felt worthy of their friendship because they were interested in my wellbeing and my new friend.

We finished up since the Brit needed to head back to his hostel before curfew; they set a door closing time, out of respect for the sleeping pilgrims.

When he left I mentioned to my two brothers what I overheard about the Swede switching bunks to be closer to Indiana. The German couldn’t understand how this could be happening. The Aussie shared with me his discomfort with all Indiana’s over sharing. We were placing bets whether the Swede would actually have moved. I also heard him say at one point he liked to be the little spoon while sleeping.

In this Albergue, the bunk beds were side by side putting two beds up against each other. This was not a common practice in the Albergue’s but it was here.

When we went into the dorm, he had moved and was the little spoon asleep on the shared bunk. Holy crap, we were stunned, upset and concerned.

I woke the next day with an overwhelming foreboding feeling. I was uncomfortable with the changes in our group and I wanted to do something to restore what we once had. I was afraid of losing the connections we worked so hard to develop. And, I was concerned for our brother’s relationship with his girlfriend, even if he didn’t appear concerned.

The German couldn’t understand how he could be spooning with a woman that wasn’t his girlfriend and he was visibly upset. The Aussie was feeling rejected and a little jealous that she was pulling his attention away from us.

I asked the Aussie if I should talk to the Swede or her. He said talk to him, so that’s what I did. I didn’t know what to say or how I was feeling really. We were all feeling conflicted and didn’t know where this was headed. I could be overstepping my bounds. I could be doing the right thing looking out for the Swede’s best interest. I could be screwing up everything. I really didn’t know. I decided to stick with honesty.

I found the Swede and asked if we could speak and he agreed, appearing a bit confused. I didn’t want to come right out and ask his intentions with this new girl or remind him of his girlfriend at home. I chose to discuss the matter in a different way since it was none of my business what his intentions were. This could be a regular thing for him, I really don’t know.

I explained how we were feeling uncomfortable in her presence since she was excluding us from her conversations and focusing all her attention on him. In addition, some of her conversations when she does speak to us are her positive views on bull fights, how terrible President Obama is, all deepening our discomfort.

Our pace has been pretty steady now for several days. With her being a new walker with new blisters, she seems to be lagging, making it difficult for the rest of us to keep our pace. “Do you want to walk with her or us as she doesn’t seem to be working for us as a friend or a walking companion—unless she wants to walk with us and be more inclusive with our group?”

I was not being my best self, I admit this. I was trying to save our connection, however the connection was already dwindling, I see now. Our group had changed with the new member and it was never going back to the easy flow it once had. I did what was best for me and that was to be honest about my feelings. I didn’t want my Camino to be impacted negatively by their budding relationship. I gave him the choice to go and have his fun and then come back. However, he wanted to stay and walk with us.

He seemed a bit confused by the exchange, so when I saw him trying to explain it to her and struggling, I stepped up and joined in their conversation. I explained what I had told him. I reiterated that if she was interested in us and being more inclusive she is welcome to walk with us. But currently she seemed to only be focused on him. I also explained we have different personal views and if she could be more sensitive to that it would be helpful while we are sharing the Camino. After consideration, they chose to walk with us.

—Tuesday, June 28— Drew Miller shared Heart Centered Rebalancing’s photo. (Open your mouth only if what you are going to say is more beautiful than silence-Arabic Proverb) I recently used the wrong words and I am paying for it. I was not my best self and it hurts.

That morning I extended an olive branch and struck up a conversation with Indiana. I told her all about my Camino and shared my lessons for more than an hour. I shared about how the Camino has its own plan and about the relationships I saw on the Camino start and finish along with my own past relationships. I felt it went pretty well.

She seemed moderately interested however didn’t really interject or share. Later in the day they seemed to fall back into their connectedness and slower pace.

—Wednesday, June 29 added new photos— Me, swimming in a river in Spain, in the freezing cold water, In my undies because I have no swimwear. Totally cool life.

That evening we checked into our hostel and chose our beds with them again next to each other. Lots of giggling and low talking between them. I then saw him turn to face her directly, preparing to change his clothes. He pulled down his pants and popped back up with a quick jerking energy, exposing his underwear. She was seated on the bed in front of him with her head waist high. The room filled with sexual energy that you could cut with a knife. This is the same action he did to me four days earlier.

I was stunned. He was now cut off from us completely and sending her all his charismatic, sexual energy to win her over just like he did with us. I was very uncomfortable, I wanted to leave, run out of the room right then. This was not my Camino; it was very distracting from my journey.

— The Camino has plans I am not aware of. Everyday I wake up expecting the Camino to tell me something new. The Camino tells me who I will see and who I will be with and what I will say. It’s not up to me. I live in the Camino flow.

Martha H.— You look well but remember this is your trip. You have the right to go your own way… A traveler has no set destination… It’s the journey… If you are feeling cramped go see what your soul calls for… Not everyone is on the same path… and yes, your voice does count.

Laura B.— Your soul looks happy.

Ralph B.— You are still doing it, live in the flow.

I lay down on my bed for a moment in an attempt to sort this out. When I looked up, the door opened and there was my answer. The Brit, looking for his room accidentally came into mine. I felt relieved. I realized then leaving the group was necessary for my own Camino growth. I was uncomfortable and I could leave, I could walk away. I wasn’t tied to anyone and didn’t need to stay. I could freely walk on my own path.

With the sexually charged energy in the dorm room I chose to sleep on a different floor of the hostel. I told the Aussie and the German I was going to walk on with the Brit. It was too distracting for me to stay and that was what was best for me. If anything changes let me know. We can still be together in Santiago. We can still keep our plans for the weekend. I just need to remove myself from their new relationship.

— Been having an experience the last couple days. Sorry I haven’t posted.

K.C.C.— Let me see if I got this straight (no pun intended). You go on a life changing adventure. You are living your life and enjoying yourself. You can’t take time away from the real world to post in the virtual world? I don’t get it. 🙂 Keep enjoying yourself and post updates when you are able.

Drew— Lol, I’m sharing the fact something is shifting for me and I wanted to let you all know, that’s all. Wait for the update. K.C.C. you made me laugh. Thanks I needed a laugh.

Erik T.— Understood. Perhaps you should completely disconnect for a while. This is such a great opportunity to be quiet n go within. U got this.

The next morning I walked ahead with the British group. I never told the Swede of my plans. I did what was best for me since I was uncomfortable, I walked on.

— Yes I have one more new Camino family. You can never predict what the Camino has in store for you. The Way has more twist and turns then imaginable. Some with rocks, roots and loose gravel to trip you up causing injury. Some with fine grands of sand and stones with pretty little flowers that brush your pants. Yesterday was roots, today it’s flowers. Tomorrow, I do not know.

Lantz T.— But you are present in the moment that you’re enjoying. Goals have been met!

After a couple wonderful days getting to know the Brits, I ran across my band of brothers. I went over to see how they were all fairing. I wanted to know if I was still loved by them and what the future entailed for us all.

They seemed genuinely excited to see me. They wanted to know if I was well and asked about my new friends. I totally felt the love they had for me. I even sensed a good feeling from the Swede.

Indiana then said goodbye since she needed to take a bus ahead in order to complete the Camino in 10 days. She would be leaving the next night. The Camino has a plan for everyone and she was following hers.

Hmmmm, maybe its time for me to join my band of brothers again. With Indiana leaving maybe things will be as they were—one big happy family.

I discussed it with the Brits and made my plan. The next day I would spend the morning walking with the Brits, getting in some last minute quality time, then walk back to the city I just left and wait for the Band of Brothers to join me. Yeah, I like this plan. Sometimes you must go backwards in order to move forwards.

—Friday, July 1— Sometimes you must go backwards in order to walk forward. Today I am walking 2 hours along the path in which I came. Changing families for an extra day on the Camino. I have taken a well needed identity break for the last 4 days. Checking back in with my natural self. My safe place, my comfort place, my place of home. I left the Camino world. Now I am adding 1 more day to be with my band of brothers.

Drew— This is the second time on the Camino I have walked in reverse. I can’t wait to see the fun the Camino has in store for me now.

Peter G.— Look at the shadow of your walking stick. It looks like a machine gun!

James M.— Peter I thought the same thing, it does look like a machine gun.

Drew— There is so much subtext in the post, lol and your seeing the shadow?

Michele W.B.— Personally, I agree that it looks like a gun and your shadow looks like a soldier with combat gear and helmet. I think it’s the perfect subtext for what I’ve seen you become on this journey. I’ve seen you turn into a fighter, a soldier, a warrior, a strong man.

When I walked back into town I found my brothers but something seemed strange. I didn’t see any cohesiveness. Everyone seemed a bit separated and withdrawn—misalignment everywhere. I spent some time observing to see if I could get a sense of what was going on. I started with the Aussie and asked him. He really wasn’t sure but he also felt something was different and uncomfortable in the air. He was doing his best to be normal around all the tension but even he wasn’t his usually jovial self.

I continued to observe body language and moods with the rest of them. Yes, something was different. I wasn’t sure if it was my presence or something else.

Aussie was still concerned and making sure everyone was taken care of, other than himself. I suggested he take a break so we could do some catching up. He was happy to oblige and was soon back to his old cheerful self without assuming the care taker role. Our conversation was quickly comfortable and easy like we were never apart.

The others walked in and chose to sit at the bar for a drink while we were at a table, yes different energy happening over there for sure. After our beers we joined the others and went outside to walk about a bit to see this small town.

Body language tells all. I did observe a difference between the Swede and Indiana. They seemed to have calmed the closeness. I didn’t see any more giggling or whispering and casual touching. Hmmm, I wonder why the change. They don’t seem mad at each other but I can definitely see a shift in their energy.

I continued to observe them over dinner and I noticed something that was a bit more telling. The Swede—while sitting next to Indiana— had turned in his seat leaving his shoulder out, effectively cutting her off from him. I also noticed there was little to no conversation, touching or contact of any kind. At which point I made an assumption. Something over the last few days has caused the Swede to turn his back on his new friend.

I was now upset at how much has changed since I left. I was desperately trying to hold on to what we once had and not really sure how to handle what we have now.

—Saturday, July 2— Back with my men. 141,314 kilometers to go. I love this life.

Mark W.H.— I don’t think you realize how much you are inspiring us all… Keep on. Keeping on! Thank you!

Jorge P.— 141k KM? You sure?

Drew— 141,314 km

Jorge P.— One of the longest routes is 610 km tho…

Drew— Actually I am walking 800 km. I guess I am not sure what the sign means then.

Jorge P.— Right. The sign must mean you have 140 km to go. Not 141 thousand. That’s a lot! You’re almost there!!!

Drew— Yes, almost 🙂

After dinner we split up and all went to our separate beds for the evening. The next morning, after she left the Swede, said he was going to walk with another friend that he has not spent time with in a while.

He seemed different to me also. He wasn’t making eye contact, not being his jubilant self and made it clear he wasn’t walking with our band of brothers today. Yes, things are not the same.

I decided to be direct and honest and ask what’s happening for him—rather than making assumptions.

I shared my observations about him seeming different towards me and he chose this time to explain how he was actually feeling.

He said he was upset at how I spoke with them. It reminded him of being bullied as a child. Just the way I was direct and told him how I felt about Indiana. He told me I was a bully and that’s not how I should speak to someone.

I didn’t see that coming. That was a blow. I don’t want to be perceived as a bully, ever. We parted ways for the day. I had a lot to think about.

This was a dramatic blow. I spent the day getting present to all that has happened. I knew this would be a big lesson with many painful benefits.

I walked with the German and the Aussie. We were terrific together. For the three of us it flowed wonderfully and the day was just as it was before.

— Lunch time, Empanadas and beer, we are reliving our moment with the cross.

That night the Swede was back and we spent the evening together. He was moderately friendly after a few drinks. I was beginning to think maybe forgiveness was on the horizon.

— So I am with a bunch of Germans watching football/soccer in a bar in Spain. Germany and Italy are playing. I am This cool. This is my life. Camino/friends/football. I love my life.

Courtney C.O.— I love your life.

Drew— It is so unreal, but it is.

Laura B-T.— I bet they went nuts! Going crazy here in the Alps for sure!

Diana C.L.— Eurocope! Yeiii

—Sunday, July 3— About 115 km left. This will be over soon. And my new life off the Camino will begin. A new adventure, new people, new sites, new feelings. I will be in the unknown.

John B.— But knowing yourself so much more!

Drew— Yes I am.

Marcus B.— You sound so happy.

Drew— I am so happy, and it is just beginning.

At Casa Barbadelo— I am enjoying beer at the pool. Life is hard on the Camino. But I can do this!!!

Wes M.— Doesn’t look too hard 😜

— I have watched the move “The Way” and I have to say, actually doing it is 1000 times better. Even the hard, emotional, crying is worth it. The personal growth and challenges are so worth it. I am in the right place with the right people doing the right things. My life is amazing.

Anne S-B.— Really happy for you, and proud of you for challenging yourself and putting yourself in some uncomfortable/unfamiliar situations for personal growth!! Enjoy every moment!!

Drew— And I have been UNCOMFORTABLE, but the growth makes it worth it.

Martha H.— I got a lot from the Reese Witherspoon movie when she walks the trail in search of herself. It seems we all need a time to really look at where we have blinded ourselves in so many ways. When it comes down to the essence, we truly just need to focus on our purpose here….love and light. M

Drew— Yes, love and light. I am struggling right now with love and light. This to will pass…

— Today is 6 days till I reach Santiago. What an amazing journey. I am so new and fresh. Reborn even.

Courtney C.O.— I don’t want it to end.

Drew— I will still be on an adventure. My flight back is September 29, however I might stay longer. We shall see.

Jeanne L.S.— Ross and I watched, again, the movie “The Way” just to be a little more connected with your journey.

Drew— That is awesome!

However the next day when he walked with us he was back and forth with niceness and shortness. I didn’t come on the Camino to walk with someone who was unhappy with my presence and not willing to forgive.

The next morning I chose to apologize again. I let him know I was truly sorry for not being kind and supportive. He reiterated his feeling of being bullied and emphasized, that’s not the way a family treats one another. He said we walked too fast and we shouldn’t be leaving family behind. That’s not how he would handle it, indicating himself, Indiana and the Canadian.

I didn’t say much and left the conversation the way it was. I apologized for the second time. Now it was his turn to see what he wanted walking forward. Interesting how he called her family, since I said that she wasn’t including us in their conversations and walk. I began to wonder about his observation skills on human behavior.

He continued to switch moods throughout the day. I was getting less interested in continuing our walk together if he wasn’t going to forgive me and move forward. I was beginning to see that we were not going to regain what we once had.

Clearly he had made up his mind about my character and had chosen not to forgive. Now it’s time for me to walk away, again. This was too distracting for my Camino.

— Monday, July 4, added new photos— at Casa Cruceiro.

We are 100 km to Santiago. What a thrill! What an accomplishment! What a journey!

— Celebrating the 4th of July with 100 km left till Santiago. What a great day!

Brenda R.— Wait till you walk into Santiago, I found it so, so emotional. I leave Spain Wednesday. If I was to do it again, I would so do it on my own, you are lucky you are.

I messaged the Brits and found out they were only 13 kilometers ahead. I told them I was coming back to walk with them. They were all excited to hear the good news. They were finishing the Camino Thursday now and catching their flight on Friday.

Added new photos— Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once In a while you could MISS IT!!!

I shared my plans with the German and the Aussie. I told them we will still be together on Friday and Saturday in Santiago. We would still have our time together; I just needed to move ahead. This drama was too distracting for me and not how I want to finish my Camino. Today was Monday night and they were finishing the Camino early Friday morning.

Over dinner, I told all my brothers that I was going to catch up with my British friends and finish early. It was suggested to send my bag ahead to lighten my load on the long walk catching up with my friends. So I made plans the next day to send it to where the Brits were staying. I only kept a small backpack for my water and some food.

That night, after a considerable amount of wine, the Swede and I were doing some joking. Now that I was leaving the Swede seemed a bit friendlier or maybe it was the wine. It was fun and again I thought maybe he was prepared to forgive. I asked him if we could have a few more minutes together and he agreed to another conversation—now influenced by the wine. It was going pretty well. Conversation was flowing along with more wine. Then a disagreement ended the conversation.

— I have been struggling the last several days with emotions, attachments, fear of separation and worthiness. Today I am making another decision that is painful but is what is best for my wellbeing. What I want most I cannot have. What I most want to avoid I must face. Keep me in your thoughts.

Ann A.— You can’t always get what you want… Face the unavoidable… Remember pull up those big boy pants… Mr Camino Man…

Lori T.— Things are meant to be as they are!

Richard M.C.— Drew – You are a beautiful human being! Enjoy your ability to face life’s innermost questions by bringing them to the forefront! Richard

Michael S.— I can’t help you with some of those things, but I know that you are worthy! You matter! Love ya! — “You is kind… You is smart… you is important…”

With a few minutes of cooling time I saw him sitting alone and attempted tried to finish our talk once and for all.

He said without mincing his words, “You are a bad person for leaving a family member behind. That’s not how we do it. It’s wrong to leave her behind because she is slower. You are a bad person, period!”

I got up and said that “It looks like we are done here” and I walked away. I saw now my reflection in his eyes and I didn’t like it.

I woke up early the next morning and walked away. It felt great, not to have drama, no one angry at me for my actions and no one withholding forgiveness. I was going to walk with people who genuinely wanted me to be with them.

I walked 40 kilometers that day. But the walk did not go smoothly, It was a difficult day.

To be continued

Ruben C.H.— Drew this a beautiful opportunity to stretch out of your comfort zone that you’ve co-created with your band of brothers. The constant lesson of letting go. The only thing that is ever constant in this life is change. Change of our thoughts, perception, beliefs and experiences. As you continue on your “Camino” be mindful and present of your thoughts and energy and allow them to flow through you. Love is love no matter what so allow yourself to share the love 🙏🏻💓🙏🏻

Meeting my Band-of-Brothers on the Camino, the trials and tribulations of a pilgrimage. June 2016, El Camino de Santiago, my Journey-of-Self-Discovery Can I do this, can I make a Camino Family?

#backpackingEurope selfdiscovery learning acourseinmiracles ACIM personalgrowth challenge relationships coaching peace growth alo #elcaminodesantiago theway hiking meditation beyourself beme Icandothis fear wild eatpraylove goal blame nonjudgment story gof #journeyofselfdiscovery growth lifecoach elcaminodesantiago saintjeanpieddeport #lifecoach lifecoaching overcomingfears fear #challenge

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junker-town · 7 years

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How the Travelers Championship landed Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy to build its strongest field ever

Getting the biggest stars in the game to play the week after the U.S. Open seems unlikely. But the Travelers has done so as part of their aggressive pursuit to become a powerhouse PGA Tour stop.

There is nothing like the PGA Tour in professional sports. There is no great analogy, theme, or organizing principle that you could use to compare it some other North American professional league.

The PGA Tour is the league and union all baked into one. There’s a commissioner and an executive staff operating everything, but the Tour is, essentially, owned by the players and created by them. There are rules set up by player advisory councils and the aforementioned executives, but the power all originally derives from the players. Those players, however, remain independent contractors.

Perhaps the best comparison we can make between the PGA Tour and the major American sports leagues is that each of the 47 events on the schedule is like a team. The PGA Tour probably wouldn’t appreciate this characterization, and the tourney organizers might not say it out loud all the time, but they are competing against each other. They just are. The schedule is jam-packed in a season that’s almost year-round, and like the standings in the NBA or MLB, there’s a natural ordering that just happens — big-time events, middling events, and the lower-tier events.

The only problem with that comparison, and it’s a big one, is they these 47 events aren’t allowed to throw their money around, unlimited or capped, at the players of their choosing. Purse sizes can vary, but beyond the majors, not dramatically. The tournaments don’t get to decide their field and often, they don’t get much autonomy on the date. The players remain independent contractors and the Tour sets the schedule and rules.

A tournament (and often its title sponsor) is not totally powerless, of course, and the PGA Tour works with each to try and make everyone happy. There’s still going to be a natural sorting, however, and I wanted to better understand how these events work to improve their status in what is often an unstated competition against one other.

So I went to the Travelers Championship, a longstanding event outside Hartford that’s come to occupy the slot immediately following the U.S. Open. That’s not a great spot on the schedule, coming just days after the exhaustion of the reputed “toughest test in golf.” But the Travelers has carved out a strong identity on Tour, with the players, media, fans, and the shot-callers at the Tour itself. The other events after U.S.-based majors have also handled their less-than-ideal spots as well. Harbour Town and Greensboro have a similar strong identity to Hartford.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Rory and Jordan in the same field is what every PGA Tour event wants.

This year, the Travelers made waves with its field in what has become, for golf nerds, a low-key story of the season. They can’t force players to come, as noted above, but have somehow managed to draw Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth for the first time, and Jason Day again. That’s every member of the alleged “Big Three” term we were throwing around this time last year (and became quickly obsolete).

A new PGA Tour rule for this season helped: it’s a mandate that players who didn’t have at least 25 starts in the previous season to add an event to their schedules that they hadn’t played in the last four years. That’s one of those ways they can help try and make everyone across this 47-event schedule happy. But even if that’s what made Rory, Jason, and Jordan come to Connecticut the week after a major, it’s still remarkable that they all chose the same one (and there’s power beyond those three with Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson et al.) How did this Hartford event get this done? And how have they managed to stand out on a crowded schedule and on a less-than-ideal slot on the calendar?

Recruiting vs. Relationships

I’ve spoken to a handful of tournament directors over the years and all cite player recruiting as part of the job and something they’re constantly working on with the Tour. Nathan Grube, the Travelers tournament director and Andy Bessette, a Travelers CAO who has become the front man of sorts for this event, take this to the extreme. But they don’t see it as recruiting in the way you might think of Nick Saban sitting on an 17-year-old’s living room couch.

“It’s all about building relationships,” said Bessette, a former Olympian who doesn’t really like calling traveling around and talking to professional golfers a “work.” He acknowledges, however, that “there are 47 tournaments that are vying for what we’re vying for.” So he and Grube go out three or four times a year, usually before the mid-June date of the championship. This year, they went to the Honda Classic in late February, the Masters in April, and The Players in May.

Bessette says he doesn’t see comparable reps from the other events out there during the season, building these relationships with the pros. “Every time I go out, there’s no other title sponsors — there are no executives from any other title sponsors that I’ve ever seen out there,” he said. After seeing them at the Masters and The Players, I got the sense that they’re always hustling to pitch and “build” the bridge with these pros — not as unrelenting pests, but making the Travelers present and top of mind.

They can’t go on to the driving range at the Masters, but at the other places where they can get access to that, the locker room, the media center, and clubhouse, they will be there grinding. “I never see my equivalent or a CFO or CEO or a CEAO or a C-something. I never see them out at tournaments walking around talking to the guys.” Bessette recounted taking Bubba Watson, who has become a reliable annual star and contender in Hartford, to Chili’s instead of a fancy steakhouse. That may, of course, may be more of Bubba’s style.

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Bubba Watson and Andy Bessette in 2015, Bubba’s second win in Hartford.

It seems basic — get out there and press the players. The majors, WGCs, Players, and some of the other top tier events do not have to do this. But the Travelers is hustling more than any of them and working to become a ubiquitous presence on Tour, even when their event is months out and not on anyone’s mind. They’re establishing a rep among the players, media, and Tour. This year’s field seems to be an indication that it’s working.

Getting Rory, Jason, and Jordan

Even with the work that they put in, they’re still going to get “Nos” -- consistently and annually. That’s what makes this year’s confluence of Rory, Jordan, and Jason so remarkable. The new rule, no doubt, probably helped. But the work was put in before the rule was put in place. Who knows if the new policy is solely to credit, but Travelers was in a position to pounce when it was put into effect.

The work on Rory, who has a loaded summer schedule on both sides of the pond, started last year at TPC Sawgrass. “I was in the locker room with Rory, Sean, his agent, and Chubby [agent Chubby Chandler],” Bessette recalls. There were no grand plans in place or big business being conducted. It was just Bessette hanging around with Chubby, who he says is a friend, and chatting it up in the locker room, mostly about Ireland.

Bessette remembers the moment Rory then engaged on Hartford becoming a possibility. “We were walking out of the locker room, he says, ‘Andy, when’s your tournament?’” Rory made it clear he couldn’t play the anomalous August date of 2016, a change around golf’s reintroduction to the Olympics that threw the schedule off all summer. But in two years, it was back to this June and Rory committed to “trying to play you.” Bessette was obviously boosted by the conversation, but it was a long time and it wasn’t a firm commitment. Injuries can happen. Schedules can change. But Rory was “good to his word” after the parties continued to keep in touch during the intervening seasons. A year later, they spent their conversation at The Players firming up accommodations for Hartford.

Day’s commitment wasn’t quite the stunner of Rory or Spieth simply because the Aussie had played Hartford twice in the past. But it’s still a massive boost to the field and one that comes from that relationship built over the years. Whether it’s walking with him during a pro-am round at TPC Boston, or annual check-ins during their three or four trips to the field, Day is ready for a chat when the Travelers guys approach.

The last time the Aussie was supposed to play Hartford was 2015. But after a vertigo bout at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, he called Bessette on that Monday to back out of the field. The Travelers CAO had suffered the same issue and told Day to go take care of himself. The two agreed they would be back together in the future, and the future is this week.

Bessette has hours of anecdotes of chatting and chasing players on the PGA Tour. Henrik Stenson told him he'd play Hartford three years ago on the range at Doral after Travelers announced a 10-year extension into 2024 with the Tour. Stenson is still a holdout and harder to corral with European Tour commitments this time of year. But after another recent 20-minute conversation with the big Swede about Olympic training techniques, Bessette vowed that he would “never give up.”

Whether it’s the locker room, the range, or a strip mall restaurant chain, this is an event that’s working to get deeper and doing it thoughout the season. It’s a chase. Some work out, some don't. But a relationship is built.

Accepting the Date

Trying to build a field is one of the bigger challenges facing a tournament and its directors. The other is working within its date, or agitating with the PGA Tour for a new one, often hopelessly.

Every week there are golf tournaments all around the world competing for the top players, who make enough money in this era to only have to play occasionally. Slotting in the week after the U.S. Open is not ideal, but the Travelers has done everything it can to embrace it and use it. Grube reiterates how the event is constantly looking for ways to “take ownership” of their date. “From the beginning, we were not looking at the negatives but looking at the positives,” he said. “We were in the summer, we kicked off the summer in New England. The world is thinking about golf during U.S. Open, so how do we take that momentum into our event?”

“The tournament makes the date, the date doesn’t make the tournament” is their marching order. But still, the week after the U.S. Open?

The amphitheater surrounding the 18th green can become one of the rowdier and most crowded finishing scenes on the PGA Tour.

That’s where you have to turn things up if you really want to compete and edge out some of the other 47 tournaments. One of the well-known perks for the Travelers is the charter jet they send to the U.S. Open each year. They know they have to add a little extra to get players to Hartford, especially if the national championship is not on the east coast.

So there are reps from the Travelers on site at the U.S. Open, working with the USGA on these travel matters. If a player misses the cut at the U.S. Open, they offer up early hotel options and try to promote the use of their practice facility, one of the stronger ones on Tour. But if you do make the U.S. Open cut, as soon as the last putt drops Sunday night, the charter jet is waiting for you and your family.

“It’s something as simple as ‘you can board plane side and it’s free for you and two guests,’” said Grube on one of the big Travelers perks. Players often come with a full gaggle beyond the two guests, whether it’s their whole family, coaches, or caddies. The charter remains a critical part of the Travelers owning its date.

When talking with them, you do truly get the sense that they’re happy where they are on the schedule and not lobbying for a change with the Tour. After not being thrilled with an involvement on the west coast swing, Bessette said when they were looking at options in 2005, they happily chose a late June slot when the ‘84 Lumber exited the Tour. It might take some extra wrangling, but it seems like they’re right where they want to be and embracing it is making an impact on the players.

Building The Rep

From the charter plane to doing the caddies’ laundry to onesies sent to every Tour player when they have a new child, the details, from large to small, are covered and considered here. You get the sense they’re trying harder, or at least as hard, as anyone on Tour. This is not a plug-and-play operation each year, but built from the ground up year after year. Some things become traditions, some things get scrapped.

It seems to be working, too, as the rep spreads throughout the players, those unpredictable independent contractors. Already this week, Rory McIlroy has talked about the experience, saying “I might come back here next year I like it so much.”

The players echo the tourney PR too., which makes you think it’s just more than PR “The Travelers is good at listening to what players want,” McIlroy said. “That makes players feel good and wanted.”

It was all positive comments from every player I asked.

Spieth came in part because he’d heard too many good things from his fellow pros. "What put me over the edge was other players' recommendations,” Spieth said. “I was kind of in between what I'm going to do scheduling-wise after the U.S. Open. It was universal.” Before he even teed it up, Spieth said it was an “extremely well-run tournament.” He hadn’t even hit a shot.

Justin Thomas, who finished third here last year and, perhaps you’ve heard, is friends with some of the aforementioned superstars, expects them back too. “I never talked to Jordan or Rory about it but I knew they'd love it. Once you come here once, you'll want to play here.”

These are the best in world who play all the best events in the world. The praise seems to all hit the same notes and tone.

“There’s a temptation to say, ‘How do we build an event that’s going to get these one or two guys to come?’” Grube said. “We’re not going to build this event around one or two players. We are going to talk to everybody in the industry — the networks, the agents, the trainers, the coaches, the caddies — we’re going to talk everybody.”

Even a jaded skeptic (me!) comes away impressed with how aggressive the event has come to consider every little detail. There is only so much they can control on the field and the date, but they’re do just about everything that can down to every little detail to get as much possible control.

The PGA Tour schedule can become a slog. It’s a 47-tourney march that, by nature, has to have some events that are at the bottom of the standings. The jostle, whether it’s acknowledged as such or not, between those events to elevate themselves is constant and fascinating to watch from outside. The Travelers is an example of the work that goes in to building something that can stick out from the chaff and it’s never paid off greater than with all the stars in Hartford this week.

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Looking back, and angry: what drives Pauline Hanson’s voters | David Marr

In an extract from his new Quarterly Essay, David Marr finds that One Nation voters are richer, more urban and more liberal than you might expect. But they are profoundly nostalgic, display an unusual gloom and share a vehemently anti-government streak

Australia came late to the game. Since 1948, Americans have been polled after each election to find out why they voted as they did. The Swedes started to take these national snapshots in the 1950s and the British in the 1960s. Belfast-born Ian McAllister began the Australian Election Study after Bob Hawkes third victory in 1987. From his post at the Australian National University where these days he is Distinguished Professor of political science McAllister has conducted a dozen of these big, after-the-event surveys over 30 years. We ask how people made their choices: the effect of the election campaign, the effect of the longer-term predispositions, the background characteristics, the political socialisation. Its about trying to unravel all of these various things that come together to make simply a choice on a ballot paper.

McAllisters questions are controversial. The political science industry feeds off the Australian Election Studies. Dinner parties break up in confusion as pollsters and academics bicker over questions asked and not asked. McAllister told me: If I put in every question that everybody emailed me or wrote to me about, youd have a thousand-page questionnaire and nobody would fill it in. He says the point of the surveys sent to thousands of voters after each poll is continuity. When youve got exactly the same question being asked consistently over a period of time using essentially the same methodology, youve got an unusually reliable measure of something.

The Australian voter is a species he has come to admire deeply. First of all they have to go to the polls more than any other voter in the world that I can possibly imagine. And secondly they have to deal with a range of complexity in electoral systems, in terms of casting a vote, which again defies anything in any other society. So the Australian voter, I think, is pretty overburdened by politics. Yet they remain thoughtful. People dont make whimsical choices by and large. They do look at policies. They are not volatile. We found in our surveys early in the piece about 70% of people never ever change their vote from the very first election they voted in to the last election before they died. These days its around about 50%. So basically most people dont change. And when people do change its a relatively small proportion that change from election to election.

That weve been so stable makes McAllister particularly alert to the unexpected long-term decline of trust in the political class, in career politicians, in democracy itself. Australia has stood apart from a lot of other countries because its had very high levels of satisfaction with democracy historically, some of the highest in the world, second only to one or two Scandinavian countries. He dates the slide from 2010. Elections since then havent provided the usual upswings of faith and hope. The numbers have kept falling. One of the things I observe in our surveys is the proportion of people that believe the government would have a positive effect on the economy in the future year was at its lowest level weve ever recorded in 2016. So people dont have confidence in the government They see this quick turnover in leaders. They see scandals to do with expenses, and so on. And they become very jaded. And then I think weve had a lack of decisive leadership as well. I mean Rudd Mark I was the last popular leader that existed in Australia. We havent had one since.

Pauline Hanson in Perth with supporters on the night of the Western Australia election. Photograph: Rebecca Le May/AAP. At top: Hanson campaigns in Mandurah, south of the WA capital. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

Ever since McAllister gathered the first set of One Nation numbers in 1998, political scientists have been disputing what they mean. Do they show people flocking to Pauline Hanson because of the flags she flies particularly on race or are they falling in with her simply because theyre disenchanted with the political system? McAllister sees a shift from one to the other: My sense this time is that ONP#2 doesnt really stand for much, other than being anti-establishment, whereas ONP#1 had a more definable policy basis. So Pauline Hanson is tapping into the prevailing political distrust in career politicians from both sides. But others citing the same material come to the opposite conclusion. More of this dispute later. Its fundamental to understanding the challenge Hanson poses to public life in this country. Is she a party of policy or protest? Hanson is a puzzle with consequences.

McAllister ran the One Nation numbers from the latest AES for this Quarterly Essay. They are the best available evidence of who Hansons voters were and what they wanted at the 2016 elections. The numbers come with a caveat from McAllister: Treat the survey data because of the small numbers of ONP supporters as a blurry image rather than a precise profile. Even so, as we picked our way through the material together, McAllister identified issues where One Nations views emerge in full focus. Andrew Markus also commented on the figures for me, as did Murray Goot of Macquarie University, an expert on polling with a particular interest in the One Nation vote who has often taken a contrary view to McAllister. Finally, Ive drawn into the discussion several professional pollsters who have conducted focus groups among resurgent One Nation voters since the elections in the bush, in towns and, these days more than ever, in capital cities.

National background

One Nation voters in 2016 were almost entirely native-born Australians. Not even newcomers from the UK or New Zealand were drawn to Hansons party. Her people are absolutely ours and One Nation is the most Aussie party of them all.

Liberal 78% native-born Labor 79% Greens 82% National 91% One Nation 98%

Age and sex

One Nation is a party of old people but theres no sign they are dying out. According to the AES figures, roughly a third of Hansons voters in 2016 were under the age of 44. And women are voting One Nation. Back in the 1990s, voters were mostly men. Thats shifted. Heres the split:

1998 male 65%, female 35% 2016 male 56%, female 44%

One Nation supporters at a bowling club in Perth. Support among women for Hansons party has grown since the 1990s, when its voters were overwhelmingly men. Photograph: Rebecca Le May/AAP

Reports from focus groups suggest these are working women, better educated than the men. They looked like nice Labor voters working in nice jobs, said one researcher. We had a childcare worker, two government workers, and I think there was a teacher. Yet they like Pauline. Other reports from focus groups suggest contradictions here: Women like her because shes a woman who speaks her mind. Men like her because shes a woman who stands up against feminism. That shes a woman from the life doesnt owe us anything school is a key aspect of her political makeup. Raising four children from two husbands hasnt softened her heart towards single mothers. Twice divorced, she backs men burnt by the divorce courts. She opposes extending paid parental leave by two weeks: They get themselves pregnant and have the same problems did with the baby bonus, with people just doing it for the money.

Class

Most One Nation voters see themselves as working class. McAllister calls that pretty clear. This hasnt changed in 20 years. Hansons people may have aspirations but they dont see themselves coming up in the world.

Greens 24% identify as working class

Liberal 32% Labor 45% National 46% One Nation 66%

Religion

Hanson is not pulling the religious vote. Rebecca Huntley, social researcher and former director of Ipsos Australia, says: Were a little shielded from the worst implications of the rise of the Trump vote by the fact that this is not a highly religious group. Hansons staunch defence of Christianity in the face of Muslim hordes isnt about faith but preserving our way of life. Hansons moral agenda is to punish welfare bludgers not perverts. One Nation voters rarely worship. While 48% of Australians never attend church not even for weddings and funerals the figure for One Nation voters is 60%. Breakaway Cory Bernardi is pursuing a tiny constituency who believe in small government and high Catholic morality. Hanson backs neither: shes a secular, big government woman. Thats a big constituency.

Where do they live ?

Both the city and the bush. One Nation has always had a strong city presence despite its image as a bush party. Labor party research and focus groups report strong growth of support for One Nation in seats on the fringe of big towns and capital cities, seats on the edge of but not actually among migrant suburbs. This appears to be a pattern across Australia. On the edge of Sydney in 2016, One Nation picked up more than 6% of the Senate vote in Lindsay (75% Australian-born) but only 3% a few kilometres away in Greenway (58% Australian-born). In Lindsay they have fears rather than experience. As one researcher told me: When you probe for personal experiences on anything they say about welfare or immigration, its always second- and third-hand.

Where do One Nation voters live?

Reports from focus groups suggest city folk most respect Hanson. The bush is more sceptical of One Nation than the cities, says one researcher. In the bush they tend to say she doesnt have the answers. Those in the cities are more in agreement with her. They rate her intelligence in the city. They say shes doing better, shes learnt a lot. In the country they think shes a bit stupid.

How educated are they? Then and now, the figures show the typical One Nation voter didnt finish school. Yet they are not unqualified. They make an effort. Tradespeople are strongly represented in party ranks. But eight out of 10 have never set foot on a university campus. Thats the big political effect, says McAllister.

Hanson in 1998. She positioned herself then as the leader for those who hated government. Two decades on, that message is resonating more with voters. Photograph: Reuters

Level of education

Education is the clearest link between Hanson, Trump and Brexit. Surveys here, in the United States and in the United Kingdom all point to education as a key component of political dissatisfaction. In the UK, Matthew Goodwin and Oliver Heath found educational inequality was the strongest driver of Brexit. In the US, Nate Silver concluded, The education gap is carving up the American electorate and toppling political coalitions that had been in place for many years.

That about eight out of 10 One Nation voters dropped out of school doesnt mark them as dumb. Queensland, the partys heartland, made it extraordinarily hard for a long time for poor kids to get to university. But for whatever reason, few of Hansons people have been exposed to life and learning on a campus. Huntley wonders if the persistent attachment to clearly illogical connections between, say, asylum seekers and crimewaves, and also the interest in non-official online content, is because they never had never had at least some exposure to what happens at higher education. What strikes her in focus groups is the One Nation attitude: I can work this all out by myself.

Have they been ruined by globalisation?

No. They are in work and middling prosperous. They arent on welfare. McAllisters figures suggest theres nothing particularly special about the pattern of employment for Hansons people. One Nation voters are no more likely to be at the bottom of the management heap than anyone else. Theres a tiny and perhaps unreliable skew away from government employment. McAllister says, Thats a reflection of the fact that they tend not to have higher education.

But Hansons people are oddly gloomy about their prospects. One of the questions always asked in the AES is: How does the financial situation of your own household compare with what it was 12 months ago? This is the breakdown by party of those who thought things were now a little or a lot worse for them than a year ago:

National 25% Greens 27% Liberal 29% Labor 38% One Nation 68%

The same gloom is apparent when Hansons people are asked about the state of the economy. This is the breakdown of those who thought the national economy was a little or a lot worse than it was a year ago:

National 35% Greens 44% Labor 46% Liberal 47% One Nation 73%

So while there is a lot of gloom about, Hansons people see the national economy going to hell in a handcart. Why?

The standard explanation that these are people left behind by globalisation works for Trumps voters and is strong in the mix with Brexit. But it seems not a decisive component of the Hanson vote. This country weathered the global financial crisis in good shape. There is not a ruined class who lost their houses and savings in the crash. Employment held up. Economic growth since has been better in the cities where half Hansons voters live than the country, but her people are in work. Focus groups say many One Nation voters are working part time when they would like to be full time. Many worry about losing their jobs because they fear a new job will be hard to find. But sheeting those fears home to the ravages of free trade is difficult. Queensland is a free-trade state. Key to every trade deal this nation has signed in the last few decades is attempting to open world markets to coal, cattle and sugar. Nor does general nervousness about employment distinguish these voters from very many Australians. If Hanson were the natural choice of those wishing they had a better job and fearful of losing the one they have, she should be commanding divisions, not battalions.

The exaggerated gloom of One Nation voters in the 2016 election goes to something deeper than the economy. One Nation is the nostalgia party. Simply addressing economic inequality which is what the left has tried to do is just not sufficient, says Huntley. Prosperity is important, but what worries this group is the cultural, social slippage they feel in their life. They imagine their fathers and grandfathers lives were better, more certain, easier to navigate. Maybe they were and maybe they werent, but its the loss of that that is worrying for them. The economic argument alone isnt persuasive for them.

But of course it has to be addressed. If they think that a political party is representing their economic interest, they will vote for that party, says Kosmos Samaras, assistant state secretary of the Labor party in Victoria. But if the party doesnt, theyll vote on other interests. By that he means alienation and hostility to immigration. They feel, Im getting screwed anyway, so Im just going to turn up to vote and fuck them.

Immigration

The numbers are powerful. Twenty years ago Hansons people were hostile to immigration. Now they are extraordinarily so. One Nation is the party of those not bought off in the end by Howards great Faustian pact: close the borders to boat people and the nation will relax about mass immigration. More than 80% of One Nation voters considered immigration extremely important when deciding how to vote. Its a number that puts Hansons party way outside the pack:

Greens 40% Labor 43% Liberal 49% National 54% One Nation 82%

More than 80% of One Nation voters also want immigration numbers cut. The wishes of the party are now even more extreme than they were 20 years ago. In 2016 the AES turned up only a single One Nation voter happy to see immigration increased. The numbers all went the other way. This puts Hansons people dramatically at odds with the sentiment of a welcoming country. Here are those in each party calling for immigration numbers to be cut a lot:

Greens 7% Labor 21% Liberal 24% National 32% One Nation 83%

Their grim attitudes to migrants also set Hansons people apart. For One Nation voters, there is little disagreement that migrants increase crime, are not good for the economy and take the jobs of native-born Australians.

Those in each party who agree or strongly agree that migrants:

Position on migrants

Anti-racism protesters demonstrate outside a Pauline Hanson event in Perth. Those who see Hanson tapping into something murkier than mere disenchantment with politics fear One Nation will never be dealt with until the major parties find the courage to address the issue that haunts this country: race. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

For most Australian voters the boats are a problem solved. Not for the Greens. They are appalled by Manus and Nauru and alone continue to oppose the policy of naval blockade and turning back the boats. What sets One Nation apart here is the near-unanimous support in party ranks for that strategy. It stands to reason: this unique policy began as a Hanson special. Those in each party who agree or strongly agree with turnbacks:

Greens 10% Labor 55% Liberal 63% National 63% One Nation 90%

One Nation is an anti-immigration party. There are, as we will see, a handful of other causes that unite Hansons people. But behind all the complex calculations about what drives people into Hansons arms, these figures speak with unmistakable clarity: One Nation voters loathe immigrants. Its an embarrassing challenge for a decent country to find such forces at work, but it is much too late to pretend that a party which displays such extreme hostility to immigration is not driven by race. Thats simply not facing facts.

Anger with government

One Nation is the Pissed Off with Government Party. It was so the last time, when Australians still trusted their governments. In those days, being ignored by politicians was the base complaint of the party. Hanson was the gutsy politician who listened. Twenty years later, with trust in government sagging across the country, One Nation is coming into its own as the party that accuses politicians of not listening. Its the brand.

Nothing beats the hostility of Hansons voters here. This is the party breakdown of those who believe politicians usually look after themselves:

National 39% Liberal 40% Labor 51% Greens 51% One Nation 85%

McAllister rates this number real and something worth focusing on. He sees it as a measure of general dissatisfaction, not with government so much as the political class. This taps into Brexit, Trump, Italy this disaffection with the political class, that career politicians seem to be looking after their own vested interests and not looking after the interests of ordinary voters.

This is a bigger issue than One Nation. Huntley reports: The general conversation from the community is that politicians seem like a kind of a club: they all know each other, they all went to university. They see them as highly educated, highly connected, an elite they have never been part of. Theres anger across the board at the failure of government to solve problems. They think, There are these problems, these problems didnt exist before, governments are responsible, I blame the government. So part of it is the easiest outlet for anger but also that kind of sense that politicians seem completely remote to them.

Markus ran some figures for me from the Scanlon survey to show what those most angry with government are angry about. Gloom about the economy is clearly linked to dissatisfaction with government. But by far the most dramatic call for a shakeup of the system comes from those angriest about levels of immigration:

Immigration position linked with dissatisfaction with government

Immigration isnt everything in the current stew of discontent. Theres so much in there: scandal, logjam, a tepid economy, and the slaughter of prime ministers. But clearly on these numbers the nations discontent cannot be understood without facing the role played by minority rage over immigration. And the AES figures show no issue so unites One Nation as immigration. McAllister calls it the touchstone.

Other issues that fire up One Nation voters

Hansons people are not implacable conservatives. They arent hostile to unions and they believe this figure in the AES is quite clear that big business has too much power. Nor is One Nation preaching family values. They are not lining up against equal marriage. (In focus groups they say, Why not let them get on with it?) Hansons people are second only to the Greens in wanting marijuana decriminalised: 68% of Greens to 49% of One Nation. Not that theyve given up on the War on Drugs. They loathe ice and fear it as a source of crime and violence. And Hansons people are absolutely of one mind on allowing the terminally ill to end their own lives with medical assistance: support in the party runs at 98%.

On the other hand, Hansons people are particularly tough on crime. One of her causes back in the late 1990s was the right of parents to spank their children. She believes in the rod. But thats only a start. Heres the breakdown by party of those in 2016 calling for stiffer sentences for law breakers:

Greens 9% Labor 24% Liberal 30% National 31% One Nation 50%

And their faith in the gallows is complete. Twenty years ago, when the member for Oxley stormed into Canberra, there was a strong majority across the community for bringing back the noose for murder. That support has fallen, according to the AES, to 40%. But among One Nation voters, the passion for the death penalty is undiminished:

Greens 15% Labor 40% Liberal 42% National 54% One Nation 88%

Thelma Letch, who lives in WA, has been a One Nation supporter ever since [Hanson] went to jail. Photograph: Calla Wahlquist for the Guardian

Huntley is struck by the links between One Nations two agendas: law and order, and immigration. Where Ive worked with people who I know are One Nation voters or highly One Nationempathetic, they will give absurd examples of their fears. I once met in South Australia this man who was very, very adamant on banning the burqa because he was concerned that large groups of women in their burqas would line up behind him at the ATM and steal his pin number. But the general way this plays out in groups is for someone to say, Once upon a time you could leave your door open, or, You could go to the pub and put your wallet next to your beer and go to the loo and youd be surrounded by people just like you, people who would never even think to touch your wallet. But now you cant do that. A discussion about asylum seekers and immigration will slip very quickly into that sort of talk. Theres a really intense nexus between law and order and immigration in that group.

Yearning for the past

Huntley says: Hanson plugs into a range of complaints, most of them complaints that governments can do nothing about. Theyre the unsolvable complaints, complaints of the modern world. If you live in the modern world, it comes with divorce, it comes with open borders, it comes with refugees. People are nostalgic. If you push most people and say, All right, lets go back to the 1950s, they retreat. They say, As much as we like this, as much as we talk about that, do we really want to go back to the world of the six oclock swill and a world where a woman had to give up her job the moment she got married? They think beyond the platitudes about how nice it was to live in neighbourhoods where you knew your neighbours and all the rest of it and realise they dont want to go back there. But the One Nation group is genuinely nostalgic. They will genuinely say, Yes, I want to go back to that time. How far back? To the young adulthood of their fathers, which they imagine wasnt so long ago. And they wonder if so much thats happened since couldnt be unravelled. The picture of One Nation is much more complex than the traditional view of them as disaffected, working class, unemployed, the left-behinds from globalisation.

Which parties are Hanson voters deserting?

Rod Culleton and Pauline Hanson in the Senate chamber in Canberra in November. The controversy over her former colleagues bankruptcy hasnt touched her. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

That answer was straightforward the first time round: some Labor but mostly Coalition. Before the politicians drove Hanson out of parliament, the Coalition was in a world of pain. For every vote Kim Beazley lost, John Howard lost two. But the vote in 2016 was more complicated. Heres the AES breakdown based on the previous choice of :

Previous choice of those who voted One Nation in 1998 v 2016

First the Palmer United party collapsed. This was a classic protest party, its supporters not drawn by any policies Clive Palmer was advocating but driven by distaste for Labor and the Coalition. With the PUP perch gone, these voters have largely flown to One Nation. Most of Hansons vote at the election last year came roughly equally from Labor and the Coalition. That was then. Since her reappearance in Canberra, support for One Nation has blossomed. The most recent polls show her drawing greater backing than ever before. A Newspoll in late February put her support at 10%, more than double her showing at the 2016 election. The Rod Culleton circus hasnt touched her. Nor have defections, sackings and recriminations inside the party. Shes into double figures on a national poll and, for her, thats ridin