#this feels like some sort of huge revelation at 1:00 am

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Randomly thinking about “tolerate it” (narrator voice: it was not random) and how under the cloak of fiction it is ostensibly inspired by works like “Rebecca” (which Taylor said she read during the 2020 lockdowns I believe?), with the line of “you’re so much older and wiser” indicating that the speaker is significantly younger and inexperienced compared to the person she’s speaking to and a pretty direct reference to the plot of the book.

But I saw something somewhere once that stuck with me about how it might not be referring to relative age between the characters but chronological age as in the passage of time in a relationship. And that made me think about how in a contemporary context, it might not necessarily be referencing an actual age gap between the two characters, but rather a sarcastic or cynical response to the man’s claims that he has matured (“you’re so much older and wiser [than you were before/than you were when we met/etc.]”), which then made me think about that line in relation to the woman. And that it could be taken like, “you act like you’ve matured so much in our time together and like you know everything, while I’m supposedly still stuck as the girl I was when we first met.”

Which then made me think of the “right where you left me” of it all and did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen time went on for everyone else she won’t know it and the bit in Miss Americana where she talks about how celebrities get frozen at the age at which they got famous, and how she’s had to play catch up in a lot of ways not just in her emotional growth but kind of in general. (Which also made me wonder if she’s ever been called out for immaturity/lack of curiosity/lack of education about things in her life…)

Which then made me think about the rest of the song, and @taylortruther’s posts yesterday about “seven” and “Daylight” and the way Taylor idealizes her youth yet contrasts it with an almost sinister reality in its wake, and the line, “I sit by the door like I’m just a kid,” because the discussion raised that her relationship let her recapture some of the childlike joy and wonder she’d lost. So this line is a double-edged sword: the speaker sits by the door with childlike hope that the person will come home and cherish her, but on the darker side, feels like the child dealing with the monsters she doesn’t have names for yet and the feelings of isolation she felt as she aged.

I’m not saying the song is necessarily autobiographical; like most of the songs on folkmore, it’s clearly a fictionalized story based on media she’d consumed and created, but we know a lot of the fictional songs were infused with her own feelings and experiences and… This idea swirling in my head picked up steam and now I kind of can’t stop thinking about it. Sorry but I’m a little obsessed now.

Like maybe it might start to shed light on why she identified so strongly with the novel in the first place…

[atamascolily]

One of the exercises in Julia Cameron’s The Vein of Gold is to compile a list of favorite movies--or ones with images that resonate with you--and note any patterns that arise. Here are some of mine, with observations below.

(For the purposes of this exercise, I’m sticking with live-action films, but there’s no reason why there couldn’t be animated films.)

1. Star Wars Original Trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi)

(Yes, I know this is technically three films, with three different directors and independent histories, but I didn’t feel like listing them all separately.)

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Ironically, I love the first Peter Jackson movie, but not any of the subsequent ones. Which is not to say they’re necessarily bad movies, but they’re not the ones I’d want on endless loop. (Part of this is because The Two Towers and The Return of the King are essentially war movies, and also because I have to watch Faramir act OOC, which hurts my soul.)

3. The Secret Garden

4. The Matrix

I actually don’t have strong feelings about Reloaded and Revolutions--like, the actual plot is weird, but I am so not watching these films for plot.

5. Return to Oz

6. Inception

7. Labyrinth

8. The Terminator

Don’t get me wrong, Terminator 2 has a lot going for it, but it’s not the one that I can’t stop thinking about (except for that one deleted scene with Michael Biehn, which is a totally different story).

Thoughts and Themes:

So at first glance, it seems like I have two separate categories: ‘80s and ‘90s-’00s films. Or maybe it’s sci-fi and fantasy? The Secret Garden is the only one that even approaches some kind of realism, and even that is a pastoral kind of world that would not be out of place in the more peaceful parts of, say, Middle-Earth (especially Fourth Age). How about high-tech vs. low-tech, or cyberpunk vs. fairy tale? Or, even better, what about reality vs. illusion (or story vs. truth if you prefer)--which is also a major tension within every film on this list?

I’ll also note that most of these films have an epic color palette, with memorable landscapes that either serve as characters in and of themselves, or symbolize the mental states of various characters. These films are beautiful works of art, reveling in The Aesthetic, whether that’s the idyllic peacefulness of the Shire or the grimy back alleys of 1980s Los Angeles.

The thing that really got me when I laid it out like this--the thing I hadn’t noticed before--was that all of these involve a (sometimes literal) rebirth, transition, or journey from darkness to light (or light to darkness to light again, depending on the work). You could also substitute life and death here, and not change much.

This is, again, often quite literal: Sarah moves underground in Labyrinth, the Fellowship descends into the Mines of Moria, the secret garden comes to life with the spring, Dorothy confronts the Nome King in his underground lair. Neo wakes up to find himself naked and soaked to the skin, and flushed down the tubes like garbage, in a literal hellscape where the machines destroyed the sun (a motif that also appears in Terminator’s dystopian future), then literally dies and is resurrected at the end of the film. Luke goes underground to confront his own double--another recurring theme!--on Dagobah.

Duality and the exploration of one’s soul through another world is HUGE  big theme--or, to put it another way, The internal mirrors the external. This is a huge motif of Inception, which is a literal inward journey into a character’s psyche; and you could also make the argument that both Return to Oz and Labyrinth cover similar territory. Is Oz real, or is it in Dorothy’s head? Is Ozma a part of her, or is Ozma a separate entity? Is Jareth a real foe or is he the embodiment of Sarah’s fears and desires, a fantasy she concocts based on a story in a book?  And Frodo realizes he’s not so different from Gollum, that the sad shriveled creature is what he could become if he fails at his task--and, ironically, his kindness to Gollum is what allows the quest to succeed when Frodo finally succumbs to temptation.

Frodo in the The Fellowship of the Ring sees the world differently when he wears the One Ring, and it’s terrifying. Sarah Connor realizes that she’s left her ordinary world behind and crossed into Kyle and the Terminator’s reality in a moving speech, and The Matrix doesn’t even try to be subtle. Even The Secret Garden uses the eponymous garden as a metaphor for the blossoming of Mary’s own soul, and the souls of those around her (especially her uncle and cousin, but also Ben Weatherstaff).

These stories are also concerned with ecology, though it’s usually a background motif, since the main focus is on saving the world (or what’s left of it, i.e, humans). The Shire is paradise; Mordor is a desolate hellscape, dominated by a giant volcano. Kyle Reese breaks down over the beauty of the world, and Mary Lennox seeks to bring the lost garden back to life. Dorothy retreats elsewhere after the grey grimness of Kansas/the mental hospital.

There’s also a real tension concerning humans’ relationship to technology in these films. The Matrix is an illusion, and machines control the earth. Or the machines don’t even bother farming humans and aim to kill ‘em all. Saruman literally transforms Isengard from a tree-lined field to an industrial hellscape. The mental institution uses that freaky electrical machine on Dorothy. Star Wars is more accepting of droids and technology, but even there, there’s tension: Obi-wan calls Darth Vader “more machine than man,” and it’s not a compliment; the Death Star is built to obliterate entire planets and must be stopped twice.

I’d argue this theme goes deeper than human/tech--it’s really human/other, with technology providing one kind of other. There’s human-alien interactions in Star Wars and Labyrinth, not to mention Mary’s relationship with the robin in The Secret Garden, Dorothy’s friendship with Jack Pumpkinhead and the Gump. On a less friendly note, Frodo’s relationship with Gollum is the emotional crux of the Lord of the Rings.

These films also feature the classic hero’s journey, but often through a female lens. The protagonist usually has no special skills other than their strong moral character and determination--or even if they do have skills (like Ariadne*), they still serve as an audience surrogate or substitute, a stranger to the new worlds they visit. The protagonist has at least one faithful friend/companion/love interest to help them (sometimes even a team/found family), and often a mentor as well (who may or may not be a crusty eccentric). In the end, the characters must take control of their own destiny--Frodo chooses to leave the Fellowship, Luke throws away his lightsaber rather than kill his father, Sarah declares to Jareth “You have no power over me”. Sarah Connor yells, “On your feet, soldier!” and keeps going to the bitter end, and Mary Lennox is unafraid of her bratty cousin’s wrath and puts a stop to it when everyone else enables him.

*(As an aside, I know Ariadne’s not the main character in Inception, but I find the actual main character way less interesting, so she’s the one I focus on, just like I find Trinity far more compelling than Neo.)

Characters often have Meaningful Names: Morpheus, Trinity, Neo; Ariadne; Luke Skywalker, Han Solo. These films also feature a question of fate and inevitability - Luke has precognitive visions, Neo consults the Oracle, Sarah is told “there is no fate but what we make for ourselves,” with Kyle serving as an oracle of sorts with messages from the future to come. The Mirror of Galadriel shows possible futures for the Shire, too.

Another theme is that the protagonist must suffer and/or work hard for their transformation. Mary has to do the actual work of gardening; Luke has to sweat and do handstands (beautifully, I might add); Frodo has to walk to Mount Doom; Sarah has to walk the labyrinth, and Sarah Connor has to survive a fucking nightmare. Dorothy has to rescue the royal family of Ev and free Ozma; Ariadne has to design a dream-puzzle for the heist to work. Even Neo has to train with Morpheus--though he’s able to use cheat codes to download martial arts directly into his brain without having to sweat for it; his real journey is in self-confidence. 

In keeping with the stunning visuals, impossible feats are regularly featured, and excellent, cutting-edge-for-their-time special effects are prominent. Many also feature stunning fight scenes--the classic Luke vs. Vader duel on Cloud City; the “I know Kung fu” sequence in The Matrix; the clashes in The Fellowship of the Ring. Jareth has some excellent moves in Labyrinth, too, although he’s more inclined to dance than traditional battles.

I couldn’t resist contrasting my favorite moment in Return to Oz--rescuing Ozma from the mirror prison--with Ariadne shattering her own reflection in Inception, because that is such a moment for me, encapsulating all of the reality/illusion, internal/external, self/other dichotomies I mentioned above. (See also the Mirror of Galadriel above.) Inception and Labyrinth also share the motif of impossible Escher staircases, which I freakin’ adore.

It will probably come as no surprise to note that I also enjoyed films like The Dark Crystal, The Neverending Story,  and What Dreams May Come, which tap into similar themes and imagery. You’ll probably be able to guess that The Sword in the Stone is my favorite animated Disney film, too.

I also love a number of Asian films like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, all of which feature beautiful landscapes and color palettes, stunning fight scenes and special effects, along with a healthy dose of the fantastic, and a focus on story vs. reality (often with a plot twist or surprise reveal at the end). This is unsurprising when you consider the strong debt both Star Wars and The Matrix owe to Asian cinema in terms of style, plot, and aesthetic. In those films, the tension is more society vs. self, but duality is still very strongly present.

If you notice any other patterns or recurring themes, let me know; I’d love to hear them! Also, if you can think of any other movies I might enjoy based on this, let me know.

[jaremmywade]

12 Spoiler-Free Stardew Valley Tips and Tricks to Get You Started

One of the enormous things that makes Stardew Valley a particularly mystical gaming experience is finding everything for yourself, however that doesn't mean there aren't some without spoiler tips and deceives to assist you with beginning.

12 spoiler-free Stardo Valley tips and tricks

For the new, Stardew Valley is an unfathomably well known non mainstream pretending game in which you acquire your granddad's homestead (and all the resulting experiences that emerge from that). The game fills in as an otherworldly replacement to the Harvest Moon RPG cultivating game establishment (and, shockingly better, cures a large number of the disappointing parts of the Harvest Moon games all the while). Playing Stardew Valley daze is a genuinely pleasant encounter, however there are a couple of new-player traps that you can either stagger your way through or get a little assistance with a tip list like this one.

The accompanying tips and deceives have been deliberately chosen to get three things done:

To start with, we love the game and need to help slide new players into it by covering a portion of the essentials.

Second, we need to do as such in the most without spoiler route conceivable, as the game has an awesome story.

Furthermore, at last, by noting a portion of the squeezing addresses another player may have about the game, we're getting new players far from the complete (and spoiler filled) Stardew Valley wiki. Talking with the voice of involvement, we guarantee you that it is all around simple to hit up the wiki looking for a basic answer about an in-game idea and, during the time spent doing as such, see huge spoilers about game mechanics, characters, unfamiliar regions of the game, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

In light of that, we've not just endeavored to keep our proposals spoiler free, we've made a special effort to orchestrate the rundown so the most un-uncovering recommendations are at the highest point of the article. You can quit perusing any time you feel in danger of losing a smidgen of the self-revelation sorcery.

Try not to Rush: It's Soothing Single Player, We Promise

Or on the other hand first tip is less a solitary tip and more like meta-guidance for playing the whole game. In case you're accustomed to messing around with multiplayer components you may have to take a long, full breath and find yourself mixed up with a legitimate chill perspective to play Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valley is an even, single player experience. Dissimilar to crushing in, state, a mainstream FPS or MMORPG game to get the best plunder drops before they're gone, there's nothing in Stardew Valley you can really pass up in light of the fact that you messed up or didn't play the game in a type of right or streamlined way.

Inside the setting of the game, you can be the most productive rancher Stardew Valley has ever observed, or you can get by doing barely enough to keep your homestead running so you can investigate the game.

Regardless of how you play, the solitary individual establishing the tone of the game is you, and on the off chance that it appears to be overpowering or you begin to get worried over it, simply take a full breath and unwind. There's no mishap in the game you can't recuperate from.

Kinship is Magic: Be Kind to Creatures Big and Small

Me 'n my kid, Linus, making up for lost time in the wake of a difficult day.

To progress in the game, be benevolent to everybody (and everything) you interact with—aside from the things that need to eat you, feel free to punch them in the face a couple of times. Fellowship and consideration are essential underpinnings of the Stardew Valley universe, and in the event that you are thoughtful to animals of all shapes and sizes, you will be compensated.

Converse with your neighbors. Bring them treats from your homestead. Take notes on what they like (and what they despise). As you get to know individuals they'll open up to you, sharing their lives (and frequently tips and treats all the while). Indeed, even creatures react to your thoughtfulness. A cow you stop to pet each day delivers better milk; a chicken you spoil produces greater and more excellent eggs.

This is the briefest segment in our tips direct (on the grounds that we're unequivocally attempting to dodge spoilers) but on the other hand it's the most significant. We think you'll locate the game unquestionably more pleasant on the off chance that you work on get to know even the gruffest and most offbeat townsfolk.

Hoeing with Precision: Turn Hit Locations On Immediately

One thing that new players are quite often lost by is the "hit area" mechanics of the game. The game is 2D and everything (planting crops, putting objects, and so forth) occurs on an imperceptible arrange plane of boxes. In light of how the direction of your on-screen symbol, the device you're utilizing, and the framework communicate, the impact of utilizing your apparatuses can appear to be somewhat wonky now and then. You can in some cases swing your device while looking ahead and have it hit an article alongside or behind you.

A few apparatuses have a range of 1-3 squares that you can utilize deliberately for your potential benefit. You need to move less and you exhaust less energy, so it pays to truly get the hang of focusing on your instrument "hits." also, making these moves costs you a tad of energy. Hitting the correct square methods not squandering that energy.

To assist you with getting putting your apparatus right where you need, hit the ESC key to open up the game menu, and afterward select the tab with the little regulator symbol, as observed underneath. Check the "Consistently Show Tool Hit Location" alternative.

This places a red box straightforwardly on the square that a given device will collaborate with (as appeared in the picture at the highest point of the segment).

There's likewise a console easy route to turn hit area on incidentally. Hold the SHIFT key while utilizing an instrument to show the hit box, in any event, when the alternative's killed. That is a convenient little tip to recollect for those occasions instrument situation is baffling you.

Food Is Life: Eat! Presently Eat Some More!

You eat by tossing food noticeable all around and cutting down like a Tasmanian Devil.

Second just to disappointment at lost pickax strikes is new player bewilderment at how tired their character is. Not at all like numerous RPGs, where you can swing your devices and weapons while never getting drained, Stardew Valley has a depletion meter. Actually requesting exercises, such as swinging instruments and weapons tire you out. Fortunately, strolling and running don't.

In the start of the game, it can feel like you're drained constantly. You can manage the fatigue one of two different ways: eating or resting.

Eating food helps your energy levels. Crude food gives you good energy; prepared food gives you more. In the early game, there's a fragile harmony between selling your nourishment for benefit as opposed to eating it for energy. In the event that you end up out of energy promptly in the day and don't have any desire to squander food, set aside the effort to take care of undertakings that don't burn-through energy. Sort your chests. Plan your ranch. Investigate the guide. Head into town to talk with the townsfolk and fabricate fellowships.

Or on the other hand eat all your food and cut down an entire backwoods like a maniac. Far be it from us to disrupt the general flow of your logger wants.

Lights Out at Dusk: Sleep Is Not Optional

Food may give you energy to handle many more than one errand during the day, yet there's one thing you can't eat your way through in Stardew Valley: the clock. You need to rest each night.

You get up at 6:00 AM in your farmhouse each day. In the event that you haven't just gotten back to bed by 2:00 AM, you drop from fatigue. Every one of those 18 in-game hours is equivalent to 45 seconds of genuine time, accordingly a jam-pressed day in your new cultivating life is equivalent to 13.5 minutes of true time. You'll be flabbergasted at how much there is to do in the game and how quick those days expert by.

It's ideal to will rest before 12 PM, in light of the fact that your energy bar will be completely topped off the following day. On the off chance that you will rest among 12 PM and 2:00 AM, you'll have less energy the following day.

Also, in case you're not snoozing by 2:00 AM, you'll pass out any place you are and awaken with even less energy the following day.

In any case, that is not all. In the event that 2:00 AM strikes and you pass out anyplace outside your farmhouse, the results can go from a minor monetary ding (the in-game likeness crisis responders discovering you and pulling you home for an expense), to a significant ding in case you're in the more risky regions of the game (where you can lose cash as well as irregular things from your stock).

However long you're in the front entryway of your farmhouse before the clock strikes 2:00AM you'll be fine, yet you won't really get the full advantages rest.

Extra rest tip: the game possibly saves when you head to sleep (be it arranged or dropped on a dusty path) every evening. The drawback to this is that on the off chance that you leave the game prior to hitting the hay you lose all your advancement for the afternoon. The potential gain is that in the event that you accomplish something truly stupid (like uncover all your best harvests from underneath the ground as opposed to watering them), you're one fury quit away from exoneration. Just quit before you rest.

Time Marches On: Seasons Exist In Quarter Time So Plan Accordingly

Occasion enrichments are not kidding business in the Valley.

The days in Stardew Valley aren't the solitary things that virtuoso by. Something that quite often finds new players napping is the way that the in-game seasons (which reflect our spring, summer, fall, and winter) are not ~90 days long like you would envision. In-game seasons are just 28 in-game days long. At the point when you first beginning playing, 28 days may appear as though an unfathomable length of time as you get your orientation yet trust us, quite expeditiously you'll resemble "%*#@! It's late spring as of now!"

Seasons in Stardew Valley matter in light of the fact that each season has novel yields you can develop, exceptional wild plants to scrounge, and interesting fish to get. On the off chance that you miss growing a specific yield or getting a specific fish in a given season, you'll need to stand by (as a rule) right to the following in-game year to get it. That is not the apocalypse, but rather in the event that you need that thing for some undertaking or journey you truly need to chip away at, holding up a year is harsh. Keep in mind, on the off chance that you play your days to their fullest, each season is around 19 hours of game play.

Considering that, we recom

[askdacast]

Rant from an ex-fan: RWBY’s Volume 5 shorts are terrible

Quick warning: if you are a huge fan of RWBY, especially of the third volume onwards, I am going to be needlessly cruel towards the series in this post. Turn back if you don't wish to hear the ramblings of a jaded ex-fan.

So I used to love RWBY, or more specifically the first two volumes of RWBY. They were far from perfect, but I enjoyed what fun action and neat fantasy and tech ideas they had to offer.

Then Volume 3 came about, in its glut of sudden edginess and shocking twists, and I came down with a case of salt poisoning.

As you can imagine, I dropped the series harder than a slab of concrete and have been very hesitant to pick up the series again since. Then I saw in my YouTube Feed that Volume 5 of RWBY was coming out, and there were character shorts and teasers, one of which was of Weiss, being released as promotions. So I thought, "Fine, why not? I might as well see if they win me over once more."

I was not won over.

Problems that I had with the series when I dropped it were somehow encapsulated in 3.5 painfully long minutes, and after some mental testing out of my hair, I decided to do the following moment-by-moment analysis of the trailer below as follows.

Please keep in mind I have sworn entirely off Volume 4 and any details I do know about it are from my friend @randomnumbers751650 who HAS watched it. Nothing first-hand.

0:00 We begin with some abstract shots of totally-not-symbolism set to yet another generically sad Casey Williams song.

Okay look, I don’t want to hate on Casey Williams. She’s an amazing singer at the age she is, and she’s got great talent! I don’t hate her work at all. The problem is she’s in EVERYTHING RWBY RELATED. No, literally, everything. RoosterTeeth has shoved her into every single vocal song for the series and I’m getting tired of it. There’s no variety in any of the vocals unless they get Jeff Williams to do some screaming or Lamar Hall to do some okay-rapping in them. Even they seem to sound overused.

Not to mention sometimes I feel like they’re forcing Casey’s vocal chords to sing certain songs that really do not lend well to her vocals (*cough* When it Falls *cough). She’s a beautiful singer, but when you just churn out song after song with her, the songs lose their magic. I don’t even wanna get started on these lyrics, but let’s rant one thing at a time, shall we?

0:12 Hey look, the moon is still broken. We ever gonna find out what that means?

Now one compliment I guess I’ll give is that the art has definitely improved. The characters still move jankily (albeit more smoothly now), but the background art has really upgraded. The shot of the manor Weiss is fighting in, the ice fountain with the Schnee logo and the snowing effects in this are actually kinda pretty!

0:25 And now we meet best girl Weiss! Well, she originally wasn’t my best girl. It was first Ruby, but unfortunately she had no personality (despite being the main character). Then there was Penny, but she was.

You know.

Dead.

Thanks RoosterTeeth, I’m still not over that. You introduced a precious cinnamon roll and killed her off for shock value. And fan theories about her being rebuilt have not been acted on.

Uh-huh. Sure. I’m totally okay with that. Not bitter at all.

Anyway, just look at those expressions. Mouth movement still looks as awkward as ever. I think enough people have probably mocked the expressions in the Volume 4 opening so I won’t harp on it, but…yeeeeah.

0:36 Oh hey look ominous snow wind out of nowhere. That sure is whacky and wacky.

And listen closely to the lyrics of this super-duper-sad song.

“And in its place is nothing, just an endless empty hall.”

GEDDIT? BECAUSE WEISS IS LONELY! SHE’S SAD AND LONELY CUZ SHE’S GOT NO FRIENDS! WE’RE SO SUBTLE AND SYMBOLIC GUYS!

Jeff Williams, or…whoever did the lyrics for these songs, the instrumental is lovely on its own. You could’ve just let the emotions speak for themselves. You don’t have to HAMMER IN THE MESSAGE THAT WEISS IS OBVIOUSLY STILL SAD AND LONELY. I THOUGHT WE GOT THREE ENTIRE SONGS FOR THAT ALREADY. Or was Mirror Mirror just not subtle enough? >_>

0:45 Oh look. Ice Beowulves. How interesting and original.

And don’t tell me they’re a different species of Grimm or whatever, those models are clearly palette-swapped Beowulves! It’s like they’ve become the Goombas of Remnant or something.

You know last I checked, one of the bigger reasons people liked this show at all was because of the fantasy setting and how not just the heroes and their weapons, but the creatures of Grimm had all sorts of creative designs. I get that this is just a teaser trailer and the fight here doesn't have any actual plot bearing, but one on, you could've at least come up with something more interesting for an ice-based Grimm. Even better, give hints of new Grimm to be introduced later in the volume or something, I dunno! Just anything more than a freaking palette swap.

0:59 ...did...did Casey just say 'Weissolation?' I hope she didn't; that's a level of goofy I think not even RT would stoop to.

Also, still piling on that reaaaally subtle lyric-work about how lonely Weiss is! Ugh.

1:01 I dunno why but that shot of the Beowulf pouncing at her just looks so goofy. “COME AND GIVE ME A HUUUUUG!”

1:12 ...okay, I admit, the change in tempo and shift in instruments for this song and the ensuing fight made me excited.

If there's one thing Jeff Williams has always done well, it's his instrumental. I complain a lot about RWBY's vocals, but the way the songs mix hard rock and more classical music has always been amazing. It's the perfect blend of instruments to get you pumped up for a fight while still getting into the different moods and settings each fight takes place in. Even better is that they don't have to constantly rely on awkward dubstep or techno beats like most other shows nowadays do with their action scenes. All things considered, if you just changed the lyrics, I would totally replay this song in my free time.

Even this initial start of the fight isn't bad at all. The violins and Casey's vocals really match up to the angles, Weiss jumping on the glyphs, shots like the pan up to when she's standing on the ledge, and oh man, those melting icicles. That was such a neat touch!

1:31 That is an adorable Weiss happy face. Can we get more of that? Please? And not all the random depressing edgy plot points?

1:40 "Forced to conform" YES WE GET IT WEISS FEELS TRAPPED, MOVE ON CASEY

You remember how the original Mirror Mirror's lyrics were about Weiss' self-doubt and fear of what's inside her? Only 2012 remembers.

1:45 Once again, more of those awkward expressions. Her face is literally OAO in this moment. A second shot of it is passable. You hold it for longer than that though, not to mention in a close-up shot, and it just looks goofy.

This, however, is probably a good time to get to one of my major complaints of this trailer. Namely that this trailer could have been stuff like foreshadowing of plot points, a quick character insight into how Weiss has been doing since the end of the last Volume, a whole number of things. But instead, what do we get?

Fighting.

Just. Fighting.

Look I get it, RWBY is an action series, fighting is kind of what it's selling. But if you would humour me, let me take you back to 2012, when RWBY just became a thing and people were fawning over the awesome trailers. Let me remind you guys that the first two trailers shown, Ruby's and Weiss', were both consisting of nothing but -you guessed it- fighting. We didn't hear their voice actors at all, we didn't get a glimpse as to what their characters like beyond their small facial expressions and song lyrics (you know, like the incredibly deep revelation that WEISS IS LONELY), or their place in the plot.

As much as I loved the fighting choreography in those old trailers, when the show was finally released, the characters suffered for it. People were wondering why Ruby was a squeaky high-pitched now girl when she looked so stoic and badass in the trailer. People were wondering why Weiss was so snooty and insufferable when once again, the trailer painted a different picture of her. My point is the original trailers for RWBY tried pushing for its awesome action scenes at the expense of the writing of its characters.

And now it's happening again.

Let me be blunt: when I first saw this Weiss short, and after the initial few cool shots of fighting, my brained tuned out and I IMMEDIATELY skipped the whole fight scene. I knew what to expect – another flashy action scene that has no bearing on the plot or Weiss as a character or what's to come.

You know guys, most of us who are anime fans safely say that most of us who enjoy action scenes and stuff like shonen anime is NOT just because of random fighting. I need to care about what I'm watching. I need to know the fight I'm seeing matters. And failing THAT, I at least want to see something new; new fighting techniques, new ways of attacking and reversing your opponent's moves onto them, rather than just the same old.

I remember when I used to enjoy the fight scenes in RWBY. It was cool seeing the fighting techniques, the crazy weapons and having some vague idea of how Dust worked. It was all fine and dandy back then. But RWBY hasn't evolved since. As much as I like Weiss, her simple sword tactics have always struck me as rather plain compared to the rest of the team. Clearly, she's designed less as a combatant focusing on power and more as the 'Mage', what with her glyphs (which we still haven't gotten an explanation of how her Semblance works btw) and her Dust usage. I could've gone for something simple like Weiss combining Dust in her attacks or something like that.

But no.

RoosterTeeth is just doing the same old action sequences over and over again. It's to the point where the fight scenes are just white noise! Congrats, RoosterTeeth. You guys made me think of an action scene as WHITE NOISE.

Mind you, I actually went to rewatch the trailer to try to see what I missed in the fight scene just to be fair, but even then I tuned out again. Nevermind the actual choreography or some weird wide-angle shots, everything just felt so generic. I honestly can't muster up any energy to even critique the fight.

So enough of my whining I guess, let's just get back to the trailer shall we...

2:48 And somehow despite Weiss being best girl, she still continues to have the weakest of the voice actresses. The way she screams Winter's name sounds more like annoyance rather than the actual fear she might have been feeling.

Also WAIT WHAT?! THOSE WOLVES WERE WINTER'S CREATION?!

...so not satisfied with giving us a dull action scene, this trailer decides to pull the rug out under us and render our investment into Weiss surviving this fight pointless. Fantastic.

3:04 Oh hey, Winter! One of the few parts of Volume 3 I actually liked!

Great to see you and your Icy Cool Big Sis self again! Boy, it sure was a good thing you...weren't important in the last Volume...or the second half of Volume 3...oh man was your great character totally utilized and not squandered in the face of the changing plot or anything...

3:15 More stilted Weiss voice acting. The way she says "I'll get better" is just so oddly rushed and lifeless.

3:26 And so we end this trailer with a reprise of Mirror Mirror, showing how even after 4 whole Volumes, Weiss has not grown as a character despite her trials with her barely-visible team, and she's still left alone with the insecurities and loneliness plaguing her, sending her back to square one!

Yay. RWBY is such a well-written satisfying show.

3:36 But ZOMG! This whole trailer was a flashback! And Weiss is still sad remembering old sad times!

...

BULL.

What was even the point of having that entire fight be a flashback? Narrative-wise, it's a slap in the face to the hope of Weiss growing as a character. Didn't she spend the last part of Volume 4 singing an entire song about how she's going to forge her own path and break away from her family? But her face when she remembers this memory of her old self and replaying Mirror Mirror in the background seems to imply this isn't the case. That she's still stuck in the same mental chains she's been in since the show started. If there's no promise of her truly overcoming herself, why would this flashback have any meaningful bearing on her arc?

Technicality-wise, this only confuses the viewer and short-changes the animators. Believe it or not, I was actually confused as to if Weiss in the trailer was from present time; thought maybe she just put on her old clothes again or something. But it's not; we are just seeing her old self fighting some of Winter's illusions. If we aren't seeing any cool new stuff about Weiss, what is the point of making this a teaser for Volume 5?

So with all that said and done, RWBY has once more proved that it’s just going to be nothing more but a swirling pot of wasted potential and eye candy with some irresponsible writers mixing it all into one big mess, and it’s only going to get more incomprehensible from here on out.

Wonderful.

Let me clarify one last thing: I did NOT drop RWBY in Volume 3 because it was ‘too dark and depressing’. I like a good serious story myself. The purpose of this rant is to show you all my real problem with RWBY: it does not handle its writing with any care whatsoever, or the responsibility to deliver a satisfying product to its audience. Volume 3’s out of nowhere shift, as much as it angers me, I feel is symptomatic of every other writing problem in this series.

It’s lazy. It’s half-baked. It’s popcorn entertainment in the end, sure, but even popcorn needs to be cooked well. I want the tastiest popcorn ever, not some cold barely-microwaved corn kernels left out in the open!

Ugh, if you guys will excuse me, I’m gonna go write my own action-packed fantasy story. With blackjack and hookers.

[annoyingcherryblossomnight-blog1]

China Journey Warnings

The Folks's Republic of China (PRC), known simply as "China," is positioned in East Asia and prides itself in its historic civilization. All of Suzhou's gardens project an environment of concord and tranquillity and this is particularly so with the Master of Nets Garden. Although it is small, you want at the least 2 to four hours to slowly savour and absolutely recognize it. Guilin and Yangshuo can be used as a base to go to the ethnic peoples right here with Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Dong minority villages to the northwest in the towns of Longshen and Sanjiang. The general picture of the Chinese journey industry is one of strong progress driven by rising income ranges, the comfort of travel restrictions and extra vacation intervals being made obtainable. Only a certain number of licensed journey companies are eligible to function worldwide outbound travel providers and, in 1997, there have been solely 67 outbound travel businesses in China; by 2004, that quantity had risen to 528. Latest years have seen privatization and restructuring of the former state owned agencies. Yangshuo is positioned in south China, about 600 km north west of Guangzhou and Hong Kong. With a world airport in Guilin, Yangshuo, at sixty six km from Guilin is now easily accessible to the rest of the world. The Guilin airport has direct connections to Hong Kong and Bangkok amongst other worldwide airports. The easiest strategy to get to town of Dongguan is by flight. The nearest worldwide airport is the Guangzhou airport. It is just over an hour drive away from the town. If you do not want to land at Guangzhou airport, then chances are you'll land at Shenzhen airport as an alternative. It's about the identical distance from the city in comparison with Guangzhou airport, but it's nearer to some other cities. Shanghai is one of the most cosmopolitan cities of China. Additionally it is common with its nightlife. Nanjing Street, The Old Town, Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, The Bund, Grand View Backyard, Shanghai Wildlife Zoo are the popular points of interest of the city. When you travel to China you will have Chinese currency, the Renminbi (RMB), which is also called the Yuan or the Kwai. Different well-known water towns which might be a terrific to go to are Tongli and Mudu. Both of these cities are extremely outdated, have water and garden landscapes and are extremely pleasant. After I first visited China in the mid 90's, tourism was quickly increasing. There were nonetheless loads of officially closed areas but there were additionally loads of options to travel unbiased by way of the country. Reserving a prepare ticket or get hold of a bus ticket could possibly be a real challenge. I remember Hezhou, not removed from Xiahe in north China the place I might solely obtain a bus ticket if I had a Chinese Insurance, however to acquire such an insurance you wanted to hand over a bus ticket, proving you have been traveling in that space. Situated in north west Suzhou, Tiger hill is a 36 meter in peak and comprises historic sites that date back 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou. Tiger Hill is pretty small as far as hills go however it is a native spot of great magnificence and wealthy in history. A famous Song Dynasty poet said something along the strains that should you visit Suzhou and do not visit Tiger hill it's a life lengthy pity. Poets are likely to dramatise and exaggerate but for those who do go to Suzhou, take no probabilities and see Tiger Hill. The region around Beijing has historical roots relationship way back to 500,000 years. The city is likely one of the seven ancient capital cities of China and is located on the northwest fringe of the North China Plain, adjoining Tianjin City to its east and Hebei Province to its north, west and south. Beijing has sixteen districts and two counties underneath its jurisdiction, masking an area of 16,800 square kilometers. Within the Warring States period (403 - 221 BC), the state of Yan established its capital here, as such, Beijing can also be commonly called Yanjing to at the present time. The street from Guilin to Yangshuo does not provide such spectacular sights, thus many people resolve to return through the river and leave by way of the street. • Suzhou - 'Venice of East', with its many gardens and canals, quite close to Shanghai. You probably have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime. Guilin positioned on the Li River, is a small town; nevertheless, a well-liked place resulting from its stunning surroundings. Its geographic formations and breathtaking magnificence entice travellers. Li River, Elephant Trunk Hill, Longji Terraced Subject, Inexperienced Lotus Peak and Yangshuo are widespread sightseeings. Kknmíng is also one of the cosmopolitan Chinese language cities. Town owns lovely attractions resembling Stone Forest, Xishan, Jiuxiang and Yunnan Nationalities Village. China is present process a huge business and creative upheaval. Among the world's most up-to-the-minute cities propel the land on with ahead-pondering dynamism. Animated by a way of pleasure, the Chinese are revelling in their country's ascendency. Whatever the reasons you're interested in China, the sheer tempo of change, visible in every a part of Chinese life, will be sure that your trip is a unique one. Every single time I went to Hong Kong I visited Ocean Park. Every single time I took a tour bus to the Park. Every single time the tour bus stopped off at this jewelry shop as a ploy to make the tourists purchase some jewelry. It is a type of situations had been you're compelled to get off and go into the shop and the entire environment forces you to look at jewellery while you'd moderately be looking at fish. The tacit pressure is on so that you can make a purchase. This is without doubt one of the best recommendation I am ever going to offer: go to a spot in that store ask a few piece of knickknack, nod properly, then leave. Take no more than five minutes, ignore the stares and go away. In case you keep to long you will maintain up the tour or cough up some money whenever you'd relatively not. Just walk out of there and go on to Ocean Park. Oh yeah, additionally they "invite" you to watch a brief video about their jewelry before "welcoming" you into the shop.. Nevertheless, the company market remains fragmented and there are few nationwide gamers. It remains dominated by state-owned companies, many with outdated attitudes to service. Each non-public and overseas capital flows to the business are being encouraged by the Chinese language authorities however most of the tours offered by the prevailing companies are unimaginative in content material and magnificence, and the fact is that the trade has a long technique to go earlier than it genuinely providers the wants of its clients. What are the things I needed I knew about Hong Kong Disneyland? It's a small place so it is easy to whereas away the day and miss out on some of the rides. The Toy Story rides close earlier than the others and its way over the other finish of the park. Yup, we missed these (to the great disappointment of my son), because we thought half a day was enough for Disneyland. Next, keep in mind two key occasions you would possibly need to see. First is the four:00 pm parade that runs by means of the park, I enjoyed this loads, and subsequent is the eight:30 fireworks show right before the shut. Disneyland is clean, convenient and very gratifying plus it has its very own custom-made train that hyperlinks up with the MTR. The backyard is made up of three sections, the residential section, main garden section and inner garden section. The main target point of the big garden is a giant pond that takes up a serious part of the backyard. The pond contains a pagoda that's only accessible by a bridge that's lower than a foot vast on the narrowest point. The Bai individuals's homes are unique. The everyday type is "sanfangyizhaobi" and "sihewutianjing." "Sanfangyizhaobi" refers to three homes on three sides and an ornamental display wall to replicate daylight to the house. " Sihewutianjing" is a house with a significant courtyard and tour small ones at the 4 corners of the main oneThe Bai people's homes are typically embellished with wooden carvings, stone carvings and marble, which add luster to the standard characteristics of the houses. While holding onto something for support with each hands, decrease your physique down right into a low squat place, in order that the cheeks of your backside is sort of touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go together with your palms. See in case you keep in this position for at least 1 minute. When you fall backwards or you can not rise up, then a squat bathroom may very well be an issue for you! Practice, you will be completely happy you did. Tour of China will not be full without seeing the huge and superb panorama that the nation has to supply. China is blessed with the sights of nature thus, it has change into one of the should visit locations in Asia or rather on the planet. That's not all! The climatic conditions of China coupled with its properly-developed transportation services make it top-of-the-line locations within the checklist of Vacation spot World. -Chinese language individuals have an incredible sense of humor. Like most people, they love to snort. In this demanding time of Chinese language adoption, and adapting to a brand new culture, the artwork of laughter could serve you well. Preserve it mild though, and do not forget that sexual and political subjects are strictly avoided. Chinese language International adoption may be difficult in many ways, but in all points of life, laughter all the time makes issues a bit simpler. Be ready to snigger at yourself. Most areas take pleasure in a subtropical monsoon local weather with enough rainfall, long summers and warm winters. Annual precipitation averages 1,336 mm whereas annual evaporation averages 1,100 mm so Guangdong is moist. Its common annual temperature is 22 deg C and it averages 1,828 hours of sunshine a year. Guangdong is a green place where vegetation develop vigorously all of the 12 months round There are forty forest parks and 30 nature reserves designated at provincial level. When you nonetheless will not be certain about your upcoming vacations, China certainly qualifies to your list. Those of you who are more into the adventurous climbing, the water towns round Shanghai could also be an thrilling choice. Not solely this, however the Yangtze River may also add a lot to your hiking expertise together with the attractive surroundings that it provides. I advised you I might battle to fit every part into seven prime picks, this checklist is only a tip of a large iceberg - as its not but complete - the three Gorges Dam is added as a bonus here. What will turn into the most important power plant/dam on this planet will certainly be value a go to. As effectively I might love to look at the large tidal bore that occurs on the yellow river as well. So you determined to go to China as a vacationer and now you're wondering in regards to the food in China. Don't be concerned as a result of there is no have to panic. The truth is that there's some really good meals in China. Many American's will tell you that the meals in China is better than the food in America. We cannot stress to you simply how good the food in China actually is. If in case you have by no means tried meals in China then it's best to do it as quickly as you get over there. One other China journey warning is to make sure you have plenty of toilet paper with you. It is arduous to get, even in the resorts there. So carry tissues with you wherever you go. And you will have to pay attention to the bathroom situation. Most Chinese use the squat type bathrooms. You simply squat over them and use the bathroom. You do not flush the bathroom paper at all. This makes for a very smelly toilet as the bathroom paper is just tossed into a garbage can. If there is a traditional American type sit down rest room it is normally marked handicapped. You may additionally need to carry hand sanitizer with you as properly. The Chinese language aren't huge on sanitation and the issues Individuals are used to having available are scarce. China journey data is vital to recollect. Zhouzhuang is the most well-liked of the water cities near Suzhou and is a must see for anybody with a day to spare in Suzhou. Zhouzhuang is both divided by and surrounded by lakes and rivers and has 14 traditional stone bridges crossing its rivers. Buses regularly leave Suzhou for Zhuozhuang and the trip is an hour on the most. We do meet some fascinating people along the way in which, however they're largely bureaucrats, drivers or officials related to the creator's journey preparations. Given Vikram Seth's experience in the nation, there seems to be a missed alternative here, in that more folks would have embroidered the text with more fascinating and enduring detail than the repeated journey problems. Your cruise will inevitably take to you some of the famous pure landscapes - the Three Gorges, that are rich in natural magnificence in addition to religious, cultural and historical significance. Extra just lately, the Three Gorges Dam can be a centerpiece in this beautiful landscape, making a memorable sight. Yes there are rumors that in Chinese language restaurants you are consuming canine or cat and so they say it is hen. Don't let these rumors get to you it is only rumors. If the Chinese restaurants inform you it is hen then it truly is rooster. If you are a tourist consuming in China for the primary time then it's best to think about making an attempt a few of the Chinese language soup. Have you ever ever heard of Gained-ton soup or egg drop soup? These are both really good soups which can be in china. There is just one utility form that can be used for every sort of visa. It is only two pages lengthy and is divided into seven sections. The primary section requests personal information reminiscent of full name, date of start, passport number and occupation. You will complete Part 2 with details about your go to to China. It's right here that you just select the kind of visa you need, the intended number of entries and validity. Drive to Luoping in the morning. Go to the Nine-dragon Waterfall, the grandest waterfall in Yunnan and as a consequence of completely different ranges, the Waterfalls type a ten-layered waterfall. For those who get stuck what to order as many of the menu's are in Chinese language simply look at the table subsequent to you and level to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works rather well and know seems to thoughts. The vacation spot question was resolved by a wonderfully clear map they had displayed nearly in all places, with one of many destination "dots" very clearly labelled "Disneyland". The space from the station I was in to Disneyland could very simply be discerned with train changes clearly marked by way of color. Getting a ticket was a bit more difficult. I used a ticket machine and inconvenienced the passengers behind me by causing a small delay which was rectified once I figured out that the machine had a contact display. All in all, this was all completely easy. A visit to Europe is commonly the primary time for Chinese language to journey overseas and their spending patterns can be irrational. Some simply buy something they cannot purchase in China. The spending of Chinese language vacationers usually does not reflect income levels nonetheless so looking at household earnings and even disposable revenue ranges of China's inhabitants will be deceptive. Many spend far more than we may have predicted. Often traveler's cheques are a good suggestion, but in China, the transaction fee is high, and the procedure can take hours to finish while you sit there in the financial institution with nothing to do. For some individuals, the wait may be worth the peace of mind for carrying traveler's cheques, however count on a protracted wait. ATM playing cards are extensively accepted in most ATMs, at least in the major cities, and they also offer a lot better trade rates than what you're going to get by altering money at the bank. One caveat: most ATMs limit every transaction to 2500 Chinese language Yuan (CNY) with a restrict of 5000 CNY per day. You also needs to examine along with your financial institution before you go to search out out what the transaction price could be per withdrawal in China, however for most individuals, ATMs could be an inexpensive solution to complement your cash while in China. Well being. China is certainly a modern nation in lots of respects, however in others it is nonetheless creating. There are relatively few facilities for disabled folks and you'll seemingly end up walking, climbing stairs and battling local weather and air pollution issues while you're there. Consult your doctor before you make plans and be sure you carry an extra provide of your prescription medications with you (together with the scripts exhibiting your identify). Additionally you'll want to maintain a superb provide of tissues with you at all times. These can be bought in any small comfort store or store round China. It is unusual for lavatory paper to be supplied in Chinese language loos, so you will need to carry your personal. This gate is one in every of Suzhou's well-known historical landmarks and is situated on the south west nook canal circling Suzhou. In-built 514 BC, Pan Gate was one of many eight gates of the ancient metropolis wall that protected Suzhou during the warring states interval. The gate has been rebuilt twice, once in the course of the Yuan Dynasty and once more in 1986. • Lodge safety: Once in your hotel room, make certain that the door and windows of your room are locked at all times. Reply the door only after verifying who it's. It is at all times better to carry bottled water, as the tap water accessible in lodge rooms isn't drinkable. Luxurious Travel in China has not been extra exciting and adventurous especially while you choose the appropriate China tour operator. For a country like China with an historic history and tradition, your travel within China can be a deluxe or top quality tour by visiting the key cities in top notch air travel, luxury and character hotels, utilizing VIP providers and escorts making you feel like a famous person. For instance, having a plate of native Chinese dumplings in your 4/5 star lodge while watching a piece of Beijing Opera translated in English may very well be one of many greatest journey expertise you’ve ever had. Maybe, you might want to climb the Nice Wall in type by having a French picnic privately or with other visiting tourists from world wide. There are specific sections world wide where many renowned public figures have visited and you can also be part of visiting these sections. Up till now we've largely talked about the natural magnificence that the nation possesses. Naturally with the form of economic system that China has, lots goes into the event work and mission. Consequently, the metropolitan cities of the country have witnessed speedy improvement and have taken new tolls by way of vacationer points of interest. There are eight completely different Chinese visas every represented by a letter of the alphabet. For example, travelers who travel to China for tourism will apply for an L visa. Those that go to interact in business will apply for an F visa. Crew visas are represented by the letter C, work visas by the letter Z, scholar visas by the letter X and resident visas by the letter D. In case you are not conscious of the tropical aspect of China, then, chances are you'll wish to bask within the sun this summer season on China’s most beautiful beaches in Hainan and Hong Kong after which you are treated to an awesome spa experience in among the unique resorts round. China is stuffed with vacationer points of interest and an enthralling experience is on playing cards when you go to the country. Whether or not you talk about Shanghai - town by the sea or you look to go to the cultural center of the country - Beijing, the country guarantees loads to its tourists. Not only will your day be stuffed with stunning sites to go to, but cities like Shanghai offer entertaining night points of interest. • Photography: Taking photos is allowed in most places. Nonetheless, in some it's both prohibited (as in certain museums and archeological sites) or a charge is charged. It's all the time recommended you get permission before capturing photos of the locals. Taiwan is particular in having this inhabitants combine. What keeps them united then? Taiwan is a place within the making. Its a shaky place, but its an island with a future. Taiwan is an island positioned off the southeastern coast of China. Also called Ilha Formosa, or lovely island, Taiwan has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Taiwan is vital to us. We do not want to wait endlessly. cheap hotels melbourne cbd Taiwan is a steadily growing, medium-sized market for UK schooling. Taiwan is also hit by typhoons, often from July to October. Travelers planning a visit to Taiwan can receive general details about pure disaster preparedness on the Web from the U.S. The food is nice and the range is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you possibly can recognize what you're consuming, however sometimes you don't get a selection. Carry a chocolate bar or one thing; it will preserve you going till some food that you can acknowledge turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the faucet water is NOT secure to drink, that is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, whereas sterilised can include a whole lot of minerals and iron deposits that you just probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OKAY for brushing enamel. Xinjiang: Xinjiang takes romance and writes it giant upon huge expanses of deserts and horizons. Expertise the exoticism of a nomadic way of life with camel rides across the dunes and nights below the celebs upon China's final frontier. Or trek as much as the legendary Tianshan Mountains overlooking the "Heavenly Pool." Friendly Uighur musicians can be pleased to play at Uighur-type marriage ceremony celebrations, filled with tasty meals, fresh grapes and melons, and loads of singing and dancing. A visit to Tibet is a memorable experience. It presents beautiful views. There are countless sights in Tibet which makes it a extremely popular tourist vacation spot. Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarova, Mount Everest, Yarlong Tsangpo River, Sera Monastery and Lake Namco are places to visit in Tibet. Forex: The official Chinese language currency is named the renminbi ('peoples money'), RMB for brief. The monetary unit is the Yuan. Hong Kong has its personal currency - the Hong Kong Dollar. The Hong Kong Dollar is pegged to the American Dollar. It is accepted in Guangzhou (Canton) and Shenzhen. One other international travel warning is to beware of buying coffee in China. It prices a ridiculous amount of cash. It appears there is additionally a scarcity of sugar and plastic spoons. So if you like coffee or tea in your lodge room you could want to bring your individual sugar and spoons. Lipton tea seems to be scarce too.

[cardboardboxprocessor]

The Great American Eclipse 2017

Back in August 2016, when the news of this Great Eclipse first started to be a subject of discussion in the media and on social networking, it was not something that had interested me greatly. I was well aware how easily Mother Nature could ruin these sorts of things and how you had to be in a very specific area to even see totality of an eclipse. Not to mention any drive to that small area would be a ten hour drive at minimum. I was also not confident in my photographic abilities by any means. Sure, I thought I took decent pictures but certainly not enough to bother spending the money to go specifically to photograph it.  Additionally, I lacked understanding of how great this phenomenon could be in person compared to videos of similar events. I had even probed my father about going and his feelings on it were quite lackluster. Needless to say, I had determined that I was going to watch this one from the sidelines in my home state of Maryland.  Then, in November of 2016, something changed. I was 4 months into owning a Nikon D810 and learning it is such an amazing piece of gear.  The sky seemed like - literally - the limit and I began to dabble in astrophotography.  As it turned out, it wasn’t that difficult and I quickly became obsessed with it. I felt good enough about my ability that I bought an astrotracking mount, a Skywatcher Adventure. The forecasts were good so, while I waited for it to arrive with next day shipping, I skimmed through a few online tutorials quickly before bed that night. The next day when it arrived, I went out and took my first try at the constellation Seven Sisters (left side of below image). I was not largely impressed with myself but the fact that some nebulous blue was poking through all the noise inspired me as it meant that a novice like me could image these heavenly bodies without a huge telescope. Just a week later I was able to make the image on the right with just a little more thought and refinement. Cross my ‘t’s and dot my ‘i’s sort of stuff. 

I was content with this image. And honestly deep sky astro is not really a passion of mine; I just did it to say that I could. Satisfied, I set my sights on the moon. I have always taken photos of the moon just to do it. In fact, I had used it so commonly as a target for evaluation of cameras and new lenses that I can track my photos all the way back to 2015 (far left) when I first had my long time point and shoot of preference, the venerable Nikon Coolpix P90, then when I got my Nikon P900 mid 2015 (left middle), and D7200 in later 2015 (middle right), and D810 and tracking (right) sometime in 2016.  

I suddenly found myself interested enough in the moon to want to see it in it’s more rare form, totality. I had bounced it off my dad again sometime in June 2017. Turns out, in the midst of all the growing media attention he had had a change of heart and thought maybe it’d be worth seeing after all. 

We planned for Charleston, South Carolina and made reservations. On August 19th the forecasts deteriorated to thunderstorms. We were keeping an eye on the weather and were able to make a shift before the media began reporting the same observation. We lucked out and were able to get a hotel in Clemson, SC. Forecasts showed partly cloudy with 3% chance of rain there and in the surrounding areas. The big day came and, on Monday morning at 1:00 AM, we started our 10 hour drive down to SC. There was quite a bit of traffic and we arrived around 11:00 am. Upon arrival, I decided to try a more scenic and less crowded location just 7 miles south of Clemson instead (though, in hindsight, we should have stayed at Clemson as it remained clear there throughout the day). I also opted not to bother with landscapes as it was simply too weird an angle for my Sigma 20mm Art to capture. It was up to the task and certainly wide enough but the perspective looked quite strange. 

I began to feel rather stressed out as I began to set up, not just for photographing totality but to see and enjoy the eclipse properly for myself with my own eyes. Often I find that I get so obsessed that I don’t enjoy myself as much as I could have without the camera. For example, my attempt to get the meteor shower just a week prior had ended badly. I had bought tracking equipment and even made a custom DSLR cooler only to have picked the wrong spot for clear weather due to incorrect forecasts. I did not get to enjoy the meteors with my own eyes as I was too busy trying to get to a location that the camera could see them. All this culminated in a lot of self doubt for this attempt at totality. 

By ~11:45 am I was all set up. For this shoot, I wanted to use my tracking mount to follow the sun as the 500/4 AF-i lens weighs nearly 11 pounds and it is difficult to constantly change the ball head position to follow the ever moving sun across the sky.  One thing that is hard to notice is how fast the sun moves. It is almost unnoticeable until you try to frame it with telephoto lens; within several minutes it is out of the lens view again. This tracker has a motor that follows it across the sky as it moves and takes the lens with it. Having never set it up in daylight, it took some time to acquire the sun but once I did, it tracked very well. My custom hand controller made keeping alignment prim and proper quite flawless. Focusing with a Modified Hartmann mask was very easy and quick and worth the extra hours to make the night before. 

At 1:09 pm, the first glimpses of the moon beginning to transit the sun appeared in my view finder. I started taking exposures at 1/4000 7 1/8000 with bracketing 9 stops up. It was exposing well and I was quite overjoyed that I was actually here in South Carolina imaging the moon blocking out the sun! Things were going quite well at this point. However, by 1:40 pm this had all changed: clouds began to roll in and almost continuously block our line of sight with only intermittent windows, seconds at a time, through which to see the unfolding eclipse. The clouds got worse and worse, growing more voluminous and stationary. I had never seen two layers of clouds form and move in perpendicular directions over such flat terrain. In Maryland, clouds only move west to east. These moved east to west and north to south. I was flabbergasted and saddened by this as the outlook was becoming so very bleak.  At 1:59 am, just 39 minutes before the main event, I expressed my misery over this sudden clouding with a contact from Reddit, John Kraus, whose launch photography is something I quite admire. He, in turn, reported that he was having better luck and was just several miles away at Williamston, SC. He was even nice enough to send me a photo and stay in contact with me even while busy with his own imaging. 

The time was 2:00 pm and packing up in 10 minutes, driving 20, and setting back up seemed impossible. I was stressed and indecisive about relocating. Typically as soon as you move or put your camera away fate messes with you and changes things back to optimal conditions. I figured the clouds would clear just to be cruel.  However, fate reached out and talked to me in that moment of angst: a huge rain drop landed on my tripod leg right before my eyes. It was then I knew I had no choice. It was going to rain!  With lightning speed I packed up my gear, practically ripping it into pieces and messily tossing it into bags and bins. Running around with my huge 500/4 Nikkon AF-i 11 lb monster around my neck, I began hauling things back to the car. Other parties were doing the same, backing up and asking where we were headed. One even joked alongside me, talking as I hauled my bin of gear to the car. As soon as we jumped in the car it began to down pour like a monsoon. So much for that 3% chance of rain, you pesky weather forecasters! The race was on.  We flew down back roads and raced ever closer to the huge hole in the sky that was now visible just a few miles ahead of us down what I think was 85. At 2:28 pm the GPS said we still had 12 minutes to our destination with totality only 10 minutes away!  Checking my Google Maps app, it was clear we would not make it to Williamston in time. My father saw an exit ahead, the last before a several mile stretch to Williamston, when suddenly the sky cleared. Fearing it’d be the only chance I had, I stuck my whole camera and lens out the window and began firing away shots (to my amazement, I captured several images this way). I told him to take the ramp since we were simply out of time.  We were not alone in this revelation.

Suddenly, every car began to turn towards the ramp almost simultaneously as if the sudden sunlight had infected every mind it touched with some sort of brain washing or connected us all in some sort of Borg hive mind. All had come to the same decision. “This is the only exit close enough and the sky is now clear.. there's 3 minutes left till the main event... this is it! Our only chance.” In amazing, unplanned choreography 2 lanes of traffic and those already driving on the shoulder suddenly all converged on a singular point on the exit ramp. It was something you’d imagine Tesla hopes its autopilot could one day do when all cars are autonomous. We were unable to obtain a spot on the exit ramp. Turning up into the main drag, a row of gas stations and restaurants lined this small reststop-like exit. The small traffic jam was growing larger by the second as more and more vehicles flooded into this last bastion of clear sky for those that were rained out in other directions. 

The saturation and hues began to drain as the sunlight drew white with totality’s impending arrival.  It was as if someone had begun to drag the Lightroom vibrancy slider to the left into the far negatives. Meanwhile, everyone stared up paying no mind to the surrounding world. It was all so surreal, strange, and just out of this world. The only thing I have ever seen like it has been Yom HaShoah and when the Sirens sound to honor the fallen. 

I jumped ship while attempting to park in a gas station parking lot with just my camera my old backup gitzo metal tripod. There was no time for anything else or to put my ballhead back on my Carbon Fiber Gitzo. I began to set up near some other folks on their nice wide paved pad in the middle of the grass. In hindsight, I can only imagine I was standing atop their septic tank, why else would there be a large concrete box stick up out of a grassy field beside a building? 

As I set up one of the workers came out and began to yell at me claiming that this area and parking was for customers only. I told her that I did not park here and that I walked. She went on complaining until I promised I’d come buy something afterwards. I found it quite strange she was so concerned with me becoming a customer and yet being so nasty to me. I suppose she targeted me specifically as I had the biggest lens of all. It was just so odd that she seemed quite blind to the fact that there was a huge traffic jam on the road, in the parking lot, and people just standing outside their cars on the main road. How could anyone be so concerned with someone buying a candy bar while something so rare and magical was happening around them? I simply told her I promise I'll be in to get a candy bar, and informed her that no right-minded person is going to be crazy enough to pump gas while this amazing display is going on, and that if she did not like it she could call the cops but there'd be no way for them to get here as the roads were a frozen stream of cars whose owners abandoned them to view this event. I was called a smartass, not surprisingly. However, I was amazed that she turned her back on the beginning of totality and went back inside, oblivious and uncaring of the events just outside the door 10 feet from her cash register.  

I ended up setting up with only 50 seconds to go, and I began firing away letting my intervalometer and automatic bracketing do the work. I had switched my AF-i lenses clutch to Auto focus so it was still focused from the previous site. Finally able to look around and enjoy the event, to the west I could see the shadow racing towards us at ~1500+ mph. All those clouds I had hated moments ago for raining on us suddenly made it clear how quickly the eclipse moves. Coast to coast in 94 minutes. The loathed clouds turned ever darker the closer they were. On the far horizon the clouds lit up like sunset. All around everyone was bathed in white glowing light that was ever dimming as the great shadow descended upon us. Totality arrived abruptly. It is like the opposite of the scene from Forrest Gump when the sun suddenly comes out after the rain. Expected, yet unexpectedly. Totality was indescribable. Looking up at the sun and seeing the many solar prominences poking out around the edge of the completely black moon; how quickly it all shifted from very bright white to black and dark; the stars and planets shining brightly in the sky while the clouds on the horizon shown like daytime; the qualia of this experience are impossible to explain. You’ll never know till you see it yourself. It went on so shortly that before you knew it you could see the shadow leaving and the light returning from west to east. I kept firing my camera and waited until the last minute to put my filter back on. I was happy to see I got a nice diamond ring shot and several other great shots. In hindsight, I wish I had changed my exposure times a little more but auto bracketing 9 stops worked well enough for this noob’s first time. And to be honest in a lot of ways I am glad I did not. I was able to enjoy it, watch it myself. The timer did the work while I beheld the amazement.  I came back to reality and I found myself suddenly quite sad. My dad ended up in the next parking lot down, an abandoned gas station 100 yards or so away. I wish I had known the exact time. I wish I knew I had time to run down and be near him. I felt bad for the greed to see it in my camera over seeing it with him. I called him and discussed it with him while we were both still in awe. I talked to a few people nearby, gave out my website. I wish I had business cards! Maybe it is time for those now. Then I headed down to start shooting near him till it faded out totally and the moon was invisible again at ~4:10 pm.  I took this picture before packing up, everyone else gone, this small rest stop exit empty again. The traffic jams cleared and the horde of zombie-like sky starers all returned to their tasks. Just me and another photographer remained till the very end. In the back left you can see where I shot totality, and where I ended up. To the far left are the cars of other photographers that watched it till the very end. 

Here are some images I put together quickly before the hype dies down too much.