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sm-pantheon · 3 years

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SMPantheon AU Information

Greetings, Tumblrer. Can I interest you in my Dream SMP God AU? Yes? Great. Hope you like reading.

I should clarify, before we begin, that there is one rule in the Pantheon: and that is not to date those in other classes. This rule is often broken due to the enforcer's blatant biases, so some people get off scott-free. This rule doesn't apply to dating humans, however, because of the need for classic zeus-style, demigod-bearing hijinks.

THE TRINITY

The creators of the universe, the dreamons. Gods of Chaos. Two have been replaced so far.

Dream XD The creator, the father, the man...god...thing Himself. Yes, that H is capitalized. He was the first god to exist, and every heavenly being stems from Him in some way. He enjoys seeing people suffer. He loves George in secret, even if He hasn't yet reciprocated. He stripped Captain Puffy of some of her power because He deemed the God of Order to be getting in the way of His chaos. His mask has the XD emoticon on it, fittingly enough.

Dream The 'son' of the Trinity, and the enforcer of the love law. His position was once filled by Mexican Dream, before he was demoted for being a dumbass. He later demoted Mamacita for falling in love with Mexican Dream, because they weren't in the same God class anymore. He is notoriously biased and nepotistic with his enforcing. He's also an asshole. His mask has the :) emoticon on it.

Drista The 'holy spirit' of the Trinity. A child. She causes chaos wherever she goes, whether intentionally or not, which makes DXD very proud. Her position was once filled by Mamacita, before she was demoted. She often hangs out with the demigods, most often Tommy. Wherever she goes, hijinks ensue. He mask has the >;P emoticon on it.

GREATER GODS

The most powerful gods, besides the Trinity.

Philza The God of Freedom. A ruthless killer, but a pretty good father figure. He was the first non-Trinity god, and appropriately he matches up with their chaos. He is most notably the god who invented angels, and personally made the first one, Clara. A long time ago he fought with Awesamdude because of their conflicting symbols and won, demoting Sam to the rank of a regular God. His wife is Kristin, a (dead) human, but one time he had a fling with a refridgerator. Confusing times. His sons are Tommy, Tubbo, and Wilbur, and his grandson is Fundy.

Technoblade The God of Violence, often regarded as the 'Blood God'. He is a force to be reckoned with, and you can probably trace him back to every world war in some way. He has a more stoic and calm side, which only Philza and his family can bring out. He acts as sort of an uncle and brother to them, sometimes caring for the kids. He would rather die than have his own, though. He feels an attachment to his friend Ranboo's son, Michael, because they are both pigmen. He plans to train him when he grows hold enough. His pride and joy is the section of the underworld he invented, which is the section where sinners burn eternally.

Antfrost The God of Love. Currently he is taking refuge on earth with his boyfriend Velvet, who is the third archangel. He's never been very friendly with Dream, so it would be inevitable that he would be punished for loving Velvet. To avoid this, he fleed to a small town on earth. He has had a long-time rivalry with Ponk because of his innate hatred of cats.

Foolish Gamers The God of Creation. He is a master builder, and has built the temples of all the Gods. One day, Sapnap, the God of Destruction, challenged him to a fight, and whoever lost would be demoted. He accepted and won, which is why his equal is now lower on the totem pole than he is. He created the earth with Hannah at the command of the Trinity. His best friend is Eret. He often enlists the help of the rock nymph HBomb for help with terraforming and foundation building.

Karl Jacobs The God of Time. He can control time by slowing it down, speeding it up, pausing it, rewinding, etc. However, he is only allowed to use it when the Trinity gives permission. Usually, he just sits around and helps his "not fiancés", Quackity and Sapnap, with their work. He was born soon after Philza.

GODS

Averagely powerful gods.

Sapnap The God of Destruction. He was originally a greater god, but lost a fight to Foolish and gave some power up as a result. He is responsible in part for all the natural disasters of the world.

Awesamdude He was stripped of some of his power by Philza (with assistance from Techno, although he'd never admit it). He acts as a father figure to some of the younger heavenly beings. He created Sam Nook, an altered clone of himself, to be a Nanny for Philza's children. He now takes care of young Fundy and Michael. Loves Ponk in secret.

Badboyhalo The God of Purity. Cannot do wrong, after all he is the only person who actually is dating someone and is following the rule. Has a public record stating he has never sworn. He's highly devoted to his pursuit of holiness... and also Skeppy.

Skeppy The God of Fortune. After all, he's made of diamond. He's a goofball, especially around Bad. He's Bad's best friend/boy friend, B.B.F., as he would say!

Captain Puffy The God of Order. She has always had a rivalry with the Trinity for directly contradicting them with her existence. Because of this, her dates with Niki have to remain a secret, or else she'll be demoted again. Currently she's filling the paws of Antfrost as God of Love until he comes back, or a new heir is born.

Hannahxxrose The God of Nature. She mostly hangs out on Earth, tending to gardens worldwide, but she stays in heaven an ample amount too. She was literally born from Foolish's idea to create nature for earth, which she then assisted in plans for.

JSchlatt The God of Sin. He was originally a Greater God, but he had to be demoted so that the human race wouldn't be absolutely fucked. He's technically in charge of the Underworld, but he doesn't do jack shit down there. He's a raging alcoholic, and is always complaining about heart problems. His best friend is Minx.

Eret The God of Power. He isn't part nymph or anything, but the nymphs respect him and have crowned him as their king. He gladly accepts this role. His best friend is Foolish.

MINIGODS

Less powerful gods.

GeorgeNotFound The God of Beauty. He is fully aware that DXD is in love with him, but he doesn't want to reciprocate for fear of the rule. Still, he hasn't ratted him out... yet. He often hangs out with Sapnap, and he used to hang out with Dream, but he has become more distant as of late.

Mamacita The God of Justice. Also known as Girl Dream. She was removed from the Trinity for loving Mexican Dream after he was demoted. Since she and him still have a lot of power, they've been tasked with running the Underworld. Her mask has the :/ emoticon on it.

Mexican Dream The God of Death. Was removed from the Trinity for generally being a dumbass. He co-runs the Underworld with his Mamacita. He has also adopted Quackity as a twin. His mask has the ;] emoticon on it.

Quackity The God of Humor. He doesn't do a whole lot, just hangs out with his fiancés and his unofficial twin. An absolute jokester.

Slimecicle The God of Joy. A lovable goof who has never done a thing wrong in his life. He has a human wife, Grace, and his son is Connor. He skips around heaven a lot, and often hangs out with the angels.

Ranboo The God of Identity. He is *platonically* married to Tubbo (so Dream can't technically punish him!) He has a son, Michael, and he often hangs out with the demigods. He is considered the least powerful full god. He has a habit of forgetting things and also a habit of stealing all the gender from the other members of the Pantheon.

Niki Nihachu The God of Grace. She mainly takes care of the children along with Sam Nook, and hangs around the water nymphs. Her best friend is Sally.

Jack Manifold The God of Spirit. Previously nicknamed 'Thunder', he is an epic gamer lad. He famously invented 3D glasses and also Britain.

Ponk The God of Bravery. Has had an age-old rivalry with Antfrost because of his fear of cats for eons, and he is quite happy that he's gone. He has a strained love for Sam, which they have to keep secret. Only Sam has seen the rest of his face, under the mask.

DEMIGODS

Half gods, half humans. They are free to travel between earth and heaven.

Tommyinnit The youngest son of Philza and Kristin. A rambunctious teenager who is quite popular among the gods, especially Drista. Often flirts with the goddesses, and always says he has a crush on the Queen of England.

Tubbo The middle son of Philza and Kristin. A chaotic man-child and also goat boy. He is absouletly adored by the Trinity. He has a "platonic" husband, Ranboo, and a son, Michael.

Wilbur The eldest son of Philza and Kristin. A musical prodigy, who is an adult but doesn't quite act like one. He has a wife, Sally the water nymph, and a son, Fundy.

ConnorEatsPants The only son of Slimecicle and Grace. He is a massive sonic fan. If you asked life advice from him, he would tell you that the only problem with being faster than light is that you can only live in darkness.

SEMIGODS

Demigods, except it's not a 50/50 split between God and human. Other races can also be added.

Fundy The son of Wilbur and Sally. He is 25% God, 25% Human, and 50% water nymph, but most importantly, 100% furry.

Michael The son of Ranboo and Tubbo. 75% God and 25% human. He's good friends with Technoblade because of their shared pigman-ness.

NYMPHS

Mythical and elemental creatures.

Sally A water nymph. Married to Wilbur and the mother of Fundy.

HBomb A rock nymph. Often helps Foolish with his builds.

Alyssa An air nymph. She's been wandering around the outskirts of heaven for an eon with Callahan.

Callahan An air nymph. Wandering with Alyssa.

Minx A fire nymph. Best friends with Schlatt and Niki.

ANGELS

Heavenly servants.

Punz First archangel. He's currently the Trinity's bitch, but if you offered him enough money he would absolutely betray them.

Purpled Second archangel. He just follows Punz around and helps him with his tasks. He isn't very devoted to his job. He was the one who came up with the idea of space.

Red Velvet Third archangel. He has fleed heaven with his boyfriend Antfrost. He's working as a baker on earth.

Michael McChill Replacement third archangel. He was created out of a necessity for three archangels, and he isn't very well adjusted. He has no motivation and has only talked to Philza.

Vikkstar The guardian angel of all the demi/semigods. When he's not watching over them, he is hanging out with Lazar.

Lazarbeam The general of the heavenly guard. He slacks off very much, and often hangs out with Vikkstar. Aggravated easily.

Clara The first angel, and the most wise. She is seen as an oracle and is prayed to as frequently as the gods. She often hangs out in Tommy's dreams.

Sam Nook An altered copy of Sam, made to be a nanny to Tommy, Tubbo, and Wilbur. Now he takes care of young Fundy and Michael.

HUMANS

Just like you and me. Except some are dead.

Kristin Married to Philza and mother of Tommy, Tubbo, and Wilbur. When she died, Mamacita offered her a job as the Grim Reaper so that she could hang out with Phil more often.

Grace Married to Slimecicle and mother to Connor. Is the second Grim Reaper, alongside Kristin.

Ghostbur Human clone of Wilbur that Foolish accidentally made when fooling around with the demigods. Has since died and chills out in the animal sector with his sheep, Friend.

Lani Tubbo's sister from his old foster family on earth, who he lives near. Knows everything about everyone in the Pantheon, somehow.

Corpse Husband The janitor of the Underworld. Was a massive sinner when he was alive, but managed to convince Mamacita to let him work for her instead of suffering for eternity.

Mr Beast A generous billionare who runs a private church for the rich in his town. He communes with Karl on the condition that he won't try to gain things for himself using him.

5up A turnip farmer who died and now hangs around Fundy.

.....

Alright. That's it. So. Much. Typing. My fingers hurt. I accidentally deleted all my progress around the halfway point but I persevered. Also, this blog will be used for designs of the AU characters I'll be making. Thanks for reading this far!

Bye. Thanks again.

Oh wait now I have to add a shit ton of tags ughhhh

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foxghost · 3 years

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Joyful Reunion, Chapter 20

Translator: foxghost @foxghost tumblr/ko-fi1 Beta: meet-me-in-oblivion @meet-me-in-oblivion tumblr Original by 非天夜翔 Fei Tian Ye Xiang Masterpost | Characters, Maps & Other Reference Index

Book 1, Chapter 6 (part 1)

“In the whole wide world, is there seriously no one who can kill Li Jianhong?”

Mu Kuangda lets out a long, long sigh, with the masked Chang Liujun standing behind him.

The great general Zhao Kui is standing across from Mu Kuangda. Zhao Kui is dressed like a literati scholar today, and he’s in the study practising calligraphy. Wu Du, standing at his side, does not speak a word.

“It’s not that they can’t kill him,” Zhao Kui replies, “It’s that they’re not permitted to kill him. Wu Du, Chang Liujun, Zheng Yan, as well as that Nameless One are all bound by the Zhenshanhe. As long as that sword is in Li Jianhong’s hands, then they cannot raise arms against him.”

Zhao Kui’s calligraphy is robust and decisive, each stroke spilling onto the paper like a rainstorm wrapping around countless blades.

“Since Nayantuo died,” Zhao Kuai says in a low tone, “it’s been difficult to find another who can rival Li Jianhong.”

“No matter how strong he is, he’s only human,” Mu Kuangda postulates, “And if he’s human, he has weaknesses. If he has a plan for everything and believes everything is going according to his plan, then there has to be some variable in those plans.”

Zhao Kui says, “Perhaps the Nameless One is his variable. That man first betrayed his teacher, then massacred his entire school — even now there’s been no explanation as to why. I already had him tracked down based on what Wu Du told me. He’s from the end of the Xianbei mountain range, and when Li Jianhong went on the run he also stayed there for a short while.”

Mu Kuangda brings a teacup to his lips, and after taking one sip he turns to look outside at the gallery. “I’m quite at the end of my rope when it comes to him — I can only leave it in your hands, General.”

“Aside from that, I remember there is someone still,” Zhao Kui puts down his brush, “who may be able to fight against Li Jianhong.”

Zhao Kui turns to Mu Kuangda. “But I’m in no position to hire him, so I can only leave it in your hands, Chancellor.”

Mu Kuangda looks pensive, but says nothing.

“When Master Wangbei was heavily wounded by Nayantuo, he passed the Duanchenyuan to Kongming.” Zhao Kui continues, “Master Wangbei had another disciple junior to Kongming who studied Buddhism without shaving his head. Later, he betrayed his sect and took Duanchenyuan with him.”

“Well we can’t count on Wu Du or Chang Liujun.” Zhao Kui heaves a sigh. “To them it’s permissible to kill anyone under the sun aside from Li Jianhong; he is the only exception”

“As for the Nameless One, he must be coming here on an important mission. The Mongolians have declared war on Liao; if things proceed as I expect them to, in a few months when war breaks out all over the place, Li Jianhong will definitely show himself.”

For a long time, Mu Kuangda stays silent, not saying a word.

The Mongolians are marching south and their advance party has already captured Huchang. From the bureaucracy to the common folk, the Liao populace are thus alarmed. Refugees swarm toward Shangjing. By the fifteenth of the sixth month, there were already near thirty-thousand people gathered outside the capital of Shangjing. Li Jianhong takes the highways with Duan Ling on horseback all the way to the city gates.

“Who’s there?!” The guard at the gate says, “Show your documents! We need to search you!”

Li Jianhong turns the horse’s head and whistles toward the top of the city walls. Cai Wen, charged with the city’s defence, spots them, and sends someone down to open a side door, letting the two of them in.

“Thank him,” Li Jianhong tells Duan Ling. From his perch on horseback Duan Ling cups one hand in another at Cai Wei, and Cai Wen returns the salute. Presumably, he’s too busy with work to come ask the two of them when they left the city and what business they had outside.

Though it’s only been a scant few days since they’ve been gone, by the time they get home, Duan Ling feels as though a lifetime had gone by. Since the moment he stepped out of the house that night to rescue Batu, he had involuntarily stepped onto an epic, momentous path — in a single night he has become part of the Southern Chen imperial clan, his father has somehow turned out to be the foremost warrior of the border, the Han god of war … and now with the sudden change in Southern Chen’s situation, Li Jianhong had no other option but to wander far from home, and the two of them must depend on no one else but each other.

After coming upon such a radical change to his life, everything that has happened before now feels unfamiliar. Lang Junxia’s secrecy, his father’s arrival — all of it has an explanation now

There is much you must accomplish in the future.

A lot of what he didn’t understand before, all at once he understands entirely.

In the corridor he sits beneath the eaves, staring blankly into the courtyard.

“Dad.”

“Hey, son.” On the other hand, Li Jianhong is acting the same as he ever was as he waters Duan Ling’s flowerbed with a water pot.

Duan Ling doesn’t say anything. Once Li Jianhong finishes watering the plants, he draws more water from the well, gets the rice steaming, and cuts up a fish next to the well as he makes a meal for Duan Ling.

This startling change has come too rapidly and too suddenly; Duan Ling has no idea what he should be doing with himself. He stares at Li Jianhong’s back, feeling as though the man Master Kongming, Lang Junxia, and the Madam of Viburnum knows of is somehow not the same one as his father. It’s just like a dream.

While Li Jianhong is shaving off fish scales he even takes the time to look back at Duan Ling. “Hungry? Food will be ready soon. Half an hour.”

“Dad,” Duan Ling says, “what should I be doing right now?”

Li Jianhong looks at him blankly for a heartbeat, then he starts to smile. He carries the fish into the kitchen, and Duan Ling chases after him, watching Li Jianhong from behind as he heats up the oil in the wok.

“You can do whatever you want,” Li Jianhong offers casually, “All those old grievances are your dad’s problems. In no way are they your fetters.”

“Your problems are my problems. What does a prince have to do?”

Li Jianhong makes Duan Ling step back a bit, and stands between him and the wok so the sputtering oil won’t splash onto him. He slides the fish down into the oil by the wok’s edge, and with a light splutter a mouthwatering fragrance fills the air.

“Your fourth uncle doesn’t have an heir yet,” Li Jianhong says offhandedly, “Even if he does, the future throne of Southern Chen is still going to be yours. You’re not a prince. You’re the emperor.”

Duan Ling stares at him speechlessly.

Liu Jianhong taps the edge of the wok with the back of his hand, and the pan-fried fish spins in the wok. Then Li Jianhong flicks it with a finger and jolts the fish into a flip. Now the golden side is facing up as it sizzles in the oil.

“When you study, you’re learning how to be an emperor.” Li Jianhong says with a smile, “it’ll save you from running around like a chicken with its head cut off when you take the throne. Do you remember what the great ancestor said?”

“Governing a large country …” Duan Ling is staring the fish inside the wok, “is like simmering a side dish.”2

“Exactly.” Li Jianhong says in deadly earnestness, “Looks like studying is useful after all.”

“But I don’t know how to do anything.”

Li Jianhong adds half a ladle of water, tosses in green onions, ginger, garlic, and throws a lid on it. He wipes his hands. “If you don’t know then learn. Your majesty, grab a bowl, it’s time to eat!”

Li Jianhong picks up Duan Ling sideways and drops him off outside the main hall. Duan Ling goes to set the table.

“When you have free time you can think about what you want to do once you become the emperor,” Li Jianhong says this to Duan Ling seriously during dinner.

Duan Ling nods, nonplussed. Li Jianhong bids him, “Before everything is done and dusted, just think about it to yourself — no need to tell anyone lest they get jealous. After all, of most everyone, nine out of ten of them can’t become an emperor.”

Duan Ling bursts out laughing. Sure, that’s true, but it just feels like such a remote thing. That night, Li Jianhong sits in the corridor beneath the eaves, arms wrapped around his knees as he watches the stars, while Duan Ling does some reading in preparation for the fast approaching exam. Little by little, he falls asleep while sprawled on the desk. Li Jianhong picks him up carefully, brings him back inside, and the two fall asleep on the same bed.

“A scholar mustn’t be anything but firm and persistent …”

The weather grows gradually hotter. Duan Ling recites the words of Zengzi3, and he cannot help himself from glancing at Li Jianhong, who’s reading a book next to him.

Li Jianhong cuts in sedately, “… for his responsibilities are great and his road is long.”

“For his responsibilities are great and his road is long.” Duan Ling recites along.

His head is full of questions. His father is all by himself, and the only person he can order around is Lang Junxia. Southern Chen has hundreds of thousands of soldiers and its territories are vast. With nothing but his identity as an imperial kin, how is he supposed to take it all back?

“Dad,” Duan Ling asks, “do you know Yelü Dashi?”

“I know him. He’s always pretending he doesn’t know me.”

Duan Ling looks at him questioningly.

Li Jianhong derides, “It’s for the same reason why when one person beats up another, the one who got beat up always tries to avoid him.”

Duan Ling stares at him silently for a bit. “Then will he come after you?” He has been thinking a lot in the past little while, and he realises that his father’s identity is rather sensitive. Once he’s on his own, his enemies will probably come calling.

“He won’t. We used to be his enemy, but not anymore. Yelü Dashi is an extraordinarily cunning man, and he’s always trimmed his sails with the wind. And besides, he has no idea I’m here.”

“Then what do we do about the south?”

“I’ve been considering that lately.” Li Jianhong thinks quietly to himself for a moment before saying, “Basically I just have to borrow troops, make alliances, cozy up to Liao, and resist the Mongolians. If Yelü Dashi would lend me ten thousand men it’d be a cinch to take down Zhao Kui.”

“Would he lend you troops?”

“Now that’s something worth thinking about, and that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about. How do I give him a reason that he has no choice but to accept. I was talking to Batu’s dad that day about this very arrangement. I told him to deploy his troops to Yubiguan, that way Southern Chen’s army can’t make it up here, and Shangjing will have no choice but to ask for reinforcements from the southwest road.”

“And just like with Batu, leave me here as a hostage …”

“No way.” Li Jianhong’s expression darkens, and his tone turns sombre and cold. “You cannot say that again. In your eyes, is that the kind of man your dad is?”

Duan Ling can only nod then to indicate that he won’t say it again, and sneaking glances at Li Jianhong soon afterwards, he finds him looking a little bit angry. So he goes over and tries to smooth things out. Li Jianhong turns around and folds Duan Ling to himself with one arm. He says simply, “Yelü Dashi must not be allowed to find out who you are.”

Duan Ling hums in agreement. Li Jianhong says, “If anything changes, dad will discuss it with you. You don’t have to worry about these things.”

Duan Ling nods, and leans back in Li Jianhong’s lap to read and prepare for his exams, while Li Jianhong stares intently at a yellowed old map on the desk. On the map is the vast territory of the north, stretching south past Yubiguan all the way down to the Huai River, and it has a massive character written on it — Liao.

For days on end, Li Jianhong is pondering over this, while the day of Duan LIng’s examinations fast approaches. Speaking of which, oddly enough Duan Ling feels as though he’s grown up overnight; he seems to no longer care about all the other things he was so fond of doing before, and no longer clamours about wanting to go play. His life seems to have more important things in it, waiting for him.

This must be fate, isn’t it? He’s beginning to develop another sort of new, and intense sentiment about his father — his worship of his father has gone from a formless idea to a feeling that even though his father is his, he’s also responsible for many other people, a responsibility that cannot be shirked. Perhaps this is exactly what the headmaster meant when he spoke of benevolent rule. And this way of the benevolent rule belongs to both Duan Ling and his father.

Little by little, he begins to avoid bothering Li Jianhong, trying his best not to interrupt when Li Jianhong spends long periods of time lost in thought. Summer is here, and the call of cicadas is a constant thing; Shangjing’s summer days are dry and cool, with a fresh scent that lingers.

Today, Duan Ling walks through the corridor with a bundle over his shoulder, and turning towards the parlour where Li Jianhong is having tea, he says, “Dad, I’m heading to the entrance exam.”

Li Jianhong watches him from the parlour, his gaze is remarkably complicated but filled with a sense of warmth.

“You’ve grown,” Li Jianhong says.

Standing in the brightly-lit courtyard, Duan Ling bathes in the rays of the summer sun. He should be glad, but he doesn’t know why when he hears his father say that it makes him feel a little bit sad.

“But dad likes the way you are right now very much.” Li Jianhong rises with a smile. “Let’s go.”

Duan Ling wasn’t going to let Li Jianhong waste any energy on him, but Li Jianhong has never forgotten. Everything is already packed, waiting near at hand. He sets down the teacup now and picks up the bundle, to head to Biyong College with Duan Ling for his exams.

This is the first time Duan Ling has ever taken an exam, and above all else he feels a bit nervous. But Li Jianhong is telling him, “Don’t worry. If you don’t get in, then all dad has to do is spend some money to get you in for fun.”

Duan Ling starts to laugh, and that nervousness feels lighter. Biyong College is already overflowing with students coming here to take the exam, noisily talking amongst each other. Li Jianhong finds a seat and makes him sit down. Then he says quietly, “Dad will wait for you on that tree outside.”

A heartbeat of silence passes before Duan Ling says, “You should go home.” He’s feeling rather embarrassed, though the inside of Biyong College is quite crowded and no one has taken notice of them.

Li Jianhong sets the table for him with paper and brush. “You’ll have the opportunity to handle many grand occasions yet. Just write whatever you feel like. You don’t need to prove yourself with this sheet of paper. Dad believes in you. No need to take this too seriously.”

Duan Ling suddenly understands what Li Jianhong means and nods back at him. Mastering the literary and martial skills is for the sake of benefiting the imperial family, and since he is part of the imperial family, what’s there for him to worry about? What Li Jianhong probably means is that he needn’t put in too much effort, lest he stands out and draws too much attention to himself.

Li Jianhong gives Duan Ling a thumbs up, then he turns, and goes outside.

I do not monetise my hobby translations, but if you’d like to support my work generally or support my light novel habit, you can either buy me a coffee or commission me. This is also to note that if you see this message anywhere else than on tumblr, do come to my tumblr. It’s ad-free. ↩︎

From Laozi’s Tao Te Ching. ↩︎

Zenzi was a student of Confucius. ↩︎

#queued #相見歡 #fei tian ye xiang #joyful reunion #xiang jian huan #fox translates things

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wainwrightjakobshammerlock · 4 years

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finally. i decided to do this. anyways hello there, i am jake and today i want to talk about something; you see, if you are in the tf2 fandom, you probably know about heavymedic. Wherther you are a hardcore gamer who resents f2p’s or a person that never played the game but has trillions of notes on their art- you know heavymedic exists and most of all you probably ship it.

And I find that weird. In the few fandoms in my life I have been in I had never seen a single ship be so widely if not shipped, then accepted. Sure, maybe everyone in the GF fandom knows what Billdip is - for better or for worse. Sure, maybe the HS fandom is 70% shipping.

But I have never ever seen such a phenomenon in a prominent multiplayer game fandom. A fandom, sadly, oftentimes filled with toxicity. Overwatch is very similar here - yet ships are either a hot topic of discussion or straight up ignored. But TF2? In here for whatever reason we ship these two mercenaries. And in this essay I will try and find a reason or two why is that.

Apologies for any mistakes or incoherency. English is not my first language, I need to ramble, and my vocabulary is all over the place.

Content warning: mentions of homophobia, blood, death, mentions of WLW fetishization, nsfw mention. Also MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE TF2 COMICS.

Part 1: Canonical Evidence and Interactions

Let’s be honest: I could ramble about this one for days on end. But I’ll try and keep it short.

First and foremost we have the official videos. And of course the first thing that comes to mind is Meet the Medic.

At the very start of the part where Medic himself appears, we see him telling a joke about a particularly gruesome situation to Heavy.

He laughs along with him, visibly enjoying his company. He even smiles as he waits for another joke. Heavy only shows genuine fear a lot later.

And of course this damn scene always cracks me up. Medic slightly pinches Heavy’s cheek and strokes his lip gently (the other part is almost not noticeable unless you play the video at slow speed).

Of course we all know about the Hand Hold that happens somewhere halfway in the vid. I don’t think I have to explain the gayness in that. The fact their hands stay interlocked even after Medic helps Heavy up. The deep breath Medic takes because even he cannot handle the emotions. That few seconds is unresolved sexual tension manifest.

Overall the short shows a strong feeling of trust between these two. Medic confides in Heavy and reverse. Yeah he puts a baboon heart into his friend’s chest cavity but the fact (as proven at the end of the video) that Heavy was the first one to have an Ubercharge implanted into him shows that Medic at the very least considers him a lab rat.

I treat End of the Line as non-canonical, as do many others, and as such won’t discuss it here. But it will forever crack me up that Valve endorsed such levels of homoerotic subtext.

These two have some short moments in other videos, like for example in Invasion Heavy helps Medic up (CINEMATIC PARALLELS) but it’s nothing major so I guess I’ll skip forward.

Second is their interactions ingame. You might call me a weirdo for trying to find stuff in there but holy shit I have things to say and I’m going to say them.

You thought I was going to fanboy over the “i love this doktor” voiceline huh? Well not really. I wish these two had unique lines if they assist one another.

Heavy is literally listed on the official wiki as the “ideal medic buddy” and multiple pages on that exact wiki say some pretty interesting things.

I have to say something about the Gentleman’s Ushanka and/or Pocket Medic. They are both community cosmetics - but the fact they both got accepted by Valve says a lot. Above is text snipped from the actual wiki.

Last but not least: The Comics. Darned comics. The pair of mercenaries has basically no interaction - unless you count issue 6.

Heavy getting absolutely PISSED when Medic is killed by Ch*avy. Their reunion. Medic referring to Heavy by “my friend” in a totally straight way. Kind of sad Valve wasted an opportunity for them to hug. Maybe they knew their comic artist ships them and wanted to avoid having to answer the Question™.

Part 2: Dynamics

This part’s a bit trickier, mostly due to the reason that I’m new to this whole dynamic analysis thing. Yeah I’m good at spotting canonical evidence but very specific shipping dynamics often escape my gaze.

The most obvious one is Big Guy, Little Guy. Quoting the TVTROPES page:

[…] This trope describes a pair of guys who always fight together, are best friends forever, and quite often have a very obvious hierarchy: The little guy is often in charge […] The little guy is usually listed first, since he’s the leader, and they are always listed together, as if they are one entity. In fact, some episodes may center on the fact that they can’t live without each other. […] If this is a case of Brains and Brawn, the Big Guy is usually the Brawn, and the Little Guy the Brains. It’s almost never the other way around, but in some cases the Big Guy can be rather smart too. […]

A sub-type of this, a common favorite here on Tumblr is known as “small chaotic big calm” and hoo boy if that isn’t these two. I don’t really have much to say here - again I am not an expert.

Part 3: Fandom Impact

So you don’t think Red Oktoberfest (as Heavymedic is sometimes called) is super popular on anywhere else than Tumblr? Wrong.

It’s hard to find TF2 fics on Archive of Our Own not tagged with Heavy/Medic. Of course most of them only contain hints to their relationship but go in the main tf2 tag and I can guarantee you, you’ll gonna see “implied heavy/medic” all the time.

But these two go further than AO3 or Tumblr or Instagram or whatever. They are recognized even within the wider circle of the fanbase. Take this SFM, for example. (I am using the Saxxy Awards version of Secret Lives here mostly due to the fact that the Heavymedic moment is much gayer. In the normal version, the dialogue isn’t changed, but they simply hold hands.)

youtube

But it gets deeper. (WARNING: THE GAY MOMENT IN THIS ONE IS NSFW. NOT EXPLICITLY SO BUT JUST A HEADS UP TUMBLR PLEASE DO NOT FLAG ME)

youtube

And the best part? The comments are extremely positive. You’d expect hoards upon hoards of homophobes screeching but no, the comments are supportive. Even on places such as Reddit or Youtube, comments like “yeah they’re gay and in love” do not get downvoted/disliked to hell; in fact the opposite.

Part 4: Canon Status

Let’s be real. Most ships are shipped because people want to explore the dynamics in fanfic, fanart or something else. But Heavymedic is shipped because… well, I have no idea.

Actually, I kind of do - but only theories. You see, while the canonical evidence is here, the creators have never said anything about them. No confirmation, no disproval, no hinting, nothing.

But the ship is so prominent! There has to be something causing this!- you say. And to that I present you 2 theories on why Heavy/Medic is so popular.

Theory number 1 states that we simply all choose to interpret their interactions as homoerotic. And this is very easy to disprove - there’s simply no way we just collectively agreed on these matters out of nothing. There has to be something bigger.

And theory 2 states that, well, our interpretation is the desired interpretation. But this is even more ridiculous than theory 1 for a number of reasons. If they are in fact gay, why hasn’t Valve made them canon yet?

A Theoretical Scenario

I am going to ramble big time on this one, so buckle up lads. I’ll discuss a theoretical scenario in which, well, if that was not obvious, Valve confirms Heavymedic as canon. Maybe then we will see why they will probably never do so.

TF2 is considered by typical capital G, alt-right Gamers as a “non-political” game. This means no women (in the game itself, at least, and if even, sexy women only), no queer folk and no minorities (for some reason they accept Demoman but throw a fit if someone draws any other merc as not being pearl white). Team Fortress 2 was around before Gamergate and other things like Gamers Rise Up. It’s a classic and Valve is regarded as the good guy to Epic Game’s bad guy. If Valve did anything to confirm doubts, wherther it be clearing up popular fanon or confirming ships, these people would throw hands. (Although they seemed to ignore when one of the writers confirmed Miss Pauling is a lesbian. Huh.) Even those that don’t play TF2 would come to the aid of their bros.

Let me illustrate with two very similar examples. In both cases these confirmations were the first made by the company as a whole, both are fairly recent and both confirm a character as gay.

First we have the confirmation of Tracer from Overwatch as a lesbian. It was done in one of OVW’s comics. Tracer is the FACE of Overwatch as a whole and while most of the fanbase accepted it (thankfully the Gamers are reluctant to infest ow), some people threw what I can only describe as a hissy fit. At least her girlfriend’s a background character.

Second is Neeko from League of Legends. Unlike Tracer she was added a while before it was confirmed she was gay. LOL is much more toxic and filled with Gamers than OW and holy shit people smeared LOL so much.

Of course these are not accurate to Heavy/Medic. In both of the cases I listed it was girls being wlw and we all know how much cisgender heterosexual gamers LOVE yuri porn. Apparently only girls can be gay because they can jack off to it - if it’s two guys then it’s disgusting. Nevertheless I think these are good approximations - in every case the company gets “shat on” on social media and other sites. With the community that Valve has, I think even if they wanted them to be gay, they would never ever confirm it.

Conclusion

I’m sorry for that ending. I had to theorize a bit. Regardless I’d love if you shared this on other sites, reblogged or whatever - I wasted at least 1 and a half hours of my life on it. Feel free to cite this as a source if someone asks you why you ship the big heavy weapons expert and the feral battle medic.

#my post #text post #tf2 #medic #heavy #heavymedic #long post

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tanadrin · 5 years

Text

Patch Notes for World of TanadrinCraft

Patch 1.0: Release

Welcome to World of TanadrinCraft! The game has officially moved out of its beta phase, and the servers have been reset. Explore the vast, exciting world of Tanadria with your friends, as one of nine classes, including Wizard, Axe Wizard, Religion Wizard, Edgy Wizard, Goth Wizard, Pirate Wizard, Tree Wizard, Bow and Arrow Wizard, and Pokemon Trainer. Join one of three rival factions and compete in fast-paced player versus player combat, where you will get stunlocked and die before being able to do anything, because fuck you for not rolling a stealth class.

Balance changes:

-Axe Wizard specialization “Barbarian” now gets a bonus armor multiplier for each armor slot they leave empty. Armor of Chainmail Thong of Skullcrushing nerfed to compensate.

-Goth Wizards now permitted to wear cloth gear in colors other than black (but don’t push it).

-Edgy Wizards have been given three additional stun abilities and can now move at 125% speed while stealthed. Because fuck you, that’s why.

-Bow and Arrow Wizards now 10% more impossibly cool.

-Religion Wizards are now forbidden from taking quests that require killing sentient creatures to complete. To compensate, their experience gain has been increased by 0.5%.

-Due to player complaints about realism, Tree Wizard’s Tree Mode ability now renders the caster immobile. Carbon dioxide uptake increased by 4% to compensate.

-Secondary professions like Fishing, Darts, Coin Flipping, Juggling, and Whistling have had their skill gain reduced by 50%, to make them more rewarding.

-As players have expressed a desire for the world to “feel bigger,” all movement speeds have been reduced by 20% (except for Edgy Wizards).

Patch 1.1: Balance Changes & Bug Fixes

After a slightly bumpy rollout, we’re proud to announce that the World of TanadrinCraft subscriber count continues to increase! Thanks to everybody who helped make our launch a success!

-Wizard class renamed to Regular Wizard to avoid confusion.

-Regular Wizard specializations renamed to “Blow Shit Up,” “Freeze Shit,” and “Blow Shit Up, But Purple”

-Religion Wizard’s new “Snake Handler” ability allows pacifying all Snake-type creatures within 8 meters for 15 seconds.

-Tree Wizard’s ability “Evapotranspiration” has had its mana cost reduced by 15%.

-Axe Wizard’s “Ye Olde Chivalrie” specialization now requires composing 400 lines of courtly love poetry to unlock, up from 350.

-Due to major balance adjustments, Pokemon Trainers have had their talent points refunded.

-Elite monsters in the Swamp of Annihilation will no longer spawn immediately on top of the player and kill them in three hits. This was a bug and has now been fixed. Player should now die in a single hit.

-It was previously possible for non-stealth classes to occasionally defeat Edgy Wizards. This was a bug and has now been fixed.

-Pirate Wizard’s “Crippling Rum Addiction” debuff can now be managed by regular visits to the Pirates’ Cove Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, but, alas, can never be completely cured.

-The Farming profession has been buffed, and to compensate, all other sources of food in the game have been removed.

-The Shivering Wastelands of N’Zakoth are now 12% more Shivering and 6% more Wasted. Experience gain in this zone has been reduced by 2% to compensate.

-The Coin Flipper Epic Questline has now been fully implemented, allowing Coin Flippers to discover (and flip!) rare and magical coins from various corners of Tanadria.

Patch 1.2: First Content Patch

-New Contested Zones designed around PvP have been added to the game! Compete with the players of the other two factions to control these strategic territories and unlock their secrets, or remain neutral and sell your services to the highest bidder!

-Deciduous Tree Wizards must now hibernate during winter. To compensate, their Stamina has been increased by 6%.

-Religion Wizards who take the “Inquisitor” specialization now have a special resource called Intolerance. At 0%, Intolerance gives a debuff to attack power, stamina, and offensive abilities. As Intolerance increases, these stats are buffed, although at high levels other drawbacks may occur, like reduced reputation gain with non-aligned factions. At 100%, the Religion Wizard may be forced to attack all books other than the Holy Word of Sithrak on sight, or cease to believe that Tanadria is round.

-Bow and Arrow Wizards have been given a variety of Trick Shot abilities. These abilities deal no extra damage, but oh man, they look so fuckin’ sick, you have no idea.

-To avoid interfering with the pet training mechanic, Pokemon Trainers now cannot deal or be dealt damage in PvP.

-The Cavers of Gloaming instanced dungeon is now available to explore! Inhabited by the fearsome Gloam-Orcs, who hate and fear the living, players can now form parties of up to seven to delve into these treacherous pits and carefully explain to the Gloam-Orcs why their animaphobia is an antiquated prejudice in the Age of the Gryphon, and how external trade and openness to tourism is a healthy part of any subterranean economy.

-The Mining Profession now generates 1% less toxic runoff per skill level, up to a maximum of -50%.

-The Wyrm-Jungles of Annelidia are now accessible through the Pass of Defile. The Earthwyrm Lord requests your aid!

-The Pirate Wizard class now offers the “Venture Capitalist” specialization.

Patch 1.3: Hotfix

-Toxic runoff from gold farmers strip-mining the Hills of Morning has forced the Kingdom of Glywyspryn to declare the entire region a Superfund site, closed to further exploitation. Despite the objections of the Glywyspryn Free Trade Party, Mining is now disabled in this zone.

Patch 1.4: Bug Fixes & Balance Changes

-Alliterative verse sometimes previously sufficed to unlock the “Ye Olde Chivalrie” specialization; this was a bug and has been fixed. Only iambic pentameter in royal couplets is permitted now. Players who unlocked the specialization using this exploit have had their class changed to Barbarian Axe Wizard to reflect their taste in poetry.

-The armor bonus for leather wristbands has been doubled for Goth Wizards.

-All offensive abilities and talents of the Pokemon Trainer class have been removed, as they have been deemed unnecessary. As a consequence, their talent points have been refunded.

-Edgy Wizards have had their gold gain increased by 2%. Their experience gain has been increased by 4% to compensate.

-The Heavily-Greebled War-Sword of Gh’k’lazko the Perforated now has a 33% chance to deal twice as much damage to the wielder as to an opponent.

-The Corrupted Phlegm debuff has accidentally spread beyond the Blood-Spattered Altar of Gr’oth instance; as our QA team has been unable to determine the source of this bug, a new specialization has instead been added for Goth Wizards: “Plague Doctor.”

-Players who kited the Me’ga-Dra’go’n world boss to faction capitals have been issued 3-day bans and been awarded the title “The Irritating.”

-Edgy Wizards previously could only roll “Need” on items their class could use. This was a bug. Edgy Wizards now roll “Need” on all items automatically. Their armor has been increased by 3% to compensate.

Patch 1.5: Content Patch

We’re very excited to announce our first major expansion. Coming soon: Tanadriaclysm!!! New classes, new world quests, zone redesigns, and more, so you can experience Tanadria as you’ve never experienced it before! In preparation for the upcoming expansion, new world events can be found in both major cities and high-level zones.

-The Great Necropolis of Yrrr raid instance is now open! Tackle unparalleled challenges for unparalleled rewards with 199 of your closest friends! Defeat the 43 Generals of the Great Army of Yrrr, and confront the 62 Lords of the UnderDeath!

-Players mourning the death of the Lord of Annelidia will be pleased to know that both halves have now regenerated! Unfortunately, this has sparked a succession crisis and a vicious civil war, with the Front-Halfers locked in an intractable conflict with the Back-Halfers.

-Lack of player interest in the Farming profession has resulted in fully 15% of world NPCs starving to death. This is not a bug. Get farming, people.

-Tree Wizards can now produce food for themselves and their party members, if they choose a fruit-bearing specialization.

-New world bosses have been added to several zones, dangerous monsters which you will only be able to defeat by careful strategy and cunning tactics; or, failing that, by getting a sufficient fraction of the playerbase on your server to unionize.

-The Unseemly Portal is now open! It leads to the back garden.

-To reduce distracting from the core mechanic of the class, all random monsters are now invisible to Pokemon Trainers and vice-versa. Pokemon Trainers have had their talent points refunded.

Patch 1.6: Bug Fixes & Balance Changes

Congratulations to the world first kill of ArchCommander Bly’a’rgh by the guild <Abstract Noun>, 37 minutes after the Great Necropolis’s release. All members of <Abstract Noun> have been awarded the title “The Weirdly Intense About This Game.”

-Too many Pirate Wizards choosing the “Privateer” specialization has resulted in a 10% decrease in trade on the Sea of Mirrors, causing the Western Principalities to enter a prolonged recession. Some have blamed this for the rise of the populist Blooddrinker Tyrant in the region, while others have argued it’s the result of the failure of elites to pay attention to anxieties about Elven immigration.

-The Unseemly Portal has been sealed again. A carpenter has been called, but it’s likely all this wet weather we’ve been having lately.

-The Annelidian Civil War has entered a new phase as outside arms have flooded into the region. Player attempts to broker a peace conference have so far failed.

Patch 2.0: Tanadriaclysm!!!

-Six new leveling zones: The Squealing Pits of G’neng, the Obligatory Cheap Viking Ripoff Zone, the Obligatory Cheap Ancient Egypt Ripoff Zone, The Glittering Spines of the Bonechewers, The Undulating Surfaces of Pa, The Zone We’re Pretty Sure Is Going To Be A Big Hit In The Chinese Market

-After meeting with the temple-scholars of TZWPSIGTBABHITCM, the leaders of the Religion Wizard class have developed a new specialization: “Orientalist Mysticism Thing”! Note that players who choose this specialization will, if their characters is of the Caribbean Accent Cannibal Monster race, suffer a 4% penalty to their I’m Not Sure This Isn’t Racist rating.

-A new Dungeon Group Finder has been added! The Dungeon Group Finder will automatically put together a party of your level from other players looking for a group, and teleport you to the dungeon, eliminating such tedious activities as “socializing” and “spending time in the game world.” Simply choose a role--Toxic One Who Calls Other People Noobs, One Who Doesn’t Say Anything or Respond When Asked Direct Questions, One Who Is AFK Until the Final Boss then “Has To Go, Sorry”, One Who Keeps Pulling Even When The Healer is OOM, One Who Rolls Need On Everything “By Accident”--and the Dungeon Group Finder will fill in the others automatically.

-After meeting with the stealthy ninjas of TZWPSIGTBABHITCM, the Edgy Wizards now have access to the “Super Stealthy and Twice As Deadly” specialization! This specialization can be active at the same time as any other specialization. Edgy Wizards have had their game subscription cost reduced by 50% to compensate.

-New primary professions: Logging, Oil Drilling, Textile Production, Thaumaton Harvesting, Chimera Herding, Hippogriff Milking

-New secondary professions: Dog Petting, Doodling, Humming To Yourself, Masturbation

-To keep from distracting from the core class mechanic, the game is now single-player for Pokemon Trainers.

-Two new hero classes have been added! Extremely Edgy Wizard, and Ultra Edgy Wizard!

-New city: Sh’alkimar, of the Golden Spires! Home to the mysterious and alluring Wizard Elves, Shalk’im’ar offers convenient access to all the new zones, and a new starting experience for Wizard Elf characters.

-All old end-game content has been abandoned for the time being, and probably won’t get updated at any time in the next fifteen years, except clumsily to appeal to nostalgia, in a way that’s scarcely coherent to the game’s diegesis. It will be a fond but distant memory, and when you log in years from now, and look over your guild roster, which is entirely inactive--if, indeed, not empty--you will yearn for the happy evenings of your youth spent with people from all over the world who you never met face to face, yet you could still, somehow, count as a kind of friend. You will wish that the past was somehow reclaimable; that we were not destined, as mortal creatures of a mortal world, to have all happy hours slip irrevocably away from us, with the uncertain promise of future joy as our only comfort. You will wonder also, perhaps, what it says about you that such happy memories are tied up in an inherently commodified context, one inseparable from a crass commercialism doomed forever to seek maximum profit rather than truly fulfilling experiences. But such is the eternal dissatisfaction of the world: we exist as best we can, in conditions no one finds optimal, but everyone must somehow make tolerable, seeking a real, permanent happiness that is perhaps forever out of our reach.

-Pokemon trainers have had their talent points refunded.

Patch 2.1: Hotfix

-The entirety of S’halkim’’ar, the City of Golden Spires has been quarantined as a “NSFW RP zone.” All players inside S’h’al’k’im’ar at the time of this quarantine are forbidden from travel outside the city and vice-versa.

Patch 2.2: Bug Fixes & Balance Changes

-The Pirates’ Reef encounter now has 16% more scurvy.

-The “Citrus Tree” specialization for Tree Wizards now does 10% more healing to Pirate Wizards.

-Three hundred new hairstyles have been unlocked for Bow and Arrow Wizards.

-All Bow and Arrow Wizard tier sets have been redesigned. These new armor sets offer no stats or protection from damage, but they look flippin’ sweet.

-The armor art for Barbarian Axe Wizards accidentally crossed the line from “sexy 70s paperback cover art” to “actual porn.” We apologize; this change has been reversed.

-Edgy Wizard’s latency has been reduced to half of whatever yours is.

Patch 2.3: Content Patch

-The Economy Update is here! The Auction system has been reworked. Now each city’s Auction system is separate, and prices are tracked independently. All NPC vendors have been removed. All in-game resources will come from player professions and world drops. New land is being cleared by the Kingdom of Glywyspryn in the Annelidian Jungles for players to grow cash crops, and despite the protest of both the Annelidian Provisional Government and the Annelidian Unity Government, the Wyrm kingdom has proven too weak to resist.

-The Gnomish Bank has moved off the gold standard, causing the Mistweave Woods agreement to break down. All in-game currencies now have variable exchange rates.

-The Patriarch of Jorung has repealed local anti-trust and employment protection regulations in order to attract foreign investment and make the economy more competitive.

-An investigation in the Blooddrinker Tyrant’s foreign connections has yielded mixed results, disappointing the Western Principalities’ middle-class liberals.

-NPC populations of major cities will now vary slightly with time, to reflect their prosperity. Prolonged nearby conflicts, including PvP, will decrease a city’s prosperity. Lots of trade and farming, and long periods of peace, will increase it.

Patch 2.4: Bug Fixes and Balance Changes

-The economy of the Jorung Patriarchate has collapsed. A Gnomish Monetary Fund rescue package has been put together, requiring the Patriarchate to commit to considerably austerity measures for the next 10 years.

-Volatility in the in-game commodities market has led to a production shortfall in two of the three faction capitals. A rise in economic uncertainty has led to political instability that threatens to plunge Tanadria into war.

-Sorcerers from the Skovind Academy of Magical Research have issued warnings about the possible ecological consequences of unrestricted use of mana-based magic; they say the economy should try to move toward renewable forms of magic based on spell memorization and not appropriating poorly understood concepts of Polynesian native spiritual beliefs.

-The Populist Party of Glywyspryn have denounced the Skovind Academy as a hotbed of out-of-touch, elitist, liberal thought.

Patch 2.5: Bug Fixes and Balance Changes

We’re pleased to announce our SECOND upcoming major expansion: Tanadria: INVASION! Coming this fall!

-The Kingdom of Glywyspryn has announced far-reaching sanctions on the People’s Republic of Jorung after it expropriated all foreign assets in the country and renounced the debts of the old Patriarchate. This has resulted in severe shortages. Also, from now on, any time a player brings up socialism in in-game chat channels, a Glywyspryn NPC will tell them to “just google Jorung, if you want to see how well socialism REALLY works.”

-Pokemon Trainers have had their talent points refunded.

Patch 3.0: Tanadria: INVASION!

The Gothmarg Sea Peoples have begun their invasion of Tanadria! Fleeing a dread enemy in their homeland, the Gothmarg are intent on conquering Tanadria and making all free peoples of the continent their subjects! Players will have to bury old enmities, forge new alliances, and work together to repel the invaders--or else, join them! The invasion will play out over a series of updates and world events, and we hope will add an exciting new dimension of ongoing storytelling to World of TanadrinCraft!

-Invasion! Gothmarg advance fleets have landed on the eastern and southern coasts of Tanadria, and are already clashing with the local barons. Join the fight by taking breadcrumb quests in your faction capital, or traveling to the Invasion Points directly.

-New Faction system! In addition to the three major factions, players can now form their own faction! Unaligned players who belong to a guild can create an alliance of guilds, establish settlements in the wilderness, build up their towns and fortifications, and fight for territory.

-New Resources system! Each zone now has a fixed quantity of resources that replenishes based on a timer; over-exploited zones will take longer to replenish, and do so in smaller amounts. Some resources may have a finite quantity, so be careful!

-New economy-oriented Professions include Merchant, Surveyor, and Economist.

-The Pirate Wizard class has been greatly expanded with several new specializations: Landlord, Executive, Neoliberal Pundit, Banker, Small Business Owner

-New politics-oriented professions available to player factions! Politician, Columnist, Cable News Anchor, Lobbyist, Consultant

-Regular Wizard talent rework! Regular Wizards can now blow things up in any of seventeen colors. As a consequence of this rework, Pokemon Trainers have had their talent points refunded.

Patch 3.1: The Invasion Continues

-Working together, players have repelled the Gothmarg advance fleet--but now the main force of the Gothmarg is here! Bringing with them devastating new magickks, and a thirst for conquest, the forces of Warlord Gro’Akka will be very difficult to defeat--but if you fail, all of Tanadria will be threatened!

-New Invasion system will allow Gothmarg and Gothmarg-aligned players to conquer territory, including that held by NPC factions, even to the heart of Tanadria. World PvP and large-scale PvE encounters will make this one of the most exciting chapters in World of TanadrinCraft history!

-Seizing the opportunity opened up by the Gothmarg Invasion, the People’s Republic of Jorung has overthrown the feudal government of several neighboring states, and formed the Jorung Pact. A rival bloc, GATO, under the leadership of Kingdom of Glywyspryn, has declared that they will combat the influence of Jorung in any neighboring country, even if it means supporting the likes of the Horrendous Murderking of Chu.

-A series of ill-considered tarrifs by the Blooddrinker Tyrant has triggered serious inflation in the Western Principalities. The Blooddrinker Tyrant’s approval rating has risen by 6%.

Patch 3.2: Gro’Akka’s Conquest!

-Warlord Gro’Akka has successfully conquered more than a third of Tanadria, including the Jorung Pact, but his invasion has finally been slowed by players working together. Congratulations! It remains to be seen whether the Siege of Glywyspryn City will be lifted, or whether Glywyspryn will fall to the enemy!

-The Gothmarg forces have been reinforced by the arrival of the last of their ships. As these forces comprise primarily women and children, the direct increase to the fighting capacity of the Gothmarg armies will, in fact, be modest.

-Players have complained that the new Resource system has caused much of southern Tanadria to become depopulated during the current war. We’ve examined the issue, and currently everything is working as intended.

-The Skovind Academy has reissued their warning, in slightly stronger terms.

-New PvP rewards are available to players fighting on both sides of the Invasion!

Patch 3.3: The Gothmarg Aftermath

-The defeat of Warlord Gro’Akka, the burning of Glywyspryn City, and the shattering of the Gothmarg military mean that peace is restored--for now. All players who fought on the side of the Gothmarg are now marked as Hated with every non-Gothmarg faction, and will have to work hard to restore their reputation.

-Players have noticed that the unfamiliar climate of Tanadria and the incoming winter means that most of the remaining Gothmarg population is starving. This is WAD.

-The Blooddrinker Tyrant has refused to admit Gothmarg refugees into the Principalities. GATO has condemned this move but taken no other aciton.

-PvP armor sets have had their stats adjusted to make them slightly more useful in PvE.

-The sorcers of Skovind said something about “immanent disaster, we really have to do something.” I don’t know, I wasn’t listening.

Patch 3.4: Bug Fixes & Minor Updates

-The development of a new Gothmarg-Uqqashith creole language in southern Tanadria has begun.

-The post-Gothmarg Kingdom of Gorbal has been established through an alliance between the Gothmarg survivors and local barons. Gro’bag Gromakka has been named Elected King For Life.

-Depopulation through war has increased the bargaining power of the rural population, resulting a loosening of laws around serfdom and an increase in peasant wealth. The nobility, sensing the increasing precarity of their position, have turned to religion to reinforce the feudal hierarchy. Religion Wizards now have a 10% bonus to all offensive abilities.

-The entire faculty of the Skovind Academy was last seen furiously rowing south, something about “getting as far as possible from here before disaster strikes.”

Patch 3.5: Mana Winter

-Overuse of mana-based magics has depleted the natural magical resources of Tanadria. Food production, wildlife, and natural resource regeneration has been reduced to almost zero.

-The Blooddrinker Tyrant has finished his Blooddrinking Ritual, resulting in the Blooddrinker Ascension. The population of the Western Principalities has been devastated. Pundits in Glywyspryn have described the move as “controversial.” Players will have to work together to defeat the Tyrant and prevent the final destruction of all life in Tanadria!

-Please note that until the Blooddrinker Tyrant is defeated, it will not be possible to create new characters, lest the Blooddrinker Tyrant simply drink their blood.

-We have received numerous bug reports about the in-game skybox. This is not a bug; the sun is no longer visible in Tanadria, and won’t be, until the Blooddrinker Tyrant is slain.

Patch 3.6: Mana Winter II

-Several small oases of life were left in the wilderness. This was a bug and has been fixed.

-All player classes have been removed, except Pokemon Trainer. All player characters are now Survival Wizards, with the following specializations available: Hunter, Scavenger, Highway Robber, Pillager, Wanderer, Mad Prophet, Cannibal, Gruff Loner With A Heart of Gold, Ex-Military Guy Who’s Totally Suspicious From the First Time We Meet Him But Only Later We See That He Runs A Compound of Insane Zealots, Cannibal But Pretends To Be Friendly, Swamp Witch, and Zombie in a Top Hat.

-Failure to slay the Blooddrinker Tyrant has resulted in the death of 12% more of the NPC population.

-Pokemon Trainers have had their talent points refunded.

Patch 3.7: Hotfix

-Players were still able to return to life after death by speaking to a Necro-Healer. This was a bug, and has now been fixed. Death is permanent.

Patch 3.8: Mana Winter III

-The last wildlife has died, and zone resources will no longer replenish.

-The Blooddrinker Tyrant continues to grow stronger with each player and NPC permanently killed. Players should be aware that ill-coordinated raids against the Tyrant will only hasten their demise.

-The seas around Tanadria have begun to freeze.

Patch 3.9: Mana Winter IV

-The sorcerers in the Ruins of Glywyspryn have established a portal system that allows the surviving players and NPCs to fast-travel to (but not from) the Ruins. All remaining questgivers will be found there. We have received several reports that currently all quests are variations on “Gather food,” “Gather firewood,” and “Release me from my misery.” This is WAD.

-We wish <Abstract Noun> good luck on their final attempt to down the Blooddrinker Tyrant tomorrow.

Patch 3.10: Twilight

-As there are no surviving members of <Abstract Noun> left, and not enough remaining players attuned to the Palace of the Blooddrinker to attempt the raid, the Blooddrinker Tyrant has departed Tanadria to drink the blood of other lands.

-All remaining NPCs have died.

-Players are free to wander the frozen wasteland until they, too, succumb to cold and hunger.

-Ice is advancing from the north, and will soon cover the last traces of civilization.

Patch 3.11: Ice Advances

-The ice has advanced.

Patch 3.12: Ice Advances

-The ice has advanced.

Patch 3.13: Ice Advances

-The ice has advanced.

Patch 3.14: Ice Adva

#world of warcraft #sort of #i probably find this a lot funnier than it objectively is #patch notes

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deniscollins · 3 years

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To Do Politics or Not Do Politics? Tech Start-Ups Are Divided

If you were CEO of Expensify, a business software start-up with 10 million customers, would you send them an email telling them how you plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election and note that “Anything less than a vote for Biden is a vote against democracy” : (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

Rob Rhinehart, a co-founder of nutritional drink start-up Soylent, declared in a blog post last week that he was supporting Kanye West for president.

“I am so sick of politics,” Mr. Rhinehart wrote. “Politics are suddenly everywhere. I cannot avoid them.”

David Barrett, the chief executive of Expensify, a business software start-up, went in another direction. In an email to his company’s 10 million customers last week, he implored them to embrace politics by choosing the Democratic presidential nominee, Joseph R. Biden Jr.

“Anything less than a vote for Biden is a vote against democracy,” Mr. Barrett proclaimed.

With days to go before the election on Tuesday, Mr. Rhinehart and Mr. Barrett represent the twin poles of a start-up culture war that has openly erupted in Silicon Valley. Start-ups such as the cryptocurrency company Coinbase and the audio app Clubhouse have become embroiled in a debate over how much politics should be part of the workplace. And venture capitalists and other tech executives have weighed in on social media with their own views.

“I have never seen another instance like this in my career,” said Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist and political consultant. “There’s no real separation anymore, in the current political climate, between politics and everything else. It has permeated absolutely everything.”

Silicon Valley tech workers have long been regarded as liberal but not politically overactive. After President Trump’s victory in 2016, however, workers at large tech companies such as Google and Amazon began agitating more on issues like the ethics of artificial intelligence, immigration and climate change.

Now many start-up workers, who have been sold on a mission of changing the world, expect their employers to support their social and political causes, entrepreneurs and investors said. This summer’s protests against police violence prompted many tech companies to re-examine their own issues with race. And the pressure to make political moves before the election has only intensified.

The shift has grown partly out of a realization that no tech platform is completely neutral, said Katie Jacobs Stanton, who invests in start-ups through her venture capital firm, Moxxie Ventures. Founders who build companies with millions of users “really have an obligation to have a point of view and make sure their products are being used for good,” Ms. Stanton said.

“It’s disingenuous and it’s also the luxury of the privileged to say, ‘We don’t have a point of view,’” she added.

But others said they feared becoming a lightning rod or inflaming tensions at a hypersensitive moment during the coronavirus pandemic. Some worried that their companies could be sued by employees who might say they were discriminated against because of their political beliefs. Others said any move could be attacked by those who found the actions inauthentic or not enough.

Those tensions exploded in public last month when Brian Armstrong, the chief executive of Coinbase, penned a 2,000-word blog post to “clarify” his company’s culture. Mr. Armstrong wrote that he wanted Coinbase to generally avoid engaging with broader social issues and workplace conversations about politics. He said it was a way to minimize distraction and focus on the start-up’s mission of creating “an open financial system for the world.”

Two months earlier, dozens of Coinbase employees had staged a walkout after executives were slow to express solidarity with Black Lives Matter protesters and minority employees, several workers said. In his post, Mr. Armstrong said employees who disagreed with his “no politics” stance could leave.

His position immediately created waves across Silicon Valley. Some praised the move, with one Coinbase investor comparing Mr. Armstrong to Michael “Jordan in his prime.” Others said opting out of politics was itself a political statement.

Dick Costolo, a former chief executive of Twitter, tweeted that “me-first capitalists who think you can separate society from business” would be shot in “the revolution.” He deleted the post after, he said, it set off violent threats and harassment.

In an interview, Mr. Costolo said it was impossible for companies to separate their mission from their impact on the world. “If you try to separate the social contract from the economic contract, don’t be surprised when there’s an uprising, because they’re linked,” he said.

Some Coinbase workers disagreed with Mr. Armstrong. “I’m just so mystified by the apparent lack of awareness in the blog post,” Ryan King, a Coinbase engineer, wrote on the company’s internal Slack messaging system. The message was reviewed by The New York Times. “A declaration that we’re not going to touch ‘broader societal issues’ fails to acknowledge that we’re a part of society.”

About 60 Coinbase employees, or 5 percent of the work force, have resigned, the company said. A spokeswoman declined further comment.

Fred Wilson, an investor at Union Square Ventures and a Coinbase board member, said in an interview that there were no easy answers for start-up leaders. “Many, many C.E.O.s have told me privately that they would like to have done what Brian did but don’t want to take the heat that he has taken,” he said.

On Monday, Mr. Wilson wrote a blog post about removing start-up chief executives who have “failed to manage numerous important challenges.” The post prompted speculation that he was referring to Mr. Armstrong, but Mr. Wilson said it was a metaphor for President Trump.

The political debates among Silicon Valley start-ups have ramped up since the Coinbase episode. Last week, Soylent’s Mr. Rhinehart published his post supporting Mr. West’s presidential bid. Mr. Rhinehart, who is on the board but not involved in the company’s day-to-day operations, also attacked the political system and the media, writing that “politics has always been based on jokes.”

Demir Vangelov, Soylent’s chief executive, said Mr. Rhinehart’s post did not represent the company. Soylent’s focus is on bringing “the best complete nutrition to everyone,” he said, and it does not take political stances.

At Expensify, based in Portland, Ore., Mr. Barrett took a different position. After spending more than a decade in Silicon Valley, where he found a “uniform view” that politics was not good for business, he moved to Portland four years ago. Now, he said, “choosing not to participate is also a choice — it’s a choice to defend the status quo.”

So when Expensify employees drafted an email to tell customers to vote for Mr. Biden, after concluding in an internal discussion that re-electing Mr. Trump would be a threat to democracy, Mr. Barrett favored sending it out. While roughly a third of Expensify’s top management opposed sending the email because it could alienate customers, the majority ruled, Mr. Barrett said.

Last Thursday, Expensify blasted its message to its 10 million users. “Not many expense reports get filed during a civil war,” Mr. Barrett wrote.

The email instantly drew criticism and praise on social media. Job applications, web traffic and customer sign-ups have since spiked, Mr. Barrett said. But he also received death threats, prompting him to hire private security. No customers have quit, potentially because Expensify’s system takes months to switch out of, he said.

Tayo Oviosu, chief executive of Paga, a payments start-up in Lagos, Nigeria, said Expensify’s email had crossed a line. Mr. Oviosu isn’t opposed to companies’ speaking up on social justice issues, “but that is very different than leveraging the fact that you used my personal information to tell me I have to vote in a certain way,” he said. “That is wrong.”

Mr. Oviosu, who was using a trial version of Expensify and was considering adopting the paid version, said he now planned to look at alternatives. “I think they lost me completely on this,” he said.

The start-up culture wars are also evident on Clubhouse, where people join rooms and chat with one another. The app has been a popular place for investors such as Marc Andreessen and other techies to hang out in the pandemic. (Mr. Andreessen’s venture firm, Andreessen Horowitz, has invested in Clubhouse, Coinbase and Soylent.)

On Oct. 6, Mr. Andreessen started a Clubhouse room called “Holding Space for Karens,” which describes having empathy for “Karens,” a slang term for a pushy privileged woman. Another group, “Holding Space for Marc Andreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessen,” soon popped up. There, people discussed their disappointment with the Karen discussion and other instances when, they said, Clubhouse was hostile to people of color.

Mr. Andreessen and others later started a Clubhouse room called “Silence,” where no one spoke. Andreessen Horowitz declined to comment.

At a “town hall” inside the app on Sunday, Clubhouse’s founders, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, were asked about Coinbase’s and Expensify’s political statements and where Clubhouse stood. They said the company was still deciding how Clubhouse would publicly back social causes and felt the platform should allow for multiple points of view, a spokeswoman said. She declined to comment further.

Yet even those wishing to stay out of politics are finding it hard to avoid. On Saturday, Mr. Armstrong shared Mr. Rhinehart’s blog post endorsing Mr. West on Twitter. “Epic,” tweeted Mr. Armstrong.

Several users pointed out the hypocrisy in Mr. Armstrong’s sharing something political after telling employees to abstain. One of his employees, Jesse Pollak, wrote that Mr. Armstrong had shared something with “a large number of inaccuracies, conspiracy theories, and misplaced assumptions.”

Soon after, Mr. Pollak and Mr. Armstrong deleted their tweets.

#Communication #Politics

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sahiltechnians · 4 years

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Golden Rules to Use Images Effectively in Web Design

Demand for websites and its standards keeps rising and so is its expectations. We are habituated to search for quick information on the web, be it, socializing, entertainment, information, etc. So, the media plays an important role in any website design. Media could be in the form of audio, video, images, etc. Using these on the website could increase the user experience. But you should ensure that the media included in the website matches the target audience. Also, the media should match the device of the audience. Sometime, playing a video on a website might not be possible if a user browses the website on their mobile due to poor connectivity. So would be the case with an audio file. Images used in website design increase the user experience. Hence, Web Design Company in Gurgaon places the image properly to get the users to catch in it. Every care to be taken to optimize the images on the website for its effective use.

A professional web designer is aware of the image’s importance together with solid layouts and relevant designs to attract and engage the users. But you should provide the right image relevant for each page. The images on the website are best-taken care by the frontend designers who craft the User Interface, perform UX testing, and take care of the entire color of the web pages along with its look and feel.

In short, website design images for the following reasons:

● Draw the attention of the users

● Triggers emotion of the users

● It is a visual representation

● Representation of an idea or feeling ● Users can interpret faster than text Website design pictures or images should follow certain guidelines.

The following points list a few of them:

1. Get An Ideal Banner Image Placing banner images for website design promotes your brand to get more visitors. The banner image is seen at the top of a website and is usually big. It is also called a hero image. It mostly has text on top of the image. Placing this image has a huge impact on website images. Based on its procedure, a banner image is represented as a graphic or advertising image. Get-An-Ideal-Banner-Image A graphic image usually spreads alongside the web page and publishes the website name. It could also be advertising its brand as advertisers would at times count on the banner views or its download.

2. Reflect On Images With Diverse Crop Sizes And Ratios When the right image is in place for the web pages, it should be cropped. Image cropping is a design skill. While cropping, the image originality and clarity should be maintained. Also, website design images should get the user’s attention. A fully responsive website can be put down if the images are not planned and placed properly and those that do not fit the exact screen formats and aspect ratios.

3. Get Appropriate Images From Clients The banner images could be created based out of your imagery, while the main images on the web pages that support the content should be from the client. The best images on the web pages should be studio-shot photos where there is consistency in size, lighting, and angle. Get-Appropriate-Images-From-Clients Image Source: My Simple Show A professional photographer would take images from several angles where the macro details are well-taken care of. Sidestep magnified images that would affect the page’s load time.

4. Make Use Of The Right File Types An image can be stored with Multiple file types, where each file type has a different purpose. You should choose the right file that would be the best fit for your requirement and that matches the displayed content as well. The following file types are ideal for a website:

● JPEG Format – This format can be best used when there are many pictures containing many colors, shading, and gradient.

● PNG Format – This format can be best used when you have a logo to be placed on the web page. It can also be used when you have an image with many solid colors and involve transparency.

● GIF Format – This format can be best used when there is an animation. Make-Use-Of-The-Right-File-Types (Image Source: Color Experts International) Your web page content is well supported when the right image is displayed beside it. Many businesses capitalize on image optimization so that their website gives an aesthetic appeal.

5. Have A Consistent image Style And Size Web pages images look beautiful when all images maintain a constant size and style. It also helps to arrange the columns, text, and other information displayed on the web page. For example, look at Image 1. The images and their associated content are neatly displayed and easily readable as well. This would provide a neat look for a web page. It would increase user experience. As the images are of the same size and are oriented properly, it fits in one column.

6. Include Image File Names To Help SEO To Rank Better Ensure that your website design image file names are proper for SEO to search better. Before you upload it to the website, check for the file name and then upload it. This is because it becomes easy to manage the images. It would increase the SEO rank. To maintain consistency, make use of lowercase alphabets and numeric. Avoid having any punctuation or spaces in the image file name. Include-Image-File-Names-To-Help-SEO-To-Rank-Better (Image Source: WPBeginner) For example, an ideal image file name can be, honda-car.jpg, Hyundai-car.jpg, and so one.

7. Ensure That Captions And Alternative Text Are Placed Once you upload the image to your web page, ensure that the additional information like captions and the alt text are in place. Like the file name, this information gives a boost to SEO. Alternative text also called Alt tags, though not visible to the user, it gives an idea for a search engine that explains the image. Hence the alternative text should be filled once the images are added to each web page. The alternative text should describe the image with a targeted keyword. Ensure-That-Captions-And-Alternative-Text-Are-Placed-1 (Image Source: 3Play media)

8. Image And Its Applicable Text Should Be Placed Next To Each Other Select images that support the text. When an image is surrounded by its related data, it ranks better in SEO. For example, when your website is about travel, placing images of cars would not fetch a better rank in SEO. You need to place an image of different places, hotels, etc. and make the website more relevant and interesting for users to read. Image-And-Its-Applicable-Text-Should-Be-Placed-Next-To-Each-Other Image Source: Epic Media Inc

9. Check Image License If you are taking images from the internet or from other sources you need to check its copyright as well. If it is not to be shared, then you cannot use it on your website as it might act as per the law. Hence, you need to take images that can be shared or to be on the safe side, it is always better to make use of a professional photographer to take images of your products. This way, the image would be yours. So, there could not be any chance of copying in it. Check-Image-License (Image Source: Advertisement)

10. Image Represents Branding Create images that represent your brand. Keep your brand in mind when you frame each image of your website. An image can be branded using the following ways:

● Find out the main business goals

● Define your brand personality

● Progress main messaging

● Recognize the main audience

Image-Represents-Branding (Image Source: Eco & Vegan Graphic Design)

11. Try For Original Images Images should be unique. Customers will be aware of each image that they see on many websites. They will be aware of stock photos when they happen to see it on your website. Stock photos can be used on a website, but it would not provide the actual impact that should convey the users. Having a stock photo would be effective and would cost a bit more. But to have a holistic feel of images on your website, it is ideal that you get a professional photographer who would help to get images that would best fit your business and its products or services.

12. Induce An Emotional Touch For any website design images, emotions always play a vital part in conversions. Those Images used in website design that induct a response would guide viewers to make a purchase decision. You can think of an image that looks clearly pleased by using your product or services. This would provide a positive feel for the customers to purchase.

Conclusion The internet world is being supported by many varied media with the sole purpose to increase the website’s user experience. Placing an image in website design is considered common and widespread media as well. Images are preferred by users as it is convenient and easy to interpret and recall. When images are used with a purpose and effective way, it can attract your users and guide them properly. It is also used to activate the emotions of users and help to gain trust. As the day goes that ‘Am image speaks a thousand words’, so include the right image at the right place and gain more users to your website and increase the user experience

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cake-faceshawty · 5 years

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If you remember my first travel post (Bienvenido a Cuba!), I shared my promise to myself to visit at least one new country each year. And being the birthday diva I am, what better way to kick off twenty-nine twenty-fine than with a girls trip to somewhere new. And thus,

#DESTINATIONTWENTYFINE

was born.

Upon my return from Havana last July, I instinctively started searching for my next vacation spot, and was drawn to the beautiful beaches, exciting adventures and delicious food DR had to offer. I therefore had no doubt that #DESTINATIONTWENTYFINE would be in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

I know what you’re thinking – what is this chick’s obsession with Spanish-speaking countries? Honestly, I’m not sure either 😂 (aside from my love of Hispanic food), but keep in mind that my birthday is in the dead of winter, so travel options are limited due to the weather.

Being the lunatic that I am, by the end of July I had presented my closest girlfriends with a full on PDF document that had everythangggggg (I do my homework, okay!). I had decided on travel dates, given airline options from each person’s point of origin, accommodation options, a full on itinerary and a budget for the entire trip.

However, similar to my Cuba planning, I found limited information online. Even harder, was finding out anything beyond the confinements of all-inclusive resorts. Perhaps it’s because I’m from a popular tourist destination (so I know how it goes), but the thought of staying in a hotel and ONLY experiencing what they present to you at the resort does not excite me. I want to explore the cuisine that hasn’t been watered down to satisfy the palates of tourists; I want to interact with locals and explore beyond the resort walls. And while Punta Cana is known for being a resort town, I knew there was more to be seen than the hotel disco and food buffet.

Within three months, three girlfriends and I had booked flights (catch flights, not feelings okurrrrr), secured a beautiful bungalow via Airbnb and committed to a fully packed birthday getaway to D.R.!

We spent 6 days exploring Punta Cana, eating way too much rice, consuming wayyy too much alcohol and collecting memories to last a lifetime.

Of course I couldn’t limit you guys to just glam shots on Instagram! So, here are all my tips for planning a vacation to Punta Cana.

My follow-up post will have more on where to go, what to eat, what I wore (you know I love a slaycation) and things to do. I hope these posts will answer all your questions!

About Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a part of the second biggest Caribbean island, Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. From a tourist’s perspective, the island would seem to be simply beaches and palm trees; however, they also have mountains, deserts and a rich history.

The official language of DR is Spanish, and while some might assume based on the popularity that Punta Cana is the capital of DR, it is actually Santo Domingo.

Their currency is the Dominican Peso, however, USD, CAD, Euros and GBP are accepted in most places in Punta Cana.

Punta Cana

Punta Cana is one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean and therefore has tons of resorts and villa options. It encompasses Cap Cana, Macao, Bavaro, El Cortecito, Cabeza de Toro, Uvero Alto and Arena Gorda. From the picturesque beaches to the epic nightlife, Punta Cana has become a prime vacation spot if you’re looking for a luxury vacation, some kind of turn up or just want to slay relax on the beach all day – and of course learn a little about the country’s culture!

The beaches and surrounding area reminded me of Jamaica’s north coast – beautiful white sand, lush grass, palm and coconut trees, and warm locals willing to accommodate you despite the language barrier.

What you should know before traveling to Punta Cana

While US passport holders do not need a visa to enter DR, there are visa restrictions for some countries. Jamaicans can enter DR without any visa requirements, however, if you are travelling through the US, you will of course need a US visa. Multiple blog posts had warned of a $10 visitor fee that must be paid before going through immigration, however, we were not required to pay any additional fees. Perhaps that fee is now outdated or included in the ticket fee, but no cash payment was required at the airport from any of us – and we traveled from different locations on different airlines.

Arrange your transportation beforehand: whether you plan to rent a car or need a driver to take you to your accommodation, make these plans before you travel to avoid unnecessary airport stress and get the best prices possible.

About 90% of the resorts are all-inclusive: if you want that resort life and prefer to pre-pay for accommodation, food, alcohol and entertainment, one of these resorts may be your best bet.

Most places in Punta Cana accept USD, Euros, GBP and CAD, so there’s no reason to change your money to pesos. Major credit cards were accepted most places, however, I recommend you bring cash (mostly small bills) for some excursions, tips, and other small purchases.

You can book a lot your excursions in advance online, so you don’t have to worry about them getting sold out. We tried to book as much as we could beforehand in order to efficiently plan our itinerary.

The weather app isn’t always right. The day before we traveled, I was getting a bit nervous because all I saw were rain clouds and possible thunder storms on the Weather App. However, since this is a tropical place, occasional rain clouds appear for short periods. It drizzled maybe twice during our stay and none of our plans were affected by these rain drops.

As a mostly Catholic country, nudity is illegal! So save your topless tanning for elsewhere. If you really want to avoid tan lines, spend some extra dinero on a room with a private pool.

SIM cards with unlimited data for a week are available for $10 USD through Claro, so save on roaming charges and just purchase one at BlueMall (literally less than 10 minutes from the airport) to stay in the loop. Most public places also have Wi-Fi, so you’ll be able to instagram all your amazing pictures in real-time.

What to pack…

As previously stated in my Cuba post, I am not a light packer – I embrace the slaycation lifestyle completely and commit to the slayage – which you cannot do from simply a carry-on. I simply must check a bag when I travel! I’ll try to stick to the basics because I will have a follow-up post on how to pack for a slaycation, so stay tuned!

Passport. Duh, for any international flight this is necessary – but it always has to top the packing list. I can’t imagine driving all the way to the airport only to realise I left my passport on the bed.

Money. Get your coins ready – and whatever cards you’ll be carrying.

Bags. 1 carry-on, 1 checked bag, a backpack/tote, appropriate bags for outfits.

Toiletries. I’m a naturalista, so of course I have to pack shampoo, conditioner, styling products and a spray bottle. But, you’ll also need toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, first aid kit, any necessary medication, deodorant, sunblock, tanning oil, lotion, tampons/pads, makeup, razor, bug spray and makeup. The good thing about this destination is that Supermercado Nacional in Punta Cana has most things you could possibly want: from Advil to Andrews to Herbal Essences. So if you forget any toiletries there’s no need to fret – you can get most of your necessities at the supermarket.

Electronics. Cell phone, iPad/tablet, camera, portable charger, charger cables for all devices, earphones, blue tooth speaker. I opted to leave my laptop at home to resist any temptation to work while on vacation.

Clothing. Underwear (my standard is 2/day plus extras), shorts, cool clothing (it is a tropical destination), swimsuits, a sweater/jacket, sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, heels/dress shoes, “fancy” clothes, sleep clothes and a hat. Once again, Punta Cana is a modernized island so if you need anything, you can probably pick it up at a mall. BlueMall has a huge Zara, Nike, Aldo, Levi’s, Under Armour, just to name a few. So if you forget anything or want to change an outfit, you can always go shopping 💁🏾.

Travel

We booked our tickets online through our preferred airlines. I use an app called Hopper where you can put in your destination and dates to see flight price predictions on various airlines. You can also watch the flight to know when the right time to book is in order to get the most affordable ticket. If you prefer to stay at an all-inclusive resort, you can find flight + hotel options on aa.com, Expedia, Travelocity, etc.

Traveling from Kingston, Jamaica, Justine-Renee and I booked on American Airlines (my preferred airline). The flight was from KIN (Norman Manley International Airport) to MIA (Miami International Airport), then to PUJ (Punta Cana International Airport). The flight from MIA to PUJ was about 2 hours and the entire travel time was about 7 hours. We left Kingston at 7:49 AM and landed in Punta Cana at 3:15 (DR is 1 hour ahead). The cost for my ticket was $715 USD, which is kinda pricey considering I booked it from October, but I digress…

Please note that the flight prices were probably higher than usual since it is a tropical destination and February is right in the middle of peak season.

My friend Tamara traveled on Jet Blue for less, but her travel time was longer as it went from KIN to FLL to SJU (Puerto Rico) to PUJ. Her return flight, however, only had a layover in FLL.

Christine traveled from North Carolina on Southwest Airlines; her travel time was a bit longer than ours and went from RDU to ATL to PUJ. Her return flight stopped at FLL instead of ATL.

Estimate the ticket price to be anywhere between $500 to $800 depending on your city of origin and when you book the ticket.

Accommodation

As previously stated, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of staying at an all-inclusive resort, plus based on the size of my group, it was more economical to stay at a villa/bungalow. However, there are a wide range of resorts to choose from, especially in Bávaro.

Cap Cana, which is less than 20 minutes from the airport, is a gated resort area containing luxury condos, resorts, beaches and entertainment options.

We rented a villa that was absolutely amazing! It was safe (you need a pass to get through the Cap Cana entrance and to enter Green Village where we stayed), spacious, beautifully decorated, and just perfect for our girls’ trip. It had an outdoor shower and bath tub, and our own private pool and barbecue patio with an expansive backyard (not to mention a beautiful view!). We were also close to the shopping mall, supermarket, restaurants and Scape Park so the location was perfect. Our host, Carlos, was very welcoming and checked on us often; he gave us wonderful recommendations for activities, beaches and restaurants, and replied quickly if we had any questions.

For 5 nights, our villa was about $1400 USD total, which wasn’t too bad when split 4 ways.

Check out our home in paradise (thank you Carlos) here:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/23742780?guests=1&adults=1

How to get around

One thing that had us anxious when planning this vacation was transportation. While Punta Cana does have public transportation (taxis) and tour buses, we felt it would be easier on our schedule (and pockets) to rent a car. I can honestly say we found the least helpful information as it related to car rental.

First of all, you must know this: the people of Punta Cana drive like taxi men in Montego Bay, so if you can handle that, you can handle Punta Cana. As for people used to “safer” driving conditions, I can understand your reservation – you may want to stick to taxis or private tour operators. I’m pretty sure we only passed two stoplights around downtown Punta Cana; otherwise, it was just a bunch of roundabouts (they really love roundabouts) and wildness a bit of a free-for-all.

I highly recommend you reserve your car prior to your arrival. We reserved our Alamo rental a week before (no deposit required) through Expedia. While I did pay for the collision insurance through Expedia ($11/day that you pay upfront), I think you can pass on that. The insurance company offers a good insurance package and we opted to get all the recommended insurance since we were driving in unfamiliar territory.

Originally, in trying to keep within the budget, I had reserved a midsize sedan. However, we reached an agreement that the four of us AND our luggage would not be comfortable in a Tiida (A TIIDAAAA!?!) so we decided to upgrade to an SUV upon arrival. Fortunately, they were out of the immediate upgrade option, and for the same price as a Suzuki Vitara, we were able to rent a full-size SUV. For 6 days and the full insurance package, we paid $418 with no hidden fees or surprises. The only request was that we bring the car back with a full tank of gas.

The full tank the car came with was sufficient for 6 days of driving all over the place! We didn’t have to get gas until we filled it right before the return time. The cost to fill the tank was about $75USD.

One thing to note is that in order to rent a car, the person renting must have a valid driver’s license and credit card with the same name. You don’t pay for the car when you first rent it: instead, the company will put a hold on the credit card for $500USD and upon return of the car (provided no damages or accidents), they will subtract the cost of the rental from the $500 hold and return the balance to your credit card. This was a relief for us as we were under the impression that they would be charging the rental fee AND putting the hold for $500 all at once.

Overall the rental experience was hassle-free with no hidden charges, and driving in Punta Cana wasn’t a bad experience. Plus, whether you are roaming or purchase a SIM card, you can use WAZE or Google Maps to get around easily.

The cost

It’s safe to say that Punta Cana is a pricey vacation spot. I mean let’s face it: it is an area developed for tourism. However, plane ticket and accommodation aside, it wasn’t too bad on the pocket. Grocery shopping is so affordable, we were actually in shock! During our first supermarket run, we bought food items, more alcohol, toiletries, and just so much stuff for the four of us, and somehow the bill was only $120!!! If you live in Jamaica, you can understand how cheap that is for a full cart of things for four people.

There are many affordable options for dining out. Depending on your budget, you can spend anywhere between $10-60 on a meal (sometimes including cocktails). Just do your research beforehand and explore your dining options. We were also happy to have a place to cook in so we could budget our meals efficiently.

I had initially placed our total budget (airfare, accommodation, car rental, food, excursions, “braffing”) at $1700-$2000 USD per person. And while we did upgrade the car rental, we stayed within that budget range.

My tips + thoughts

Get a Spanish dictionary app. Know the basics! I’m not going to lie, I felt like I experienced more of a language barrier in DR than I did in Cuba. Some do know English, but we did experience several service persons who did not speak a lick of English. Just because it’s a tourist destination, do not expect everyone to know Enlglish!!! You are in a Spanish-speaking country!!!!

Purchase the SIM card. I don’t care how much of a shella you are, once your phone is unlocked, purchase the $10 SIM card from Claro. $10 is so affordable and it’s unlimited data for a week. Like… where [else] dey do dat at????

Buy your alcohol in Duty Free when you land. If you plan on getting lit like we did, get your alcohol (especially champagne, Hennessy, tequila) in the duty-free store because it’s so much cheaper! They had some great deals (like 2 bottles of Moet for $120USD) and they had these delicious fruit-infused spirits. You can sample them literally as you step out of immigration. We bought the Papaya-infused Tequila and the Mango-infused Rum. The only downside is we did have to mix some Appleton in the cocktails because those spirits are only 20% alcohol and in Jamaica we’re used to 40% Appleton and 63% White Rum so you know how that goes…. 😁.

Drink bottled water. While the water is relatively clean, depending on where you’re from, you can still get traveler’s diarrhoea or some kind of stomach reaction. I prefer to keep it safe – especially after getting sick in Cuba 🤦🏾‍♀️.

Do not wait until the last-minute to buy souvenirs! We waited until the morning we were leaving and headed to Bavaro to find some souvenir shops. A lot of those places don’t open until midday, so we couldn’t wait and ended up with the limited (and overpriced – $9 for a shot glass 😒) airport finds. Try to actually visit some local stores outside of the airport.

Be open to new experiences – especially food! While you will find American chains such as Wendy’s and Pizza Hut, do not travel to a new country to only eat French fries and pizza! Try some local cuisine – explore the food options!

While it is disappointing, there is a chance you could experience some racism or prejudice while in DR. I don’t want to bash the entire island for 2 instances we experienced, but I do think it is 2 too many. However, if you’re familiar with how some Dominicans think about black people and people of Hispanic descent who don’t speak Spanish, you’ll understand why we weren’t exactly surprised; we were more taken aback that this could happen in a tourist area like Punta Cana, when so many tourists from all over the world come to visit year-round. Anyway, please don’t let those two incidents discourage from seeing all that Punta Cana has to offer. We had a wonderful time otherwise and were met with warmth and hospitality from the other locals.

Tips for planning a group trip

Plan your trip at least six months in advance. This gives people enough time to bail on plans to commit to everything.

Be cautious of who you invite on a group trip: personalities clash and nothing is worse than spending a ton of money to go see a new country only for a spoil-sport to rain on everyone’s parade. Take into consideration personality traits and rooming arrangements (don’t invite a neat freak and a messy Betty and have them room together – that’s an argument waiting to happen).

Plan your budget from the jump and set a reasonable timeline for that budget. A good thing to do is to mark up all costs, so there’s some wiggle room in case things come up or prices go up (or if you live in Jamaica, you can work with the fluctuation of the dollar). It’s better to come back with some extra funds than to have an insufficient amount while overseas.

Pay for things as you go along to avoid having to fork out a lump sum. Since the budget for this trip was kinda steep, I made sure we paid for things over the six month period, so that by the time the trip came around, any money spent would be on going out and other trip expenses. We started by paying for the Airbnb from September (you can pay 50% upfront and the balance 2 weeks before your trip), booked the flights in October, shopped for outfits between November and December, paid for excursions in January and by the end of January we paid the balance on the villa. By the middle of February our only costs were things paid for in DR. This was so much easier than forking out $2000USD one time! After all, my friends and I don’t have sugar daddies are not big ballers (YET!).

Try to make an itinerary beforehand: this way, you can have an idea of what each day will be like (what will the wake up call be? will the lunch spot be close to the activity we’ll do in the morning?), and you can efficiently plan your outfit options based on what you’ll be doing. I’m a foodie, so I also like to check restaurant reviews and menus before I go so I don’t waste money on bad tasting food. Not to mention, this will help you stay within your budget so you don’t end up going to restaurants with four dollar signs and have no money left in the budget for activities. But keep your options open: certain places may not pan out, so it’s important to have back-ups. I’ll be sharing my psychopathic PDF with you guys at the end of this post.

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Have you ever been to Punta Cana? Are you planning a trip there? Comment below and let me know. Feel free to ask any questions also ❤️

Be sure to follow me on my other social media platforms:

@tiffanysamantha_ (blog)

@beatsbytiff_ (makeup artistry)

@cakefaceshawty (Twitter)

@tiffsamlaw (Snapchat)

¡DESTINACIÓN PUNTA CANA! If you remember my first travel post (Bienvenido a Cuba!), I shared my promise to myself to visit at least one new country each year. 3,648 more words

#black girls who travel #blog life #caribbean #Dominican Republic #DR #Lifestyle #lifestyle blog #Punta Cana #travel #travel blog #travel blogger #travel tips #vacation #vacation style

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magepie · 7 years

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Hello everyone! As a russian person who enjoys playing Zarya, I was really excited to see how much love she gets from the Overwatch fandom! As I stumbled upon this amazing review on cultural references found on Volskaya map, I decided that Zarya herself deserves a similar analysis. I am going to speak about easter eggs, russian and soviet imagery that could have inspired her character, and a bit of cultural trivia, too. Even though some references are probably unintentional, I hope talented fan creators out there will find the insight helpful.

Codename

“Zarya” (Заря) is a reddish-pink glow in the sky before sunrise. Zarya’s trademark pink hair was clearly designed with this very hue in mind. Bright red zarya represents a new dawn and is a key element in soviet and revolutionary symbolics. In modern Russia “Zarya” remains the traditional callsign for mission control center among russian astronauts - as well as a common name for villages, summer camps, ships, newspapers, soccer teams, chocolates, and basically anything with roots in the soviet era.

Real name

Aleksandra is female version of Aleksander - a popular name of greek origin, derived from “Αλέξανδρος”, “protector of men”. This name used to be well-loved among russian nobility for centuries (there were three emperors named Aleksander). It was also worn by one of our most badass medieval rulers and warlords - Aleksander Nevsky. His defeat of swedish crusaders on river Neva (how he got his “Nevsky” nickname) and then german armored knights in the epic Battle on Ice (which was a literal battle on the surface of frozen lake), when he was 21 years old and only had foot soldiers against heavy cavalry, made him revered as a symbol of martial prowess up to the present day. He was canonized and is regarded as a patron saint of St. Petersburg. It is a very interesting reference because, according to the official Overwatch artbook, Volskaya Industries, which Zarya wants to protect at any cost, is located somewhere near St. Petersburg. Further still, Zarya seems to have beef with swedish Torbjorn Lindholm and a friendly rivalry with a certain german knight... to make the obvious parallels with Aleksander Nevsky complete. A special note for fanfiction writers: modern short forms for Aleksandra are “Sasha” or “Shura”. The latter is more common in the countryside, so “Shura” was probably what Zarya was called as a child, growing up in a siberian village.

Origins

Zarya comes from the Krasnoyarsk Krai (region), located right in the middle of Siberia. Winters are very cold there (-30 C/-22 F at average) but summers are pretty much okay (+20 C/+68 F). Krasnoyarsk Krai is enormous and sparsely populated, except for a few cities, and heavily industrialized. Supposedly, 50 years in the future an omnium would fit there nicely. In order to start her athletic career Zarya would have to go to the region’s capital Krasnoyarsk to train and participate in local competitions. It is a relatively large industrial city, located right on the great river Yenisei - the 5th longest river on Earth. Russian writer Anton Chekhov called Krasnoyarsk “the most beautiful city in Siberia”. It is indeed an important cultural center and a city of great historical value.

Voicelines

Apart from paying homage to popular western stereotypes (like quoting Ivan Drago and Boris Badenov), Zarya’s dialogue contains references to authentic russian and soviet culture - more so in the russian dub.

- “Fizkult privet!” (roughly translated as “hello, fellow athletes”) - a slogan for healthy lifestyle and physical exercise (“fizkultura”) in USSR.

- In Volskaya spawn room Zarya says: “Perhaps a man has a hundred senses, and when he dies only the five known to us are destroyed and the remaining ninety-five are left alive”. She quotes “Cherry Orchard” (Вишневый сад), a classical play by Anton Chekhov (the library on Volskaya bears Chekhov’s name).

- Since Winter Wonderland event Zarya will sometimes say: "My great-grandfather said: "I have a desire to buy a house, but I have no opportunity. I have an opportunity to buy a goat, but I have no desire". So, let's drink to having correspondence of our wishes and opportunities!" It is a toast from soviet comedy film “Kavkazskaya plennitsa”, which is traditionally broadcasted on russian TV on New Year’s Eve.

- When asked by Mei, how she manages to even pick up her gun, Zarya responds: “I lift as well as I lift because it cannot be avoided”. It is a quote by soviet champion weightlifter Vasily Alekseev.

References that only exist in the russian dub:

- “We do not have our dawns (“zaryas”) quiet here!” is a reference to Oscar-nominated war drama “The Dawns Here Are Quiet“ (А зори здесь тихие) about an all-female russian war unit during WWII.

- (Nano-boosted) “Who wants to have a taste of my bogatyr’s power?!” Bogatyrs (Богатыри) are legendary warriors. Svyatogor (the name for giant mechs produced by Volskaya) was a bogatyr, for example, and Zarya’s photo was featured on the cover of the in-universe sports magazine titled “Богатыри”.

- “Give up smoking, go skiing” - another soviet pro-fitness slogan.

- “The gun is only as good as the gunner” - a russian saying.

Appearance

Many russian players were underwhelmed by Zarya’s visual design and criticized her for being a “poor representation of beautiful russian women”. However, it seems that this outrage was mostly caused by her pink hair, which was considered tasteless. Some fans humorously admitted that Zarya fits well into a popular stereotype of a ridiculously strong russian peasant woman, formulated by poet Nikolay Nekrasov: “There are women in russian villages <...> That can stop a galloping horse and enter a burning house”. This image lived well into the soviet era, and was reinforced in propaganda: idealized figure of a female athlete or a physically fit woman of the working class was widely celebrated in soviet art, especially during and right after WWII, when women had to replace men in many professions. While modern standards of beauty in Russia aren’t much different from western ones, Zarya actually looks like a 1930s poster come alive. Her “cybergoth” and “industrial” skins are also unpopular, but I find them really well-fitting. You see, it didn’t take an Omnic Crisis for some parts of Siberia to give a certain… post-apocalyptic vibe today. Cybergoth culture in Russia clearly gets its inspiration from young people growing up amongst half-abandoned mining towns, shut-down military and scientific facilities, and other wreckage of once-great economy - something Zarya could definitely relate to.

Mentality

While Zarya’s character and bio are clearly based on history of russian sportsmanship, her vanity would likely be frowned upon in the soviet era. Media of that period and athletes themselves attributed their victories to the state rather than treated them as personal achievements. Modern russian athletes, however, are starting to abandon this mentality and are regarded more and more as actual celebrities. Zarya is fiercely patriotic, but I would not call it a “bad” brand of patriotism. She is not hostile or condescending towards heroes from other countries (even the americans), and her treatment of omnics is at least, well, understandable. It is refreshing to see a positively patriotic russian character, when in real life we are surrounded by all kinds of toxic propaganda, which sometimes borders on pure nationalism. Even her opinion on Overwatch is a nice touch: it mirrors how most russian people feel (ignorantly) about the Allies’ contribution to Germany’s defeat in WWII - still it is more about pride than xenophobia. Finally, Zarya’s larger than life and light-hearted attitude and small-town mannerisms are a nice break from overly serious or scheming russian characters. She is brave, lovable and funny - a perfect representation of my country.

#zarya #overwatch

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topfygad · 4 years

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How to Spend One Year on a Working Holiday Visa in Australia

Almost nine million people visit Australia each year to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, trek to waterfalls in Kakadu National Park, visit the Sydney Opera House, surf in Byron Bay, find Chris Hemsworth and eat Vegemite (you’ll quickly learn that last one). There’s a demand to see these places, which means there is always a demand for work.

That’s where you come in.

Australia is one of the easiest countries to get a Working Holiday Visa, and it’s actually the most popular country out of the 62 in the world that offers these kinds of visas.

That’s largely why it attracts 333,000 prospective workers each year who travel to experience the country, make friends and save money along the way.

Prior to 2016, travelers on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) or Work and Holiday Visa (W&HV) were only able to stay in Australia for a year. However, due to changes in legislation, travelers on a W&HV are now able to work and travel for two years—that’s a whole lot of time to experience Australia!

There are is a whole heap of things on your Australian bucket list to tick off so, this one-year itinerary for traveling in Australia on your Working Holiday Visa should serve you well.

4 Months Before Your Trip: Get Your Visa

Don’t put the cart before the horse and buy your flight first. What if your visa gets rejected? That is one expensive lesson!

Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.

Identify the visa that you would like using the Australian Department of Home Affairs website. Depending on which country you are from you will be directed to either a 417 (Working Holiday Visa) or a 462 (Work and Holiday Visa). For example, the UK, Germany, Netherlands and many others get directed to the WHV, whereas the USA, Spain and Argentina can apply for the W&H Visa.

While there are tons of websites out there charging anywhere between $70 to $200 on top of visa fees to give you a visa, your best option is to apply directly through the Australian Government website (the website URL should always end in .gov.au).

The process is pretty simple, should only take around 30 minutes to an hour to complete and, whether you’re applying for a Working Holiday Visa or a Work and Holiday Visa, it will cost you $440 AUD.

These visas give you full working rights in Australia, with the only condition being that you cannot work for the same company for more than six months. It’s structured this way, so you work and travel. Not just both.

Note: You can only get these visas if you’re at least 18 and not yet 31 years old.

It can take anywhere between 24 hours and four weeks for your visa to be granted, so be organized and apply as early as you can. But once you have it, the clock starts ticking—you have 12 months to make your way to Australia. From your date of entry, you are then given one year to work and travel.

3 Months Before Your Trip: Decide Where You Want to Go and Book Your Flight

Once you have your visa (which can take anywhere between 24 hours and four weeks), you’ll want to buy your flights. But Australia is massive, which can induce some serious decision anxiety.

You’re coming over to Australia to work and travel, so you’re going to want a perfect combination of the two.

Well, Melbourne is the world’s most livable city with, beautiful beaches, unique laneway bars and cafes and really, really good nightlife. It’s a cultural melting pot and a foodies’ paradise, and the breathtaking street art makes it, in my humble opinion, the best place to start your travels.

Plus, there are great value-for-your-money flights to Melbourne from most major international airports, with a one-way ticket generally costing $450 USD.

Melbourne is literally the most livable city in the world!

I know many of you likely have Sydney on your mind as a place to start. Just keep in mind it’s going to be the most expensive choice with some serious competition. Because, really—did you think you’re the only backpacker to make Sydney your first choice?

News flash—you’re not, which means “backpacker jobs” will be slightly more difficult to get, especially if you don’t have experience. This isn’t to deter; it’s just some food for thought. Bring your A-game if you plan to find work in Sydney (and maybe a few extra thousand in the bank to tide you over).

Pro Tip: As with any flights, try to avoid the holidays as you will have to pay a premium to fly, and keep in mind that June through September is Australia’s winter (yes, we do have winters here in Australia), so flights are generally a bit cheaper then.

1 Month Before Your Trip: Save That Money and Plan an Epic Party

If it costs $200 just to walk across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and a whopping $5 for a dozen eggs at the grocery store, just imagine how expensive Australia will be.

The good news is that Australia is known for paying well. But you’re going to want to have a few dollars stashed away before you go since you probably won’t be working as soon as you land.

Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains, Australia.

Your biggest expense is going to be your accommodation. A week in a hostel in Australia is generally around $150 USD. In any standard week, you should anticipate spending anywhere between $300 to $800 USD, depending on activities, your dining and, most importantly, your drinking habits.

(Take my advice: If you drink in pubs the whole time, you will somehow spend a lot of money.)

Just take a look at this breakdown of the average costs of expenses in three major Australian cities. For more, check out Numbeo for a cost of living breakdown in other cities around Australia.

The Average Cost of Living in Sydney (in USD):

Hostel per night: $32

One-bedroom apartment per week: $329

Pint of beer: $5.50

Cheap restaurant meal: $11

A day trip to the Blue Mountains: $75

The Average Cost of Living in Melbourne:

Hostel per night: $25

One-bedroom apartment per week: $298

Pint of beer: $5.50

Cheap restaurant meal: $11

A day trip to the Great Ocean Road: $80

The Average Cost of Living in Cairns:

Hostel per night: $18

One-bedroom apartment for a week: $181

Pint of beer: $5.20

Cheap restaurant meal: $11

Day trip to the Great Barrier Reef: $145

I would recommend getting to a savings point of $5,200 USD before you go, and I’ll tell you why later.

In the meantime, you may want to check out this handy guide on saving money for travel and creating a financial plan that will help you save over the long term.

Day 1-10: Get Set up, Meet People & Tick off That Bucket List

The plane touches down and you wake up from what was likely a very long flight, no matter where you came from. You rub your eyes and, suddenly, you’re in the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria!

Rugged rocks forms hug the bay beaches. The national parks are rife with wildlife. The center city is bustling with coffee fiends and shopping addicts and bar crawlers—vice or virtue, you decide. You’re finally here to pick your poison.

But before you dive right in, I would strongly advise giving yourself at least a week to get yourself set up. You’ll need to open a bank account, get a Tax File Number (this is essential if you want to work), and get your hands on a SIM card.

Traveling for the first time is daunting, and the reason why you started this adventure is to meet new people and to have life-changing experiences.

Noosa coastline

In Melbourne, you actually have the option to check off all the quintessential bucket list items for Australia, like petting a kangaroo or koala bear or learning to surf on some of the best surf beaches on earth.

You can also experience worldwide sporting events such as the Australia Grand Prix or the Australian Open, or go snowboarding or skiing just three hours away by car.

Plus, two popular day trips from Melbourne, include watching the Phillip Island Penguin Parade, when hundreds of penguins emerge from the surf to waddle back to their burrows for the night, and wine tasting in the Yarra Valley wine region.

Day 11-60: Venture Out to the Surrounding Areas

If you’ve taken my advice (and I hope you have) and landed in Melbourne, then I’ve spelled out your plan perfect for you.

Head west out of Melbourne and you have the Great Ocean Road, the most scenic drive in all of Australia and the number one road trip in Oz. It is the fourth most popular destination in Australia, and it’s an absolute must, especially if you’re in Melbourne. It’s about 150 miles of coastline-hugging, beach-kissing, rainforest-penetrating road with the most iconic part being the 12 Apostles.

A five-day road is perfect for this destination. This is especially true if you couple it up with a little-known destination called The Grampians. Then you can either loop back to Melbourne or keep heading west to Adelaide and the outback.

I would then recommend touching base back in Melbourne for a few days before heading in the next destination: east toward Sydney and Cairns. Every east coast trip is different, but you should travel for at least a month and preferably two to three if you want to experience it properly.

Overlooking the Sydney Harbour

The best way to travel the east coast of Australia is to take a hop-on-hop-off Greyhound bus the whole way there.

You could also find a group of other travelers to buy a used car together. You’ll find tons of cars for sale on sites like Gumtree (the Australian Craigslist) or Facebook groups like Backpacker Cars Australia.

If buying isn’t your thing, you can also rent campervans. You can get them from Jucy, Spaceships, Travel Wheels, Travellers AutoBarn, Hippie, Mighty and Wicked. There are plenty of different options depending on the level of luxury you want.

Likewise, if you visit hostels, check the bulletin boards for flyers advertising used cars for sale.

Months 2-8: Start the Job Hunt and Get to Work!

Just because you’re onto the job hunting stage doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop. After living on the road for weeks on end, you’ll probably crave some stability and structure. At least a little bit. And you’ll meet even more people while finally earning yourself some money!

Finding Work in Australia

When you’re done traveling, make sure you have enough money to last a month. You probably won’t find a job on day one of your hunt. That means you need to have enough savings to last you until you find work. Look at job websites like Job Search, Seek and Gumtree to find work in these specific fields.

Making friends and networking is a great way to find a job too!

But don’t spend all day on websites job hunting. Talk to people around your hostel, and ask the workers at the hostel for the best place to find work. In most major cities, there is a specific area where there are always people recruiting in hospitality. So print out that resume and enjoy the day going into as many places as possible asking if they’re looking for any workers.

These areas are your hospitality hotspots, which are full of bars, restaurants and cafes.

Sydney: Kings Cross, Bondi and Oxford Street

Melbourne: St Kilda, Chapel Street and Lygon Street

Brisbane: Fortitude Valley

Cairns: Everywhere

Darwin: Mitchell Street

Adelaide: Glenelg and the CBD

Perth: Northbridge

It is sometimes harder to find employment if you have a specific field you want to work in because most employers believe that working holiday visa makers can only be part of their company for six months, which is generally true.

What to Expect While Working in Australia

The minimum wage is $18.93 AUD in Australia, and most casual positions in hospitality and tourism pay around $20 AUD.

The type of work ranges from being a waiter up to being a skydive instructor—you can view the jobs available to travelers on Working Holiday Visas on the Home Affairs website here, but do bear in mind the work has to be above the Tropic of Capricorn and in certain postcodes.

Your new bffs?

Some aspects of the Australian work culture may also surprise foreigners. Understand these cultural differences:

There’s a lot of casual conversation.

Swearing in the workplace is to be expected.

There will be a lot of happy hours.

Australians are super laidback and uphold a “no-fuss” attitude, which can be jarring in stressful situations.

Office romances are a thing, and they’re not quite as taboo.

Most offices have flat organizational structures, without much hierarchy if any at all.

National workplace safety laws, “Occupational Health and Safety” or “OH&S” are taken very seriously.

Australians use a lot of blunt humor, even in the workplace.

Australians embrace a work-hard-play-hard culture.

The standard working week in Australia is 38 hours per week (7.6 hours per day). They value their time outside of work.

Month 9-12: Keep Traveling

You’ve been working for a few months—that’s a serious high five moment! Take a break. Go on a trip. Let loose a little. You deserve it!

Generally, people’s second journey within Australia is the outback. That may mean the wetland of Kakadu near Darwin. There, you’ll see some of the most jaw-dropping waterfalls and the highest concentration of salt-water crocodiles. I recommend a tour there for at least three days.

Entering Kata Tjuta in the outback of Australia

You can couple this up with the third most popular destination in Australia, the Red Centre. With the cultural history surrounding this area, the iconic sunset at Uluru and nights underneath millions of stars, this is another bucket-list item to tick. To get to this destination you can fly into Alice Springs or Yulara airport.

Alternatively, you can go overland from Darwin or Adelaide for a true outback adventure.

From here you can fly to the place you fell in love with.

Maybe you felt like Byron Bay had a spiritual calling for you. Or you realized that the busyness of Sydney was actually your “cup of tea.” Maybe you’ve been dying to get back to Cairns. Or maybe the world’s best coffee is pulling you back to Melbourne.

Want to Spend a Second Year in Australia?

So many people fall in love with the Australian way of life, so it’s not a surprise that thousands of WHV and W&H Visa workers choose to extend their visas for another year.

View from above—Australia, Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise

The Australian Government created an initiative for understaffed industries. This is for people who want to travel and work in Australia for extended periods of time. And the second year working holiday extension allows WHV and W&H Visa holders to extend their initial one-year visa to two if they work 88 days in one of those specific sectors:

Plant and Animal Cultivation

Fishing and Pearling

Tree Farming and Felling

Mining

Construction

At the end of your initial employment, your manager will have to sign off on Form 1263. This includes their ABN (Australian Business Number) to ensure that you have completed the work. Then you will apply for your second-year visa through the same website that you got your first one.

Tip: If you’re on a W&HV (USA I’m talking to you) you can extend your stay by working in hospitality and tourism, as long as these jobs are in Northern Australia. This work ranges from waiting tables to being a skydiving instructor—you can view the jobs for travelers on Working Holiday Visas on the Home Affairs website here.

This all said, you might want to head home or travel in between your first and second year. It’s up to you when you decide to use your second-year visa. Just make sure you use it before you’re 31 or you’ll lose eligibility.

Whatever you do, just remember that you’re going to Australia to work and travel. You left that all-work-and-no-play lifestyle behind at home.

Well, unless you’re this dude, that is.

So now the only question is, what’s the first adventure before you start working in Australia? Let us know in the comments!

READ MORE: Work and Travel in Australia: How to Get a Working/Holiday Visa

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#IFTTT #Cheapr Travels

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hermanwatts · 5 years

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Sensor Sweep: 9/30/2019

Weapons (Ammoland): On the Internet, and in print, many people claim that pistols lack efficacy in defending against bear attacks. Here is an example that occurred on freerepublic.com: “Actually, there are legions of people who have been badly mauled after using a handgun on a bear. Even some of the vaunted magnums.” OK, give us a few examples. As you claim “legions”, it should not be too hard. I never received a response.

Fiction (Walker’s Retreat): As the book just went live in paperback, product linking will take a few days, but both versions are meant to be linked. I’ve set it such that any paperback purchase gets you the ebook for free. The same applies to other features such as Look Inside.

BACKERS! I’ve ordered your copies. They’re due to arrive at my house between the 8th and the 16th. I will begin turning around and sending them to you as soon as they arrive.

RPG (RPG Pundit): Lion & Dragon contains a bestiary chapter, which has 40 different entries for creatures (not counting 13 animals and a bunch of entries for human NPCs; and also not counting Demons which have their own section in the “Summoning” rules of the magic chapter, alongside the homunculus and the golem). Many of these monsters have names that you would see in any number of OSR/D&D monster manuals, but their version in L&D is very different, being based on medieval lore and styling.

Fiction (Cirsova): The idea is that wars on Earth created a race of albino Khan Noonien Singh-esque Mutant supermen whose intellect and self-determination put them at odds with a socialist global superstate, so said superstate booted them and other non-Mutant freethinkers off to the moons of Jupiter. The societies and states on the moons of Jupiter have a nominal perpetual peace, except they’re actually in a state of perpetual strife and intrigue acted out via agents.

Comic Books (Paint Monk): It’s the same group who thought Avengers: No Road Home and Savage Avengers were good ideas. Editorial is a milkmaid and Conan is the cow.

I feel like I’m beating the same old drum. Conan the Barbarian is a terrible comic. Jason Aaron’s prose is just abysmal. Mahmud Asrar’s art is merely serviceable in that for every brilliant panel there are two or three he must have drawn while sleepwalking.

Ian Fleming (M Porcius): One of the issues one might raise about some of the first four 007 novels is that Fleming didn’t do much to flesh out the lead villains. For example, we spend very little time with the Spangs, the twin brothers who head an American crime family in Diamonds Are Forever before Bond sends them to hell with his .25 caliber Beretta or a handy 40mm anti-aircraft gun.

RPG (RPG Confessions): These vocabulary words are useful in that they summarize complicated concepts, and that leads to greater communication. But we live in a time where everyone skims, and no one is very good at reading for context anymore, and subtlety is gone and nuance is out the window, and…I guess what I’m saying is, “Sandbox” and “Railroad” are positioned in our current lexicon of geek patois as Yin and Yang, a positive and a negative, one to emulate and the other to assiduously avoid at all cost.

History (Swords Sorcery): During the French and Indian War (1754-63), the French capture of Fort Oswego on the shore of Lake Ontario opened the rich farmland of the valley and the homes of the British-allied Mohawk nation to military threat. The valley survived the war mostly intact. It was a very different story twelve years later in the American Revolution.

Book Review (Everyday Should be Tuesday): If it wasn’t entirely clear after Cold Iron that Cameron is writing an Epic Fantasy with a capital-E and capital-F, it certainly isn’t now. This is also definitely Flintlock Fantasy—early modern guns play a much more significant role in Dark Forge than they did in Cold Iron.

Cinema (Postmodern Pulps): Last Blood, on the other hand, appears to have been conceived for the sole purpose of getting to the last 20 minutes of the film, and no one gave any real thought or care as to how the film got there. In order to talk about this, I’m going to have to deal with some extensive plot spoilers, so now is your chance to bail now if you don’t want this.

Fiction (Hi Lo Brow): Sixty-five years ago, the following 10 adventures — selected from my Best Nineteen-Fifties (1954–1963) Adventure list — were first serialized or published in book form. They’re my favorite adventures published that year.

Please let me know if I’ve missed any adventures from this year that you particularly admire. Enjoy!

D&D (Skulls in the Stars): WG5: Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure (1984), by Robert J. Kuntz and Gary Gygax. This adventure is reeeeeally old school, even though it was published in 1984! The name sounds a bit silly, but don’t let it fool you: this adventure was first written in 1972/1973 by Robert Kuntz in order to challenge the skills of none other than Gary Gygax, who used his wizard Mordenkainen! It is a quite punishing dungeon.

Fiction (Superversive): The Goddess Gambit is the series’ first novel, telling the tale of a post apocalyptic Earth, ravaged by a mysterious event called “The Storm.” Humanity is now primarily concentrated around an immense fortress called the “Zigg,” with the fortunate pure ones living inside in relative luxury, the unfortunate– mutants, aliens, and general undesirables– living in slums clustered around it. (If you’re thinking Final Fantasy VII‘s Midgar, you’re on the right track.)

Storytelling (Wasteland and Sky): What I dislike the most is anything that makes the universe smaller. Any story device that clips the wings of potential from the outset is one I cannot get behind. And, unfortunately, this has happened more and more over the last decade. There are two examples that are functionally the same thing, but both are very good at making me lose interest in your story.

Gaming (Bell of Lost Souls): Come take a look at some of new rules and changes to existing ones that turn up the newest Warhammer Underworlds season’s competitive heat! Source: https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2019/09/warhammer-underworlds-beastgraves-seasonal-delights.html

Westerns (Paul Bishop): If I could only choose one Western novel to recommend, it would be The Cowboy and the Cossack. The traditional cattle drive formula is given a refreshing twist when fifteen Montana cowboys sail into Vladivostok, Russia, with a herd of five hundred longhorns. The experienced wranglers are fired up to drive their herd across a thousand miles of Siberian wilderness, but are startled to find a band of Cossacks—Russia’s elite horsemen and warriors—waiting to act as an unwanted escort.

Horror (Too Much Horror Fiction): So within a couple months I’d tracked down Lansdale’s 1987 novel The Nightrunners (Dark Harvest hardcover 1987, paperback by Tor, March 1989). I recall coming home one afternoon from the bookstore I worked at with my brand-new copy, going into my room, locking the door and then reading it in one white-hot unputdownable session. That had never happened to me before; I usually savored my horror fiction over several late nights.

Edgar Rice Burroughs (DMR Books): February 1912 saw the ground-breaking publication of Under the Moons of Mars—later rechristened A Princess of Mars—in All-Story Magazine. Readers clamored for more adventures on Barsoom and Edgar Rice Burroughs gladly obliged. The first installment of The Gods of Mars was published in January of 1913. ERB, no fool, ended TGoM on a cliffhanger. John Carter fans demanded the conclusion to the saga and Burroughs delivered the goods. The Warlord of Mars saw its first publication in All-Story beginning with the December, 1913 issue.

Comic Books (Brian Niemeier): Everybody has a theory of how the American comic book industry died. “It was the early 90s investor boom,” some say. “The glut of variant covers and similar sales gimmicks created a bubble, and when it burst it took out the direct market.” Others lay the blame on publishers driving out seasoned writers and letting rock star artists run the show.

Detective (Moonlight Detective): An anonymous comment was left on my review of The Fort Terror Murders explaining Van Wych Mason’s long-running Captain Hugh North series has two main periods. The first period covers the fourteen novels published between 1930 and 1940, which have the word “murder” or “murders” in their title and “tend to have elements of the Golden Age detective story,” but the second period moved away from detection towards more spy-oriented intrigue novels – starting with The Rio Casino Intrigue (1941) and ending with The Deadly Orbit Mission (1968).

Dashiell Hammett (Black Gate): Sam Spade, the quintessential tough guy shamus, appeared in a five-part serial of The Maltese Falcon in Black Mask in 1929. Hammett carefully reworked the pieces into novel form for publication by Alfred E. Knopf in 1930 and detective fiction would have a benchmark that has yet to be surpassed. Hammett, who wrote over two dozen stories featuring a detective known as The Continental Op (well worth reading), never intended to write more about Samuel Spade, saying he was “done with him” after completing the book-length tale.

Sensor Sweep: 9/30/2019 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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mortgagebrokerplanotx · 5 years

Link

FHFA, RBS reach nearly $99.5 million MBS settlement

Contents

Curve florida foreclosure defense attorneys allege

Years housing permits

Crippled housing market. highest

Jarvis 0 comments contents

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RBS Could Pay $7.7B To Settle MBS Suit With FHFA. By Andrew Westney.. the FHFA announced that it had reached a $99.5 million settlement with RBS Securities Inc. of a separate suit in New York.

RBS rose Wednesday after saying it has reached a settlement with the Federal Housing Finance Agency over allegations of fraudulent conduct in the financial crisis sale of mortgage backed securities.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc ( RBS ) has reached a settlement with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) – the conservator of.. RBS, FHFA Reach $99.5M MBS Settlement – Analyst Blog.

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In California, when a borrower falls behind, a lender cannot move forward with foreclosure unless they first try to contact the borrower and suggest options that might help save the home.Short Sale Incentives Coming in 2010, Treasury Says Reverse Mortgage funding expands payment options on proprietary reverse product Is your mortgage business safer now than before the crash? ‘That was chilling’: ten years since the financial crash. – · Ten years ago the then chancellor, Alistair Darling, was on holiday and had walked to the shops to buy bread rolls for breakfast. He picked up a copy of the Financial Times. It stopped him in his.Reverse mortgage funding expands payment options on proprietary reverse product Reverse Mortgage Funding is expanding the payment options on its proprietary reverse mortgage – the Equity Elite – to include term payments. previously, Equity Elite borrowers could withdraw up to $4 million in their home’s equity in a lump sum only at closing.Senate Bank Chair weighs sweeping GSE, mortgage lending overhaul Is your mortgage business safer now than before the crash? This mortgage goes further than. epic crash? "In the short run, over the next half decade to decade, it’s going to be extremely unlikely, virtually impossible for that to happen because all the.ConsumerAffairs.com readers regularly write in with complaints. 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"FICO said homeowners with short-sales and foreclosures on their records ended up with similar credit scores, assuming their scores were similar as distressed homeowners (see illustration below)."Wilshire Bancorp acquires Bank of Manhattan’s mortgage business Treasury to Announce New Program to Avoid Foreclosure LPS Announces new Tool for Fannie Mae’s SMDU Interface – Lender Processing Services (LPS) has release a new tool for mortgage servicers that the company says. consistent workout solutions in a user-friendly format that helps more borrowers avoid.The words "Valley," the "Company," "we," "our" and "us" refer to valley national bancorp and. 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Royal Bank of Scotland Group agreed to pay $5.5 billion to settle the second of three major U.S. mortgage-backed securities probes the government-owned lender must overcome before it can fully return to the private sector.. RBS to pay $5.5B in FHFA mortgage-bond settlement Published. July 12.

The percentage of our net interest income derived from guaranty fees on loans underlying our Fannie Mae MBS. worked with FHFA to resolve certain claims related to our PLS investments. We entered.

[UPDATE 1: clarifies settlement is for $99.5 million not nearly $1 billion] Continuing its strings of lawsuits, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as a conservator of Freddie Mac, announced its.

FHFA, RBS reach nearly $99.5 million MBS settlement Small housing inventory may push rental demand for years housing permits, starts both fall in January builders began work on fewer homes last month than they did at the end of 2014, underscoring the stop-start pace of housing’s recovery.

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RBS, FHFA Reach $99.5M MBS Settlement. Zacks Equity Research June 20, 2014.. UK-based bank will pay $99.5 million to FHFA to compensate its faulty mortgage practices between 2005 and 2007. It.

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filmsbyme-blog · 5 years

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vimeo

Ran is the 1985 Japanese masterpiece by award winning screen writer and director Akira Kurosawa. Ran is based on Shakespeare’s King Lear and the history of Mōri Motonari (1497–1571), a sixteenth-century Japanese feudal lord with three sons. Ran’s story of the three arrows – unbreakable in their unity, but easily snapped one by one – comes from a lesson Motonari imparted to his three sons in order to keep them from fighting each other and dissolving his empire. The film also indirectly addresses Kurosawa’s fears that the three superpowers – the US, the Soviet Union, and China – would destroy the world without unifying behind the idea of nuclear disarmament. Kurosawa created a powerful hybrid by mixing an adaptation of Shakespeare with his classic samurai epic and modern strife.

The movie begins by introducing Ichimonji Hidetora and his three sons Tarō, Jirō, and Saburō. Hidetora, who is now 70 years old, decides to retire and chooses Tarō as his successor with his brother Jirō's support. However, the youngest Saburo objects to his plans and consequently, is banished. “Ran” in Japanese means “chaos” “revolt” and “madness”. The story of ran is a story of bloody betrayals and treachery between the father, the brothers, their advisors, and their wives.

The driving force behind Kurosawa writing Ran was his dissatisfaction with how King Lear suffered despite doing little wrong. Unlike Lear, Ran is heavy with Buddhist influence and shows human suffering is determined by how one has behaved previously. The godlike detachment of Ran shows human folly, barbarity, and war in order to analyze the foolish games of men. As Kyoami says, “Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies.” The law of Karma is very present. Kurosawa suggests that violent environment and behavior will only breed future violence in the generations to come. “You have spilled so much human blood you cannot measure it. You have lived without mercy or pity. But father, we, too, are children of this degraded age of strife,” Saburo says, implying that a father who as demonstrated the laws of power and the practice of cruelty could not expect his sons to live any other way. “I am lost,” Hidetora says. “Such is the is human condition,” Kyoami reponds. Hidetora continues, "This path I remember; we came this way before.” “Men always travel the same road,” Kyoami explains. Kurosawa shows that the history of the world is foolish and crazed mankind repeating its mistakes and never learning. In narration, he also demonstrates how mankind has nothing to blame except itself. Tango exclaims, “Do not slander God or the Buddha! They are the ones who are crying! The evil of human beings... the stupidity of the sinful creatures, who believe their survival depends on killing others, repeated and again throughout all the time.”

Another example of Buddhist influence in the film comes when the oldest son Taro and his wife Lady Kaede seize authority from Hidetora. They sit side by side, with a scroll hung above them and the three figures form a triangle. The scroll reads “Bodhisattva” which represents compassion, mercy, and wisdom. This imagery is ironic when compared to the anarchy of the story.

Despite the film’s critical acclaim Kurosawa could not gain financing for the epic and spent years creating gouache and watercolor-based concept art of the characters and sets for the film. In this film, Kurosawa strived for the austere Japanese aesthetic ideal of wabi: the minimum is expressed and the maximum left for the beholder to supply. The elaborate and ornate was to be avoided. A hint, a suggestion should suffice.

Ran features one of Japan’s most distinguished living actors, Tatsuya Nakadai, who has made well over 100 movies. Still, he is best known to American audiences as a role in which he is nearly unrecognizable- Hidetora, the 70-something feudal patriarch of the Ichimonji clan. Nakadai, then in his early 50s, wore heavy makeup intended not only to age him but also to resemble a Noh mask. He said, ''They had to draw in every single wrinkle; the only parts of that face that were actually mine were the eyes.'' They are, however, no ordinary eyes. They're large and expressive. No one who has seen Hidetora will soon forget what they look like, huge with horror, as the mad lord descends the steps of his burning castle. This detail helped Ran win a BAFTA award for hair and makeup.

Costuming is an important aspect for the mis-en-scene and characterization in Ran. Japanese costume design emerged from a fabric history involving high-toned color and ornate weaves and embroideries, and films have capitalized on this tradition. Ran was costumed to enormous acclaim by Emi Wada winning an Oscar and Academy Award for Costume Design. Since their introduction, Taro wears yellow; Jiro, red; and Saburo, blue. This color coordination heightens the sense of chaos in the battle scenes. This battle is a melee of red and yellow banners blowing freely, falling out of sight as troops fall, and finally the yellow is simply engulfed by the red. Additionally, Lady Kaede is based on two important Leitmotifs in Japanese cultural. Emi Wada noted the influence of noh (nō) costumes and masks. The glassy, immobile white face, and uplifted eyebrows resembles the mask of serpent-women in noh theater. The snake is an important leitmotif as the transformation of woman’s jealous nature. The manipulation of a fox leitmotif is also present. For example, when Lady Kaede demands the head of Jiro’s wife Lady Sue, Kurogane brings the fox statue head from the Inari shrine and warns Jiro about her. Kurogane claims to have been tricked by the fox. He then tells the most famous tale of fox impersonation in Japanese drama, the story of Tamamo-no-Mae. He warns Jirō, “There are a lot of foxes in this area, and according to hearsay they often cheat men... It is said that at last she turned into a white fox with nine tails... Well, after that the traces of the nine-tailed fox were lost. It is possible that the fox has settled down in this vicinity (1:49).” Kaede wears a white uchikake (long outer white kimono) symbolically indicating the white nine tailed fox, which conceals an inner kimono bearing serpent image. The fox has traditional seductive sexual characteristics embodied in female transformation and is a symbol of false love. The white also represent her position as a widow after the death of the oldest brother Taro. Her true self revealed where she admits she was trying to destroy the family. When Kaede is killed, she wears a kimono worn by demonic woman such as the costume in the nō play Dōjōji, the story of a women who takes revenge when the priest will not marry her, she turns into a serpent. The gold, black, and white triangles resemble serpent scales. The creation of each character in Ran is complimented by the detailed costuming.

Samurai have become one of the most recognizable aspect of Japanese culture, even though they were effectively banned in the 19th century. Kurosawa’s father was proud of his samurai heritage. The samurai genre remains popular. The themes of honor still resonate with Japanese and international audiences today. However, the Ichimonji family breaks this idea of honor with their backstabbing and ignoble treachery. Another theme is inheritance, a tradition taken very seriously in Japan and is strictly regulated. The Ichimonji also breaks this tradition, demonstrating the greed that disrupts society. The story of Ran is a warning for those who do not uphold the tradition’s of society.

The end of Ran summarizes Kurosawa’s view of the human condition. A blind youth- Tsurumaru- wanders to the edge of a precipice, oblivious of being poised unseeing between life and death. Ignorant of the tragedies (the many deaths), alone, blind, and unaware of his perilous state. This signifies the human race, who acts blindly and recklessly. However, the Buddha watches over Tsurumaru and humanity- the opportunity for goodness to prevail.

Works Cited

Jan, Feei-Ching. Buddhism in Kurosawa's Films: A Critical Analysis, California State University, Fresno, Ann Arbor, 1989. ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/303805650?accountid=14882.

Joseph McLellan, “Oscar-Nominated Kurosawa Stands Tall Among Directors,” The Frenso Bee, 9 Feb. 1986: 14.

Winning, Rob. "Ran." International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, edited by Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast, 4th ed., vol. 1: Films, St. James Press, 2000, pp. 995-997. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3406800729/GVRL?u=vic_wlu&sid=GVRL&xid=b85760af. Accessed 16 Oct. 2018.

"Costume." Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film, edited by Barry Keith Grant, vol. 1, Schirmer Reference, 2007, pp. 375-382. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2587600053/GVRL?u=vic_wlu&sid=GVRL&xid=69de0231. Accessed 16 Oct. 2018.

Krasilovsky, Alexis. Great Adaptations: Screenwriting and Global Storytelling. Routledge, 2018.

Muchnik, Federico. The Strategic Producer: on the Art and Craft of Making Your First Feature. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.

Rafferty, Terrence. "The Actor with Stardom in His Eyes." New York Times (1923-Current file), Jun 15, 2008, pp. 1. ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/897789484?accountid=14882.

Serper, Zvika. “Lady Kaede in Kurosawa’s Ran: Verbal and Visual Characterization through Animal Traditions.” Japan Forum, vol. 13, no. 2, Sept. 2001, pp. 145–158. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09555800120081367.

Richie, Donald. The Films of Akira Kurosawa. Berkeley: U of California P, 1984. Humphreys, Christmas. Buddhism: An Introduction and Guide. London: Penguin Books, 1951, rept. 1962.

“Episode 1.” Miro Motonari. Kiku TV. NHK, Shibuya. 14 December 1997. Television.

Kurosawa, Akira, Director. Ran. Toho, 1985.

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momscookingthebooks · 6 years

Photo

Title: Everest

Author: S.L. Scott

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: December 7, 2017

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/EverestGR

Synopsis: Six foot three. Dynamic green eyes. Utterly irresistible.

Ethan Everest stole my breath the first time I saw him. He romanced me with skill, dazzled me with his charisma, and proceeded to steal my heart right after. I might have fallen for his easy going smile the first time we met, but I fell for him the second time.

Honey-colored hair. Cherry-kissed lips. Captivatingly gorgeous.

Singer Davis was the first, and only, woman to ever intimidate me. She spoke to my heart with her wit, seduced me with her eyes, and became the only thing that made sense in a world that made none.

I let her slip through my fingers once. I won’t make that mistake twice.

Secrets broke us apart. Can a second chance bring us back together? Buy Link: Amazon - http://amzn.to/2ksyVti

Excerpt:

Singer Slipping off my shoes, I dim the lights on the wall panel. I take my clothes off and hang them on a hook near the door before returning to the tub.

The tub, warm and inviting as I step in, eases my aching feet from my high heels and the tension in my shoulders. I pour some of the bubble suds and giggle. That was so cute and showed me a whole new side to Ethan—the at-home Texan who relates to his roots—instead of the strong, quieter, broodier man I see sometimes.

While the suds foam and the tub fills, I look out the window. The sky is clear up here. The buildings are far enough apart to avoid spying on neighbors. It’s like floating in heaven.

I hear his knock on the door, so I call, “Come in,” while making sure the bubbles cover all the important parts.

Ethan walks in with two glasses of champagne in one hand and the bottle in the other.

“You came prepared,” I note, leaning back on one side of the tub.

“I thought I might join you.” He waggles his eyebrows.

I giggle and reach for a glass. “Come on in,” I reply and wonder if he will really take me up on my dare.

He sets the bottle and his glass down on the side of the tub. His tie was removed before he came in and I notice his shoes are long gone, along with his jacket. When he starts on the buttons of his shirt, I sit up, scooping suds over me. “Wait, for real?”

“Yep. I think that tub’s big enough for the two of us.”

“But you said you don’t take baths.”

“I also said I’ve never used this one. Seems like an opportune time.”

“But I’m naked,” I say, worried about everything—his body naked next to mine, not shaving my legs before I went out tonight. My mind flickers through my flaws. Ugh. No. Just no. Not like that. That stuff should be shared in the dark of a bedroom under the influence of alcohol and desperate sex. We’re too sober for this. I’m too sober for this. What does he possibly see in me when he has women like Nicolina waiting?

He’s more than I’ve imagined, and in some senses, it scares me. He’s the sort of man women like Nicolina land. For once though, it was as if she saw me as competition. The feeling is exhilarating.

“Like I said, seems like an opportune time.”

His shirt is dropped, his undershirt following quickly behind. Good God Almighty. What does a guy who looks like that see in me? “I see you like to work out.” I clear my throat and want to bonk my head on the side of the tub for saying it out loud.

Chuckling, he says, “I have a gym down the hall. It’s how I relieve stress.”

“I thought that’s what sex was for.” I gasp and cover my mouth, wishing I could keep my crazy thoughts in my head where they belong instead of on my tongue. His eyes are heavy, a smirky smirk restraining a laugh. “God, you cannot let me talk when I’m nervous.”

“If this is what happens when you’re nervous, I’ll make you nervous more often.” His pants come down and my curiosity is answered. Tonight he’s in boxers. When he catches my eyes on his package, I’m thankful I’m wearing waterproof mascara because I immediately go underwater. Screw my makeup. It’s really the only way to keep my mouth in check at this point. I count to five and then pop back up. With my hands covering my boobs, I ask, “You’re really coming in?”

“Yes, scoot over.”

Good God Almighty. Author Info:

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she's a pro.

Author Links: Website: http://www.slscottauthor.com/

The Scott Scoop: http://bit.ly/2

TheScoopFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/slscottpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/slscottauthor

Instagram:.https://www.instagram.com/s.l.scott/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/slscott1

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#new release #excerpt #contemporary romance #romantic suspense #Everest #SL Scott

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aprivate2018 · 6 years

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3/7: Secure Gear

Hey again.

This time, we’re talking about gear. Mostly, we’ll be talking about software, but there are some hardware concerns I wanted to touch on as well. For the most part, though, I’m not going to recommend you go out and purchase something, especially not right now. I think privacy is accessible for free if you do it right. Besides, security shouldn’t be a pay-to-play game.

Let’s get started.

First, think about your browser.

How secure are you when you’re browsing the internet? How secure are you right now?

Some browsers are better about security than others. The good thing is that it’s generally pretty easy to find out which ones are good for privacy and which aren’t--there’s plenty of talk about who’s got a good browser.

I know Google Chrome is the golden child among a lot of circles. It’s sleek and fast and has Google integration, so all of your everything is right where you can get to it.

And that’s convenient, but that’s certainly a lot of information to put in someone else’s hands.

Here’s some alternatives:

Epic, a browser based on chromium and hailed by Techworld as one of the single best private browsers out there.

Pros: So secure. If Chrome is a wet cardboard box with a “keep out” sign, Epic is a citadel with guards posted on every window.

Cons: It’s said to be slow as a general rule (a necessary evil), and might not run well on low-end machines.

Tor, the original security darling.

This one is a little loaded. It’s very well known, but sometimes that can be a bad thing. In some circles, there’s a stigma about Tor users--they all have something to hide.

There’s countless others, and I don’t want to review them all. Comodo Dragon/Ice Dragon (sister browsers), Brave, Yandex... all great choices, well reviewed and with some pretty robust security features, like automatic encryption, cookie dumping after every sessions, etc.

Not digging these indie browsers? Don’t want to stray too far into security parlance just to check Twitter? Opera and Mozilla Firefox are among the best in terms of mass-market browsers. Give them a shot; you’ll find that Firefox sets itself up very much like Chrome nowadays, though Opera’s a little odd.

Your information in the cloud.

Cloud computing is super handy. But once your information is in the cloud, it’s hard to say that it’s always going to be solely yours.

Clouds can be breached. They have been before, and recently. If one of your providers stores data in the cloud, then that data is vulnerable. If you’re very gung-ho about your security, you can research customer data storage before you purchase any service, but the only real way to be safe is to convince companies that confidential consumer data shouldn’t go in the cloud, where it can and will be accessed by someone looking to turn a profit.

What you can control, right now: what you’re actively storing in the cloud. Do you have sensitive documents saved in a cloud service like Dropbox or Google Drive? Are you 100% sure that these services cannot be breached, and that your life will continue as usual with no ill effects if your information is accessed by someone else?

Communication, communication.

We’re going to spend a whole lesson on social media, but for now, let’s talk about communication. How do you talk with your friends and family? Your employers? Is there anything you say on the internet that could negatively impact your life if it falls into the wrong hands? If so, you might need a change of pace.

I, like many people, used to use Skype to keep in touch with friends far away. However, Skype is now pretty insecure. It automatically records your history (which may be something that concerns you), but its encrypted communications aren’t as encrypted as Microsoft claims they are. Other users can find your IP with only your Skype handle, and the program is prone to malware infections.

Personally, I dropped Skype because it participates in surveillance capitalism. I don’t like that my data is being sold off to present me with ads. I currently use Discord, may or may not sell user information--the jury seems to still be out on that one. At the very least, I’m not shown ads when I talk to my friends.

If you use Skype or Discord to talk to only a handful of trusted folks and if your handle isn’t readily available anywhere, then you might be alright with this. If you aren’t, there are alternatives.

Signal, Ring and Tox are all highly secure communication apps. If you’re concerned about your words being tracked and used against you (particularly if you’re a minority, an activist, etc), you might look into them.

And finally, hardware.

I really don’t want to spend much time on hardware. Don’t want to sell you things, remember?

Sticker or tape over your webcam. This is common knowledge by now in a lot of circles, but ridiculed in other circles. Let’s put it this way, though: if a little tape over your webcam keeps you more private, how much money and time did you expend for that nice return? If it doesn’t help at all, what kinds of resources did you waste protecting yourself from a threat that isn’t real? I think this one’s a pretty easy gamble.

Watch out with old hardware. Not everyone can afford to replace old stuff immediately, but if you have that luxury, keep to newer items. If not, be aware that as your devices age, their security will become weaker. You might need to take extra steps to protect yourself. If your laptop is much newer than your phone, maybe avoid doing any mobile banking and leave that to the more capable machine.

That’s good for the day. Your assignment:

Look at all the fields I talked about. For your own benefit only, take inventory of the services you use and learn a little more about their security features. Are you safe for the activities you pursue and the ways you use technology? Should you make any changes in service, software or hardware?

Next: Here.

Previous: Here.

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secretfuneagle · 7 years

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My crashed marriage? Don’t go into that Nollywood actress Chika Ike

Charming Nollywood actress, Chika Ike is quite an interesting personality to hang-out with. On the other hand, the sultry actress who hails from Ekwuluobia, Umuchiana village in Anambra State confesses that she has learnt some lessons in life. The once married thespian talks about her acting career, her thriving business and other related issues in this interview with KUNLE AKINRINADE.

HOW true is it that you have a bad temper?

That story is not true, and those who are saying that obviously don’t know me. I can be very terrible when I am angry, but I know how to manage my anger very well. It’s either I take a walk from the scene or I stay alone to calm down, because I know that a man could say the worst things when angry.

If you are not an actress, what would you have been doing?

I would have opted for interior decoration, painting and other similar things because of my passion for things that has to do with arts or better still modeling. And as a matter of fact, I started off as a model, but acting has taken that from me now. Modeling is lucrative when you are on billboard or television commercial. But acting has made me busier than modeling. However, I must confess that I still want to be on the runway as a model, but acting is not allowing it.

What lessons have life taught you so far?

Taking a look at my life lately, I think I have learnt a lot of lessons so far. Life has taught me to be very patient and not to be in a hurry to do anything. It has also taught me to be less judgmental on people and to look before I leap; but more importantly, not to give up.

Talking about looking before leaping, does it have to do with your crashed marriage?

I rather not talk about that because it is my private life and I would like to keep it as that. That part of me is one of those things I would rather have you not talk about.

But something must have happened to you before you can conclude on such matters…

Cuts in… You are still inching toward my private life and I think we should not delve into such things.

What has changed about you?

Nothing has changed about me at all. I am still the same Chika Ike. I strive to achieve more in my career because it is good to aim big for career improvement.

You recently marked your birthday on a film location in Enugu State. How did you celebrate it?

I threw a party at PK Garden in Enugu. I am also planning a charity show for street children because my foundation is concerned with the plight of street kids in our society. I threw up a similar party for them a couple of months ago.

How do you manage the home when you are away on location?

(Laughter) I know what you want to get at, and I would not oblige you. You want to fly through the window to get an answer to your earlier question about my private life, but I bet you won’t get me.

What do you consider when accepting roles; money or good script?

I consider the story, the plot, the cast, the crew and the total output of the movie. Apart from these, I also consider the publicity around the project. I don’t take roles because of the financial gain. I have had cause to turn down scripts because of the poor content or because the role is not challenging at all. At times, I decline scripts because of my busy schedule. I have a sucker for stories that are emotionally challenging and not uninspiring roles.

How busy are you?

Right now, I am busy and greatly occupied for the rest of the year, even up till January 2013. I have been in Enugu for some weeks, and I don’t have time for any other thing because it’s only fair for me to finish the jobs I had been paid for at the moment.

Which job are you working on at the moment?

It is not my project; I am only being featured in the movie. The working title is “kleptomania” and I played a lead role in the movie. It is a big project and the movie was quite challenging because in one of the scenes, I played the role of an accident victim and was on clutches. It was indeed tough. But I think the role is also a career booster, because it also portrays me as a versatile and dynamic thespian.

What are your plans for the future?

I intend to run fashion outfits, not just in Nigeria, but all over Africa. And hopefully, we would soon start it. Although it’s still in the pipeline, but I am already working on it with all my vigour. And because of my fashion business, I am planning to bring models on the runway soon. By next year, I’ll also be part of a movie project in the United States of America (USA). Thank God, I have a great manager, publicist and people that make my life easy for me. They have ensured that I don’t naturally get stressed up, so I can focus on my career and other businesses.

How do you run from scandals?

It just happens. For example I have been busy for several weeks; I have been traveling from one state to another to take part in one movie or the other. For me, it’s not just about being overly careful or intentionally trying to avoid scandals, but being pre-occupied with jobs. Believe me; celebrities cannot insulate themselves from scandals because even if you don’t curry one, the press could give you a bad press, such that you will be trying frantically to exonerate yourself.

Love for Charity work

This year in the month of May, Chika hosted over three thousand kids at a party, held in Agodo, Lagos. The party was part of the activities by Chika Ike Foundation, marking Children’s day. School supplies and snack boxes were handed out to the children who attended the party. She was also presented with an award of recognition at the occasion by the traditional ruler of Agodo who was present at the party.

Achievement as an actress

Between the years 2005 -2006, she did well over 20 movies to her credit. This was to the amazement of a lot of people given her quick and sudden rise to stardom and was appreciated by many. In the year 2008, Chika Ike became an unexpected star after she was cast in a leading role as an African Princess in an epic movie called Mirror of Beauty which was shot on 35mm to the international scene and was shown in seven Cinemas in London (Odeon and Cineworld) where it was premiered.

The movie was later selected the only African movie to be screened during the CANN film festival in CANNS 2008 because of the quality and beautiful African Culture exhibited in it. It also got nominations and ward in Africa. The University of Lagos, Human kinetics and health education graduate (Unilag) has graced the covers of many local and international magazines. She has appeared on numerous television shows on TV and Red Carpet events.

Entry into other venture

In September 24, 2011, Chika opened an upscale fashion accessories store, Fancy Nancy Collections in the city of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, which is now a must shop- store for those discriminating, yet fashionable taste. The free spirited actress, entrepreneur and model who is blessed with beauty, brain, fame and fortune is a recipients of several awards and honours with the most recent one from United Nation Organization as World Youth Ambassador.

Background

Born on Friday November 8th to the prominent family of Ike and grew up in a close knit family of eight in Lagos, Nigeria. She was raised by her religious parents who did not fail to imbibe discipline hard work and tolerance. Chika as a child was nick named by her nanny – Rebecca, Fancy Nancy because of her fanciful and funny character as a child. She was sometime caught in her mum’s room wearing mums high heel shoes and mimicking her mother in front of the mirror, with heavy makeup on her face.

The famous actress was called a drama queen severally by her friends and peers while growing up. Owing to her discipline, she earned the position of senior prefect and her beauty always made her to be crowed the most beautiful girl in her school. The covetous beauty started acting at age six in her local church and watched a lot of movies while growing up; this became the inception for inspiration and challenge to join the movie industry. Never backing down from challenges, she laced her shoes and stepped into the movies auditioning ground in 2004 where she was auditioned for a movie. Her hard work, patience and discipline helped her face and got prepared for most things in life, but needless to say; she was surprised and overwhelmed when called back four months later to pick up a script to do a role in Nollywood movie.

Despite the fact that the role was a minor one, she took it as a stepping stone to greater heights in her aspiring career as an actress and did it so well. This landed her another movie role, this time to play a major character. After the African beauty – first major role in movie was released; it was adjudged chart buster and a sell out in the market, resulting in directors and producers recommending her for jobs and roles in movies. That same year Chika did over five movies and was nominated as the best upcoming actress (AMAA), an Africa Movie Academy Award in 2006 and a recognition award for that same year.

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