Raksha Bandhan, the festival that celebrates the unique bond between brothers and sisters, is a time-honored tradition that transcends geographical boundaries. For sisters living far from their brothers, sending Rakhi to Australia is a heartfelt way to keep this beautiful tradition alive. Here’s a comprehensive guide to making sure your Rakhi reaches your brother in Australia, along with tips to make the celebration special even across the miles.
Why Sending Rakhi to Australia is Important

1. Maintaining Traditions: Despite the distance, sending a Rakhi helps maintain the cherished customs of Raksha Bandhan, ensuring that the cultural heritage is preserved.
2. Strengthening Bonds: A thoughtfully chosen Rakhi and a heartfelt message can bridge the physical distance, strengthening the emotional bond between siblings.
3. Surprise and Joy: Receiving a Rakhi from afar is a delightful surprise for your brother, adding an extra layer of joy to the celebration.

How to Send Rakhi to Australia

1. Online Rakhi Stores: Numerous online stores specialize in international Rakhi delivery, offering a wide variety of Rakhis and Rakhi gift hampers. Websites like Ferns N Petals, IGP, and Rakhi Bazaar provide reliable delivery services to Australia.
2. E-commerce Platforms: Websites like Amazon and Flipkart also offer a range of Rakhis with international shipping options. You can select the Rakhi and have it delivered directly to your brother’s address in Australia.
3. Courier Services: If you prefer to buy a Rakhi locally, you can use international courier services like DHL, FedEx, or UPS to send your Rakhi to Australia. Ensure you send it well in advance to account for any shipping delays.

Choosing the Perfect Rakhi for Your Brother
Consider your brother’s preferences and the variety of options available:

1. Traditional Rakhis: These include Mauli Rakhis, beaded Rakhis, and Rakhis with religious symbols. They reflect cultural heritage and are perfect for brothers who appreciate classic designs.
2. Designer Rakhis: These feature intricate designs, gemstones, pearls, and embellishments. Designer Rakhis are ideal for brothers who enjoy a touch of elegance and sophistication.
3. Personalized Rakhis: Add a personal touch with customized Rakhis that include names, initials, or special messages. These Rakhis make the bond even more unique and memorable.
4. Eco-friendly Rakhis: Made from natural materials like cotton, jute, or recycled paper, eco-friendly Rakhis are perfect for environmentally conscious brothers.

Enhancing the Rakhi Celebration
To make Raksha Bandhan special despite the distance, consider these tips:

1. Rakhi with Gifts: Pair the Rakhi with a thoughtful gift. Many online stores offer Rakhi gift hampers that include sweets, chocolates, dry fruits, or personalized items.
2. Video Call Ritual: Arrange a video call to perform the Rakhi tying ceremony virtually. This can bring a sense of togetherness and make the celebration more meaningful.
3. Personalized Messages: Include a heartfelt letter or card with your Rakhi. Express your love, memories, and best wishes for your brother.
4. Photographs and Memories: Send a photo album or a digital photo frame with cherished memories. This can be a wonderful way to reminisce about the good times you’ve shared.
5. Special Treats: Order his favorite sweets or snacks from local Australian stores that deliver. This adds a delicious touch to the celebration.

Important Tips for Sending Rakhi to Australia

1. Plan Ahead: Start planning early to ensure your Rakhi and gifts arrive on time. Account for shipping times and potential delays.
2. Verify Address: Double-check your brother’s address to avoid any delivery issues.
3. Track Your Shipment: Use tracking services provided by courier companies to monitor the delivery status of your Rakhi.
4. Customer Reviews: If using an online store, read customer reviews to ensure reliability and quality.

Sending Rakhi to Australia from Rakhi.com allows you to celebrate the beautiful bond of Raksha Bandhan, no matter the distance. Whether you choose a traditional Rakhi, a designer piece, or a personalized one, the essence of the festival remains the same – celebrating the love and protection between siblings. With thoughtful planning and the right choice of Rakhi, you can make this Raksha Bandhan special for your brother, bringing joy and love across the miles. Let your Rakhi be a symbol of your enduring bond, and make this festival a memorable one for both of you.

My dad is a wonderful guy, amazing guy even, but he's definitely weird, and I'm trying to understand why.
He's from a very traditional family, extremely traditional, university educated, etc. He is an investment banker got married to my mum over 20 years ago. He met my mum because his best friend got married to my mums best friend and so they introduced my mum and dad to each other. My mum grew up in poverty and from a broken abusive household, so very different to my dads upbringing.
When I was growing up, my mum did all the child bearing, my dad kinda just went to work and came home and watched sports on TV. In my 18 years of childhood I don't think I ever had a deep conversation with him about my feelings ever. Feelings and emotions were not a thing with him, I've never seen him be deep or express himself much. He played by a rulebook, he's very much a 'this is how you behave in society and don't deviate from it' type of guy. He made sure I got good grades, but apart from that he really didn't have much bearing over my childhood, he was just kinda there. He has pretty much no friends, only one close friend (who is the one that is married to my mums best friend), meanwhile my mum has many friends. He just talks to this one friend and his brother. He's pretty conservative in his views and values, but not very sure in them, it's like he just parrots what he's been taught by others. I feel like the real him is someone deep inside him that he isn't letting out, and he is still finding it. All he seems to be passionate about is football, golf, and learning stuff, he's quite intellectual. Sometimes I wonder how genuine his relationship with my mum is too, nothing about my childhood felt too genuine, sometimes it felt a bit more like my mum was adopted into his family. She also used a lot of tactics like 'I will divorce you xyz' to get her way, and then he would usually cave to whatever she wanted. Essentially when it came to family life, my mum decided everything.
It's kinda sad tbh, I'm 21 now and I feel like I know myself better than my dad knows himself.The older I get the more I realise he must have felt very trapped in a box growing up, I wonder if marrying my mum was some type of way to escape whatever his reality was. Maybe this is some type of common trope and someone has seen this before... Part of me is actually quite worried that he's gay and in the closet for life. Anyone have any ideas what is going on here?An

hey, y'all! This past few days, I have had this heavy feeling, or rather, a pain in my heart, and it has taken a toll on me. I came here to maybe share some stuff; maybe y'all can help or something.
My girlfriend just broke up with me. To give a bit more context, my ex-girlfriend and I met online around 8 years ago. She likes me, and I like her too. We talked, then we stopped talking to each other, then repeat, basically we're on and off for like a year or two, until we've decided to be just friends. To my surprise, we didn't just became friends, we became best friends, I am there whenever she's suffering on some stuff, and she is also there for mine. So basically, she's the closest friend I've had.
Around 2022, we began talking again, but not like normal friends; the feelings we had for each other before began to resurface, and eventually, we've decided to be exclusive. Despite knowing each other for that long, our relationship didn't have a good start nor it did have a good end. I have some attitude that she didn't like (sensitive, I overthink stuff, sometimes I'm also being impulsive) and at the same time she also have some attitude that I didn't like (she's often angry, she kind of had some anger issues which I'm really having a hard time to handle). There are times where we broke up after having a serious argument, there are times that she's the one who's breaking up with me, but most of the time I'm the one whose breaking up with her (this previous breakup doesn't last a day, it's like a 12 hours of not talking then we'll start fixing things right away).
Fast forward to May 2024, she broke up with me. I tried to reach out to her through every social media platform possible, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Email, you name it, I tried them all; but I can't reach her, she already blocked me. Two days after she unblocked me on Twitter, I took it as a sign that she wanted to talk to me again, so I called her and apologized for not being able to give her what she deserves, I let her know that I acknowledge the pain I caused her every time I broke up with her, I apologized for not being able to see her, for not noticing she was tired early on, I apologized for not being a great boyfriend. I begged her to stay, that I'm willing to change and do better, but she didn't want me anymore; she tells me that she's fine, that she's happy and peaceful, and that she doesn't want to experience my love anymore, even if I change. and then she blocks me again right after.
It hurts; I may not be the greatest boyfriend, but I did everything I could to keep her. I may be lacking in some areas, but I always try to compensate in others, and I never, never stopped working on myself, not only for me, but also for her. why can't this feeling reach her? I really loved her, and the pain of her absence is killing me. I lost my girlfriend, I lost a friend.

BRAVO

• Scheana Shay's Sister Cortney Is Her Twin in Stunning New (and Old!) Photos (Bravo)
• Lala Kent Reveals the Real Reason She Moved to the Valley: "Let Me Be Very Clear..." (Bravo)
• VPR’s Tom Sandoval Shuts Down Split Rumors by Posting NSFW Photo With Girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson (US Weekly)
• Jax Taylor Says ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Coming Over to ‘The Valley’ Is a ‘Hard No’: ‘It Isn’t Fair’ (US Weekly)
• Jax Taylor Gives His Honest Take on the Toms’ New Girlfriends: “She Could Be My Daughter” (Bravo)
• Kristen Doute clarifies her ‘The Valley’ reunion remarks: ‘We haven’t been told’ anything (NY Post exclusive)
• Kristen Doute Compares Jesse Lally to 'Vanderpump Rules' Jax Taylor (Collider)
• Lisa Vanderpump Says Gordon Ramsay Has ‘Met His Match’ in Her! (Extra exclusive)
• Summer House’s Jesse Solomon Says He ‘Doesn’t Regret’ Flirting With Paige DeSorbo (Life & Style exclusive)
• 'Summer House' Season Finale Watch Party Hosted By The Boro In Tysons (Patch)
• How Summer House: Martha's Vineyard's Jasmine Cooper Found Support as a New Mom (E! exclusive)
• Vanderpump Rules snubbed from NBC Upfronts as Seth Meyers slams Tom Sandoval in harsh diss after cancellation rumors (The Sun U.S. exclusive)

NEW JERSEY

• Margaret Josephs Dishes on Teresa Giudice Fallout: "She's Obsessed with Me" (Bravo)
• Margaret Josephs Calls RHONJ Star Jackie Goldschneider ‘a Disappointment’ (Heavy)
• Joe Gorga Claims RHONJ Cast is Getting “Punished” Amid Leak Allegations Involving Teresa and Jen, as Melissa Shades Teresa and Jennifer’s Behavior as “Gross” (Reality Blurb)

ORANGE COUNTY

• ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ Resumes Filming After Jennifer Pedranti’s Fiance Enters MLB Drama (US Weekly exclusive)

NEW YORK

• ‘RHONY’ star Erin Lichy is ‘obsessed’ with this under-$12 beauty buy (Page Six)

BEVERLY HILLS

• Crystal Kung Minkoff Is ‘Really Excited’ for Her Next Chapter After ‘RHOBH’ Exit (US Weekly exclusive)
• Jamie Lee Curtis “Excited” For Friend Amanda De Cadenet Joining ‘RHOBH’ Season 14 Cast & Teases “Maybe I’ll Be Back” (Deadline)
• Teddi Mellencamp covers up in a long sleeve shirt and pink pants as she supports her sons in equestrian competitions in Los Angeles (Daily Mail)
• Annemarie Wiley Discusses Best Part of RHOBH, What She Would’ve Shown on Season 14, and Favorite Franchise, Plus What’s Next and Why She Became a Nurse (Reality Blurb)

ATLANTA

• Go Inside Riley Burruss' Next-Level College Graduation Party (Pics) (Bravo)

AFRICAN FRANCHISES

• LaConco on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip – South Africa (Showmax)

Links to this week's episode discussion posts:

• RHONJ S14E2 🍝
• Summer House S8E12 ☀️

Raksha Bandhan is a cherished Indian festival that celebrates the bond of love and protection between brothers and sisters. For those living away from their siblings, the festival can bring a mix of emotions, from joy to nostalgia. However, modern technology and reliable courier services have made it easier than ever to send Rakhi to India from anywhere in the world. Here’s a guide to making sure your Rakhi reaches your brother in India, along with tips for enhancing the celebration across the miles.
Why Sending Rakhi to India is Special

1. Maintaining Traditions: Despite the distance, sending a Rakhi to your brother in India helps maintain the cherished tradition of Raksha Bandhan. It’s a way to participate in the ritual and express your love and best wishes.
2. Strengthening Bonds: A thoughtfully chosen Rakhi and a heartfelt message can bridge the distance and strengthen the emotional bond between siblings.
3. Surprise and Joy: Receiving a Rakhi from afar is a delightful surprise for your brother, adding an extra layer of joy to the celebrations.

How to Send Rakhi to India

1. Online Rakhi Stores: Many online stores specialize in Rakhi and Raksha Bandhan gifts. They offer a wide variety of Rakhis, from traditional to modern designs, and provide reliable delivery services across India. Popular websites include Ferns N Petals, IGP, and Rakhi Bazaar.
2. Courier Services: If you prefer to purchase a Rakhi locally, you can use international courier services like DHL, FedEx, or India Post’s international services to send the Rakhi to India. Ensure you send it well in advance to account for any delays.
3. E-commerce Platforms: Websites like Amazon and Flipkart also offer a wide range of Rakhis and Rakhi gift sets, with delivery options within India. You can place an order directly on these platforms and have it delivered to your brother’s address.

Choosing the Perfect Rakhi
Consider your brother’s preferences and the variety of options available:

1. Traditional Rakhis: These include Mauli Rakhis, beaded Rakhis, and Rakhis with religious symbols like Om or Swastika. They reflect cultural heritage and are perfect for brothers who appreciate classic designs.
2. Designer Rakhis: These feature intricate designs, gemstones, pearls, and embellishments. Designer Rakhis are ideal for brothers who enjoy a touch of elegance and sophistication.
3. Cartoon and Superhero Rakhis: For younger brothers or those young at heart, Rakhis featuring popular cartoon characters or superheroes can be a fun and playful choice.
4. Eco-friendly Rakhis: Made from natural materials like cotton, jute, or recycled paper, eco-friendly Rakhis are perfect for environmentally conscious brothers.
5. Personalized Rakhis: Add a personal touch with customized Rakhis that include names, initials, or special messages. These Rakhis make the bond even more unique and memorable.

Enhancing the Rakhi Celebration
To make the Raksha Bandhan celebration special despite the distance, consider these tips:

1. Rakhi with Gifts: Pair the Rakhi with a thoughtful gift. Many online stores offer Rakhi gift hampers that include sweets, chocolates, dry fruits, or personalized items.
2. Video Call Ritual: Arrange a video call to perform the Rakhi tying ceremony virtually. This can bring a sense of togetherness and make the celebration more meaningful.
3. Personalized Messages: Include a heartfelt letter or card with your Rakhi. Express your love, memories, and best wishes for your brother.
4. Photographs and Memories: Send a photo album or a digital photo frame with cherished memories. This can be a wonderful way to reminisce about the good times you’ve shared.
5. Special Treats: Order his favorite sweets or snacks from local Indian sweet shops that deliver. This adds a delicious touch to the celebration.

Important Tips for Sending Rakhi to India

1. Plan Ahead: Start planning early to ensure your Rakhi and gifts arrive on time. Account for shipping times and potential delays.
2. Verify Address: Double-check your brother’s address to avoid any delivery issues.
3. Track Your Shipment: Use tracking services provided by courier companies to monitor the delivery status of your Rakhi.
4. Customer Reviews: If using an online store, read customer reviews to ensure reliability and quality.

Sending Rakhi to India from Rakhi.com allows you to celebrate the beautiful bond of Raksha Bandhan, no matter the distance. Whether you choose a traditional Rakhi, a designer piece, or a fun cartoon-themed one, the essence of the festival remains the same – celebrating the love and protection between siblings. With thoughtful planning and the right choice of Rakhi, you can make this Raksha Bandhan special for your brother, bringing joy and love across the miles. Let your Rakhi be a symbol of your enduring bond, and make this festival a memorable one for both of you.

See title.
Currently in the hunt for the best divorce solicitor out there. My partner is the one going through divorce. We met a year after their separation and have recently moved in together. They filed jointly for divorce in March when it was still amicable. But it looks as though she was ‘staying friendly’ until she got concessions (him moving out) and she’s now outright said she won’t agree to a 50-50 split.
If anyone has recommendations or advice based on experience, would love to hear it. This has been incredibly stressful and frustrating for him. I am happy to pay for a solicitor, private investigator, forensic accountant etc out of my own funds if it means getting more strategic advice than what he’s getting. He needs a shark. I am determined to get him one.
Details that will be relevant:

• married for ~20yrs with 1 daughter who is 8yrs old and who is with us 50% of the time. She is happy and dealing with the divorce well and we want it to stay that way but now realising we need to fight her avarice
• they own a big house. Mortgage has now become more than he can afford but she has lobbied to keep it and stay there to give daughter stability. As soon as he moved out though, her affair partner started staying there regularly with his children. She denies the cheating as does he and she’s denied he moved in(he’s also married and going through a divorce — timings as to breakdown of marriage etc align)
• Total expenses now are more than they make jointly. She runs ups credit card bills of close to 10k monthly (she has spending issues and has for years even before breakdown of marriage). We have suspicions she’s been spending on her affair partner and his family.
• he is the higher earner. She has reduced her working hours and has refused to go back to work fulltime. She is currently in university again getting another qualification and he has agreed to pay for her fees until she finishes, even after the divorce. He supports her desire to change careers and was willing to pay so she could eventually begin to support herself. She still thinks she’s entitled to more.
• her affair partner has substance abuse issues and there are some safeguarding concerns
• we’ve moved in together and I’m also a high earner. We split expenses 50-50, including expenses for his daughter. There’s some concern it compromises his position in the financial split. I am outraged that my money and willingness to spend for his daughter is even a consideration here and it makes me far less inclined to shell any more out. I had considered contributing to her private school fees and wonder if this will cause more issues.

We understand the law favours the lesser earning party but this feels massively unfair. She’s cheated and plotted with her affair partner for years and now sees this as her payout. I’m honestly so furious I’m prepared to spend my own money to make her feel the pain. Any advice or recommendations would be immensely helpful.
Thanks.

hi all,
i have a 9 year old cat whom i have had since she was a kitten. she is the absolute sweetest cat ever, but she’s always been i don’t want to say aggressive because that’s not what it is, she doesn’t attack the other cats, but she is ALWAYS growling and hissing at them. they don’t do anything to her, as soon as she sees them she immediately starts growling. she has never had any negative interaction with another cat as far as im aware in which they started something without prompting, but now when she growls and hisses some of them understandably go after her. it has always been this way but it has only gotten worse since she comes to college with me (i have an apartment), but when i come home for breaks its insufferable. every second of every day she will growl at them and i have no idea why. i feel bad for her because she’s clearly unhappy when we’re home for breaks, but i don’t have much of a choice. i love her so much and she’s been my best friend since we got her, so getting rid of her is absolutely out of the question.
does anyone have any advice on ways to relieve her anxiety (or maybe it’s not anxiety and it’s something else)? we’re in the process of trying cbd oil but unsure of how well it’s working. thank you!

Hi, i wanna get stright to the point. I'm(19F) with my bf(20M) for almost 2 years now. At first we were best friends and then we built a relationship. I started to feel rocd when i was with my ex, my ex and i were in relationship for only 2 months so this is my first serious relationship. I was overcoming a rocd for the past year and my bf was very supportive. We don't have perfect relationship, but we love each other very much, we learn from each other and grow together. Last year i found out that he liked some insta models bikini pics and i was very very mad about it(mostly bc im insecure, and what made me like that is that my dad cheated on my mum), even tho me myself liked some pics of some attractive guys. I told my bf about it and he stopped doing that without any problems, but that caused a lot of damage. I already had trust issues on my own, bc of my mental state and this made me go feral. A couple days ago pic of insta an model pop out on my insta suggested from like 2022 and thats one of the pics he liked back then. I got mad i dont even know why and i was very deffensive about it. We were fighting and he asked me to stop doing that to us bc he is really trying to be better for me and for us, and i always remind my self of this old fights. Then my rocd flare up again and i was having panic attacks for the last couple of days, i dont know what to do and what to think, do i deserve better, or maybe he deserves it?:(

Ever since we were little, we had made plans to go to Paris. I don't remember why, but our dream destination was Paris. We talked about it on sleepovers, and gave each other excited looks everytime a character spoke French on TV.
We graduated school, went to different colleges, did not talk to each other often, but when we met after, we fell back in step like the distance and lack of conversation did not matter, because that's how adult relationships are- You will not have the time to giggle about boys and Paris all day everyday anymore, that was my reasoning. And everyday, I regret not calling her up more often.
She married as soon as she graduated. Her husband was her long time boyfriend, and the best person ever for her. They had their first kid soon after, and life was so good with them all.
When her kid was 6 months old, they got into a brutal accident. My friend and her husband were killed on impact, but the baby survived with minor injuries.
Needless to say, I was devastated.
I got to know that I was listed by them as the baby's legal guardian. Her family only consists of her parents, who were ageing, and did not have the capacity to support a child anymore. They agreed with their child's decision.
Apart from the occasional babysitting I did for them, I had no clue how to take care of the baby, but I did not want her to end up in an orphanage either and so I took her in.
The first few months were hell. The baby did not understand her parents were gone, but she did feel their loss. Her cries and tantrums kept me up at night, it affected my work, my energy, and my health. I was in no way ready to be a caregiver, all while grieving the person I knew since kindergarten.
What other choice did I have? I stuck it out, and it gradually grew better. I got the hang of things, and worked hard to be a better mum. Of course, it wasn't always a breeze, and certain things still brought me to tears- like her baby calling me mumma, or her taking her first steps and her parents not being there to see it.
It's been 8 years since, and we're leaving for Disneyland Paris in 2 days. She knows I'm not her real mother, that we are not even related by blood, but we're doing very good. She still calls me mumma, and I consider her my own.
She's a happy, healthy kid, and I couldn't love her more. I'm still angry and sad over your loss, and I wish it didn't happened like this, but I am so glad she's my daughter, and that I'm such a huge part of her life. I hope you're okay with that Nimm?
I hope you can see yourself in her Nimm, I hope I've raised her well so far, and I will definitely let her have the lion's share of Hot chocolate, that was the deal between us wasn't it?

Hello! I'm a US citizen (from Florida), currently living in Munich Germany with my German husband for the past 10 years. We're waiting for his green card approval and planning a temporary move to the US for 3-5 years. This move is for me to be back in the US for a little bit, since I'm super homesick, and for my husband to experience US life, since he's always wanted to live there.
We're interested in New England/Northeast area, any state in: CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT. We prefer this region for its proximity to Europe, making travel and contact with my husband's family easier. We love the 4-seasons, nature, mountains, and the coast. We're in our mid-late 30s, have master's degrees, 10+ yrs corporate experience, and are trying for children.
We're looking for a city, town, or region that is:

• Equidistant to Boston and NYC
• Near mountains, nature, the coast
• Offers affordable rent
• Community-oriented with friendly people
• Some type of city life (events, fun things to do, not rural)
• Safe
• Commutable to major cities for work & the airport

What area would you recommend for us to experience the best of the Northeast? We know Boston and NYC are very expensive so any small/mid-size city that offers what we're looking for would be great. Also, will there be an issue tax-wise, living in one state and working in another state?
Thank you for your help!

If you have questions feel free to ask 😊
So I'll preface this with I don't want to engage in political debates about Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong/Macau. I am treating them as seperate only because they have different visa requirements. I have my own views on the matter but my opinion doesn't matter.
So I am a 27M white european and this was my experience. 5th time solo.
Taiwan (14days) Taipei - north coast - Puli/sun moons lake - Tianan - kaohsiung - Yuli - hualien (taroko gorge)
Opinion Taiwan is incredibly beautiful, the level of English in the north especially is very high. Most people will be able to speak a few words which makes travel around easy. The highlights for me were Taipei/sun moon lake/taroko gorge.
You'll want to get an easy card for general travel. This can be picked up at the airport and reloaded at any station.
The food, like the rest is quite limited in either being big American brands like McDonald's or local noodle shops. If you have dietary requirements please have these translated and saved on your phone beforehand. As a vegetarian I found that people would often just give me fish regardless of how persistent I was. This was common throughout.
The people are very respectful and friendly, but unless you get someone who wants to have a conversation you're interaction will be very surface level. They are happy to just let foreigners be alone.
I would highly recommend anyone who wants to try this culture to go via Taiwan as it is a much more gentle introduction.
Things to be wary of Getting around by walking is quite frankly a nightmare. Every pavement outside of Taipei is covered in bikes and if you are disabled this will be a serious issue without a car.
Everything is ticketed so be sure to carry cash. You can use the easy card but cash is just much simpler for attractions.
There are multiple different train types and they enforce ticketing strictly. The local train can use the easy card as well as the metro. Regional trains are more fancy and require a purchased ticket. Highspeed is treated similarly to flying and you should show up 30minutes before to ensure you get there in time.
Hong Kong/Macau (4days)
Hong Kong city - main island - Macau
Opinion Honestly I was disappointed, Hong Kong just felt very boring in comparison to Taipei. It's very multicultural and due to this I found it hard to see a unique identity for Hong Kong. Macau felt unique but just a bit irrelevant.
The highlight was certainly the hike up Victoria peak and watching the city move in seclusion. When I got to the top people were camping there I had never been so jealous. It's truly an amazing view. Be sure to go past the mall and take the small mountain path. It's well lit and fairly easy incline if you are in relatively good fitness.
Mainland china (48 days) Guangzhou - hengyang - Changsha - Zhangjiajie - Chongqing - Emei Shan - Chengdu - Xian - huashan - luoyang - pingyao - Datong - erlian (visa reset) - Nanjing - Qingdao - Jinan - Beijing
The main part to my trip, there's no pretending. China is difficult. Mostly because of the restrictions and the unwillingness of china to accommodate for foreigners. You need WeChat, you need trip.com and you need to use A map. The people do not speak English. I would go days or weeks without haveing a real conversation. I was often cut off from the outside world due to my VPN struggling to get past the firewall. (Surfshark)
If the above scares you avoid china for any long trips. If like me you see a challenge then you will adore china. It's frustrating, but I've never been in a country that gave me the same kind of highs. The mountains of Huashan rival the dolomites and they are much more accessable for everyone.
This is a large bonus for China, once you adapt everything is very easy to do. And nothing feels off limits. Except that sectioned off my armed police. China is so safe I never once felt in danger of theft or being attacked which I can't say about my own home. There is a reason for this. Anyone who breaks the law will be delt with due to the survalance.
The negatives Be prepared to take a lot of screenshots to translate via WeChat. Menus, metro stations, hotel check in. Anytime you need information you need to translate it yourself. This gets exhausting.
People will stare at you, I always took this as curiosity. Especially in the west and south as there are very few foreigners. Many of the people are very racist however. The things said to me about black people, Japanese and Koreans genuinely upset me. But I want to experience and understand so I would listen. If you speak up in defence you are often ignored. It's ingrained sadly. And it makes me question how many felt similarly towards me.
Banned websites, pretty much all our sites are blocked. It makes it hard as your only option for a search engine is Bing. And who wants to use bing. A VPN is an option but can be spotty and it is illegal so becareful where you use this.
As someone from a country with 8million. There's just so many Chinese people for me to be comfortable with. Everything is packed. All the tourist sites are full. Metro full. Bus full. The worst case for me was the terracotta army which I visited on a normal day and it was hard to just walk around.
Getting searched going into any metro or trainstation. You basically have to go through airport security everytime. It's a real pain when you have a 15kg backpack.
The spitting, it's gross.
The pros China is so cheap, my hotel in Zhangjiajie for example was only 5€ a night. And it was a decent little double bed and bathroom, tv and toiletries supplied. Easy 70€ back home.
Food (for me when I got it) was incredible and very cheap. Average was about 15 yuan or 2€ a meal. Drinks are also very cheap 3yuan for a bottle of coke and 2yuan for a water.
The trains, man did the chinese build an excellent train network. You need to use WeChat or tripmcom to book these. But they are well priced and very efficient.
The apps, there's an app for everything. Want to read a menu? It's a WeChat app, metro line app! Book tickets for the summer palace app! Sometimes you'll need to look up the qr code in advance, especially around high tourist season.
Cashless, you can totally use cash. But you don't need to. If you have wifi or data which is cheap and easy to get (30days unlimited 150yuan China mobile) you just scan your WeChat Code and pay. Similar to contactless but not as convenient.
Overview China is a real solo travelers challenge I think, it's a great way to test how good you are at making split decisions. For short trips I recommend Nanjing, Chengdu, huashan, Chongqing and Zhangjiajie.
Conclusion. (Tldr) I will be going back to both Taiwan and mainland china. Both have got a hold on me. I'm hooked and I'm hoping to get you all hooked too. Taiwan is better if you want a chill holiday to explore Chinese culture. I recommend the north. Mainland is best for the experienced traveler as they will be able to get so much love from this unappreciated country. And my fellow Europeans take advantage of those visa free 15 days.
If you have any questions feel free to ask 😊

Hello! I'm a US citizen (from Florida), currently living in Munich Germany with my German husband for the past 10 years. We're waiting for his green card approval and planning a temporary move to the US for 3-5 years. This move is for me to be back in the US for a little bit, since I'm super homesick, and for my husband to experience US life, since he's always wanted to live there.
We're interested in New England/Northeast area, any state in: CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT. We prefer this region for its proximity to Europe, making travel and contact with my husband's family easier. We love the 4-seasons, nature, mountains, and the coast. We're in our mid-late 30s, have master's degrees, 10+ yrs corporate experience, and are trying for children.
We're looking for a city, town, or region that is:

• Equidistant to Boston and NYC
• Near mountains, nature, the coast
• Offers affordable rent
• Community-oriented with friendly people
• Some type of city life (events, fun things to do, not rural)
• Safe
• Commutable to major cities for work & the airport

What area would you recommend for us to experience the best of the Northeast? We know Boston and NYC are very expensive so any small/mid-size city that offers what we're looking for would be great. Also, will there be an issue tax-wise, living in one state and working in another state?
Thank you for your help!

My best friend and I are really close. We have been best friends for seven years, and we treat each other like siblings without the downsides of being actual siblings. We never argue, but when we do, we would easily resolve it because we understand each other, sometimes even more than we understand ourselves. We would be there to support each other no matter the situation, and we would always have each other's backs.
A few weeks ago, I invited her to go on a weekend vacation with me. We haven't seen each other in a while, and I really miss her. She agreed and asked if she could bring the girl she's seeing, and two other guy friends that she knows from the girl. I have social anxiety, but since my best friend is there, I didn't really mind her bringing other people. We got to planning, and my best friend volunteered to drive to our destination.
We made a group chat with the other people that are coming with us (so all in all, five of us), and they were teasing my best friend about being careful when driving. I joined in with the jokes and said I would not let an accident happen while I am riding shotgun. My best friend then messaged me saying that it would be awkward if I sit on the back with the two other guys, but if I could still sit on the back because she wants to sit with the girl she's seeing.
I was really shocked when she said this. I know it makes sense for her to sit with the girl she's seeing, but she knows that I am not comfortable with guys, and that I have social anxiety. I decided to point this out, but all she said was, 'They're nice people, you will be fine.' At this point, I didn't even want to go to the trip that I invited her to, because in my head, it doesn't really make sense for me to come because the point of me inviting her is because I wanted to hangout with her.
I decided not to say anything because I was too confused about my emotions, and she messaged again saying that it's funny because if it was her exes, I would sit on the front... I did not find this funny at all. A week ago, I decided to talk to her about this matter. I said that I am happy that she has someone that she likes this much, but I feel like things are changing in our friendship. She said that the girl she's seeing actually said that she could sit on the back, but my best friend refused because according to my best friend, that's "her girl" and she can't let her sit there. Basically, she likes this girl so much to the point of disregarding my anxieties.
She asked what she could do to make things better, and that she doesn't want to make me feel bad. I suggested sitting on the front on the trip going to, but her and the girl can sit together on the way back. This makes sense because at least I know the guys a little bit better and I would be more comfortable to sit with them. But well, it didn't matter because she still refused. Now I don't really know what do, or if I should even come.
I'm sorry for the long read, but I just feel really frustrated about this. Other friends of mine have told me to just not go because I would just feel out of place. Should I just not go?

Hello! I'm a US citizen (from Florida), currently living in Munich Germany with my German husband for the past 10 years. We're waiting for his green card approval and planning a temporary move to the US for 3-5 years. This move is for me to be back in the US for a little bit, since I'm super homesick, and for my husband to experience US life, since he's always wanted to live there.
We're interested in New England/Northeast area, any state in: CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT. We prefer this region for its proximity to Europe, making travel and contact with my husband's family easier. We love the 4-seasons, nature, mountains, and the coast. We're in our mid-late 30s, have master's degrees, 10+ yrs corporate experience, and are trying for children.
We're looking for a city, town, or region that is:

• Equidistant to Boston and NYC
• Near mountains, nature, the coast
• Offers affordable rent
• Community-oriented with friendly people
• Some type of city life (events, fun things to do, not rural)
• Safe
• Commutable to major cities for work & the airport

What area would you recommend for us to experience the best of the Northeast? We know Boston and NYC are very expensive so any small/mid-size city that offers what we're looking for would be great. Also, will there be an issue tax-wise, living in one state and working in another state?
Thank you for your help!

My friend and I will be traveling to Mongolia in early June for around 12 days. We want to visit the Gobi from UB. What’s the best way to get there. I think it’s a bad idea to make that trip alone seeing as neither of us have been to Mongolia before.
Also, is it imperative that we get a private driveguide? If so, where do we find them? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

hello everyone. these last few days I've been going through a lot and i thought it might be a good idea to ask for help in here.
this year i'm sharing a house with a roommate who turned out to be an immature, spoiled, childish bitch. i've been always respectful to her and i assume i have tried to be as considerate as it's humanly possible.i'm very calm and when at home, i'm usually busy studying or watching movie with a headphone or doing other silent activities. i even don't like talking over the phone that much and at times that i'm obliged to use it, i lower my tone as much as i can. also, as i brought almost 90% of the furniture and the apartment was basically furnished when she arrived, and i agreed her to take the best room.i never even mentioned all the favors I did and I really regret what i did, because none of these roomie-pleasing acts paid off.if anything, she became more controlling and rude.she had talked to me in an offensive manner two times before this but i hadn't said anything in response and had suppressed my anger in order to avoid conflict( classic trauma response, right?).ten days ago i invited my sister over( and i hadnt invited anyone before this) and she traveled hundreds of miles to come and see me. i had done it with her permission and she said it's alright for my sister to come and stay. so she came and stayed a couple of days and we were mostly hanging out outside and we just came back at night to sleep in my own room.she was acting alright in the first 2 days, then she started to act in a passive-aggressive manner –she slammed the door as soon as she heard us preparing the table or quietly laughing, she avoided us each time we were in the living room and would sneakily jump out of her room to use the bathroom or toilet as soon as we moved into my room. she had done this before during the last semester's finals, too. but this time it had got way more obvious and way more aggressive. after my sister left, she quitted even looking at me or saying hi to me when she saw me.( she had done this before too, but i had convinced myself not to take it to the heart specially as she got friendly with me again after the finals were over! she's such an unstable player.) last day she wrote me a scroll on telegram and as hard as she tried to seem cultured and civilized, she just oozed out even more controlling shit.it was the juice of her message: ''don't use the living room for studying. only use it for going to the kitchen or to the toilet, because i feel uncomfortable doing cooking and shit when someone's in there reading.'' i answered that i'm well-aware that living room might be distracting at times, but i'm not bothered by the sound of her doing her stuff and she doesnt need to worry about it and she can also freely use it. but then she started to argue with me saying ''living room is not for studying'' and weeping over her victim complex ''noooo, i'm not comfortable,you MUST go to your room just like i've tolerated you reading now you must act to my desire''. this time finally i became furious and assertively talked to her that it's her problem that she doesn't want to see me AT ALL and for this irrational demand, i would not have any more compliance. i'm silent as a rabbit, not making a fucking noise and really dont occupy much area in a 80 m² living room!! if she wants to use it as well, she's welcomed, but she can't command me to stay prisoned inside my small gloomy room without no proper light. interesting part is that she even doesnt prefer to study in the living room and all she's mad about is she cant use it for toilet and kitchen without coming to see me staying in there. although my whole body was trembling with rage ( and simultaneously with fear of a conflict or a loud argument) i managed to be assertive and talk my words.then she left me unread, although i'm quite sure she's read it.
now although i've come out ratherstrongly, whenever i use the living room, every moment of being there feels like torture.the silence in the living room feels like a ticking bomb that might explode in any minute. i'm anxious af and i have endless ruminations about how she might just walk out of the door and snap at me.she still continues slamming the door and walking thumpering her feet on the ground.also, i know it's very unlikely, but my mind constantly jumps to the possibility of being attacked or she getting physical with me. i'm very sensitive to loud noises and arguments. i try to avoid them as much as i can. i get this semi-panic attack feeling whenever even two strangers argue with eachother. i know me keeping using the living room to my desire will serve her right and will bring me back some power over the household affairs, but i can barely even concentrate this way; while i rigidly sit there, my muscles tense as rock and i hear my hear ponding.
so, i appreciate your advice: do you think i'd better fight or flight? regarding that my finals are arriving in 10 days or so...
P.S: special thanks to you ma' for the perfect upbringing and all that dreadful childhood days you would shout at me – your voice's still ringing in my ears and although you encourage me to stand for my rights, i always fail because i've always been on the lower end of the power imbalance seasaw. i never dared disagreeing with you, now how you expect me to be magically a brave person who can disagree when she's not pleased?

So as the title says, I have been singing for years without significant improvement. I think it’s been about 3-4 years and I have had two singing teachers. My biggest accomplishments have been learning how to use chest voice and mixed voice (which is still a work in progress). I’ve never liked the tone of my singing and every time I listen to a recording of myself it just sounds off. My friends with little to no training sound a lot better. And I know I’m not just being hard on myself because I’ve been told I’m not the best singer in the group.
I’m not just posting to complain / rant because I really want to improve and be able to keep up with them in karaoke. I haven’t sung in a month or two because I got so unmotivated and I’m just looking for tips to get better and keep up motivation! So if you guys have learned anything super useful let me know and maybe I can get some inspiration.
Specifically some tips on being comfortable / confident to practice would be helpful.

I'm doing a very big 100mi race for charity in honor of a family friend that died last year.
The charity I'm racing for sent me a cute PR package to help support me. The only thing is I've created a page to raise money for them/my face, but I don't have social media. My friends don't even Facebook anymore. My in-laws barely know how to turn on a printer.
I only use LinkedIn which my post there got 23 views and no donations.
I would be embarrassed to do the race and not have any donations. I'm doing it solo and not for some big event with loads of people. What is the best way about going about asking for donations? Would it be weird to send an email to everyone at my work? This is my first time doing a charity thing.

Hello, welcome to the Brazilian Classics Rate! This rate covers five albums released between the years 1968 and 1974, exploring the likes of Tropicália, MPB, Samba, and more. We are excited to enjoy this music with both long time fans, and also welcome newcomers to experience these all-time favorites for the first time.
Note: I am not Brazilian and am not a Portuguese writer / speaker. My apologies if anything is lost in translation through this process.
Hold on: What’s a rate?
About once a month, this subreddit holds games called “rates” where a host selects a collection of songs and people score each song on a scale of 1-10 (with a single 11 & a 0 available as well). Ballots of these scores are submitted, and then over “reveal” weekend, the host takes the averages of the songs and eliminates them from worst to best, giving one song out of all the albums the top spot, the crown, & bragging rights forever.
Our sister subreddit popheads has a Guide to Rates Video that can give you a broad overview of rates (please note our reveal process is thread-based instead of video chatrooms). And here's recent examples of a rate announcement and a rate reveal.
BALLOT Due Date - June 21st, 2024
Reveal Weekend - June 28-30, 2024
Submit Ballot Here
Spotify Playlist
Youtube Playlist
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes (1968)
Os Mutantes was made up of Rita Lee, and the brothers Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias. In 1968 Os Mutantes released their debut album, were featured on the Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circenses compilation, and performed as the backing band for Gilberto Gil's self-titled second album. The Tropicália movement embraced taking international ideas and re-interpreting them, combining them to create something Brazilian. Os Mutantes will likely be a favorite for those who love psychedelic rock.

1. Panis et Circenses
2. A Minha Menina
3. O Relógio
4. Adeus, Maria Fulô
5. Baby
6. Senhor F
7. Bat Macumba
8. Le premier bonheur du jour
9. Trem Fantasma
10. Tempo no Tempo
11. Ave Gengis Khan

Gal Costa - Gal Costa (1969)
Another featured artist from the Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circenses compilation, Gal Costa released her debut album in 1967, and her follow-up self titled album in 1969. Gal Costa was close friends with both Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso as well as their spouses, and Gal Costa's bossa nova debut Domingo was a close collaboration with Veloso. By the release of Gal Costa we hear more of the impact of Tropicália and psychedelia on her sound. This self titled album features more songs from writers besides Veloso, including songs written by Gilberto Gil, Rosil Cavalcanti, Tom Zé, Roberto Carlos, Erasmo Carlos, Jorge Ben, and Torquato Neto.

1. Não Identificado
2. Sebastiana
3. Lost in the Paradise
4. Namorinho de Portão
5. Saudosismo
6. Se Você Pensa
7. Vou Recomeçar
8. Divino, Maravilhoso
9. Que Pena (Ele Já Não Gosta Mais de Mim)
10. Baby
11. A Coisa Mais Linda Que Existe
12. Deus é o Amor

Clube Da Esquina - Clube Da Esquina (1972)
The Clube Da Esquina name (Corner Club) refers to a corner of the street where Lô Borges used to live, and Borges and Milton Nascimento played for fun in the 1960s.
“I hope our young people don’t allow themselves to be swept up in this dictatorship business, because they don’t understand what it was like,” said [Milton Nascimento] who was stalked by agents from the notorious department of political and social order as his career took off in the 1960s. “Whenever we were going to release a song we had to send it to them for them to censor.” Eventually, Nascimento’s manager rented an isolated beach house where the musicians were free to compose the record of their lives. “It was wonderful … just us and the waves rolling up to our front door,” said Borges. “We weren’t thinking about selling millions of records or being the next big summer hit. We just wanted to make art.” Nascimento smiled as he recalled how that legendary album was conceived half a century ago, far from the prying eyes of the dictatorship. “It was a record made just by friends … We’d spend all day composing, from the moment we awoke with the fishermen bringing in their nets to the moment we went to bed.”
The cover of the album features a picture of two boys playing in rural Rio de Janeiro by the photographer Carlos da Silva Assunção Filho (also known as Cafi).

1. Tudo Que Você Podia Ser
2. Cais
3. O Trem Azul
4. Saídas e Bandeiras Nº 1
5. Nuvem Cigana
6. Cravo e Canela
7. Dos Cruces
8. Um Girassol Da Cor De Seu Cabelo
9. San Vicente
10. Estrelas
11. Clube da Esquina Nº 2
12. Paisagem Da Janela
13. Me Deixa Em Paz
14. Os Povos
15. Saídas e Bandeiras Nº 2
16. Um Gosto De Sol
17. Pelo Amor De Deus
18. Lilia
19. Trem De Doido
20. Nada Será Como Antes
21. Ao Que Vai Nascer

Novos Baianos - Acabou Chorare (1972)
By popular demand, Novos Baianos has been added to the rate mix! As suggested by their name, Novos Baianos were founded in the state of Bahia in 1969. During the making of Acabou Chorare, they were mentored by the "Father of Bossa Nova", João Gilberto. The album's title (translated as No More Crying) also came from a story about Gilberto's daughter.
Note: the album has two versions of Preta Pretinha, track 2 which is the full version and track 10 which seems to have been a radio edit. We are only rating the full version of the song.

1. Brasil Pandeiro
2. Preta Pretinha
3. Tinindo, Trincando
4. Swing de Campo Grande
5. Acabou Chorare
6. Mistério do Planeta
7. A Menina Dança
8. Besta É Tu
9. Um Bilhete Pra Didi

Jorge Ben Jor - A Tábua de Esmeralda (1974)
"I’m not in any movement, no. I think movements adopted me."
Jorge Ben Jor is the first recorded artist of the five here, but A Tábua De Esmeralda is chronologically our latest recorded album of the rate. This one is arguably a concept album; influenced by the Hermetic text "The Emerald Tablet" as well as Jorge's interest in alchemy, and features songs focused on Afro-Brazilian identity such as "Zumbi".

1. Os alquimistas estão chegando os alquimistas
2. O homem da gravata florida
3. Errare humanum est
4. Menina mulher da pele preta
5. Eu vou torcer
6. Magnólia
7. Minha teimosia, uma arma pra te conquistar
8. Zumbi
9. Brother
10. O namorado da viúva
11. Hermes Trismegisto e sua celeste tábua de esmeralda
12. Cinco minutos

Rules - PLEASE READ ALL OF THESE BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR SCORES
Listen to each song and assign each a score between 1 and 10. Decimals are fine, but please refrain from giving decimal scores with more than 1 spot. This is because I'm using a computer program to parse the votes and print everything out (more on that later).
You have to listen to and score every song in the main rate. Otherwise, I will not accept your ballot as it will crash the program (more on that later).
Your scores should NOT be considered confidential as they aren’t. Feel free to shitpost about them in the general discussion threads whenever you feel like it - users over at popheads usually just talk about their averages of the albums and what 11 and 0 they gave (which I will explain on the next bullet point!)
You may give ONE song a 0 and ONE song an 11 in the main rate. Please reserve these for your least favorite and most favorite tracks; excessive sabotage ruins rate results and generally makes things less fun.
You can change your scores at any time! Feel free to PM me at any point after submission before the deadline and I'll be happy to revise them for you.
I am using a computer program that fellow rater letsallpoo designed in order to parse these votes! While this will make things a lot more efficient and reduces errors on my part, this does mean that scores need to be sent in a very specific way. The easiest way to make sure your scores follow the necessary format is to use the pre-prepared link at the top & bottom of this post. PLEASE USE THAT. You can copy and paste it to a notepad file or something and fill in your scores there, but PLEASE use that format to send in your scores.
DO NOT SABOTAGE the rate by giving outrageously low/high scores for the sole purpose of skewing the results, we reserve the right to exclude any ballot we suspect of this. If you're worried your scores could be mistakenly perceived as such, all you need to do is leave comments explaining the reasoning behind them.
Did a lot of copy and pasting here (including the following list of users), so thank you to all the raters of old: vapourlomo; roseisonlineagain; DolphLundgrensArms; R_E_S_I_G_N_E_D; stansymash; ClocktowerMaria; aerocom; themilkeyedmender; greencaptain; Crankeedoo; dirdbub; ThatParanoidPenguin; tedcruzcontrol; kappyko; FuckUpSomeCommasYeah; LazyDayLullaby; SRTViper; Whatsanillinois; NFLFreak98; freav; freeofblasphemy; kvothetyron, RatesNorman; aPenumbra; idontreallycare4; p-u-n-k_girl; luigijon3; WaneLietoc; dream_fighter2018; darjeelingdarkroast; smuckles; PiperIBarelyKnowHer; welcome2thejam; imrlynotonreddit; kvothetyrion; thedoctordances1940; b_o_g_o (of the BogoLomo Rate Collective); MCK_OH; TiltControls; u/chug-a-lug-donna; u/TakeOnMeByA-ha; u/indie_fan_; u/bilbodabag, zenits, saison_Marguerite, and tons of people on popheads.
Formatting
Songs - This is correct (single space after colon):
Brother: 7
You may also and are generally encouraged to leave comments with your scores!
This is correct (single space after score):
Brother: 7 I am having fun listening to this song!
These are incorrect:
Brother7 I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: 7: I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: (7) I am having fun listening to this song!
Brother: I am having fun listening to this song! 7
Brother - 7 I am having fun listening to this song!
Albums: You can also comment on the complete albums by adding a colon after the album name and then your comment, like so:
Album: Acabou Chorare I am having fun listening to this album!
Looking forward to all of your submissions!

This is a long story, so bear with me please. English is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes. I don't by any means want to point a finger to anyone, just want to explain the background of our relationship.
I am together with my BS for 5,5 years. We know each other for 6.5 years. Our relationship started rather rocky. BS has commitment issues and didn't want a relationship at first. This has led them to cheating (kissing only) on me four times (that I know of). Three times during clubbing and under influence and one time while they were on vacation with family. This was during our first 1.5 year together. I found out and they confessed. They texted with some people and one of them was one who BS cheated on me with.
During our relationship they had a friendship with one of their coworkers. They told me them was interested in BS, but BS not in them. They had been friends before BS and I knew each other. During New Years Eve 2022 they said under influence: 'I met with coworker two times behind your back'. They said that I was too fragile and wouldn't understand them meeting with coworker, because I voiced that I was a bit intimidated with their relationship (they would spend long evenings together at each others house while being drunk and sometimes driving with their car). They met with coworker some other times and eventually I didn't hear anything from coworker again. I only met coworker once, they were drunk, but friendly. I went to a psychologist several times to discuss everything what happened.
Fast forward to New Year's eve 2024. I was clubbing with my BS, and two friends. There was someone who wanted my friends instagram, but my friend didn't give it to them. So I took their phone and entered my friends name. BS saw this and thought I was giving my instagram. I tried to explain what happened, but they wouldn't listen. They pushed me away so I went upstairs with said friend. The day after they barely remembered anything. I let them know that if this would happen again, I would leave (this wasn't the first time BS was acting not okay while drunk).
Fast forward to January 2024. We went on a ski vacation with friends. I had a really good connection with one of BS friends (AP). I have known AP for more than 4 years. We always had a good friendship, but it developed even more during the vacation. AP was very kind, caring and helpful. AP is in a relationship of 10 years, their partner was also there on the vacation.
Me and BS met a few times again with AP after the vacation, nothing happened. AP texted me beginning of March saying they would like to meet with me. I didn't say this to BS. We went for a run and had a very good talk about our relationships. They expressed their doubts about their relationship. AP texted me some time after again to go for a run. This time there was more tension in the air and they kissed me. We met five times in total and had foreplay once and sex once. I didn't know how to tell my BS, even though I should have told BS immediately. I made an appointment with my psychologist mid April to help me approach the situation. But on the 24th of april, AP's parner called my BS and told them they found evidence that we cheated on them. My BS' world collapsed. They would have never imagined I would do something like that and I completely understand BS. This is so out of character for me (I don't want to minimize what I have done, but when I go out there are people who will flirt with me, but normally I am very good at maintaining boundaries).
BS first wanted me to move out and didn't want to talk to me. But in the meantime we have met four time. The first two times were pretty heavy. BS was angry (understandable of course), sad and everything in between. BS was very harsh to me and told me I was a psychopath. Of course I understand that they were filled with anger. BS doubted everything about me and that I could lie so good. BS is also very angry that I, BS and AP met occasionally while the affair was happening.
AP and I cut off contact immediately.
I showed BS the mail I send to the psychologist that I made an appointment before it came out, but I don't think that it made any difference (understandable again).
The third time we met, we talked about the situation and how this could have happened. I had a meeting with the psychologist the day before and told BS about our conversation. I told BS about our sex life that was rather dead (I tried to work and discuss it several times before, but nothing changed), I told BS about our future perspective and that I was the one who always had to initiate talking about buying a home together (I lived in an appartment BS bought) and lastly our communication pattern. BS bottles a lot up and when BS finally says what bothers them, it comes out rather harsh. Because of that, I am hurt and it makes it difficult for BS to discuss something again.
We have met yesterday again. I was there for like nine hours. We discussed the situation again. BS had some questions and I answered them truthfully. BS says that I deal very well with the situation and that they see that I do my best. BS said that they feel 50/50 about our relationship. BS said that they don't know if they sees a future with me. BS says that I had the right reaction to see my psychologist again. BS, unfortunately, doesn't want to do counseling. BS says that they can block what happened sometimes, because the pain is too much. Other times BS let the pain come. BS said they miss me and still love me. I asked if I have to move within a certain period. BS said 'no'. I asked if they want me to move away and BS said 'I think it is better that you do.'
After the serious talk, we watched two episodes of a series and played some boardgames. I told BS that if they want me to go away or if it is too much, they need to tell me. But BS said that it was a fun day. I told BS that I am scared that we would rug sweep to much and don't talk about the elephant in the room. I also told BS that I am aware that BS can decide anytime not to talk to me again and that I know that one good day doesn't make everything right. BS said that they can see that I know that. I asked BS if they want to work on our relationship together, but I think this question was too early because BS deflected this question. I said I want to do everything in my power to make it work and even want to go to couple counseling.
When I left, BS gave me a big hug and we cried a lot together. They said 'maybe we can meet again this week.' BS asked me if I got home safe.
I really don't know where to go from here. I have hope that we can work on this together, but it is such a rollercoaster that I caused. Do you have any advice for me? Do I approach this the right way or not? Thank you so much in advance!

Hi all! 👋
Over the past two years, my best friend and I successfully built a startup. Despite our success, we faced a significant challenge: our organic traffic started dwindling, impacting our steady monthly revenue. As we onboarded the first business owners to this system, we realized this issue was more widespread than we initially thought.
We created a new tool that boost domains with niche-specific self-generating blogs tailored to what users are actively searching for. The combination of consistent posting and accurate SERP targeting is designed to significantly increase your traffic and leads.
I'd love to get some feedback from you guys. The project is called BlogFAST and it's live on Product Hunt :)
-Luca