Vocabulary context clues worksheet
WTW for inferring a word's meaning using context clues in the sentence
2024.05.15 01:27 MulhollandDrive WTW for inferring a word's meaning using context clues in the sentence
I think there's a verb for it (or it might be a word that is tangentially related)
submitted by MulhollandDrive to whatstheword [link] [comments]
2024.05.15 00:57 kakeyuri Going in and out of episodes; frequent mood swings?
This is my first time posting to reddit but I hope some of you might be able to help me identify what I’m going through, because I genuinely don’t know what’s happening.
CW: eating disorders, depression, disassociation?
A little context: I’ve struggled with anorexia and bulimia for many years, but i’ve gotten a lot better over the past year. I genuinely didn’t have any thoughts regarding it until the past few weeks. Obviously relapsing is normal but this time it’s very different. Everytime I’ve struggled with this it’s been continuous and it went on for months or years on end, constantly thinking about it. But this time it’s like I’m going through very quick phases. For example, just until yesterday I went through multiple days of fasting and I cried for hours after eating a snack. But today I suddenly feel totally fine with eating and don’t feel a single negative thought about it. And this cycle has been going on for probably a month now. Like how can I go from counting every calorie and every step to totally not caring to counting every calorie again in the matter of days?
Paired with that, I go through depressive and disassociative episodes that last for about a week, in which I genuinely feel completely disconnected from everything around me and as if everything in my life, including me, was fake. Every noise sounds like a sound effect and every phrase anyone says to me sounds like a rehearsed line from a script that I’ve heard before. Kind of like a time-loop or Dejavú type thing. Again, about two days ago I called my friend and told her that I seriously don’t believe I’ll ever get rid of this feeling and that I’ll feel like this forever. Even on the call I told her that I don’t think I’m actually talking to her and that it’s all simulated. But today I felt like myself all of the sudden again and it’s like all of that never happened.
These things can even happen in the span of one day to the other, where one day I cannot even get out of bed and the next I could do 50 things all at once.
This is kinda long and I don’t expect anyone to even see this, but if you do and might have a clue on what this is… help? Thank you.
submitted by kakeyuri to mentalhealth [link] [comments]
CW: eating disorders, depression, disassociation?
A little context: I’ve struggled with anorexia and bulimia for many years, but i’ve gotten a lot better over the past year. I genuinely didn’t have any thoughts regarding it until the past few weeks. Obviously relapsing is normal but this time it’s very different. Everytime I’ve struggled with this it’s been continuous and it went on for months or years on end, constantly thinking about it. But this time it’s like I’m going through very quick phases. For example, just until yesterday I went through multiple days of fasting and I cried for hours after eating a snack. But today I suddenly feel totally fine with eating and don’t feel a single negative thought about it. And this cycle has been going on for probably a month now. Like how can I go from counting every calorie and every step to totally not caring to counting every calorie again in the matter of days?
Paired with that, I go through depressive and disassociative episodes that last for about a week, in which I genuinely feel completely disconnected from everything around me and as if everything in my life, including me, was fake. Every noise sounds like a sound effect and every phrase anyone says to me sounds like a rehearsed line from a script that I’ve heard before. Kind of like a time-loop or Dejavú type thing. Again, about two days ago I called my friend and told her that I seriously don’t believe I’ll ever get rid of this feeling and that I’ll feel like this forever. Even on the call I told her that I don’t think I’m actually talking to her and that it’s all simulated. But today I felt like myself all of the sudden again and it’s like all of that never happened.
These things can even happen in the span of one day to the other, where one day I cannot even get out of bed and the next I could do 50 things all at once.
This is kinda long and I don’t expect anyone to even see this, but if you do and might have a clue on what this is… help? Thank you.
2024.05.15 00:57 Appropriate-Joke-390 Am I the asshole for this ?
I have two friends, Im gonna refer to them as K and M. We’re classmates and all three of us are minors but old enough to work half-time (this will be important later). Basically every one of us is a huge anime/manga/books/comics nerd so last year we decided to go to Pyrkon together (it’s the biggest pop culture con in Poland). We had great time and we really wanted to go again next year, so earlier this year me and K bought our tickets. As it turned out, M’s parents didn’t want to agree for her to go again this year as they didn’t want to “waste money for that” and essentially just didn’t want to give M money. That’s why K suggested that we could buy M the ticket as a birthday gift (Pyrkon is in June and her birthday is in August so yeah, two months after the con but at least she could go with us). At first I agreed but I told K I’d have to talk to my parents as I don’t have pocket money. After a week or so (we are a very busy family so I wasn’t able to talk to my mum about that sooner) I asked my mum if I and K could go along with our plan and she didn’t agree. You see, the plan was that one of us would buy the ticket (around 100zl so that’s 25$ I think?) and the other one would give M that same amount of money so that she has money to spend during the con. My mum said that the idea was kind of weird to her because it felt as if me and K were sponsors for M and besides, we’re not a particularly wealthy family. Add to that the fact that I help my parents with their business A LOT (literally most free days I spend in my mum’s shop working with her) and K also works part time, while M does not and she just sits at home all the time aside from school… That’s why my mum said it’d be stupid since both me and K work really hard to earn the money to spend on the con and we would just spend it on M as if were her sponsors. I told K about my mum’s response and she said it was fine, in that case she would just give M the ticket alone, without the additional money and I could just give M a different gift in august. We both agreed on that and just left the topic as is. Fast-forward around two weeks, M has already received her ticket and suddenly she’s texting us ; “so you said that you’d give me the leftover money from the ticket for me right?” I was a bit shocked at that because I had no clue K had told M about the whole thing before giving her the ticket, so I just replied that I was really sorry but due to unexpected events and my parents not agreeing, K only gave her the ticket and we would not be giving her the additional money. What she responded afterwards truly shocked me .. “I already told my parents you’d give me both the ticket and the money, so they’ll get mad” I was truly flabbergasted because I truly hadn’t known that M already knew about the money and the ticket before she even got it, so I also didn’t think she had already told her parents. That's why I just apologized again, telling her that It wasn’t something dependent on me as I do not have my own funds yet and I have to depend on my parents, to which she just responded “I don’t have money either”. After that I apologized to her a few times more and she just kept guilt tripping me with “my parents will get angry and won’t ever let me go to a con with you again” That’sshe then asked “what am I supposed to tell my parents now?”, to which K responded “just tell them the truth, it’s true we told you we would give you money, but it’s not like we promised it and as a matter of fact, we couldn’t predict some things and that’s why we can’t give you the money. Sorry but it wasn’t dependent on us” After that M just kept guilt tripping us, insisting that we promised her the money and she thought it was “guaranteed”, to which I responded that it was supposed to be a gift and not a commitment and we already apologized to her for the whole ordeal But she just kept pushing “Well, that’s not something you’re supposed to do, promise something and then not be able to actually give it” We kept telling her that we were sorry but we couldn’t change it now and she should just accept it, but she kept pushing again Finally, me and K snapped; we told M that she was just as capable of working as me and K and she still had a month left until the con so she still could try to earn some money. But she just took that as an insult. She kept insisting that we weren’t real friends because right now we were making her cry and we had promised the money which now we were “telling her to earn herself” (even though we never said we promised it). She made a huge deal out of it all and that’s why I asked her “Does money matter to you more than we two?” To which she just responded that I was stupid for asking that question as it had “nothing to do with the conversation” and after some more mean words she told us that it was all our fault and she wanted to end our friendship ..
I just want to add that we’ve been friends for almost two years now, we share interests and we’ve been through a lot together so this very much hurt me and that’s why I’m basically worried that I and K weren’t in the right here :’)
(Also another thing that I wanted to add for context us that M's parents only expect her to study and do well at school and she has no orher duties at home. she ususlly acts like shes entitled to have anything she wants and also has displayed signs of slight guilt tripping on us before..)
submitted by Appropriate-Joke-390 to FriendshipAdvice [link] [comments]
I just want to add that we’ve been friends for almost two years now, we share interests and we’ve been through a lot together so this very much hurt me and that’s why I’m basically worried that I and K weren’t in the right here :’)
(Also another thing that I wanted to add for context us that M's parents only expect her to study and do well at school and she has no orher duties at home. she ususlly acts like shes entitled to have anything she wants and also has displayed signs of slight guilt tripping on us before..)
2024.05.14 23:34 murrimabutterfly What is the process of wedding planning actually like?
I'm planning on integrating wedding planning into the background of a book, and I realized that despite officiating and being in several weddings I have no clue of the behind the scenes part of it. The process, the emotions, the budgeting, etc. It'll take place in the US, likely in a very small venue with a moderate budget. The planning won't be heavily focused on, but to make it feel more realistic, the characters involved will be mentioning "I have to do X for the wedding" or others will say "oh, they're doing Y for the wedding." What events and tasks need to be done? What are unexpected stressors? What is the process of planning out dresses, cakes, flowers, etc?
Edit to add more context: The couple are part of the dominant side characters in a large main cast. Partner A dies in the narrative. Leading up to his death, I want to show how much he and Partner B were solid as a couple and show some of their life milestones so the sense of "rug pulled out from underneath you" hits at his death.
submitted by murrimabutterfly to Writeresearch [link] [comments]
Edit to add more context: The couple are part of the dominant side characters in a large main cast. Partner A dies in the narrative. Leading up to his death, I want to show how much he and Partner B were solid as a couple and show some of their life milestones so the sense of "rug pulled out from underneath you" hits at his death.
2024.05.14 23:22 cidici Companions upset with you
Ever have a companion be upset with you and you have NO CLUE why? Sam is downright irate with me, that I’ve gone against everything Constellation stands for, etc… 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ Oh well, he’s definitely “holier than thou” so far in the game…
For context: 90% of my play through has been building ships, killing Va’ruun, rinse repeat… 😏
Had to vent…
submitted by cidici to NoSodiumStarfield [link] [comments]
For context: 90% of my play through has been building ships, killing Va’ruun, rinse repeat… 😏
Had to vent…
2024.05.14 23:21 Major_Tie_9799 Life in the cyph by Jon Nunes?
Genuinely have no clue what the show is about lol. love jon but anyone have some context here 😭😭😭
submitted by Major_Tie_9799 to brockhampton [link] [comments]
2024.05.14 22:59 TheFilyng PS1 not reading games after fixing lenscable
This is an update from this post from a couple of days ago: https://www.reddit.com/psx/s/bS5ukTPp8I
We managed to resolder the connector into the board cleanly, so that is not an issue anymore (or maybe it is, I don't really know anymore).
After that, I went back to plug the PS1 to test it, and CDs began spinning again, awesome, but there were some issues with it.
I need to add more context about this pS1, I bought it less than a week ago, it came modchipped as a surprise, I didn't even know it was. I have no clue what chip it has nor the quality of the mod itself, but it was chipped, as it came with 1 non original game with it (Moto Racer 2). So the first test I made was running the game to see if: 1.- was actually modchipped, 2.- Could properly read the CDs.
And it did, sort of. It read the game, so it was modchipped, but the FVMs were extremely laggy, and load times were incredibly long (and often needing to restart the game multiple times). Needless to say, I've never had a ps1 before so this was all new to me. I began to investigate what might be the cause for this, and of course everything aimed to the laser. So I began to follow the guide for the drive maintenance (linked in the og post), and that's when the og post issue happened, the connector broke.
Fast forward to today, we got the connector resolved and working again, but this time, whenever I tried to read the backup game (Moto Racer 2) it just read it as an audio CD. In general, it can read any audio CD just fine, but that backup game went from being read terribly slow and laggy, to straight audio CD.
I figured following the lens maintenance guide (this time with the resoldered connector, not breaking it) would fix this, but nothing changed
I'm not sure if the resolder went wrong and that might be causing it or not, it was resoldered very cleanly with no bridges and I'd assume if something went wrong, it would straight up not read anything. Maybe too much manipulation of the drive itself broke or deteriorated the laselens, not sure. I've read about the potentiometer fix but I've also read that could also break it entirely. If it's my last resort I'll do it, nothing to lose really if it's not working already, but I wanted to know if anyone had any clue what might be happening and what could I do.
There is also one thing I still need to test and that's original games. I don't have any original game in hand to test, so it might as well be reading original games just fine without me knowing it, will test this with a cheap game when I buy it this week.
Any help is appreciated.
submitted by TheFilyng to psx [link] [comments]
We managed to resolder the connector into the board cleanly, so that is not an issue anymore (or maybe it is, I don't really know anymore).
After that, I went back to plug the PS1 to test it, and CDs began spinning again, awesome, but there were some issues with it.
I need to add more context about this pS1, I bought it less than a week ago, it came modchipped as a surprise, I didn't even know it was. I have no clue what chip it has nor the quality of the mod itself, but it was chipped, as it came with 1 non original game with it (Moto Racer 2). So the first test I made was running the game to see if: 1.- was actually modchipped, 2.- Could properly read the CDs.
And it did, sort of. It read the game, so it was modchipped, but the FVMs were extremely laggy, and load times were incredibly long (and often needing to restart the game multiple times). Needless to say, I've never had a ps1 before so this was all new to me. I began to investigate what might be the cause for this, and of course everything aimed to the laser. So I began to follow the guide for the drive maintenance (linked in the og post), and that's when the og post issue happened, the connector broke.
Fast forward to today, we got the connector resolved and working again, but this time, whenever I tried to read the backup game (Moto Racer 2) it just read it as an audio CD. In general, it can read any audio CD just fine, but that backup game went from being read terribly slow and laggy, to straight audio CD.
I figured following the lens maintenance guide (this time with the resoldered connector, not breaking it) would fix this, but nothing changed
I'm not sure if the resolder went wrong and that might be causing it or not, it was resoldered very cleanly with no bridges and I'd assume if something went wrong, it would straight up not read anything. Maybe too much manipulation of the drive itself broke or deteriorated the laselens, not sure. I've read about the potentiometer fix but I've also read that could also break it entirely. If it's my last resort I'll do it, nothing to lose really if it's not working already, but I wanted to know if anyone had any clue what might be happening and what could I do.
There is also one thing I still need to test and that's original games. I don't have any original game in hand to test, so it might as well be reading original games just fine without me knowing it, will test this with a cheap game when I buy it this week.
Any help is appreciated.
2024.05.14 22:48 VashxShanks [JRPGs on Sale - Weekly Breakdown & Recommendations] For 15 May - 2024 - Playstation/Switch/Xbox/Steam (+Steam Deck)
Important Notes:
- I do my best to include every sale, but at the same time I focus sale with a noticeable price drop, meaning sales start with at least 20% and up. I usually skip anything below that unless it's a worth while title.
- Click on the price to visit the store page for that game.
- The end date of the sale isn't mentioned, you can check the store page to see it.
- All of these sales are based on the US store front, so some sales may not be available depending on your country.
[~ PSN ~]
(On Mobile please Swipe left to see the prices and tags)
| Game | Price/Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Persona 4 Golden | $11.99 | Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack |
| The Persona Collection (P3P/Persona 4/Persona 5) | $49.49 | Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack |
| Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth PS4 & PS5 | $48.99 | Turn-based/Contemporary Hawaii setting/Yakuza life/Open World/Heavy on Drama and Comedy/Heavy on Mini-games/Class Changing Mechanics |
| Star Ocean The Second Story R | $39.99 | Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Choose 1 of 2 main characters/Expansive crafting system/Affection mechanic for Party members/Choices matteRemake of the original PS1 title |
| Tales of Arise PS4 & PS5 | $14.79 | Action/Fantasy setting/Anime style/Revolution Story/anime trope heavy/Social links mechanic between party members |
| Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition | $9.99 | Tactical Turn-based/World War Militar setting/Tactical mixed with real-time elements/Sketch or "Canvas" art style/Build your Army with character customization/Mission based story progression/Army management |
| DORAEMON STORY OF SEASONS | $14.99 | Farming Simulator/Mini-games/Social Links system |
| Rainbow Moon | $2.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Character customization/Fantasy setting/Dungeon Crawler |
| Terra Memoria | $14.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting |
| Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters | $19.99 | Turn-based/Female Protagonist/Comedy/fan-service/Parody |
| Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling | $14.99 | Turn-based/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Adventure |
| Monster Sanctuary | $4.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monster CollectoMetroidvania/Pixel Graphics |
| Relayer | $11.99 | Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/Space travel/Piloted Mecha/Female Protagonist/Anime art style |
| Death end reQuest | $7.99 | Turn-based/Female protagonist/Cyber World setting/Psychological HorroNudity |
| Death end re;Quest 2 | $11.99 | Turn-based/Cyber world setting/Female Protagonist/Dark Fantasy/Gore/Fan-service |
| Shining Resonance Refrain | $5.99 | Action/Fantasy setting/Dragon transformation/Musical theme/Anime visual style/Social link mechanic |
| Mary Skelter Finale | $14.99 | Turn-based/First-Person View Dungeon CrawleDeep & Full party customization/Female Protagonist/Multiple Endings/HorroFan-service |
| Born of Bread | $14.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Timed hits combat |
| DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT | $14.99 | Action Fantasy/Semi-Open World (zones)/Anime story adaptation/Beautiful animations |
| South Park™: The Fractured but Whole™ | $8.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Modern Day setting/Comedy/Mature/Dark HumoNudity/Fart Jokes |
[~ Switch ~]
| Game | Price/Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Star Ocean The Second Story R | $39.99 | Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Choose 1 of 2 main characters/Expansive crafting system/Affection mechanic for Party members/Choices matteRemake of the original PS1 title |
| Ikenfell | $5.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Female Protagonist/LGBTQ+/Retro |
| Dodgeball Academia | $9.99 | Action/School Life Sim/Sports (Dodgeball)/2D Hand-drawn Cartoon Art style |
| Born of Bread | $14.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Timed hits combat |
| Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe | $6.99 | Action/Fantasy setting/Cooking battles/Female Protagonist/Side ScrolleBeat'em up/Hand-drawn |
| Fuga: Melodies of Steel | $23.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Steampunk setting/Anthropomorphic characters/Social Links System/Base upgrading |
| Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 | $23.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Steampunk setting/Anthropomorphic characters/Social Links System/Base upgrading |
| Front Mission 1st: Remake | $17.49 | Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/War & Politics/Mecha/Customization |
| FRONT MISSION 2: Remake | $27.99 | Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/War & Politics/Mecha/Customization |
| Dusk Diver | $8.74 | Action/Modern Taipei Ximending setting/Female Protagonist/Beat'em up/Anime visual style |
| Terra Memoria | $14.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting |
| Infinite Guitars | $11.99 | Turn-based/Sci-fi setting/Rock Music/Hand-drawn/Robots/Rhythm/Timed button presses |
| Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs - Royal Edition OST Combo | $7.49 | Tactical turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Social link system/Politics/Comedy |
| Potato Flowers in Full Bloom | $13.31 | Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/First-person Dungeon CrawleCustom Party creation/Class Mechanics |
| Rainbow Moon + Rainbow Skies Strategy RPG Bundle | $23.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Character customization/Fantasy setting/Dungeon Crawler |
[~ Xbox ~]
| Game | Price/Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Dragon | $6.59 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Class changing mechanics/great soundtrack |
| Lost Odyssey | $8.24 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting |
| Costume Quest 1 | $4.49 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Choices Matter |
| Terra Memoria | $14.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting |
| Dodgeball Academia | $9.99 | Action/School Life Sim/Sports (Dodgeball)/2D Hand-drawn Cartoon Art style |
| Ikenfell | $5.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Female Protagonist/LGBTQ+/Retro |
| Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition | $5.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Pixel Graphics |
| Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling | $12.49 | Turn-based/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Adventure |
~ Steam ~
If you want to check the games yourself:~ Link to the JRPGs on Sale list ~
Steam Deck Icons (As explained by Steam itself):
🟦 Verified: Means that the game is fully compatible and works with built-in controls and display.🟧 Playable: Means the game is Functional, but requires extra effort to interact with and configure .
"--" Unknown: Basically unconfirmed or still under-review.
| Game | Price/Link | Tags | Steam Deck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrono Ark | $18.74 | Turn-based/Modern day setting/Roguelike DeckbuildeFemale Protagonist/Anime visuals/Card Battler | 🟦 Playable |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | $9.99 | Action/Medieval Gothic Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/PlatformeSide ScrolleMetroidvania | 🟦 Verified |
| In Stars And Time | $15.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monochrome art style/LGBTQ+/Comedy/Time Travel/Hand-drawn Cartoon style | 🟦 Verified |
| Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom PRINCE'S EDITION | $11.99 | Action/Fantasy setting/Isekai/Base BuildeArmy Battle/Character CollectoBeautiful art style | 🟦 Verified |
| Born of Bread | $12.49 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Timed hits combat | 🟧Playable |
| Terra Memoria | $14.99 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting | 🟧Playable |
| Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 | $23.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Steampunk setting/Anthropomorphic characters/Social Links System/Base upgrading | 🟦 Verified |
| Fae Tactics | $5.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Beautiful Pixel Graphics/Unique Battle system/Monster Collector | 🟦 Verified |
| Dodgeball Academia | $9.99 | Action/School Life Sim/Sports (Dodgeball)/2D Hand-drawn Cartoon Art style | 🟧Playable |
| Sword and Fairy 7 | $14.99 | Action/Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy (Xianxia)/Female Protagonist/Great visuals and Music/Rich Story and Lore/Chinese voice acting with English subtitles | 🟧Playable |
| Ikenfell | $5.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Female Protagonist/LGBTQ+/Retro | 🟦 Verified |
| Astria Ascending | $8.74 | Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/PlatformeFemale Protagonist/Class system | 🟦Verified |
| Haven | $14.99 | Active time combat/Sci-fi setting/Heavy on Romance/LGBTQ/Local Co-op support/Exploration/Resource Gathering | 🟦 Verified |
| Crimson Tactics: The Rise of The White Banner | $14.99 | Tactical Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Class system/War & Politics/Dragons/ | -- |
| Jack Move | $9.99 | Turn-based/Cyberpunk setting/Female Protagonist/Pixel Graphics/Hacking | 🟦Verified |
| Earthlock | $4.49 | Turn-based/Fantasy setting | 🟧Playable |
| Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament | $4.49 | Real Time/Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy (Xianxia)/Rich Story and Lore/Monster collection/Chinese voice acting with English subtitles | 🟧Playable |
| Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament | $4.49 | Real Time/Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy (Xianxia)/Rich Story and Lore/Monster collection/Chinese voice acting with English subtitles | 🟧Playable |
| Children of Zodiarcs | $5.39 | Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Card Based/Deck Building | 🟦Verified |
~ General Recommendations (All Consoles) For Anyone Who Can't Decide ~
First off, I won't recommend big or famous games like Final Fantasy or Persona, this is more for lesser know, hidden gems, or just games where it's hard to find someone talking about them.
[Valkyria Chronicles]
[Valkyria Chronicles 4]
This one is really hard to explain through words alone, but just in case, the VC series is a World War 2 military setting story, where you act as the lead of a squad and take mission to drive back the enemy. The story is drama heavy and the gameplay is tactical turn-based, but it's mixed with real-time third person shooter.You can also make your own army by recruiting different types of solders, training them and upgrading their gear. From rifles to tanks, this is a game you have to experience to understand.
[Fuga: Melodies of Steel 1 & 2]
Great game, great art style, and really well made and balanced turn-based combat. That alone is enough to get the game. Then you add the time-management part of the game, where you spend time upgrading the different tank rooms, cooking, exploring ruins, spending time to bond with other characters, and so on. It's also great if you want a game that you can play for an hour or 2 and then put down for later. As the game is played through stages, and once you're done with a stage, you get an intermission to do what you want and come back to it later.It's not a long game (compared to the usual JRPG), as you mentioned, it's about 20 hours. Story-wise I think it was a bit too short. Gameplay wise it was great fit, because it didn't outstay it's welcome, and it ends when you feel you have mastered the gameplay and want to face the final challenge.
The story is good, but isn't the focus. Gameplay is the main focus. In fact you'll feel that a lot of context isn't told in the story, but instead left for you to either read about in the in-game wiki or just figure out through obvious clues in the story.
There is a big mechanic that this meant to put a lot of pressure on your playthrough (don't worry about it being spoiled because it's literally explained in the first hour of the game). The thing is though, if you have experience in JRPGs or just play in a really well thought out and relaxed manner, then that mechanic might not be as big a deal as they make it seem to be. Yet it's still fun nonetheless.
Fuga 2 is even better. It fixes a lot of the minor issues the first game had, and what's really great, is it improved the "big pressure" mechanic I talked about, and now it actually is a big deal. Then add to that so much little new mechanics added that just makes for a much more fun and challenging game. The 2nd game also continues the same story.
[Ni no Kuni] Series
If you're looking for that great Isekai fantasy adventure feel, then these two games are where it's at. Fantastic visuals and great music, coupled with a great art style, a combo that is perfect for a chill and relaxed gaming experience. Especially when talking about the first game, with the help ofStudio Ghibli, they managed to make a truly whimsical world with that Studio Ghibli classic touch.- Important Note: The games aren't connected story-wise, so you can start with any of them -
[Wrath of the White Witch]
For a the best fantasy adventure feel, while the combat is a hit or miss depending on your taste, don't let that stop you from actually diving into a true fairy tale world, this is the one with the better story in my opinion, so if you want more story than game, this is for you. Still it has a good share of gameplay, from raising and collecting Pokemon-like monsters, to learning and using different spells, not just in combat but for the overworld too.[Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom]
This one focuses more on gameplay, with a Kingdom builder, Army battles, Heavy loot focus, and even character collector, this is the one to go with if you want more game than story. Still has the great music and he fantastical art style and setting. Add to that a lot of side activities like beating rare monsters, collecting cute creatures to help you in battle, and even going around the world to gather people to help you build your kingdom. You'll never be short on things to do.Finally, both of them have beautifully draw world that is just a pleasure to walkthrough, made even better with the amazing orchestral soundtrack.
[Star Ocean The Second Story R]
The original PS1 game was already an amazing JRPG and a classic. But this remake takes it to go even further beyond SSJ3. It should be the standard on how to make a faithful remake on of a classic title.I don't want to overhype it more than I already did. So to keep this short, this remake does so much:
- All major story events are now fully voice acted. This includes a lot of the private actions too.
- Fully redone and better translation of the game.
- New Character to recruit to the party.
- New Private Actions and 13 new Endings.
- New character portraits, not just for the main cast, but also for many other characters.
- A complete rework for the battle system to be up to modern standards.
- So many QoL features:
- Auto-saving
- Fast-forward cut-scenes or skip them.
- Text log
- All difficulties can be accessed from the start
- Fast travel
- 3 different voice dubbing options to choose from (New English, Original Japanese, New Japanese)
- Your choice of different art styles
- Choose between original OST and new rearranged OST.
- No random battles anymore, as enemies can be seen and avoided
[Sword and Fairy 7: Together Forever]
They did a great job with the presentation of the game. Great voice acting (Chinese), great graphics, amazing music, and an impressive attention to details of the world and it's lore, especially the engineering of the buildings and their decor. Then you have the really beautiful design of each piece of gear, and even just normal attire of each NPC and the disciples of each sect or soldiers of each of the different of each plane (gods, humans, demons).Then we go to how great looking the monsters and local flora and fauna of each realm. You can feel the intense work that has gone into making and animating each of them. It really is a joy to watch them, as much as it is to watch each environment you see them in. There really isn't enough time to talk about how good the presentation is.
As for the story. First off, I am not an expert in Chinese novels mythology, but I am a big fan of Xianxia and Wuxia novels. So when I say that the story is...good but nothing great, I am saying this as more than just a JRPG fan, but also someone who is very into this type of world and Chinese martial arts fantasy setting. it's nothing that will stick in your mind, apart from the events that take place in some of the beautiful set pieces in the game, or the cut-scenes with beautiful action cheoragphy.
The gameplay is also about average. The side-quests are fun and are worth doing if nothing more than for learning more about the lore and the world. But the actual battles and action gameplay isn't as good as the best ones out there, but it's not bad. I have ran into some bugs, some small, some big, but that was when the game just came out, and it did receive a lot of patches since then. You can tell that they aimed to make a huge triple A production, but didn't have the time or manpower to test a game of this size. It's still fun to play and experience, but the level of gameplay is nowhere near the level of the presentation that the game gives the impression of having just from watching the gameplay or trailers.
If you enjoy walking through magical and fantastic looking JRPG worlds, or if you enjoy Xianxia/Wuxia fiction, then this is an easy choice. Hell even if you don't, it's still worth a go at this price.
[Blue Dragon] & [Lost Odyssey]
These two are classic titles that will probably won't be ported to or remade to modern consoles. That's why this might be the last way you'll ever get to experience 2 classic titles of the genre. Lost Odyssey has great story writing and unique character settings, and Blue Dragon has great exploration and a really fun character class customization system, and one hell of a boss theme.[Monster Sanctuary]
This is a solid game, everything in is polished and balanced to make sure you are having fun collecting new monsters and customizing your team through evolution/skill trees/gear and making the best in-sync party you can. I only wish it was longer, it's not short by any means, but it's not long either. I would say depending on if you're trying to "catch them all" and explore everything and fight all bosses, this could easily be a 30+ hours game, but if you focus on the story, then it's about 20 to 30 hours. Now even longer with the 2 new free DLC expansion added.Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining that it's short, but that I was having so much fun, that I wish it didn't end.
As always, please do add your own recommendations, and let me know if there is mistake or if something was missing, and have a nice day.
2024.05.14 22:22 HonestyAITA Am I The Scalawag For BLOCKING My Ex Because He Lied To Me After He Cheated?
This is my first post on reddit. However, I was told that the communities give some great advice when it comes to stuff like this.
Alright, I 20(F) had started dating my ex boyfriend, 20(M). Lets call him Noah. Noah and I got together in December of 2023. Him and I had met each other's families and so on.
I'm a nerd when it comes to playing on VR (where I met him). So when I met him and we had similar interests we clicked.
In the early days to mid days of March, I had noticed that he was getting more and more distant. (Keep in mind that we do not nor did ever live together.)
We used to FaceTime and chat constantly throughout the day. However, one time when I had gotten off work I noticed that Noah was playing VR without me.
Now at first I didn't consider anything other than him playing with a friend or something. So, I joined him because I wanted to play with him after a long day.
However Noah didn't notice that I had joined because when I found him in the world he was with another girl and had no reaction to my presence.
At first I didn't think much of this because it wasn't like I didn't allow him to have friends that were girls or anything.
As a girl would do, I walked up to them in the game and overheard them talking. Her: "Whats your plan?" Him: "I don't know yet babe."
After the said babe I felt my heart break. So I took screenshots of them hanging out together and left the world. I waited for Noah to text me or call because he usually did when he knew I was off.
Then I got a text. It was in a group with him, another person and myself. All he said was that he needed to ask me a question. I first asked who this other person was then Noah introduced me to her.
The girl, let's call her Emma, said that she was excited to meet me and had been waiting. I had asked for some context and all Noah had said was that hes known her for a while.
This raised some suspicion on his part but I ignored it. I was trying to trust him. Then Noah later texted in the group with Emma asking me if I had wanted to meet with Emmas boyfriend because he and Noah had been friends for a bit.
I said yes and then Noah introduced me to him. Let's call him Austin. I didn't really think much about Austin until him and I became closer. When we had first talked it was mostly about what we do, our hobbies, etc.
A few weeks after I met him I had gotten a text from the group with Noah, Emma and myself. It was from Noah saying the he had an idea.
I should've known that this was a red flag. I responded with a "Ok." or "Go ahead". Then I got a question that I was never expecting.
Him: "Can we have a three-way relationship with Emma?" Me: "What?" Emma: "We just both think it would be the best for all three of us."
After that I turned my phone off. I never ever thought I would hear that question. Then I asked about Austin and Emma told me that they had broken up. So I believed her.
I was so out of it I said "Ok." to the group. Then later I had gotten a text from a friend saying that he had no clue that me and Noah would break up. I was confused but I just ignored it.
Later I had gotten a message from Austin saying we should hangout on VR. So I got on and we got to talking. Then I had found out the Austin and Emma were still together and he had found out that me and Noah were also still together.
The next thing I knew I was blocking Noah on everything. Because Austin was showing me screenshots of their conversations and I had counted that as cheating.
Then I had gotten texts from Noahs friends saying that it was wrong of me to block him out of the blue like that. But I think that he should've seen it coming either way.
I don't know. Am I the Scalawag For Blocking Him?
My apologies for any gaps or mistakes! I'm on mobile as of right now. I don't plan to log back into this account for a while so please forgive me if I don't update as quickly as you hope.
submitted by HonestyAITA to AITAH [link] [comments]
Alright, I 20(F) had started dating my ex boyfriend, 20(M). Lets call him Noah. Noah and I got together in December of 2023. Him and I had met each other's families and so on.
I'm a nerd when it comes to playing on VR (where I met him). So when I met him and we had similar interests we clicked.
In the early days to mid days of March, I had noticed that he was getting more and more distant. (Keep in mind that we do not nor did ever live together.)
We used to FaceTime and chat constantly throughout the day. However, one time when I had gotten off work I noticed that Noah was playing VR without me.
Now at first I didn't consider anything other than him playing with a friend or something. So, I joined him because I wanted to play with him after a long day.
However Noah didn't notice that I had joined because when I found him in the world he was with another girl and had no reaction to my presence.
At first I didn't think much of this because it wasn't like I didn't allow him to have friends that were girls or anything.
As a girl would do, I walked up to them in the game and overheard them talking. Her: "Whats your plan?" Him: "I don't know yet babe."
After the said babe I felt my heart break. So I took screenshots of them hanging out together and left the world. I waited for Noah to text me or call because he usually did when he knew I was off.
Then I got a text. It was in a group with him, another person and myself. All he said was that he needed to ask me a question. I first asked who this other person was then Noah introduced me to her.
The girl, let's call her Emma, said that she was excited to meet me and had been waiting. I had asked for some context and all Noah had said was that hes known her for a while.
This raised some suspicion on his part but I ignored it. I was trying to trust him. Then Noah later texted in the group with Emma asking me if I had wanted to meet with Emmas boyfriend because he and Noah had been friends for a bit.
I said yes and then Noah introduced me to him. Let's call him Austin. I didn't really think much about Austin until him and I became closer. When we had first talked it was mostly about what we do, our hobbies, etc.
A few weeks after I met him I had gotten a text from the group with Noah, Emma and myself. It was from Noah saying the he had an idea.
I should've known that this was a red flag. I responded with a "Ok." or "Go ahead". Then I got a question that I was never expecting.
Him: "Can we have a three-way relationship with Emma?" Me: "What?" Emma: "We just both think it would be the best for all three of us."
After that I turned my phone off. I never ever thought I would hear that question. Then I asked about Austin and Emma told me that they had broken up. So I believed her.
I was so out of it I said "Ok." to the group. Then later I had gotten a text from a friend saying that he had no clue that me and Noah would break up. I was confused but I just ignored it.
Later I had gotten a message from Austin saying we should hangout on VR. So I got on and we got to talking. Then I had found out the Austin and Emma were still together and he had found out that me and Noah were also still together.
The next thing I knew I was blocking Noah on everything. Because Austin was showing me screenshots of their conversations and I had counted that as cheating.
Then I had gotten texts from Noahs friends saying that it was wrong of me to block him out of the blue like that. But I think that he should've seen it coming either way.
I don't know. Am I the Scalawag For Blocking Him?
My apologies for any gaps or mistakes! I'm on mobile as of right now. I don't plan to log back into this account for a while so please forgive me if I don't update as quickly as you hope.
2024.05.14 22:20 Eastern_Muffin2455 Im afraid of english SL reading and listening context clues questions
If anybody could help me with context clues please dm
submitted by Eastern_Muffin2455 to IGCSE2024 [link] [comments]
2024.05.14 22:08 Flat-Anteater301 VAWA against a parent?
Greetings! My parents brought me to the US when I was 7 years of age. They separated shortly after. My mother is a us born citizen and father is a green card holder. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but my mother has not done much at all to help me fix my status. I am 23 years old and until just recently I began to try and move things forward but with a lack of resources, knowledge, experience, etc, I can’t do much. She expects me to cover attorney fees and any other fees needed in regards to that. She also expects me to get all the necessary documentation and things that I have no clue where or how to get such as her medical records, etc. Immigration stuff aside, she can be mentally, financially, and emotionally abusive and controlling, I am starting to think she does not want me to get my paperwork to maintain that power over me. (context) mother is now remarried and I have 3 younger siblings- all US born. I recently came across VAWA but I have little understanding of it. Thank you for any advice in advance!
submitted by Flat-Anteater301 to immigration [link] [comments]
2024.05.14 22:00 Future-Gap82 Volunteers Needed: Comprehensive and Enduring Dani Timeline
Looking for volunteers to help build a comprehensive Dani timeline with literally, all things.
Most Dani timelines exist on Imgur, but this will be different. It will be displayed on a linear timeline and paired with images using a specific platform. The information will be documented in a spreadsheet and all active links will be archived on the web.
The goals are to create total permanency for Dani on the internet, display content in a visually appealing format, and highlight patterns in the munching cycle.
Volunteer roles:
Archiving -- Copy and pasting links from a spreadsheet into a web browser.
Collecting -- Locate primary and secondary sources for Dani content. Add links to a spreadsheet.
Researching -- Using context clues to figure out dates as exact as possible for old screenshots.
Timeline -- Upload images and descriptions on timeline platform.
Operations -- Keep an eye on the spreadsheet and make sure it looks tidy and neat.
Editors -- Proof read the timeline descriptions.
Comment here if you are interested in participating. I know some of you are convinced you are luddites (you're not!) however these roles are super basic.
submitted by Future-Gap82 to DaniMarinaSnarking [link] [comments]
Most Dani timelines exist on Imgur, but this will be different. It will be displayed on a linear timeline and paired with images using a specific platform. The information will be documented in a spreadsheet and all active links will be archived on the web.
The goals are to create total permanency for Dani on the internet, display content in a visually appealing format, and highlight patterns in the munching cycle.
Volunteer roles:
Archiving -- Copy and pasting links from a spreadsheet into a web browser.
Collecting -- Locate primary and secondary sources for Dani content. Add links to a spreadsheet.
Researching -- Using context clues to figure out dates as exact as possible for old screenshots.
Timeline -- Upload images and descriptions on timeline platform.
Operations -- Keep an eye on the spreadsheet and make sure it looks tidy and neat.
Editors -- Proof read the timeline descriptions.
Comment here if you are interested in participating. I know some of you are convinced you are luddites (you're not!) however these roles are super basic.
2024.05.14 21:52 YOBaBeBiBoBuYO .
It's really not going to look like anything special tbh. The Vocab cards would just be the Spanish word on the front then, answer on the back with an example sentence and a contextualizing image or clip on the back... if relevant.
But I wasted alot of time curating a personalized example sentence for (almost) every single vocab word I discover. Key word is discover imo.
Right now my example sentences contain a simple concept I already comprehend, atleast within the context of that sentence, for the word that I am learning to be applied to. Like my lunes card is ´´lunes es antes martes´´. As I create the vocab cards I try to keep main vocab word part as the primary focus in usage and less that of the sentence itself for the sake of simplicity which means that the vocab card usually ends up as the first word of the sentence unless I personally see no reason actually care. Like another card I have that was luckily easy to make for desde is ´´el imperio de mongol duró desde a 1206 a 1368''. Every example I create is with words I already know or do not feel a remote need to understand - to understand the sentence. but IDK. Also I'm more concerned with audio than I am with imagery though. But If I could make the back into a really simple clip and very quickly that would be nice, but I dont care about imagery too much as most of it is going to end up in immersion anyways. Sound matters for me though. Sound is really so i can read something out loud before I hear what it sounds like, which helps me make comparisons and judge myself while I flag cards to make filtered decks out of later. And of course, for words that I already knew before starting studying I do not even consider making vocab cards out of as it will be fluff. completely random words like mañana or lanzar are weirdly glued to my head specifically because I have a specific memory with them. like for lanzar I watched a little game trailer and a text prompt showed up saying ''lanzar roca'' for this fucking kid to just launch a whole ass rock at a dude across a bridge. which is goofy as fuck. the game was called pedros adventures btw.
Also on the back of one of my vocab cards for the word 4th... I literally just put ''cuarto y cuarto'' fucking 10 times. because if you say cuarto 10x fast, it sounds like Squidward in Japanese which is fucking HILARIOUS.
But if I could imagine imagery in a specific way it would really just be for nouns and numbers... and anything that has a very concrete meaning with just an image. like for example, you could have a game where an image flashes on the screen and you need to translate that image in your head or if you want by typing it or speaking it out loud. And you get feedback for elements of the image relayed... but I haven't spent much time thinking about that kind of thing cos its not on any to do list, but it would be pretty cool.
its quite easy to curate examples as I'm watching these dreaming Spanish videos which is why id like to make some kind of sentence cards out of the clips. this is really because there is like a mix in my head between a sentence card and an example sentence on the back of a vocab card. Vocab cards are really the gateway for sentence cards imo. For any vocab card that has multiple definitions I need only create 1 vocab card for its primary use, and create sentence cards for its primary use and its different usages as I discover them through immersion. I can work out the nuance as I watch, read and write. and then as i immerse and gain enough vocabulary i will eventually bury more and more vocab cards and instead replace them with sentence cards. But of course, still using both in a balance.
And ideally, all of this comes from something I highly associate with in my head. As in English; for any single word and phrase and etc., I have in my subconscious a lil smth-smth associated with that word in so many ways that I do not even realize. But I do not care to understand the little neural networks, just as I do not care to actually develop some stupid ass grammatical understanding before I even begin speaking or listening. but only to just create a 24 7 immersive study environment conducive to an almost gamified consumption that gradually improves my abilities over time. Right now it feels like i'm just trying to make a build, and I cant even start grinding the way I want to. I have tidbits here and there but I haven't worked it out entirely.
And I do apologize if I seemed like there was friction between me and watching the dreaming Spanish videos when you had brought it up. it was just that as of now; everything I've been doing is just thinking of how to make this situation fairly seamless without needing any weird in-between steps just to do a single repetitive task. Like tagging and flagging cards is something you dont want to do manually, you want to do it with a key stroke or command. Books are easy to get, and I will be consuming the dreaming spanish videos now that I'm feeling how helpful they are compared to what I was doing before... Spanish dubs... alot of scrolling in tiktok... ALSO that one Spanish youtuber for chess called rey engima. He's like gotham chess but for Spanish which i absolutely love because I love chess and I needed a spanish way to consume it. Ive made alot of Spanish accounts for things and translated alot of UI into spanish. and I also downloaded urban VPN but i think that part was unnecessary asf.
But really the annoying thing was how to approach anki. also, that 4 hour video I linked is really just an oversimplified text book to just get a general idea of a concept. Which is all I care about. Things like grammar are terribly taught in classrooms and that video just goes about it in a way I really like, atleast compared to every other explanation ive seen. I planned to just do just 30 minutes per day on that video as I focused on other things. but I got caught up with other random shit and then I kind of just set that video to the side... which is why i only watched 20 minutes of it.
I am a really slow thinker, and things get to expedited when I get a foundation.
In regards to what I mean when I said 'gamified element'. I don't mean to say things like grind and such like this is some MMORPG. I mean gamified in the sense that I get some kind of gamified feedback or feeling in a dopamine inducing form that encourages me to do really weird things to lock in that I dont anyone actually does. Like if im at the microwave and the numbers are going down, im literally saying those numbers in Spanish as they go down because in the end the main goal is to entirely quit using English as a crutch for the language and reach a point where you need only convert your conceptualizations into language and vice versa i.e., other Spanish speakers. But gamified elements provide for me an extremely significant way for me to engage with the language that I also really enjoy... cos im a weirdo. Being able to see how long I've spent on each card and other visual inputs about the outputs of my efforts are also cool, especially if displayed in a consumable manner to increase my receptivity.
Anyways, hopefully I could at least give you an idea of what's going on in my head and what my goals are. This process has been poopoo stinky, and my brain is very poo poo stinky.
submitted by YOBaBeBiBoBuYO to u/YOBaBeBiBoBuYO [link] [comments]
But I wasted alot of time curating a personalized example sentence for (almost) every single vocab word I discover. Key word is discover imo.
Right now my example sentences contain a simple concept I already comprehend, atleast within the context of that sentence, for the word that I am learning to be applied to. Like my lunes card is ´´lunes es antes martes´´. As I create the vocab cards I try to keep main vocab word part as the primary focus in usage and less that of the sentence itself for the sake of simplicity which means that the vocab card usually ends up as the first word of the sentence unless I personally see no reason actually care. Like another card I have that was luckily easy to make for desde is ´´el imperio de mongol duró desde a 1206 a 1368''. Every example I create is with words I already know or do not feel a remote need to understand - to understand the sentence. but IDK. Also I'm more concerned with audio than I am with imagery though. But If I could make the back into a really simple clip and very quickly that would be nice, but I dont care about imagery too much as most of it is going to end up in immersion anyways. Sound matters for me though. Sound is really so i can read something out loud before I hear what it sounds like, which helps me make comparisons and judge myself while I flag cards to make filtered decks out of later. And of course, for words that I already knew before starting studying I do not even consider making vocab cards out of as it will be fluff. completely random words like mañana or lanzar are weirdly glued to my head specifically because I have a specific memory with them. like for lanzar I watched a little game trailer and a text prompt showed up saying ''lanzar roca'' for this fucking kid to just launch a whole ass rock at a dude across a bridge. which is goofy as fuck. the game was called pedros adventures btw.
Also on the back of one of my vocab cards for the word 4th... I literally just put ''cuarto y cuarto'' fucking 10 times. because if you say cuarto 10x fast, it sounds like Squidward in Japanese which is fucking HILARIOUS.
But if I could imagine imagery in a specific way it would really just be for nouns and numbers... and anything that has a very concrete meaning with just an image. like for example, you could have a game where an image flashes on the screen and you need to translate that image in your head or if you want by typing it or speaking it out loud. And you get feedback for elements of the image relayed... but I haven't spent much time thinking about that kind of thing cos its not on any to do list, but it would be pretty cool.
its quite easy to curate examples as I'm watching these dreaming Spanish videos which is why id like to make some kind of sentence cards out of the clips. this is really because there is like a mix in my head between a sentence card and an example sentence on the back of a vocab card. Vocab cards are really the gateway for sentence cards imo. For any vocab card that has multiple definitions I need only create 1 vocab card for its primary use, and create sentence cards for its primary use and its different usages as I discover them through immersion. I can work out the nuance as I watch, read and write. and then as i immerse and gain enough vocabulary i will eventually bury more and more vocab cards and instead replace them with sentence cards. But of course, still using both in a balance.
And ideally, all of this comes from something I highly associate with in my head. As in English; for any single word and phrase and etc., I have in my subconscious a lil smth-smth associated with that word in so many ways that I do not even realize. But I do not care to understand the little neural networks, just as I do not care to actually develop some stupid ass grammatical understanding before I even begin speaking or listening. but only to just create a 24 7 immersive study environment conducive to an almost gamified consumption that gradually improves my abilities over time. Right now it feels like i'm just trying to make a build, and I cant even start grinding the way I want to. I have tidbits here and there but I haven't worked it out entirely.
And I do apologize if I seemed like there was friction between me and watching the dreaming Spanish videos when you had brought it up. it was just that as of now; everything I've been doing is just thinking of how to make this situation fairly seamless without needing any weird in-between steps just to do a single repetitive task. Like tagging and flagging cards is something you dont want to do manually, you want to do it with a key stroke or command. Books are easy to get, and I will be consuming the dreaming spanish videos now that I'm feeling how helpful they are compared to what I was doing before... Spanish dubs... alot of scrolling in tiktok... ALSO that one Spanish youtuber for chess called rey engima. He's like gotham chess but for Spanish which i absolutely love because I love chess and I needed a spanish way to consume it. Ive made alot of Spanish accounts for things and translated alot of UI into spanish. and I also downloaded urban VPN but i think that part was unnecessary asf.
But really the annoying thing was how to approach anki. also, that 4 hour video I linked is really just an oversimplified text book to just get a general idea of a concept. Which is all I care about. Things like grammar are terribly taught in classrooms and that video just goes about it in a way I really like, atleast compared to every other explanation ive seen. I planned to just do just 30 minutes per day on that video as I focused on other things. but I got caught up with other random shit and then I kind of just set that video to the side... which is why i only watched 20 minutes of it.
I am a really slow thinker, and things get to expedited when I get a foundation.
In regards to what I mean when I said 'gamified element'. I don't mean to say things like grind and such like this is some MMORPG. I mean gamified in the sense that I get some kind of gamified feedback or feeling in a dopamine inducing form that encourages me to do really weird things to lock in that I dont anyone actually does. Like if im at the microwave and the numbers are going down, im literally saying those numbers in Spanish as they go down because in the end the main goal is to entirely quit using English as a crutch for the language and reach a point where you need only convert your conceptualizations into language and vice versa i.e., other Spanish speakers. But gamified elements provide for me an extremely significant way for me to engage with the language that I also really enjoy... cos im a weirdo. Being able to see how long I've spent on each card and other visual inputs about the outputs of my efforts are also cool, especially if displayed in a consumable manner to increase my receptivity.
Anyways, hopefully I could at least give you an idea of what's going on in my head and what my goals are. This process has been poopoo stinky, and my brain is very poo poo stinky.
2024.05.14 21:32 Lime_Green_Lime Need help with a word from 1880 legal document
This is from a document assigning guardianship:
"...John H Smith as principal and H P Smith and John S Thomas as sec_ _ ties are held and firmly bound..."
The letters appear to be "sec_ _ ties" but could be interpreted differently. Looks like "secunties." The u and n look the same and consistent with u's and n's in the document. The t is definitely crossed.
For context, John H Smith and H P Smith are married. John S Thomas is the brother of H P Smith, uncle of the children. The children's father was a sibling of H P Smith and John S Thomas.
Any clues as to what the word is? What is the meaning of the word? Second to the principal?
Thanks.
submitted by Lime_Green_Lime to Genealogy [link] [comments]
"...John H Smith as principal and H P Smith and John S Thomas as sec_ _ ties are held and firmly bound..."
The letters appear to be "sec_ _ ties" but could be interpreted differently. Looks like "secunties." The u and n look the same and consistent with u's and n's in the document. The t is definitely crossed.
For context, John H Smith and H P Smith are married. John S Thomas is the brother of H P Smith, uncle of the children. The children's father was a sibling of H P Smith and John S Thomas.
Any clues as to what the word is? What is the meaning of the word? Second to the principal?
Thanks.
2024.05.14 20:35 shortandpainful should we have our daughter evaluated if she is not struggling academically
Our 5-year-old recently started doing hand flaps pretty regularly. She does this when she’s excited or overwhelmed. Now we’re wondering if we should have her evaluated for ASD or if we should just wait and see.
For more context, she has a few more traits that suggest she might be on the spectrum. She has a lot of trouble socializing with other kids and takes a long time to open up to people, then she will become a chatterbox. She gets overwhelmed easily by loud sounds and particularly does not like singing. When watching movies or TV, she is very very concerned with characters acting the right way and doing what they are supposed to do — we had to shut off Coco because the kid kept disobeying his parents. She gets VERY upset if she makes a mistake or if someone corrects her on something. She regularly insists on wearing her shoes on the wrong feet — not just that she confuses left and right but she insists on putting them on the wrong feet. She has also been refusing to sleep alone since November. I also have enough traits that I was evaluated for ASD as an adult but not enough for a diagnosis (I was diagnosed with ADHD instead, and I am almost positive daughter has that too).
On the other hand, she has not had any speech or language delays, and in fact she has a great vocabulary and is academically gifted for her age. She has a little trouble with her Rs, but so did I at her age. Even though she has trouble in social situations, she has some friends at school. So I am not sure if there would be any benefit to having her evaluated at this stage. I was hoping to hear from other parents when is the right time to look into an evaluation versus wait and see. From my very limited understanding, the main benefit to having a diagnosis would be extra support if needed at school, and so far it does not look like she needs that. I am more concerned about the social side of things.
I am NOT looking for a diagnosis from the community here, just looking for perspective from other parents on when is the right time to seek an evaluation.
submitted by shortandpainful to Autism_Parenting [link] [comments]
For more context, she has a few more traits that suggest she might be on the spectrum. She has a lot of trouble socializing with other kids and takes a long time to open up to people, then she will become a chatterbox. She gets overwhelmed easily by loud sounds and particularly does not like singing. When watching movies or TV, she is very very concerned with characters acting the right way and doing what they are supposed to do — we had to shut off Coco because the kid kept disobeying his parents. She gets VERY upset if she makes a mistake or if someone corrects her on something. She regularly insists on wearing her shoes on the wrong feet — not just that she confuses left and right but she insists on putting them on the wrong feet. She has also been refusing to sleep alone since November. I also have enough traits that I was evaluated for ASD as an adult but not enough for a diagnosis (I was diagnosed with ADHD instead, and I am almost positive daughter has that too).
On the other hand, she has not had any speech or language delays, and in fact she has a great vocabulary and is academically gifted for her age. She has a little trouble with her Rs, but so did I at her age. Even though she has trouble in social situations, she has some friends at school. So I am not sure if there would be any benefit to having her evaluated at this stage. I was hoping to hear from other parents when is the right time to look into an evaluation versus wait and see. From my very limited understanding, the main benefit to having a diagnosis would be extra support if needed at school, and so far it does not look like she needs that. I am more concerned about the social side of things.
I am NOT looking for a diagnosis from the community here, just looking for perspective from other parents on when is the right time to seek an evaluation.
2024.05.14 20:31 MaplePaintTube Curse of Blackmoor Manor Guinea Pig Theory (End Game Spoilers)
So a semi commonly discussed theory for Blackmoor that's kind of dark is Jane tested the hair growth stuff on her guinea pig with caused it to pass away, and fan speculation varies on whether she was clueless about he harm this could have done to her pet, or if she didn't care that much, or darker yet, if she was hoping the same result would happen to Linda (I doubt the last one is true, since it was a hair product her uncle used and presumably safe for humans).
I propose that maybe there's a less dark explanation though for this missable plot thread. It could be that Jane had a pet guinea pig, who passed away of natural causes, and then she needed the hair growth stuff from her uncle, and lied by saying it was for her (unbeknownst to him) deceased pet. And therefore the reason for the uncle's letter clue was to make players suspicious of why Jane was asking for something for a pet she no longer had, but the game messed up and never clarified when the guinea pig died, nor how recent the letter in the well is. This would make sense in the context of Jane evading Nancy's question of when her guinea pig died (asides from the fact that it was a rude question, but I don't think it was the game's original intention to make Nancy rude there) which could have been Jane trying to stop Nancy finding out this inconsistency.
Idk, I'll admit I feel bad for Jane sometimes, and this feels like a less harsh theory than some other ones. What do you guys think?
submitted by MaplePaintTube to nancydrew [link] [comments]
I propose that maybe there's a less dark explanation though for this missable plot thread. It could be that Jane had a pet guinea pig, who passed away of natural causes, and then she needed the hair growth stuff from her uncle, and lied by saying it was for her (unbeknownst to him) deceased pet. And therefore the reason for the uncle's letter clue was to make players suspicious of why Jane was asking for something for a pet she no longer had, but the game messed up and never clarified when the guinea pig died, nor how recent the letter in the well is. This would make sense in the context of Jane evading Nancy's question of when her guinea pig died (asides from the fact that it was a rude question, but I don't think it was the game's original intention to make Nancy rude there) which could have been Jane trying to stop Nancy finding out this inconsistency.
Idk, I'll admit I feel bad for Jane sometimes, and this feels like a less harsh theory than some other ones. What do you guys think?
2024.05.14 20:21 Ill_Variation_2480 TTPD's new nickname "Female Rage: The Musical" should upset you.
Edit: If you are going to comment on the length of this post, please don't. This is not a simple snark but rather an actual critical think piece about feminism and Taylor Swift.
Taylor's target demographic has always been young or adolescent girls, more so when Swift herself was one. She made music that spoke to the awkward misfit, cultivating a para-social relationship with fans on MySpace, then later twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, where Taylor posted relatable vlogs showcasing the life of a homegrown American girl. Taylor had a delayed public "growing up" and, compared to her female pop contemporaries, Swift never "gratuitously sexualized her image and seems pathologically averse to controversy" (and, apparently, never even had a sip of alcohol until she turned 21). She was more than happy to spin this narrative to allude to an inherent moral superiority above other women in the industry (Better Than Revenge, heard of it?), engaging in the very slut-shaming that she herself endured (the Madonna and Whore archetypes). The victim complex arose with the need to prove Taylor as a different type of pop girl. Based upon her holy and clean image, Swift had been dubbed "a feminist's nightmare", and that "[To Swift] other girls are obstacles; undeserving enemies who steal Taylor’s soulmates with their bewitching good looks and sexual availability." Feminism and Tennessee-Christian country values don't exactly mix, it seems.
Years later, Swift befriended Lena Dunham and thus experienced white feminism osmosis, where Dunham taught Swift that real feminists defend rapists, makes insensitive jokes about rape and abortion, and prioritize all-white casts. Swift then declared herself a feminist in 2014, saying,
There was that time in 2015 Taylor said that Nicki Minaj was "invited to any stage [she is] on" (as if Taylor expects to have access to every stage, award, and platform that Nicki might not otherwise have as a black female artist...yikes!) in response to Nicki's criticism of the white + thin VMA nominations. Later, Nicki responded with confusion, as Swift continued, "It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..". Of course, this 'beef' was 'squashed' when Nicki performed with Taylor at the VMAs, with Nicki quite literally only having 38 seconds of stage time without Taylor. Maybe all that parading around with a legion of famous white women - similar to the way Taylor might've done with her numerous 1989-era handbags - was in fact a stance against gender inequality, and that this display of "girl power" should be enough to constitute Swift as a feminist icon.
Even while Swift says that Dunham informed her feminist outlook, she dances around the exact contents of those beliefs: "what she believes, what she says, what she stands for" is not exactly insightful towards what beliefs Swift might have inherited. Taylor never broaches women's rights topics such femicide, FGM, forced pregnancy & marriage, sex trafficking, women in slavery, women's financial and political oppression, women's educational rights, women's health, or women's autonomy, so we can assume she only gives a fuck about "girls supporting girls" (whatever that fucking means).
Despite some questionable (and sometimes vindictive) behavior, Taylor as a young woman did not deserve every media lashing that she received. We cannot deny that most headlines and criticisms perpetuated a misogynistic rhetoric which has plagued Swift for a majority of her career. Acknowledging events such as the development of her ED, her sexual assault trial, "Famous" lyric and MV depiction of Taylor, and the explicit Twitter deepfakes, for example, as both disgusting and unfortunate things that happened to a young woman in Hollywood does not negate the fact that Taylor is mostly a performative feminist.
This was over 11 years ago, and it is still the only notable philanthropic contribution Taylor Swift has made.
For a woman of her net worth and stature, and a woman who recognizes the difficulties for women in film and music, you would think that Taylor Swift might establish a scholarship program for women to study the arts or something. Perhaps Swift might even consider becoming a member of organizations that support female artists, or one that supports LGBTQ+ causes (since she is now proudly an ally), yet she remains superficial with her graces. Broader philanthropy, such as donating relief aid to Palestinian women or women impacted by violence and discrimination will probably never receive any financial support from Miss Swift because then she'd be using her money towards philanthropies involving anyone but white entertainers.
She even says herself in Miss Americana, "My entire moral code as a kid and now is a need to be thought of as 'good'." Well, she's certainly thought of as good, though her actions say otherwise. She's more than happy to do a vaguely altruistic song and dance for a clip-worthy interview quote and mass appeasement, then fuck off to one of her mansions on a 20 minute private jet flight, rather than actually contribute to anything pertaining to the causes she has endorsed. Yet, far too many people continue to give a woman such as her their money, time, and energy, and she hoards these resources to herself.
The reason political anthems such as "The Man" and "Only the Young" of the Lover era feel disingenuous and corporate is because, well, it is. Taylor has taken every opportunity to advance her career or public image at the expense of other women. What is truly genuine to Taylor's outlook on other women is vying for male attention, taking down female competition, and vocalizing feminist injustices only if they directly impact her and her money. Some will argue that it's satisfactory for a woman with such a huge platform to even TALK about feminism, but that just isn't enough. It's even less impressive when you candidly look at the scope of her feminist lens: "If I was the man, then I'd be THE MAN", or "I really resent the ‘Be careful, buddy, she’s going to write a song about you’ angle, because it trivialises what I do", and, of course, "We all got crowns". Feminism, but only when it happens to me. It gets worse when you look at Taylor's track record of copying other famous women and removing other female artists as potential threats to her pop prowess.
It's good for PR to align yourself with certain blanket feminist and political beliefs, therefore good for branding, therefore good for ticketing and merchandise sales, therefore good for business. And Taylor Swift is a business.
She's not a feminist. Taylor Swift is a capitalist.
Swift, through her company, TAS Rights Managements, has also trademarked over 200 phrases, including "1989", where she owns the property rights to this calendar year on keychains, phone cases, sunglasses, stationary, bags, beverage ware, clothing, entertainment services, your subconscious, and, of course, Christmas ornaments.
The vapid consumerism in Swiftie culture is, frankly, disgusting. Bravado's sustainability statement is non-existent, the quality control is abysmal, and the materials they use are horrible. The materials, such as acrylic and polyester, are made from petrochemicals. This means they are non-renewable, shed microplastics, and are quite toxic in production. The manufacturing process to make all of those lazy-rushed Eras Tour logo graphic tees is a huge blow to environmental well-being. Apparently, though, Swifties don't give a fuck. They sell out products in seconds and either have to face the manufactured scarcity or buy from a scalper that resells for 200% of the already ridiculous retail price. This doesn't include the environmental impact of vinyl records, CD, and cassette production, of which Taylor produces many variants that sell unsustainable amounts.
If we're talking about women's rights violations, why is no one acknowledging the women that work in the inhumane sweatshop conditions that have to pump out fugly t-shirts and hats? The millions of plastic microfiber dander they are inhaling, or the toxic dyes that touch their bare skin? Are they being compensated fairly for their skilled labour and are they in safe working environments? Do these women have minimal bargaining power, and do they have authority over their worker's rights? Is Taylor Swift female raging at their injustices? Does Taylor Swift ever feels bad that her wealth was built on the backs of women of color, disadvantaged by the demands of the global economy and garment industry? Do you think she ever says a little white feminist prayer for them before she goes to sleep at night?
What's even crazier is not that Taylor herself doesn't care, it's that Swifties don't care. There CANNOT BE ethical billionaires. You only make a billion dollars if you are exploiting other human beings for capital gain. Based on public perception of the possible "Female Rage: The Musical" trademark, it seems like Swifties are already asking for merch with this phrase. "If Taylor made it, I'd buy it." Oh, cool. So not only do you champion Miss Swift's avarice and billionaire status, but you also are unashamed to admit to your blind consumption of her music and merchandise, no matter where they might originate in production or sincerity. Just as Swift takes and takes and takes, Swifties' consumerism of Taylor Swift cannot be quelled.
The tortured artist's most vulnerable and sincere poetry...available now in 21 different versions!
Yet Taylor Swift still has no grounds to be claiming that TTPD best exemplifies female rage and therefore she, in the context of this album, is female rage incarnate. As the daughter of a stock broker and mutual fund marketing executive, Taylor was born into wealth and allowed privileges like trips and subsequent relocation to Nashville all so that she might get a record deal. Her father even invested at least $120,000 into the then-fledgling label, Big Machine Records, which ensured Taylor's place with Borchetta after leaving her dead-end development deal with Sony. The fact that her parents were able to buy her a fucking brand new guitar for Christmas and pay for music lessons says so much about the financial security and safety of her childhood.
Money is privilege and protection, and despite Swift's experiences with misogyny and loser boyfriends, she does not know what female rage is.
Her rage is derived from her frustrations with her obsessive fans pulling the moral superiority card on Taylor in response to her rebound with Matty Healy. That's literally it. She's just pissed that the monster she created is no longer obediant, it's become a feral, sovereign entity that depletes the world of its natural resources and thinks it is more intelligent than it actually is because it's mommy has started to talk to it with big words. Apparently, 'illicit', 'elegy', 'nonchalant', and 'precocious' are considerably big words for the oafish monster, and I find it strange that this level of literacy is present in a group of fans that allegedly have GPAs of 3.5 or higher, but I digress.
Taylor Swift has never been one paycheck away from destitution. Taylor Swift has never experienced racial discrimination. She may have instances of gender discrimination, but she possesses the ideal white, blonde American beauty standard and therefore reaps the benefits of being a conventionally attractive woman. Taylor Swift has sufficient social capital. Taylor Swift is a billionaire woman prolonging her victimhood though she, as a woman, has mostly had control over her image and music (unlike her contemporaries). Taylor Swift is NOT entitled to be championed for her "female rage", nor should she be. Taylor Swift has never even been the struggling artist, for fuck's sake. I don't give a fuck if she's trying to fill the empty lunch tables of her past. Taylor Swift purporting herself, her unpolished album, and her lukewarm feminism as a musical bleeding with female rage is asinine.
Fame is somewhat of a choice. If at any moment Taylor feels that she is misunderstood, misconstrued, or overwhelmed by public opinion, she can LEAVE the public eye - Lord knows she has the retirement fund and residuals to do so. In "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart", the TTPD song about meeting the demands of your career-zenith mega-tour while in the relationship trenches, Taylor ends the song by rambling,
It's funny. Taylor Swift often said that being famous wasn't hard, that she "isn't complaining". I'm sure it is difficult to always have to present in a good mood, else you'll end up misrepresented in the media, and I'm sure it's invasive to virtually have no privacy or semblance of anonymity. Still, Taylor Swift shows up each night of tour and performs. For a majority of her career, she has penned her sad songs while on the road. Most of "Red", her breakup album, was written in the thick of the Speak Now World tour. Now, some Swifties say they almost "feel bad" for attending the Eras Tour with Swift's revelations in this song, that they have had a 'dimmed experience' upon hearing Taylor's misery whilst performing. Despite the fact that Taylor said that "this was the happiest she's ever been" at Gilette Stadium in May, the lyrics "boohoo, woe is me, smile for the cameras and make the fans happy!!!" are jarring for Eras attendees.
While Taylor Swift was making double-digit millions a night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and feeling miserable, Ana Clara Benevides Machado passed away due to heat exposure. The concert promoters, Time For Fun, are now the subject of a criminal investigation due to their lack of adequate hydration and safety. Taylor Swift cancelled the Sunday show that was to follow and offered VIP tent tickets to Benevides Marchado's family, which was a kind gesture, but perhaps incongruous to the incident of which they were offered as consolation. Everyone grieves differently, of course, but I'm not sure attending the very show at the very same venue that my daughter or sister passed away in two days prior, where the singer CONTINUED the show despite her death, would be healthy for closure.
There was no female rage at the show as Swift never saw Benevides Machado pass out. There was no female rage towards the disregard for fans as humans while Swift elected to proceed with her Brazil tour dates despite the country being in historic heatwaves (at risk of overheatting herself). If Taylor Swift was so shaken by touring with a broken heart or a fan's passing, she wouldn't have added an additional North American leg of Eras just two months after the Matty breakup. She's brokenhearted but willing to mend the cracks with your money and move onward with her worldwide female rage induced pillaging.
No matter what happens, even if you die at a Taylor Swift concert, Taylor collects a big fat check and flies away. She doesn't know you as anything other than a conversion rate or earning potential despite what her nearly 20-year long parasocial relationship with fans might otherwise indicate. She knows that, while some Swifties are without disposable income, they feel obligated to spend on a "48 Hours Only!" exclusive vinyl variant instead of necessities because they are so entrenched in Taylor Swift's intoxicating celebrity, they'll prioritize materialistic fandom before their needs. This is good enough for her because this means she can expand her real estate portfolio and finance her cat's lavish lifestyles. They're worth an estimated $100 million dollars. Her three cats could pool their net worth and solve world hunger.
While you and I might be denied bereavement leave and barely surviving the current political and economic climate, Taylor Swift has to, instead of gets to, perform for stadiums at full attendance for three nights in a row across the globe. You and I might be replaced by AI at our longtime jobs, but Taylor Swift is threatened with losing more and more money each time you listen to a "Stolen Version" of her songs. If we don't buy every variant of all of her albums, then who is going to pay for the fucking cats?
It is tone deaf to spend as she spends and lives as she lives in this economy, but this is her reality. She was able to donate $100,000 to all of her tour truck drivers, and that's wonderful, but it leads me to wonder about the ethos of the 2020s where one woman can hoard such life-changing amounts of money. Remember in 2014 when she gave a fan $90 ($120 in today's money) to get Chipotle because she had no fucking clue how much it cost? This is a 34-year-old woman who is increasingly out of touch with the reality for working class people and women in general. Normal everyday adults must wake up and go to their thankless jobs, and yet Taylor Swift, despite all her riches, incessantly references the lows of her life and career as a public figure and entertainer to farm sympathy and drive sales. And still, the corporate women have latched onto "I cry a lot, but I am so productive! It's an art!" as their cubicle battle cry.
Do you think that, from up in her private jet, Taylor Swift gazes at the world through her poetic, tortured eyes, and thinks, "All the little people, in their cars, walking, going about their lives...all those girls that don't support girls...do they know that I've made an album about female rage?"
TLDR: Taylor Swift is a bad feminist and is delusional to think that the TTPD eras set exemplifies female rage at women's injustice.
submitted by Ill_Variation_2480 to travisandtaylor [link] [comments]
Introduction
Pertaining to Taylor Swift, "Female Rage" has deviated from its intended meaning after Swift debuted a new performance of The Tortured Poets Department during the Eras Tour. Now, according to Swift's use of the phrase, female rage is interpreted as public backlash against Swift's dating choices rather than as a response to the broader injustices against women and women's rights. This post examines Taylor Swift's flawed feminism, philanthropy, branding, and the controversial trademark petition for the phrase "Female Rage: The Musical". Swift's background as an entertainer, indeterminate politics, and alignment with capitalism over feminism pervades her legacy, again threatening her public tolerance as not just an individual but as a brand.Once Upon a Female Rage...
If you were cognizant in the early 2010's, you've heard countless jabs at Taylor Swift in the media. Magazines, radio, or online. Music critics did not take her seriously as a songwriter; parents put a woman on an unrealistic pedestal as the ideal role model for their children; she dated too much and used men as lyrical fodder. No matter the story, it inevitably spread, conjoined with everyone's respective opinions, and you'd be left to wonder, "Why does everyone hate this girl so much?"Taylor's target demographic has always been young or adolescent girls, more so when Swift herself was one. She made music that spoke to the awkward misfit, cultivating a para-social relationship with fans on MySpace, then later twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, where Taylor posted relatable vlogs showcasing the life of a homegrown American girl. Taylor had a delayed public "growing up" and, compared to her female pop contemporaries, Swift never "gratuitously sexualized her image and seems pathologically averse to controversy" (and, apparently, never even had a sip of alcohol until she turned 21). She was more than happy to spin this narrative to allude to an inherent moral superiority above other women in the industry (Better Than Revenge, heard of it?), engaging in the very slut-shaming that she herself endured (the Madonna and Whore archetypes). The victim complex arose with the need to prove Taylor as a different type of pop girl. Based upon her holy and clean image, Swift had been dubbed "a feminist's nightmare", and that "[To Swift] other girls are obstacles; undeserving enemies who steal Taylor’s soulmates with their bewitching good looks and sexual availability." Feminism and Tennessee-Christian country values don't exactly mix, it seems.
Years later, Swift befriended Lena Dunham and thus experienced white feminism osmosis, where Dunham taught Swift that real feminists defend rapists, makes insensitive jokes about rape and abortion, and prioritize all-white casts. Swift then declared herself a feminist in 2014, saying,
"Becoming friends with Lena – without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for – has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so."I suppose the male-centric songwriting subject that permeates Swift's discography contained covert feminism and that we just didn't see that. Perhaps, the "Bad Blood" song and music video were written only in jest and not about poor Katy Perry, for Swift, as a feminist, would "never make it a girl fight" or tear other women down (though all Katy did was date your terrible ex-boyfriend and allegedly steal three backup dancers from your tour). In 2013, Swift said, in response to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's joke towards her serial dating, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
There was that time in 2015 Taylor said that Nicki Minaj was "invited to any stage [she is] on" (as if Taylor expects to have access to every stage, award, and platform that Nicki might not otherwise have as a black female artist...yikes!) in response to Nicki's criticism of the white + thin VMA nominations. Later, Nicki responded with confusion, as Swift continued, "It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..". Of course, this 'beef' was 'squashed' when Nicki performed with Taylor at the VMAs, with Nicki quite literally only having 38 seconds of stage time without Taylor. Maybe all that parading around with a legion of famous white women - similar to the way Taylor might've done with her numerous 1989-era handbags - was in fact a stance against gender inequality, and that this display of "girl power" should be enough to constitute Swift as a feminist icon.
Even while Swift says that Dunham informed her feminist outlook, she dances around the exact contents of those beliefs: "what she believes, what she says, what she stands for" is not exactly insightful towards what beliefs Swift might have inherited. Taylor never broaches women's rights topics such femicide, FGM, forced pregnancy & marriage, sex trafficking, women in slavery, women's financial and political oppression, women's educational rights, women's health, or women's autonomy, so we can assume she only gives a fuck about "girls supporting girls" (whatever that fucking means).
Despite some questionable (and sometimes vindictive) behavior, Taylor as a young woman did not deserve every media lashing that she received. We cannot deny that most headlines and criticisms perpetuated a misogynistic rhetoric which has plagued Swift for a majority of her career. Acknowledging events such as the development of her ED, her sexual assault trial, "Famous" lyric and MV depiction of Taylor, and the explicit Twitter deepfakes, for example, as both disgusting and unfortunate things that happened to a young woman in Hollywood does not negate the fact that Taylor is mostly a performative feminist.
Get Your Fucking Ass Up and Be a Philanthropist, It Seems Like Nobody Wants to Be a Philanthropist These Days
In 2013, Taylor Swift cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. The donation amount - $4 million - was the largest individual artist gift ever donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which is, of course, mentioned on Swift's website. The two-story facility features three classrooms, an instrument room, and an interactive children's exhibit gallery. Swift also performed at "All for the Hall" charity shows and has donated numerous artifacts from her career (such as notable guitars, tour costumes, etc) to the museum.This was over 11 years ago, and it is still the only notable philanthropic contribution Taylor Swift has made.
For a woman of her net worth and stature, and a woman who recognizes the difficulties for women in film and music, you would think that Taylor Swift might establish a scholarship program for women to study the arts or something. Perhaps Swift might even consider becoming a member of organizations that support female artists, or one that supports LGBTQ+ causes (since she is now proudly an ally), yet she remains superficial with her graces. Broader philanthropy, such as donating relief aid to Palestinian women or women impacted by violence and discrimination will probably never receive any financial support from Miss Swift because then she'd be using her money towards philanthropies involving anyone but white entertainers.
She even says herself in Miss Americana, "My entire moral code as a kid and now is a need to be thought of as 'good'." Well, she's certainly thought of as good, though her actions say otherwise. She's more than happy to do a vaguely altruistic song and dance for a clip-worthy interview quote and mass appeasement, then fuck off to one of her mansions on a 20 minute private jet flight, rather than actually contribute to anything pertaining to the causes she has endorsed. Yet, far too many people continue to give a woman such as her their money, time, and energy, and she hoards these resources to herself.
I Like Some of the Taylor's Songs, But What the Fuck Does She Know About Feminism?
Swift continued with her self-proclaimed feminist campaign, positioning herself as a political activist and LGBTQ+ ally in the Miss Americana documentary. The primary focus of the documentary consists of the sexual assault trial, Andrea Swift's cancer diagnosis, Taylor's ED and body dysmorphia, media scrutiny, and, largely, finally speaking up about her politics publicly, mostly her opposition to the 2018 Tennessee Republican senate candidate, Marsha Blackburn, and Blackburn's beliefs. Swift says, following a scene discussing her experience during the trial,"I just couldn't really stop thinking about it. And I just thought to myself, next time there is any opportunity to change anything, you had better know what you stand for and what you want to say."We must ask ourselves, though: when has Swift ever spoken up to change anything? Okay, pulling her entire catalogue from Spotify because they didn't pay their artists enough and similarly pulling her catalogue from Apple Music are changes that she leveraged due to her revenue potential and power, but they are not pertinent to the average woman's rights. Moreover, these are issues that directly impacted Taylor's income, which was enough reason for her to protest in the first place. Swift has sold the most units for a female artist in first week sales, is the first female artist with 100k monthly Spotify listeners, is the first female artist to win the Album of the Year Grammy 4 times, and is the first female artist to do X, Y, and Z, all while being inoffensive and family-friendly to boot. The actual Taylor Swift seems unwilling to compromise the brand of Taylor Swift by contributing in meaningful ways to feminist causes, especially if it is for women outside of America and Hollywood.
The reason political anthems such as "The Man" and "Only the Young" of the Lover era feel disingenuous and corporate is because, well, it is. Taylor has taken every opportunity to advance her career or public image at the expense of other women. What is truly genuine to Taylor's outlook on other women is vying for male attention, taking down female competition, and vocalizing feminist injustices only if they directly impact her and her money. Some will argue that it's satisfactory for a woman with such a huge platform to even TALK about feminism, but that just isn't enough. It's even less impressive when you candidly look at the scope of her feminist lens: "If I was the man, then I'd be THE MAN", or "I really resent the ‘Be careful, buddy, she’s going to write a song about you’ angle, because it trivialises what I do", and, of course, "We all got crowns". Feminism, but only when it happens to me. It gets worse when you look at Taylor's track record of copying other famous women and removing other female artists as potential threats to her pop prowess.
It's good for PR to align yourself with certain blanket feminist and political beliefs, therefore good for branding, therefore good for ticketing and merchandise sales, therefore good for business. And Taylor Swift is a business.
She's not a feminist. Taylor Swift is a capitalist.
I Can't Pay Those Sweatshop Workers a Livable Wage or Benefits! How Else Would I Make My Billions?
Recently, Taylor's team filed to trademark the phrase "Female Rage: The Musical" after Taylor said during Paris N1 of the Eras Tour,"So you were the first ones to see The Tortured Poets at the Eras Tour...or as I like to call it, 'Female Rage: The Musical'."This trademark petition was filed last week on Saturday, and news comes about just as numerous unofficial fan-made merch designs have cropped up with this phrase plastered on Fruit of the Loom basics. I'm of the opinion Swift's team motioned for a trademark so that they can send out cease & desists to all those that make knockoff merch, which disrupts potential sales for Bravado, UMG's choice merchandising company; however, since it was filed earlier, perhaps Swift has bigger plans with the bizarre use of the gendered phrase. One Swiftie referred to the phrase "female rage" as "a funny Eras Tour joke". Could it be a possible fourth version of the Eras Tour Movie? Whatever the reason, the motion to capitalize off of such a concept is disgusting, but not unsurprising, for a woman that profits on her vain feminism.
Swift, through her company, TAS Rights Managements, has also trademarked over 200 phrases, including "1989", where she owns the property rights to this calendar year on keychains, phone cases, sunglasses, stationary, bags, beverage ware, clothing, entertainment services, your subconscious, and, of course, Christmas ornaments.
The vapid consumerism in Swiftie culture is, frankly, disgusting. Bravado's sustainability statement is non-existent, the quality control is abysmal, and the materials they use are horrible. The materials, such as acrylic and polyester, are made from petrochemicals. This means they are non-renewable, shed microplastics, and are quite toxic in production. The manufacturing process to make all of those lazy-rushed Eras Tour logo graphic tees is a huge blow to environmental well-being. Apparently, though, Swifties don't give a fuck. They sell out products in seconds and either have to face the manufactured scarcity or buy from a scalper that resells for 200% of the already ridiculous retail price. This doesn't include the environmental impact of vinyl records, CD, and cassette production, of which Taylor produces many variants that sell unsustainable amounts.
If we're talking about women's rights violations, why is no one acknowledging the women that work in the inhumane sweatshop conditions that have to pump out fugly t-shirts and hats? The millions of plastic microfiber dander they are inhaling, or the toxic dyes that touch their bare skin? Are they being compensated fairly for their skilled labour and are they in safe working environments? Do these women have minimal bargaining power, and do they have authority over their worker's rights? Is Taylor Swift female raging at their injustices? Does Taylor Swift ever feels bad that her wealth was built on the backs of women of color, disadvantaged by the demands of the global economy and garment industry? Do you think she ever says a little white feminist prayer for them before she goes to sleep at night?
What's even crazier is not that Taylor herself doesn't care, it's that Swifties don't care. There CANNOT BE ethical billionaires. You only make a billion dollars if you are exploiting other human beings for capital gain. Based on public perception of the possible "Female Rage: The Musical" trademark, it seems like Swifties are already asking for merch with this phrase. "If Taylor made it, I'd buy it." Oh, cool. So not only do you champion Miss Swift's avarice and billionaire status, but you also are unashamed to admit to your blind consumption of her music and merchandise, no matter where they might originate in production or sincerity. Just as Swift takes and takes and takes, Swifties' consumerism of Taylor Swift cannot be quelled.
The tortured artist's most vulnerable and sincere poetry...available now in 21 different versions!
I Am Tortured Poet, Hear Me Whinge
Look - even if Taylor's intention is to characterize TTPD as more "tortured" and "angry", the main thread of the album is "I was ghosted by my decade-long situationship with a controversial indie boy and my fucking stupid fans wrote a 'Speak Up Now' open letter prompting me to drop him" anger, which is adequately expressed in the lyrics and performances. The extent of Taylor's "female rage" on TTPD is on tracks such as "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?", which contends with relentless media scrutiny; "But Daddy I Love Him", where Swift firmly states she'll date whoever she likes no matter how "Sarahs and Hannahs" may react; and "The Albatross", a track mythologizing her reputation and the consequences of dating her. Of course, these coincide with deep psychological wounds that formed during Swift's early years in the media, and so, from her feminist perspective, these subjects tackle the misogyny and double standards that she faced.Yet Taylor Swift still has no grounds to be claiming that TTPD best exemplifies female rage and therefore she, in the context of this album, is female rage incarnate. As the daughter of a stock broker and mutual fund marketing executive, Taylor was born into wealth and allowed privileges like trips and subsequent relocation to Nashville all so that she might get a record deal. Her father even invested at least $120,000 into the then-fledgling label, Big Machine Records, which ensured Taylor's place with Borchetta after leaving her dead-end development deal with Sony. The fact that her parents were able to buy her a fucking brand new guitar for Christmas and pay for music lessons says so much about the financial security and safety of her childhood.
Money is privilege and protection, and despite Swift's experiences with misogyny and loser boyfriends, she does not know what female rage is.
Her rage is derived from her frustrations with her obsessive fans pulling the moral superiority card on Taylor in response to her rebound with Matty Healy. That's literally it. She's just pissed that the monster she created is no longer obediant, it's become a feral, sovereign entity that depletes the world of its natural resources and thinks it is more intelligent than it actually is because it's mommy has started to talk to it with big words. Apparently, 'illicit', 'elegy', 'nonchalant', and 'precocious' are considerably big words for the oafish monster, and I find it strange that this level of literacy is present in a group of fans that allegedly have GPAs of 3.5 or higher, but I digress.
Taylor Swift has never been one paycheck away from destitution. Taylor Swift has never experienced racial discrimination. She may have instances of gender discrimination, but she possesses the ideal white, blonde American beauty standard and therefore reaps the benefits of being a conventionally attractive woman. Taylor Swift has sufficient social capital. Taylor Swift is a billionaire woman prolonging her victimhood though she, as a woman, has mostly had control over her image and music (unlike her contemporaries). Taylor Swift is NOT entitled to be championed for her "female rage", nor should she be. Taylor Swift has never even been the struggling artist, for fuck's sake. I don't give a fuck if she's trying to fill the empty lunch tables of her past. Taylor Swift purporting herself, her unpolished album, and her lukewarm feminism as a musical bleeding with female rage is asinine.
Sigh Try and Come For My Job, Poors
Out there in the world right now is a 23-year-old woman, a recent college grad, who works as a barista. She has to wake up and get ready to go into a minimum wage job because she cannot get a job in her field. She doesn't have healthcare benefits or sick time, so she has to go into work no matter how she's feeling. All day long she is berated by vicious customers and creepy men, and, exhausted from being on her feet, she knows she has to go home to her shitty roommate that never does the dishes and her roommate's shitty dog. To comfort herself, she considers getting a treat, but thinks against it when she remembers that matcha lattes cost $15 and they taste like milky dirt. She knows that she needs to buy groceries this week, and so the woman resolves to go home, but notices that her gas tank is low. She goes to put gas in the car, but the pump stops at $27.86 because that's all that she has in her checking account. The woman, bereft and reeling, sinks into the driver's seat. "Well," she thinks, her head in her hands, "at least I don't have Taylor Swift's job. I just couldn't imagine."Fame is somewhat of a choice. If at any moment Taylor feels that she is misunderstood, misconstrued, or overwhelmed by public opinion, she can LEAVE the public eye - Lord knows she has the retirement fund and residuals to do so. In "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart", the TTPD song about meeting the demands of your career-zenith mega-tour while in the relationship trenches, Taylor ends the song by rambling,
"You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart...you know you're good...and I'm good, cause I'm miserable, and no one even knows!...try and come for my job."Yeah, obviously we wouldn't know, you recently passed the billionaire threshold and are the most famous and in-demand performer in the world right now. Taylor Swift makes an estimated $10 to $13 million dollars A NIGHT on the Eras Tour. Furthermore, the Eras Tour movie grossed $261.6 million globally, (which, as the producer, Taylor takes home 57% of the ticket sales) not counting the streaming revenue from Amazon Prime Video and the estimated $75 million deal that Disney paid to have it on Disney+. We're not even considering the income from cheap plastic popcorn buckets and drink cups plastered with colored squares in her Era-specific likeness.
It's funny. Taylor Swift often said that being famous wasn't hard, that she "isn't complaining". I'm sure it is difficult to always have to present in a good mood, else you'll end up misrepresented in the media, and I'm sure it's invasive to virtually have no privacy or semblance of anonymity. Still, Taylor Swift shows up each night of tour and performs. For a majority of her career, she has penned her sad songs while on the road. Most of "Red", her breakup album, was written in the thick of the Speak Now World tour. Now, some Swifties say they almost "feel bad" for attending the Eras Tour with Swift's revelations in this song, that they have had a 'dimmed experience' upon hearing Taylor's misery whilst performing. Despite the fact that Taylor said that "this was the happiest she's ever been" at Gilette Stadium in May, the lyrics "boohoo, woe is me, smile for the cameras and make the fans happy!!!" are jarring for Eras attendees.
While Taylor Swift was making double-digit millions a night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and feeling miserable, Ana Clara Benevides Machado passed away due to heat exposure. The concert promoters, Time For Fun, are now the subject of a criminal investigation due to their lack of adequate hydration and safety. Taylor Swift cancelled the Sunday show that was to follow and offered VIP tent tickets to Benevides Marchado's family, which was a kind gesture, but perhaps incongruous to the incident of which they were offered as consolation. Everyone grieves differently, of course, but I'm not sure attending the very show at the very same venue that my daughter or sister passed away in two days prior, where the singer CONTINUED the show despite her death, would be healthy for closure.
There was no female rage at the show as Swift never saw Benevides Machado pass out. There was no female rage towards the disregard for fans as humans while Swift elected to proceed with her Brazil tour dates despite the country being in historic heatwaves (at risk of overheatting herself). If Taylor Swift was so shaken by touring with a broken heart or a fan's passing, she wouldn't have added an additional North American leg of Eras just two months after the Matty breakup. She's brokenhearted but willing to mend the cracks with your money and move onward with her worldwide female rage induced pillaging.
No matter what happens, even if you die at a Taylor Swift concert, Taylor collects a big fat check and flies away. She doesn't know you as anything other than a conversion rate or earning potential despite what her nearly 20-year long parasocial relationship with fans might otherwise indicate. She knows that, while some Swifties are without disposable income, they feel obligated to spend on a "48 Hours Only!" exclusive vinyl variant instead of necessities because they are so entrenched in Taylor Swift's intoxicating celebrity, they'll prioritize materialistic fandom before their needs. This is good enough for her because this means she can expand her real estate portfolio and finance her cat's lavish lifestyles. They're worth an estimated $100 million dollars. Her three cats could pool their net worth and solve world hunger.
While you and I might be denied bereavement leave and barely surviving the current political and economic climate, Taylor Swift has to, instead of gets to, perform for stadiums at full attendance for three nights in a row across the globe. You and I might be replaced by AI at our longtime jobs, but Taylor Swift is threatened with losing more and more money each time you listen to a "Stolen Version" of her songs. If we don't buy every variant of all of her albums, then who is going to pay for the fucking cats?
It is tone deaf to spend as she spends and lives as she lives in this economy, but this is her reality. She was able to donate $100,000 to all of her tour truck drivers, and that's wonderful, but it leads me to wonder about the ethos of the 2020s where one woman can hoard such life-changing amounts of money. Remember in 2014 when she gave a fan $90 ($120 in today's money) to get Chipotle because she had no fucking clue how much it cost? This is a 34-year-old woman who is increasingly out of touch with the reality for working class people and women in general. Normal everyday adults must wake up and go to their thankless jobs, and yet Taylor Swift, despite all her riches, incessantly references the lows of her life and career as a public figure and entertainer to farm sympathy and drive sales. And still, the corporate women have latched onto "I cry a lot, but I am so productive! It's an art!" as their cubicle battle cry.
Do you think that, from up in her private jet, Taylor Swift gazes at the world through her poetic, tortured eyes, and thinks, "All the little people, in their cars, walking, going about their lives...all those girls that don't support girls...do they know that I've made an album about female rage?"
Conclusion/TLDR
Thank you for reading. I would love to hear your critical insights towards this entire ordeal: TTPD, the trademark, the implications of it all.TLDR: Taylor Swift is a bad feminist and is delusional to think that the TTPD eras set exemplifies female rage at women's injustice.
2024.05.14 20:09 IncrediblyUnrulySock Absolute refusal to even attempt to say please
My son is 15 months old and has a pretty good vocabulary. He frequently uses up, more and help in the correct context. He's learnt that these words get him what he wants. So when we decided to encourage him to add please on to these words I didn't think it'd be difficult. He confidently says park and pop so I know it's not an issue with the p sound. When I want him to say a word I always use the phrase "can you say..." and this is very successful for getting him to say dog, hat, hello, basically anything but please. Sometimes I refuse his request for up/more/help without a please and try to hold out for it. The result is that he will yell his request louder and louder, it eventually devolves into screaming and throwing himself on the floor. I would accept simply "p" and I demonstrate this by trying "can you say please? P p p p please?" He has once said p. Once. We showered him with praise and gave him huge smiles, he seemed really happy. I would also accept the makaton for please but he's never really grasped makaton, but I still do the sign every time I say please/p.
At dinner time he puts his fork in his mouth but can't load it himself, so when he wants another forkfull he gives me the fork and says more. I have considered holding out for the please in this scenario but I just know he'd end up a hysterical screaming mess and wouldn't eat his dinner, so I'm not convinced this is wise. I'm at a loss.
Manners are important to me and I know it's not a competition but his cousins never miss a please or thank you and I don't want him to be the rude kid in the family. Or anywhere for that matter! Any ideas greatly appreciated because we're stumped.
Edit: I do not expect him to string 2 words together at 15 months!! I expect him to make his demand then copy the word please when promoted. If he wants to get up I will sometimes have to prompt him to say up, he says it he gets to go up. I don't see why he can't ask for more then copy my prompt for please in the same way.
submitted by IncrediblyUnrulySock to UKParenting [link] [comments]
At dinner time he puts his fork in his mouth but can't load it himself, so when he wants another forkfull he gives me the fork and says more. I have considered holding out for the please in this scenario but I just know he'd end up a hysterical screaming mess and wouldn't eat his dinner, so I'm not convinced this is wise. I'm at a loss.
Manners are important to me and I know it's not a competition but his cousins never miss a please or thank you and I don't want him to be the rude kid in the family. Or anywhere for that matter! Any ideas greatly appreciated because we're stumped.
Edit: I do not expect him to string 2 words together at 15 months!! I expect him to make his demand then copy the word please when promoted. If he wants to get up I will sometimes have to prompt him to say up, he says it he gets to go up. I don't see why he can't ask for more then copy my prompt for please in the same way.
2024.05.14 19:47 Think-Pie-148 Need suggestion on Retirement gift for dad
Hello everyone! My dad is retiring this month end. I really want to get him something for this special occasion.
He has been a good friend in my life & very supporting eventhough he was from a humble background. For context he was working as a math teacher for past 35+ years. It's a bitter sweet moment that he will not longer be doing what he loves.
While I wish him happy retirement, I want to gift him something really good & also something he uses often. (He is not someone who likes luxurious stuff). Ps.. he invited me to his retirement party his colleagues are holding!
Please do drop by any suggestions! I currently don't have any clue. Budget max 5-10K. (Im currently thinking of a watch)
submitted by Think-Pie-148 to onexindia [link] [comments]
He has been a good friend in my life & very supporting eventhough he was from a humble background. For context he was working as a math teacher for past 35+ years. It's a bitter sweet moment that he will not longer be doing what he loves.
While I wish him happy retirement, I want to gift him something really good & also something he uses often. (He is not someone who likes luxurious stuff). Ps.. he invited me to his retirement party his colleagues are holding!
Please do drop by any suggestions! I currently don't have any clue. Budget max 5-10K. (Im currently thinking of a watch)
2024.05.14 19:05 GCIlanguageIELTS Tips to Ace the CELPIP Exam on Your First Attempt
Are you gearing up to take the CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) exam? As one of the premier language proficiency tests for Canadian immigration and citizenship, understanding its intricacies and preparing strategically can significantly enhance your chances of success. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you ace the CELPIP exam on your first attempt.
What is CELPIP?
CELPIP is a computer-delivered English language proficiency test designed to assess functional language skills in real-life contexts, particularly relevant for those seeking to immigrate to Canada or obtain Canadian citizenship. The test evaluates four key language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, with tasks tailored to everyday situations encountered in work, school, or social environments.
Tips to Ace the CELPIP Exam:
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Test Format: Take advantage of practice materials and sample tests provided by CELPIP to acquaint yourself with the test structure and question types. Understanding the format will help you navigate the exam confidently on test day.
2. Develop Strong Time Management Skills: Since CELPIP is a timed exam, efficient time management is crucial. Practice completing tasks within the allocated time limits during your preparation to build speed and accuracy.
3. Enhance Your Listening Skills: Focus on improving your listening comprehension by regularly listening to English podcasts, news broadcasts, and audio recordings. Pay attention to key details, main ideas, and nuances in spoken language.
4. Sharpen Your Reading Strategies: Practice skimming and scanning techniques to quickly extract information from written passages. Pay attention to keywords and context clues to aid comprehension and answer questions effectively.
5. Hone Your Writing and Speaking Abilities: Practice writing essays and delivering spoken responses under timed conditions. Work on organizing your ideas coherently and articulating them clearly. Seek feedback from tutors or peers to identify areas for improvement.
By following these expert tips and dedicating consistent effort to preparation, you can approach the CELPIP exam with confidence and increase your likelihood of achieving a successful outcome on your first attempt.
Join our vibrant community of language enthusiasts at GCILanguage and let's embark on a transformative CELPIP journey together.
If you have any further questions, you can reach us directly at [+1 604-755-4334](tel:+16047554334) in Surrey. We will be happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.
To learn more about GCI Language Centre and its CELPIP preparation courses in Surrey, visit https://gcilanguage.com/ today.
submitted by GCIlanguageIELTS to u/GCIlanguageIELTS [link] [comments]
What is CELPIP?
CELPIP is a computer-delivered English language proficiency test designed to assess functional language skills in real-life contexts, particularly relevant for those seeking to immigrate to Canada or obtain Canadian citizenship. The test evaluates four key language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, with tasks tailored to everyday situations encountered in work, school, or social environments.
Tips to Ace the CELPIP Exam:
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Test Format: Take advantage of practice materials and sample tests provided by CELPIP to acquaint yourself with the test structure and question types. Understanding the format will help you navigate the exam confidently on test day.
2. Develop Strong Time Management Skills: Since CELPIP is a timed exam, efficient time management is crucial. Practice completing tasks within the allocated time limits during your preparation to build speed and accuracy.
3. Enhance Your Listening Skills: Focus on improving your listening comprehension by regularly listening to English podcasts, news broadcasts, and audio recordings. Pay attention to key details, main ideas, and nuances in spoken language.
4. Sharpen Your Reading Strategies: Practice skimming and scanning techniques to quickly extract information from written passages. Pay attention to keywords and context clues to aid comprehension and answer questions effectively.
5. Hone Your Writing and Speaking Abilities: Practice writing essays and delivering spoken responses under timed conditions. Work on organizing your ideas coherently and articulating them clearly. Seek feedback from tutors or peers to identify areas for improvement.
By following these expert tips and dedicating consistent effort to preparation, you can approach the CELPIP exam with confidence and increase your likelihood of achieving a successful outcome on your first attempt.
Join our vibrant community of language enthusiasts at GCILanguage and let's embark on a transformative CELPIP journey together.
If you have any further questions, you can reach us directly at [+1 604-755-4334](tel:+16047554334) in Surrey. We will be happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.
To learn more about GCI Language Centre and its CELPIP preparation courses in Surrey, visit https://gcilanguage.com/ today.
2024.05.14 18:43 CalligrapherSafe5789 Movie Scripts
 | I got the scripts of these movies signed by Andy Serkis. I have no clue if they are supposed to be rare or not but that doesn’t really matter too much to me. I’ve only started reading into Dawn but so far it’s soooo fascinating. It gives so many little details that I didn’t catch or understand in the movie and has a bunch of scenes that aren’t in the movie but give a lot more context for certain parts of the story. It reveals names of characters that play very minor roles in the story and it has a bunch of cool differences. The one that stands out the most is that Blue Eyes is actually named River in this script. submitted by CalligrapherSafe5789 to PlanetOfTheApes [link] [comments] |
2024.05.14 18:15 Many-Patient2894 I think my cousin was replaced, and I think I know when it happened. I don't know what to do
To be honest, I wasn't sure that the Advice sub would let me post this there so I'm posting it here because it's so fucked up. And it didn't seem right for Let's Not Meet, either. But I do need advice, because I feel I'm losing my fucking mind.
So I (30F) have always been very close to my cousin (30F), let's call her Angela. Because we're the same age, our parents (my mom and her father are siblings) went through all the same stages with us and as such, we were more or less raised like siblings due to how much time our families spent together.
We even had homes in the country in the same township, which is where I think this happened. And I can't really tell my family this because it will make me sound legitimately crazy. And some part of me even doubts this memory, but at the same time I know in my heart that it's true. It's a complicated feeling, and this memory was brought to light last week when my suspicion I've had for years was more or less confirmed.
One winter, sixteen years ago, when Angela and I were both fourteen, both of our families were at our cottages, a twenty minute drive from each other. Angela and her little brother (my cousin, let's call him James) parents (my aunt and uncle) were going skiing one morning, and I wanted to go too. So I spent the night at their cottage, like I often did when we all went up north.
Angela's bedroom had two single beds in it, and James' room was down the hall. The whole house was open concept, so the hall from Angela's room to James' room did not have walls, but rather was bordered by two railings over which you could see down into the main floor, the open concept living and dining rooms.
James is four years younger than us, and when he was 10, he was such a typical little boy/little brother, it's almost cartoonish to look back on. Like, I'm talking *constantly* bothering us, putting a stink bomb on a remote control car that he would sneak into our rooms, trying to read Angela's diary when we weren't in her bedroom, just all the stuff. But never anything cruel or out of the ordinary or sinister, just a massive handful.
The basement of James and Angela's cottage was filled with storage and old toys, and sometimes (on the rare occasion) that we'd willingly play with James, we'd all go down to the basement and try to freak each other out. Anyway, one of the toys in the basement was your typical Raggedy-Ann doll from the 60s or something. I think it belonged to my uncle when he was a kid and then Angela when she was a baby. Her name was Trilly. I forget who named it. Anyway, I have vague memories of playing with it when we were much younger and pretending it was our third cousin or our little daughter. But since then she'd sat in storage in the basement.
But, what great nightmare material! Right?! A creepy, limp, smiling doll. So the night I stayed over, before we went skiing in the morning, James, Angela and I were up to our playing in the basement, and I remember we tried to freak James out by pretending Trilly was alive or something like that. Whatever. Game over, we all had dinner with the parents, then watched a movie as a family and went to bed. James to his room and Angela and me to Angela's room.
Now this is the thing. Angela and I still joke about this night, and she remembers it just like I do, which is why I sort of wrote off my hypothesis until last week. That night, in the middle of the night, I started tossing and turning. I woke up and could tell that Angela was stirring as well. One of us said to the other, "are you awake?" and the other said "yes," and we realized that we both couldn't sleep or were woken up by the same thing or were both just feeling restless. But then, at the other end of her room, Trilly was sitting in the fucking desk chair.
I think it was Angela who pointed it out. We saw a shadow, thinking it was a person, freaked out, and then relaxed briefly when we saw it was just the doll. But then we got freaked out all over again and were like, "why the FUCK is this FUCKING doll in your room!?!?", murderously standing up and going over to it to pick it up and throw it in James' room and pound the living Christ out of him.
We turn on all the lights, turn on the hall light, stomp down the hall into his room and turn on his lights, and see he's not in his bed. We then go downstairs (my aunt and uncle's room was on the main floor), Trilly still in Angela's hands, and hear my aunt and James in the washroom. Turns out James had been sick for the last few hours and my aunt had been up all night with him as he was throwing up in the washroom. And when we saw the scene we immediately could tell that James had nothing to do with Trilly. Like, it was just one of those really believable situations where we could tell James truly had no idea what was going on. We even felt bad for him. And, to top it off, when we told him the story in the morning it scared him so much that he didn't go into the basement for like a year. Anyway, it just seemed really sincere.
So Angela and I went back up to her room and we were like, "are we *sure* we didn't bring this up here last night? Are we sure? We must have." Anyway, while we were really freaked, we figured that it was explainable. We knew the doll obviously didn't walk itself upstairs like it was some horror movie. But, because we were fourteen and all for the drama (and I remember us having the "better safe than sorry" mindset) we called her dog upstairs (Bella, a poorly behaved black poodle). We started playing tug-of-war with Bella, using Trilly as the toy, and eventually Bella ripped her to shreds.
Anyway, funny memory, making the dog rip up the doll, we laughed and thought we were tough and cool, then we went back to bed.
The next morning, instead of all of us going skiing, it was just Me, Angela, and my Uncle, because James stayed home with my aunt on account of his stomach flu. But when we woke up, Angela was acting weird. Nothing too noteable, just really bizarrely quiet as she moved around her room to get her clothes out of her drawers and get changed. She didn't, like, acknowledge me in her room. I said something like "morning" when she didn't acknowledge me, and she looked at me and then turned back to her drawers and kept getting changed.
And she was looking around weirdly, I remember that too. Almost like she'd misplaced something, but a little more dazed than that. Just moving strangely. Then she went downstairs without saying anything to me at all. I thought maybe she was just super groggy... but it still felt really weird.
When I went downstairs, she was standing at the island in the kitchen buttering toast that my uncle had put in for us. I distinctly remember walking up beside her and the toaster, pulling a piece of toast out of it, putting it on the plate that had been set out for me, and when I dipped the knife into the container of butter, Angela smacked my hand away, hard, and looked at me and snapped, "what are you doing? Don't take things that aren't yours". I was shocked. It honestly felt like being struck in the face. She'd never spoken to me like that before, and even though we were like siblings, I still felt that kind of mortifying embarrassment you feel when someone calls you out on misbehaving, even though I wasn't doing anything wrong; but it *was* her family's butter and bread? I don't know. That's what I remember thinking. But it was awkward and weird and I just said, "um, what?" and then she didn't say anything, just kept buttering her toast, and I mumbled some apology.
The three of us then drove to the ski hill and, I kid you not, Angela and I didn't speak the whole way there. I had no idea what was up, but I didn't want to ask with her dad in the car.
Then when we got to the ski hill, we went skiing just the two of us and on the chairlift during the first run I mustered up the courage to say "Hey, did I do something wrong? I feel like you're really mad at me or something". And she turned to look at me and was confused. Not friendly, not warm, not reassuring, but confused. It was almost as if I was a stranger and she looked at me as if to say, "sorry, who are you? why are you talking to me?"
And she responded in a formal way: "Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about". The distance in her voice was really eerie, and I started to think maybe this had to do with the doll incident the night before and either she was trying to extend the prank, and she was the one who had put the doll on the chair, OR she felt guilty that we ruined this family doll and she resented me for being a part of it. Anyway, when we got to the top of the hill, she skied down quickly and didn't wait for me to go back up again, and we ended up skiing separately.
I felt awkward and embarrassed like I'd done something wrong. I ended up skiing with my uncle who asked me what was up with us, and I just said I didn't know. Then after our day of skiing, he dropped me off at my family's cottage and continued on home with Angela.
For the rest of that whole school year (we were in ninth grade), Angela and I didn't really speak. It was really sad. We were like sisters before, but better because we weren't actually sisters, but cousins, and so we were like best friends that were related. Seriously, we were really close. And it really messed me up, I felt like she just ghosted me. I would text her and call her house but she was always "fine" or "with Jessica" (her best friend). I chalked it up to her just outgrowing me, and it really fucking sucked. But, to be honest, it was so jarring and such a stark shift that I was more confused than hurt. I talked to my mom about it and she explained to me how rough it can be to be a teenage girl.
But that following summer, we were up at our cottages again, and our family had a barbecue and invited over my aunt and uncle and Angela and James. I had seen Angela at family things a couple of times since and she would just kind of ignore me and spend the whole time texting, which is what I expected this time.
Sure enough, that's what happened for the first bit of the barbecue. But then when the food was ready, she came up beside me as we were dressing our hamburgers at the condiment table and said, "oh my god, remember that night we got Bella to ruin Trilly?" and I was so shocked by her friendly tone, by her acting as though she were picking up a conversation we just were having, that I just stared at her and said, "yeah, that was crazy". And she said, "yeah, so funny. Anyway, how've you been?" again, really different and formal. I almost couldn't get past how altered her tone was, like we'd never even met. In fact she seemed so sprightly and kind that I thought she was mocking me.
And our relationship since that barbecue carried on just like that. She started talking to me more, but I'd reference inside jokes or ways we used to be or things we used to do and she never really latched on to any of them. I was caught between thinking she'd outgrown me and thinking she was like embarrassed of our closeness before or something and was trying to move on. I talked to my mom about this, and again got the speech about how teenage girls can be really cruel/strange sometimes.
So until we were about 22, we were like that. Nice to each other, talking sometimes, not that close, and I learned to not try and act like we were all close or that we had been close. I talked to my friends about it too and they said it was normal for friendships to change like that. But something felt off about this. I started to honestly feel crazy for hanging on to this "before" memory of Angela so much.
Then when we were 22, we grew apart. This time, it was mutual and natural. I moved cities, and she got engaged and became a real estate agent and we just had nothing to talk about. It was gradual and I didn't notice it much. Which brings us to eight years later, just last week.
I was travelling in Iceland. I had to be there (very randomly) for a conference/workshop I was leading for work, and turned it into a vacation. Rented a car, decided I was going to drive across the island after the conference was over and stay on the east part and explore a bit.
Day four of my seven-day long road trip. It's mid-afternoon, I'm hungry. I've been driving for three hours and have come across no sign of civilization at all, and it was fifty miles to the next town. But then, voila! A little gas station/general store/cafe! Perfect!
Ah, fuck. I literally can't believe I'm writing this. It makes me sound fucking crazy. But here I go.
I park in the little three-car parking lot. I get out of my car, step onto the gravel, the sky is white, expansive, there are mountains everywhere around me, fields, sheep. The air is fresh. Seriously middle of nowhere. I walk up the wooden rickety steps and push open the door and hear the door chimes go. A man walks out from the back room and greets me, and the place is cute. There's a little handwritten menu above the cash register and I asked him in my pathetic Icelandic/English mix if I could have the gravlax toast. He's very friendly and kind and says yes, asks if I want a coffee, I say yes please, blah blah, he rings me up at the cash register, and I go and sit at the one table they have and wait for my food.
I look around - it's mostly a fishing supplies store with some general groceries. The man opens the door to the room from which he came, the kitchen I suppose, and says the order to the lady in the back who looks like she's doing some prep cooking. Immediately I stop. It's freaking Angela!!!! Or I thought it was.
Now, remember, I hadn't seen Angela in about eight years. Since her dad passed away when we were twenty-three, and because I'd moved cities, we just had no reason to really see each other especially after growing so far apart.
So, like, OH MY GOD, it's Angela! She's working at a random little general store in middle-of-nowhere Iceland! But wait, I thought. No. This is obviously not-fucking-Angela. Angela is a real estate agent in my hometown. I'd obviously know if she lived in Iceland lol. Right? I don't really use social media but the odd time I do, she'll pop up here and there. But I guess not enough for me to *confirm* she still lived in my hometown.
But anyway, she looked enough like Angela that I went right up to the cash register and rang the little bell and the guy came back out and when he opened the door I was able to get another look at her, and my heart skidded. A chill spread across my crown. It was one hundred percent Angela. Like, my full-on cousin. So, looking over the guys' shoulder, RIGHT AT ANGELA, I smile and say, "Angela!! Oh my god!!" and before she could respond, the door shut again.
And the guy at the cash smiled really big, a nice, friendly, smile and he looked surprised as well, and pointed back over his shoulder and then at me, as if to say, "you two know each other?!" which confirmed for me that her name was Angela, because he seemed really delighted at the coincidence. Expecting her to emerge from the kitchen, I walked around to behind the cash register (the invitation was implied by the guy) and he put his arm back to open the door for me, or for Angela, whom we both expected to be making her way over to me, too.
When he opened the door, she was head-down again, chopping vegetables. I walked through the door and said, "Angela? Angela!" smiling, thinking she hadn't seen me yet or realized who I was, all context considered. She looked up at me, and then quickly, as though avoiding my eyes, looked down. "Hey", she said, quietly, at the cutting board.
WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON? Before I could ask anything, she said, "I'm really sorry, okay?"
What?
She repeated herself and then continued: "I'm really sorry okay? But we can't talk".
I actually, like, had no clue what was happening. I was looking into the eyes of my cousin whom I hadn't seen in forever in some random fucking shack in Iceland and she was acting skittish and afraid. I opened my mouth to protest and she said, "I need you to leave," then she called the guy's name and said something to him in Icelandic. She can speak Icelandic??!
The guy came in, his demeanour totally different. Almost like he was a bouncer. He gestured to my coffee and toast that were ready to go, took them in his hands and ushered me out of the kitchen and I could tell I no longer was welcome. Either I wasn't welcome or I was in danger, or both. It felt more like the former. And I don't think the guy had any idea what was going on, either. I think she must have said something to him like "I don't know this person, this person is crazy" or something. That's how he was acting toward me.
I got in my car, I drove five minutes down the road, and pulled over. I miraculously had service and I called my mom and told her everything. She kind of just laughed at me and was like "Many-Patient2894, that obviously wasn't Angela". And joked about me making some poor Icelandic woman feel extremely weird. But based off the guy's reaction when I said her name, her name was Angela, and the way she spoke to me and said sorry and said we couldn't talk, like, she knew me too. I told my mom all of this and I sounded fucking crazy and she just was basically like, "Haha, yeah, weird". I think she thinks I was making up the part about the apology.
I told all of my friends this, when I was still in Iceland, and they all reacted like my mom did. At this point, I had four days left in the country, and I kept wanting to return to the cafe/general store. But I didn't. I started to think maybe the woman thought I was someone else. But then I kept coming back to, but wait, this person was Angela. Her name, her body, her face, like I just didn't know what to do.
This brings me to two days ago, the day before yesterday, when I returned to Canada, where I live. It's eight o'clock in the morning and I'm on my way to work. In my car. Just picked up a coffee. Exhausted. Not thinking about Angela at all. Thinking about my laundry, my bills, what I'm going to make for dinner. The traffic is bad and it's a miserable day outside.
My phone dings. It's a random number. The text reads: "Hey! It's Angela! How was your trip?"
Haven't heard from her in eight years (except for our run-in in Iceland, if indeed it was one). No "how have you been??", no "I miss you!!" no "long time no talk/see!". I also hadn't posted anything about my trip on social media. Unless you were a friend of mine, you didn't know I was there.
I immediately call my mom, who follows Angela on Instagram, and ask her to look at her profile. Sure enough, Angela (not at all to my mother's surprise), is posting stories of the bachelorette party she's at in Miami. She's, like, not at all in Iceland.
I have no idea what's going on. And the way Angela/the woman spoke to me in the cafe had the cadence and softness that Angela had, and in my memory, lost, starting the morning of the skiing after the incident with Trilly and the dog. For some reason I'm fully back there in my memory now, realizing that that was the first morning of "the new Angela", the one that seemed to have no emotional memory of me at all. Like, the Iceland Angela seemed more like the "before" Angela.
I haven't replied to the text. I have no idea if it was bachelorette party Miami Angela or Iceland Angela that sent me the message, the area code is from neither Angela's hometown or Iceland.
I need advice, I have no idea what to do or who to talk to. Do I reply to the text? What do I say? I feel like the real Angela is fucking trapped in Iceland or something and has been for a long time. Or I don't even know. I have no idea what to do.
submitted by Many-Patient2894 to nosleep [link] [comments]
So I (30F) have always been very close to my cousin (30F), let's call her Angela. Because we're the same age, our parents (my mom and her father are siblings) went through all the same stages with us and as such, we were more or less raised like siblings due to how much time our families spent together.
We even had homes in the country in the same township, which is where I think this happened. And I can't really tell my family this because it will make me sound legitimately crazy. And some part of me even doubts this memory, but at the same time I know in my heart that it's true. It's a complicated feeling, and this memory was brought to light last week when my suspicion I've had for years was more or less confirmed.
One winter, sixteen years ago, when Angela and I were both fourteen, both of our families were at our cottages, a twenty minute drive from each other. Angela and her little brother (my cousin, let's call him James) parents (my aunt and uncle) were going skiing one morning, and I wanted to go too. So I spent the night at their cottage, like I often did when we all went up north.
Angela's bedroom had two single beds in it, and James' room was down the hall. The whole house was open concept, so the hall from Angela's room to James' room did not have walls, but rather was bordered by two railings over which you could see down into the main floor, the open concept living and dining rooms.
James is four years younger than us, and when he was 10, he was such a typical little boy/little brother, it's almost cartoonish to look back on. Like, I'm talking *constantly* bothering us, putting a stink bomb on a remote control car that he would sneak into our rooms, trying to read Angela's diary when we weren't in her bedroom, just all the stuff. But never anything cruel or out of the ordinary or sinister, just a massive handful.
The basement of James and Angela's cottage was filled with storage and old toys, and sometimes (on the rare occasion) that we'd willingly play with James, we'd all go down to the basement and try to freak each other out. Anyway, one of the toys in the basement was your typical Raggedy-Ann doll from the 60s or something. I think it belonged to my uncle when he was a kid and then Angela when she was a baby. Her name was Trilly. I forget who named it. Anyway, I have vague memories of playing with it when we were much younger and pretending it was our third cousin or our little daughter. But since then she'd sat in storage in the basement.
But, what great nightmare material! Right?! A creepy, limp, smiling doll. So the night I stayed over, before we went skiing in the morning, James, Angela and I were up to our playing in the basement, and I remember we tried to freak James out by pretending Trilly was alive or something like that. Whatever. Game over, we all had dinner with the parents, then watched a movie as a family and went to bed. James to his room and Angela and me to Angela's room.
Now this is the thing. Angela and I still joke about this night, and she remembers it just like I do, which is why I sort of wrote off my hypothesis until last week. That night, in the middle of the night, I started tossing and turning. I woke up and could tell that Angela was stirring as well. One of us said to the other, "are you awake?" and the other said "yes," and we realized that we both couldn't sleep or were woken up by the same thing or were both just feeling restless. But then, at the other end of her room, Trilly was sitting in the fucking desk chair.
I think it was Angela who pointed it out. We saw a shadow, thinking it was a person, freaked out, and then relaxed briefly when we saw it was just the doll. But then we got freaked out all over again and were like, "why the FUCK is this FUCKING doll in your room!?!?", murderously standing up and going over to it to pick it up and throw it in James' room and pound the living Christ out of him.
We turn on all the lights, turn on the hall light, stomp down the hall into his room and turn on his lights, and see he's not in his bed. We then go downstairs (my aunt and uncle's room was on the main floor), Trilly still in Angela's hands, and hear my aunt and James in the washroom. Turns out James had been sick for the last few hours and my aunt had been up all night with him as he was throwing up in the washroom. And when we saw the scene we immediately could tell that James had nothing to do with Trilly. Like, it was just one of those really believable situations where we could tell James truly had no idea what was going on. We even felt bad for him. And, to top it off, when we told him the story in the morning it scared him so much that he didn't go into the basement for like a year. Anyway, it just seemed really sincere.
So Angela and I went back up to her room and we were like, "are we *sure* we didn't bring this up here last night? Are we sure? We must have." Anyway, while we were really freaked, we figured that it was explainable. We knew the doll obviously didn't walk itself upstairs like it was some horror movie. But, because we were fourteen and all for the drama (and I remember us having the "better safe than sorry" mindset) we called her dog upstairs (Bella, a poorly behaved black poodle). We started playing tug-of-war with Bella, using Trilly as the toy, and eventually Bella ripped her to shreds.
Anyway, funny memory, making the dog rip up the doll, we laughed and thought we were tough and cool, then we went back to bed.
The next morning, instead of all of us going skiing, it was just Me, Angela, and my Uncle, because James stayed home with my aunt on account of his stomach flu. But when we woke up, Angela was acting weird. Nothing too noteable, just really bizarrely quiet as she moved around her room to get her clothes out of her drawers and get changed. She didn't, like, acknowledge me in her room. I said something like "morning" when she didn't acknowledge me, and she looked at me and then turned back to her drawers and kept getting changed.
And she was looking around weirdly, I remember that too. Almost like she'd misplaced something, but a little more dazed than that. Just moving strangely. Then she went downstairs without saying anything to me at all. I thought maybe she was just super groggy... but it still felt really weird.
When I went downstairs, she was standing at the island in the kitchen buttering toast that my uncle had put in for us. I distinctly remember walking up beside her and the toaster, pulling a piece of toast out of it, putting it on the plate that had been set out for me, and when I dipped the knife into the container of butter, Angela smacked my hand away, hard, and looked at me and snapped, "what are you doing? Don't take things that aren't yours". I was shocked. It honestly felt like being struck in the face. She'd never spoken to me like that before, and even though we were like siblings, I still felt that kind of mortifying embarrassment you feel when someone calls you out on misbehaving, even though I wasn't doing anything wrong; but it *was* her family's butter and bread? I don't know. That's what I remember thinking. But it was awkward and weird and I just said, "um, what?" and then she didn't say anything, just kept buttering her toast, and I mumbled some apology.
The three of us then drove to the ski hill and, I kid you not, Angela and I didn't speak the whole way there. I had no idea what was up, but I didn't want to ask with her dad in the car.
Then when we got to the ski hill, we went skiing just the two of us and on the chairlift during the first run I mustered up the courage to say "Hey, did I do something wrong? I feel like you're really mad at me or something". And she turned to look at me and was confused. Not friendly, not warm, not reassuring, but confused. It was almost as if I was a stranger and she looked at me as if to say, "sorry, who are you? why are you talking to me?"
And she responded in a formal way: "Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about". The distance in her voice was really eerie, and I started to think maybe this had to do with the doll incident the night before and either she was trying to extend the prank, and she was the one who had put the doll on the chair, OR she felt guilty that we ruined this family doll and she resented me for being a part of it. Anyway, when we got to the top of the hill, she skied down quickly and didn't wait for me to go back up again, and we ended up skiing separately.
I felt awkward and embarrassed like I'd done something wrong. I ended up skiing with my uncle who asked me what was up with us, and I just said I didn't know. Then after our day of skiing, he dropped me off at my family's cottage and continued on home with Angela.
For the rest of that whole school year (we were in ninth grade), Angela and I didn't really speak. It was really sad. We were like sisters before, but better because we weren't actually sisters, but cousins, and so we were like best friends that were related. Seriously, we were really close. And it really messed me up, I felt like she just ghosted me. I would text her and call her house but she was always "fine" or "with Jessica" (her best friend). I chalked it up to her just outgrowing me, and it really fucking sucked. But, to be honest, it was so jarring and such a stark shift that I was more confused than hurt. I talked to my mom about it and she explained to me how rough it can be to be a teenage girl.
But that following summer, we were up at our cottages again, and our family had a barbecue and invited over my aunt and uncle and Angela and James. I had seen Angela at family things a couple of times since and she would just kind of ignore me and spend the whole time texting, which is what I expected this time.
Sure enough, that's what happened for the first bit of the barbecue. But then when the food was ready, she came up beside me as we were dressing our hamburgers at the condiment table and said, "oh my god, remember that night we got Bella to ruin Trilly?" and I was so shocked by her friendly tone, by her acting as though she were picking up a conversation we just were having, that I just stared at her and said, "yeah, that was crazy". And she said, "yeah, so funny. Anyway, how've you been?" again, really different and formal. I almost couldn't get past how altered her tone was, like we'd never even met. In fact she seemed so sprightly and kind that I thought she was mocking me.
And our relationship since that barbecue carried on just like that. She started talking to me more, but I'd reference inside jokes or ways we used to be or things we used to do and she never really latched on to any of them. I was caught between thinking she'd outgrown me and thinking she was like embarrassed of our closeness before or something and was trying to move on. I talked to my mom about this, and again got the speech about how teenage girls can be really cruel/strange sometimes.
So until we were about 22, we were like that. Nice to each other, talking sometimes, not that close, and I learned to not try and act like we were all close or that we had been close. I talked to my friends about it too and they said it was normal for friendships to change like that. But something felt off about this. I started to honestly feel crazy for hanging on to this "before" memory of Angela so much.
Then when we were 22, we grew apart. This time, it was mutual and natural. I moved cities, and she got engaged and became a real estate agent and we just had nothing to talk about. It was gradual and I didn't notice it much. Which brings us to eight years later, just last week.
I was travelling in Iceland. I had to be there (very randomly) for a conference/workshop I was leading for work, and turned it into a vacation. Rented a car, decided I was going to drive across the island after the conference was over and stay on the east part and explore a bit.
Day four of my seven-day long road trip. It's mid-afternoon, I'm hungry. I've been driving for three hours and have come across no sign of civilization at all, and it was fifty miles to the next town. But then, voila! A little gas station/general store/cafe! Perfect!
Ah, fuck. I literally can't believe I'm writing this. It makes me sound fucking crazy. But here I go.
I park in the little three-car parking lot. I get out of my car, step onto the gravel, the sky is white, expansive, there are mountains everywhere around me, fields, sheep. The air is fresh. Seriously middle of nowhere. I walk up the wooden rickety steps and push open the door and hear the door chimes go. A man walks out from the back room and greets me, and the place is cute. There's a little handwritten menu above the cash register and I asked him in my pathetic Icelandic/English mix if I could have the gravlax toast. He's very friendly and kind and says yes, asks if I want a coffee, I say yes please, blah blah, he rings me up at the cash register, and I go and sit at the one table they have and wait for my food.
I look around - it's mostly a fishing supplies store with some general groceries. The man opens the door to the room from which he came, the kitchen I suppose, and says the order to the lady in the back who looks like she's doing some prep cooking. Immediately I stop. It's freaking Angela!!!! Or I thought it was.
Now, remember, I hadn't seen Angela in about eight years. Since her dad passed away when we were twenty-three, and because I'd moved cities, we just had no reason to really see each other especially after growing so far apart.
So, like, OH MY GOD, it's Angela! She's working at a random little general store in middle-of-nowhere Iceland! But wait, I thought. No. This is obviously not-fucking-Angela. Angela is a real estate agent in my hometown. I'd obviously know if she lived in Iceland lol. Right? I don't really use social media but the odd time I do, she'll pop up here and there. But I guess not enough for me to *confirm* she still lived in my hometown.
But anyway, she looked enough like Angela that I went right up to the cash register and rang the little bell and the guy came back out and when he opened the door I was able to get another look at her, and my heart skidded. A chill spread across my crown. It was one hundred percent Angela. Like, my full-on cousin. So, looking over the guys' shoulder, RIGHT AT ANGELA, I smile and say, "Angela!! Oh my god!!" and before she could respond, the door shut again.
And the guy at the cash smiled really big, a nice, friendly, smile and he looked surprised as well, and pointed back over his shoulder and then at me, as if to say, "you two know each other?!" which confirmed for me that her name was Angela, because he seemed really delighted at the coincidence. Expecting her to emerge from the kitchen, I walked around to behind the cash register (the invitation was implied by the guy) and he put his arm back to open the door for me, or for Angela, whom we both expected to be making her way over to me, too.
When he opened the door, she was head-down again, chopping vegetables. I walked through the door and said, "Angela? Angela!" smiling, thinking she hadn't seen me yet or realized who I was, all context considered. She looked up at me, and then quickly, as though avoiding my eyes, looked down. "Hey", she said, quietly, at the cutting board.
WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON? Before I could ask anything, she said, "I'm really sorry, okay?"
What?
She repeated herself and then continued: "I'm really sorry okay? But we can't talk".
I actually, like, had no clue what was happening. I was looking into the eyes of my cousin whom I hadn't seen in forever in some random fucking shack in Iceland and she was acting skittish and afraid. I opened my mouth to protest and she said, "I need you to leave," then she called the guy's name and said something to him in Icelandic. She can speak Icelandic??!
The guy came in, his demeanour totally different. Almost like he was a bouncer. He gestured to my coffee and toast that were ready to go, took them in his hands and ushered me out of the kitchen and I could tell I no longer was welcome. Either I wasn't welcome or I was in danger, or both. It felt more like the former. And I don't think the guy had any idea what was going on, either. I think she must have said something to him like "I don't know this person, this person is crazy" or something. That's how he was acting toward me.
I got in my car, I drove five minutes down the road, and pulled over. I miraculously had service and I called my mom and told her everything. She kind of just laughed at me and was like "Many-Patient2894, that obviously wasn't Angela". And joked about me making some poor Icelandic woman feel extremely weird. But based off the guy's reaction when I said her name, her name was Angela, and the way she spoke to me and said sorry and said we couldn't talk, like, she knew me too. I told my mom all of this and I sounded fucking crazy and she just was basically like, "Haha, yeah, weird". I think she thinks I was making up the part about the apology.
I told all of my friends this, when I was still in Iceland, and they all reacted like my mom did. At this point, I had four days left in the country, and I kept wanting to return to the cafe/general store. But I didn't. I started to think maybe the woman thought I was someone else. But then I kept coming back to, but wait, this person was Angela. Her name, her body, her face, like I just didn't know what to do.
This brings me to two days ago, the day before yesterday, when I returned to Canada, where I live. It's eight o'clock in the morning and I'm on my way to work. In my car. Just picked up a coffee. Exhausted. Not thinking about Angela at all. Thinking about my laundry, my bills, what I'm going to make for dinner. The traffic is bad and it's a miserable day outside.
My phone dings. It's a random number. The text reads: "Hey! It's Angela! How was your trip?"
Haven't heard from her in eight years (except for our run-in in Iceland, if indeed it was one). No "how have you been??", no "I miss you!!" no "long time no talk/see!". I also hadn't posted anything about my trip on social media. Unless you were a friend of mine, you didn't know I was there.
I immediately call my mom, who follows Angela on Instagram, and ask her to look at her profile. Sure enough, Angela (not at all to my mother's surprise), is posting stories of the bachelorette party she's at in Miami. She's, like, not at all in Iceland.
I have no idea what's going on. And the way Angela/the woman spoke to me in the cafe had the cadence and softness that Angela had, and in my memory, lost, starting the morning of the skiing after the incident with Trilly and the dog. For some reason I'm fully back there in my memory now, realizing that that was the first morning of "the new Angela", the one that seemed to have no emotional memory of me at all. Like, the Iceland Angela seemed more like the "before" Angela.
I haven't replied to the text. I have no idea if it was bachelorette party Miami Angela or Iceland Angela that sent me the message, the area code is from neither Angela's hometown or Iceland.
I need advice, I have no idea what to do or who to talk to. Do I reply to the text? What do I say? I feel like the real Angela is fucking trapped in Iceland or something and has been for a long time. Or I don't even know. I have no idea what to do.