Inebriated Conversations

After eight long and grueling hours, we began our rapid descent from the heavens. I never really got the: “did it hurt when you fell from heaven” pickup line until we hit the tarmac. The force of the impact nearly knocked my head into the seat in front of me, so fuck yeah, it hurt when I fell from heaven. I’d imagine even Lucifer himself had a softer landing than we did. He also didn’t have to endure the stomach churning and nauseating food that was served on the plane, but I digress, at least we had finally reached our destination. A land not so far away that only varied in appearance, but the truth was this mystical and magical land, deep down, was no different from the place I grew up or attend college. As I waited in purgatory, the security line, I began wondering if I was dreaming. Was I really in London or even a different country for that matter? The line, which seemed so much longer than the European and the U.K., line was filled with fellow Americans. Perhaps they are still acrimonious about us beating them in the Revolutionary War, so they decided that this was ample punishment for our victory. Whatever the case, we finally made it through security, then collected our bags. I saw my relatively new bag with the bowtie on the handle and was relieved that it had not been lost or left in the United States. We met our tour guide, Emma, who at first glance seemed to be very different. She had an unusual hair cut that was much shorter than ones most woman her age would have, but I soon learned that her appearance, much like London’s, would not be any indication of what lies beyond. When we finally escaped from limbo, the airport, we were put on a coach bus, and taken to our hotel. I was exhausted and in need of a shower, but all I could do was drop my luggage off, then swiftly return to the lobby. As we stood outside in the crisp, refreshing air, we were handed our subway passes, or as they say, “tube passes.” We followed our guide, Emma, on a short walk to the underground. When our group finally descended the stairs and made our way to the map, a map Virgil couldn’t even navigate, we began our journey that involved the same punishment as those afforded to people in the eighth level of hell. We walked endlessly, 10.6 miles, and viewed the most popular tourist attractions London had to offer. I was surrounded by beautiful statues, fantastic architecture, and attractive people whose dialect could captivate almost anyone. At first, like everyone else, I was completely and utterly captivated by it all, because it was a completely different world. Our group finished the day with a mile and a half walk to the Globe Theatre, where we saw Shakespeare’s play, Comedy of Errors. My fellow students and I stood, as our professors sat comfortably watching the play. During the production, all I could think about was my numb legs and my aching feet. I tried drowning the pain with a few glasses of overly priced and nasty wines, but my attempt was to no avail. For once in my life, I knew what it was like to experience actual physical agony, not just the tedious and never-ending emotional kind. It wasn’t the lake of fire or some frozen wasteland, but that shit was still excruciating. After the play, we struggled to find a new passageway to the hot and crowded underworld, the tube, but luckily, I had service on my phone, so we found it. We finally made it back to the hotel around eleven in the evening. After a long day of flying and an excess of walking, I had never been as excited as I was to climb into a bed that was, quite frankly, too small for my six-foot-five physique. To anyone reading this, don’t worry, I’m not planning on giving a day to day synopsis of what I saw while I was abroad, because the sights aren’t what truly matter. I mean, I could just rant about Buckingham Palace and its beauty, Windsor Castle and its enormous layout, the Tower of London and its history, the Natural History Museum and its priceless artifacts, Stratford upon Avon and Shakespeare’s life, Oxford and it’s impressive library, Cornwall and its tranquil beaches, the Minack Theatre and its sublimity, or the Ashmolean Museum and its Jeff Koons exhibition, but that shit has no genuine meaning to it. I’m not going to waste your time by writing about some tourist sites that you could see in almost any travel magazine about the U.K., so if that’s what you are looking for stop reading. I suggest you pick up a travel magazine and read it until you are content, but if you want to read something real, then I suggest you continue. The reality is, the things I’ll take from this trip are the inebriated conversations I had with others. I not only gave these people advice about their lives; I learned something new about my own. I, ***** *******, am the Barstool Prophet, who descended from the heavens prepared to spout wisdom and retardation. Before I divulge the serious and deep conversations I experienced abroad, I want to let you know that the other person and I were under the influence of alcohol. I know what you are thinking, but alcohol has been a part of human culture since 7,000 B.C.; to put that into perspective, man invented alcohol before the wheel. From what I've seen in my lifetime some people drink to forget, some drink to remember, some drink to punish themselves, and some drink to converse with others. I fall into the latter category, but while I was in the U.K., I encountered people whose purpose for drinking was similar to mine as well as people that would fall in the other categories. I never really got the saying, "It's better to be a glass half full person, than a glass half empty person." I get the whole positivity aspect of the saying; however, I'd trust a "glass half empty person" far more, because they'd just order another drink. I am in no way trying to promote alcoholism; in reality, I am just trying to explain how alcohol can fuel an in-depth conversation. The Latin proverb "In Vino Veritas" states that "In Wine there is Truth"; wiser words have never been spoken. Alcohol allows people to speak their hidden thoughts and desires, especially to a stranger like me. 

Emma

As I stated earlier, Emma was our tour guide, who sported a relatively short and somewhat masculine haircut. Luckily, I had consumed enough alcohol at the time of her arrival to ask her why she chose that specific style. After giving me a vague: “because I like it” response, she clutched her glass of wine and forced it down. We talked about her occupation and how lonely traveling could get, but she seemed like she was familiar with the feeling of loneliness. She asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I said, “I want to be a lawyer.” Emma slammed her glass down and began to laugh hysterically; she said, “Seriously?” I found her response quite peculiar until she revealed that her ex-husband was a lawyer. He was devoted to his job and always worked long hours, which did not bother her, at first. I surmise that his lack of interest in her is what led to their separation. After a long moment of silence, I gulped my drink down and gained the courage to ask: “do you think the relationship you had with him prepared you for this job?” She paused and began to think intently. She took a sip of her wine, laughed, and said, “I guess so, that’s one positive thing I got out of the relationship.” The chat continued with talk of food, politics, weather, and other small-talk topics, but then we somehow made it back to her haircut. Emma told me that she was bi-sexual, which, despite the tell-tell signs in her appearance, isn’t something she shares with most people. I told her that homophobia and racism is a major part of the culture that I grew up in, which surprised her. She couldn’t comprehend how someone with that upbringing could be so openminded. I responded with one word and one word only, “Self-Awareness.” I came to the realization that in life people are consciously and unconsciously molded by those around them, but at the end of the day, it is their choice to decide who they are and what they believe. Emma’s marriage may not have been picture perfect, but she was still able to take something positive from it. As much as we don’t want to admit it, even the worst of our relationships impact us in a positive way. 

Phillip Goldsmith

Before I get into this incredibly intense and somewhat depressing story, I’d like to describe its setting. I was sitting on a red velvet couch, drinking Jack Daniels Honey in a tall glass with one ice cube. I know what you are thinking, but I was not in a strip club. Our hotel’s game room/ bar area looked like an American strip club, not that I’ve ever been in one. Like seriously, if a few poles and dancers were added, I’d feel like I was at the Red Carpet, which is a strip club near where I live, but again, I may or may not have been there. I had finished half my bottle when Phil walked in, and I could immediately tell that he was hurting on the inside. Excluding dumbass frat guys, not very many people drink vodka straight out of the bottle with the intention of finishing it. He sat next to us, so I reached my hand out and said, “Hey man, what’s your name?” He said, “Hello, I am Phillip Goldsmith.” I responded as anyone would and said, “That’s a badass name!” We talked about life, love, and women as most guys do. We were both close to finishing our bottles when I noticed a tattoo on his arm that said, “Harry.” Who was this Harry? He certainly didn’t strike me as a Royalist, so I knew he didn’t just get the prince’s name on his arm for shits and giggles. I gulped down a few more sips of my drink and slowly placed it back down. I looked him in the eyes and said, “who is Harry?” His response shook every bone in my body to their core. After holding his tears back and ingesting some more of his vodka, Phil looked at me and said that “Harry was his son.” Was? He continued speaking, and I learned that Harry died three days after he was born. That tragic loss would result in a few other loses in his life, his wife, and his faith. Phil told me that he used to go to his grave on his birthday and Christmas, but he couldn’t do it anymore. He didn’t see a point in it any longer. Surprisingly I felt the urge to tell him that “God loved him and that he would see his son again.” I am in no way a prolific believer; I’d probably put myself in the wayward son category. However, something came over me, and I felt like I needed to tell him that. We had both finished our drinks, and as we were saying our goodbyes, he thanked me. I don’t know why, but he did. My encounter with Phil taught me that when you meet someone, you don’t know what they are going through, but through love and compassion, you can have a positive impact on them. 

Lexie

Lexie is a beautiful and intelligent young lady from Kansas City, Missouri. We met and chatted throughout the week because she was a part of our EF group. One night, after Lexie and I had more than our share of wine, we began to talk about our plans for the future. Before I tell this story, you must know, I have the unfortunate handicap of flirtation when I drink, but she was able to move past my impulsive outburst. I think my accidental comments about her beautiful eyes, stunning smile, and cute laugh allowed her to open up to me. Despite what you are thinking, I like to flirt because I enjoy making women smile, I don’t always do it for self-serving reasons. Anyways, as I said, we started discussing our plans for the future, but one can’t divulge their future in an inebriated state without discussing their past. I gave my whole spiel about wanting to be a prosecutor who would later become a congressman, then a Supreme Court or D.C. Circuit Court justice. She said, “Wow! That’s quite the plan. I want to go into Law as well.” I hastily responded by saying, “That’s sexy. I could see it.” We both laughed, but then she said, “I don’t know though, Law School is hard.” She didn’t strike me as a person who couldn’t handle a challenge, so I asked, “Why do you think you wouldn’t excel? You present yourself as someone who does.” She tried not to blush, then sipped her extremely sweet white wine. I know it was sweet because I made the unfortunate decision of trying it; it was so sweet that even a rock would get a hangover from it. Anyways, she started talking about high school and how people thought she was unintelligent. I laughed and thought about how I experienced that very same thing. I said, “Fuck that, screw them. God, high school girls are mean. Do you actually believe that crap?” She giggled and said, “Of course not, but it’s still in the back of my head.” I grabbed another beer from Raj, the bartender at the hotel. Yes, we were on a first name basis; did you expect anything less from the barstool profit? I sat back down and leaned in, intent on getting this point across to Lexie. I sipped my beer, ever so casually, and said, “Listen, we all remember the immature negatives of our high school existence, but this is now. At some point, we have to grow up into the people we want to be, not who everyone tells us to be.” She then asked, “Why are you so wise?” (You are probably thinking “sure she did,” but I swear that is what she said; I’m not a narcissist using creative license to praise myself.) I accredited it to my amazing parents as well as the shitty ex-girlfriends, situations, and friends I had experienced. We continued talking about a lot of random things like abortion, racism in America, and other pseudo-political topics. It was 3 am. when we finally decided it was time to go to bed. I hugged her and told her to use those negative voices as motivation. Again, I was thanked for the conversation, which, at this point, seems to be a normal thing for strangers to do. My conversation with Lexie made me realize that, when we travel, the baggage we carry isn’t only the physical kind. That tedious and deep emotional baggage also comes along for the journey. Most people, who travel somewhere, will lose a physical part of their baggage, like a sock, shirt, or something of that nature. Lexie did something most could not and do not, she left a piece of her emotional baggage, the night I spoke to her in the bar. 

Szymon

Szymon was in the bar area when I got to the hotel. He had a very interesting accent, which was far different from the ones I had heard that week, so I asked, “Where are you from?” He said, in a relatively drunken manner, “I am from Poland. You’re from America, aren’t you.” I responded with a firm: “Yes.” The conversation proceeded with small talk, but as I had a few more beers, the topics shifted to more serious topics. I was recently in a Holocaust history class, so of course, the first serious thing I asked was if he had been to Warsaw to see the Concentration Camps. He paused in silence, so I said, “Talk about hell on Earth, the holocaust was some fucked up shit.” After saying that he seemed to gain the courage to tell me that he was Jewish. He told me about the things his parents endured as children and how his grandfather had died in a concentration camp. He told me how he had rejected his faith after hearing these horrible stories. He said to me, “What could faith do for someone. The Jews have been persecuted countless times for it.” I understood where he was coming from, but at the same time, I didn’t. He had real reasons for his existential doubt, and I truly could not say the same. I got a shot of vodka from Raj; threw it back, and said, “Our faith shapes our decisions in life, even if we tell ourselves it doesn’t.” He sat pondering my words, but he seemed bored of the discussions about faith. I quickly changed the subject and asked him, “Why are you in London?” I learned that he travels all over continental Europe cleaning asbestos out of old buildings. I responded as any young person would and said, “that’s cool. I’d love to travel all over Europe.” He said, “it might be for a young single guy, but I hardly see my kids. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if my wife cheated on me.” I couldn’t believe he would say something that personal, but then again, that’s what alcohol does. I suggested that he quit the job and find one closer to home. He laughed and said, “Ugh… you sound like my wife right now.” I bought him another beer and said, “maybe you should listen to her.” He looked at me and said, “maybe you are right ha-ha.” My conversation with Szymon taught me that it doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many places you get to travel on the company’s dime. What matters in life is family and the ones you love. By the time we stopped talking, I could hardly understand him, but he shook my hand and said, “have fun in London.” I laughed and said, “I will, call your wife tonight and tell her you love her.” He smiled and nodded, assuring me he would. It was time to leave, so I packed my things and got ready to go to the airport. I finally boarded my fiery chariot that would bring me back to the heavens. I forced down a few shots of Jack Daniels, closed my eyes, and wondered if the Barstool Prophet would have a second coming. Would I ever return to this amazing city and spout words of wisdom and retardation? Would I ever drink two whole liters of cider and wake up with a black eye? Well, that one is a definite no, but so many questions are left unanswered. Did I actually impact those that I talked to? Did they even remember the conversation? As much as I want to believe I did, I’ll never know. We don’t know what this life holds or what our encounters with strangers will yield; all we can do is give it our best shot and live like we are dying… (Que inspiring music). 

Let me know if the foundation of this sardonic and surface level literature reference writing has potential… first ever post!

English guy living in london, always liked American girls, for lots of different reasons.
Would love to find someone and to settle down
Obviously would be perfect to find someone currently in London or the UK but equally open to someone who’s in the US.
Really easy going, preferably someone who’s into similar stuff as me. Can exchange pics
I’ve written down a list of things I’m into below so hopefully something will grab your attention, feel free to ask me anything
Things I like...
enjoying the summer, nose rings, reading, Sunday roasts, films, primrose hill, dusk, music, bed, tate modern, dylan, old streets in London, late night black and white films, rain, architecture, graffiti, trashy television, cooking, history, autumn, brutalism, romantic comedies, william s burroughs, cake, being alone, pretty feet, photography, BBC four, typography, wandering around new places, burgers, the barbican, skylines, cheese, late nights in soho, sunsets, back dimples, random old jazz, cult movies, bus rides in the rain, walking along the canal, drawing, november, late night phone calls, malbec, train journeys, accents, summer solstice, fineliner pens, drinking tea outside when it’s cold, sunrises, taxi driver, bed days, looking out the window when its raining, tracey emin, freckles, christmas, old cameras, walking down by the river at night, girls riding bikes with baskets on the front, lying and watching clouds, frosty leaves, hats, thunderstorms, long hair, stationary, tea, the lower east side, good shoes, frank lloyd wright, polaroids, the office, texting at random hours, my fountain pen, making things, chocolate, poetry, lazy sundays, the doors, kerouac, writing, jack daniels, sunsets, old book shops, late night talk radio, being by the sea on a cold day

Not going to disclose too much info online, but trying to gather advice. A London bus hit into the back of me, and I'm not sure what to do, the driver gave me a card.
Also, how the accident happened was that I was making a left turn, the light turned amber however I felt like I was too close to stop, and the bus was close behind, so I continued and a pedestrian suddenly walked in front of me as I was making the turn and luckily I slammed the breaks. However the bus behind me, who was going straight tried to make the orange which I assume turned into a red light by then and hit me! I believe he is at fault for not preparing to stop at the amber or breaking a red, and following too close to me and not adjusting his speed to the traffic conditions.
I got a witnesses number, and gave my contact details to the bus. My car was not damaged too badly and his bus had a minor crack and scratches to the front, he was able to continue the rest of his shift. What do I do here? I really don't want to talk to my insurance as I am young and I know my insurance will go up and i'm hoping the company who hit me will pay for my damages. Appreciate all advice or anyone who has dealt with things like this in the past.

Hi, from the title it should be obvious what I am going to write about here. For some time me (f17) have been having problems with my friend (f18) let's call her X. We are still in high school and about a year ago she told me she probably is Autistic. Probably because she doesn't have a diagnosis, but please don't go into detail about that.
We didn't have any problems till about a month ago. I'm not that educated about Autism but I still respect her boundaries and social problems. One time in class (we sit together) our friend before us was looking back to me and talking to me. X was not looking at us or indicating at all that something was wrong. But another time our friend talked to me X snapped. She said "if you are going to talk change your seat", the way she said it was not a request but more like an order. I was confused at that point which I later found out that it was a sensory issue and that it was too loud for her, that her head was hurting. BUT we were literally in the middle of class, we were not the only ones talking. She later told me she can go non-verbal so there is no use in trying to communicate, I am alone to know when something is wrong. She sent me some videos about Autism but they were not at all connected to our issue.
The part in which I am the most concerned about is that we are going on a school trip to London next week. That includes a 20 hour ride in a bus and sleeping with London families in groups of 4 people. While the ride might not be as bad but we were informed from the start that the rooms would either be for 2, 3 or 4 people. Obviously we wanted to be in the 2, ut there was always a possibility to be otherwise. Now we know that it is 4 and i signed us on the list with two other girls. But today she said she would rather be in a room ALONE and not even with me because it is hard for her. I am speechless about this and when I reminded her that this is a Trip with others X said "I knew you wouldn't uderstand"?. Our friend asked why did she want to go if she knew of her various problems like this and X responds with "Tell me did I want to be born like this? To have problems with easy tasks?". X also started saying that we think she is complaining now about being with others, but why do I feel like she is? I know this is a sensory thing and that she would like to be alone but really?
This is a hard topic for especially since I have never dealt with conversations like this. But for her to say that she wants a 1 person room is outragous since it is literally impossible. And the way says it all indicates that to her we know nothing and we don't understand and now I feel like she is mad at us for just asking about that.
I would really appreciate some advice and solutions or anything just to help with this.

I had a split ticket booked this morning for Stalybridge - Manchester Victoria - (self transfer) - Manchester Piccadilly - London Euston.
The Stalybridge-Manchester was a Northern service which runs hourly and ended up being cancelled. Taking the next Northern train or even any other operators' services was not an option as it would have ended up in me missing the connection to London (Avanti West Coast) as well.
I had to get a cab (no other option, not even a bus was available) to reach Manchester Piccadilly which cost me about half my combined split ticket cost to London.
Am I eligible to claim for the cab fare/any other compensation? Also, who do I claim this from? My tickets were booked via Trainpal if that makes a difference somehow.

Salut à tous & welcome to ParisTravelGuide
This monthly thread aims at giving basic recommendations to navigate the subreddit and Paris, and offering a general chatter space. Depending on the (inter)national news, we may inform you on impacting events here (strikes,threats, global cultural or sport events..)

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HANDLING THE BASICS OF PARIS

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• Public transport
  • Read the dedicated section in our wiki Transports (en) / Transports (fr)
• Taxis
  • public: G7 (en) is the only company recognized as public taxis in Paris. It applies fixed fares for travels between the two main airports (CDG and ORLY) and the two sides of the city (left bank / right bank of the Seine river), booking or extra services fees not included.
  • private: Uber are widely used, others are available like Bolt, Heetch, Marcel or Freenow
• Day trip
  • the Trainline (en) is a very straight forward and efficient data aggregator from various European train and bus companies. (the national one sncf-connect being a bit of a nightmare to use)
• Airports
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  • Beauvais aka BVA (en) and dedicated Bus shuttle for Beauvais airport <> Paris (Porte Maillot)
• Tourism Office:
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• Cultural/Event agenda:
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  • Officiel des Spectacles (fr): movies/plays/concerts agenda
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• thread for Protest and Strikes concerns
• Eating
  • casual: David Lebovitz(en), a blog of a former US chef living in Paris for casual / traditional food
  • trendy: Le fooding(en), trendy reference magazine for foodies
  • starred: Michelin guide, for 1/2/3 stars restaurants or other gastronomic venues
• Civil unrest
  • Sporadic and sudden protests are very rare. The existence of a protest is very regulated, the day and the route have to be agreed with the authorities several days prior to the date.
• Authorized protest or march
  • a march usually lasts from 2pm to 6pm and most demonstrators stay until 8pm at the final destination
  • Demonstrators (and/or police) outbursts are more likely to happen at the end from 8pm
  • Most of the stores along the route close for the whole day, and side accesses to these boulevards are barred by the police to motorized vehicles.
  • 95% of the city goes on as usual in terms of street life.
  • Metro lines M1 and M14 are automated and thus operate whether there is a strike or not.
  • Taxis: all the companies work during a strike
    • G7: main company of the "Taxis parisiens", regulated price
    • UbeHeetch/Bolt/FreeNow: categorized as VTC ("Véhicules de Tourisme avec chauffeur"), unregulated price
• Safety
  • Police department recommendations
  • Safety tips video by les Frenchies (experienced US travelers)
  • Density & safety level: Paris administrative area ("Paris intramuros") is fairly small for a global capital but the population density is very high. Besides that, Paris is currently the most visited city in the world. This situation inevitably leads to various problems or dramas from time to time and one should beware of this cognitive bias. No public statistics accessible, but Paris' safety level is said to be fairly comparable to other big Western metropolis like London, Rome, Barcelona, Brussels or NYC but lower than Amsterdam, Berlin or generally Scandinavian / Central / Eastern European cities.
  • Violent crime: it is very unlikely in inner Paris, European gun laws being much more restrictive than US laws.
  • Pickpockets & scams: while generally safe, you might be exposed to pickpockets, scams or harassment in crowded areas, be it touristic, commercial or nightlife hubs. Keep your belongings in sight and try not to display too much costly items. Avoid unsolicited street vendors (not to be confused with, say, street artists near Montmartre or "bouquinistes" of the quays of Seine) and the occasional street games like Bonneteau ("shell game") that are known scams.
  • Cat-calling: this is a common issue towards women in Mediterranean countries. In Paris, it is more prevalent in the more modest neighborhoods in the North / North-East- of the city.
  • Emergency: If you are in an emergency situation, call 17 (police) / 18 (firefighters but who also handles all life and death emergencies) / 112 (universal European emergency number). All of them are interconnected and will be able to redirect you to the correct one if you happen to pick the wrong one.
  • Neighborhoods:
    • Tourism is concentrated in the rich areas from the center (roughly arrondissements 1st to 8th + Montmartre 18th).
    • As in most cities, main train stations tend to attract more people from the outside, hence a bit riskier, especially at night and crowded metro lines serving the main landmarks
    • The northern outskirts of the city (around Porte de la Chapelle / Porte d'Aubervilliers / Porte de la Villette) are home of temporary refugee camps, a high poverty and rarely drug use in the open. It could feel quite unsafe at night, better be accompanied by locals if you want to venture around at night there or simply pass through.
    • The surroundings of the very central area of Les Halles (around the eponymous commercial mall) can be a bit messy at night as a lot of young people gather here for eating / drinking or hanging out in the streets. It is still home of great streets for night life like rue Saint Denis but beware of the crowds.
    • Also metro stations on line 2 Barbes, La Chapelle and Stalingrad and their surroundings are among the most modest and messy, with countraband cigarettes sellers and potential pickpockets.
    • Southern and Western parts are more posh and family oriented but could be "less lively" than the rest of the city.

ONGOING EVENTS

• Olympic Games preparation Impacts thread
  
• Israel/Palestine conflict Impacts thread
  
• Plan Vigipirate
  
  • Evacuation of public places in case of a left-alone bag for controlled destruction as what happened in the Louvre or Versailles recently. It also happens from time to time in subways.
  • Military patrolling in the city, mostly around landmarks, schools and religious buildings.
  • It doesn't mean there is a particular problem, but they take maximum precaution in these tense moments.

GENERAL CHATTER

The comment sections below is here for members to freely ask questions that are recurrent or not worth a dedicated post (like transport, safety or protests topics), write appreciations, greetings, requesting meetups...
Same rule applies as in the rest of the sub, post topics regarding Paris and its surroundings only please.
Bref, chit-chat mode is on in the comments!
This thread is automatically archived and regenerated every first day of the month at 8am (Paris Time) - Archives

Edit: figured out the problem. It was just the horrible combination of the bus driver being a maniac on the road and needing a heater. I got a little heater and as some people suggested a Marimo (moss ball) to cycle with for a couple weeks before I try again to be extra safe.
(I did NOT appreciate the judgement and I get that tiny tanks like mine are better for like temporary holding ones but it’s all I can get away with and even if I disguised it a larger tank would also need a stand and there’s like Fort Knox level security in the building so it would be seen on the cameras. I’m just trying to keep what I can in the biggest tank I can spin, okay? Not everyone can just… drop $100+ on a set up and sneak it around. There’s not even enough room for something that size in my apartment either it’s a borderline studio.)
Hi, I’m new and trying to figure out what’s going wrong with me starting my old set up again after a couple years.
I have a 2 gallon tank with a filter that uses a mini charcoal cartridge that has some gravel about an inch deep in the bottom, some little plastic plants and a skull ornament that doubles as a hide. This is pretty standard for what I keep.
I started with a pair of ghost shrimp, those guys died in about 24 hours and were 1/4 store bag water, 1/2 Betta fish pre-treated water and 1/4 tap water with 2 drops of my usual dechlorinator with the non-store water cycling for a week
I dumped the tank, checked the filter and saw that it had a faulty filer cartridge when it came in the box, got a new filter cartridge and cycled more water. This time I used mostly tap water and a bit of that easy start stuff from Walmart that comes in the yellow bottle. I hadn’t used that before - didn’t need it - but they were out of the betta water.
Cycled that for a week, got a trio of the amber tetras, all died in 2 hours
Okay, new plan and they just got the big jugs of pre-cycled fish water at the store. Got that, cycled it for 2 weeks to be extra safe, put in a single female guppy since those are sturdier and it was easier to track AND I took out most of the plants and stuff so it was just one tall plant and the skull… and it died in an hour.
My only theory right now is that the water might be too cold, but I could be wrong. My last theory was it was the local tap water since it’s kinda rank at times since it’s aquifer fed and we’ve had some nasty storms lately. Going to all pre-treated water from Petco made it clear that wasn’t what was up.
I’m gonna take the guppy and a water sample up tomorrow but… any ideas? Tips?
I usually just keep a couple tiny fish and-or a shrimp in a 2 gallon tank since I live in apartments (dorms previously) where we don’t have to pay a pet fee if it’s under 3 gallons and those are the best I can find. I stick to a “no fish that will get bigger than 2 inches and no more that 2 inches of fish in the tank” rule and don’t get stuff that would very clearly suffer in such a small space, hence shrimp being my usual go-to. My local petco (which honestly is probably half the problem) is constantly out of ghost shrimp and last few months the batches they’ve been getting for everything have been kinda… rough.
So yeah it might also be the fish themselves but I’m troubleshooting right now.

I got off the Fruitvale BART today and was disappointed to see Hebrew Israelites evangelizing with a loudspeaker.
They hand out information about being the “true” descendants of Yaakov (Jacob) and that Jewish people being somehow demonic and forsaken. Thankfully they avoided me while interacting with people next to me at my bus stop. I was worried about escalation and it is close to Shabbat, so I coughed up the money to Uber instead.
Around the corner there was a person handing out “synagogue of satan” papers.
It is an uncomfortable feeling to be reminded of hate, especially medieval hatred and negation against Jews that’s worded in deeply existential and doctrinal ways.
A few months ago a woman in a wheelchair with a Palestine flag started circling around me at Lake Merritt, after noticing that I and some others were visibly Jewish (nothing overtly Israeli, not that it should matter). She then wheeled away. A few weeks later the synagogue across the street was installing bulletproof glass. A woman in the Mission screamed at me about “genocide supporters” in my midst. It all seems to be a pattern. I work with a Holocaust survivor and she worries about her grandson.
There is also a lot of good. I keep my head covered always, and wear my kippah most of the time. (Sometimes a baseball cap.) I love sitting at the kosher market on a sunny day and enjoying the community. I went to London Breed’s speech at the march against antisemitism and felt so proud and seen when I heard her speak. My father’s side here in the Bay is Ryukyuan (not Jewish) and is super supportive.
Shabbat shalom + stay safe

Just a general overview of my personal experience traveling to Albania from the United States (NYC). Before i get into the itinerary I just want to say how great the country and the people were, this post will be full of recommendations, and in general me and my gf found this trip to be incredible, and we will be recommending the destination to any friends or family who will listen:
General:
We went in the middle of May, airfare was extremely cheap and the weather was perfect. Mid to High 70's but still considered off-season so in general bars, beaches and restaurants were not packed (but still good crowd everywhere we went).
Travel:
Best option from NYC was with 1 stop each way in London. 7 hours to London and then just under three to Tirana. Total the trip takes around 12.5 hours including layover, we flew British Airways it was just fine and was very cheap (less than $500 USD round trip per ticket). 5 pm EST flight from NYC got us to Albania at around noon local time.
Still a long travel day but we went straight to Berat. Transportation around Albania is very simple, from the airport you just walk a small distance to a bus with signs for Tirana on it. That bus will then take you to the bus terminal (goes both south and north). Then in the bus terminal you find signs on the busses with city destinations on them. Berat was around a 2 hour bus ride south from the bus terminal. The busses are very small but they get the job done and are very cheap like less than $10 USD (most expensive bus tickets we got were on a coach bus for a 5 hour drive for $18 USD each).
Berat was great, stayed 1.5 days really cool place, highly recommended. Missed out on going to Lili's home made which looks really good. You need to call in advance to reserve and my whatsapp was not cooperating throughout the year but still tons of amazing restaurants and places to grab a bite at every corner.
From Berat its another 2-2.5 hour long bus ride to Gjirokaster, and same deal around 8-10 USD per ticket again. Gets you further south and the city is also very cool. Nightlife even in May was very lively in the main strip and the castle is an option in the morning. From Gjirokaster its only 50 minute drive to Sarande.
You can also take taxis anywhere, the taxi drivers are all very reasonable and dont try and scam/rip off at all. We took alot of taxis in short intervals to (get to bus stations/beaches and because we missed the bus to Sarande). Most of them have decent english, but everyone was really nice and doing good business. Knowing Italian is a decent backup they seem to understand that even when they dont know english.
Sarande is coastal and it brings a totally different experience to the trip. Great seafood. The resorts in May were not packed so we were able to just grab lounge chairs and order food and drinks at the resorts. Not expensive and you have access to the water which was very swimmable even in May. A 25 minute taxi to Pulebardha beach was very worth it, its an awesome rocky style beach.. bit sketchy winding dirt roads to get there but like i said taxi drivers were very professional and all had reliable and newer cars. Awesome beach and 2 restaurants/bars there as well. In Sarande, restaurant called Taverna Fish Filipi, walking distance from the main strip in Sarande, a few blocks off the main road. Amazing food!
From Sarande, its easy by Ferry to get to Corfu in Greece. 60 min ferry runs like twice a day each way and its like $50 USD per ticket. Corfu is really different and fun. 2 Cruise ships were there when we went and it was very busy in old town corfu. Good mix of things to do and eat in the town. Also took a taxi across Corfu to a beach on the other side of the island (Kontogialos Beach), calm and warm waters (temp also hit 86F that day) and you can walk out like 100 yards and still be waist high. Drinks/food and lawn chairs can be bought on the beach too.
Travel back was 30 min speed ferry back to Sarande, 5 hour bus ride to Tirana (stayed the night but just got food and rested up for travel the next day). Cheap and nice Air b n b's near the city though. From the city to the airport is like 25 minutes.
We used Air b n b throughout the trip, nothing fancy but all the locations were clean, easy to book and not too expensive by any means. Hotel Borklad, was one of them in Berat, it was located in the middle of it all and the complimentary breakfast was one of my favorite meals of the trip.
Great part of the world, we did not meet many Americans, but there were tons of young travelers from the UK, Germany and France everywhere we went. Maybe this will tempt others to join.
-TW

I was on vacation in London last year and this bus was about to hit this lady and she touched it and TURNED IT INTO FLOWERS!
I now I was on acid but it was wild!
I also saw this child that same night that had like hundreds of herself. I'm talking exact copies!
I saw some kind of lizard get attacked by the superman looking guy.
Acid will take you on a trip I swear

So I’m a born and bred Londoner (Enfield now Chingford) and I’ve been to various other countries over the years. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve noticed that London bus passengers, as they get off the bus, sometimes call out to the driver and thank them. I’ve seen all ages and types doing it. It’s so lovely and polite - everytime it happens I feel all warm inside and proud of how nice Londoners are. The only other place I’ve seen this is New Zealand where I found every Kiwi just bursting with friendliness. When did this start and how do bus drivers feel about it?

Illinoise

This review is of the musical Illinoise which is currently playing at the St. James Theatre in NYC. Please see the latter portion of this post for “Review Structure” and “Context” descriptions, which may add helpful background to this writeup.
Impression: This show takes the audience on whimsical journey of music and movement, all without a single line of spoken dialog. While not a traditional musical, the cohesive combination of dance, score, and tech provides for an engaging and remarkable experience. This show is a strong candidate to be added to my recent “Shows I love” list. However, I do think this show may not be for everyone, and that some may find that they do not connect with the concept of the show.
Watch check: Zero times. At no point during the show did I find my mind wandering.
See again: Yes. I hope I have a chance to see this show again. I believe in a second viewing I would catch more of the subtle aspects of the production.
Music & Lyrics: I was not familiar with Sufjan Stevens or the Illinois album) prior to this show. By the third song “Come On! Feel the Illinoise” I was completely hooked. I am listening to the album as I write up this review and am thoroughly enjoying it. After listening to the source music, I am even more impressed by the orchestration. I loved the interplay between piano and synth. The wind instruments were both showcased and provided ornamentation at other times. I loved the 4-mallet vibraphone action! I particularly liked the score coming full circle with a variation on the opening melodic theme at the end of the show. The score is undoubtedly the heart of this show.
Story & Book: This show does not have a traditional book, as the story is entirely told through dance and the singers’ words. I will admit that up until the first campfire scene I was a little lost. It then quickly became apparent that the show was about a group of friends sharing stories, from whimsical to heartbreaking. The story worked for me given that the integration was so tight with the music and the movement.
Set & Props: The set was simplistic and was almost entirely static, and the production had limited use of props. I liked that the orchestra and singers were elevated and on stage for the entire show. This is not the type of show that needs an elaborate set or props to effectively and engagingly tells a story.
Costumes & Makeup: I do not recall anything particularly notable about the costumes and makeup, beyond the butterfly wings worn by the singers.
Movement: Of all aspects of theater dance is the one area I know almost nothing about from a technical perspective. I feel at a disadvantage in my writeup due to this lack of knowledge. With that said, from this uninformed observer’s perspective the dancing was incredible. There were different styles of dance and I seemed to enjoy each of them. The combination of movement and music effectively told the story without dialog. To me that is an impressive feat.
Tech: As soon as I sat down, I noticed the sparse number of light fixtures above the stage. Only a few electrics were present, which is a striking difference from many other current productions (e.g., I think Hamilton has around a dozen, which I know is an extreme case). While the light design did not include as many lights as would be typical, the equipment present was used incredibly effectively. The nomination for best lighting design for this production is fully justified. Projection was used sparingly to illuminate the billboard; this did provide useful context for the current story being told. The sound mix was balanced, and the EQ was spot on. The tech was not the star of this show, it did everything possible to support the movement and music aspects.
Cast: There were absolutely no weak links in the cast. Rather than cover the entire cast I have listed a few that drew my attention for one reason or another, shown in no particular order.

• Kara Chan (Marion) – I noticed the incredible precision of her movements, yet it all felt so fluid and organic. She is a joy to watch. During the show I was hopeful that she would have a story to share (i.e., a solo dance), but unfortunately that expectation was not met.
• Elijah Lyons (Arctiini) – Elijah was one of the three singers on stage. His tone and an expression were next level.
• Brandt Martinez (Clark) – I particularly enjoyed his solo dance during The Man of Metropolis story.
• Byron Tittle (Cass) – Byron had a tap number during one of the stories that was quite memorable.

Seating: I suspect that nearly all the important action is viewable from every seat in the theatre, since the set is located mid-stage and corrals the dance downstage. There may be a few points where the far rear mezzanine might have an obstructed view of ensemble members, but I do not believe that would significantly impact viewing of the show.

Review Structure

I am systematic in my approach to assessing shows. During a performance I am in the moment, but at intermission and after the show I often write down an outline of my thoughts. Typically, I’ve used these notes to help me re-experience the shows long after the curtain call, but now these notes are the base material for the review in this post.
Each review is divided into categories, and each category is described below. I am a bit of a theater tech nerd, so don’t be surprised if those topics are emphasized compared to most reviews in Broadway (though I am not an expert and welcome corrections from the true experts here).
Show Name & Link: The name of the show with link to the show’s playbill.com page (if applicable) for quick access to cast, schedule, and host theater information.
Impression: This is a summary of my overall thoughts on the show.
Watch check: This is the number of times I felt compelled to check my watch during the show (don’t worry there is no backlight to distract/annoy others if I were to actually look at my watch). If the show drags or is uninteresting, I usually shift my attention to other things like tech or costumes, but eventually my brain subconsciously gravitates toward wanting to know the time. I've found this to be a reliable indicator for how engaging the show is for me. An engaging show is “0 times”, and a dragging/rough/bad show could be “6 times” or more.
See again: This section describes whether I would see the show again and how much I might be willing to spend on another ticket. However, this isn't always an indicator of show quality, since I tend to only want to see heavy topic shows just once, no matter how good it may be (e.g., Parade).
Music & Lyrics: This covers the music, lyrics, orchestra, and conductor of the show. There is overlap with the next category for sung-through shows.
Story & Book: This covers the dialog and story of the show. Comments about show pacing will usually appear here, if applicable.
Set & Props: The category is focused on the set components, lifts, rigging, turntables, stage wagons, drops, curtains, props, and puppets. There is often overlap with the “Tech” and “Movement” categories.
Costumes & Makeup: Here I would cover anything notable about what is worn on stage. Some shows have extravagant makeups/costumes and other shows do not. Both are okay, as long is it all fits the show vibe.
Movement: This section covers blocking, choreography, acrobatics, and scene transitions. Transitions can do overlap with the “Tech” section.
Tech: This covers tech aspects including lighting, sound, projection, displays, video, etc. One aspect I am likely to comment on here are missed mic queues (i.e., a performer’s mic was not unmuted in time, or less commonly left open too long). Few things take me out of a show faster than quite/undiscernible dialog or having the sound level jump mid-note.
Cast: This category covers the cast of the show. There will usually be a general comment about the overall cast, and then several cast members or roles will be specifically called out as being notable, for better or worse. Standouts here could be anyone that caught my attention, from Broadway royalty to the smallest ensemble role.
Seating: This is an attempt at indicating how "bad" partial view seating may be for the show. Sometimes I see shows from partial view seats, sometimes I pay for a prime center orchestra seat (and everything in between). Either way view restrictions can be roughly assessed based on where the action occurs on stage. My goal is to assist those that are on the fence about the potential drawbacks of typical rush, lottery, and TDF tickets.

Context

Approach: Since theater is subjective, like any art form, my goal is that by providing context my reviews might have increased meaning. If your likes and dislikes align with mine then perhaps what I write may help you decide between shows to see, for example. If your tastes are drastically different than mine my hope is that I do not mislead you into thinking you’ll like a show that you ultimately do not.
About me: I am a theater enthusiast, attending shows produced on world renowned stages but also touring shows, regional productions, and community theater. Musicals are my thing, but I also appreciate plays and operas. Many years ago, I did have amateur time on stage in plays, musicals, and one-acts. Later, I worked semi-professionally back-of-house as a stagehand, spotlight op, lighting designer, and sound/light board op for more shows than I can remember. However, my longtime profession since that time has essentially nothing to do with theater. Also, I do not live near the east coast but am fortunate to travel frequently to keep up with most new Broadway shows, as well as a non-trivial number of the productions in the Washington DC area.
Shows I love: This is a list of shows I’ve seen in the past few years that are standouts; the intent is not to gloat about all the great performances I’ve seen, but instead to give a rounded impression of the types of shows I gravitate towards. If this list does not resonate with you, my reviews may be of lesser value to you. All shows listed are the most recent Broadway production unless otherwise noted. * Aida (Sydney Opera House) * All The Devils Are Here (Off-Broadway) * Beetlejuice * Boop! (Chicago) * The Bridges of Madison County (Signature Theatre) * Come From Away * Company * Dear Evan Hansen * Fat Ham * Good Night, Oscar * Hadestown * Hamilton * Here We Are (Off-Broadway) * King Lear (Shakespeare Theatre Company) * Les Misérables (West End) * Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway) * Macbeth (Shakespeare Theatre Company) * Newsies (Wembley Park) * The Outsiders * The Phantom of the Opera * The Rocky Horror Show (Melbourne) * Some Like it Hot * Spamalot (Kennedy Center) * Suffs * Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center) * Swept Away (Arena Stage)
Shows I don’t love: These are shows I’ve seen in the past few years that I did not particularly enjoy, for a variety of different reasons. For reference I have never left a show before its conclusion even if I didn’t like it. These shows are not necessarily bad, and in most cases, they just don’t align with my theatrical preferences. If this happens to be a list of your favorite productions, it is probably best to save your time and stop reading this post now. * A Beautiful Noise * Aladdin * Chicago * Funny Girl * MJ * Mrs. Doubtfire (US Tour) * New York, New York * Once Upon a One More Time * Perfect Crime (Off-Broadway) * Six * The Who’s Tommy

This is a very specific request, but I wonder if anyone knows of any travel essay books about the bus route between London and Calcutta that ran back in the '60s and '70s. Thanks!