59 Ysl Purses Concepts

This elegant pockets on a chain is crafted of finely pebbled chevron quilted leather-based in black. The shoulder bag includes a removable waist-length bijoux gold chain shoulder strap with... Most Saint Laurent luggage boast the signature YSL emblem across the front, but when you like your designer accessories on the understated facet, the Le Carré is for you. This satchel-inspired bag is a up to date traditional that’s ideal for on a regular basis wear. It is thought for many celebrated and era-defining designs, for instance, the Mondrian shift gown. The most controversial piece made by Yves Saint Laurent was the Le Smoking tuxedo that boldly challenged the established norms of womenswear. Another piece that impressed a sense of euphoria in the complete industry was the see-through costume designed in 1968. In 2002, Yves Saint Laurent handed down the reins of the home to Tom Ford, who was already the pinnacle of ready-to-wear for the brand since 1999. After 13 years and three artistic directors, Anthony Vaccarello was handed the torch of leadership in 2015. Very basic in its shape – an oblong primary pocket with gussets on the facet, hand handles and a thin leather-based shoulder strap – it is a matter of vibe with the Manhattan. Its varnished or uncooked leather, veal grain or crocodile-like leather, golden or silver pompom… just choose the night time gal you wish to be and there will be a Kate for you. Round angles, a pretty leather medallion with the YSL monogram engraved ; the sixty one Camera Bag is purely charming, straightforward and cute. A vintage vibe and oh-so fantastic veal leather-based guarantee its uniqueness. A little over two years in the past I purchased the Michele watch of my goals throughout one of these amazing events. The best part is I was ready to make use of the reward card on any item of my selecting. Saint Laurent was previously branded as ‘Yves Saint Laurent’, and whereas most of the baggage nonetheless carry the ‘YSL’ brand, the name was modified in 2012. The high fashion division of the brand closed in 2002. Since Yves Saint Laurent’s retirement in 2002 at age sixty five, a variety of the world’s most iconic designers have labored on the luxury label, including Tom Ford. Duffle is a full on leather-based genius design with clever and oh-so pretty golden particulars for a retro-meets-uber-modern look. Autumn/winter 1970 assortment, where seven georgette robes have been impressed by Japan, the place he first visited in 1963. Saint Laurent began to work at the home of Dior when in 1955 he was all but 18, after just one time period at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale, and this was solely the beginning for his legendary career. Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris—a must see should you meander into the eighth Arrondissement). His earliest designs, that are displayed there, encompass sketches and paper dolls clothed in materials that he snipped from his mother’s textiles. Having mother and father that were both educated musicians, Saint Laurent’s favorite childhood pastime was producing performs together with his sisters by which he would take the role of a couturier and play the pinnacle designer. 14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them When the name of a bag is as well-known as its model, you realize it is a classic. Crafted using 100% calfskin leather, this bag will last you for years and is an ideal work bag to hold between the workplace and home, and while on the go. For fans of the ‘Kate’ bag who want a extra formal look, the sundown leather-based bag takes all the hallmark options of the ‘Kate’ with further interior space and full with a Saint Laurent baggage bag appeal. The ‘Rive Gauche’ bag is corresponding to comparable styles such because the Dior Book Tote and the Celine Cabas bag. This Saint Laurent bag is an ideal selection for anyone on the lookout for a minimalistic and monochrome take one of many must-have bag designs of the yr. We’ve introduced together the highest ten most popular types that will assist you decide which one is best suited to match your style and to add to your bag assortment. The leather-based is clean and lustrous and comes with a protracted over the shoulder strap to make carrying it easier. Another great YSL handbag sale item contains the Saint Laurent Black Quilted Monogram Zip Around Wallet. Included inside are card slots, observe slots, and zippered pockets. wikipedia handbags Celebrities which have endorsed the Saint Laurent model embody Kate Moss, Mia Jovovich, Ellen Paige, and Emma Roberts. If you spend $250 in two categories (apparel/shoes or apparel/handbags), you'll receive a $50 reward card. An integral part of fashion, handbags and purses have been indispensable accessories ever since we began to hold around personal gadgets. Perfect classic YVES SAINT LAURENT cross body bag, or shoulder bag! This purse options multi colored waxed canvas, with a purple leather strap. With the holiday season forward, the Niki in metallic silver leather will deliver a glitzy accent to your wardrobe, whether or not there are events on the horizon or not. For a extra subdued seasonal possibility, we love the Niki shoulder bag in crinkled deep pink leather-based, a sensible alternative that’s assured to face the test of time. saint laurent replica

guy who only thinks about AI art thinking about annihilation: wow getting a lot of GAN vibes from this......

For my sixty-sixth Evangelion book review, here is EVANGELION Millennials RADIO EVA 10th Anniversary, published by Poplar Sha. This is a new book that just came out this month! To be more precise, it's a mook (magazine-book hybrid) and it focuses on fashion, so it's similar to Mode EVANGELION: EVANGELION girls project by mobacolle and its sequel Mode EVANGELION2 ~20th Anniversary MOOK~ (I covered those two publications way back in my twenty-fifth and thirty-sixth Evangelion book reviews... wow, I've been at this a long time, heh).

Unlike the two issues of Mode EVANGELION that were primarily aimed at girls, this new EVANGELION Millennials mook also includes clothes for others, which is why Shinji is sporting a new outfit on the cover art shown above. Speaking of the cover illustration, isn't that a delightful image for AsuShin fans? So cute! (For those of you who prefer KawoShin, don't worry, I will have some stuff for you in this review as well. Multiship-friendly book reviewing, yay!) Shinji and Asuka aren't the only ones who got new attire for this publication, though. Check out Kaworu, Rei, and Mari here:

Kaworu's hair is tied into a short ponytail! Adorable! By the way, this mook is not available in English or French (although there are a few little bits of English text here and there), but there are plenty of pictures, all in full color. There are also some extra special goodies… more on that later. Keep reading for the rest of the book review, plus a few more pictures!

After the Table of Contents, this mook starts with a catalog of new garments from the RADIO EVA clothing brand, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that brand, RADIO EVA specializes in everyday wear with an Evangelion theme. Many of the Evangelion references on their clothes are very subtle, which can be handy for those who want to express their love for this anime without being too blatant about it. So for example, if you're a KawoShin fan but wearing clothes with pictures of anime characters is not to your taste (or you're going someplace where it wouldn't be considered appropriate to wear stuff that looks too "cartoony"), how about this jacket instead:

As you can see in the above image, one sleeve of the jacket has the number 13 in Roman numerals (XIII). This is a reference to Evangelion 13, the Eva with the double entry system that Kaworu and Shinji piloted together in the Evangelion: 3.0 movie. See what I mean about very subtle references? Some of you might recall that RADIO EVA used a similar idea when designing the bracelet that Kaworu wore for the book Kaworu 2015 -Nagisa Kaworu Shashinshuu- (covered in my twenty-fourth review). The leather part of the bracelet had two colors to represent Evangelion 13's double entry system, plus there was a metal "XIII" charm. So yes, apparently we're supposed to think of Kaworu and Shinji with these designs.

Okay, let's get back to something for the Asuka fans. Check out this T-shirt and bracelet:

Again, RADIO EVA is being quite subtle here. The T-shirt in the above photo has a very tiny image of Asuka's hand puppet from the Evangelion: 2.0 movie, while the bracelet has a color scheme reminiscent of Asuka's Eva.

I kind of like the bracelet, but other than that, I find that a lot of the items in this catalog are too plain for my tastes... I understand that clothes making references to anime in an understated way can be useful, but I think other clothing brands have managed to do that while still having more interesting designs. Just my opinion, though. Your mileage may vary.

Anyway, after the RADIO EVA catalog, the next part of this mook is a one page Official Store Guide. This page has pictures and information about the famous Evangelion Store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. It's a shop full of Evangelion clothes and other wonderful merchandise! This page also features two other official Evangelion shops in Japan. Best of all, each of the three stores on this page are described in both Japanese and English, probably to make it easier for tourists. Nice!

Next is the MOVIE Series REVIEW section, which is a brief illustrated guide to the Evangelion New Theatrical Edition (AKA the "Rebuild" movies). Here is a piece of one of the pages devoted to the Evangelion: 3.0 movie, showing some Kaworu and Shinji moments, Tentative Name: Rei Ayanami in her cool black plugsuit, and an image of the AAA Wunder:

After that, there are two pages of messages from celebrities who like Evangelion, including actress/singer Shoko Nakagawa (also known as Shokotan). Then there's a page showing a poster for the final instalment of the Evangelion New Theatrical Edition, which is coming out next year... I'm so excited! This is followed by an Evangelion News section that covers some Eva-related events and merchandise. Check out these figures:

And finally, the last section is an Eva Psychology Test. That's it for the mook itself, which is only 33 pages in length. But wait, we’re not done yet!  As I mentioned before, some extra special goodies are included. The first item is this Longinus Art tote bag, courtesy of RADIO EVA:

It's a good size for a tote bag, and the fabric feels reasonably sturdy. Here's a closer look at the pattern printed on the bag:

It's okay, but personally I think the Spear of Longinus tote bag that came with Mode EVANGELION was a bit nicer, and the beautiful constellation-themed Evangelion tote bag that came with Mode EVANGELION2 was the best one of all (both Mode EVANGELION tote bags were from a clothing brand called mmts).

Anyway, the second bonus item included with the EVANGELION Millennials mook is this RADIO EVA pin-back button:

Yeah, it's just a plain solid black button that says "RADIO EVA" and "Meeting new quality via EVANGELION".

Overall, I think the best things about EVANGELION Millennials RADIO EVA 10th Anniversary are the great cover art, and seeing Kaworu with a little ponytail. Also, I'm sure some people will be happy that the clothing catalog isn't just aimed at girls. But other than that, this mook is a bit disappointing for me. I got greater enjoyment out of Mode EVANGELION and Mode EVANGELION2, because they both had more interesting clothes (they featured items from a number of brands rather than just RADIO EVA, so they covered a wider range of styles) and they also had better bonus goodies, plus cute recipes. However, this is only my personal opinion. I think a lot of RADIO EVA's designs are just too plain for my tastes. Someone who prefers simple, low key clothing designs might like this mook more than I did.

So if this mook (or the included goodies!) looks interesting to you, then please support the artists by purchasing it if you can! Check if your favorite source for buying Japanese books has it, and if not then ask them if they can order it for you. ^_^

Well, that’s it for my sixty-sixth Evangelion book review. I have plenty more Evangelion books to discuss, so keep checking my blog for new reviews!

Scully spends her birthday alone, a decision she made, but then comes to regret. Memories of past birthdays are bittersweet as she misses Mulder.

Chapter Eleven 

A Lonely Birthday 

February 2015

Scully slept in on her birthday. If sleeping in until nine o’clock could be considered as such. She had no plans with anyone but herself, so there was no need to rush. She took her time taking a bath, fixing her hair, and dressing for the day.

She left her apartment, stopping at the coffee shop close by, grabbing a yogurt with granola and a coffee. She sat at a table outside, watching people walk by on their way to work, and little kids being toted around by their parents. It was a semi warm day and the sun felt wonderful as it shone down on her.

She sat until her coffee was gone, before rising and tossing her trash, continuing on her way. Her mother had asked if she wanted to do anything and she had politely turned her down. She did not feel like celebrating, not this year. Taking the day for herself, alone, and doing whatever she wanted, sounded great.

Her new place was close to many places in the city. Restaurants, boutiques, upscale hair and nail salons, pottery painting places, coffee, cupcake, and macaroon shops. She had yet to get out and explore, what with moving in and working more at the hospital, so today was her chance.

She went into the first boutique and browsed around for a bit. The clothes were cute, but not exactly her style. The salesgirl was very fashionable and her makeup was flawless. Scully felt frumpy next to her, although she had recently purchased her outfit. Even if it was the exact same as the salesgirls, she would still not look as hip as her. Scully smiled at her as she walked out of the store, feeling dreadfully out of place.

Two more stores and she found an incredibly soft navy cashmere sweater that she absolutely loved. She was tempted to wear it out of the store, but she had it wrapped instead. She also bought a dark green dress that she felt looked amazing on her. She purchased a pair of black heels that she knew were too expensive, but it was her goddamn birthday. They were beautiful and she loved the way she felt when she wore them.

She walked past the hair and nail salon, but then doubled back. She looked at her reflection in the window and made a decision. She entered the salon and asked if they would be able to see her. Fifteen minutes later she was in a chair, a glass of champagne in hand. The hairdresser came over and Scully told her what she would like done.

Two hours later, she was back outside, a manicure and pedicure done, and her hair six inches shorter. She felt lighter than she had in awhile. She loved her hair long, but felt she needed a change. Running her fingers through it, she smiled, the change feeling good.

A few more places, and she added a couple of more bags to her collection. Entering the last little shop, she left her bags at the register while she looked around. She picked up a few items to try on and headed to the changing room.

A man sat waiting for his wife or girlfriend, bags at his feet, his posture and demeanor tired. He glanced up at Scully and gave her a tired smile, before looking back at the changing room doors. She stopped in her tracks. His eyes were the same hazel as Mulder’s.

She made it inside the changing room, closing the door securely behind her, before covering her mouth and sliding down the wall, her items still in her hands. She cried, leaving her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of her sobs. She could not keep her hand there for long though, needing to take in great gulps of air. She let the tears fall, as she instead held the clothes to her face, keeping her sounds as muffled as she could.

God, she missed him so much. Missed his smile and his eyes as they landed on her. She missed the feel of his arms around her at night, his voice in her ear telling her a joke, and then the rumble of his laughter as he laughed hardest at his own corny joke. She missed kissing him and the feel of his hands on her body.

She turned and lay on her side on the floor, not caring how dirty it was or worrying about her hair. She pulled the clothes closer to her and took deep breaths, her tears still falling, but her sobs subsiding somewhat. She could smell the scent of new clothes, and wished it was Mulder’s scent instead.

Minutes passed and she finally felt able to get up off the floor. She hung up the clothes and sat on the stool in the room, putting her face in her hands and collecting herself, taking calming breaths. Looking up at the clothes she had a death grip on, she knew she would not be able to try on nor buy any of those items. They would only make her think of this moment, and the utter sadness she felt laying on this floor.

She stood up, looked at her reflection in the mirror, and attempted to fix her makeup. She shook her head, knowing she would not be able to fix her puffy red eyes. Smoothing down her hair, she gathered up the hangers of clothes, and stepped outside the door, hanging the unwanted clothes on the rack provided. She walked up to the register and took back all of her shopping bags, leaving the store with her head down.

It was dark when she was back outside. She stopped for a second and thought about what she wanted to do. She said she wanted to be alone, but all of sudden she wanted nothing more than to have dinner with her mom. She shook her head, knowing her mom would be there if she asked, but knew she would be poor company when her mom arrived. Her mom had witnessed her tears enough, she did not need to see them again.

Scully stepped forward, deciding to stop and get a cupcake to take home for her own private celebration. The cupcake shop was not far nor too full when she arrived. She looked at the menu, and decided on a triple chocolate cupcake, and also a strawberry one with cream cheese frosting. They were packed up and she left the shop, walking back to her apartment.

Opening her front door, she set her bags down inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. She took the cupcake container into the kitchen and put it on the counter. She walked back to the entryway and gathered up her bags, taking them into her room.

She changed into her pajamas, one of Mulder’s shirts she took possession of years ago- a maroon shirt with gray sleeves and shoulders. It was soft and comfortable and it made her think of his smile when he saw her wearing it. He had a hard time keeping his hands from sliding under the shirt when he was close to her because he knew when she wore it, he was going to get lucky.

She shuffled into the kitchen in a pair of her old cozy slippers, getting out a plate, a glass, and a fork. Opening the refrigerator, she took out the milk and poured it in the glass, putting it back before she sat down on a barstool at the counter. She opened the cupcake container and took out the chocolate one, putting it on her plate. She stared at it before standing up and looking through the drawers in the kitchen. She knew she did not have any birthday candles, but there were matches in one of the drawers.

Finding a book of matches, she stuck one in the frosting of the cupcake, making sure it stood up properly. Using a different match she lit it and then the one on the cupcake. She watched it burn for a second before she blew it out, no wish sent out this year. She sighed as her thoughts drifted to two years ago, the last time there had been a candle burning in a birthday dessert.

“Sorry, there is no reservation for a Fox Mulder,” the hostess said, checking one more time at the list of names on her sheet. She looked up at them and shook her head.

Scully felt the breath she was holding leave her body, defeat evident as she looked at Mulder. He looked so upset, his body sagged as he looked at her. His eyes begged her to understand and forgive him. She smiled slightly, putting her hand on his arm. He put his hand on her back and led her out the door.

“I’m sorry, Scully,” he said, his hands in his pockets, as he shook his head. “It’s your birthday and I fucked it up.”

“Mulder, it’s just dinner. We can figure something else out,” she said, knowing what a big deal it was that they were even standing at the restaurant at all. She honestly thought they would not make it here until they actually did.

He had told her he had plans for her birthday, but recently he had missed plans and broken promises. The drive to the restaurant had seemed like the old them, joking and laughing, his hand in hers. He was so excited for these dinner plans, she knew how heartbroken he was that he had messed it up.

He sighed and she saw his breath on the night air. It was cold out and she shivered as they stood there. He glanced at her and he sighed again.

“It’s not okay, Scully. Look at you, you’re all dressed up, and you were expecting something nice and fancy for your birthday,” he said, waving a hand at her outfit.

She had gotten dressed up, hoping and expecting a nice place for dinner. She had pulled an old dress out of the closet that she had always liked and she knew Mulder did as well. He touched her more when she wore that dress, and she was trying to signal to him that she wanted that tonight.

She touched his arm again, sliding her hand down to his pants pocket, grabbing a hold of his and stepping close to him.

“We’ll think of something, Mulder,” she said, her fingers grazing his in his pocket. She saw his eyes widen and watched him swallow. She smiled slowly and he shook his head at her.

“You’re a tease,” he said in a voice she had not heard in awhile. The Mulder Sex Voice that she always saw in capital letters. It made her shiver and wet all at the same time.

“Only a tease if I don’t follow through,” she said quietly, in the voice she knew got to him. He exhaled and she felt his breath on her face. She smiled and stepped back, taking her hands off him.

“I’m hungry, Mulder,” she said and he raised his eyebrows. She laughed and stepped back further. “Food, Mulder. I need some food.”

He sighed and shook his head before he reached for her hand. He locked his fingers with hers and they walked down the street. She grabbed onto his arm as she squeezed his hand. God, it felt so good to be out, happy and laughing. No matter that it was cold out, being here with him, she felt like she could breathe again. Away from that goddamn office where he would disappear from her. This was so much better.

They walked a couple of blocks and he stopped in front of an all night diner. He looked at her and gestured with his head, raising his eyebrows. She nodded and smiled. He stepped inside and she followed.

The waitress told them to sit wherever they wanted and she would be right with them. He took Scully’s coat, hanging it on the coat rack, before taking off and hanging up his own. He led her to the table, his hand on her lower back, his fingers walking in place as he did. She shivered, her body responding again.

“I had no idea it was that dress, Scully,” he said, his eyes intense as they sat down and took their menus from the holder on the table. She smiled as she looked at her menu, knowing he was still watching her. She glanced up and he winked at her.

The waitress came up and Mulder announced they were celebrating Scully’s birthday. The waitress smiled at Scully and said congratulations before she took their order. They both asked for cheeseburgers and fries. Mulder said he would also like a chocolate milkshake with two straws. The waitress smiled and nodded, walking away to place their order.

They smiled at each other and she reached for his hand. He laid his across the table and she took his hand in hers. They begin to talk about random things. Stories from the past, people they had met and places they had been. He did an imitation of Bill’s disapproving stare and they both laughed.

Their burgers arrived and she went through about twenty napkins as she wiped her hands and mouth repeatedly. He ate his food with gusto, not caring how messy his face and hands were. She felt happy and light, something she had not felt in a while.

The waitress brought the milkshake and set it between them, a lit candle in the top of the whipped cream. No one sang, and Scully was glad of that, but as the candle sat in front of her, she closed her eyes and made a wish as she blew it out. A wish, a prayer, call it whatever, but she sent out a call to whoever was listening. A prayer for them, to be whole and together once again, the way they were before the darkness started creeping back in.

She met his eyes and he smiled sadly at her, as if he knew what she had been thinking. He had mustard on the corner of his mouth and she wiped it off with a laugh, attempting to get them back to happy once again. He pretended to bite at her fingers and she laughed again.

They shared the milkshake, though Mulder drank the majority of it. When they left, his hand once again went to get lower back, his fingers circling where her tattoo used to be. She had chosen to put the tattoo there years ago to reclaim the spot where he always put his hand. She had been so angry at him, she felt that she needed to do something to mark the moment she was in at the time. She had it removed not long after she got it, the serpent no longer representing how she felt.

He helped her with her coat, grabbed his own, and they headed outside. She reached for his hand as they walked to the car. She felt happy and if she was perfectly honest, she was also feeling horny. They had not had sex in a while and she missed it, missed him. His looks and touches through the night had made her feel tingly and so in the mood for him.

They arrived at the car, got in, and he began to head for home. She sat in the car and felt overcome with her desire for him. They were leaving the city when she knew she could not take it much longer. She reached over and put her hand on his thigh, making him jump in surprise. He looked over at her and she smiled as she bit her lip. He inhaled and she brought her hand up a little higher.

She ran her fingers over his crotch and he swerved a little on the road. She giggled and he swore, telling her to watch what she was doing. She looked at him and did it once more before telling him to pull over now.

“Scully, we’re almost home,” he said, his hand covering hers as she squeezed his dick. He was getting hard and she was definitely ready for him. She squeezed once more and he pulled over quickly, turning off the car.

No one was on the road as she unbuckled her seatbelt and moved around, climbing into his lap. He grabbed her and held her steady as she dropped her mouth to his, her tongue diving right in. His hands went to her hair and she moaned in his mouth.

She pulled back and took her coat off, getting tangled for a second and cursing while he laughed. He helped her figure it out and his hands moved to her ass as she held his face, kissing him once again. His hands moved under her dress and he broke from her kiss.

“Scully,” he said, his voice dangerously low and making her physically throb. “Where ... where is your underwear?”

He groaned as his hands trailed over her naked ass and down to her center, making her cry out. She moved her hands from his face and down to his waistband. They had not had sex in awhile, this was true, but having sex in the car had been even longer.

She got his pants open and he got them down far enough to allow her to slide down his length. They both moaned and her head fell back, the feel of him inside her was invigorating. She licked her lips and then leaned forward, her hands going to his shoulders.

He leaned the seat back somehow while still keeping a hold on her. She cried out in surprise, falling forward and then raising up, putting her hands on his chest. She began to ride him, breathing his name. God, it was exquisite. He felt so good inside her, something she had not felt for some time.

He chanted her name, his hands on her hips, helping her move in their confined space. She was close already and knew it would not take long. She went faster, her nails digging into his chest. He put a hand on her inner thigh, then moved his fingers to her center again. His thumb found her clit and she cried out as he touched her while she continued her pace.

“I’m so close, Scully,” he whispered in a strangled voice. “I can feel that you are too. God, you’re so wet and you feel so good. Come, Scully.”

And she did. Convulsing around him, her nails pushing in harder, she heard him cry out and then felt him come inside her. She rode him slower as they came down from their release. Their breath had fogged up the windows and outside it was very dark, good for covering up the naughty act that just took place in their car.

She collapsed against his chest, his hands coming to rest on her back as they lay together, their hearts pounding and bodies sweating. Dear god, she had needed that, she thought. Needed to feel him in every way and be with him again.

His heart was racing and she smiled as she listened to it. His hands traveled up and down her back as he breathily whispered her name. One hand went to her head and his short nails scratched at her scalp and she moaned. He laughed and she raised her head.

He smiled at her as he looked in her eyes. “I hope you don’t think that this constitutes as a birthday gift. I expect to find some kind of actual gift, wrapped and waiting for me at home,” she said, a playful look on her face. He laughed again, and pulled her in for a kiss.

She climbed off him soon after, carefully sitting on her dress, as her underwear was not available to be worn at the moment. He adjusted his seat and his clothing before heading for home. He reached for her hand and kissed her fingers when he held it.

They pulled up to the house a couple of minutes later, and he turned off the car, letting go of her hand so he could get out. He had not been wrong, they were not far from home, but she had to have him, the need too overwhelming to wait even a couple more miles.

She opened her door and shivered, her jacket having been tossed somewhere out of reach. She walked quickly into the house and then the bathroom, cleaning up the stickiness left behind from their fun in the car.

She came out and he was hanging up their coats. She walked over to her coat and took her underwear from a pocket where she had stashed it earlier after a trip to the bathroom before they left the diner. He watched her and he made a noise she had never heard, before he took her underwear and put them in his pants pocket.

She grinned and opened the presents he brought out to her. The child’s doctor kit he gave her, being used in a more sexual way than it had been intended, soon had them both hot and needing to have each other again. Her exam of him was thorough, making him moan. Unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her and pulled her to the floor, laughing but also making her heart race.

The cold floor was welcome on her warm body, as was the weight of the man on top of her. His back was slick with sweat, as she ran her fingers up and down, their bodies sated and still humming. He lifted his head and looked at her.

“Happy birthday, Scully,” he whispered, kissing her softly, as she wrapped her legs tighter around him, keeping him close.

He put his head back onto her neck, licking at the sweat that had formed there. She moaned and closed her eyes before he kissed her neck, and then lay still.

She ran her fingers into his hair, her eyes feeling heavy. She knew this was not the optimal place to fall asleep, but she felt if they moved, the spell would break and the power from the office would call to him. She would suffer a lumpy feeling sore back if it meant staying with him this way, feeling his body on hers.

Tonight, you did not win, she thought, looking at the office and feeling a sense of power, before sleep took hold and she held tight to the man she loved.

Tears were running down her face at the bittersweet memory. Bittersweet then and even more so now. That night when he had stayed with her and not gone into the office had been happy and wonderful. But it did not last and here she was, in a rather sterile apartment, celebrating her birthday on her own because they could not get their shit together.

She shook her head and put her cupcake back in the container, the thought of eating it now made her stomach feel sick. She put the container in the refrigerator, dumped out her glass of milk in the sink, adding the fork and plate, before turning the lights off, and going into her room. She pushed her bags out of the way where they sat on the floor and laid down on her side on the bed. She grabbed a pillow and held it close to her, closing her eyes, feeling alone and incredibly sad.

She fell asleep, her dreams peaceful despite her sadness. She dreamt of Mulder’s laugh, the way his skin smelled after a run, the touch of his hand, the feel of his fingers running through her hair, and the taste of his kiss and how dizzy it could make her. But mostly, she dreamt of his eyes. Eyes that calmed her, could speak to her above the roar of a crowded room, and where his love for her could always be found, shining out like a light guiding a ship to safety.

2019 Holiday Gift Guide

The 2019 Holiday Gift Guide is here! We’ve SCOUTED high and low for unique gift ideas to create ten lists of our favorite LOCAL finds! All of the items featured below are either designed, made or sold by independent businesses in Austin. The holiday season is the most important time of year to support small businesses, so spread the local love by sharing this gift guide with friends and family! And don’t forget to check out our 2018 +  2017 +  2016 + 2015 guides for even more great ideas - shopping local never goes out of style…  We hope this list will help you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. 

As always, don’t forget to tell them that THE SCOUT GUIDE SENT YOU! 

xo - Leigh Ann 

For Her

Freya Panama Hat from Hearth & Soul | $220 

7 For All Mankind Fringe Wrap from Domain NORTHSIDE | $425

Gold Dust Vinyl from Liz James Designs | $55+, make sure to check out all the options! 

Easy Rider Jacket from Understated Leather | $495

The Carryall from Tecovas |  $475 now $245 

Michelle Mules from Fortress of Inca | $250 (multiple colors available) 

Molly Haertle Art’s “Sandy,” 12x16” oil on panel | $290

Custom Beaded Clutch - use your monogram or add a fun phrase - from Estilo | $180+

Slim Aarons Coffee Table Book from SPARROW INTERIORS | $60, take 30% off starting Friday! 

Fur Bomber Jacket from ESTILO | $265

For Him

The Austin Cowboy Boot from Tecovas | $695 

Quilted Leather Jacket from Estilo Mens | $798 

Zilker Belt’s Antone’s Belt | $109

Fly Reel Case from Sparrow Interiors + Gifts | $185 

Cuff Link Studs Set from CASSANDRA COLLECTIONS | $400+

True Grit ½ Zip Pullover from Hearth & Soul | $135 

Yeti Hopper Backflip from Olivia Shoppe | $339.99 

Palo Santo Beard + Face Oil from Loot Finer Goods | $40

Growler Tote from Hearth & Soul | $44

Stratoliner Fedora from Domain NORTHSIDE’s Stag Provisions | $190

For Little Ones

Star Chalk Set from Hearth & Soul  | $32

Barbarossa Pirate Ship from Olivia Shoppe | $85 

Farmers Market Play Shop from Alexa James Baby | $120

Kid’s Three String Guitar from Picket Fences | $80 

Woodie Toy Cars from Olivia Shoppe | $35+

Model Roadster from Alexa James Baby | $190 

Mini Lightbox from Picket Fences | $24 

Melamine Plates from Grace Charles Design Studio | $22

Easy Rider Leather Jacket for boys + girls from Understated Leather | $180 

Alphabet Kingdom by Starla Michelle | $15.39

For the Home

Brass Vase from PAGE HOME DESIGN | $25+ each VASES

Gunmetal Bar Cart from HEARTH & SOUL | $815

“Sometimes It’s a Whisper” from Meredith Pardue’s Flower Bomb Series | 60" x 48", Price available upon request, please make sure to view all of works 

Wood Chargers from Sparrow Interiors + Gifts | $54

Crystal Glassware from Sparrow Interiors + Gifts | $128 for a set of four

Maple + Rope Wall Hanging from Loot Finer Goods | $35

Alpaca Throw from A Custom House | $445, check out their other colors! 

B Shawn Cox “Vaquerios” from Walden Art Agency | $1100 (24” x 24”) 

Tiger Print Pillows from LIZ JAMES | $75 each 

Brass Catchall from Austin Design House | $74  

Geranium + Rose Candle from Slow North | $34 

Something Sparkly 

Black Bonnie Floral Earrings from Cassandra Collections | $210+ 

Tie One On Earrings from Elizabeth Volk Designs | $48

Yellow Gold Straight Diamond Bar Necklace Korman Fine Jewelry | $575

Hazel Bracelet from Liz James Designs | $209

Millicent Adjustable Bracelet in Rose Gold from Kendra Scott | $425  

Dainty Necklace with Writing Stone from Elisha Marie Jewelry | $140 

Cane Earrings in Silver from Rahya Jewelry Design | $123.20

Rose Cut Diamond Hexagon Eternity Band in Yellow Gold from Dowry | $1,600

Nova Lyra Bangle in 14K Gold from Domain NORTHSIDE’S Limbo | $99

Riri Collar from Estilo Boutique | $125 

For Four-Legged Friends

Paws By The Lake at Lake Austin Spa | Worth It

Enamel Food + Water Bowls from Hearth & Soul | $16

Dog + Cat Noiseless Holiday Crackers from Paper Place | $10

Pet Collar Charm handmade by Liz James Designs | $20 

Holiday Bandanas from Paper Place | $15 

Squeaky Beverage Toys from Hearth & Soul | $15.95+

ACL Dog Collar from Zilker Belts | $59+ 

Rattan Dog Bed with Cushion from A Custom House | $195 Medium, $245 Large

Custom Bandana from Understated Leather | $25

For your Hostess 

"Putting the Pieces Back Together II” by Erin Donahue Tice Fine Art | $125 (4x6”)

Garden Jar with Cilantro from Slow North | $20 

The Southerner’s Handbook from Liz James Designs | $20

Recipe Tin from Paper Place | $115 

Madeleine Gift Box from Fluff Meringues & More | $11.75

Fraser Fir Wreath from Gracious Garlands | $29+ 

Bud Vases from A CUSTOM HOUSE | $32 each

Potted Olive Tree from Page Home Design | $36

Truffle Salt from HEARTH & SOUL | $28

August Morgan Cocktail Napkins from Olivia Shoppe | $40 for a set of four 

Stocking Stuffers

Sugarfina x Tito’s Vodka Martini Olive Almonds from Domain NORTHSIDE | $8.95

Mimosa Society Sew-On Patch from Paper Place | $9 

Magic Rainbow Fire Sticks from Paper Place | $21.90 for a set of 3

Starry-Eyed Travel Mask from Understated Leather | $40

Coloring Austin Coffee Table Book by Avery Price | $32

Nourishing Body Cream from Fine Healing Goods | $55 

Jonathan Van Ness Prayer Candle by Illumin Idol | $15

Bridesmaids Partaaaay Mug from Olivia Shoppe | $18.95

Christian LaCroix Playing Cards from Paper Place | $35 

Double S’More Kit from Fluff Meringues & More | $9.50

Baggu Reusable Bag from Olivia Shoppe | $12

Unicorn Headband from Picket Fences | $8 

For Pampering

Pilates class at The Peach House | $40/class, new members receive 3 classes for $99

A luxe mani + pedi from LACQUER | Manicures start at $63

Drybar Membership at Domain NORTHSIDE | $80 

Leonor Greyl Body + Face Oil from Haute House Lash & Beauty Bar | $59

Rose Quartz Facial Roller from Slow North | $34 

Personal training with PE Fitness | $90/hour for 1, $75/hour per student for 2, $60/hour per student for 3

Lemon Wellness Drops from FINE HEALING GOODS | $75 

Gift card for skin rejuvenation from REJUVENATE | Inquire for pricing

Skin+ Starter Kit from Austin Skin Plus | $290  

Relaxation at Lake Austin Spa | Holiday packages start at  $260

For the Person Who Has Everything

THE HEADSHOT HAPPY HOUR with four friends, shot by Paige Newton | $125 per person

Private cooking classes with La Pera | $300 / 3 hour session, class selection includes Pasta, Empanadas, Sous Vide Cooking, Basic Knife Skills, or a Custom Curriculum

Peloton - choose between the bike or the treadmill at DOMAIN NORTHSIDE | pricing varies

One-on-One Workshop with HOUSE OF MARGOT BLAIR | $595+

A game-changing backyard makeover with LAWNPOP for the hostess in your life | Inquire for pricing

A dinner party hosted by THE AUSTIN ARTISAN at your home | Inquire for pricing :

The Wayback Holiday Package | $500, includes a 2-night stay at The Wayback + cheese board + bottle of select Texas wine

Donate on your loved one’s behalf with In Lieu

Hi friends, my name is Shelly Kim and I specialize in watercolors, illustrations & hand lettering. I’m currently based in Los Angeles, CA and truly enjoying the process of creating daily. Often times, you can find me at my local coffee shop in DTLA or Pasadena typing away on my laptop, doodling on my iPad or painting (yes, painting in public)!

Everywhere I go, you can find a watercolor palette, pens, paper, Princeton Round Aqua Elite (size 6 & 8), Princeton Round Heritage Series (size 4, 6 & 8), and Princeton Velvetouch Brushes in my crafting tote bag! As you can tell, I love Princeton brushes, but the reason I love them is the way they are made. I love the feel and grip of every brush, the amount of water each brush can hold and how flexible the brush tips are!

One of the many and obvious reasons why I love watercolors is how vibrant, colorful, and unpredictable each artwork piece is. With watercolors, it’s nearly impossible (for me) to replicate the exact same piece because the colors might dry differently and create a different effect–it’s totally unpredictable, which I think is the best part!

I first stumbled upon lettering and watercolors when I was super stressed out working full-time at my insurance job back in 2015. I kept searching for a fresh, creative, new outlet and something I can fully immerse myself in. I am so thankful I found art as my escape because I learned so much about myself in such a short period of time.

I developed patience with myself because creating takes time and I started to enjoy the little things in life again. During this time, art was not just my escape, but it was like a wake-up call.

Prior to discovering art, my purpose in life was only to work, even if I was extremely unhappy going to work. I just felt lost and was in a dark place in my life, but exploring and creating art gave me a new purpose in life. Almost like I had a different mission in life, finally understanding what makes me the happiest.

Fast forward to today, I am doing what I love full-time. I am not only creating art full-time, but I have taught lettering and watercolor workshops worldwide such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, and New York to name a few. I have also spoken about my journey at Today at Apple in New York and at the Alt Summit conference in Palm Springs.

I also love that I have the opportunity to work with Princeton Artist Brush Co. as one of their ambassadors — thank you Princeton for building such an amazing, supportive community for artists to come together, collaborate and share our knowledge on a daily basis.

Because of my past, and the reason I stumbled upon watercolors and lettering, my mission within my business is to make sure that with everything I create, I am always spreading positivity, love, and happiness. I only hope my story and work can continue to inspire others and remind others that anything is possible with the right perspective and vision.

Something I would love to share is that when working on projects, I give myself some grace and some time to reflect and understand the vision for the artwork piece. During my reflection, I tend to visit my local coffee shops and cute cafes for more inspiration and time to think about the upcoming project. Once I feel like I’m ready–I will start brainstorming in my mind about the overall piece (layout, details, and color palette).

After my brainstorming, I will finally start my sketching process and let my mind explore when using watercolors and adding final touches. I’ll be honest, there are numerous times I will feel really good about the brainstorming process, but then paint maybe 5-10 pieces of the exact same thing.

During these times, this is when I give myself some grace, take a deep breath, and allow myself to redirect my energy and create something fun before revisiting the project again. This is also when I will change my scenery and take time to leave my studio and paint outside or at a local coffee shop.

The question I get often is how to avoid getting burnt out. I’m a strong believer in exploring and discovering as many mediums as you can because it not only strengthens your mind, energy and the creative process, but keeps you hungry to learn more techniques. Each month, I challenge myself to go out of my comfort zone and create something different whether it’s using different tools or mediums.

For me, exploring new things keeps me inspired and challenges me in so many amazing ways as an artist. This year, I have explored embroidery, pottery and pattern-making as a passion project! I’m also excited to announce that I have a book coming out this August all about digital hand lettering and brush lettering! I also have a project in my new book sharing all about painting on acrylics and of course, I’m using one of my favorite Princeton brushes, the Velvetouch Wash Brush!

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me as an artist and my journey! I hope it inspires you to pursue your passion and do things that make you happy! Remember to create daily and throw yourself out there because you never know the opportunities that will come your way! I believe in you!

Shelly Kim Website Amazon Author Page Etsy Instagram Facebook Pinterest YouTube

GUEST ARTIST: "The Power of Creating Art" by Shelly Kim - #WorldWatercolorMonth #doodlewash #watercolor #watercolour #lettering Hi friends, my name is Shelly Kim and I specialize in watercolors, illustrations & hand lettering. I’m currently based in Los Angeles, CA and truly enjoying the process of creating daily.

Christian Dior Purse Photographs And Premium High Res Footage

Apparently, in 1995, France’s then First Lady Bernadette Chirac, gifted Lady Diana with the latest creation from the House of Dior. The Lady Dior was first introduced in 1994 beneath the inventive course of Christian Dior’s successor, Gianfranco Ferré. Initially, the bag was nicknamed Chouchou – French for “the favourite” – and was only renamed a yr after its first launch. wikipedia Harry Archer is an editorial assistant at Editorialist engaged on trend, beauty, and every thing in between. A recent graduate from The London College of Fashion, he has interned at Esquire, the Gay Times, and Attitude magazine. When he is not invested in pop culture, you'll discover him engrossed in a book, working from natural choice, or doing a red wine rendition of Can't Fight the Moonlight from the critically acclaimed movie Coyote Ugly. The bag was first launched in 1994 by then-creative director Gianfranco Ferré, and the style was famously beloved by Princess Diana, who was gifted the accessory by France’s First Lady, Bernadette Chirac, in 1995. Ferraro has posted tons of photographs prior to now few weeks with Dior luggage, backstage, and in full make-up and clothes from the brand, and nearly every time has captioned the picture with #ad, and even credited the photographer. In any case, the folks chosen to promote the Saddle Bag 2.zero all have one thing in common. The reimagined version of the classic Lady Dior purse was the second collaboration between Chicago and Dior Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri. Another one of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s creations for Dior, the Dioevolution Bag proved that trend is all concerning the revolution. First launched in Dior’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection and discontinued by 2020, the Dior Dioevolution Bag was created to make a daring trend statement. The Caro flap bag additionally features the brand’s “CD” emblem with a twist clasp while Dior’s tackle “30 Montaigne” is embossed on the again. A detachable chain-link strap enhances the handbag that is out there in two sizes and multiple shades such as mint green, rose, and black. Although the basic hobo silhouette bag was initially created in the Nineteen Fifties, the bag's declare to fame skyrocketed when Kennedy touted the bag around. Clean lines and a classic shape are delivered to the fore and the reversible flap lends it a bold character that appeals to Dior’s trendy feminine viewers. Available in three sizes and various colourways, there's a Diorever bag to go well with to each mood and magnificence. He has now been replaced by Belgian designer Raf Simons, former inventive director with the Jil Sander trend house, who's honoured to be responsible for probably the most elegant and famous French brand on the planet. On the contrary, with greater than 230 outlets worldwide, it is doubtless considered one of the main manufacturers in the luxurious market. Dior Couture posted half-yearly turnover of 632 million euros on 31 October 2012, up 26% compared with the identical period in 2011. Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, as an example, has been mining the legacy of not solely Monsieur Christian Dior himself, but additionally his successors, among them John Galliano, whose saddlebag debuted in 2000 to instant success. Of course, Kardashian West is not one to let her possessions collect mud. Given her love of wearable art—remember that George Condo–painted Haut à Courroies she wore back in 2013? — it was only a matter of time earlier than she paired her saddlebag with a coordinated outfit. Today, the Birkin bag is stored at a high stage of exclusivity by the model. Due to their low production quantity, the Birkin is considered an funding piece, increasing in value round 14.2 percent every year from 1980 to 2015. The bag is remodeled a number of days using the corporate's signature saddle sew in different hardware finishes and skins from numerous tanneries. One reviewer describes this Marc Jacobs bag as “attractive, elegant and sophisticated” for its vibrant colors and enjoyable strap that will get you plenty of compliments for certain. This would be an excellent option for somebody who has never had a designer bag before or doesn’t need to drop too many cash. CNN Underscored is your guide to the everyday services and products that allow you to live a better, simpler and more fulfilling life. Referencing brand muses, the brand new assortment is all about Versace necessities for the women and men of today. Get the most effective offers on dior bucket bags and save as a lot as 70% off at Poshmark now! Buy second-hand classic Dior Clutch bags for Women on Vestiaire Collective. There are at all times more decadent versions available out there; the Christian Dior 2017 John Giorno Lady Dior Medium Handbag went upto US$4500 (Rs 3.5 lakhs). As a half of Art Basel Miami, Dior collaborates with a quantity of artists from everywhere in the globe and unveils a line of artistic Lady Dior bags with the starting price of US$5000 , going up to US$14,000 . Ultra chic and with beautifulcraftsmanship, the bag has survived an evolving market for almost 25 years and grown beneath six inventive directors. Forged with craftsmanship, expertise, and technical innovation, this special edition assortment includes a recent take on a handful of a few of the most sought after RIMOWA designs. Do you realize if the miss dior promenade clutch pouch is discontinued? I can't find it on the Dior website and I would like to buy it whereas in paris at one of many boutiques. One of Dior’s most popular purses so far, the Dior Miss Dior has been discontinued in 2016. First released in 2011, the Miss Dior Bag featured the signature Dior Cannage quilting on the outside, together with a press lock closure and a series hyperlink shoulder strap. In reality, over the years, Dior has released and discontinued many luggage. And that’s a disgrace, because some of those kinds had been really lovely. Today, I want to make a journey into the Dior archives and remember a variety of the recently discontinued Dior handbags. For followers of the chic Lady Dior bag and the traditional St Honoré tote – two quintessential Dior high deal with types – should contemplate this new boxy companion with discreet gold hardware a more bookish addition to the household. When Tom Ford was appointed director of Gucci in 1994, Ford positioned the label on the forefront of style, fully reviving the model with a sense of modern glamour. 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It moved there in June 2014, when Pure Nightclub underwent an expansion and annexed its area. As of December 2015 it incorporates 16 tables with free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. The authentic resort tower had 680 rooms, and each featured a room with one wall which was absolutely mirrored from floor to ceiling. The hotel featured an 800-seat theatre restaurant and three public dining areas, two health clubs, an epicurean room, a convention corridor of as a lot as 2000 folks and 20 separate halls and committee rooms, accommodating up to 5000 people in total. Today, I wish to suggest some necessary accessories for men who like wearing completely different suits and shirts, greatest replica Christian Dior cufflinks, lets take a view together. This could be the take pleasure in manufacturing plant distinctive notion. Presented in a 41mm chrome steel case and bracelet, the surface of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Pyeonchang 2018 Limited Edition AAA Replica Watches replica watch alternates brushed and polished finishes. On the caseback, a sapphire crystal glass with the official Olympic emblem reveals the motion. The Omega Replica Watches Seamaster Aqua Terra Pyeonchang 2018 Limited Edition replica watch is waterproof to 150 metres, in line with the collection’s origins as a dive watch. High winds blew over the water causing not only surfable products from the bigger manufacturers. A weaker mainstream trade unable to capture the hearts and minds of consumers is unlikely to breed too many people who then go on to need the expertise of a high-end unbiased model. Although how a lot are breitling watches replica tiger woods tag heuer watch replica the Millenary models are attention-grabbing, they are considerably lost in light of the popularity of the Royal Oak. When designing a mechanical replica watches with box work for a skeleton watch, care is taken to make certain that the bridge type can all the time be transferred to the board as well. European and American luxurious Dior bag market slowdown, new markets in Europe and China began to become luxury Dior bag. replica Dior bag satisfying folks's vainness, due to this fact, although the old luggage some big cash, the brand new bag is eclipsing price, it's troublesome to make individuals want to drop a little. Dior bag price is remind individuals of the vanity of the first cause. Dior bag purses are always geared to the European and American stars. Woman Dior Bag Authentic Vs Fake Information 2021 So on the time, the Oblique canvas of the Oblique canvas was additionally a modern and retro bag. The hardware should be well-affixed and sound and it has two small engravings within the inner aspect. Another essential thing is the printing on the bottom of the leather of charms. In the original Lady Dior bag is written Christian Dior, whereas in the faux one usually is written “Christian Dior” Paris made in Italy. Later, after being improved, the style of the saddle bag grew to become smaller and smaller, the leather grew to become increasingly stiff, and it was lovely and sensible to be placed on the horseback. The Lady Dior bag is a iconic purse of the Dior household. Everyone from fashionistas to royals have been noticed with their timeless basic pieces. This bag is just offered in Dior boutiques which is harder to buy or to get one. I am a big fan of lv and ysl, i have many genuine bag. When i open the package deal, very nice replica only a precisely the same compared to the actual thing. It did not come with a field or receipt but definitely may cross for the real factor. depurses dior LVbag great dimension to suit plenty of issues inside, customer support may be very professional and affected person, resolve any of my questions. Quality is above common, that a extremely good imitation, only critique can be this one had a scent nevertheless the other one i ordered didn't. I’ve use this seller multiple instances & they’re at all times nice. Lady Dior handbag bag printed with the model iconic cannage sample, and Diorrismo handbag is not any modification of the sleek leather-based. When turning to the pre-loved market, its essential to learn not simply concerning the seller you’re buying from, however concerning the brand as properly. LOVEthatBAG is my trusted source for pre-loved and vintage designer bags having purchased from them on multiple events, in addition to having the privilege of collaborating with them. An Endless Selection of Perfect Replica Designer Handbags. Unlike different companies, we provide a wide selection of designer purse faux brand replicas. Regardless, in case you are in search of a Givenchy replica purse, a Louis Vuitton or Christian Dior designer copy, we now have it in inventory. Gucci Replica Handbags are simple to gather, replace, and perfect for feeding the shopaholic's bag cravings. Furniture › Designer Replicas › Replica Designer Chairs. The design of CHRISTIAN DIOR PRE-OWNED Lady Dior Cannage 32 Mini Tote Bag is straightforward and stylish, simple square bag kind, with none extra decoration, just hanging the four-letter metallic pendant on the deal with. This is the superior custom spirit that Dior brings to us, exposing traditional luxurious in simplicity. Princess Diana’s favorite black leather day bag is both practical and aesthetic, and can additionally be Lady Dior’s original type. The diamond-shaped grid above is a novel image of Replica Dior Bags products.

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29th October 2019 Student-led seminar 2

Text: Littler, J. (2010) 'What's wrong with ethical consumption?', in Lewis, T., Potter, E. (eds) Ethical Consumption: A Critical Introduction, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 27-39.

Table of content:

Introduction: What is Ethical Consumption anyway? Main part:  About greenwashing Questions that emerged for me: Way outs - maybe? So what can I do for a start? Social Media Boycott Conclusion Notes: Books and articles Pictures

About the author: Jo Littler is a speaker at the Center for Culture and Creative Industries and Research Director in the Department of Sociology, City University London. She received her doctorate in culture and communication at the University of Sussex. Among other Universities she also taught at Middlesex University with a focus on media and cultural studies. 

Her interests are within interrelations between society, politics, culture, and her research fields are mainly on meritocracy, gender, consumer culture, heritage and also celebrity.

Some of her latest works (selection): Littler, Jo (2017) Against Meritocracy. Routledge. Littler, Jo (2009) Radical consumption : shopping for change in contemporary culture . Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill. Littler, Jo (2008) Gendering anti-consumerism: consumer whores and conservative consumption. Palgrave MacMillan.

What is Ethical Consumption anyway?

There is a multitude of layers to this topic that it seems rather impossible to draw a straight line between what is part of it and what is not. Are we talking about animal welfare, is it the whole environment with a focus on renewable energy, is it about people ethics with a focus on code of conduct and ethical trading schemes, or human rights, modern slavery, do we include political and environmental donations, or do we check for boycott-ism, and ethical accreditation as well, just to name a few?

It gets even more complex when we look at the middlemen like delivery-drivers, people in warehouses and on cargo ships or trains, the third world farmers and helpers where poverty and child labour exists, the waste from unused groceries, textiles, outdated technology products.

In our generation we are more connected with the world than ever and trade-supplies are global. Never before in human history was the supply of consumable items greater. This makes it more difficult than ever to be an ethical consumer and to consider all the different choices and their side-effects.

Is living up to be an ethical consumer really that difficult? Is it just a way to ease a guilty conscience for those with enough money to afford it? And would this mean that poor people are excluded and cannot take part in conscious consumption?

This essay is full of questions as on the one hand I strive to be as conscious as possible and on the other hand I’m very afraid of wrong choices as I will elaborate on later.

About greenwashing

It’s not only about the consumer but the industry as well. Discussions about global governance and ethics were already high in the late 20th century(1). Following the introduction of the then United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan of Global Compact during the World Economic Forum, the UN itself became a moral authority for global values and governance(2).

But even though there is regulation through the UN and following campaigns, can I trust companies that advertise a green and ethical stance? Should I be charged more for the feeling of having done something for the environment? For example, sales campaigns that promise that the added 0.10 pounds of the bill go to WWF or similar organisations - is this really being done? How can we be sure and how can we trust a corporation to do this when all the time we hear news about big companies taking shortcuts, polluting, sometimes even breaking the law in order to make a profit?

Above: My screenshot (Dictionary Cambridge, 2019) Definition of capitalism UK

Above: My screenshot (Dictionary Cambridge, 2019) Definition of capitalism US

In our capitalistic world most companies are the victim of their own goals: the run for profit. If they are not regulated by the state or by themselves through responsible owners and shareholders, they will use all options at their disposal to sell their products. Hence the findings by Krauss are of little surprise and the statement of Littler becomes very valid: 

‘(...) corporations can indeed be of progressive value, but, crucially, only at the whims of corporations themselves; and in addition corporations may hype their claims or use them to hide more exploitative aspects of their practice.’(3)

Questions that emerged for me:

Is it true that it takes great effort and time to find products and companies that are really responsible and that most of them in turn are more expensive? There does not seem to be the one “Right Way” to live responsibly but many. It’s a jungle of options and sometimes the first glance, the claims of a self-proclaimed green company, are just a sham as Littler points out with examples of Wal-Mart or Home Depot(4).

I want to add one of my personal examples, Chiquita bananas which I preferred over their competitor Dole as of 2011 when they were in a lawsuit for greenwashing and water pollution as well as other factors(5). 

Chiquita, certified by the Rainforest Alliance made me believe they were growing bananas responsibly and environmentally friendly, as much as that is possible despite the distance they need to travel from. In 2014, Chiquita suddenly became known for water pollution as well which raised the question about the Rainforest Alliance’s knowledge and partnership in that. I felt guilty and betrayed by the company, and almost like an accomplice to a crime(6).

Way outs - maybe?

We cannot be Superman and save the whole world, that much is certain. What we can do is create options for ourselves. In the end it might not change much in the grand scheme of things but it might make people around us become more aware of their consumer behaviour as well.

So what can I do for a start? There are possibilities available for ethical shopping like the fair-trade seal, using recycled paper, organic cotton or to buy regional produce. There are also options for reusing unwanted items like handing them over to charities or left-over collections. You can buy second-hand and there are even opt-ins for a weekly clothing lending bank so you don’t need to buy clothes at all. 

Social Media Online guides and apps can help us to make ethical choices. There are books, consumer advice hotlines, magazines, and also the new media forms offer a wide selection of advice online, like https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/(7) In their reports they distinguish between four sections giving you the option to pick parts that are more important to you. The downside is that there are only few tested companies. 

Boycott  Another way to make an impact might be to boycott and spread the word, similar to what happened to Uber in 2017 with #DeleteUber(8) Both Uber and Facebook are facing enormous pressure and have modified some of their practices and committed to improvements. 

Conclusion

‘One of the things you can do to be more responsible is to take greater ownership of your stuff,’ says Mr. Lai(9).

Life changes all the time. Recently I read in the news about the invention of plastic bags - they were introduced as a more nature-friendly alternative to paper bags(10).

That means we need to be aware of our surroundings and sources, we need to stay informed and be flexible with choices as the industry is flexible with prices.

And at the end of the day, however, it is still about finding our own way of living a happy life since there is only this one to live. The amount of effort every single one of us puts into researching and making informed decisions is, after all, also each individuals own decision and perhaps the first one we have to think about, before even looking at more detailed decisions.

Notes:

Books and articles:

Wilkinson, R. (2005), The global governance reader, London: Routledge. 

cf. Bruno, K. (2005), Bluewash, New Internationalist. Oxford: New Internationalist Co-operative, (375), pp. 26–27.

Littler, J. (2010), ‘What's wrong with ethical consumption?’, in Lewis, T., Potter, E. (eds) Ethical Consumption: A Critical Introduction, Oxon: Routledge, p. 32.

ibid. p. 31-32.

Halverson, M. (2015), Dole, chiquita sued by seattle nonprofit, SeattleMet, 6 July. Available at: https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2015/7/6/dole-chiquita-sued-by-seattle-nonprofit (Accessed: 27 October 2019).

Shemkus, S. (2014), ‘Better bananas: chiquita settles lawsuit over green marketing, but the legal battle isn't over’, The Guardian, 19 December. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/dec/19/chiquita-lawsuit-green-marketing-bananas-water-pollution (Accessed: 25 October 2019).

The Good Shopping Guide, (2002/2019), The good shopping guide, viewed on 27 October 2019. Available at: https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/ (Accessed: 24 October 2019).

Chen, B. (2018), ‘Yes, you can be an ethical tech consumer. Here’s how’, The New York Times, 12 December. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/technology/personaltech/ethical-tech-consumer.html (Accessed: 27 October 2019).

ibid.

Weston, Ph. (2019), ‘Plastic bags were created to save the planet, inventor’s son says’, The Independent, 17 October. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/plastic-bags-pollution-paper-cotton-tote-bags-environment-a9159731.html (Accessed: 27 October 2019).

Pictures:

Capitalism UK (2019) [Screenshot]. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/de/worterbuch/englisch/capitalism (Accessed: 27 October 2019).

Capitalism US (2019) [Screenshot]. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/de/worterbuch/englisch/capitalism (Accessed: 27 October 2019).

Sharing Stage/2.5D Content

So there are some things I want to go over about sharing, reposting, and general distribution of content.  And while I’m going to talk specifically about Engeki Haikyuu, some of the more general stuff can be applied to most Japanese stage plays, musicals, and general theater.  

I wanted to make this post because I’m seeing a lot of frustration in fandom from both content providers and fans and followers butting heads on this issue.  First off, we have to acknowledge that there is an undeniable precedent that’s existed in fandom that makes fans feel entitled to all the content all the time, for free.  And there is knowledge of the industry that content providers have that I think we’re not communicating frequently enough to help fans understand our positions on these issues.

It’s lengthy, but please take some time to look under the Read More and read about this issue.  

There’s a reason why I chose Tumblr as the medium for distribution of Engeki Haikyuu information, translations, scans, gifs, etc… and it’s because there is little-to-no Japanese fandom on this website. Most Japanese fandom is on Twitter and on other Japanese sites like Pixiv and NicoNico, but for the most part, Tumblr is not on their radar.  It’s quickly getting to be on the radar for Pixiv artists because of the rampant problem of art-reposting, but by and large, they’re still not ON this website, browsing and using this website, and engaging with fandom on this website.  Which is to my benefit because most Japanese fandom would HATE what I am doing.  

I want to explain that Western fandom and Japanese fandom operate VERY differently when it comes to the topic of spreading information and official content.  For example, there are Japanese artists I follow on Twitter who are now drawing fanart about the stuff they saw in Winners and Losers.  Fun stuff about cross-dressing Takato and Shouri, the little gags and ad-lib that changed from night to night, Kageyama in the fish suit… but the thing is, they all waited until AFTER the show was finished touring completely.  Out of respect and consideration for the people who could go see the show but hadn’t yet, they all waited until there were no more chances to see it live to post what could be considered ‘spoilers’ for the show.  

By contrast in Western fandom, a movie is out in theaters for about 5 hours before I see gif-sets on Tumblr.  It’s incredible.  It is genuinely difficult to not be spoiled for content when in western fandom because everyone wants to talk about it right away, they want to share information right away, they can’t, they won’t wait until a movie is no longer playing in theaters, etc… the information is out almost instantaneously.  

But in Japanese fandom, you have seiyuu events that have afternoon and evening portions, and they almost always release exciting new information or announcements at these events.  But the people who go to the afternoon portion of a seiyuu event, say NOTHING until the evening portion of the seiyuu event is over and everyone who could’ve had a chance to go see it has seen it.  Their fandom etiquette is INTENSE about no spoilers and respecting the creator’s wishes.  When seiyuu events give them exciting new info and then say, shh, now don’t share it on social media yet, Japanese fans LISTEN.  Japanese fandom draws a HARD line with this stuff.  For them, if you can’t buy it, if you can’t afford to go see it, then too bad, that’s the end of it.  

So sharing stuff like scans and torrents and youtube streams is a serious infringement to them both culturally and legally.  Rightfully so, and I think it’s an admirable thing that they can operate that way. But the other side of that coin is that it does make all the content less accessible and hard to promote widespread interest for.  In western fandom, we have seen piracy benefit Hollywood in many ways so I know a lot of us don’t bat an eye or think twice about pirating movies and music anymore.

But with Engeki Haikyuu?  With 2.5D plays and musicals overall?  We’re not talking about multi-million dollar shows and productions with huge profit margins that are too big to fail.  It’s not Hollywood; it’s not even Broadway.  We’re talking about an industry where the minor actors are sometimes not paid for the rehearsal period of a show, and where they’re sometimes paid about $100 for each show they perform.  Some of my posts mentioned that Winners and Losers performed a total of 36 shows, and that was over a span of almost 2 months not counting rehearsals.  Imagine getting paid around $3600 for your time for those 3 months.  I’m not saying that there are Engeki Haikyuu actors that were paid that little, but that IS the industry in which they live and work.  We’re talking about an industry where the sales of your character bromides indicate your overall popularity as an actor and also serve as an indicator for your potential success in other shows producers might want to cast you in.  Financially, it’s a small industry, however big it seems.  

However, it’s obviously very difficult for international fans to support it in legal ways.  Goods for the show including pamphlets and bromides, tote bags, are ONLY sold at the theaters where they perform, and they are not available afterward. Japan is all about exclusive content, limited goods, it makes the few that are out there special.  But that means if you can’t go to the venue to see the show, you can’t buy your favorite actor’s bromides to support them.  And if you buy it afterwards at a secondhand shop like K books or some Yahoo Auctions seller, the money’s not going to the production anymore, it goes to secondhand sellers.  Your voice of support is lost with secondhand sales, but sometimes they’re the only way you can get this stuff, so I’m not discouraging people who are trying to buy this stuff secondhand.  I just want people to understand the full situation there if you do.  

Anyway, this is why I do the, let’s be real, illegal thing of scanning bromides and pamphlets to share with you guys.  Because if you can’t fly to Japan and get a hold of these elusive tickets to see the show live and THEN still have money left over to buy the goods, it’s tough/impossible to get it.  So, I see it as a moot point when it comes to scans, because those image sets get spread around, and they do promote new interest in the production.  And since nobody can even buy the bromides from Engeki HQ directly after the show is finished touring... eh.  It’s still illegal, but for me it’s a slight gray area because of the lack of accessibility.  

But the DVDs, and therefore the show itself, is different.  It’s made WIDELY available on multiple ordering platforms online and in physical stores (in Japan), websites that DO ship overseas and where pre-orders don’t sell out.  You can still buy DVDs of the very first Engeki Haikyuu that toured in fall 2015.  And so long as you’re buying from official retailers like Amazon Japan, CDJapan, amiami, now Animate International, your money, your support goes directly to the production and they get the means to make more of these shows.  I provide links for people to buy their own DVD copies all the time; they’re in my FAQ, I have posts that I regularly try to reblog.

I make gifs and I provide scans and clips as teasers so that I can promote as much interest as possible so that you guys, if you can, will support the show financially.  But these shows aren’t cheap, and Americans aren’t used to paying $80 for a DVD, and I get that.  I do.  So if you can’t afford to buy the show legally, that’s unfortunate.  I’m sorry.  I wish I could buy DVDs for all of you that want the show.  But still, I will not put up a download, I won’t upload a stream, because I know it will discourage some of the people that can buy it from buying it because they expect it to be free.  There are people I know that do this, and it’s infuriating.

So, ok.  Distribution of the full show explained.  Bottom line is, I’ll share a lot with you guys, but I won’t share the full videos of the shows because you can still buy the DVDs.  

As for the topic of reposting, I’ve mentioned the difference between Japanese and Western fandom earlier, and again: That’s why all the scans go on Tumblr.  Now, I know I can’t stop the INTERNET from reposting. That’s why all the uploads are lower resolution and watermarked to hell so that it’s barely worth taking.  Take note re-posters, you’re not even taking the good stuff.  But reposting the scans to Twitter, could actually get me in trouble.  Because as I mentioned, Japanese fandom is pretty prevalent on Twitter, they frown upon this sort of behavior, and they DO report people for this stuff.  It’s great for spread of awareness of this production, but I sometimes worry about getting close to an official cease and desist.    

And maybe that’s because I personally work very closely with this industry with my work for Sakura Con, and so I’m maybe being a little paranoid.  But I also totally understand the viewpoints of Japanese fandom, which is why I don’t cross post everything to Twitter, and I sure as hell don’t tag it to make it easy to search for. 

Basically, all of this boils down to: 

Please don’t repost the scans and gifs on Twitter or Facebook (and don’t tag them so obviously).

Please stop asking me to upload the shows for download or streaming. 

Please understand that everyone that’s working hard on these productions for us to enjoy… the actors, the producers, the director, the musicians, the theater staff and crew… they’re working in a niche market, and they’re not making millions here.  Not only that, you’d be shocked how little some of them make sometimes.  

So support the shows however best you can, encourage your friends to do the same if they can, and don’t… harass people for free stuff.

That’s all.  Thank you for watching and for supporting Engeki Haikyuu (the show, not me), and if any of you have any questions about anything I’ve just talked about, if you want more details about one part or another, send me a message! Have a great day~ Haikyuu’s the best!

A Tour of The Independent Bookshops of Dublin

by Justine McGrath

There is no greater pleasure to me than whiling away a couple of hours in a bookshop. It used to be that any bookshop would do. I didn’t care, as long as it had books. However, I have come to be more discerning of late. We are spoiled for choice with good bookshops in Dublin. If you fancy tuning out from all the ‘stuff’ going on in the world right now, and putting down the smartphone, why not visit one of Dublin’s rich array of independent bookshops? There’s nothing I like more than a good excuse to visit a bookshop, so in the name of research here is a guide to help you decide.    

Books Upstairs

This bookshop has been in business since 1978, so it’s fair to say it is well established at this stage. The bookshop recently moved from College Green to a beautiful building in D’Olier Street, near Trinity College. I noticed that it has improved both in the variety of books it sells, and in the layout of the bookshop. They sell a wide range of fiction, both Irish and from further afield. The bookshop is not very large, but there is a good range of books from history to politics to children’s books, as well as a great poetry section. Another great option is the wide range of literary magazines they sell. If I need ‘The Moth’ or ‘The Dublin Review of Books’ I know I will be guaranteed to get them here.

   They have a cosy coffee shop upstairs and the staff are incredibly welcoming and friendly. Recently, they have begun to host more author events in their upstairs space. Great news, as it is only a short stroll from Tara Street Dart and Train station.    

The Gutter Bookshop

image via gutterbookshop.com

Winner of the Independent Bookseller of the year in 2015, The Gutter Bookshop has become something of an institution in the 8 years since it opened. This bookshop is a little gem. The first branch opened in Cows Lane in Temple Bar and there is now a second branch in Dalkey which opened in 2013. Run by Bob (everyone knows Bob!) with the utmost care and devotion, the shop is beautifully laid out and sells not just the latest books, but unique stationery, t-shirts and tote bags among other gifts – all related to books and reading of course. Bob also runs a range of popular book clubs from the shop, of which I was until recently a long running member. The only reason I no longer attend is the old enemy of time!  The best aspects of this bookshop are the knowledgeable staff, the beautiful displays, the light airy feel of the shop, and their involvement in so many literary events. The Gutter Bookshop is at the heart of the Dublin literary community. A great establishment!  

 The Secret Book and Record Store

I was recently introduced to this unique shop on Wicklow Street by a friend. Beware though - blink and you could walk right past it. It is down a little tunnel between L’Occitane and the health food shop Nourish. There is a sign outside, but the shop itself is at the end of a long corridor which is filled with posters and flyers of every imaginable artistic endeavour, from bands to poetry readings, to yoga classes. You could spend half an hour just looking at the walls on your way down to the shop.   

The shop itself is the complete opposite of the Gutter Bookshop when it comes to layout. Let’s just say it’s more shabby chic than modern. However, let that not put you off. This shop is a goldmine of good value second hand books. There is also plenty of vinyl to be found. Great books can be found at an absolute bargain. This is where I go if I am looking for something a bit out of the ordinary or I just want a really good browse. Well worth a visit!

  Chapters Bookshop

image via chapters.ie

This is the largest independent bookshop in Ireland. Established in 1983, it has moved several times, and is now located on Parnell Street. It is enormous. I could happily spend a day here and have only visited a couple of times, but had to drag myself away. It houses a vast selection of new and second hand books, as well as CDs and DVDs. There is always a bargain to be found in Chapters. They also have a wonderful collaboration with Smithfield Cinema in Dublin. The cinema book club takes place once a month. The idea is that you read the book and then go and see the film version, and afterwards there is a discussion in the bar. My idea of heaven. If only I lived a little closer to the city centre, I would definitely be taking advantage of this one. If they introduced a coffee shop into the mix, I think book lovers would just move in.  

  The Winding Stair Bookshop

I am saving the best till last. Dublin held its collective breath when the Winding Stair almost closed down in 2005. However, thanks to Elaine Murphy, who opened a restaurant and kept the bookshop downstairs, it was saved. I can’t put my finger on what it is about this bookshop, but the first time I walked into it, it felt like coming home. It is so comforting and bookish. A large book shop is all well and good, but there’s nothing like the feel of a quaint little bookshop. It has an area at the back of the shop like a small cave, where there is a wonderful selection of second hand books, and where you can find some really unusual gems.   

Although there is no official café, you can have a coffee at one of the two window seats, where you can look out at Dublin’s iconic Ha’penny Bridge and watch the world go by. You just need to be there when the shop is quiet. I have not yet managed to bag a seat there! If you visit around lunch or dinner time, why not pop into their restaurant. I hear it is fabulous. The Winding Stair is a Dublin landmark and a genuine treasure.  

 I hope this selection inspires you to support our independent bookshops. We need all the culture and escapism we can get at the present time. Happy browsing!  

Episode 5: Poliana Irizarry

[0:07]

Maira: Alright, this is, I think this is 5? Episode 5 of Long Arm Stapler, a podcast about zines. Today we are [clears throat] joined by-

Poliana: Hello, I’m Poliana Irizarry.

Maira: Welcome to my couch.

Poliana: Yes, it’s a lovely couch.

Maira: This is my recording studio. So, do you want to tell everyone a little about your experience with zines? And like because you’ve got a lot.

Poliana: Yeah! So, um, I’m really old, and I’ve been doing zine stuff for a really long time. So back in the riot grrl 90’s I guess, I got into zines as a high school slash college student. I lived within walking distance of the Inwood Theater in Dallas, Texas. The long-standing zine musea was freely available in the lobby because Tom Hendricks, I think his name was Art S. Revolutionary, um, uh, worked there. And would just give away zines for free. Um, I was like, “This is the coolest,” and then I realized that um, the stuff I had seen in like, at shows, those were also zines. I didn’t really make the connection um, about like what zines were until kind of encountering them a couple of times. And I tried to make my own zine, this was back in like 1997, ’98, about the Dallas, Texas late 90’s punk scene. I was very influenced by um, Buzzmonger Fanzine, which is still one of my favorite zines ever, especially about music and interviews and bands and touring and a local scene. Um, and then I realized the zine I wanted to make was Buzzmonger and I kind of got frustrated like, with technical difficulties, like my computer crashing and uh trying to transcribe interviews and stuff that I did. I was like, nineteen, maybe twenty, so fast forward, forward to like, I finally, ten years, I finally finish um, college. And then grad school, and I make my first zine, I’m living in Philadelphia, and there was the Philly Zine Fest at the Rotunda, I want to say this was 2008? 2007? That zine fest has been going on for over a decade, so it was maybe the third or so year. I went and I brought my zines to trade, no wait, the first year I went, I just went and was like, “I have fifty dollars,” and I spent them all very quickly. But I came home with this huge tote bag full of zines, um, well a regular sized tote bag, but it was pretty full. Um, and then the next year, one of the organizers I met at Wooden Shoe Books, Sawyer, was trying to convince me to table. And I was like, “Ummmmmm, no.” So instead, I just walked around trading zines. And I made, I think I want to say like, thirty copies? And everyone I asked to trade, almost everyone traded me. It was amazing, I came home with more zines than the year before, and I didn’t spend any money, because I just thought that was the coolest thing. Um, I’m really into, um, not spending money. Like, defeating capitalism by being a broke-ass. So um, like I was hooked. And that’s kind of been my motivator ever since, um, I tabled the year after and I sat next to Ray Quall Solomon, Sistress the Child Empress, ugh, Lou Gritand, made friends, and we talked zines, and we talked shit on Philly, and um it was great. So, I’ve been, I guess it’s been about ten years since that experience now, um, eleven years, something like that.

Maira: And now you’re doing really big things in the San Jose DIY community.

Poliana: Yeah! I moved to San Jose from Philadelphia about 4 years ago, and I was like, “Okay, where- okay, I’m here now, I want to find out where the punk shows are at, and where the zine people are at.” And-

Maira: You found both.

Poliana: I found both in this wonderful community DIY collective called Think and Die Thinking, um, they were a long-standing group of San Jose locals um, and their friends, and um, comrades, um who organized amazing DIY shows, the Think and Die Thinking Festival, um which-

Maira: Which is where I first encountered zines.

Poliana: Yes, yes!

Maira: In the wild.

Poliana: So many people say that Think and Die Thinking was their first time to see zines and I just think that’s wonderful, because um, first of all, Think and Die Thinking Festival um, was um put together to uplift and highlight and feature the voices of people of color, color especially queer people of color, and the LGBTQ community, so those intersecting identities of people of color and LGBTQ people. Um, especially youth, it was very important for it to be all-ages, for it to be a safe space, um, and feminist, and to be trans-inclusive, and to um, uplift voices of color. Which, all of those things are incredible, and was rare enough to see just 1 aspect of identity focused on in any kind of group, but for this collective to um, just fucking demand all of that, is important. All of these things that we are a part of are important, and we are going to focus on that. So the bands that were there, um, were all part of this mindset. And the zines, there was a zine swap, there was a Summer of Discontent Zine Swap, and like a writing process, where we all met up if you wanted to be part of that. Um, everyone met up a couple of times over the summer, and at the end of the summer we had a swap at um, SV Debug, Silicon Valley Debug. Um, and then um, the 2015 Think and Die Thinking, which ended up being the last festival, but um, I volunteered to help out, and I am so, so grateful, so fortunate that Bean and everybody else from TADT Collective let me help out with the zine stuff. Um, we organized the zine library on the second floor of the Billy DeFrank Center, which is the LGBTQ center in San Jose, and um, we also organized different zine readings. And um, it was a really great idea, um, from years before, that there was always an open mic on the stage so that people could do slam poetry, zine readings, poetry readings, or just speak their mind um, in between acts. And uh, while the bands were setting up. And it was only used a couple of times I think outside of the readings, but I think the year before, it was definitely more part of the festival. So in order to encourage that, we scheduled the zine readings in between the bands, which um, I think also opened up a lot of peoples’ minds um, and eyes and ears, to zines um in the DIY punk community. And then also people who were zinesters, you couldn’t just like, hide upstairs all day if you wanted to see a zine reading, or go look at the zines that were for sale or for trade, in the main festival area. Uh, you needed to watch the bands, too. So I just thought it was a really great idea, it was kind of like taking the riot grrl um, which was very [exhales] exclusive and clique-ish, taking that aspect of zines and flipping it on its head and making it inclusive and accessible, and I just- I love it. It’s um, working with zinesters in San Jose and the entire Bay Area, but San Jose and the South Bay specifically, has just enriched my life.

Maira: And that’s where we actually met, was that Think and Die Thinking, and that’s when I did my first reading, and I couldn’t finish it, and I like, cried and ran off- I wasn’t onstage, I was just like in front of the stage and I just like started crying and ran away.

Poliana: First of all, I don’t remember that was your first reading.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: And I um, I wish there was a camera here you could see my face. That was Maira’s, their first reading!? Second of all, I don’t remember you crying and running away, no not at all. I remember that you spoke very passionately and then it seemed to me like you had finished and exited stage quickly, not as in you know, couldn’t finish. You stopped naturally.

Maira: Okay. I mean I finished what I wanted to read. I was reading a piece from probably my heaviest zine, it was about like, sexual assault and trauma. And being trans. Yeah, and that was, I was really set on reading that piece, and I got really in- really inspired by all the other readers, so I was like, “Yeah, I can do this!” And then I did it.

Poliana: You did it!

Maira: And I’ve cried at most readings since then?

Poliana: Yeah, yeah.

Maira: But, I feel like it’s hard to like, really talk about personal stuff and kind of not- because when you’re doing a reading, it’s not really a dialogue, it’s more, “Here are my feelings, let me throw them at you.”

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: And then you kind of just like, wait. So, it’s hard to be vulnerable in that kind of space without crying, at least for me.

Poliana: Um, I think that everybody who read over that festival, 3 day festival, are some of the most brave, courageous, incredible, powerful people I have ever encountered. I’m an Aquarius, I’m a quadruple Aquarius, so I- I know a lot of people but I don’t have a lot of friends, and the people that I met from that fest, I still keep in touch with, and so hold dearly. And it’s because we got so vulnerable, I cried so often, so much. And there was kind of a joke amongst the organizers, um, that, “You’re not really at Think and Die Thinking unless you’re crying,” and, “How many times have you cried today?” You know. And um because that space was intended to be therapeutic-

Maira: Sad? [laughs]

Poliana: Therapeutic! [laughs] Um, vulnerable, um, emotional, um it was an intentional safe space. Uh, how successful that is for each individual, um depends on the individual. Your mileage may vary. But, the intentionality was that it was created so that we could have this space to process, um with our family, with our community. Um, and I think for me it was very successful in that because yeah I definitely cried. Um, I read as well, I was very hesitant to read, and I waited because as an organizer, I kind of felt like- Okay, also first of all, I’m not from San Jose. San Jose is under rapid gentrification; the entire Bay Area is. Um, there are a lot of people coming into these cities, such as myself, who are not from there and taking leadership roles. I think that the best usage of my talents and time and um, skills and experience is to utilize those to uplift local voices. Period. So, that being said, when somebody was unable to read, when we had someone bow out, I was encouraged to read, and so I did, that’s how I play it. So, I read, I cried afterwards and um, I had several people walk up to me and thank me, and I was like, “The fuck?”

[Maira laughs]

Poliana: Because I don’t, I don’t know, I always think of my zines as kind of like, um, “I wrote this thing so, I created this document, this thing, so that I could trick you into trading me yours.” That’s just like, my mental illness manifesting as like, self-loathing. And I know it’s not true, I mean-

Maira: It’s not.

Poliana: I write a lot, I re-read it, I edit it, I work really hard. They’re not bad, um, I’m proud of most of them. But I don’t, I haven’t, I’ve only read until I got to California. I read one time; the responses are amazing. Yeah, that whole thing of being vulnerable and then sharing your work and then waiting-

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: It’s not a conversation, it’s um, I hesitate to say performance, but it’s kind of how it feels? Like, you have to practice it in order for it to feel right. Um, and then the people who like, “Woah, they’re really good,” kind of have that actor thing going, where they’re like-

Maira: They’re in the zone.

Poliana: Yeah! They’re like, reciting poetry or whatever they’re writing, but uh, it’s like storytelling, the narrative um, is uh, engaging. Um, not like lots of “um,” people practice and say important things. So, uh, yeah! I want to be like that, sure, but then I kind of also don’t want to. [laughs]

Maira: I don’t… A lot of times, if I read, it will be something that I wrote and haven’t gone back to since I like, sent out the zine. And so sometimes, it’s kind of a surprise to me? And I’m just like, “Oh wait yeah, I wrote that. Oh, time to cry.” Um-

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: But yeah like you were saying, it’s weird… it feels weird to me when people come up and thank me. It’s cool because it’s like, I’m being really vulnerable and I’m letting them in, sometimes they’re going through similar shit. And so, I guess they’re thanking me for like, I don’t know, having someone to relate to? But it also is always overwhelming and I’m like, “Thanks for what? I didn’t do anything, I just… cried.” But I do understand the emotional labor that comes with that, and reading, and I feel like when I read, I’m giving a lot. And a lot of people when they read, are giving a lot of themselves to the audience and the listeners, and that’s, that feels really powerful. I always feel really good after I read.

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: But it doesn’t necessarily feel good while I’m doing it if that makes sense.

Poliana: Yeah, yeah. No, it’s not really an enjoyable activity to be on a stage or in front of a microphone, um, reading my work usually. Um, I think for me, um, I oscillate between just kind of neurotic observances, neurotic observations about the minutia in my life, or really heavy, deep, introspective um, like, literally I’m in crisis and writing about it. So, I wonder if maybe I wrote like, powerful, uplifting stuff, maybe I could be one of those motivational speakers. Like in my dreams, I am cooler than DJ Khaled, and I am telling everybody… I’m just like a cheerleader. I’m like a zine cheerleader, but um-

Maira: In real life or in your dreams? Because you’re like that in real life.

Poliana: Okay well, I want to be that but in like a, I don’t know, I guess the kids are calling it a “brand.”

Maira: Okay.

Poliana: Yeah I want that to like, to be my thing. And I do- so, so I do that, kind of, like I’m on my way to being that because um, this is all, it’s all coming together. The way that I look at zine events, and zine readings especially, is that I want to, once again, leverage my experience and my own emotional [giggles] vulnerability, I was going to say illness, but etcetera. I want to create a space, to work on creating a space so my community can also do the same. And, and find that freedom. Um, find that uh, that emotional release, and just fucking get free. So, like there’s the trade-off, the trade-off is I have to do it, too. [laughs] But um, [stuttering] I enjoy the aftereffects as well, yeah. The talking and the, well I really like compliments.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: Compliments are nice, especially a compliment on my writing. Um, that’s the best! Like I don’t necessarily um, love my writing, but I want to. [laughs] I want to love my writing so much that I got a degree in writing. But um-

Maira: Same.

Poliana: [laughs] Right? Yeah.

Maira: I know I can write; I don’t know how-

Poliana: You’re a fantastic writer.

Maira: Look who’s talking.

Poliana: Exactly, thank you.

Maira: But yeah, thank you. I don’t mean to, I feel like whenever somebody compliments me I’m like, “Right back at you!” Like immediately, but it’s not- I do take it in. Thank you. You are also a wonderful writer.

Poliana: Thank you.

Maira: Um, yeah sorry, I totally interrupted you.

Poliana: No! I was winding down I think. [laughs] I don’t know. Okay, this is my first ever podcast-

Maira: [laughs] So after Think and Die Thinking, you got, so you’re like a big-time zine fest organizer now.

Poliana: I am now a, uh, small-time. [laughs] No, you know what? So, what happened was, um, Think and Die Thinking, their collective wrapped up, ceased to exist, they uh, came to a conclusion. The reason being that several of them moved away, there was also some, there’s always interpersonal drama, etcetera. But the zinesters are still there, and many of the people are still there, and um, we wanted a zine fest.

[Maira says something indecipherable]

Poliana: Luckily, in San Jose. In San Jose, luckily, the brilliant genius Ivy Atoms was part of this um, art collective in Downtown San Jose. They um, converted an old department store, an old Ross, into an impromptu art gallery. Uh, we thought it was a community-run space, that turned out to not necessarily be the truthiest truth. In any case, Ivy had access to this huge space, and the desire to have a fest, she called it San Jose Zine Con, because San Jose, this is in fact Fanime weekend. San Jose has lots of conventions of uh, like-minded artists and writers and fans of different fandoms.

Maira: You can say weebs, it’s fine.

Poliana: And weebs. Lots of weebs. I actually learned um, the term weeb from Fanime. Listen, I live my life a quarter mile at a time, I don’t have friends, I have Fanime. Thank you, I’m so glad I got to use that joke. Thank you.

[both laugh]

Poliana: So yeah! Um, so she put out the call, “Uh, hey, who’s going to help me organize this?” And I’m like, “Hey, I can help!” And so we got a whole bunch of people together, Li Patron of Cheers From the Wasteland, and Erick Saenz, who also edits that journal- zine, online zine. And also, regular zine, paper zine. “Dear Hometown,” everyone pick it up, it’s amazing. And Saoirse Allessandro also helped. And Bee. Oh, I’m starting to name people and I’m going to forget everyone and embarrass myself. Crystal Olivas, and Diana Hernandez, and a bunch of us, a bunch of us. There were more, I forgot, I’m sorry. Eli! Eli Wenig, a lot of us helped out and did the first San Jose Zine Con on a shoestring budget, um-

Maira: That was 2017?

Poliana: That was February 2017, it ended up being over a hundred people, a hundred tablers, we had people from all over California come up. We started off huge, because we had access to this huge space, and then it was like, well, we have this huge space that was free, all we have to do is pay for tables and chairs. Well really, if you bring your own table and chair, then it can be free. So, we made it sliding scale, donation-based and ended up raising money because we made a profit that we donated to Trans Legal Center, the Billy DeFrank Center, a couple other places. Um, and it was tight because it was sliding scale, and free for many people. Some zine fests in the Bay Area, actually in California as a whole, I know that some zine fests cost $45 for a half table, some are sliding scale, um donation-based. You know, I just want everything to be free for everyone because money sucks and is difficult. And why just make everything easy and don’t have any money. Um, that’s a dream, but you can make the dream happen if uh, you get lucky and have a lot of people with weird ideas, like that’s my segue into 2018 San Jose Zine Con, which was um, a month ago. And it was free because we had it at the library! Ricardo Padilla from Latino Comics Expo had the 2014 Latino Comics Expo at San Jose Public Library, at King Library, and I just thought that was the coolest event. It was super chill. Okay so, in my day job, I’m a librarian, so I’m predisposed to like libraries and library people, but it was, it was, their library there, King Library, is so big because it’s also part of San Jose State University’s library. So, they had this huge meeting room area, and that’s where they had that event. So, I messaged him and said, “Hey, you know, can you tell me, can you give me a hint on how much your budget was for this? And um, how can we replicate this? Because we want to do this again and um, we didn’t have a venue anymore.” And it turns out it’s um, free for community events. So, that’s buried in the twenty seventh minute of this podcast, is that San Jose Public Library, if you reserve the rooms um, early enough in the year, you can get a Saturday or a Sunday, whatever you want, tables and chairs are free, included. You’ve just got to make sure that you don’t charge for anything. And we didn’t want to charge for anything! So, it’s free. We’re a community event, non-profit organization, open to all, open access to all, and so I encourage somebody else in Zinester Land, or um maybe in Comic Book Land, um, perhaps people that like anything, any kind of alternative press, or small press, to also look into working with the King Library folks. Um, to make your event free and accessible to all.

Maira: And also, if you’re not in the Bay Area, look into your local library.

Poliana: Yeah!

Maira: They will probably do the same thing.

Poliana: Yes, actually, I got this idea from Anaheim Zine Fest, wait no, I’m sorry, it’s called Orange County Zine Fest. And it’s held at the Anaheim Public Library. And same thing, it actually ends up, the library ends up benefitting, for that zine fest the library ends up printing tote bags and t-shirts and stickers and buttons to sell as a fundraiser. And then the zine fest brings in people from the community who wouldn’t normally go to the library, who don’t necessarily know that the library has anything for them. And also the benefit on the zine side, it’s free, it’s accessible, it’s a safe space, it’s a community public space, so it’s you know, all ages, um, welcoming, all that good stuff. Um, yeah! So definitely contact your local library.

Maira: The year I went to OC Zine Fest it was in a parking garage, which was really cool.

Poliana: Ooh, interesting.

Maira: Yeah, that was a rough weekend, because I went down to Tijuana Zine Fest that same weekend.

Poliana: Woah.

Maira: Yeah. It was wild, and I got a foot and a half tall Chewbacca piggy bank out of it, um, which was truly one of my finest purchases to date.

Poliana: [gasps] I love two and a half tall ceramic Chewbacca.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: He sounds nice.

Maira: He sat in my car for a really long time, and then he broke, but you know…

Poliana: It happens.

Maira: Yeah!

Poliana: But you had him for a long time.

Maira: Yeah, but OC Zine Fest was really cool, Tijuana Zine Fest was really cool.

Poliana: That’s on my list, I haven’t been to Tijuana yet. Long Beach Zine Fest is incredible.

Maira: Long Beach, I think I’ve told all of the organizers this, but that’s one of my favorite fests.

Poliana: It’s incredible! You can go there, okay, so it’s in a museum. Okay, so first of all, Santa Cruz Zine Fest is also in a museum, Santa Cruz Museum of Art is small, Long Beach Museum of Art is huge!

Maira: And it’s the Museum of Latin American Art, too.

Poliana: Yes, yes. Exactly, so it’s Latin American history and art, so it is educational and beautiful for the whole family.

Maira: And it’s on Free Day.

Poliana: Yes! Exactly, they make it a community event, the um, Long Beach Zine Fest organizers bring in friends’ bands to play, and serve food and drinks, and they have like a water stand so you can refill your bottle. Um-

Maira: Long Beach Zine Fest fucking rules.

Poliana: It’s tight. Yeah, it’s tight.

Maira: Shout out to uh-

Poliana: Shout out.

Maira: Daniel and Ziba.

Poliana: Ziba is-

Maira: Ziba is amazing.

Poliana: The best. Now, you want to talk about librarians, Ziba rules. Everyone just follow Ziba, Zebra Pizza Zine, and Ziba is a librarian now at um, Los Angeles Public Library. But she was a librarian at Long Beach and started their zine library, now she’s started one in L.A., I think she started one also in Ocean Beach, perhaps? I could be wrong, but I do know that she is um, goals. She’s librarian and zinesters goals for me. I uh, I do declare.

Maira: I actually went to her library when I, I took my sister down to L.A.-

Poliana: Oh, you went to Baldwin Hills! Yes!

Maira: Yeah, and so we went to the Baldwin Hills library and I took my sister to get a library card because she’s trying to get one from like, every library she can so she can get free e-books.

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: But we like, posed… we hard-styled in front of the zine library, naturally. Um-

Poliana: It’s beautiful.

Maira: As I do-

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: And as I make people do with me.

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: [laughs] So, it was, it was really cool to see it in person, and I had never seen zines in a library in person before. Until like, earlier this year, or last year, whenever I went.

Poliana: Mhm, mhm, it’s so cool. I love a good zine library. If we’re going to transition to talking about zine libraries…

Maira: Yeah! I, well-

Poliana: I’d like to plug-

Maira: Do you want to talk about organizing one, or talk about whatever.

Poliana: Oh, yeah. Well, okay, I was just trying to segue into South Bay DIY Zine Collective-

Maira: Hell yeah.

Poliana: A zine library that a few zinesters started, actually rising from the ashes of the Think and Die Thinking zine library. Um, Sherise Gutierrez approached me about taking the zines from TADT, and continuing on the portable zine library that they created, and then I was talking about it excitedly with Diana Hernandez, um, who at the time was working at the LGBTQ Youth Space in San Jose, and um, so she was like, “Well, why don’t you keep the zine library at the space? And then when you want to take it out somewhere, you just come to the space and take it with you.” And so, and so there it was. The collective was born, and the zine library was born, and um, it’s completely donation-based. We got our first round of donations from the first San Jose Zine Con, um, just about everybody who tabled donated a zine to the library. And so, me being a librarian, I have goals for the library, it’s not just like, zines are cool. I wanted to make, I mean, they are, so, but my intention with the South Bay DIY Zine Collective library is that the zines reflect the community who uh uses it. So, I intentionally solicit donations from communities of color, zinesters of color, and LGBTQ-identified zinesters, because that’s like, the best zines. But also, um- [laughs]

Maira: Very true.

Poliana: That’s very true. But also, that’s who uses the Space. So um, it’s gorgeous. It’s such a great library.

Maira: Are you still doing workshops there?

Poliana: Yes, yes! So, every month, mostly every month, um uh, we have workshops, zine making workshops. Maira, part of Queer Anxiety Babiez Zines Distro, Maira and Kristen brought in stamp making and um, collage um, making. So, we basically get zinesters from the community to teach workshops. Once again, I don’t like to do a lot of the teaching myself because I’m not trying to gentrify zines in San Jose. Um, but I want to, um, give zinesters a chance to teach each other. And to encourage that community and that culture to happen, and it’s been really fun. I think the best-attended, the most popular workshops have been poetry-based. Elliott Sky Case did an amazing workshop, Ashley Andrade also did another one. Spoiler alert: both of them have agreed to do workshops again this year, so that’s coming soon.

Maira: Whoo!

Poliana: Um, uh and, one of my goals is to start a Patreon for the zine library, so I can start paying zinesters to come do workshops, like a stipend. I would like to do that because, you know, zinester labor is important and valuable and should be paid. Um, the only time money is good is when you’re giving it to people who need it. So! Um, um, that’s how I feel about that. What about organizing did you want; did you want to-

Maira: I selfishly wanted to segue into Queer Zine Fest.

Poliana: Yes!

Maira: Bay Area Queer Zine Fest-

Poliana: Yes!

Maira: Is back. I think I’ve talked about it every episode so far, but for those of you who don’t know, we both organize Bay Area Queer Zine Fest, it’s happening, this is the second annual one coming up on Sunday, September 9th, at Humanist Hall in Oakland. Yeah, so we’re both organizing it again this year, and I wanted to talk about how San Jose Zine Con was kind of one of the things that I pulled from when I was inspired to start Bay Area Queer Zine Fest.

Poliana: Wow.

Maira: It was, it was definitely inspiration from Ara Jo and EBABZ, EBABZ is like my ultimate zine fest, and now I’m in my third year organizing with them and it feels amazing every time we meet.

Poliana: East Bay Alternative Book and Zine… Fair?

Maira: Fest.

Poliana: Fest. EBABZ.

Maira: But yeah, it was inspiration from Ara, and EBABZ, and San Jose Zine Con.

Poliana: Thank you, that’s really awesome. I have to say all the credit should go to Ivy Atoms.

Maira: Who also organized last year!

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: She did our wonderful flier.

Poliana: Yes! Oh my gosh, yes.

Maira: So, yeah. Let’s talk about Queer Zine Fest this year.

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: If you want to.

Poliana: I would love to. So, there’s a lot of really good organizers, I am one of many helpers, um, but I, as soon as you approached me last year, or put the call out – I don’t know. Um-

Maira: I can’t remember.

Poliana: Yeah, I don’t remember. It’s probably on the internet, that’s okay though. I forgive it.

[both laugh]

Maira: Most things I do are on the internet.

Poliana: Same, same. That’s where I’m a Viking. So, once you approach- once I heard about it, I was enthusiastically in, except that I live in San Jose, which is fifty nine miles away from Oakland. So, I don’t come up here very often, but when I do, it’s awesome. So, I help out with like, behind-the-scenes stuff, but mostly, I think my experience last year was being kind off a cheerleader.

Maira: You were an amazing cheerleader last year. Personally, I was dealing with so many curveballs-

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: Um…

Poliana: I forget, you’re such a fucking warrior that I forget, I forget.

Maira: [laughs] Yeah, I was living in San Francisco when Bay Area Queer Zine Fest was just a twinkle in my eye, and the eyes of so many wonderful people. Yeah, I was going through a lot of personal stuff last year, and you were really amazing with like keeping up morale, and just like-

Poliana: Cool.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: Glad to help.

Maira: And I’m really happy that you’re organizing with us again this year.

Poliana: Yeah, me too! Um, I, uh, am also going through a lot. I’ve got to say, part of my outsider experience here is coming to the Bay and realizing, “Wow, yeah, you’re just going to lose your first three jobs.” And that’s what’s happening. So, I throw myself into uh, organizing stuff and zine stuff because it makes me feel useful, and uh, knowledgeable, and like I know things.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: [laughs] When my daily life is like, [scoffs] “You don’t know shit.” [laughs] “Yes, I do!”

Maira: Exact same hat.

Poliana: Right? Yep, yep. I think that you’re a joy to work with, and um, your tenacity and your work ethic, and your creativity are super fun to watch like, grow and blossom. Blossom is a weird word-

Maira: This is unprompted, and I am not paying.

Poliana: I am not paid!

[both laugh]

Poliana: No, but this is so good! I am excited to help out again this year, in whatever remote um, doing, text message and/or Google chat I can do. [laughs]

Maira: Yeah, no, there was I don’t know, there was something else, but I was just like, “I don’t know if I should…” and you were like, “Just fucking do it.” And I did it.

Poliana: Yeah! So really, I take a lot of that from just watching people in the Philly Zine Fest community, the organizers. I helped out uh, the last couple of years that I was in Philly, I also helped out with the Philly Feminist Zine Fest organizing, and so, my experience was, “Oh, who’s going to lead this?” And, “Wait, it’s DIY, no one leads it, it’s a collective.” Uh, so, in that regards, um, on the one hand no one is in charge, but on the other hand, everyone is in charge.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: You just have to kind of gas each other up and just be like, wait, when you have that self-doubt, find someone else who believes in you [laughs].

Maira: Yeah,

Poliana: And, you know, it works out. So, I guess just saying yes to stuff is um, a really good thing.

Maira: Especially because I feel weird taking charge of things, and it’s like, definitely a community event, but I make executive decisions sometimes.

Poliana: Well-

Maira: And it’s like-

Poliana: This was your idea, it is your vision, you’ve decided to make it a community event. There are people who take a zine fest and are very controlling. And you’re not.

Maira: Thank you!

Poliana: Um, yeah-

Maira: Trying very hard.

Poliana: Well, and thank you, because it feels like a community event, and because of the, same thing with San Jose Zine Con, um, I see that in you because um, I also work on that too. Um, this year the creator of San Jose Zine Con was wrapped up creating her first book, um, Pinky and Pepper, order it, Forever! By Ivy Atoms, you can order it on SilverSprocket.net. It’s amazing, go look it up.

Maira: It’s so good.

Poliana: So good.

Maira: Good job, Ivy!

Poliana: Yeah, so um, so she couldn’t be as organizing as she could have, because of the timing of it, so I didn’t want to take it over, but I also wanted it to happen. So, I kind of had to like, take it over?

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: But then, like, I made sure- I asked as many people as possible to help. And Li Patron especially stepped up, a lot of other people helped on the day of. Kianna Flores, huge help on the day of, Mander Farrell. Which, people were like, “Oh, I don’t want to volunteer, I don’t want to organize,” but then like on the day of, everything, all the tables got labeled, everyone got shown to where they were going to sit. Tori from L.A., by the way, um another great zinesters that um, stepped up and volunteered on the day of. Violet from Santa Cruz, another volunteer. So, like, make sure that you not only seek out community volunteers, but also like, um, just continuing to check in with the group, with your co-organizers, you know, you always send out whatever decision you’re making. There’s always transparency, whatever how much money that you’re dealing with, having to book Humanist Hall and um, these other types of things. Uh, that’s how you make it a truly collective DIY space. And it’s going to be good this year.

Maira: I send out a million emails.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: If you ever work with me, just know that. Because I want to be as transparent as possible all the time, like I don’t want to be like a shadowy figure pulling strings. I don’t know, because it’s not about me, it’s about the community.

Poliana: Specifically, this is an important festival because of this community, the LGBTQ community, um for decades has been instrumental in keeping zines alive. Um, and creating zines in the first place, like all the way back to the days of the mimeograph. If you want to see an incredible zine collection, the um, zines at the San Francisco Public Library, there, there’s a whole archive filled with zines and chapbooks, um and pamphlets, and self-published ephemera. Um, and I believe that there’s a whole separate section of um, LGBTQ community zines. Segue on that, the librarian in charge of that is Penelope Houston from The Avengers, which I think is the coolest, coolest, coolest librarian ever. That’s just really cool. Um, so yeah. To have a fest specifically highlighting the LGBTQ community in the Bay is so important, so yeah, make it happen.

Maira: Yeah, just start your own fest.

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: Just do it.

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: All it takes is hope and friends-

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: And a place to have it.

Poliana: Well, I think also, a place to have it is a great place to start, people who want to work on it with you so friends is very important, um but also having different tasks for people to do that aren’t necessarily zinesters. Like, for example, all the fundraising that you have done already so far with bands, last year there were several shows, uh readings, so to do fundraisers with readings. We did one in San Jose for last year’s Bay Area Queer Zine Festival, it was actually in Santa Clara at Chromatic Coffee, uh chromatic.cafe if you’re online. Um, so if you do a reading, you can raise money that way. Um, but also that gets people involved that maybe aren’t necessarily making their own zines, but are supportive. It gives them an actual demonstrative way to be supportive. And people really like that, like, I came from it kind of thinking, “Oh, I’m going to start asking for handouts,” um, but there were so many people that are really into zines that don’t necessarily see themselves as a writer or illustrator or artist of any type. Even though they all are and can be, but this is a good way to get started and get involved is to, you know, work at a coffee shop that donates coffee to the fest, or etcetera. Good stuff like that.

Maira: Yep. Um, we actually had a reading last night at E.M. Wolfman in Oakland, and that was cool. That was the first pre-fest event, trying to get people pumped up. So, I talked to a couple of people, got them excited, raised like forty bucks, which literally anything helps. So-

Poliana: Totally! You also had a zine event a couple of weeks ago, um, for Zine of the Hill Volume 2.

Maira: Oh, yeah! So, I make a King of the Hill fanzine, called Zine of the Hill.

Poliana: It’s really good.

Maira: Um, Poliana’s in it. And so, I came out with the second issue and I had a party at my friend’s house in Oakland, and we raised money for the fest. We just had a table with donations, I put all the zines out, buttons, we had shirts made, we donated money that we raised to- oh, we like, screened King of the Hill on a wall which was really cool-

Poliana: It was so fun.

Maira: We had speakers, not people speaking but so you could like, listen to King of the Hill.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: People dressed up. We had an empty propane tank that just had “Best Cosplay” written on it in Sharpie, that I was, for whatever reason, very proud of. We raised like $320 total.

Poliana: Tight.

Maira: And we split it between Bay Area Queer Zine Fest and the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.

Poliana: That’s what’s up!

Maira: Because one of the other organizers, Robbie, does a lot of work with them.

Poliana: Most of the time, it’s like, “Wow! Look at this amazing set of resources and space here for our queer teens.”

Maira: Yeah. We’re trying to do zine workshops at the space.

Poliana: Yes!

Maira: We’re trying to, which was inspired by your zine workshops, um, because we had a lot of, me and Kristen, doing ours. And so, we’re trying to do zine workshops, like once a month leading up to the fest. And hopefully continually after the fest.

Poliana: Yeah!

Maira: I’m going to see if I can do some at work in Alameda, so I’m really excited about that.

Poliana: So cool.

Maira: Trying to get the youths of Alameda into zines.

Poliana: Yeah!

Maira: We’re going to try to do them in Oakland, I don’t really have any connections in San Francisco anymore, so I don’t know if that’s happening, but you can always try!

Poliana: Mhm, mhm.

Maira: Wait actually, no, I’m leading a workshop-

[Poliana laughs]

Maira: In San Francisco, in a couple of weeks.

Poliana: There you go! [laughs]

Maira: I’m leading a workshop in San Francisco in a few weeks, for some youth, and I’m really excited about that. Um, but yeah, we just want to get zines to the people.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: All the time.

Poliana: One of the most rewarding aspects of organizing um, specifically San Jose Zine Con 2018, was the multitude of people who told me that this was their first time tabling, much less their first time at a zine fest at all. Uh, many of them made their very first zine ever for the occasion, and it’s incredible. We had a very large group of folks, I want to say a collective, that formed because of the fest, or like part of it. Um, but they were a group of students from San Jose State University’s Animation Club, the Shrunken Head Man Club. Um, I don’t know what the name means, but that’s the name of their club. A bunch of illustrators, beautiful comics, really just um, poignant stories, um, and it’s so rewarding to have those interactions with people that found, you know, a way to communicate their story, a way to document their what’s happening with them with their own minds. And then inexpensively distribute it themselves. It’s really cool, I’m into that.

Maira: I love zines.

Poliana: Yeah, me too. Me, too. So, I was saying that I like to, as much as possible, get people from the community to lead the zine workshops, but I also give my own workshops. We take the zine library out, it’s still in a popup kind of style, you take it out and bring it to community events. Introducing the concept of a library of zines to people is really fun, and kind of giving access to this um, what is technically outsider art. To find zines outside of a zine event, you have to go looking for them, and especially in the Bay Area, and especially in the year 2018, and this accursed stolen land, um, it’s really hard for small bookstores, independent businesses, to stay open, much less have dedicated square footage to selling zines. So, there are a few of them, you mentioned E.M. Wolfman, in Oakland?

Maira: Mhm.

Poliana: In Oakland. Um, Seeing Things Gallery in San Jose, Needles & Pens in the city, um, there’s several stores still that you can find zines.

Maira: Yeah. There’s, and there’s a bunch of small, independent bookstores like Pegasus, City Lights in San Francisco still does zines.

Poliana: Ooh! Okay, I didn’t know that.

Maira: Yeah, and that’s like a historical spot.

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: Yeah, there’s- it’s really cool, I feel like we live in such a great area for zines.

Poliana: Yes, yeah.

Maira: And for being able to have access to them in person.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: Pretty like easily? Which I think is amazing.

Poliana: Yep, mhm.

Maira: I wish that everyone had this.

Poliana: Well, hopefully, um-

Maira: That’s like, my life goal-

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: Is for every single person in the world-

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: To have access to zines! Maybe, eh, you know-

Poliana: Anyone can make one.

Maira: Anyone can make one.

Poliana: Anyone can make-

Maira: Anyone can read one.

Poliana: Yes. Exactly, anyone can make more than one. And when you have a collection, when you have more than one of something you have a collection. And then when you have a lot of something and you share it, your collection becomes a library, heh heh heh.

Maira: Wooh!

Poliana: Yeah! [laughs]

Maira: Um, we brought the library to-

Poliana: Yes.

Maira: Bay Area Queer Zine Fest, going back to that.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: We tabled at the LGBTQ Non-Profit Expo in San Francisco last year, and we took the South Bay DIY Zine Collective library, and people were like, “What’s this? I don’t understand. Oh, there’s a person sitting behind these like, A-frames.” And I would just pop up and be like, “Hello! Let me tell you about these zines.”

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: And the library is cool because it’s organized by like, personal, um there’s feminist section, there’s uh, do you have the actual list?

Poliana: Uh, I-

Maira: Or do you know it off the top of your head?

Poliana: I actually might know off the top of my head at this point, um, so-

Maira: They’re color-coded.

Poliana: They’re color-coded, uh six colors of the rainbow. You’ve got your perzine which is red, orange is fiction, yellow is poetry, green is comics and art, blue is biography how-to, so it’s like non-fiction. Um, uh and purple is politics/feminism. Yeah!

Maira: Nice!

Poliana: I got it!

Maira: You got it!

Poliana: I got it, yeah.

Maira: Yeah, people were excited about that, I was excited about that, you were excited about that.

Poliana: Yeah, it’s been really fun, um to uh do something that I love and for a purpose that I love. We’ve been able to uh, segue into, I don’t know, once again I feel like I’m tricking people, but I literally went to grad school to do librarianship shit, so I’m not. But um, I’ve taken the zine library uh to college campuses, and they’ve given us money, which we’ve been funneled back into um the South Bay DIY Zine Collective, also the South Bay Foundation for All Ages Music. Uh, which is um raising money to open up a venue of our own, an all ages safe space, um, much in the style of um Holland Project in Reno, or Silent Barn, RIP Silent Barn, in New York. So uh, having the library is great, but also uh having it mobile, so we can take it places is really great. It was really, really satisfying to me to see that um zine fests growing and changing and um-

Maira: Evolving.

Poliana: Evolving, yeah! Exactly. Evolving throughout the years, um this current zeitgeist that we’re in is uh, the coolest one yet I guess. I love it, um, I love that we’re now in an age and in a phase of our culture where we can talk about things like uh, we need to in this huge, fun-filled fest, we need to have a spot where um, people can not be overstimulated and be quiet. So, we’re going to bring the library to the fest. And it’s been, every time I’ve seen it done, like at this year’s um, EBABZ, the library was in the front by the couches, and I was like, “Oh, it looks so- I just want to snuggle up there,” and you can! It’s great. Same thing with the South Bay DIY Zine Collection library, um, at Bay Area Queer Zine Fest, it was like upstairs in a loft, and it was adjacent from the maker’s space where the workshops were happening, but it was like this cozy corner with couches and a reading lamp and just a bunch of zines that you could chill at for a moment.

Maira: Yeah, it was nice because like up in the mezzanine, it was much quieter up there.

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: Which I would think would be the opposite, because-

Poliana: Yeah!

Maira: I feel like sound, like heat, rises. Um, it was very hot.

Poliana: It was hot. But-

Maira: Very hot.

Poliana: It was like, cozy. [laughs]

Maira: It uh, made me sleepy but I was too anxious and caffeinated to sleep.

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: So, I was just running around, sweaty and asking people if they were doing okay. Um, because that’s what organizers should do.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: Always make sure that like- and that’s some of the feedback we took from last year, is like, uh, we’re going to make sure there are snacks for tablers at this year’s zine fest, and we’re going to like take care of lodging for people from out of town, and just like, I don’t know, I feel like organizers should accommodate the zinesters, because it’s an equal, like- zinesters are giving their work and their emotional labor…

Poliana: Yeah, yeah.

Maira: And just kind of putting themselves out there, and organizers are providing the space. So, it’s like-

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: It’s a give and take, but it should be equal.

Poliana: Okay, so I’m really glad you brought this up, this is something I feel really strongly about. Um, I take this from the DIY punk community, but also from growing up in uh, hotels, because my dad worked for hotels when I was a kid. When you’re holding an event, you are the host. When you go to another event, someone else’s town’s zine fest, or someone else’s house party, they’re hosting you. So, when you’re the host, um, you want to make sure that you are doing whatever you can, and all the things that you just mentioned are great examples of being a good host. Um, and so some people look at it and you can definitely look at it, because it is stressful, um, it’s a lot of work, it’s not necessarily going to be a fest where you’re going to make any money personally selling your own zines, but it’s not about that because you did that at the San Francisco fest, or at the L.A. fest. So, now those folks are coming to your town and you want to make it as um, fun, as relaxing, as energetic, as um inspiring, and as lucrative for them as possible. Um, so uh, that’s what a host does. Um, inviting them into your home.

Maira: I was going to say, you know who does a really good job of that is the organizers of Omaha Zine Fest.

Poliana: Aw, yeah.

Maira: Shout out, I love them.

Poliana: Nice. I want to go to that. I’ve never been.

Maira: Yeah! I saw it on Zines a Go Go, the Facebook group, and uh, they were totally, totally sweet and they were like, “Hey, you can come stay at our house.” And I had like, never met these people or talked to them before. And it felt like, there were a bunch of us crashing at one house, there were probably 8 of us, and it felt like zine summer camp, and they were so accommodating and you know, my flight was later in the day like after the weekend, and they took me out for breakfast and drove me around Omaha.

Poliana: Aww.

Maira: And showed me the Chef Boyardee factory.

Poliana: [laughs] That’s wonderful, that’s actually what Ziba did for me at Long Beach Zine Fest.

Maira: Same!

Poliana: Yeah, yeah, she hosted a couple of us.

Maira: We love Ziba!

Poliana: Yes! But also, the other organizers of Long Beach Zine Fest also were hosting folks from out of town, too. But um, I had never been to Long Beach until, until that day. Um, and it was, yeah exactly. So, um, do whatever you can uh because it’s been done for you. But also, um because it’s way more fun um when you’re in a touring band and you’re staying in hotels, they’re really expensive and then you don’t actually, you’re just passing through town. You may as well be on a business trip. But if you’re actually trying to make and create and be a part of culture, like, of course you want to go into someone’s home. That’s what a zine is about, you know, you’re [exhales]-

Maira: When you’re reading zines, you’re like going into someone’s home.

Poliana: Yes, yes, yes.

Maira: Or their brain.

Poliana: There is a level of intimacy there that um can, once again you’re vulnerable, you know, I could’ve been going to this stranger’s house and it could’ve been creepy. But it wasn’t, because that’s um, you know, you have conversations beforehand, and also you trust. You trust, and that’s what zines are about, it’s a community and a culture um, that people are part of because of that feeling.

Maira: That’s why I’m in it.

Poliana: Chosen family.

Maira: That’s why I still do it, that’s why I got into it, that’s, that’s what I love about zines.

Poliana: Mhm.

Maira: The community.

Poliana: Yeah!

Maira: And that’s why me and the Omaha Zine Fest organizers got matching zine tattoos.

[Poliana gasps]

Maira: Uh-

Poliana: Oh wait, yeah, yeah, yeah, that one!

Maira: We went to Phoenix Zine Fest, we were like, we had met earlier that year. We met like 6 months before, and we were like, “Phoenix!” And we got tattoos, and we just like hung out, and Andrea and Daphne and Kaitlin, you’re all wonderful people.

Poliana: Yay!

Maira: Yay! Are you working on anything currently, or like do you have anything coming up besides Bay Area Queer Zine Fest?

Poliana: That’s a good question. So, this weekend was the Los Angeles Zine Festival, and I really wanted to go to L.A. Zine Fest, and I did not. I really wanted to go to Joshua Tree Zine Fest, and I got in. I ended up not being able to afford it – that’s kind of been the theme of 2018 because it’s been a lot of like, “Aw,” disappointment. But that’s okay because 2017 was fucking lit. So, the thing that I do, okay I’ll have to remind me that I am going to um Minneapolis for the Zine Librarian (Un)Conference-

Maira: Hell yeah!

Poliana: Which is going to be amazing. I went last year in Long Beach, um it was planned to be adjacent to the Long Beach Zine Fest, which was overwhelming and amazing, but um, so this year it’s not around a zine fest. It’s just uh, just the event, the conference itself, so um I am going to do that. It ends up being a bunch of librarians that we swap our own zines, and I have, I know at least one new one since last year’s. Yeah, I think only the one new one, but it’s my favorite zine that I’ve done, Identity Crisis. Um-

Maira: It’s really good!

Poliana: Thank you, I really like it and I’m really proud of it, and I want to do several more. Um, I want to do three more, the first one was kind of the theme of um, plants and like lots of greenery. Um, my next one I want to do like water, and then maybe either a fire one or an earth one, and maybe one about air, like clouds or something. I don’t know. That’s like my idea, I’ve never really, this will be, if I do a sequel, it will be my second sequel ever. Also, Gen X Garbage, I’ve got 1 and 2, um and I thought about doing a third one, make a trilogy of it, I’m not sure though. Because I think the third one, so the first two are just screenshots of um really bad dating profiles that I encountered on Tinder, Bumble, Plenty of Fish, and then the first one focuses on, oh god it’s so bad. It’s um, racist Halloween costumes being used as um, dating profile pictures. It’s bad. And then you just swipe through the zine, it’s like when you flip the pages of the zine it’s supposed to remind you of swiping left on Tinder, um and then the second Gen X Garbage is sexually aggressive messages um from men to me on these dating sites. It’s just really bad, it’s garbage. And so, then the third one I want to do maybe write a little bit about my experiences, because the first two I didn’t really write anything, it was kind of presented without comment. Like, let these guy- I did of course comment on the end, because of course I’m going to comment. But um, presented just as they were and then I think the third one I don’t want to have any. But once again, I kind of, I don’t know. I’m kind of in a nebulous, like I’m planning these things out. Uh reader, call in if you’re interested in any of these zines. [laughs] So, oh I also have Team Swami Zine, I was going to try and finish the third one. Team Swami Zine is my first, um I guess submission-based um, editorial zine where I um solicited from the fandom of Swami Records, and Rocket from the Crypt fandoms, um solicited uh words and images, stories about peoples’ fandoms about these bands from Swami Records label out of San Diego, California. Um, I’ve known some of these people for over 20 years on the internet, um the Rocket forum I believe started in 1997, ’98? Something like that. Um, ’98. And uh yeah, it’s been 20 years now, wow. Anyway, I wanted to do the third one in time for the Hot Snakes show that happened last week, but it didn’t happen. So, um that means that I’ve missed that deadline, so I can just do it whenever.

Maira: Nice.

Poliana: Yeah, so I have plans. I just don’t really have any inspiration to like I have to finish this by then right now, which is a change of pace for me. I usually feel like I need to always be working on something. I think it’s because I have so much other shit in my life right now that it’s like, doing shit that I’m kind of uh… What about you, what are you working on?

Maira: Let’s see, I just finished Zine of the Hill 2, which took me almost a year to finish.

Poliana: It’s hard to finish those ones that other people contribute to!

Maira: Yeah. But speaking of contribution zines, um, I’m putting together a series of zines about karaoke, which I’m super pumped for because if you’ve ever met me, I’ve probably talked your ear off about karaoke within like five minutes of meeting you. Um, so I’m taking submissions for Karaoke Zine Volume 1, submissions are due July 8th, I want to have it ready for Portland Zine Symposium at the end of July. I’m working on Queer Zine Fest, that’s pretty much it right now. I like, haven’t really been inspired to write, but I was writing a lot of poetry this last semester because I was in class, so I want to get back into writing poetry. I’m not working on much right now. Everything’s kind of up in the air.

Poliana: Mhm, mhm.

Maira: But that’s life.

Poliana: Yeah. I think sometimes the idea that uh you need to put a zine out for every fest you go to, um you don’t necessarily have to. But for me, I use them as deadlines.

Maira: Yeah, same.

Poliana: Yeah I use them um, I mean ultimately, the only thing that really gets me going is knowing people will trade me their zines for mine. And then I’m like, “Yes, I have to finish. Oh my god, I need to get the new, the new any of them. The new Zine of the Hill.” Yes, so I do that. It’s okay to bring your old zines, it’s fine.

Maira: Yeah.

Poliana: Because there’s always new people that have never read your stuff before.

Maira: I actually brought a bunch of zines out of retirement for Dear Diary Zine Fest, because I haven’t written a solid perzine in a while, maybe a couple months. But I used to exclusively write perzines, um, and so I brought- I used to do this series called Perpetual Nervousness.

Poliana: Yes! I love that series.

Maira: Thank you! Um, I kind of miss it. But I’ve like moved on to other things, I’m a very different person from when I was writing that. So, it was cool to re-read… it was cringey to read things I wrote when I was like, 24 and you know, first kind of starting the gender journey and just kind of trying to figure my shit out. It’s not like I have it figured out now, but I’m in a very different place with all of that. So, it’s like… I don’t know, it’s cool to see how much I’ve grown as a person in the last 4 years, so um… that’s what I’m working on.

Poliana: Well, I can’t wait to read it.

Maira: Do you have anything else?

Poliana: Yes! There is something else I want to talk about, and plug. Cheers from the Wasteland is back! They are doing a call for submissions for the next issue, which is transportation themed. So, if you are in the sound of my voice, if you can hear my voice and you have um, a story about transportation in the city of San Jose or the surrounding region, consider submitting your story or art, and/or art, to cheersfromthewasteland.com. Um-

Maira: I’ll post the link, too.

Poliana: Yeah! Post the link! It is um my favorite um website on the internet besides [laughs] I don’t know what besides. I was trying to make a joke and I just lost the plot there. But um yeah it’s a really good website and a really good zine.

Maira: I’ve got a couple things to plug aside from things I’ve already plugged. It’s not really a plug, it’s more like news. Um, we are now, “we,” Long Arm Stapler is now available on the iTunes store, so that’s cool.

Poliana: You might already be there!

Maira: You might already be on the iTunes store; I don’t know if it’s still called that. It might be like Apple Music, or I don’t know. We’re available outside of just the website that hosts this podcast. So, that’s really cool and exciting. Karaoke Zine, which I already talked about, I’m taking submissions um on a rolling deadline but if you want to be in the first one, you’ve got to submit by July 8th. I think that’s it. I’m really glad that we were finally able to do this, because-

Poliana: Me, too! We’ve been trying or a minute.

Maira: We’ve been trying to since like-

Poliana: You started.

Maira: January.

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: May 26th, finally happened.

Poliana: We did it!

Maira: Yay!

Poliana: I want to, I want to give a shout out to Diana Hernandez, um her first zine ever is called Ugh, Finally.

Maira: It’s great.

Poliana: It’s amazing! It’s one of my favorite things in life, because I’m a librarian, it is um stuff that’s about stuff, it’s called metadata. It’s a zine about making zines! I think that’s so cool. It’s hilarious and really good, and it’s her first ever zine and I’m really proud of her.

Maira: I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I went over to her house.

[Poliana laughs]

Maira: And-

Poliana: I feel like such an asshole, I totally forgot that you helped her!

Maira: Oh, no! I just think it’s funny because like-

Poliana: [laughing] That was awesome, that was the best selfie. It was really cute.

Maira: I went over to Diana’s house and she was going to make a zine for San Jose Zine Con um, and she had never made a zine before and I was just like, yeah. And so we just wor- she made me dinner which was really nice, shout out-

Poliana: Yeah.

Maira: To Diana, um she made me dinner and we worked on a zine which uh she ended up not going with, but uh, because what her finished product was amazing. Aw, when I had hair.

[Poliana laughs]

Maira: Uh so we sent Poliana a selfie because we were so proud and wanted to share it with her.

Poliana: And there, I am showing the screenshot um from that day, because Li and I, Li from Cheers from the Wasteland, and I were working on Zine Con stuff at that same time. So, it was like zine masterminds texting each other, it was nice.

Maira: It was very nice.

Poliana: Yeah, we’ll [laughs]

Maira: Honestly, screenshot that and send it to me and I’ll put it up.

Poliana: Yeah, mhm.

Maira: Um yeah, thank you for listening to this episode of Long Arm Stapler, a podcast about zines. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, if you want to be on the podcast, shoot me an email at [email protected], I’m also on Twitter, @longarmstapler. And yeah, get at me because I would love to talk to you about zines. Alright, bye!

[Airhorn noises]

Tam Thanh mural village

The unique and colorful Tam Thanh mural village is the live gallery of Vietnamese and Korean artists. The fishing village was very poor and isolated so the artists spent weeks here and converted the place beautifully into a village gallery. There are about a hundred murals on houses, walls and streets. This is the major street art attraction in Vietnam that is visited by thousands of tourists every year. After enjoying and amazing day trip of exploring the beautiful murals in this fishing village you will realize how important are these murals for the village and how they represent the lifestyles of Tam Thanh Mural village natives. This was the joint effort of the Government of Quang Nam province and Korean community art exchange program. They initiated it a decade ago and projects like this started in different villages of South Korea to revitalize the rural areas and big city slums. After the success of increasing tourism and economic benefits, they started it in Tam Thanh to support it.

Where is Tam Thanh Mural Village?

The village is located in the south of Hoi an so you can plan a day trip easily. It is a small community with almost thirty houses (when it was unexplored), located near the beach that started getting attention a few years ago. Mostly people find this place very calm and they visit this place to run away from the crowded streets of Hoi an.

How to get to Tam Thanh Mural Village

By Road

It is very easy to reach from Hoi an because it takes only one hour to be there. The best way to enjoy the scooter ride is this trip. You can rent or hire a scooter but never forget about negotiating the amount first or you will end up paying a lot. Scooter costs lesser than taxi or car. You can also get a taxi to reach there but never forget to secure the ride back. There are not much ways of transportation available so hire the taxi round trip with the waiting time included in the rent.

Tour from Hoi an

There are different companies providing half day tours to the Tam Thanh mural village. You can book one for exploration it is detailed and guided. The tour usually starts at 1pm until 5:30pm. There are some other attraction visits included in the trip. Booking a trip is a very good option especially if you are travelling solo. The charges are fixed and you have no hassle of negotiating with the taxi.

Places to visit on the way

There is an amazing country side while going to the village. You can stop a little bit to enjoy the surroundings. Some other things are

Vietnamese Heroic mother nature statue

This site is the mark of the heroic contribution to the nation. It was dedicated to the mothers of the children lost their lives in the Vietnamese battle. It was inaugurated on the 40th anniversary of liberation (1975- 2015). The statue covers 15 hectares of the Cam mountain and it is 120 meters wide and 18.6meters high. The construction cost of this statue was US$19 million that was contributed by the local authorities and beneficiaries of the country. The statue is very well detailed carved in granite and has a museum inside it that displays the memories of the volunteers who devoted their life for the country.

When to visit Tam Thanh mural village?

The major attraction of this place are the murals that you can only see clearly in the day time. If you are visiting during summers than the best time to visit is the morning. You can explore every corner conveniently and observe every detail of the murals. The natives are friendly and welcome the tourists. Two years ago, the village was unknown to the world but now the economy is becoming better quickly. You will see a lot of tourists exploring the place. You can enjoy a very good time if you visit in the day light.

  Story of Tam Thanh Mural Village

The village is the master piece created by the Korean artists and the Quang Nam province authorities. It is a very successful project because it has not only improved the economy but brought opportunities to the natives for a better future. The development is increasing day by day along with the tourism. The murals tell the story of the lives of locals. The way they do fishing, the values, activities, the way they look etc. You will feel like every mural is telling a different story. The main art works were painted in only 20 days that you will not believe because they are impressively detailed.;

Philosophy behind creating the murals

The main thing comes to mind that why was this village chosen to be the main attraction of murals. It was a big step because it was already very isolated and making something and spending time and efforts on that was a big risk. Nobody was sure that it will improve the things for the village or remain unseen. It was selected because it was located near Hoi an where huge tourist crowds keep coming.

The authorities of project thought that the Tam Thanh will start getting visitors because it is easily accessible and it will bring improvement in the economy. However, nobody imagined that it will grow rapidly and the economy will boost up very quickly according to the income from normal tourism of other villages of Vietnam. The beautiful village has a cluster of houses near the seaside with a very simple layout. After visiting this place, the artists gathered and stayed for several days to make this place one of the biggest attractions.

The village and imagery

Village has basically the crowd of people from some families which lived together for generations and survived the sea. They worked for their survival and therefore lost the opportunity to work for the improvement of their economy. These 20 to 30 houses cluster is attached with each other tightly due to that it appeared as the huge canvas for the art. The murals are mostly of the people belonging to the village, their culture, lifestyle, nature and family setups. The colors are found on every wall of the houses that infuses the surroundings with energy. The narrow streets and alleyways make the travelers to explore the strange world by wandering into it.

The social impact of Art

The biggest social impact can be seen from the transformation of the professions of people. once they used to do fishing and plan their survival. However, now they have a lot of local shops, small cafes, eating places that are expanding. The impressive murals give energy to the environment of the village and income to the locals. They are also getting better opportunities to their children like interacting with other cities, better education and improved lifestyles.

Explanation of some images

Walking through the streets you will find a lot of images related to the people living in the house. You can buy things from them with the assurance that the money is going direct to the community to support them.

Tailor and his family

There is an image of the tailor stitching on the sewing machine and the images of his family. The mural has beautiful details. The story behind this mural is that the family started selling tote bags and they were decorated by their daughter. You can even buy one bag from them to keep as a memory.

Paper planes image

One mural is of the boy playing with the paper planes. It is painted with bright colors and details. You will feel like he is sitting on one window and the plains are falling on the other window and some are in the air.

Aquatic theme

There are many murals of sea side, beach, waters, fishes and other aquatic creatures. They are painted to show the role of sea in the lives of people.

Art on other things

The paintings are not limited to the walls only but they are made on many other things that you can easily spot. There is a grassy field area where the paintings are made on bamboo made objects. They are in the shape of boats. The objects are places at different spots in the field like the painted boats are scattered and turned upside down.

Sellers paintings

There are a lot of paintings of local fish sellers and which are sitting with their baskets having fish and selling it. Some are of women selling fruits and vegetables along with fish.

The paintings are like are the research work showed in images on the Tam Thanh Mural village. The biggest part of the life of the village people. You can get into the streets and click the photos by avoiding the people doing their daily household chores. Do not click the images of people without permission.

What to Expect

When you get there keep in mind that most of the people do not understand or speak English. Locals are nice and friendly but you cannot interact with them easily. There is a collection of around 100 murals and are located closely in the cluster of houses. There is another village near the Tam Thanh that is also isolated but you can visit it. There are some painted houses there as well which are perfect for beach photos.

Things to Pack for Tam Thanh Mural village

If you are visiting in summers, then get your sunglasses and sunblock. There is a little shade but most of the area becomes hot and sunny. There are some shops in the town that do not have a lot of things.

You have to get your snacks and drinks. In case if you do not bring your things then you would be having fish and warm beer. Most of the shops do not have refrigerators and the beverages they sell are not chilled.

Do not forget bringing your tripod if you are travelling solo. It will be your photoshoot buddy because the people do not know how to click photos. There are a lot of places which are perfect for photos.

There is a beautiful and long coastline so in case if you get a chance for a swim then keep a towel and swimsuit. Especially in summers the dip makes you feel pleasant in scorching heat.

After the success and completion of the Tam Thanh mural village some other projects also started. However, they are designed to raise awareness about their social problems. The two new villages were painted to teach people about the importance to environmental protection because the main problem among them is the trash. The garbage is eventually destroying the surroundings of the villages so the young artists are creating awareness and warning them about the climate change.

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from Things To Do In Hoi An https://thingstodoinhoian.com/tam-thanh-mural-village/

An only child can change the relationship between parents

My Marriage Has a Third Wheel: Our Child

Here’s a typical weeknight scenario in our household: My husband, Tom, our 9-year-old daughter, Sylvie, and I feel like ordering in, and after a lengthy debate, we decide on pizza. Later, while the three of us are eating pepperoni slices and playing Bananagrams, Sylvie reminds Tom that our wedding anniversary is coming up and offhandedly mentions that my favorite flowers are peonies. After a few rounds of the game, we consider a movie. Sylvie proposes “Escape From New York,” a film that has piqued her curiosity after hearing her father repeatedly imitate Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken.

“I’ll look it up on Common Sense Media to see if it’s appropriate,” she volunteers, opening my computer. Unfortunately, she reports gravely, it’s for ages 16 and up. “‘Except for a severed head,’” Sylvie reads aloud, “‘there’s little explicit gore. An atmosphere of cynicism and darkness pervades, including a negative depiction of a U.S. President.’”

Tom points out that this sounds like his Twitter feed. But I balk at the severed head, which is a pretty big except for.

I would never have predicted that the hardest part of parenting would be that our only child would come to fully believe she is the third person in our marriage. This arrangement began roughly as soon as she learned to talk.

As family psychologists such as Dr. Carl E. Pickhardt, Ph.D., point out, only children often feel like one of the adults. As with our tripartite system of government, they view the daily running of the household as a three-way power-sharing agreement. This is an issue more parents may have to deal with, now that one-child families are gaining ground. According to a Pew Research analysis of 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data, today 18 percent of mothers at the end of their childbearing years have an only child — up from 10 percent in 1976.

Tom and I have fully enabled Sylvie to feel like one of the gang, because we go almost everywhere as a trio. We’re usually too cheap to hire babysitters, and tend to travel with Sylvie, too, as she slots fairly easily into our itineraries. As a result, Sylvie has gotten used to being included, consulted, part of our in-jokes. This is not uncommon, says social psychologist Dr. Susan Newman, Ph.D., who has spent decades studying only children — a term I loathe, as it calls to mind a kid alone in a shadowy room, whispering quietly to his sock puppet “friends.” (I think we should revive the much more sprightly “oneling,” used by 19th century author John Cole in his book “Herveiana.”)

But our efforts to “empower” our oneling and make her voice heard have begun to backfire. To paraphrase Princess Diana when asked about Camilla Parker-Bowles: There are three of us in this marriage, so it’s a bit crowded.

One reason for our fluid boundaries is physical. It’s almost impossible to maintain them in a Brooklyn apartment a realtor would euphemistically call “charming and cozy,” one with bizarrely porous doors that actually seem to amplify sound. But it’s also emotional: Tom and I, like many parents of our generation, make an effort to be open and communicative with Sylvie. (“You can tell us anything, sweetheart!”)

When I was growing up, I would never have dreamed of sharing anything remotely personal with my parents. I had two siblings, and our family dynamic was solidly Us vs. Them — my sisters and I were one unit, my folks another. I wanted a different kind of relationship with our daughter.

But one consequence of all this closeness is that our child feels insulted if Tom and I go out to dinner alone. If we’re on vacation, she balks at being “dumped,” as she puts it, in the Kids’ Club. She would be happy to Photoshop her picture into our wedding photos. If Tom and I give each other a hug, she has gotten in the habit of jumping in between us.

At least she doesn’t referee when we fight, as she did when she was smaller. A couples’ counselor put a stop to that when he advised me to put a photo of Sylvie in a drawer by my bedside table. Whenever I was about to lose my temper with Tom, he told me, I was to run to the bedroom, pull out the photo, and say to it: I know that what I’m about to do is going to cause you harm, but right now, my anger is more important to me than you are. I only had to repeat that brutal phrase a couple of times.

But Tom and I still squabble about minor stuff, like whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher — and when we do, Sylvie jumps in and takes sides. (“Mom, you did it last time.”)

As a self-flagellating parent, I was recently drawn to a book with the dire title “The Seven Common Sins of Parenting an Only Child.” Ooh, sins — what am I doing wrong? Among other iniquities — overprotection, overcompensating — Sin No. 6 resonated with me: Treating Your Child Like an Adult.

“It can become so pleasurable for parents of an only child to have a miniature adult by their side that they may lose sight of the fact that their kid needs to be a kid,” writes author Carolyn White, former editor of Only Child magazine. I read this aloud to Tom as Sylvie, nearby, perused the latest issue of Consumer Reports, ready to counsel us on our next car purchase.

Sylvie may be comfortable around adults, but she is still a child, one who lacks the reasoning abilities and experience of a grown-up — so I must catch myself when I absently reply to her questions about money, or other parents, before realizing, whoops, shouldn’t have told her that.

As Newman advises, “Before you allow your child to weigh in, take a pause and ask yourself, ‘Is this really a topic or an issue that a 9-year-old should be involved in, or is this a decision for adults?’ ”

Sylvie needs time away from us to be a kid — time to act silly and make jokes about butts and drone on about the intricacies of Minecraft. She has a group of good friends, but I do see her picking up on her middle-aged parents’ habits, such as calculating how many hours of sleep she got every morning. Her posse at home is squarely in midlife, as evidenced by her choice of songs for her ninth birthday party — among them, Barbra Streisand’s LBJ-era “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” We are not the kind of posse a 9-year-old needs. Maybe she hasn’t yet subbed out her school backpack for a WNYC tote bag, but the danger is there.

And all of this coziness hurts our marriage, too. So I have to remind myself, sometimes daily, to cordon off our relationship. Our marriage has needs that deviate from my needs as an individual, as well as our needs as a family. I have to constantly ask, what would be good for the marriage? It’s important, as a couple, to have your own roster of in-jokes. It’s refreshing to drop F-bombs with impunity, and to gossip freely about other parents without having to hastily turn it into a teachable moment for your eavesdropping child about How Gossiping Is Really About Feeling Insecure About Your Own Life Choices. And it’s nice — no, essential — to go out to dinner, just the two of you, and speculate on which members of the waitstaff are sleeping with each other. You know, grown-up stuff.

Jancee Dunn is the author of “How Not To Hate Your Husband After Kids.”

Kathryn McNeer, LPC specializes in Couples Counseling Dallas with her sound, practical and sincere advice. Kathryn's areas of focus include individual counseling, relationship and couples counseling Dallas. Kathryn has helped countless individuals find their way through life's inevitable transitions; especially that tricky patch of life known as "the mid life crisis." Kathryn's solution-focused, no- nonsense counseling works wonders for men and women in the midst of feeling, "stuck," or "unhappy." Kathryn believes her fresh perspective allows her clients find the better days that are ahead. When working with couples, it is Kathryn's direct yet non-judgmental approach that helps determine which patterns are holding them back and then helps them establish new, more productive patterns. Kathryn draws from Gottman and Cognitive behavioral therapy- when appropriate Kathryn works with couples on trust, intimacy, forgiveness, and communication.

I Hate AirPods

I hate AirPods. No, actually, I loathe them, with a rabid, visceral, illogical fervor. Imagine my despair, then, in observing the way AirPods have proliferated, seemingly overnight, in the expensive coastal city in which I reside, sitting snugly like bleached pupae in the ears of everyone from finance bros to bus drivers. (Even some of my coworkers, whom I generally like and respect, wear them!)

It’s bad enough that AirPods are aesthetically hideous, turning their wearers into unwitting extras in some low-budget dystopian movie, and that they transform everyday public interactions into a dadaist act, wherein service workers and colleagues alike have to figure out if said AirPods-wearer is talking to you or some person literally in their head. (As one service worker recently told BuzzFeed News regarding AirPods use: “I think there’s a good percentage of people who don’t see me as a full person.”) But worst of all, AirPods have become, at least to me, the ultimate symbol of 21st-century conspicuous consumption. They represent the growing global sameness of the upper classes; you’ll find wearers among people of means in every country. That they are expensive, but not backbreakingly so, only makes them more appealing. (To other people, to be clear. Not to me.)

They are also harbingers of gentrification. When I read this story of new residents in Washington, DC’s Shaw neighborhood walking their dogs across Howard University’s historic Yard, I imagined they were wearing AirPods as they did it, because they just had to be. In this recent New York Times story about gentrification in Raleigh, North Carolina, a local pastor tries to get newer white residents to consider using the gym built by his church, but “the joggers tend to have earphones in and to look away.”

In the 2015 book The Edge Becomes the Center: An Oral History of Gentrification, author D.W. Gibson chats with one native of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, who talks about what the latest wave of gentrification feels like:

“[T]hey come here like we have a little more money, we’re driving rents up, we’re not going to be involved, we’re going to walk down the street with our headphones … I’ve started going on this campaign where if I’m walking and I notice that you have your headphones on, I’ll step in front of you and say, ‘Look up!’”

For that woman, headphones represent the transient nature of so many of these folks moving into these cities (people like me — though as I love to tell everyone, I’m trying to live in New York forever). Put your headphones on, and it’s easier to pretend you didn’t hear that person in front of the subway station asking you for money. (It’s also much easier to drown out street harassers, admittedly, but we shouldn’t have to rely on headphones as a solution for a larger societal problem.)

AirPods, with their conspicuous wirelessness and direct connection to Big Tech, are the symbolic culmination of that displacement. That they are small enough to rest in the ears of their wearers all day, easily undetectable, only highlights their insidiousness. AirPods are akin to cashless restaurants in that both innovations seem indicative of innocuous forward momentum, but actually gesture toward a future in which class barriers are represented in extremely visible ways. AirPods say, “I can afford not to hear the same sounds you do.”

This is where I implicate myself. I love (wired) earbuds; I’m wearing them right now as I type this essay in a noisy open-plan office. I used to sleep with earbuds beaming Tmsoft’s Box Fan Sound straight into my earholes on nights when my downstairs neighbor decided to update his playlist at 3 in the morning. I like to walk down the street with them in, listening to Coupé-Décalé and choreographing elaborate dance routines that I can never hope to actually execute.

But lately, as I’ve noticed the changing dynamics of the neighborhood I live in — the influx of Uniqlo-clad twenty- and thirtysomethings, clutching New Yorker tote bags, AirPods jammed in their ears, walking hurriedly past the mom trying to haul a stroller up the subway steps by herself — I’ve started to feel guilty about my own prolific earphone use. There’s something about being present. As I’m sure someone said one time, we hate the things that remind us most of our own shortcomings.

And so in many ways, my hatred of AirPods is actually just misdirected anger toward myself at being complicit in the rapid displacement of the working class in the city I live in, even as I try to persuade myself that as a black woman, I am somehow different — not as obtuse, not as likely to call the police on imaginary infractions. But wearing wired earbuds as opposed to AirPods is mainly a pointless, arbitrary display of superiority. There are so many ways in which we try to convince ourselves that our tastes Mean Something. That railing about gentrification can somehow bypass doing the hard work of trying to stop it, or just trying to engage in a meaningful way with the places where we live. At least my headphones are cheap, I reason. At least they don’t represent the growing, crippling hegemony of Big Tech.

When my phone from the Big Fruit Tech Company finally petered out about a year ago, a friendly Sprint employee persuaded me to upgrade to a newer model that doesn’t have a headphone jack. I didn’t realize this fact until it was too late. I almost screamed, until I realized there was a connector dongle included so I could continue to tote around my nondescript $30 headphones.

Lately, though, I’ve taken to wearing my earbuds around my neck like a chain, rather than in my ears — they’re easily accessible just in case, while permitting me to listen to other people’s conversations or even (scarily) to my own thoughts. I’m trying to be more present, more friendly, more aware of the world around me. It’s a slow-going process, and I’m not always in the mood to be fully in the world. But I’m trying. ●

Sahred From Source link Technology

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