This photo from the blog: The Other Bridge Project
They published a feature on Bertie Carvel praising him for his dynamic talent in acting specially in theater. They highlighted his ability to be a chameleon, saying that he 'thrives when he looks nothing like himself' and it circles back to one of Bertie's interviews for The Crown where he says he is a 'character actor'. In the same interview, Bertie happily says that he knows he is doing his job well when you cannot recall him in a show/play/movie that he starred in. That the transformation is part of the creative process (ie. he first starred in The Crown as Sir Robin Day before he starred as Tony Blair).
Credit: Bertie Carvel interview about The Crown OP // Writer for the blog article is Poly Gianniba // Photo above by Stephem Cummiskey.
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Identity V, a game from the Chinese game company NETEASE has finally announced new characters to the game. In recent events, during the Call of the Abyss VIII also known as COA. Identity V has released a new female survivor Amanda Gaddis known as “Lanternist” with the male survivor “Escapologist” and hunter “Cueist”. Players have shown interest in the manor’s new survivor, making accounts and artworks dedicated to the character even going as far as to make their own prediction of their skills and abilities.
While her abilities have been uploaded on the youtube platform, many have already been itching to get their hand on the manor’s new survivor. With the ability to freeze frame other survivors and herself and being able to counter chip damage hunters, players who are divided in Hunter and Survivor factions have been intrigued by her. Survivors say that she’s going to be a broken survivor while Hunters say that she would be a hard counter.
During that, while the character was teased by the official account her design has captivated many players, with her steampunk design she had managed to lure in new players to the game. With that, many have already been excited for her essence teaser counting the days for the release and waiting for the concept and design.
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo took the internet by storm, and naturally received critics against the KonMari Method in return. But the 15 minutes of fame glossed over the deeper meaning of the method— something established centuries ago, long before Marie Kondo ever even tried vertical folding.
I set the timer for 20 minutes. My face, stripped bare from two consecutive facial cleansers, feels like it’s being deeply pampered with this Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack detoxifying face mask. Of course, my skin turns a bright shade of red every time I use it and I break out the next day, but this thing was not cheap, so maybe the seventh try’s the charm. I sit on the corner of my bed, folding the pile of clothes that’s been growing on my chair all week. To feel productive and smart, I put on a Spotify podcast telling me how to build the habits of successful people and prioritize my mental health, or something along those lines. I usually get bored around two minutes into the podcasts anyways, so I eventually turn to Netflix instead.
Ringing in the start of 2019, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has taken over not only Netflix home screens, but nearly every part of online media. The signature approach to decluttering known as the KonMari Method claims to deep clean a house in such a way that it will never have to be deep cleaned again. By discarding possessions from easiest to most difficult (clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous, sentimental items) and subsequently using unique tricks (such as folding clothes vertically) for organization, Marie Kondo intends to rekindle the joy and gratitude in people for the things that matter the most. Given this, the KonMari Method’s widespread popularity and supposedly “life-changing magic” are usually the two criteria necessary for my next attempt at a self-care trend. I’m a total self-help junkie. The “Treat Yo Self” mentality has trapped me in this endless cycle of constant destressing, leaving me to wonder whether the consistency itself proves that it doesn’t work. A one-time, everlasting change such as the KonMari Method therefore seems like it would be my cure. It’s just my luck, then, that this one-time cure has already been tried before.
Three years ago, Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, was gifted to me on my birthday. After that initial rush of inspiration, I quickly dove into purging my closet. This closet consisted of four separate hanger rods, five additional shelves of folded clothing, and overhead storage packed with bins of everything from old schoolwork to stuffed animals, to gift bags and book collections. The senselessness of this organization could make a grown woman cry— and it did. My mother would wince every time she opened my door, as if the bursting amount of clothes induced slight physical pain. I knew that most of the things in that closet were kept for sentimental reasons rather than actual use, but the stress of the clutter had finally outweighed the good memories. After three long summer months, I had filled four garbage bags with my middle-school wardrobe, and packed cardboard boxes with old school supplies and unappreciated toys. I was just about done decluttering this section of my life, when my mother stopped me from tossing it out. For whatever reasons — sentimental, financial or perhaps logical — she refused to let these goods go to waste by giving them away. That was three years ago. The bags still sit in our spare room today, as the literal embodiment of my emotional baggage.
These feelings against the KonMari Method aren’t uncommon. Many people criticize the minimalist lifestyle for being bougie and unrealistic, or something exclusively for rich white people (although KonMari and minimalism are two distinct ideas, both include the fundamental step of throwing things out and living with less). In truth, some of these criticisms may be valid— out of every self-help method I have tried, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is without a doubt the most abstract, most arbitrary, and most spiritually-based thing I’ve never completed. However, it’s this very unrestricted element that makes it so easily applicable to more than just decluttering your space. KonMari isn’t just a passing trend or some falsely advertised miracle cure— it’s a mindset that has ancient philosophical roots, which speak to much more than just some trendy Ikea furniture and Apple MacBook aesthetic.
Minimalists at first glance seem to be just one of the many types of people in the world, like those who fill their daily Vitamix smoothie with chia seeds, goji berries and acai powder before their morning 5k run, and those who don’t. The minimalism undertones of KonMari, namely the mass decluttering and disposal of your possessions, are often criticized to be classist and irrational for those struggling to make ends meet. After all, the problem of having too much can only arise if you have something in the first place. Furthermore, minimalism (and by consequence, KonMari) has been associated with white privilege in developed countries. Those raised in developing countries (and their children) often have different cultural views of materialism, which can continue to thrive even after starting life in a developed country. Clearly, KonMari critics are coming from all angles to prove the problematics and “cancel” the next big thing. Though it’s easy to simply dismiss the criticism as overthinking, the real life impacts of class and culture on materialism do not stray far from the critics’ messages.
“Minimalism typically arises in circumstances of plenty,” Rachel said. Given such a lofty subject, Rachel MacKinnon, a philosophy graduate student at the University of Toronto, helped me trace the roots of the KonMari Method all the way back to Ancient Greece. In general, ancient minimalist philosophies avoided attachment to material goods to rule out any possible pain that would arise were they to be taken away. “But these philosophies were all written by pretty wealthy people,” Rachel explained, “who were happy to give the illusion of being able to live without their wealth, knowing that they won’t actually face conditions of scarcity anytime soon.” The image of an old philosopher living only on bread and water by choice, knowing that he has the means to indulge in delicacies if he ever chooses to do so, is not far off from our modern day idea of the “minimalist” with a small closet full of high-end, monochromatic designer clothing. Even at its origins, minimalism appears to have been an elitist lifestyle. “Minimalism didn’t appeal to me when I grew up poor,” Rachel added, casually. Coming from a humble maritime home to her current downtown apartment, she admits to thinking about how her values have changed. “Now that I live in Toronto, it’s suddenly very compelling— I only need minimalism because I have stuff.”
The living room had stacks of plastic storage bins lining the walls, which shrunk the already confined room. Inside the bins sat old phone books, TV guides, receipts, school supplies, and various papers. The narrow hallway to the bedrooms no longer served as a hallway, but rather as home to rows and rows of these same bins. The only way to bed was through the kitchen, since the dining area was lost in even more piles of paper. With five people living in a two-bedroom apartment, the bedroom wasn’t much of an escape either. “I hated it,” Joanne said. “I hated that we didn’t have a dinner table. I really wanted a family dinner, but we never had one.”
“If you asked my dad what sparks joy for him, he would say that everything sparks joy.” Joanne Banh is in her fourth year at the University of Toronto, and is the Co-Vice President of the University of Toronto Vietnamese Students’ Association. Her family struggled in the past with her father’s intense hoarding problem. “My dad was a Vietnamese refugee whose family lost everything while moving to Canada. Obviously it’s not the case for everybody, but maybe there’s that harbouring fear that he’ll lose it all again. It’s hard for me to understand, because I didn’t live through that.” About 8 years ago, Joanne, along with her brothers and her mother, took a year to clean out the apartment, but her father slowly grew his collection again. “I guess it just became habit,” she said. “It’s easier to just throw it in the bin, forget about it, and have it pile up.” Given that they lived in the predominantly white city of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Joanne would use the excuse that her home was just too ethnic to have friends over. She would avoid the topic, and they would avoid the space.
The KonMari critics may have a point, to some extent. KonMari isn’t a guaranteed miracle cure for deep-seated issues with materialism such as hoarding, nor is it typically impressive to those who already involuntarily live with less. Even as a certified KonMari consultant, Michele Delory admits that the KonMari Method has not worked for everyone. “I once had a client who was going through personal things in her life,” Michele said. “Sometimes she would leave me in her home, and obviously it doesn’t work when the person’s not there. She was the only one who couldn’t follow through with it.”
Be that as it may, to say that KonMari isn’t for everybody is not to say that it’s worthless. Those who do complete the KonMari method rarely, if ever, revert back to their previous ways of life. Living her own minimalist lifestyle for the past three years and doing KonMari consultations in and around the city of Toronto, Michele has never lost faith in the method. “With every change that you make in your life, you have to first change your mindset, or else it won’t actually happen,” Michele said. In regard to that particular client, Michele believes that her mindset was the issue: “She was seeking happiness, but she wasn’t looking for it in the right way. She thought that I would just magically do it for her.” Michele still keeps in touch with past clients who regularly show her images of their organized homes, months after her consultations. Though the KonMari skeptics may remain unsure of Marie Kondo’s seemingly paradoxical anti-consumerist business model, they can’t deny the reality of Michele’s joy as a living, breathing minimalist and KonMari expert. What better way to understand the KonMari Method than straight from the horse’s (or the certified horse consultant’s) mouth?
“The philosophies of minimalism and KonMari are very similar to each other because it’s all about having a more meaningful life,” Michele explained, “but KonMari is considered different because if you really want to have 100 pairs of shoes that spark joy, you can.” This is where KonMari is often dismissed as unreliable, for its extreme subjectivity. Yet, this concept was not simply pulled out of thin air by a single peppy, 4-foot-7 Japanese woman (not that there’s anything wrong with being a single peppy, 4-foot-7 Japanese woman, just that historical evidence of the same argument can often provide more support than a single individual). The idea of minimalism in philosophy began close to the Roman Era near the end of Greek political stability, and if Marie Kondo were alive then, she might’ve been labelled as a bit of an Epicurean.
Contrary to popular beliefs of minimalist philosophies (if any beliefs of philosophies can even be said to be popular), Epicureans thought that pleasure was the good. “The point isn’t to deprive yourself,” Rachel clarified about the school of thought. “It’s to give yourself a comfortable life.” Epicureans divided pleasures into different categories based on their level of disruption, defined by how much further pain the pleasure could cause down the road. Keeping something that you love and use regularly, for example, is much less disruptive than keeping something unappreciated that constantly has to be stored and reorganized in the future. The absence of pain, for the Epicureans, also counted as a pleasure. In KonMari, the disposal of unwanted material goods is better than the stress of keeping them stored somewhere in your household. “As long as on the whole, you’re enjoying your life more than you’re not,” Rachel said, “the Epicureans gave you a much more general guideline.” Thus, although you could be a perfect Epicurean and live on only bread and water, they wouldn’t mind if you had a bit of tea — a bit of extra pleasure, like a cherished shoe collection — so long as it wasn’t too disruptive. No one said that you had to be an Epicurean, just that if you wanted to maximize pleasure, this was their way of doing so.
In the same way, the KonMari philosophy is much more lenient than most minimalist methods. “There shouldn’t be rules to the amount of stuff you have,” Michele said, “because then it becomes very competitive. It should be a positive experience when you’re going through a change like that.” Michele wears a couple basic pieces in her wardrobe, which she continues to style over five years after their purchases. She lives with her non-minimalist husband and eight year old son, who is by no means deprived of his own collection of books and toys. Her mother has not embraced minimalism or KonMari either, which Michele attributes to her cultural values back in the Philippines. Michele is not a radical minimalist living out of a backpack, but she is a genuine woman that seeks to have less stress, less anxiety, less material goods, more gratitude, more experiences, and more purpose in her everyday life. She is minimizing pain and maximizing pleasure. The KonMari Method does not claim to be the only path to happiness, but like Epicureanism, if you want the things that bring you joy, why not just choose them? History truly does repeat itself, and the KonMari Method is the ultimate revival of an age-old philosophical idea that’s finally getting its moment in the spotlight.
The real question of it all is: do I pick the rejuvenating, refreshing, or revitalizing face mask today? At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them had life-changing magic slapped across the label, either. I could also pick none of them. Instead of adding another mask, another podcast, another quick fix to my chronic stress, I could step back and focus on why I’m driven to so much self-care in the first place. Clearly, these methods don’t bring as much pleasure to me as I thought, but maybe I’m going in for the wrong reasons. Maybe I’m seeking happiness, and I’m expecting these things to just magically do it for me. Maybe instead of choosing the right pleasures, I’ve been dealing with disruptive pain. Sure, vertical folding doesn’t solve everything, but maybe changing my mindset to one that cultivates the good instead of running away from the bad is what KonMari is all about.
Whenever people are about to come over, my mother goes into a berserk state of cleaning to the point where it seems like no one actually eats, sleeps or breathes in that house. Out of all the minimalism achievements and KonMari success stories that Michele told me, the one that struck me the most was this: Michele is an Airbnb host for one of the rooms in her home. She has guests coming and going every day. “There’s no clutter in my home, to be honest,” she said. “I’ve been able to create a space that I feel good about, and I don’t ever have to worry about guests coming in. I don’t have to say ‘let me clean up first’, I never have that excuse.” If that doesn’t sound like the closest thing to a cure from chronic stress, to me, I don’t know what will.
Rediscovering Bullet For My Valentine After The Massive Letdown Of ‘Gravity’
Ever since I first stumbled upon the “Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow” video, I’ve been a massive Bullet For My Valentine fan. I listened to The Poison every day for a year. I desperately tried to imitate Michael Paget’s insane riffs. And I’m still mad about the Bullet For My Valentine wallet I lost 10 years ago. But my relationship with them has been on the rocks since their last album, Gravity. Widely panned for its radio rock sound, it nearly turned me off to the band completely. Like many fans, I didn’t like the new direction. Not only was it bad, it felt like they changed solely for mainstream appeal. I was disappointed. Now, the boys are back with what’s supposed to be their heaviest album. And I’m kind of looking forward to it.
Read the full article at chorus.fm. Link in source.
Probably, Intramuros is one of the most well-known places in Philippines, it emblemetize the history of the country over the years.
Photo by: Jemimah Ocate in her Instagram
Every time I visit here it feels like I am being taken back to the past, even though there's a lot of changes happened. "Kung makaka pag salita nga lamang ang mga pader" maybe they could tell the story of what happened before that no one had discussed.
My parents and I, used to go in Intramuros when I was young. I can't imagine that over the past years I will reach this kind of place.
Place that started in time of the Spaniards as I often hear in school when we have symposium about the history of the Philippines.
Who would not want to go and visit this place, apart from its beautiful lights shining in the middle of the night, you can capture every corner in Intramuros and you may post it on social media.
Photo by: Jemimah Ocate in her Instagram
On our trip in Intramuros along with my friends, we never missed being able to ride again in kalesa, a traditional transportation then in 1700s who introduced by the Spaniards. We enjoyed riding in kalesa while eating some snacks and having conversations. After having conversation, we paid 1,000 PHP per 1hour tour.
Our first stop in Intramuros is Casa Manila. It is a replica of an old house of superior peoples then. It is now a life style museum that shows hows the life of the superior then. You can see here some ancient utensils from the Spanish period; like charcoal flatiron, wooden pork and spoon and many more.
For our next destination, we went to the historical Fort Santiago. As we enter the Plaza Moriones, it immediately spring up to us the vastness of it. It is just one of the many opened spaces and plazas within Intramuros. The Fort Santiago was built by Miguel Lopez de legazpi in the 1571, but the beauty of it is still there.
The next stop are the Balurte de San Diego. It is close to Manila de bay to guard the Walled City of Intramuros from the incoming ships of the enemy. My favorite place in Intramuros to eat is their spicy chicken. It is very delicious and the spiciness will make your nose run.
My journey in the Walled City was really fun, it gives me the feeling as I am being taken back to the past where is our history today.
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How does it feel to go back to Japan after JENESYS 2.0?
I felt really happy to be back. Ever since I got back from my JENESYS 2.0 2014 trip, I’ve always wanted to visit again as soon as possible. There’s a Japanese word that could accurately describe what I felt and that is natsukashii. It means ‘nostalgic’ in English. I knew it was awhile since I last visited (4 years!), but it felt like I never left.
Did you notice any significant changes compared to the last time you visited?
Maybe because for this trip, I got to visit new places and not much of the places I visited before, I didn’t notice any significant changes at all. I think that’s good because for Asakusa for example, I was navigating my way through the place from memory and it was helpful.
What was the purpose of your return visit and where did you go?
For this trip, I went with my family. Here are the places we visited:
Day 1: Imperial Palace East Gardens, Tsukiji Market, Asakusa
Day 2: Tokyo Skytree, Kerochan Cafe, Sumida Aquarium
Day 3: Tokyo DisneySea
Day 4: Sanrio Puroland, Harajuku, Tokyo Tower
Any first-time experience this time around that you could share to us?
There were definitely a lot of first-time experiences! Our itinerary was very different to the JENESYS itinerary, so I got to visit lots of new places. I finally got to ride the trains in Tokyo. A lot of people have told me before that Tokyo’s trains are difficult to navigate and that is true, but I would like to thank Google Maps, our wifi device, and my basic Japanese knowledge for making our commute bearable.
Another new experience would be attending an anime cafe, specifically a Cardcaptor Sakura cafe. I had to call the cafe before our trip and being able to place a reservation is also a memorable experience for me.
What are your “tips” to those who are planning to go to Japan and/or any “must-sees” or “must-dos” that you could recommend?
One tip that I would like to emphasize on is planning out your itinerary well and leave some space for any changes. I was the one who created the itinerary for this trip and I made sure to allot enough time for each destination. I also made sure to make adjustments, because sightseeing in Tokyo can become hard and tiring. Another tip is to try to book entrance tickets beforehand. I booked most of our tickets through https://www.klook.com/ and a wifi device through https://www.econnectjapan.com/. One last tip is to be prepared for anything. I honestly think it’s better to be prepared rather than regret it later. Don’t forget to bring umbrellas, medicine, weather-appropriate clothes, power banks, etc.
Anything else prospective travelers should know before going to Japan?
Triple-check the details of your trip before leaving. Make sure you have complete travel documents, enough money, appropriate clothing, etc.
Research on basic Japanese etiquette.
Learn some Japanese words and phrases. The locals know a little bit of English, but it would be easier for everyone if you can somehow talk to them in their own language.
Download helpful apps like Google Maps and Google Translate.
Tokyo does have free wifi places, but it’s better to come prepared and bring or rent your own wifi device.
The first teaser clip of Aidan Gillen as Irish comedy great Dave Allen have been released ahead of the screening of the biopic Dave Allen at Peace on RTÉ One next month.
Aidan Gillen and Conleth Hill in Dave Allen at Peace.
How does it feel to go back to Japan after JENESYS 2.0?
I felt excited once again as I get the chance to explore the other prefectures of japan.
There were many people lining up to take a picture with the statue of the most loyal dog in japan , Hachiko . The statue of Hachiko is one of the most visited tourist spots in Shibuya.
With akita-chan
Studio Ghibli Museum at Mitaka. You have to book your visit online at least 2 months before.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Epicenter Memorial.
Photo: Alec Egido
Picture with RX-78-2 at Odaiba. You can go here via Yurikamome Line. Photo: Alec Egido
Did you notice any significant changes compared to the last time you visited?
The surrounding of major cities is almost the same as when I last visit. As for my return travel, I got used to riding the train and finding the correct station.
Watched cute pikachu dance dance at Minato-Mirai, Yokohama
Getting ready to attend the 2015 Summer Comiket at Tokyo Big Sight.
Photo: Alec Egido
Cosplayed as Sakura Haruno during the 2015 Summer Comiket in Tokyo.
Photo: Alec Egido
Sendai Castle. Of course, the colossal titan is not there XD.
Nebuta Festival, Aomori.
Photo: Alec Egido
What was the purpose of your return visit, and where did you go?
My purpose is to visit all the prefectures and experience all the four seasons in japan. During my summer trip in August 2015, we visited the following prefectures: Aichi, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Aomori, Sendai, Tokyo and Yokohama. We had the chance to attend Aomori’s Nebuta Festival and Sendai’s Tanabata Festival. We also attended the Summer ComiKet in Tokyo Big Sight. My second return trip was last November 2017 and visited Kyoto, Nara and Ibaraki during.
Fireworks at Nebuta Festival
Photo: Alec Egido
Tanabata Festival. You can buy choco banana and candied apples.
Giant Panda at Ueno Zoo
My favorite majestic Alpaca at Ueno Zoo
Any first-time experience this time around that you could share to us?
It was first time for me do an authentic tea ceremony courtesy of our Airbnb host. It was a nice unique experience.
There were less people in Universal Studios Japan compared last Summer.
Melon Pan for Breakfast
Many tourists visit Fushimi Inari
Macha Taiyaki
What are your “tips” to those who are planning to go to Japan and/or any” must-sees” or “must-dos” that you could recommend?
You must plan your itinerary well and try to schedule sight-seeing places which are relatively near each other on the same day. You must also condition your body to long walks. Expect 5-7 hours of walking!
Dark Forest of Nara Park
You can feed the deer with snacks.
Osaka castle. There is a museum inside the castle
Anything else prospective travelers should know before going to Japan?
You should know how to find your train ride. You can use an app online to find it. The app will tell you the platform you should be in and the time the train will leave the platform. If you are in Tokyo, you can get a copy of a Translated map at the station.
Tourists can ride Meiji Mura’s steam train.
They have a place where you can rent a costume in Meiji Mura
