The Pinterest Problem

I like Pinterest. It’s a social media based on inspiration sharing. People upload and share pictures to find ideas or inspiration for approximatively anything. Digital art, ideas for one’s garden, DIY tutorials and so on. It's really a great place to make research when you have a project in mind.
But (there is always a but) there is a downfall to this.
Pinterest is a wonderful tool but it’s also quite poisonous. It is easy to “Pin” lots of wonderful ideas but harder to get anything done afterward.
Pinterest doesn’t make you suddenly good at everything and if one is not careful, time flies and you do nothing of it. It’s good to do nothing sometime, but it can also be quite devastating. One doesn’t suddenly start to do things. one is just more inspired when doing nothing.
So I try to get stuff done. To actually do the things I’ve seen and liked. That knitting work, that quilt. I try to pass a little less time in front of a screen and a bit more on my needle work. It helps to see that I get things done, to hold the result in my hand, to see the progression and feel that I did something, not just dreamt about it.

J'aime bien Pinterest. C'est un reseau social de partage d'inspiration. Les gens postent et partagent des images et des photos d'a peu pres tout ce qui les inspirent. Digital art, idees de jardinage, tutos a realiser soi-meme. Il y a a peu pres de tout. C'est vraiment un super support de recherche quand on a un projet en tete ou qu'on est a la recherche du prochain truc a faire.
Mais (il y a toujours un Mais) il y a comme un probleme avec Pinterest.
C'est un outil merveilleux, mais comme toutes les bonnes choses, cela peut rapidement devenir nauseabond. C'est facile "d'epingler" des idees a tour de bras. C'est nettement plus complique de realiser quoi que ce soit apres.
Pinterest ne remplace pas l'huile de coude. On peut trouver genial les idees qu'on y trouve, mais si a un moment on ne se remonte pas les manches pour les realiser, a la fin de la journee, on a rien fait.
Alors, c'est sympa de ne rien faire parfois, c'est plutot sain, mais ca peut aussi rapidement devenir super nefaste.
C'est ce que je reproche et crainds un peu avec ce genre de reseau social, on reve beaucoup, et le temps file et au bout du compte on (ok, je) finit avec le sentiment desagreable d'avoir perdue une journee
Alors j'essaie de passer un peu moins de temps devant mon ecran et un peu plus sur mon ouvrage, a vraiment faire ce qui m'avait tant plus quand je l'ai vu sur Pinterest. Je couds, je tricote, jusqu'a ce que j'ai l'impression d'avoir fait quelque chose. Je pouvoir tenir le resultat dans les mains. C'est infiniment gratifiant.

My Pinterest : Beli Ya Al

A guide for Citrus

Life in community

Among the new experiences of this year, there is "living with two flatmates". I had been living with people other than my parents in the past, but I had never been in charge. There was someone else to make the groceries, to cook, to do the laundry and the cleaning and so on. I used to give a hand, but I wasn't in charge.
Here, it is different.
First of all, because I have to constantly keep an eye on my diet. Old habits die hard. I have to check that I am eating in acceptable quantities, that I don't skip meals, or only under exceptional circumstances. If I don't want to cook, I just have to go outside buy myself something, but in any case, I must eat. And I do.
That means that I do my own groceries. Tea, biscuits, bred, jam, some stuff to cook whenever I feel like I am in the mood. make sure I have everything because no one is going to do it for me.
I bought myself some crockery, because I feel that it is a waste to rely only on disposable stuff. Not much, A bowl, a plate, a couple of mugs, some forks and spoons.

Then, there is how we live in the flat.
I always wash up the dishes I used for cooking before starting to eat (that way I don't have to get out of my bed room once I am done eating, while everyone else can use anything) I clean the sink and kitchen after use. Same way I clean the bathroom after use. Basic stuff. We like in a hot and humind place. If we don't do this, we'll soon end up with mildew everywhere.

That's where things usually start to go south when you are sharing a flat.

We don't have the same frame of what is clean and what is not, of what one should do and shouldn't do.
My two flatmates share a bedroom and I have nothing to say about the state of it. It's their place and thus, none of my business.

I am the neatfreak of the flat, or so they say (it might be true). My room is clean and tidy. Cloths are neatly folded in the closet, or hanging in the wardrobe, the books and notebooks are on the shelves, I make my bed every morning and so on. My mother would be proud. She has been complaining about my messy bedroom for most of my life (all my life would be more accurate).

My two flatmates are sort of the opposite at varying degree.
One is messy, with which is okay.
The other one is dirty, Which is, on the contrary, not okay. at all.

Today I broke a glass.
Not on purpose, obviously. It had been left for three days in the kitchen sink because someone had forgotten to wash it. I had to ask for the rice cooker to be cleaned, because it had been left for two days or more after being used. And afterwards I had to wash its lid because my flatmate had not bothered with washing it. And I had to ask again to get my spoon back because it had been borrowed some days ago and not returned. It was in a dirty bowl in their bedroom.
I had to wash the kitchen before being able to use it. I put the crockery back where it belongs, rewash what has just been rinsed by a lazy ass. and so on.

I wash the bathroom sink because otherwise no one does, I put everyone's stuff back in their compartment, so we have some room to put cloths and so on while using the bathroom without risking to stain them with toothpaste or eyeliner. I can accept for things to be messy. If I am not okay with the mess, then I can tidy it myself, since it is my standard that I impose to the others.
Hygiene on the other hand is not the same.

And this is tiring.
I am tired of being the one pointing out at the dirty crockery, at the stuff that has been abandoned in the common parts of the flat. Being the one always bringing out the unpleasant issues is not a great feeling. It feels like being the raven, bearing ill news, It feels like being exaggerating and never happy. I don't like to feel like a bully. I try to put all the tact I can, but it seems not to be enough.

Since no matter how many times I ask or signal things, nothing changes. Which slowly builds up the impression that the problem comes from me and not from them. And soon one starts to question the validity of their claim. Am I being too harsh? Am I being fair? Do I have any legitimacy in asking them  to do this or that? Am I making a fuss for nothing?

I am not the oldest here yet it seems that the role of the unpleasant parent fell on me. I try to keep calm and just remember that this will be over soon and that it is unnecessary to argue now.

Parmis les nouvelles experiences de cette annee figure celle de vivre avec deux colocataires. J’avais deja vecu en dehors du domicile familiale, mais je n’avais jamais ete responsable de la tenue de mon logement. Il y avait toujours quelqu’un pour faire les courses, la cuisine, le menage, la lessive. Je filais un coup de main, mais je n’etais pas en charge de quoi que ce soit.

Ici c’est different.

Tout d’abord parce que je dois surveiller mon alimentation. Difficile de deboulonner de vieilles habitudes. Les quantites, ne pas sauter de repas sauf situation exceptionnelle. Tout ca necessite une attention quotidienne.
Si je ne me sens pas de cuisiner, je peux acheter a manger dehors, mais cela signifie quand meme sortir, dans le but de manger. Faire les courses, parce que personne ne les fera pour moi.
J’ai achete un peu de vaisselle (les trucs jetables, c’est pas mon truc). Pas grand chose, un bol, une assiette, deux ou trois mugs, fourchette et cuillerres.

Et puis il y a la cohabitation.

Je nettoie toujours les ustencils de cuisine quand j’ai finis de cuisiner, avant de manger, comme ca, je n’ai pas a m’en preoccuper apres et n’importe qui peut s’en servir. De la meme facon, je nettoie la salle de bain apres usage. Le minimum quoi. Nous vivons dans un endroit chaud et humide et sans ce genre de precautions on se retrouve vite avec de la moisissure partout.

C ‘est la que le bat blesse quand on partage un appartement.

Nous n’avons pas la meme notion de ce qui est propre et de ce qui ne l’est pas, ou de ce qui devrait etre fait ou non.

Mes deux colocs partagent une chambre et dans la mesure ou je n’y vis pas, son etat ne me regarde pas.

Je suis, d’apres elles la maniaque de l’appart. (il se peut que ce soit vrai). Ma chambre est propre et rangee, les vetements sont dans le placard, plies, ou pendus dans l’armoire, les livres et cahiers sont sur les etageres, mon lit est fait tous les matins. Ma mere serait fiere, elle qui s’est toujours plainte de l’etat de ma chambre.

Mes colocs sont l’inverse, a des degres differents.

L’une est bordelique, l’autre est sale.

Aujourd’hui, j’ai casse un verre.

Pas volontairement, evidement. Il avait ete laisse dans l’evier pendant 3 jours, parce que quelau’un n’avait pas pris la peine de le nettoyer. Ila fallu que je demande a ce que l’autocuiseur soit laver, parce que cela faisait 3 jours qu’il avait ete abandonne apres usage, sale. Et encore il a fallu que je lave le couvercle parce que ma coloc n’as pas juger necessaire de le faire. Puis il a fallu que j’aille reclamer ma cuillere, car elle avait ete emporte dans leur chambre, ou elle trainait a present, sale, dans une boite vide.

Il a fallu que je lave la cuisine avec de pouvoir m’en servir, que je range la vaisselle pour avoir un peu de place, que je nettoie ce qui n’avait ete que rince. Et ainsi de suite.

Je nettoie l’evier de la salle de bain, parce que sinon, personne ne le fait. Je range les affaires de chacune dans les contenants appropries, pour que l’on puisse poser des affaires sans craindre de les tacher avec du dentifrice ou du eyeliner.

Je peux accepter que ce soit le bazar. Si cela ne me plait pas, je range, car il s’agit d’imposer mon mode de rangement aux autres.
L’hygiene par contre, je refuse d’etre la seule a y veiller. C’est une question de respect de tous.

Et c’est fatiguant.

J’en ai assez d’etre toujours celle qui fait remarquer qu’il y a de la vaisselle sale, de faire remarquer tout ce qui traine dans les parties communes. Etre celle qui abordent les sujets qui fache n’est pas vraiment agreable. J’ai l’impression d’etre un oiseau de mauvaise augure. Je me dit que je fois avoir l’air d’exagerer et de n’etre jamais contente, d’etre une tortionnaire. J’ai beau y mettre les formes, rien ne change.

Peu importe combine de fois je demande ou signale les choses, rien n’est fait. Ce aui au fur et a mesure renforce cette ideed que le probleme vient de moi, et non d’elles. On se retrouve rapidement a questionner la validite de ses demandes. Est ce que je suis trop dure ? est ce que je suis juste ? Est ce que j’ai le droit de leur demander ca ? Est ce que je fais une scene pour rien ?

Je ne suis pas la plus agee et pourtant il semble que le role du parent chiant m’est tombe dessus.
J’essaie de garder mon calme et de garder a l’esprit que c’est bientot finit, que cela ne vaut plus la peine de s’enerver pour ca.

Plans

Sometimes, things don’t go the way you wish they would. The plan you so meticulously built goes through the window and you have to improvise, to wing it up, to make new plans.
Sometimes, things don’t follow the plan because new elements are brought to your attention and things that seemed important before now feel trivial. Sometimes, things just go south on you and you end up in the middle of a maelstrom with no idea what to do next.
Priorities change, or events go differently as expected.
It’s okay. A plan never survives the first stage anyway.

Parfois, les choses ne vont pas dans le sens dans lequel on voudrait qu'elles aillent. Le plan que vous avez si méticuleusement préparé part en fumée et vous devez improviser, vous débrouiller, faire de nouveaux plans.
Parfois, les choses ne suivent pas le plan parce que de nouveaux éléments apparaissent et certaines choses qui vous paraissaient importantes vous semblent maintenant triviales. Parfois, les choses partent juste en sucette et vous vous retrouvez au milieu d'un ouragan sans avoir la moindre idée de ce que vous allez faire maintenant.
Les priorités changent, les choses se passent différemment que prévu.
Ce n'est pas grave. De toute façon, un plan ne survit jamais a la première étape.

The well known Harry Potter cycle

From Child of Hades:

The well known Harry Potter cycle

Step 1: thinking Snape is a bad guy

Step 2: thinking Snape is a good guy

Step 3: realising as you mature as a person that Snape was actually a terrible person after all and was an abusive bully who didn’t grow out of this stage even into his late 30s and an obsessive person who thought he was entitled to Lily just because she showed him friendship and no matter how many bias memories of his you are shown, you will never see him in any different way 

unfortunately some people are still stuck in stage 2

Step 4: Realizing Dumbledore was manipulative and abusive as well and not the infallible person everyone believed him to be.

Step 5: Discovering that the only person as golden as their reputation portrayed and knew what the fuck was going on was Minerva McGonagall and she was amazing.

Beware of the Bookworms Gang.

I don't think it would be true in our case. It would be An awesome gang of underestimated bookworms. Our force would be our vast culture due to extended reading in many fields, each of us being slightly more advanced in this or this topic.
The power of Literature, Bitches.

Je ne pense pas que ca serait vrai pour nous. Je nous imagine bien monter un gang de rats de bibliotheques. Avec notre culture generale plus etendue que la moyenne grace a nos lecture nous aurions un avantage naturel sur nos enemis. Bon, ok, on commencerait pas etre gravement sous estimes, mais ce serait une occasion de promouvoir le savoir.
The power of Literature, Bitches. (non, Je ne traduirai pas cette phrase, c'est ridicule)

Ink on my skin again

So I am thinking about the next tatoo I am going to get. I have a 2 years break between tattoos rule, but I really wanted to mark my adventure in China and keep it on my skin so I think I am going to bend the rule and get a tattoo sooner than expected.

This time it is probably going to be a drawing with a couple or more of Chinese characters. I am thinking of a Chrysanthemum (symbol of prosperity and endurance) getting out of a book (because books) And a sentence reading 别灰心 (don't give up). I see it the size of my palm, on my back, on the right ribs, where my bra passes. I still need to find someone to draw the design.

Finding the tattooer And the salon won't be such a problem. We have friends who got tattooed here, they'll be able to recommend me something.

I am so excited!

Je suis donc en train de songer a me refaire tatouer. J'ai une regle selon laquelle Je veux attendre 2 ans entre chaque tatouage, mais Dans la mesure ou Je vais quitter la Chine plus tot qu'initialement prevu, je pense ignorer cette regle (de toute facon je fais ce que Je veux) et marquer mon sejour en Chine par un nouveau tatouage.

Cette fois ce sera un dessin, avec quelques characters Chinois. Je pense a une chrysantheme (symbole de prosperite et se resistence) qui sortirait d'un livre (parce que ca parait evident qu'il faut un libre) et une phrase: "别灰心" (n'abandone pas).

J'imagine ca de la taille de ma paume, sur les cotes Dans le dos  a droite, la ou passe mon soutient-gorge. Mais il faut encore que Je trouve quelqu'un pour le dessiner.

Trouver le tatoueur et le salon ne devrait pas etre un probleme. Nous avons des amis qui se sont faits tatoues ici et ils pourront me conseiller quelqu'un.

J'ai hate!

The tragedy of Anakin Skywalker

 

systlin:

systlin:

beautifultoastdream:

karama9:

suzume42:

grand-duc:

ialreadyreadthatfanfic:

angelqueen04:

luckyjak:

sskyguy:

                   the tragedy of anakin skywalker (x)

#no but really#why wasn’t anakin a crechemaster#why did they let him major in stabbing?#star wars#queue (tags @cadesama)

OH GOD NO BUT THAT WOULD BE PERFECT. how did the jedi not think of that?

what is anakin’s biggest weakness? attachments.

you know who needs lots of attachment? babies. small children.

anakin should not have been made to study murder: he should have been put in charge of Small Things. He would have bonded with all of them instantly, and it would have given his life Meaning and Purpose.

He’d bond with the kids, but he’d be able to move on because they are Bigger now and they have to go to the Big Kid Class but he still sees them around all the time, and it finally teaches him how to let go of his attachments??? He’d find a kid that he’s particularly fond of and go to Obi-Wan and say “I have found your newest padawan.”

this could have fixed so. many. things. ;_____;

Heh, and Anakin would keep picking Obi-Wan’s padawans for him, and it would be annoying but damn if he wasn’t right every single time.

BUT CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE HOW ANNOYED PALPATINE WOULD BE his life would be never-ending string of trying to get a hold of Anakin (I mean, would Anakin give him a time of day if he can spend it with small kids who absolutely adore him instead?)

he keeps comming over the years, but it’s always like

BEEP

“Anakin, my boy, we haven’t seen each other in a while—“

“I’m sorry, Chancellor, now’s not the best time. I’m tutoring a class.”

BEEP

“My dear boy, I wonder if we could meet for a chat—“

“Well, it can’t be this week, we’re going to Ilum, but maybe later…”

BEEP

“Anakin, I’d like to—“

“I’m terribly sorry, Chancellor,” Obi-Wan Kenobi answers. The apologetic tone might be just a tad exaggerated. “Anakin is on a trip with younglings, he must’ve left his comlink behind accidentally.”

BEEP

“You’ve reached Anakin Skywalker’s private comlink. Leave the message after the tone.”

BEEP

“It’s such a shame that Council doesn’t consider sending you on this campaign, considering the lightsaber skills you demonstrated when I was last visiting the Temple, Anakin.”

“Thank you, Chancellor, but this is precisely why I need to stay behind. In fact just the last week, the Masters decided I should take over some advanced lightsaber classes, considering senior Padawans accompanying their Masters on the frontlines need the training. I might take the Bear Clan along, make it a learning opportunity for the young ones—“

Palpatine closes his eyes slowly. He knows this from experience; Anakin won’t let himself be budged from the topic of little monsters for at least another half an hour.

BEEP

“Ah, Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin left his comlink behind again, he’s in class—“

BEEP

“Anakin, I hoped you—“

“Oh! Chancellor,” the voice on the other end is distinctly female, and Palpatine recognizes it after a second. Kenobi’s second Padawan. He barely restrains the urge to gnash his teeth. “Um, Skyg—I mean, Master Skywalker can’t pick up now. I can tell him you called? It’s just that he was helping me with forms, and he forgot his comlink, and he’s probably already in crèche…”

BEEP

Then there’s that one time when an actual youngling picks up the call. The less said about his reaction to that incident, the better.

BEEP

“—fortunately, they were all right in the end. But in my opinion, this should never happened in the first place, Chancellor.”

Palpatine snaps awake. Was that… was that anger? Finally, the hours of listening to worthless drivel about Jedi younglings paid off.

“My boy, I absolutely agree,” he begins slyly, but before he can continue, Anakin steamrolls on.

“I think Jedi Order is too deeply entwined in the conflict! I honestly don’t think even senior Padawans should be anywhere near battles, not to mention in command of GAR, but now even younglings are acceptable targets for Separatists and pirates! Master Yoda and I were talking about this lately, and—“

Palpatine swallows a scream of rage with some difficulty.

BEEP

“Forgot his comlink again, Master Skywalker has. With younglings, he is.”

Slaughtering younglings moved to the top on the list of things Darth Sidious will do after taking over galaxy some time ago.

this post keeps getting better and better

More please! Tagging @systlin, @beautifultoastdream and @karama9

That is what the Council would have done if they were smart. Seriously. Here’s Yoda saying Anakin should not be taught because he senses too much fear in him, and it’s fear for the people he cares about, something everyone present realizes fully because when it comes to his own safety, Anakin couldn’t be more reckless.

Then Qui Gon announces he’s training him anyway, someone points out he might fulfill the prophecy and bring balance to the Force, and nobody, NOBODY, thinks that MAYBE giving him a job that’s more about caring than killing might be an idea. Nope. Okay, we’re training him, let’s foster the loose canon aspect of his personalities, make him a war general and keep pushing him into vicious battles to the death. Sounds perfect for his mental health.

The Jedi Council were a bunch of idiots with their head so far up their own asses even a lightsaber shoved up there to the hilt would not provide them enough light to see further than their own noses.

I think I got lost somewhere in this metaphor. You get the point.

After ten years, Palpatine loses his patience and decides to change his plans. Fuck it, Skywalker has kids now–two adorable little moppets who can be captured, broken, and twisted into twin powerhouses of the Dark Side. Torture one while the other watches, convince them Daddy doesn’t love them, easy-peasy.

Unfortunately, he fails to reckon with the fact that not only is he going up against Anakin Fucking Skywalker, but that Anakin Fucking Skywalker is the surrogate father/big brother/best friend/cool teacher of ninety percent of the current Padawans and young Knights in the Order. And while the Council might make decisions and talk about the Will of the Force and stuff, those Padawans and Knights only care about the fact that the man who scared away the monsters under the bed–made it feel less lonely and frightening to be away from home when they were small–is now hurting and scared for his own children. 

Just like Palpatine always wanted, Anakin ends up leading an army. An army of young Jedi who smash the ever-loving shit out of everything “Darth Sidious” can throw at them, rescue the terrified Skywalker twins, and drag the Chancellor hisownself before the Senate with conclusive proof that he’s an evil Dark-Side-wielding bastard who kidnaps adorable kids. 

Attachments FTW.

God, YES

Luke and Leia would have grown up with 500 brothers and sisters of assorted species.  Whenever you see Anakin there are 10 kids with him, occasionally actively hanging off of his arms or riding on his shoulders. (Anakin looks downright gleeful about this). Padme thinks it’s the most adorable thing ever.  

20 years later by the time “A New Hope” would have begun, Anakin is 45. Padme is the new Chancellor. Luke and Leia are finishing their own Jedi training. 90% of the current young Jedi order calls Anakin ‘Dad’. He has amassed the galaxy’s largest collection of refrigerator art. After that incident with Chancellor Palpatine 15 years back, Yoda was forced to admit to Qui Gon’s very smug force-ghost that he was right. Everything is right with the galaxy. 

I am so down for the Skywalker Vendetta Ride.

***** 

OMG THIS IS BRILLIANT! 

Don't mess with the girl scouts

Horoscope time

• daylight: taurus, leo
• the sun: aries, gemini
• clouds: pisces, libra
• the stars: sagittarius, virgo
• the moon: cancer, capricorn
• darkness: aquarius, scorpio
  
  from Lucky Louise
  because reasons.