These Rosaceae family of flowers are all culturally cherished throughout history of Japan, symbolising the beginning of new year and spring. Yet they are often confused!
Here are some tips: plum blossoms as early as January with round petals; cherry blossoms March to April and have a small split at the end of each petal; peach blossoms in April and have pointy petals.
i’ve compiled a masterpost of tips that i have reblogged over the past few months and i thought it would be easier to have it all in one place. none of these posts are by me! huge thanks to everyone that has created these tips.
prepare your things for the next day before sleeping.
skincare. (your basic cleanse and moisturize)
sweep the floor of your bedroom.
talk to your plants. (if you have plants)
update your financial report/expense tracker.
take a good photo.
meditate.
hug at least three people. (seriously.)
weeklies
polish your school shoes.
mop your bedroom floor.
dare i say, laundry. (don’t put it off!)
exfoliate.
take a leisure walk.
review your past week and plan your next week accordingly. (a part of your routine may not be working–try something new)
make a piece of art. (a sketch, a collage, a quote in pretty lettering, a god-awful poem..)
sanitize your gadgets. (whip out the wet tissue and wipe away at your phone, your laptop, your mouse, your earphones–just don’t forget to IMMEDIATELY follow that up with a dry cloth to prevent fogging and short circuits)
watch a TED Talk.
make a new playlist.
monthlies
wash your bag.
wash your shoes.
change the sheets of your bed and your pillows.
clip your nails. (honestly)
wax/shave. (if you want. i just really like how fresh my skin feels after i torture it with razors and wax strips)
wipe your shelves/the tops of your furniture clean. (try to avoid dusting. it just scatters the dirt everywhere. use a damp cloth instead)
see if there’s anything in your storage that you don’t need/want anymore and give stuff away or sell them.
review your month and plan the next one accordingly. (just like your weeks. remember to refer to your Life Goal/Year’s Goals page)
finish reading at least one book. (and review it!)
So I was told that Human Planet had a segment about pigeons in the Cities episode that I might be interested in and I was honestly so underwhelmed. I haven’t finished the episode so maybe there’s more pigeon stuff but I feel like all I saw was more Birds Of Prey Are The Only Cool And Acceptable Birds and pigeons are Trespassers In Our Urban World Who Shit On Everything And Are Useless On Top Of It. Which isn’t true and I’m so tired of this being framed as some horrible burden that humanity must face. Pigeons are the victims here, not us.
Hate of pigeons didn’t start until the 20th Century. Before that was about 9,900 years of loving them. The rock pigeon was domesticated 10,000 years ago and not only that, we took them freaking everywhere. Pigeons were the first domesticated bird and they were an all-around animal even though they were later bred into more specialised varieties. They were small but had a high feed conversion rate, in other words it didn’t cost a whole lot of money or space to keep and they provided a steady and reliable source of protein as eggs or meat. They home, so you could take them with you and then release them from wherever you were and they’d pretty reliably make their way back. Pigeons are actually among the fastest flyers and they can home over some incredible distances (what fantastic navigators!). They were an incredibly important line of communication for multiple civilisations in human history. You know the first ever Olympics? Pigeons were delivering that news around the Known World at the time. Also, their ability to breed any time of year regardless of temperature or photoperiod? That was us, we did that to them, back when people who couldn’t afford fancier animals could keep a pair or two for meat/eggs.
Rooftop pigeon keeping isn’t new, it’s been around for centuries and is/was important to a whole variety of cultures. Pigeons live with us in cities because we put them there, we made them into city birds. I get that there are problems with bird droppings and there’s implications for too-large flocks. By all means those are things we should look to control, but you don’t need to hate pigeons with every fibre of your being. You don’t need to despise them or brush them off as stupid (they have been intelligence tested extensively as laboratory animals because guess what other setting they’re pretty well-adapted to? LABORATORIES!) because they aren’t stupid. They’re soft intelligent creatures and I don’t have time to list everything I love about pigeons again. You don’t need to aggressively fight them or have a deep desire to kill them at all. It’s so unnecessary, especially if you realise that the majority of reasons pigeons are so ubiquitous is a direct result of human interference.
We haven’t always hated pigeons though, Darwin’s pigeon chapter in The Origin of Species took so much of the spotlight that publishers at the time wanted him to make the book ONLY about pigeons and to hell with the rest because Victorian’s were obsessed with pigeons (as much as I would enjoy a book solely on pigeons, it’s probably best that he didn’t listen).
My point is, for millenia, we loved pigeons. We loved them so much we took them everywhere with us and shaped them into a bird very well adapted for living alongside us.
It’s only been very recently that we decided we hated them, that we decided to blame them for ruining our cities. The language we use to describe pigeons is pretty awful. But it wasn’t always, and I wish we remembered that. I wish we would stop blaming them for being what we made them, what they are, and spent more time actually tackling the problems our cities face.
I just have a lot of feelings about how complex and multidimensional hating pigeons actually is
ALL OF THIS
And also pigeon poop was a very valuable fertilizer before we had other options, people would hire guards to stop thieves from stealing their flock’s poop.
#LovePigeonsAgain2016
Late night, reblogging, so bear with me here…
Thank you for posting much of my thoughts over the past year and a half! I am known by many as “that guy who keeps the raptors”. Yes this is true, I do keep and handle raptors for educational purposes, but what many fail to realize is, I am fascinated with pigeons. My interest with birds began with the obvious, the raptors, corvids, and parrots. Then I discovered pigeons. These wonderful little birds with big attitudes and the incredible ability to thrive among people.
The organization I work with got its first pigeon a little over a year ago. She was a rescue with nowhere else to go. I was quickly drawn to her character and attitude about life.
We rarely handled her, but we did spend time with her.
She grew attached to our volunteers very quickly because their were no other birds she could socialize with in our facility.
We never intended to train her for educational programs. It was a job reserved for our raptors. It was our pigeon who decided she would be a part of what we were doing. One day, when we entered her enclosure to change water and food, she decided to fly to my hand and perch like our raptors do.
No training, no treats, just the reward of being with us.
What we hadn’t noticed for the couple months prior was her watching us. This brilliant little bird had been watching us every day as we trained and worked with our raptors. Finally she decided she didn’t want to be left out any longer. She made her place on our hands.
This occurred several times before we finally put her on a glove and brought her into the public. Needless to say, she was right at home. She fluffed up and preened the entire evening while people gawked and asked us why we had a pigeon on one glove and a hawk on another.
Since then, we’ve added 5 more rescued pigeons to our growing flock. And our pigeon (Tybalt) has become a mainstay ambassador for our programs. Each of our pigeons are incredibly fun to watch and interact with. Pigeons simply don’t get enough love. They are marvelous creatures incredibly suited to life alongside people both physically and mentally.
Raptors my have been my introduction into birds, but pigeons opened my eyes to a new appreciation for them and the fascinating world of bird cognition.
NOT ONLY are pigeons very amazing, worth our respect, and INTERESTING (did you read any of that stuff above?), but they are beautiful too!
Not chickens, but I feel compelled to spread this gospel.
hmmm. this is making me rethink my new york pigeon hate
and, AND, haven’t you ever wondered why city pigeons come in a magnificent rainbow of unusual colors?
Most wild animals all look alike within a species, with TINY, RARE individual variations in terms of rare color morphs, unusually big or small animals, different facial markings and other subtleties. But there is no evolutionary benefit to having species where everyone looks slightly different, and in fact, it’s beneficial for species to be similar and consistent, with a distinctive aesthetic. Especially if you’re trying to blend into the environment – a black wolf is all very well, but it looks positively silly in the summer tundra, where its grey/brown/brindley cousins blend in. A white deer has a great aesthetic – and a very short lifespan in the forest. Distinctive Protagonist looks are rare in the wild, simply because natural selection usually comes down heavily on them.
To humans, most wild animals are visually indistinguishable from each other.
As a result, most wild animals are like
“Oh it’s obvious – you can tell the twins apart because Kara has a big nose.”
Wild animals usually have a pretty consistent aesthetic within their species. It’s important to them!
SO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH PIGEONS?
Look, in one small picture you’ve got a red color morph in the center, several melanistic dark morphs, a few solid black birds, a few variations on the wildtype wing pattern, a PIEBALD, a piebald copper color morph…
Like, there are LAYERS UPON LAYERS of pigeon diversity in most flocks you see. Pure white ones with black wingtips. Solid brown ones with pink iridescent patches. Pale pinkish pigeons.
WHY IS THAT? When other wild animals consider “being slightly fluffier than my brother” to be dangerously distinctive in most circumstances?
BECAUSE CITY PIGEONS AREN’T TRULY WILD.
MANY OF THEM (POSSIBLY MOST OR ALL) ARE FERAL MIXES.
THEY WERE ONCE BELOVED PETS, SPECIAL MESSENGERS, EXQUISITE SHOW-WINNERS, AND PRIZED LIVESTOCK.
THEIR PRETTY COLORS WERE DELIBERATELY INTRODUCED BY HUMANS.
AND NOW THEIR HUMANS DON’T LOVE THEM ANY MORE.
See, pigeon fanciers bred (and still breed!) a huge array of pigeons. And the resulting swarms of released/discarded/escaped/phased out “fancy” pigeons stayed around humans. What else were they going to do? They interbred with wildtype pigeons.
Lots of the pigeons you see in public are feral. They’re not wild animals. They’re citizen animals. They’re genetically engineered. And now that’s what “city” pigeons are.
These “wild” horses are all different colors because they’re actually feral. Mustangs in the American West are the descendants of imported European horses – they’re an invasive domestic species that colonized an ecological niche, but they are domestic animals. Their distinctive patterns were deliberately bred by humans. A few generations of running around on the prairie isn’t going to erase that and turn them back into wildtypes. If you catch an adult mustang and train it for a short period, you can ride it and have it do tricks and make it love you. It’s a domestic animal. You can’t really do that with an adult zebra.
No matter how many generations these dogs stay on the street and interbreed with one another, they won’t turn back into wolves. They can’t. They’re deliberately genetically engineered. If you catch one (even after generations of rough living, even as an adult) you can make it stare at your face, care about your body language, and love you.
City pigeons? Well, you don’t have to like them, but they’re in the same boat. They’re tamed animals, bred on purpose, living in a human community. Their very bodies are marked with their former ownership and allegiance; they cannot really return to what they once were; if you caught one, you could make it love you (in a limited pigeon-y way.) They have gone to “the wild,” but not very far from us, and they’d be happy to come back.
So next time you see a flock of city pigeons, spare a moment to note their diversity. The wing patterns. The pied, mottled and brindled. The color types.
Actor David Suchet was taught how to eat a mango in ‘polite company’ by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. On May 2 1990 Suchet was at a private lunch at Buckingham Palace, per the Queen’s invitation. It was his 44th Birthday. He discovered the Queen likes to invite people from all walks of life whom she finds interesting.
During lunch, Suchet was served a mango and suffering from an acute attack of nerves, he turned to Prince Philip, confessing he didn’t have the slightest idea how to deal with the fruit. That provoked an enourmous laugh from Prince Philip, who replied immediately, ‘Well, let me show you,’ and demonstrated what exactly one should do. Suchet was relieved he wasn’t left floundering and was now able to eat the fruit in front of him.
Later that day he told the story to Brian Eastman, the producer of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and asked him if they could include it in the episode they were soon to film, 3×09: The Theft of the Royal Ruby.
“We sent a copy of the finished film to Buckingham Palace on DVD, and I’m thrilled to say that it became the late Queen Mother’s favourite film. Indeed, whenever I’ve met the Duke of Edinburgh since that lunch, he always calls me ‘the mango man’.” – David Suchet, Poirot and Me
i don’t even know where to begin with french…i love learning languages so much, i really wish my parents had started me when i was younger. i started taking french in seventh grade but i really hope to spend a semester abroad in france & visit senegal when im older. however, french can get super crazy with accents and hard pronunciation and fancy vocab, which can get really confusing, so here’s a masterpost w all of the french resources i’ve gathered 🙂
where to start
duolingo aka the most amazing free language learning program ever
rosetta stone– i’ve heard really great things about this program, but it is not free
bonjour– this website is rlly helpful & even if you’re already in a french class like me, you can find lots of resources for when you’re confused 🙂 plus it’s free!!
babbel– they have programs for beginners + advanced
ok so i just found out the other day that if you’re on flashcards on quizlet & you press the little speaker icon it will say the word for you!! this has been super helpful on my auditory quizzes + generally getting a feel for the pronunciation of words. but i wouldn’t say it’s too reliable so definitely check out these other resources (link to quizlet)
stromae– hip hop//electronic but i still like his music
maitre gims– rapper but he sings quite a bit in his songs
joyce jonathan– omg her songs are so cute please go listen
christophe mae-can we just talk about his song “tombe sous le charme” i love it + he sort of reminds me of jack johnson
vianney!!– guys “je te deteste” is my favorite song on my french playlist right now. the sophomore that sits next to me in our french class recommended him to me & i can’t stop listening
my post on music//podcasts for learning languages (lots of people have been recommending artists which has made this post so much better so please message me if you have any other recommendations or questions!!)
ok don’t throw anything at me but watching peppa pig in french is actually a good method (i don’t remember who suggested this to me but thank you so much @ whoever it was)
definitely keep a vocab notebook where you can either paste vocab lists or write them in on your own
listen to french music. find your own favorite artists. and tell me, so i can put them in here. but seriously, go do it & get those phrases + pronunciations stuck in your head!!
making quizlets for vocab will benefit you more than just using someone else’s
find friends in your class to help (if you’re in highschool, upperclassmen are a blessing pls go ask them questions if you’re lost in class), the senior that sits next to me is really good at conjugating, and i’m pretty good at remembering vocab so we make a great team
find/join a study group!! the freshman girls in my french class made a group chat & we all send links to quizlets/other resources & help each other with homework 24/7
ask questions/do speaking exercises during class. trust me, you will benefit from it. plus, having your teacher correct you on your pronunciation during class is much less embarrassing than getting an F on that speaking test
Salut. I’m here to save the ass of the ones who are learning french and are lost with so many resources. I plan to update later, but, for now, that is.
hi everyone! i made a french masterpost about a year ago which can be found here, but it’s a little outdated and i don’t use some of the resources anymore. here is a new updated masterpost about how to learn french!
apps
duolingo is good to start out with, but don’t rely on it entirely. duolingo is more beneficial if you use it as a review rather than a learning resource.
memrise is amazing for any level of french!
drops is a really good vocabulary app. it exposes you to everyday vocabulary you may need while traveling to france. it’s also super aesthetic! it only allows you to use it for 5 minutes a day, but i find it perfect to use before i go to bed.
mango is offered free from libraries in the u.s. and canada. it teaches you with a conversation. this app is very practical and it helps with speaking skills. if you live outside of the u.s. message me and i can make you a free account.
mindsnacks is also a fantastic vocabulary app, but it doesn’t work with ios 11 and you have to pay $4.99 to unlock all the lessons. but if you can get it, it’s definitely worth it! the app forces you to remember all the vocab, and it pronounces everything for you very clearly.
writing/reading
write/read something every day in french! no matter what it is, it will greatly benefit your learning. try to use what you learn each day in your daily writing practice.
here is a website with french children’s books for free. it pronounces the words and offers an english translation which is great for beginners.
1jour1actu is good for A2-C1 learners. they have an app as well as a website.
for more advanced learners, i recommend lemonde.fr
there are several strategies for what to do when coming across a word you don’t know. i usually use a dictionary/google translate and highlight/write down the word i looked up, then review those words before i sleep (sometimes). the more exposure you get to words, the more familiar you will become. keep reading!
forvo is an amazing website where you can see how a word is pronounced by a native speaker. it’s a literal blessing to this earth.
grammar
it’s very important to keep a notebook for your french studies, because french grammar can get really crazy. review your notes weekly to retain the information!
pick a good textbook/workbook to take notes from. i personally used french for dummies. many free textbooks and workbooks can be found at this link, so you can choose which one you think will be best for you.
thoughtco is a good website for when you need help on a specific grammar topic. you can add some of their lessons to your notebook!
rocketlanguages is also good to start out with. same as mango, it’s free to anyone in the u.s. and canada with a library card. it’s good for conversation practice and grammar.
listening
my favorite place to go to for practice is youtube. check out this list of most popular french youtubers!
music is good for listening practice as well. if you have time, look at the lyrics while you listen. maybe memorize a song!
a weekly schedule could look like completing 1 lesson in your textbook, reviewing previous lessons, practicing with apps, writing/watching/reading something, etc.
each day you can pick something off of the picture below! listening monday, writing tuesday, reading wednesday…
depending on how much time you have to study, spending 1(+) hour per day is a good ballpark if you want to advance easily in the language.
everyone is different, but this is how i choose to study french. i made a table with each form of practice and i choose 2-3 things off the table to study from (see the picture below). making this is helpful because you spend more time studying the language than looking for ways to study the language. everything is already there for me!
refessence 