Thor did not intend to seek out company, but it was inevitable. Although he was still wary of some Earth customs, Thor was a social man. He liked people, and as he grew more comfortable on Earth, it was hard not to say hello.
After all, there was a comfortable familiarity in the town of Puente Antiguo. People worked their jobs, day after day, and though the task seemed menial, Thor knew his own daily routine was certainly not auspicious. In some ways, it was comforting to see the man called Jerry behind the cash register at the hardware store. He liked to walk by the woman named Tina at the supermarket. Rick and Eddie were good companions at the workout facility, and he very much liked exchanging pleasantries with Ella as they crossed paths at the diner.
And he did not know why the young woman at the post office smiled at him so much, but Thor always smiled back.
Yet, he did not know quite how to proceed. When Jerry commented on his purchases, Thor smiled and replied honestly that Jane had many unique needs. Tina was always keen to remind him of sales on his favorite items, and he was always effusive in his thanks when she told him about the latest flavors of things like Pop Tarts and soda. Rick and Eddie were good sources of information about sufficient human hydration and how to properly structure a diet with proteins, and he found Ella liked to talk in great detail about the latest weather developments, a topic which Thor found he was quite knowledgeable.
However, after a month, he found that his new acquaintances were asking more questions. About where he came from and why he was here. Some assumed he was a scientist; others seemed to think he had some other connection to Jane or perhaps Darcy. They seemed a bit surprised that his name was Thor, but many told him it suited him. But when they asked for additional details, Thor hesitated.
Should he tell them he was of Asgard? Should he talk of his father, the king, or his brother and his comrades? Should he tell them of the war he started and the disgrace he brought his family? Should he point to the stars and explain the great conflicts brewing, ones that Thor could only hope would be squelched by his father's might before they had a chance to meet this realm?
What age should he report? What schooling should he share? Thor did not enjoy lies -- no, his brother had been much more adept with them -- and Thor grew increasingly flustered and confused.
"Wait, we don't think he's crazy?" Darcy asked.
"I still don't know why SHIELD let him go in the first place," Selvig said.
"I do not wish to implicate anyone else in any fraud," Thor said.
It was somewhat reassuring that his friends found his situation as vexing as he did.
It was also somewhat disconcerting to know that it was, indeed, a problem that could threaten his long term happiness or the well being of his very generous friends. Over the last month, Thor had discovered himself to be adept at many things, but as they brainstormed possible solutions to the question of his identity, he was reminded just how dependent he was on them.
He had no way to navigate these issues. He was wholly dependent on them. Thor, who had been a god, the greatest of all Odin's warriors, was counting on three mere mortals for the most basic needs in his life.
This humiliation would have been more bothersome were he not hampered with the nagging fear that he was simply more trouble than he was worth to them. If they asked him to leave, he would, but after his time here, he found the notion of leaving to be troublesome.
"We still don't know that for sure," Selvig said.
"Do you really think he's still crazy?" Jane asked.
"Maybe a weird brain injury from when you hit him with the car," Selvig replied.
"He's fine," Jane replied indignantly.
"Maybe when I tased him," Darcy added.
"So the only logical conclusion is that he really is an alien?" Selvig asked.
"You don't trust him?" Jane asked.
Jane's eyes turned to him, flashing with guilt.
The words were not meant to be cruel, but the proposal set before him did give him pause. He had resigned himself to life on Earth; he had accepted it. But accepting it for one day and the next was one thing.
To think of this as the rest of his life, however short that may be.
To renounce his bid to the throne. To let go of his status as a warrior. To forfeit his family and his friends and his planet.
That wasn't how it was, though. He had already made that choice; indeed, he had made it the minute he went to Jotunheim and started a war against his father's wishes. It was all gone -- all of it -- with no hope of retrieval. He could cling to blind hope.
Or he could accept the inevitable.
Selvig drew a deep breath. "Okay, then," he said.
"I can totally make a fake ID," Darcy offered.
"I really don't want to know that," Jane said.
"It was the easiest option," Selvig said.
"You have to admit, he kind of deserves it," Darcy said.
"It's the easiest option," Selvig said.
"And it's not like he's coming back or anything," Darcy said.
Thor shook his head, finally too perplexed to stay silent any longer. "Am I not also a boy friend?" he asked.
Darcy choked on a laugh; Selvig raised his eyebrows.
Relationships, as it turned out, were just as transient as everything else on Earth. Though people did marry, they often did not stay married, and some people did not marry at all. Boyfriends and girlfriends were romantic attachments without any necessary long term commitments. Although there were still apparently rules and a certain etiquette, clearly these rules were not hard and fast.
And clearly Donald Blake had performed poorly in such regards.
Therefore, while his companions decided that Donald Blake's identity was the most logical choice, Thor was not certain he wanted it.
"But he was a dishonorable man!" Thor protested.
"What are we going to call him, though?" Selvig asked.
"You're fine," Jane told him.
"No, he's illegal," Selvig said.
"Along with a few million other people," Darcy remarked.
"No one is leaving!" Jane insisted.
"Oh, will they try to deport him to space?" Darcy asked.
There was a steadiness in her. In all that changed on Earth; in all that evolved and flew by, there was still something constant in Jane. At her core, Jane was solid and unshakable. She lived in a world that flew by her; her life was fleeting, and her own mind was at a constant state of movement. Yet, Jane Foster was. She accomplished more in her short days than most of Asgard could own in a century. And she took to change -- she embraced it. Thor was a stranger to her, more trouble than he was worth, and yet she defended him with the passion of the fiercest warrior in all the realms.
He was indebted to her.
He could not be worthy of much, but he did hope someday to be worthy of her.
So it was decided. Thor started talked with more confidence, and he made friends easily. People greeted him by name, and he gladly returned the favor. He mastered the pleasantries and excelled in conversation. The lives in Puente Antiguo were simple but busy. There was never much want for conversation.
They also adapted to change with an ease Thor did not expect. After only a month, he was welcomed among them as though he had belonged there all along.
Goats, his father called them. Thor had expected them to be small and petty and violent.
Small, yes. Petty, perhaps. And elements were prone to violence, given what Thor had seen on the television.
But they were strong willed and capable; they were eager and adaptive. They welcomed him.
Though he still missed home, sometimes he had to wonder if he'd ended up on the better world.
Thor was picking up lunch for his friends when Earl, one of the local ranchers, complained heartily of the news.
News, Thor discovered, rapidly shifted on Earth. There was always news, of world events and national politics. There were scientific discoveries and political positioning. There was also plenty of local news, of new grandchildren and the latest hookups.
Thor was proud of his growing understanding of the lingo. So it was only natural that he leaned in earnest to hear what was causing Earl so much grief.
He had learned much of the legal systems during his time, and he enjoyed having relevant points to add to any discussion.
"So they were part of the law enforcement?" Thor asked.
Thor numbly put his wallet back in his pocket -- the back pocket, as was the local custom -- and mumbled a goodbye. Suddenly the diner was too small; the people were too fragile.
Outside, the sunlight blinded him, and he hurried down the street, barely nodded at Ella before taking a quick turn down a more shaded side street. He forced himself to keep walking, even as his heart pounded.
It meant nothing, he told himself. It was not as if he imagined Mjolnir had disappeared. It was not as if that were even possible.
Still, even with that rudimentary acceptance, Thor had never considered what would happen to Mjolnir. He had not thought of it as a monument to his foolishness; nor had he considered it as a source of ongoing interest for other parties.
Of course, there were many things he should have known.
As it was, this meant nothing to him.
Thor smiled, handing her a plate. "Everything is fine," he said.
It was no more than a week later when Thor first noticed the men. Though they were dressed casually, it was easy to see they did not belong. Thor knew the people of this town, and he knew the look of the weary travelers who stopped here.
These men, though they tried hard, were of neither group.
They had a trained stealth that reminded him of Loki, watching him even without turning their eyes directly on them. Thor thought about being subtle in return, but that was not his forte. He pinned them with icy glares as they drank their coffee at the table, staring at them for a long moment before paying his bill an leaving.
Different men showed up on the street; and a woman, too. There was something about them -- they were trained in a way that no one else paid them heed, but Thor knew them in the way a warrior always knew the enemy.
But Thor was no warrior, so he ducked his head and kept on walking.
It was no surprise that Darcy was the one who discovered it first.
It was surprising that it took her nearly a week to bring it up, however.
"So, you know the how we don't talk about the site in the desert anymore?" she asked.
"So, I think maybe we should talk about it," Darcy announced.
"Well, this is a sign that you two need to get out more because apparently this is old news," she said.
"If it's old news, then why are you telling us now," Jane asked.
Selvig's face darkened, and Thor purposefully diverted his gaze.
Instead he left. For the first time since meeting Jane Foster, he could not bear to look back.
Thor made it halfway down the block before he realized how entirely irrational he was being.
The facility in the desert meant nothing to him. Humans were naturally inquisitive, so it was only natural that they would want to study the Bifrost site and Mjolnir. If Thor had any semblance of forethought, he would not have been taken off guard at all.
Moreover, the study would gain them little. The Bifrost site would provide minimal information about the technology, though they may be able to trace some of the symbols back to ancient Viking culture, which Thor knew had some influence from Asgard. By now, however, any residual energy from the travel corridor would have dissipated, leaving them with less than Jane started with over a month ago. Indeed, the only advantage of the site would be its view of the stars, but it was uncertain if the government would know enough to leverage such a position to any actual effect.
Even with Jane's research, they were likely decades off from any significant advancement, and with Thor's banishment, the All Father had probably restricted movement in the direction of Midgard.
This was why he had felt so guilty for Jane's behalf, and why he had pledged to provide her with any additional insights to spur her research further. He had no way of knowing how adept these other people were -- Jane seemed exceptional to him, but Thor had no means of being certain -- so it was impossible to know if this facility would yield any additional information in a timely fashion.
If they directed their attention to the sky, perhaps they would have a chance, but Thor knew their interest was probably more keenly set on Mjolnir. The thought of mere mortals poring over it was hard for Thor; they would try to take it apart or dissect it. They would attempt to provoke chemical reactions or elicit any kind of sign from it.
Mjolnir would not yield, though. Not for Thor, not for them.
It was hard to imagine, though, so worthy a weapon, sitting so vacantly. It deserved better.
And Thor had failed it.
Now, Mjolnir would sit in exile with Thor -- and beyond.
The weight of his failure was heavier than before, and he felt it profoundly. He flexed his fist, missing the familiar handle.
Yet, that was not any cause for concern. In truth, that had been true since the beginning. This had started with Mjolnir, when it rejected him that night in the rain. What happened to the hammer now was ultimately of no concern to him. It did not call to him, and he would not go to it.
But the presence of the government was concerning in other ways. Because if they were still studying Mjolnir; if they were making a permanent presence; that meant that this wasn't over yet. If they came for Thor, he would not be able to fight them. If they took him into custody, he would have no choice but to comply.
Worse, if they came for Jane's research, Thor would be powerless to stop them.
Thor was a danger to his friends.
That was why he'd been sent here. He's risked the lives of his friends and his brother; he's risked the safety of his people and the peace among the realms.
And he was doing it again.
Thor never learned. He was slow and stupid, blind and bumbling. He deserved exile -- and worse.
Turning down the main street, Thor saw two more of the strange men. His senses prickled, but there was nothing to be done for it. Thor had nowhere to hide. There was nowhere to run.
Whatever his fate, he was powerless against it.
Head down, Thor kept on walking.
When Thor ran out of sidewalk, he stopped at the edge of town. The highway stretched before him, an undefined length of road he knew nothing about. It would take him away from here, he knew that much.
For a moment, he considered it to be the better option.
Even if he could not evade the authorities of this world, leaving would perhaps spare his friends any further hardship on his account. The ongoing presence in the desert was cause for concern.
Still, he remembered his promise to Jane. He could not forget the way he had felt this past month wherein these comrades were the only thing that made his exile bearable.
That, perhaps, was more reason to leave. His word was valuable, but not as valuable as his distance.
Yet, where would he go? What would he do? Would it matter anyway?
As he stared out, all he could think of was Jane's face and her implicit trust in him. Thor still thought it nobler to leave.
But Thor was no longer noble. He was weak and broken and humbled. It had come to this, then. The Mighty Thor, felled so low. At least he hoped he could fall no further than to be hopeless and dependent and so openly in need.
Shoulders slumping, he turned back toward town.
Though he could not bring himself to leave, Thor also did not have the courage to face his companions. Instead, he ate lunch out and poked through a few stores. Killing time, he believed the phrase was. It was difficult to make polite talk, however, and rather than face questions from the well intentioned people of Puente Antiguo, Thor eventually made his way back to Jane's lab.
He lingered for a moment, hesitating. It would be plain and logical to simply enter and address the issue. Or enter and ignore the issue.
Divested of his power with his hammer stuck idly in the desert, Thor Odinson was currently a coward.
Skirting around the back of the building, he found the metal staircase and headed to the roof. Without looking over the vast expanse, he sunk low into one of the chairs and stared at the sky, hoping for solace.
Solace evaded him, though, much like everything else.
At the dinner hour, Thor's stomach rumbled but he steadfastly ignored it. His back began to hurt from the awkward position, but he merely stretched himself out and closed his eyes. For some time, he believed he dozed, and when he opened his eyes again, it was night.
He was also no longer alone.
"Hi," Jane said, standing some distance away.
Thor swallowed, easing his posture a little even as she tentatively approached.
It seemed to take some semblance of self control for Jane to keep her emotions in check. "But you didn't," she said, and it was neither a question nor a consolation.
"I am not proud of the decision," he admitted.
Thor looked down at his hands. "Several weeks," he said.
"And you didn't say anything," Jane continued for him.
"That's not what I'm worried about," she said firmly.
She gestured, pointing stoutly out into the desert. Thor followed the jab of her finger.
Her comfort was so tempting; her absolution so easy. Things changed so rapidly on Midgard. He found grudges were hard to keep here, fleeting within days when they lasted centuries on Asgard. People accepted shortcomings and mistakes, and Thor could not deny that he wanted to believe in such forgiveness.
Yet, here he was. Human and in exile.
There was no forgiveness for him.
Her bravery was inspiring, though it was naive. Thor knew little of the SHIELD Agency, but he did not doubt that they were formidable against him in his current state. And to think, he hadn't even told Jane about the men watching him in town.
Jane Foster was exemplary. Her warmth and her compassion and her utmost dedication.
Thor did not deserve her.
But he would not forsake her either. "I cannot bring myself to leave," he said finally.
He tried to hide it, but his face fell somewhat.
"If they do stay out there, is there anything that they might learn from, um, the hammer? I mean, things you don't want them to know," she ventured.
Thor trailed off, his voice distant in the stillness of the night. Out across the expanse, they could not see the threat. Though Jane deemed it acceptable, Thor still felt it building against the back of his mind, like Mjolnir, a weight he could not longer move, no matter how he tried.
Thor found himself unable to speak.
But Thor shook his head, eyes still turned out. There were no words for it; there was nothing he could say. Perhaps the time for words had passed, or maybe it had not come.
Either way, Thor did not know what he wanted to say. He knew nothing.
Nothing except that he found comfort here with her, and they sat together, staring out at the sky until the stars faded and the sun broke over the horizon.
There was something about dawn on Earth. Something hopeful and fresh.
Thor had always been one to rise with the sun, and it was true that he had always been anxious for the light. But it was different here. It was not that he had more important tasks -- his activities here were quite mundane -- but there was a fresh possibility. With every day, he was faced both with the knowledge of his failure.
And the hope of his exile.
For exile was not death.
He was alive, and he was among friends. His battles were different now, but smaller did not make them lesser.
He had had no need for hope on Asgard.
Here, he found it to be everything.
He skipped his morning workout and opted to make an elaborate breakfast instead. If he was going to stay with these people and be a burden to them, he had to offer something in return.
In truth, he found comfort in that. In the days he'd spent pining to be king, he'd thought no other purpose could satisfy him. It had been a fallacy, though, like so much else. Thor merely wanted to have a place. He wanted to add value.
Wielding a hammer or sitting on the throne.
Making breakfast and laughing with his friends.
If he was looking for a cause to fight for, then there was none better than that.
So Thor drew his battle line, and he dared the powers of this Earth to cross it.
Even if he knew he would be powerless if they did.
"Explicit, sure, but I've spent the last 20 years on this planet and I still have no idea how to do it," Darcy said.
"Well, have you ever tried?" Jane asked.
"That's really not the point," Darcy countered.
"You have no power, though, Thor," Selvig said.
"And yet here you are," Selvig said with a sigh.
"My motives are the same as yours," Thor promised.
"But there are things you can't control," Selvig said.
"Erik, we've talked about this," Jane said.
Selvig took another bite with a scowl.
For his part, Thor could only smile.
Thor had learned how to dress and act like a human, but he still found himself unduly conspicuous. People tended to look him over, offering more scrutiny than seemed warranted.
"I fear I am doing something wrong," he said.
"Of course not!" Jane said.
"That's not the point," Jane said.
"I think that'd be criminal," Darcy said.
"Perhaps if I shave," Thor suggested.
"Or cut your hair," Selvig said.
"And I know that'd be criminal," Darcy said.
"I thought we had to be careful," Thor replied.
"You think it will help me in the long run?" he asked.
"No, we think it looks amazing," Darcy said.
"But it's not too much?" Thor asked.
Jane grinned and Darcy looked relieved.
"And that price will be well worth it," Darcy said.
Thor had learned much in his time on Earth, but it never failed to surprise him how much he still had to master. Slang, international politics, American history, racial segregation.
"I have flown many crafts more complicated than this," Thor assured her.
"Sure, and then you ended up alone and abandoned on Earth!" Jane insisted.
"It was not reckless driving that earned my exile," Thor said.
She was serious -- very serious, in fact -- and though it seemed silly, Thor would not fight her. As the engine rumbled to life, he was struck by the strange realization that she was right.
After fighting wars and besting opponents in battle, this would be the most danger he would have. Here, in a mundane vehicle, with limited mobility and speed limitations.
Swallowing hard, he placed his hands neatly at ten and two, as per Jane's explicit instructions.
If this was to be his most dangerous task, he would approach it with a flourish worthy of his name.
Earth's traffic codes were less so.
"Because you really think if two guys come to an intersection, either will yield for the bigger one?" Jane asked, tensing as Thor made the turn, timing it perfectly between the oncoming traffic and navigating seamlessly into the correct lane position.
"Men do have foolish pride," Thor reasoned. He used the brake, coming to an easy stop. He noticed that he had arrived second and he waved politely to the other driver.
Thor carefully approached a stop light, maintaining a following distance of three cars from the closest car. He tried not to think that Asgard was a better place without him.
"I don't know," Jane said.
"Back to the lab?" Thor asked.
Thor looked at her in question.
"Honestly I thought it'd take all afternoon to teach you," she said.
"But, since it didn't, what do you say to a drive?" Jane asked.
In his time on Earth, Thor had explored the town of Puente Antiguo quite thoroughly. He was well acquainted with the town, knowing the businesses, the people and the general layout. He had a rough grasp of the area outside of town, mostly from on-site data collections Jane desired.
He had been content to stray no farther. Part of him had probably supposed that there was nothing that would appeal to him, but as they drove down the highway, Thor realized how limited that sentiment was.
Though Earth was primitive compared to Asgard and many of the other realms, it was still a vibrant and developing planet. He had not fully appreciated Darcy's complaints about how small it was or Selvig's solace in the quiet. Because that mean there was more to the world.
Thor was exiled, but it was hardly a prison cell. Driving with his hands firmly on the wheel, the speed exactly at 65, he began to realize there were possibilities. Life, short as it might be for him now, could be full and exciting.
Something fluttered in his chest, and he faintly recognized the surge of adrenaline. How long had it been since he felt such exhilaration? How long had it been since he'd been taken with possibility? How long had he been satisfied and not happy?
Flexing his fingers on the wheel, he found himself smiling. However long it had been, he suspected it would be no longer.
At the next town, Jane told him to just keep driving. Dutifully, Thor obeyed, following her directions as they merged from a highway to something Jane called an Interstate. This road was bigger with more lanes and far more cars.
"A safe one, perhaps," Thor pointed out as he expertly navigated the traffic.
Thor gave her a quizzical look.
This town was larger, which Thor had thought to mean it would be just like Puente Antiguo only with more streets. However, the infrastructure was much further developed. The buildings were larger and more plentiful, with more options for shopping, eating and more.
First Jane directed him to a shopping mall, which was a large structure that had a multitude of stores inside. Thor was impressed by the pace, and he soon discovered the advantages of such size. Whereas the selection in Puente Antiguo was adequate, this mall had everything.
More clothing, more books, more movies, more games. Thor spent a period of time staring contentedly at a large screen TV, broadcasting a strange looking movie that Jane said was meant for children. He played video games and secretly wished he was able to earn money to purchase one. He read books and magazines, and drank a coffee from an establishment known as Starbucks. Jane took him to a movie in what was called 3D before they finally settled at a barbecue restaurant for a filling meal.
Thor was eating a rack of ribs, licking his fingers noisily when he noticed Jane was watching him.
She was offering him an out, he realized. All the times he had thought to leave, it had never been for his own well being. He had always considered it for Jane's sake. The idea that something out there might appeal to him more was hard to fathom.
He had had fun, but life was more than fun. It was more than good meals and vast entertainment.
Home. It was the first time he'd used the word in conjunction with anything on Earth.
But as he watched Jane's eyes light up, he knew it would not be the last.
They started to travel after that, taking trips to nearby towns and attractions. Jane showed him geological wonders; Selvig took him to academic institutions. Darcy took him to raucous musical events called concerts that Thor found chaotic and strangely invigorating. Once they travelled to a place called the Grand Canyon, which cut open across the land.
Thor thought of a time when he would have wielded Mjolnir, summoning it to take him across in a single bound.
Standing on the edge, he was bound by the laws of gravity just as any other mortal, and he could only look down in awe.
He heard people whisper, wondering what it would be like to fall.
At that, Thor turned away, for this was a question he had already answered the hard way.
Still, Puente Antiguo was home. Jane went about her work, and Thor did whatever was needed of him. Around town, he was still being followed, but he would not lurk.
No, he would not yield.
Thor had lost much of his pride, but not all of it.
When he first accepted his place as permanent on Midgard, Thor had grown quiet about his home. But as he settled comfortably among his friends, it was impossible not to talk of it. Darcy talked of growing up and skipping classes with her friends to go shopping at the mall. Jane talked of her lab experiment in college that nearly burned down an entire building.
And Thor talked of hunting bilgesnipe across the forests on the eastern coast, and learning to pilot gliders on the high mountains of the west. He told them of royal dinners and training as a warrior. He talked of feasts that went on for days, and celebrations that were immortalized in the stars.
At night, when Darcy and Selvig were asleep, he told Jane of his father's stories and his brother's magic. He told her of his mother's lullabies, which made the stars themselves dance until he finally succumbed to sleep.
He was making breakfast when there was a knock at the door. With Darcy nowhere to be seen -- it was before noon, after all -- and Selvig away on business, he found himself to be the only one available.
Turning down the temperature of the hash browns on the stovetop, he wiped his hands on his jeans before answering the door.
The name was still somewhat foreign to him, but Thor was moderately adept at acting. "I did not imagine I would be seeing you again," he said.
"Well, given that you haven't been breaking into highly secure government facilities, I would guess not," Agent Coulson quipped.
"And Darcy's iPod?" Thor pressed.
Agent Coulson sighed, reaching into his pocket again, producing a small, well worn device.


text:
Jenny Han is an American author of young adult fiction and children's fiction. She is best known for writing the To All the Boys series and The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, which were adapted into a film series and TV series, respectively.

Early life and education
Han was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, to Korean-American parents. She graduated from Governor's School for Government and International Studies in 1998, then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2006, she received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at The New School.

Career
Han wrote her first book, the children's novel Shug, while she was in college. Shug was published in 2006 and is about Annemarie Wilcox, a twelve-year-old trying to navigate the perils of junior high school.

Her next project was a young adult romance trilogy about a girl's coming-of-age during her summer breaks. The three novels, The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, and We'll Always Have Summer, were published from 2009 to 2011 by Simon & Schuster and quickly became New York Times Best Sellers.  The trilogy is the story of protagonist/narrator, Belly Conklin, who falls in love with two brothers she has known her whole life and works through a messy love triangle.

Han's second young adult trilogy was co-written with Siobhan Vivian and began with the 2012 publication of Burn for Burn. The novel follows three high school girls seeking revenge in their island town and contains paranormal and romance elements. The trilogy includes Fire with Fire, published in 2013, and Ashes to Ashes, published in 2014.

In 2014, Han released a young adult romance novel, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, about Lara Jean Song Covey, a high school student whose life turns upside down when the letters she wrote to her five past crushes are mailed without her knowledge. The novel was optioned for a screen adaptation within weeks of its publication. The sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, was released the following year, and won the Young Adult 2015–2016 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. A third novel, Always and Forever, Lara Jean, was released in 2017. The film adaptation of the first novel, starring Lana Condor in the lead role, began filming in July 2017 and was released by Netflix in August 2018, to positive reviews. Han had a brief cameo in the film. The sequel films To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All the Boys: Always and Forever were released in 2020 and 2021. A spinoff television series XO, Kitty to To All the Boys film series created by Han is in production. Han will also write, executive produce, and be a showrunner. The series will follow Lara's sister, Kitty Covey, going on her own journey to find true love.

In June 2022, a television series based on Han's book series The Summer I Turned Pretty was released on Amazon Prime. Han had a cameo in the last episode of the series.  The television adaptation was noteworthy in part because there were a number of modifications to make the story more diverse.  For example, in the book, Belly appears to be white, as confirmed by the original book cover. However, in the television series, Belly is biracial; her dad is white and her mom is Korean American. In the book, Belly's mom is Laurel Dunne, but in the television series her name is Laurel Park.  Additionally, in the television adaptation, there are several openly gay characters, and a major character (Jeremiah) is bisexual. The series was renewed for a second season before the first season was even released.

Bibliography
Children's books
 Shug (2006)
 Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (2011)

The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy
 The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009)
 It's Not Summer Without You  (2010)
 We'll Always Have Summer (2011)

Burn for Burn trilogy (co-authored with Sioban Vivian)
 Burn for Burn (2012)
 Fire with Fire (2013)
 Ashes to Ashes (2014)

To All the Boys trilogy
 To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2014)
 P.S. I Still Love You (2015)
 Always and Forever, Lara Jean (2017)

Short stories
 "Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me" in My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (2014)

References

External links

Living people
21st-century American women writers
21st-century American novelists
American children's writers
American writers of Korean descent
American writers of young adult literature
Writers from Richmond, Virginia
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
Novelists from New York (state)
1980 births

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Marie-Cécile Godwin Paccard writes about the danger and meaning of burnout and how to avoid Karōshi.
Adrian Tineo denounces unspoken bullying and harassment in workplaces.
Graham shares a very personal quest for meaning and purpose through work and towards Ikigai.
In this issue's subscriber-only article, Adrian shares some job interview anecdotes, with a hopeful twist at the end.
Cover photo by Sean Mungur on Unsplash.


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Issue 40 4th December 2015
This week's Top Pick is Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull's thoughts on VR storytelling. One of the creative minds behind Toy Story and an usher of the era of 3D animation, when this man talks about a new medium it's well worth paying attention!
We also look at how Vine are driving remixing and collaboration, how to gift media in the streaming age, video gaming's Oscars skipping TV for streaming, Nokia's $50,000 VR camera, exclusive Star Wars VR content for Google Cardboard, and much more! If you're a VR fan then this is a great issue for you!
Pixar co-founder warns virtual-reality moviemakers: 'It's not storytelling'
Pixar Animation co-founder Ed Catmull has warned that virtual reality technology may not be the revolution in storytelling that some of its evangelists have claimed.
There's no doubt of the potential of VR for creating interactive experiences; its ability to create such raw immersion is unmatched by any other medium. But is it actually a good medium for traditional linear storytelling? What will emerge as the standard for a great VR experience? Ed makes some good points in this interview with The Guardian, and Oculus' own learnings and VR storytelling experiments are well documented on their Story Studio blog.
Just like books aren't the same things as movies. They don't have to be
Hat-tip to Steve Power for bringing this one to our attention :)
Remix, collaborate and listen
Director of Broadcast Partnerships at Twitter UK Dan Biddle presented a fascinating look at the art of Vine and Periscope at the C21 FutureMedia event in London yesterday. Vine users are embracing the platform's 6 second constraint to create shareable comedy, animation and now musical moments, and brands are taking notice.
At Rerun, we're particularly taken with Vine's new audio remix and collaboration feature, a type of audio hashtag, which encourages the spread of memes and adds to the music discovery capability of the platform.
You now have the power to reinterpret, collaborate or remix with audio from any Vine on the network, as well as discover these creations that reveal the bigger picture behind the incredible trends that evolve on Vine.
vine.co
How to gift TV, movies, music, and more in the streaming age
You can't really gift-wrap a Netflix stream. It's hard to put MP3s under a Christmas tree.
There's no doubt that streaming on-demand is great for consumers, it gives them freedom of choice, super fast access to content and less stuff taking up space in their living room.
That said, it makes buying Christmas gifts just that little bit harder. Imagine gifting someone a DVD boxset of a show they hadn't seen but you thought they'd love; nowadays odds are it's already all on Netflix, and you can't really gift a recommendation.
Giving someone a single $30 audiobook may feel chintzy and limiting when the same $30 could buy two months' worth of access to 180,000 audiobook titles via Audible.
So what can you do? The Verge have this great guide to gift-giving in the streaming age. The tl;dr, make it personal and one-of-a-kind.
theverge.com
Video gaming's Oscars skips TV for streaming
Last night (Thursday Dec 3rd) was all about The Game Awards, an annual awards show aiming to be the Oscars of video games, now in its second year.
There's an undeniable demand for video game broadcasting right now, and it's all digital. The Game Awards was broadcast live on Xbox, Playstation, YouTube, Twitch, Steam and Go90, Verizon's mobile streaming service.
Last year the awards racked up more than 6.5 million views, a fraction compared to the Oscars' 36.6 million views, but for a digital-only event in its first year that's a big success. There's no viewership info available for this year's event at the time of writing, but a big increase on last year is anticipated.
Burberry booth allows shoppers to star in festive Billy Elliot campaign
Burberry's store on Regent Street in London is offering shoppers the chance to take part in a personalised commercial starring Naomi Campbell, James Corden, Julie Walters and themselves!
After filming on a trampoline in store, they can watch and share their 15 second ad on YouTube.
In a behind-the-scenes campaign video, veteran actress Julie Walters offers the following tip to those taking part: "Make sure you have a wee before you start".
Nokia's Ozo VR camera marks a rebirth for the phone giant
The Ozo is Nokia's $50,000 VR camera, capable of outputting broadcast-quality 360 video as well as a low-res version for monitoring. However aside from being incredible for filmmakers and broadcasters, it could also point to a path in Nokia's future... (It also looks so cool, just look at it)
It's not the first time I've tried a VR a headset, but it's the first time I've ever experienced something like this. Instead of diving into 3D computer-generated simulation of a pre-prepared world, Nokia's next-gen spherical camera is actually teleporting me across the room in real time. But that distance of just a few feet could easily be hundreds of miles. That possibility in particular speaks to Nokia's plan.
Uncanny Valley is a super stylish short film about how VR will destroy us
Uncanny Valley is a short film "that seems destined for a feature film adaption", set in a time where social misfits live out their violent impulses in a fantasy world. Virtual reality is depicted as a means of escaping the harsh reality of our own world and is done so in a very stylish way.
The 'Star Wars' VR experience for Google Cardboard is here
The Star Wars hype train continues at warp speed, and the latest release is 'Jakku Spy', a VR experience for Google Cardboard on iOS and Android. It puts you into the role of a Resistance secret agent on the planet Jakku, and ties directly into the upcoming film. It also introduces an AR character that comes to life when you scan a movie poster for The Force Awakens!
engadget.com
Amazon and Apple's takes on augmented reality are totally headset free
Amazon have had several patents approved that will potentially augment reality without users needing a headset. The 'object tracking' patent details a system of projectors and cameras that would beam images onto real objects, tracking your body as you interact with them.
Apple have also been granted a patent this week for a projector that uses augmented reality.
We're loving the application drawings that illustrate these patents!
Facebook begins testing live video streaming for all users
Amazon Instant Video app to launch on tvOS 'within a few weeks'
A walkthrough of the VR theme park The Void [video]
AOL's Kanvas partners with Guess
YouTube seeks streaming rights to TV shows & movies
Discovery unveils Discovery GO, its TV everywhere service for the US
#GearBoggles: The horrifying new face of wearing a VR headset
No, this person is not at an optometrist, this is what happens when you take the faceplate off the new Samsung Gear VR. Just when we thought VR headsets were starting to look cool...
arstechnica.com
Previous issue 27th November 2015

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


45 years after the publication of the C Minor Mass K. 427 in the New Mozart Edition, the work is being performed for the first time in a new edition on 14 and 15 April 2019 in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. This new edition reflects the latest state of research, whilst also responding to requirements for practical performance. The editor of the edition, which is published in collaboration with the Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg, is the renowned musicologist there Ulrich Leisinger. He has completed the missing passages in Mozart's fragmentary-surviving mass setting in a subtle and stylistically appropriate way. The first performance using this edition features top soloists, the ChorWerk Ruhr and the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg under the direction of its chief conductor Kent Nagano.
Emile Zola's novel "Thérèse Raquin" is not for the faint hearted. It tells the story of a ruthless crime, of insanity and self-destruction. Philipp Maintz (photo: Paavo Blåfield) has chosen the subject of a young woman who murders her spouse for his chamber opera "Thérèse", which receives its premiere on 14.4.2019 at the Salzburg Easter Festival in a co-production with the Hamburg Staatsoper. The music theatre work created is an unusual collaboration, for the libretto is the first work by Otto Katzameier, who also sings the baritone role of Laurent, and he has chosen an unusual narrative form for his text. Marisol Montalvo sings the title role and Renate Behle the role of the mother. The production is by Georges Delnon, and the conductor is Nicolas André. The German premiere takes place on 18.5.2019 in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
Following just a few weeks after the world premiere of Beat Furrer's opera "Violetter Schnee" at the Staatsoper Berlin, Bavarian Radio's "musica viva" concert series is devoting two evening concerts to the composer and conductor on 8 and 9 March 2019. "Schnee-Szenen" (Snow Scenes) for two sopranos and orchestra (text by Händl Klaus based on a novel by Vladimir Sorokin) is a concert version of excerpts from "Violetter Schnee". It receives its premiere in the first portrait concert with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Rundel. Furrer's stirring Piano Concerto – with soloist Nicolas Hodges – is followed by the large-scale choral cycle "Enigma 1–7" with the Bavarian Radio Chorus conducted by Rupert Huber. At the ensemble concert with Klangforum Wien on 9 March in the Allerheiligen Hofkirche, "Kaleidoscopic memories" receives its German premiere. The programme also includes the chamber music works "spur", "Ira-Arca", "intorno al bianco" and "Invocation VI".
Ľubica Čekovská has composed "Three fragments from Stabat mater" for the Bavarian Radio Chorus. This receives its premiere at a performance of the original version of Antonín Dvořák's setting of the "Stabat mater" for soloists, chorus and piano op. 58 on 2 March 2019 in Munich. Three unaccompanied compositions complement Dvořák's seven-movement original version with the verses which he did not set from the medieval poem of sorrow, forming a kind of lingering echo to Dvořák's composition. The conductor is Howard Arman.
The idea for the title for Ľubica Čekovská's new orchestral composition is a singing orchestral line which she has composed as a homage to her native land, eastern Slovakia. "Cantus Simplicissimus" was commissioned by the Slovak State Philharmonic in Košice, the capital of eastern Slovakia, the region where Humenné, the composer's birthplace, also lies. The premiere will be conducted by Michael Zlabinger on 21 February 2019 in Košice.
Three figures, captured in the voice of one special soloist. Composer Lucia Ronchetti has written "Speranze fuggite, sparite da me", an adaptation of Francesco Cavalli's "Giasone", for the countertenor Valer Sabadus. The work receives its premiere in the Philharmonie Cologne on 25 March 2019. Lucia Ronchetti describes her composition as a "Drammaturgia" for countertenor and ensemble. Looking back, the text by Giacinto Andrea Cicognini narrates the experience of three characters from the legend of the Argonauts – Orestes, Jason and Hypsipyle: their longing and waiting, their despairing love.
[t]akte 1/2019 includes articles the opera "Thérèse" by Philipp Maintz, on new works by Miroslav Srnka, Dieter Ammann, Charlotte Seither, Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini and others, furthermore interviews with Christoph Prégardien and Manfred Trojahn.


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IHD Central Women's Committee: Violance against women is a result of descriminatory policies!
August 29, 2019 admin Turkey, Women 0
Men increasingly continue murdering women day by day. We have witnessed sheer terror with the spread on social media of the murder video that showed Emine Bulut whose throat was cut and killed by her ex-husband in the presence of her kid in Kırıkkale. More than one woman is murdered each and every day. We should fight more to prevent all women from being subjected to verbal and physical violence, murders.
Within the last week, Tuba Erkol was murdered by a man she was divorcing from. Tuba Erkol had filed charges and obtained a restraining order. F. Y., a woman in Bursa, was battered by her boy friend and dumped at a graveyard. Hasan Beykoz killed his wife Meryem Beykoz and his daughter Emine Beykoz in Bafra, Samsun. A woman named A. K. was beaten and stabbed by her elder brother in Adıyaman. A woman named B. K. was shot to death in the head in Ardahan. A man shot and injured his wife who asked for a divorce in İstanbul. A woman in Malatya was shot and injured by her husband from whom she wanted a divorce.
214 women were killed by men while 99 women were sexually assaulted between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019 in Turkey according to data presented in "Women Murders and Child Abuse Report in Turkey" drafted by CHP Deputy and commissioner of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey's Committee on Equal Opportunity for Women and Men, Necati Tığlı. The number of femicide cases has increased by 4% in comparison to the previous year.
Violence against women has been perpetually reproduced by state agencies and the society. The manner in which such news are reported by the media is built on an excuse and are virtually legitimized. On social media, too, violence against women is fuelled and no measures are taken against posts that praise discrimination and violence. Violence is normalized in various programs and shows on TV. 16 thousand complaints have been lodged before the Radio and Television Supreme Council's communication center within the last 8 months due to violent content on TV but not a single one was discussed at the council's meetings according to İlhan Taşcı, CHP deputy and Radio and Television Supreme Council Member. Deputy Taşcı has expressed the horrifying truth about violence against women by saying "There was no finger left unbroken, no women left unbeaten for the last two seasons of a show aired on a pro-government TV channel."
The perpetrators of violence against women are men closest to them. A limited number of women who were able to obtain protection and restraint orders are being murdered because the state fails to protect them. The state that mobilizes security forces even against the tiniest of social dissidence leaves women face to face with their murderers by not taking the necessary measures when it comes to the protection of women. The state imprisons women in their homes, shuts women off from work life, subjects women to their spouses, does not want women take part in social life in an effective and competent manner. It is the rhetoric and policies of the state that are reciprocated by both the society and the family which, in turn, renders violence perpetual. If the perpetrators of violence against and abuse of women are also members of the family, no complaints are filed and the incidents are buried within the family. Women and children, on the other hand, are forced to continue living under violent circumstances.
Women are left further unprotected by the decrease in the number of women's shelters and the stay limitations in these shelters. In cases of violence against women both the law enforcement and the judiciary choose to reconcile victims and perpetrators of violence and send women back to environments of violence under the disguise of protecting the unity of the family even it includes violence rather than protecting women themselves.
The statement of the Directorate of Religious Affairs on violence against women is indeed an explicit statement of the mindset that underlies violence. The Director of Religious Affairs argued that all the rights of women were entrusted to men objectifying women: "Life, honor and rights of women in our religion are untouchable and entrusted." The fact is however, we, as women, are not entrusted to men and male power that is its sum.
Protecting women from male violence can only be realized through state policies focusing on gender equality. One of the reasons why such a large number of women fall victim to violence is the reluctance and even prevention of relevant institutions to implement current laws.
The provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which Turkey ratified in 1985 and put into effect, are not being implemented. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women's General Recommendation No. 35 on gender-based violence against women significantly states in its 16th paragraph the following: "Gender-based violence against women, may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in certain circumstances, including in cases of rape, domestic violence or harmful practices, among others."
The İstanbul Convention was signed and ratified by Turkey on 11 May 2011 and 14 March 2012 respectively. The purposes of the convention are to protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence; contribute to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and promote substantive equality between women and men, including by empowering women; design a comprehensive framework, policies and measures for the protection of and assistance to all victims of violence against women and domestic violence; promote international co-operation with a view to eliminating violence against women and domestic violence; provide support and assistance to organizations and law enforcement agencies to effectively co-operate in order to adopt and integrated approach to eliminating violence against women and domestic violence. The incidents, however, reveal the ways in which these provisions are not being implemented, how its articles are not complied with, and how they have not been institutionalized.
Moreover, if the authorities have even enabled the sufficient implementation of the Constitution and Law No. 6284 violence against women would have been prevented.
The government should comply with the provisions of laws and conventions that it avoids and refrains from implementing and even conducts an anti-propaganda against.
The number of women's shelters should be increased and protected employment opportunities should be offered.
Effective investigations should be initiated into those engaging in violent acts against women, impunity policies should be dropped; reduced sentences handed out, for instance, for good conduct and those based on judges' personal opinions should be put to an end.
Agencies based on gender equality should be established and these should not be male-dominant but women-based.
The structure of the law enforcement and the judiciary should be revised focusing on the protection of individuals not the family; officers should be trained within this scope.
Broadcasts and published material that legitimize violence against women should be discontinued without delay.
We want to live in equal conditions; we shall not be entrusted to anyone, any faith, any agency whatsoever.
IHD pubblica primo bilancio dopo l'amministrazione forzata
La Turquie poursuit la construction du mur à Afrin


Brought to you by Agile Richmond, Hard Yards, and other sponsors, Innovate Virginia is a boutique conference in central Virginia that brings together 25+ industry thought-leaders and 400+ Agile practitioners for a day of networking, interactive sessions, presentations, and fun! This was the 8th annual Innovate Virginia conference.
Our team had a great time at Innovate Virginia last Friday.
As a gold sponsor, Jason Lamb provided introductory remarks focused on the importance of aligning strategy, culture, and organizational design in order to allow best practices to take root in any organization.
Back to the Basics: Mike Vizdos was selected to speak about the importance of the Scrum basics.


Three hikers who fell over a popular Yosemite waterfall are presumed dead, park officials said late Wednesday morning.
Hormiz David, 22, of Modesto, Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock and Ramina Badal, 21, of Modesto were on a day trip to Yosemite National Park with friends and family Tuesday afternoon when they climbed over a metal guardrail at the top of Vernal Falls near Curry Village in Yosemite Valley, park officials said.
Witnesses told rangers that several people urged the group to get out of the cold, fast-moving water, but the three were swept over the 317-foot falls.
A search-and-rescue effort lasted until Wednesday morning. Park officials said teams would continue to scour the Merced River for the victims.
The trail leading up to the falls, the Mist Trail, has been reopened after it was closed during the initial search.
There have been six water-related deaths in Yosemite this year, including the latest incident, park officials said.
Two hikers drowned in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on June 29, and a hiker slipped and fell into the Merced River on the Mist Trail on May 13.
Officials said there were several recorded cases of visitors going over Vernal Falls and other waterfalls in the park.
Because of a larger-than-normal snowpack this winter, rivers and streams in Yosemite and Central California have been especially dangerous in recent months.
Park officials urged visitors to exercise caution when near the park's waterways. Vernal Falls is one of the park's most popular attractions, with about 1,500 visitors making the hike to the top of the waterfall each day.


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Economic diversification is key for Fiji
Leila Parina
ANZ, Business, Fiji
Fiji's recovery is good; however it needs to diversify its economy said Dr Kishti Sen, ANZ Pacific Economist, during his visit to Fiji last week.
"Our expectations towards the end of last year was that the tourism recovery would be strong due to the inbound demand for leisure travellers, and we have seen that," said Dr Sen.
ANZ Country Head, Rabih Yazbek anticipates growth in post-pandemic travel to Fiji to continue, due to pent up demand for travel, Australia's proximity and the increasing number of airlines flying to Fiji- some 150 flights a month.
Dr Sen expects the economy to return to 2019 levels by the end of this year or early 2023. "The GDP increase of 23.2% this year is expected to get (the economy) to 2019."
However, he cautions against total dependence on tourism to drive growth.
"We have done well but we cannot get carried away… the shift to a diversified economy has not happened and it needs to happen quickly," Dr Sen said.
He identifies sectors such as business services, information, communications and technology, manufacturing and construction as areas of potential growth.
Dr Sen added that Fiji can do more in exporting commodities such as mineral water, sugar, turmeric, kava and commercial agricultural products.
Sen says policy makers need to ask themselves "where do we go from here?"
Meanwhile, Yazbek says FJ$200 million worth of investments and developments is projected between Nadi and Lautoka, and another FJ$250 million medical projects is also expected to come online. "We are starting to see some diversification and we need a lot more" he said.
Defence visit shows importance of stability to our neighbours: Fiji PM
Fiji's economic growth steady


Summer Vehicle Sourcing List Released.
** Car hire has an age limit of 21 and over.
Please contact us on developments@cobrasport.com if you are interested on any of the above deals.
Our fully tuned version was given an inter cooler, induction kit and re-map, together with a Cobra Sport Turbo Back non-resonated exhaust upgrade with high-flow catalyst. On testing the Fabia achieved a 50.3bhp increase in power taking it to 227.3bhp from its original 177bhp starting point. Similar increases were achieved with torque, which increased from 184lb-ft to a whopping 227.5lb-ft. Mass was reduced considerably providing a weight saving of almost 37% in comparison to its OE counterpart.
All in all these are certainly impressive results for this little car.
This entry was posted in New products on May 7, 2015 by admin.
Testing is now complete on the Seat Ibiza Cupra and Bocanegra systems which have just been released on our website. An increase of 28.4% and 23.6% in BHP and Torque was measured on a fully tuned model which also benefitted from an upgraded induction kit, intercooler and remap.
These outstanding results are achieved by designing the exhaust to obtain optimum gas flow while perfectly balancing the required back pressure taking full advantage of the car's tuning potential.
The New Kid on the Block Joins The Team !
Cobra Sport have gained a fantastic reputation in the Japanese, Ford and Vauxhall exhaust markets over the years and hope to capitalise on this success by launching a more comprehensive selection of VAG products over the coming months to complement and expand their market reach. In pursuit of that goal, they have now added the VW Golf R MK7 to their range of exhausts.
Matt Thomas, Sales Manager at Cobra Sport says "The Golf R MK7 exhaust system has now completed the full R&D program and we are now in the stage of collating all the facts and figures which will be released very shortly. If the VW Golf R Mk6 figures were anything to go by, where we saw over a 20% increase in BHP and a whopping 50% decrease in weight saving from the OE version (based on the de-cat turbo back system & mandatory re-map), we should have some high expectations from the Golf R Mk7".


text:
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition now allows PC unlocked frame rates
Fallout 4 Nuka Cola Quantum coming soon
NHL 16 EASHL Beta: The good, the bad, and the goalie
The Game Café: Lesser known games of 2017
Author jesse
Cortana for Xbox One IS on the way, according to Xbox Official
The integration of Cortana, the virtual assistant featured on Windows 10 devices, has been planned for Xbox One for quite some time. A curious Twitter user sparked a small status update today when asking for a... Read More...
New Guitar Hero Premium shows tapping SXSW
With the South by South-west festival in full swing, Guitar Hero Live has decided to launch three new premium shows. The shows feature Austin favorites, as well as a St. Paddy's Day mix with a personal favorit... Read More...
New Mii customization highlighted in Miitomo trailer
Nintendo are launching their first social-network app, Miitomo, in North America later this month. A new trailer shows some details of the app. Your custom-created 'Mii' asks questions, which users are able to... Read More...
Pre-registration for QuakeCon $400 package now open
Annual convention dedicated to idSoftware 'QuakeCon' is holding its first round of pre-registration today for the 2016 event. There are different VIP options available, including BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer)... Read More...
Star Wars: The Old Republic continues with 'Visions in the Dark'
The next chapter of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Knights of the Fallen Empire story-line has been unveiled by EA and BioWare. Launching April 7 for subscribers, Chapter XII: Visions in the Dark sees players "... Read More...
Amplitude finally coming to PlayStation 3
Harmonix, developer of long-awaited title, Amplitude, has broken its silence on Kickstarter by confirming that the PlayStation 3 version of the game is almost here. The PlayStation 3 version of the game has be... Read More...
Investigative Division players find what areas may be coming in DLC
Nothing new to the world of DLC, players of Tom Clancy's The Division have taken it upon themselves to find out what new areas are laying in wait on the map. YouTuber Chaz found an unfinished stand-in for Cent... Read More...
Assassin's Creed VR experience announced for GDC 2016
Ubisoft have announced a purpose-built, virtual reality 'experience' based on the upcoming Assassin's Creed film. The display was revealed during an AMD press conference and will be produced by FOX and Practic... Read More...
New Dark Souls III trailer released
A new trailer has been released for Dark Souls III by From Software, and it's absolutely incredible. The trailer is a time-lapse recording of Japanese artist Rena Rena, using chalk-board to re-create an image ... Read More...
Is the PlayStation 4 getting a hardware upgrade to allow 4K resolution?
It's possible that Sony are planning an upgraded PlayStation 4 to allow games to run at 4K resolution. Developer sources (allegedly familiar with Sony's plans) told Kotaku that the new version of the console, ... Read More...


This is actually a massive subject. Loads of amazing game shows and quiz shows to choose from. Just look at how long the list of honourable mentions is. Very tough to choose a Top Ten. I had to go for ones that I have massive nostalgia for but that I also would enjoy sitting down and watching today (for example I've got huge nostalgia for 3-2-1 but I don't think I could watch it today!). I also didn't put Countdown on my list. It would have been no.11. I still love the show even now but it's probably not higher just because it has basically never been off our screens. I think it doesn't quite hold that nostalgia factor for me as much because of that reason.
A lot of the shows in this list are based on shows from the US (often with the name slightly changed) but some are quirky, original UK concepts.
10. Strike It Lucky Michael Barrymore at his best. This show was great fun. They spent about the first 10 minutes just having Michael Barrymore take the piss out of the contestants, before the quiz even started. But he did it in such a charming way, and he was great with the old ladies who came on. Great catchphrases such as "Top, Middle or Bottom!" and "What's a hotspot not? Not a good spot!".
9. A Question of Sport I think this one was on either a Monday or a Thursday night. I've got memories of watching it after doing my school homework. Classic, classic show that is still going strong of course. My main nostalgia memories stem from the era when David Coleman was the host and Bill Beaumont and Emlyn Hughes were captains. Willie Carson too. So many other classic captains over the years too such as Ally McCoist and John Parrot. The best round had to be the What Happened Next round.
8. Going for Gold This show was hilarious. So kitchy and fun. Who can't love Henry Kelly. The format of the show was pretty cool but the one thing that always made me laugh was that it was international (it was like the Eurovision of quiz shows), in the sense that they would always have contestants from France or the Netherlands or Belgium etc but all the questions would be in English. You have to assume the native English speakers will have a slight advantage on the beat the buzzer rounds! Awesome, awesome theme tune too. Probably the best game show theme tune ever.
7. Fifteen-to-One Funky, synth pop theme tune on this show which was pretty cool. I just loved the format of the show and how you could nominate other people. Some people were so vindictive and ruthless about who they would nominate. And it seemed so random that the grand prize wasn't a big cash sum but instead a piece of art like a vase, which they couldn't even put on eBay because eBay (and the internet) hadn't been invented yet.
6. Bob's Full House I could watch anything with Bob Monkhouse. The guy was a smooth talking, slick, charming gag machine. A legend of old school stand up comedy and family entertainment. He was so good as a quiz show host too, looking after his guests well, not making jokes at their expense, and he always had a gag off the top of his head about random facts that came up during the quiz. Great final segment of the show too where they could win the holiday.
5. You Bet! What a great concept for a show. Bring in people who had impressive or random skills, such as the ability to recognise cars just by the silhouette of their headlights, and get celebrities to bet on whether they could do a big challenge or not. I loved the Bruce Forsyth era in the 80s and also the Matthew Kelly version in the 90s. Would I watch it today? You Bet!
3. Blockbusters Bob Holness is a legend to students everywhere. And he is the subject of the urban legend that he played saxophone on Baker Street (which I believe is false). The format of the show was great and of course led to the classic funny catchphrase of "Can I have a 'P' please, Bob?". I never quite got the reasoning behind how they had one contestant against a team of two contestants. On the entry form did you have to state how confident you were to go it alone? Or as it was all students who were on the show did they base it on their grades? It just seemed that the two person team would always have a massive advantage over the soloist. Great theme tune too, although I dare you, I double dare you, to watch the hand clap dance below without cringing. What were they thinking?
2. Catchphrase This was very nearly my no.1 show. I love so much about it. I love the effort that went into making the graphics for each question and the visual puns and cliches that had to be guessed. I love the sound effects when someone presses the buzzer. And I love Roy Walker. What a dude. He's the kind of guy you just want to go for a drink with down the pub. Totally classic catchphrase of "It's good but it's not right". He had such a hard job in trying to encourage people and be positive even when they gave the most stupid suggestions. You've probably seen it before but check out the funny clip below when Roy just completely loses it. Makes me laugh every time.
1. Bullseye A quiz show, with darts, hosted by a stand up comedian who had never hosted a TV show before. It shouldn't have worked, but it sure did. Jim Bowen was so bad he was good. He was so likeable and you couldn't tell if he was a master comedian and making mistakes on purpose or just bumbling along and going with the flow. It felt real though. That's what made it so accessible. That and the huge number of classic catchphrases. "Super, smashing, great". "Iiiiiiin1, Iiiiiiin2… and Bully's special priiiiize!". And the immortal "Look at what you could have won". How cruel to show the person what they could have won, if only their darts partner had just got that last bloody dart in the 20. If they won it always seemed to be a caravan and if they lost it always seemed to be a speedboat that they wheeled out. Funny that. And one of my missions in life is to get my hands on a bendy Bully. That has to happen. Moooo!
What game shows would be at the top of your list?


text:
Living in Our Questions: Expanding Awareness and Assuming Complexity
Sam Chiang, Staff Writer
This year's Unity Week theme, Living in Our Questions: Expanding Awareness and Assuming Complexity, is designed to increase students' understanding of different perspectives and help suspend judgment of others, Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) Candice Powell-Caldwell said.
Although in previous years, the theme was determined by a committee and/or some students who attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), Co-Director of the ICIE John Gentile said that the ICIE took over the logistics and framing this year due to the earlier date. Unity Week was scheduled earlier in the year in order to jumpstart conversations about identity and build momentum to encourage discussions throughout the rest of the school year, he said.
Powell-Caldwell and Gentile brainstormed multiple ideas, but they knew from the start that the genesis of the theme would be based upon assuming complexity, Gentile said. The theme was an extension of previous discussions over what it means to be a part of a community and entering into conversation and dialogue with others, Powell-Caldwell said. They wanted the theme to inspire students and faculty to think about "the ways in which we come to all of these conversations with multiple identities and multiple lived experiences and how do we not take for granted that we don't know all the time where people are coming from," he said. Gentile said that he hopes the theme helps the community to "continue to stay curious, continue to offer grace, and be open to continuing to learn more and challenge ourselves to think more deeply."
"Sometimes we come to a space or table without knowing what someone else has gone through," Powell-Caldwell said. "Assuming complexity is really about this idea that you don't really know unless you have a conversation or you spend some time getting to know someone, what their lived experience is, the impact of that lived experience, what kind of conversation preceded the one that you are having with them."
It's important to think critically about who and what should be questioned and who should not be questioned, he said. "By asking questions, you are seeking out some awareness and leaning into this idea that there is the possibility for complexity beyond what I initially see," Gentile said. When asking questions, "we sit back and wait for answers from others to share their experiences and stories while we expand our awareness of ourselves, others, and our society," Powell-Caldwell said.
Unity Week is an opportunity to take intentional moments to pause and reflect, which often happens in the form of workshops, Gentile said. However, the theme is only a "helpful guide but not meant to dictate content," he said. "Some people take the theme and run with it, and some people know the theme but don't need to make an immediate or distinct connection to it."
Although many workshops may not have been intentionally focused on the theme, as Unity Week lends itself to provoking questions about our implicit assumptions, many ended up addressing the theme of complexity.
The Union led two workshops this week about the power of language, co-Leader of the Union Taussia Boadi (12) said. The discussion focused specifically on how words that were used to demoralize certain groups of people were then adopted by those communities and used as words of empowerment, While the club didn't use the theme as a guide, the workshops addressed the complexity of these words and Boadi's hope was that people ask further questions, she said.
The Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and the Feminist Students Association (FSA) also be hosted a workshop about the reclaiming of slurs and epithets, co-president of GSA Bernard von Simson (12) said. Co-president of FSA Sofia Del Gatto (12) said that the workshop "relates to the theme of self questioning because we are asking people to question the language they use and believe in." The workshop will also inspire attendees to question how the language that they use contributes to hateful narratives, she said.
Sonia Shuster (11) and Evann Penn Brown's (11) workshop ended up fitting with the theme although it didn't particularly influence their idea originally, Shuster said. The workshop presented the New York Times' 1619 project which investigates the origins of slavery in the US, as a means to discuss how slavery has influenced American society. Their workshop reflected the theme's aim of expanding awareness as they sought to make the conversation accessible to anyone who wanted to participate, she said.
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