I am a sophomore English and Russian major from South Bend, Indiana. My parents are both teachers, and I grew up in an environment that loved learning. I have been a tutor at the Robinson Community Learning Center for the past two years, and I taught an anti-violence class at Rise Up Academy in South Bend. I love reading Russian Literature, and I write in my spare time.
The SLA Grant is very important for my future plans. I think I might go to graduate school to study Russian Language and Literature. My time in Russia will be formative in my pursuit of a vocation, and more importantly it will expose me to Russia's rich culture while helping me learn and apply the language. I need to be able to speak, read, and translate Russian if I want to be a competitive graduate applicant.
I hope to be challenged. Living in Russia will be a constant learning experience. Things I take for granted back home like communication and reading comprehension become much more challenging abroad. I hope that by the end of the summer speaking in Russian becomes a new comfort zone for me. I also hope to gain a better understanding of Russian culture while in Saint Petersburg.
1. By the end of the summer, I will be able to keep up conversations with a native speaker without consulting a dictionary.
2. At the end of the summer, I will have learned how to speak with proper intonation/pronunciation.
3. At the end of the summer, I will be able to quickly recognize grammatical structures to more closely translate Russian to English.
In order to take full advantage of the generous grant, I plan on volunteering in Saint Petersburg. This is a great way for me to practice my language outside of the classroom as well as get to know the Saint Petersburg community. I also plan on getting the newspaper every morning and reading as much as I can before class. I think this will be a great way to learn more colloquial Russian, as well as a great way to improve my reading comprehension. I am also beginning research for a project on Joseph Brodsky. I plan on going to the Russian archives in Saint Petersburg to look at their Brodsky collections as well. This will be another way to work with Russian outside of the daily classroom.
Greetings from Saint Petersburg, Russia!
I arrived Wednesday May 28, and a whirlwind of changes has happened since. I moved in to my room and the first thing that was on my mind was food. I hadn't eaten since my dinner on the transatlantic flight the night before, and I hadn't slept much either. My first adventure was to find a restaurant near the dorm. I decided upon a "Stolovaya" which means cafeteria in Russian. "Stolovayas" are very popular in Russia, have almost every kind of Russian food. You walk down a line and tell the workers what food you would like and they scoop it onto a plate or bowl. This was my first meal in Russia, and I was very excited. However, when I tried to order I was overwhelmed, first I did not know what I wanted to eat. Everything looked very different and strange, and then I did not know what all the dishes were named, so I did not know how to tell the server what I wanted. I eventually managed to get my dinner, dumplings and carrot salad, but this exchange made me realize how much work I have to do too function in Russian. Throughout the week I went through my old textbooks and relearned the food vocabulary, which was been very helpful. Ordering food is still however, the most challenging thing I do throughout the week.
Our wonderful tour guide Sergei took us on a tour of the center of city (which is where our university is located). He showed us a number of buildings, parks, and monuments near us that are not as famous, but absolutely incredible. Sergei taught us all about the construction of Saint Petersburg, and explained the history of a number of incredible palaces. Peter I thought that Saint Petersburg would be like Venice or Amsterdam because of all the islands and canals, and that people would get around by boats. However, in the spring the canals would all melt and be too thin to walk across, but too thick to boat across. This is why they eventually built roads in Saint Petersburg. Sergei explained the different styles of palaces, and what happened to many of the palaces during soviet times when all the palaces were nationalized (taken forcefully). It was amazing to see all the different styles of palace, and learn about the different monuments near our university.
The first week of classes have felt like a marathon. The classes are 4 hours long. I haven't been in the same classroom for so long since grade school. The classes are entirely in Russian, and I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am able to understand. The classes are helping me to focus on listening and speaking Russian—it is conversation based which is exactly what I need. I have already noticed that while speaking I put things in the correct case quicker than ever.
Our teacher is incredibly nice and funny. She is very clear and makes sure everyone understands her. She only speaks about 2 or 3 words of English per class, and this is only to clarify untranslatable things or very complicated grammar subjects.
As a class we took an excursion to Peter and Paul Fortress. Петропавловский крепость as it's called was one of the first settlements built by Peter I. Built on a small island (Bunny Island) the fortress is strategically placed where the Neva opens to the Gulf of Finland. When Peter I came to the swamp area now known as Saint Petersburg, Russia was at war with Finland. Peter and Paul was built as a fortress to protect the opening of the Neva near the gulf of Finland. The fortress was never used as a military fortress (it was never needed for that purpose). Instead the fortress was used as a political prison. We were able to tour the prison where many famous political prisoners were kept, including Lenin's brother, the poet Maxim Gorky, and the provisional government after the initial revolution. The island also houses Peter and Paul Cathedral, which is where members of the Romanov family are buried. The cathedral, enormous gold spire is impressive from outside, but the inside of the cathedral is something else. The tombs of the tsars are so ornate and beautiful. Our tour guide Sergei taught us a lot about the Romanov's and really struck my interest. Another interesting thing about the island is that residents of Saint Petersburg use the periphery of the island to sunbathe. Mike, Craig, and I decided that we will come back and do the same at a later date.
The first week in Russia was challenging at first because I had to adjust to everything being in a different language. Food was my largest hurdle. I found that waiters and waitresses will sort of freak out when they realize you do not speak Russian fluently. They either shut down and don't listen so you have to repeat yourself. Or they break into English. However, after ordering and buying food for the supermarket more I have gotten better at communicating with waiters, waitresses, and cashiers.
This second week however has presented new challenges. I am starting to get into a routine, which is good. I am completely over jet lag at this point, and my sleep is more regular. I have successfully prepared a few good meals and figured out good places to get food. But as I transition into a new routine I am constantly reminded of my old routine, my family, my girlfriend, and I am incredibly homesick. Whereas during the first week I saw language breakdowns as a challenge, this week I go out of my way to communicate easily and avoid challenges. My homesickness phased itself out towards the end of the week and I feel a lot better. Skype is a lifesaver.
The first week of class was very basic, but we are starting to learn more complicated grammar topics. I am starting to notice that things I struggled with at first are becoming a lot easier. I am able to put things in the correct case much faster during conversations. I am a lot better at saying numbers especially dates, and putting them into the correct case. I conjugate verbs unconsciously, and am picking up important vocab all the time.
I love to read, and one of the first things that I did was buy a few of my favorite books in Russian. I got Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita as well as Pushkin Hills by Dovlatov. Dovlatov write's very simply (enough so that I can understand most of what he writes). So after class I read through about 5 to 10 pages in order to improve my reading and comprehending. I also pick up the newspaper whenever I find it and see how much I can understand. I have gotten marginally better at understanding. I need to know more vocab however!
Mike Craig and I tried to go to the Hermitage (the huge art museum located in the Winter Palace) but found out that it is closed on Mondays. We have a planned trip to see the hermitage with a tour guide next week so we were not too bummed.
Instead we sunbathed and read at Peter and Paul fortress. We stumbled across some very cool places on our way, including a park full of miniature versions of all the major palaces, cathedrals, etc. in Saint Petersburg. It was sweet.
Mike Craig and I also went and saw Swan Lake at the Mikhailovsky Theatre. The theatre itself was beautiful. I was honestly surprised at how small it was. The theatre had 4 balconies, with about a single row of viewing on each floor. The ground floor was like a normal theatre. The decorations on the ceiling were really beautiful. The ballet itself was incredible. I cannot believe how talented the dancers were. They make everything look so easy and graceful. The men were so strong, and the dancers were able to hang so long in the air.
I feel a lot better this week. I was able to skype my whole family on father's day which was incredible. And even thought I miss my girlfriend a lot, I am starting to get used to the 8 hour time difference, etc.
I have had several pleasant surprises this week. We learned how to decline numbers last week (which is very taxing). We did an exercise in class and I worked through it very easily. I have also been continuing my book of Dovlatov, and am finding that I understand more than ever. I no longer fear ordering food or speaking to cashiers. Even when I don't understand what people are saying, I can usually pick up by their intonation what they mean. In a café, I ordered a hot chocolate. The waiter said something I couldn't quite pick up because of how quickly he spoke, but I knew he was saying "we are out of something" so I immediately said "ok I'll have an Americano instead". I am exited again about Russian, and I am thinking a lot more in Russian, rather than thinking in English and then translating.
I really love art museums, and ever since SLA approved my application I have been excited to see the Hermitage. It was incredible. We went on Wednesday with our incredible guide Sergei, and I was absolutely blown away. First off the museum is absolutely massive. If Sergei was not there I easily would have gotten lost. There were some really incredible pieces of art. We saw two paintings by Da Vinci, two by Raphael, a Michelangelo statue, and some amazing works by Rembrandt. We were at the museum for 3 hours and we were only able to see a small fraction of the works. Apparently if you spent 5 minutes in each room it would take 7 days to get through the entire museum. The amazing thing about the Hermitage is the Winter Palace is basically a piece of art in and of itself. The rooms that house the paintings are just as incredible as the collections. Even the doorknobs were incredible. I cannot wait to go back to the hermitage to look at their collection of Impressionism.
I cannot believe that 4 weeks have already gone by. I am surprised at how much I have learned already. And I am beginning to panic that I won't be able to see everything that I want to before I have to go.
We tried to see one place of interest a day this week, and we did pretty well. On Tuesday Craig and I went to the Dostoevsky Museum. The museum is located in the apartment that Dostoevsky lived in towards the end of his life, when he was writing The Brothers Karamazov. The apartment was really cool. On the first floor they had a bunch of historical pictures of what Saint Petersburg looked like during Dostoevsky's time. And the upstairs was his actual apartment. I got to see the desk that Dostoevsky wrote on, and what his family life was like. This was a really cool way to learn about Dostoevsky, and it was free for students!
We also finally walked through the Kazan Cathedral. We walk by the cathedral almost everyday (I can see part of it out my window), but this is the first time that I have been inside of it. It was incredible. The ceilings were so high, and the icons were beautiful. I'm a little upset that we couldn't take pictures inside the cathedral, but I think the outside of the cathedral is more impressive anyway.
We took an excursion to go see Veliky Novgorod. Novgorod is about 3 hours away by car from Saint Petersburg on the way towards Moscow. The city was so old. We took a tour of a number of cathedrals built in the 1200's. It was challenging to place the dates I was being told because they were so old. We first went to the old marketplace where 7 churches had been built. And then we crossed the Volkhov River to the Novgorod Kremlin. The Kremlin was massive. The long brick red walls stretched a mile around. There was another amazing Cathedral inside the Kremlin, The Cathedral of Saint Sophia built in 1050. The Cathedral was a little eerie and surprisingly cold inside. After lunch we went to a wood architecture museum, and were able to see a number of wood structures. All in all, the trip was very fun. I was incredibly impressed by the longevity of the structures.
As I rapidly approach the end of my time in Saint Petersburg, my goal for this week was to see as many sights as I could. And I think I accomplished just that. After this week I feel like I know Saint Petersburg a lot better. I am completely comfortable riding on public transportation, and all the translating that it entails.
On Thursday we took a tour of Saint Isaacs Cathedral and the Russian Museum. Both of these places were on my 'must see' list so I was very excited to learn more about these incredible structures. Saint Isaacs was incredible. I have run by the Cathedral a number of times, but I did not realize how massive it was until I stepped inside. It is the largest Orthodox Church in the world and the fourth largest cathedral in the world. The huge pillars were beautiful marble and the ceiling stretched to the heaves. Our tour guide Sergei told us the long history of Saint Isaacs. The first Saint Isaacs was built by Peter the Great, and it was a small chapel built of wood. This eventually fell into decay. Catherine the Great then built a new Saint Isaacs, but she died during its long construction. Her son Paul spitefully stopped construction on the Cathedral, and actually used the marble intended for Saint Isaacs to build his own castle (which he was later murdered in! Karma!). Finally Tsar Alexander I commissioned the new Saint Isaac's Cathedral that can be seen today. Our tour guide showed us how the massive building was built, and we were able to climb the stairs to the top of the cathedral and see a panoramic view of Saint Petersburg. This might have been the coolest thing I have done in Saint Petersburg. It was incredible to see all the buildings that I know in the distance. I could see all the canals, the rivers, and Saint Petersburg's amazing architecture. It was also interesting to hear about the history of Saint Isaacs under the Soviet Union. The cathedral was damaged during the Siege of Leningrad, and you could still see some mortar shell damage on the outside of the building. The cathedral was used to store other relics, icons, and other religious objects, and it was also used to display anti-religious and bourgeois sentiment.
The Russian Museum was also incredible. I was still overwhelmed by my visit to Saint Isaacs, but the Russian Museum did not disappoint. The Russian Museum is a collection of Russian art. First we looked at a number of famous russian icons, which was pretty cool. I am not Russian Orthodox, but I still found the icons to be incredibly beautiful. My favorite part of the tour though was when we saw the paintings of Karl Briullov. His "The Last Day of Pompeii" was stunning. It was a massive painting and was incredibly detailed.
Sergei also took a few students on a tour of famous Dostoevsky sights throughout the city. Highlights include, the house where Raskolnikov and the Pawnbroker lived from Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment". As well as the area of 7 bridges where Dostoevsky's "White Nights" begins. We also went to the Dostoevsky Museum again. This apartment museum was where Dostoevsky wrote his most famous work "The Brother's Kamamazov". This time we had a tour guide who gave us an insight into the life of Dostoevsky. How we worked and interacted with his family and his visitors. Saturday was also Dostoevsky Day in Saint Petersburg, so we went back to the Dostoevsky museum to watch some plays and festivities on the streets. It was incredible to see how many Russians revere and love the work of Dostoevsky. Mike and I went to the market that Dostoevsky's wife would go to, and I bought a freshly pickled cucumber, YUM!
Saturday was also our 4th of July celebration. Our program all met at the Field of Mars and spent the afternoon relaxing, eating, and talking to one another in Russian. It was a great way to get to know the people in our program better, practice our russian, and the food and drinks were delicious!
On Sunday Craig, Mike, and I decided to make a trip up to the Gulf of Finland. We rode the metro almost to the end of the line, took a communal cab, and walked to the beach. The beach was very nice. The sand was not as fine as beaches in America, but it was still very nice to lay out in the sun and read some Sorokin. The gulf was very cold, but I braved it out and enjoyed the day.
I spent a lot of time going to new cafes this week, and realized that I am completely comfortable ordering food at this point. The only trouble that I have is understanding exactly what is in my food (so I can decide whether I want it or not) but even this is getting better all the time.
This week went by super quickly because of our trip to Moscow. Classes went very well this week. We are starting a new phase in our class where we spend time in class reading and translating real news articles. I have already found this to be incredibly helpful in picking up new vocabulary, as well as seeing how 'modern' Russians speak.
We left for Moscow late Wednesday night and rode the overnight train. I really liked the train despite the fact that it was crowded and hot. I love riding on trains and I was able to sleep through the entire night. When I finally woke up, I was in Moscow. It didn't really hit me though until we took the metro to Red Square. Red Square was a lot bigger than I imagined. The Kremlin was massive. Saint Basil's Cathedral with its impressive colored onion domes did not disappoint either. My favorite part of Red Square has to be GUM, which is a massive department store mall complex across from the Kremlin. The building was absolutely gorgeous. The roof of the building was made almost entirely of glass, there were fountains, and little bridges connecting the upper floors together. GUM also had more flowers in it than any other mall I had ever seen.
After exploring the Kremlin, we checked into our hostel which was surprisingly nice, and had free water, tea, and coffee. I then went on my own to see the Bulgakov Museum. Bulgakov is my favorite Russian Writer. I have wanted to visit his famous apartment at 302 bis Bolshaya Sadovaya ever since I read my favorite book "The Master and Margarita". The tour of his house was incredible. There were a bunch of statues of Begemoth and Professor Woland all over the house, and I learned even more about the man behind my favorite book. After the museum I walked to the nearby Patriarch Ponds, which also play an important role in the novel. This is where the Devil first meets Ivan Homeless and Berlioz.
After the ponds, I met back up with Craig and Mike and we went out to a fantastic restaurant called Китежъ. Before we got there we explored a number of beautiful metro stations including the Dostoevsky and Mayakovsky stations. The Dostoevsky station was my favorite. Some of the walls were inlaid with marble and depicted famous scenes and characters from many of Dostoevsky's works. The restaurant did not disappoint. The menu was written in old russian, the servers wore traditional peasant outfits, and the food was fantastic.
Friday morning we walked along "Stary Arbat" or Old Arbat Street. This was probably my favorite part of the Moscow trip. The Arbat was once the arts district of Moscow. Many famous writers, artists, and actors have lived there. The street was incredibly beautiful and was lined with shops and small booksellers. I bought a copy of Dostoevsky's Poor Folk – Бедные Люди in Russian. We then took the metro to Gorky Park. Gorky Park was massive. It reminded me of Central Park in New York because of how big it was, but it was very different as well. The park had numerous activities in it, and we eventually walked along the Moscow River towards the Kremlin. We crossed a beautiful yellow pedestrian bridge, and got to see the financial district of Moscow for the first time. We also passed the famous Red October factory on our way.
Saturday morning Mike and I went to the Izmailovsky market. This market was staggering. They had all kinds of russian souvenirs matreshka dolls, samovars, etc. I bought a lot of souvenirs for my family, and I cannot wait until they see what I got them! The train ride back home was also a lot of fun. We shared a compartment with an elderly russian couple. They spoke almost no English, so we talked to them the entire time in Russian. We also played chess for a couple of hours with the older gentleman. I slept well on the train, and when I woke up we were home in Saint Petersburg. It was a weird feeling coming back to Petersburg and realizing that it is my home. This was the first time that I felt like I lived here and I was not just a tourist.
My time here is rapidly approaching an end. I cannot believe that I only have one more week in Russia this summer. This entire week I made sure that I spent a lot of time outside exploring the city and seeing new things. I can honestly say that this was probably my best week in Russia so far.
On Tuesday I decided to go check out the Nabokov museum. I recently finished Nabokov's "Invitation to a Beheading" which was fantastic, and I had hoped to see the museum before leaving Saint Petersburg. I walked along the Moika canal to get to the museum. I knew I was on the block where the museum was, but as I started to walk down the block I saw a security guard standing in front of a different building. I knew the Nabokov Museum was coming up soon, but I decided to ask the man in Russian if he knew where the museum was. His face lit up, and he responded "Yes, I know. But first let me show you something!" He then proceeded to show me around the building that he was a guard for, which happened to be a museum/ music hall of famous russian composers. The guard told me that after the war Dmitri Shostakovich came here and was chairman of the composers union. We chatted for about 10 minutes about where I go to school, where I am studying in Saint Petersburg, what instruments I play, etc. He told me that if I come back in the fall there are a number of free concerts here for students, and that he would remember me. This was an awesome conversation entirely in Russian. A conversation which I am probably the most proud of. I decided to go out of my way and speak just for the sake of speaking, and what do you know I got to know an Armenian man, and practice my Russian.
After we talked he took me back outside and showed me where the Nabokov Museum was (it was two buildings down). The Nabokov Museum was awesome. I did not know that Nabokov was such an avid butterfly collector. They had hundreds of preserved butterflies that he had caught, and many of them were the most incredible colors. I also learned that Nabokov, like myself, loved chess. I also was able to see two of his typewriters, and a bunch of his books in first edition. The museum was cool to look around, but not as informative because everything was in Russian. I took pictures of things that looked interesting and ended up translating the words I didn't know when I got back to my dorm.
After the museum I continued along the Moika to see the New Holland island. This triangular island has no bridges connecting to it, and must be reached by boat. The island was once a factory that built boats and other naval equipment. Today however, they are converting the island into a park for the people of Saint Petersburg. Unfortunately because of the construction I was not able to take a boat tour into the island, but I walked all around it, and it was awesome. I cannot wait to visit Saint Petersburg one day, and take a tour of the island!
On Thursday we took a tour of the Baltika factory. Baltika is the most widely distributed brewery in Russia. Its beers are everywhere. As a class we went to the factory and took a tour of their facilities. The tour was relatively informative. I am interested in brewing so I already knew all the steps in making beer, but I was incredibly surprised by the sheer size of the brewery. The tanks were absolutely massive. The bottling process was very impressive as well. The bottles flew down the line. And of course the tasting was quite nice as well.
On Friday we took an excursion to the Peterhof Palace. However, on the way we stopped for a few minutes to pay our respects at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery. This cemetery was erected on the outskirts of town during World War II to bury all those lost during the 900 day siege of Leningrad. This burial site is the largest mass grave in the world. It was an incredibly moving site. There were hundreds of raised mounds, filled with hundreds of bodies. There have been numerous reminders and memorials of the siege throughout the city. None were as powerful as this one. This burial site really drove home how awful the conditions were in the city, and truly exposed the costs of war. There was also an incredibly powerful statue of Rodina Mat' – Mother Russia as well.
The fountains of Peterhof were truly a sight to behold. we arrived just before the fountains of the main cascade turned on. The fountains turned on in sync with some beautiful music, and one by one start spewing water as high as 25 feet in the air. More impressive is the fact that none of the fountains use pumps. Only gravity is used to power the pumps. It was a perfect sunny day to enjoy the beautiful golden fountains, and enjoy the many trick fountains throughout the grounds. Peter the Great made a number of trick fountains at his palace to entertain and punish his guests. There were fake trees, trick cobblestones, and many other trick fountains that children loved to play in. The view of the Gulf of Finland was also impressive. The water was so clear and smooth it was beautiful. And despite it being a little foggy we were able to see Saint Petersburg across the gulf.
Peterhof is easily the most beautiful part of Saint Petersburg. It has some canals, and fountains from all over the world. The opulence of it all reminds me of Versailles. But it seems more functional nowadays. It is almost like a water park for little children. Children played in all the fountains everywhere.
This week I noticed a number of times how my language proficiency has improved drastically. We had a conversation in class about health insurance which was fantastic. I was shocked at how well our conversation went. We compared the insurance system in America to that of Russia, and talked about the unique problems of each system. In terms of understanding and speaking, this conversation was probably the best that I have had in Russian. The conversation with the security guard was also incredible. I am so glad that I randomly decided to talk to him. They tell you to practice your Russian every chance you get, and I think I accomplished this that day. He also complimented me a number of times on my Russian speaking, so that was also very nice!
I have one more week. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I don't think I even fully understand at this point how much this experience has helped me in learning Russian. I look forward to my last week in Russia. I will make it count!
As my final week here in Saint Petersburg comes to an end, I can honestly say that this summer has been a life changing experience. I spent this week trying to re-see as much of Saint Petersburg as possible, and what a fantastic week it was.
On Sunday Mike and I decided to go to a Russian Banya. We had seen and heard about the russian banya experience from russian movies, and really wanted to go before I had to leave. We found a Banya online and went. It was unlike anything I have ever done. You go into an incredibly hot sauna for about 5 minutes. At the end of the five minutes you beat yourself with birch twigs to get your blood flowing. You then go into a different room and jump into a freezing cold water bath, and then you repeat the process. The sauna had three levels to it, and the higher you went up the hotter it was. By the end of our time, Mike and I were climbing to the top of the sauna and melting! I had never done anything like this in my life, and I admit I felt terrific after I left. This also opened my eyes to how important saunas are to Russians and other Scandinavian countries.
On Wednesday our group had dinner at a Georgian restaurant, and heard from a number of patriots working in Russia. This was a fantastic opportunity to hear stories of how people made their way to Russia, as well as a unique marketing opportunity. I learned about a number of different jobs that ex-pats can do in Saint Petersburg, and had some incredible food. Georgian cuisine is kind of like Russian and kind of Armenian, but totally delicious!
I wanted to make sure that I made it back to the Hermitage and the Russian Museum before I left. I spent a day at each of the museums this weekend in order to take more pictures, see more of their incredible collections, and learn more about russian art and culture. I was able to see all the major highlights in the Hermitage again, and even had time to see the impressionism collection which I had not yet seen. I love Degas and Monet, so this was an incredible chance to see their work. At the Russian Museum I focused my time on the modern russian art. My favorite Russian artist is Wassily Kandinsky, and so I spent a lot of time looking at his works in the museum. While in the museum I also fell in love with the incredibly interesting work of Pavel Filonov. His works were very striking. Needless to say I spent a lot of time in the Russian Museum.
Or "Спас на Крови" is one of the most beautiful structures in Saint Petersburg. You can see this impressive church from almost anywhere in the center of Saint Petersburg (including when you walk out of our university). I see this church daily, like the Kazan Cathedral, but this was the first time that I went inside. The Church was erected on the site of the assassination of Alexander II. The inside of the church was almost as impressive as the onion domes on the outside. The walls were covered completely by mosaics. In each of the domes was the face of a member of the holy family. The mosaics were simply stunning. Also incredibly you can see the exact spot that Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. They have the original cobblestone road. This was just incredible to see. It was cool to see what the roads used to look like in Saint Petersburg, but it was incredible to be so close to such an important place in the history of Russia.
To celebrate my last week here in Saint Petersburg we made our way to Divo Ostrov, and amusement park that looked eerily like Disney World. The rides were a lot of fun. We went on a roller coaster, a catapult, and a ride that was like a spinning top. The amusement park was a lot of fun despite the long lines, and a great way to conclude my time in Saint Petersburg. We also took a trip up to a public lake, and spent some time sun bathing and swimming. I could not have asked for a better last week in Russia.
I think at this point in my language journey I have the unique opportunity to reflect on how much improvement I have made. When I first came to Saint Petersburg I was afraid to talk to people because I was afraid that I would not be able to understand them. Going out to restaurants was horrifying because it was difficult to order food, and I found myself avoiding people. Now I actively seek conversations with people on the street. I go out of my way to ask for directions even when I know where I am going. I feel completely confident buying food and ordering at restaurants without having to resort to English. I have noticed that I unconsciously decline words, putting them in the correct case without thinking about it. I think this is because I have heard the words in their different forms so many times now that I hear the beginning of a word or phrase and then just finish the whole sentence off. I catch myself thinking in Russian A LOT now. When I realize I need to ask someone something I automatically start thinking in Russian. When I first came to Russia I thought in English and then translated. Now I begin with Russian and build from there. I am a lot better now at speaking around things I don't know how to say. This huge because I have a long way to go still with learning vocabulary. But I surprise myself at how good I am at working my way around vocabulary I do not know. I notice that when I walk down the street I am actually able to hear words that people say. At first all the Russian around me seemed like a jumbled mess. But I am now able to slow things down somehow. I am incredibly grateful for this incredible experience, but this is really just the beginning. This experience this summer has given me the tools to excel and continue working towards fluency in Russian.


On one level The Insatiable, Inflatable Candylion was a quirky shot of pure escapist fun, on another it served as a parable for our troubled times.
In Insatiable - A Mermaid's Curse, Arianna always felt like she didn't belong in the world where she was born.
THE INSATIABLE MOON (15) Verdict: HHHII FILMED in New Zealand but produced by Digbeth-based Blue Hippo Media, this is a welcomely different film about outsiders trying to maintain their place in society.
Nadine, 25, was in the town to publicise her new single Insatiable, which she is hoping will boost her solo career.
The Irish singer's debut single, Insatiable, is out on November 1, and just four weeks later she will be appearing at the Metro Radio Live pop party in Newcastle.
The slender star flaunts more curves than usual in this snap from a video for her debut solo single Insatiable.
NADINE COYLE looks smoking hot in the new video for her debut solo single Insatiable.
Summary: Nadine Coyle's debut single has been announced as Insatiable.
Logging to satisfy the so called civilised worlds insatiable appetite for hardwood, and slash-burn for cattle to satisfy its insatiable appetite for meat.
They are intended to demonstrate Garrett's organic view of capitalism and opposition to war and the insatiable state.
instead of giving up, students have this insatiable thirst to figure out 'Why'.
Now, after having his looks fail him with the women of The L Word, Eric Mabius is back to his bed-hopping ways as Ugly Betty,'s resident insatiable himbo.


text:
TV ShowsVampire Diaries
What Dreams May Come
By: Biana Delacroix
"Listen carefully, Caroline. For once, I have absolutely no idea what is happening to us." Trapped together in a cursed sleep, surrounded by their innermost thoughts and memories, Klaus and Caroline are forced to trust each other to survive the nightmares chasing them down. The deeper they go, the more they learn about each other, and together, their dreams fill a world.
Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Drama - Caroline F., Klaus - Chapters: 3 - Words: 18,923 - Reviews: 75 - Favs: 109 - Follows: 204 - Updated: 11/9/2013 - Published: 10/8/2013 - id: 9750069
1. And Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep2. The Stuff of Nightmares3. Curiouser and Curiouser
Author's Note: Happy Tuesday! I'm very excited to be starting a new fic, something I've been planning to do for months but just recently got around to plotting out. There is no shortage of Dream fics in the Klaroline fic lexicon, so this is my contribution, and hopefully you'll like it!
A NOTE ON CANON: I'm doing what I did previously, NO PREGNANT HAYLEY. (Let Julie Plec deal with that mess). Klaus would very much like to rule New Orleans again though. Otherwise, this fic is entirely canon compliant-even though it might not seem that way at first.
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Julie Plec. (Not that I trust them with her.)
Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.
-Inception
Caroline woke up to the sound of silence.
She yawned, stretching out her limbs lazily and turning over in bed, before she became aware of how quiet her house was. It was hardly a new sensation. Her mom worked late hours, and it wasn't like there was anyone else who would be wandering into her house uninvited. In fact, her house was almost always quiet – but something was off.
One of the perks of being a vampire was having supernatural hearing, and Caroline could usually hear the cars on the street, the neighbours in their yard, the branches of the tree outside her window tapping on the glass. But now it was all just…silent.
'What the hell…'
She frowned, shaking off the last tendrils of sleep and jolting up in bed. In a second, she recognized the sounds of life coming from all around her. There were birds singing, the pipes were making that weird whistling sound her mother complained about, and the sound of the crying toddler next door pierced the air. All in all, a typical morning in Mystic Falls. But for that split second, something had been wrong and she couldn't shake the shiver of foreboding racing down her spine.
'Get a grip, Caroline. You're a big girl.'
She was a vampire, and she was being ridiculous. Throwing off her covers, she jumped up, mentally trying to rid herself of the weird feeling (but not succeeding) and flashing over to her closet, picking out her outfit for the day. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she stuffed her textbooks in her bag and bounced down the stairs.
Low voices came from the kitchen and Caroline popped her head in, smiling at the sight of her mom and dad chatting over their breakfast. Warm sunlight filtered through the window and the scene was bathed in a soft golden glow. She almost laughed at her own foolishness, how hadn't she heard them earlier? Her dad lowered the newspaper he was reading and smiled warmly at the sight of his daughter.
"Morning Princess, ready for school?"
"Yup! I've got cheerleading practice after class so I'm going to be late this afternoon."
"Well don't stay out too long, I'm making dinner tonight, alright?" said Liz. Caroline nodded absentmindedly as she rifled through the fruit bowl on the counter, picking up an apple for breakfast. Suddenly, she paused – wasn't there something weird about what her mom had said? Her mother usually worked late shifts, why would she be home cooking dinner…
Plagued by the weird feeling of something being amiss, Caroline was shaken out of her stupor by her dad standing up and pecking her on the cheek.
"You're going to be late for school, Princess," he said teasingly and Caroline shot him a bright smile, taking the apple and pulling her bag tighter on her shoulder.
"I'll see you guys tonight!" she said as she made her way over to the front door. Her hand was on the handle before a shard of ice went through her heart.
Her father was supposed to be dead.
Her bag hit the floor with a low thud as she flashed back to the kitchen. It was completely empty. The warm glow had vanished, and the sunlight was now weak, cold and grey. Her parents weren't there, and there was no sign of anybody having been in the room.
But that was…right, wasn't it? That was how it was supposed to be. Her mom must have left a while ago, she was pulling double shifts at the station, she wouldn't be home anytime soon, certainly not to cook dinner. And her dad…her dad was dead. He had been for months. But as much as she concentrated, Caroline could've sworn they'd been right there, together and happy, the way it'd been before her dad had left them. The way she'd wanted her family to be again more than anything.
But that wasn't going to happen. And what had she been imagining? The more she tried to remember, the fainter the memory got.
'Right, no more blood bags before bed.'
Could vampires get hallucinations? Maybe it was the stress of everything getting to her, but she was Caroline Forbes, she'd been through hell and she wasn't about to crack now. Whatever she'd thought she seen was just her overactive imagination. Of course. That was it.
Picking up her bag from the floor, she strode out of her house, head held high. Once in her car, with her backpack in the front seat, she mentally perked herself up, going through the day ahead of her. There was a math test in first period, then she had to make sure the prom committee had the tickets printed out, then the pep squad had to go over their routine for regionals…
'Wait a sec…'
Her foot slammed on the brake in the middle of the street, earning some very angry honks from the drivers around her, but she ignored them, quickly pulling over. Why was she going to school? Prom had happened; she remembered setting it up until it was perfect. She remembered Elena wreaking havoc at the cheerleading regionals. And she had definitely studied for exams…
'What am I doing?!'
She had graduated. Memories of the day came flooding back, the vivid red gowns, the witches, and the hybrid that had saved her…
For a split second, she contemplated getting a hold of Klaus. There was something seriously weird going on with her today and she was willing to bet that a guy with a thousand years of life experience might be able to shed some light on the matter. But just as quickly, she dismissed the thought. Klaus had moved on to New Orleans, he didn't have time for her anymore.
Swallowing a lump in her throat, she took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. There was no need to go running to Klaus, or anyone else for that matter. She was fine. Glancing over at the front seat, she realized her backpack wasn't even there, she had just imagined bringing it along with her this morning.
(Maybe it was a recent graduate thing? Feeling sentimental and all that?)
"Okay, you need a drink," she muttered to herself, pulling her car back on the road. Within five minutes it sat in the Grill parking lot, and she quickly jumped out, making her way through the front doors.
The small restaurant was pretty crowded for the middle of the day, but it was summer (wasn't it?) so she could understand more people having the time. A group of girls from school were giggling near the pool table; Caroline recognized some of her former cheerleaders. She gave them a small wave but they studiously ignored her. Frowning, Caroline walked up to them.
(She may not be captain of the squad anymore but she still Caroline Forbes, damn it!)
"Amy? Paige? How are you guys doing?" Her voice was bright but with the edge of authority she used when she was in 'Queen Bee' mode, but for once, it did nothing to help her, they didn't even look her way.
"Seriously?" she asked, irritated, but no one paid her a second of attention. Deciding that she didn't need to deal with this anymore, she flipped her hair and spun on her heel. "Bitches," she muttered under her breath.
(You steer a squad to regionals two years in a row and this is how they treat you?! Well, she wouldn't be letting them on any town committees for the foreseeable future.)
Spotting Matt over by the bar, she heaved a sigh of relief and nearly ran over, plopping herself down on one of the stools. "Matty, I need something strong, I'm having the weirdest morning. I've been imagining things all day and then those bitches over by the pool table are ignoring me, and I get they're probably still angry that I made them cry at those last practices but we went to regionals so I don't see why – Matt? Hellooo? Matt?"
But the blonde bartender didn't look her way, instead wiping down some glasses and storing them under the counter. Caroline huffed, snapping her fingers in the air, but for whatever reason, Matt seemed determined to completely ignore her existence.
"Matt, did I piss you off or something? Seriously, tell me!" Caroline demanded, but no matter how much she yelled (how was she not attracting attention from the other diners?) Matt didn't even look her way.
"Ugh, fine, be that way!" she said angrily, grabbing her purse off the counter and whirling around. Over at the center of the restaurant sat Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy, the Salvatores, and Tyler, and she ran over to them quickly, hoping they could finally give her some peace of mind.
"Guys, I'm so glad you're here, listen, do you know if I did something to piss Matt off? He's not paying attention to me and…guys?"
Caroline was starting to panic slightly because none of her friends looked her way or acknowledged that she even stood there. They remained in conversation, laughing amongst themselves, and Caroline was left to stand on the side, hurt and confused.
'What is wrong with everybody today?!'
Something was weird, again. She groaned and rubbed her temples, trying to figure it out, the truth dancing at the edge of her mind, but she just couldn't put her finger on it…
They laughed again, and as freaked out as Caroline was, she almost wanted to smile because when was the last time they had been like this? They'd barely gotten a chance to catch their breaths with everything that had happened-
'This isn't right at all...'
This wasn't right, none of this was right. Tyler was still in the Appalachians. Bonnie had disappeared. Jeremy wasn't supposed to be out in public yet. And Stefan had left town.
"Guys?" asked Caroline, her voice laced with confusion and fear. "Guys? What's up, why won't you talk to me?"
It was Elena who broke whatever the hell was going on, turning to face Caroline, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what was going on. Elena was staring at her, not with her usual expression of happiness upon seeing her friend, but without even the sneer of contempt she had worn in recent weeks. The brunette's face was an emotionless mask, betraying nothing.
"Elena? What's happening? Why won't you guys look at me, or talk to me?"
"Because you're alone, Caroline." Elena's voice was completely devoid of emotion, and her words sent a chill down Caroline's spine.
"What do you mean?! Are you guys angry, did I do something – "
"Look around Caroline. You're all alone."
Caroline gasped, holding back the tears that were threatening to escape. She spun around to find the Grill completely empty, with absolutely no sign of the crowd that had been there moments earlier. She turned back to Elena but she was gone too, with all of her friends. No one remained. She was completely, and utterly, alone.
"Oh my god," she muttered, whipping her head around frantically. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" She shook her head, massaging her temples, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
"Hello!" she called out to the empty Grill. "Anybody here?" Desperately, she flashed around the restaurant, checking the bathrooms and the back kitchen, but not a soul was in sight. Properly scared, she ran out the front door, expecting to at least find the streets teeming with people like they had been earlier.
But Mystic Falls might as well have been a ghost town.
Walking into the center of the street, she craned her neck, searching for signs of life. "Whoever's doing this, I'm not scared of you!" she yelled out, expecting someone to jump out and confront her. Maybe it was a curse, maybe it was Silas, maybe she had finally snapped…
"Nononono.." she muttered, her mind a jumbled mess. "Think Caroline, think, what happened last night?"
(Jesus, ten minutes of this and she was already talking to herself?)
Striding over to the town square which was still devoid of life, she sat down on a bench and put her head in her hands, desperately racking her brain for any memory of what had happened recently…
"It's been a month, 'Lena, shouldn't Bonnie have called or something?" Caroline asked, slouched down on one of the couches in the Salvatores' living room. The place was Elena's permanent residence now, but as nice as it was, Caroline only ever visited sparsely. Interrupting Damon and Elena's honeymoon stage was not something she wanted to be held responsible for, and frankly, as much as she wanted to be supportive, she couldn't really deal with their 'relationship' yet.
Still, if there was one thing that could bring the girls together, it was the third member of their trio who had gone radio silent for a while. Jeremy kept saying that Bonnie just needed time to recuperate and as much as Caroline wanted to respect that, she hadn't heard from Bonnie in a month and it was starting to wear on her.
"Relax Caroline, Bonnie's probably just taking the time to catch up with her mom, see some sights – she deserves a break," said Elena, sipping from a glass of blood. She looked much more relaxed these days, adjusting to emotions again was (thankfully) going smoothly. Of course, she had the guidance of her alive-again brother and her new boyfriend to help her through that. Speaking of which…
"Blondie, you're still here?
Caroline sighed. "Hey, Damon. What's up?"
But Damon ignored her, instead striding into the living room and sitting on the arm of Elena's couch. With a soft smile (one she didn't think he was capable of) he leant down and kissed Elena, who reached up her arm to wrap around Damon's neck, bringing him closer. Caroline awkwardly looked away, twiddling her thumbs. The couple was lost in their bliss and the young vampire grew more and more uncomfortable by the second.
"Uh…I'm still here. Hello?" Caroline was getting steadily more irritated so she picked up her purse and decided to call it a night. "I'll see you guys around!" she called out, quickly making her way to the front door.
"Oh – wait, Caroline, I'll walk you out!" Elena pulled away from Damon with a small giggle and rushed over to her friend, catching her at the front door.
"Listen, Care, Bonnie's fine, okay? We've been getting emails, she's keeping us up to date-"
"But when's the last time we really talked to her, Elena?" asked Caroline, worry flooding through. "When the last time she told us she was okay, really told us how she was feeling?"
"She just needs some time, Caroline. Just…time." Elena hugged Caroline tightly, reassuring her as much as she could.
With a deep breath, Caroline pulled back, forcing a bright smile on her face. "You're right, I guess. I'm going to get going now – bye Damon!"
"Bye Blondie!" called out Damon's voice, snarky as ever. Elena rolled her eyes as she said her goodbyes and Caroline stepped out into the night, repeating Elena's words over and over again in her head.
"Bonnie's fine," she said to herself. "She's going to be fine." As she hopped in her car, the short ride back to her house was with an escalating foreboding, the shiver Caroline got when she was being followed. Parking quickly, she jumped out and had just stepped on her porch when a voice on the wind pulled her back.
'Come away, Caroline. Come away.'
It was barely a whisper, but as she turned around to find whoever had spoken, her world went dark.
Klaus sighed as he stepped back from the canvas in front of him. It was hardly immodest to say the work was beautiful, all his masterpieces were. A thousand years to refine natural talent will do that, after all. But no matter how much he added to this particular painting, there was something missing. Something was off about it, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on what that was, exactly.
With a huff, he added a bit more red to the edge of the horizon he was depicting, but still, it wasn't coming together the way he envisioned it. Heaving another sigh, Klaus turned away and set down his tools, running his hand through his hair and casting a glance around his studio. Odd, hadn't he had more paintings around him? He could've sworn he had hung up a portrait or two, but now the walls were bare…
He shook his head, rubbing his temples. Clearly a thousand years were catching up with him. Perhaps it was time for a change of scenery, Mystic Falls was could only do so much for inspiration after all. Except…hadn't he left already? He could have sworn that he had left Mystic Falls a while ago – but that was absurd, clearly he was still there in the mansion he had renovated for his family. Speaking of which…
"I'm bored, Nik, entertain me!" Kol leant against the art studio's doorframe, smirking widely, a glass of whiskey in his hand. Klaus growled lightly, but his younger brother took no heed, instead walking into the room and taking a seat in an armchair. "A bit doom and gloom tonight, are we?" he asked, inclining his glass towards the painting Klaus had been working on.
Klaus turned back to the canvas, taking in the scene of horror. Bodies lay on the ground, their hearts torn out of their chests and eyes glazed in horror. It was dark, even by his standards. "Perhaps I'm simply in a black mood tonight, brother," he replied dismissively.
(But he could've sworn he'd been painting a landscape not moments earlier – hadn't he?)
Kol laughed, downing the drink in his hand. "Oh Niklaus – so obsessed with all that blood on your hands, you never know when the memories will pop up, do you?"
Klaus frowned, turning around so that he could face his younger brother. Kol looked as carefree as ever, lounging in that armchair as if it were a throne, not a care in the world. The glint in his eyes was another story though; it told of something darker his brother was hiding, Klaus was sure of it.
"What are you going on about, Kol," Klaus asked wearily. His brother was a menace most of the time, but was known for occasional bouts of insight.
Kol just laughed again, but the sound was cold. Wrong. "You never did pay much attention to what was right in front of you, brother. Maybe when you wake up, you'll learn to be more perceptive." With that, Kol leapt to his feet and strode out of the room, leaving a very confused Klaus in his wake.
'What in hell…'
Klaus turned back, determined to forget his brother's antics. The painting of a landscape just after sunset was coming together nicely.
(It was a landscape – why had he thought it was anything different?)
Klaus shook his head and picked up the brush, ready to continue his painting. Still, something nagged at him. Why had he started painting this piece? Usually he was struck with a certain inspiration, but he couldn't for the life of him remember the impetus for this particular piece.
"Maybe when you wake up, you'll learn to pay more attention."
The paintbrush fell out of his hand and clattered to the floor.
'Kol…'
He flashed out of his studio and ran through the hallways of his mansion. He could hear Kol's laugh echoing through the rooms, he saw the back of his jacket as he turned a corner just in front of him.
(Was he imagining it, or were the hallways suddenly longer than usual?)
He finally made it to the living room where he found Elijah and Rebekah sitting in silence in front of a roaring fire. They glanced up at their frantic brother, but neither noted anything odd about his behavior, simply staring at him passively. Klaus walked into the room, confused at their behaviour.
"Have either of you spoken to Kol lately?" he asked his siblings, scanning every corner of the room.
Rebekah scoffed. "Come off it, Nik," she said in bored tone. "Kol's dead and gone."
Klaus frowned, the memory of his little brother's charred body rushing back to him.
'Kol's dead. Of course he is. I watched him die.'
"I thought I spoke to him," said Klaus, a strange lump in his throat.
Elijah gave a benign smile and walked across the room to lay a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You did speak to him, Niklaus."
Klaus frowned, his mind a muddled mess. "But he's dead, Elijah. Kol's dead."
"Yes, he is." Elijah clapped his brother's shoulder and walked past him, leaving Klaus standing in the middle of the room, bewildered.
"What's the matter, Nik? Cat got your tongue?" asked Rebekah with a small laugh. She lounged on the sofa, dressed in a white beaded dress with ropes of pearls hanging around her neck. It was a costume from decades past, from a decade that had been his favourite in fact. But why would she wear it here, now?
"Are you going dancing, Rebekah?" asked Klaus. It seemed like the right question. His sister didn't answer him immediately, instead getting up and walking to over to him, lightly looping her arms around his neck.
"Why don't you dance with me?" she asked airily, moving along to the jazz music that was wafting through the mansion. Klaus obliged her, humming along to the cheerful tune that he remembered fondly.
(Why hadn't he noticed it earlier?)
"This is fun," he said with a small smile. It was nice to enjoy a moment with his little sister; he never got to do that anymore. Why was that? A cold shiver ran down his spine, the fragment of a memory slipping through his fingers.
"Why are you being so nice to me, Rebekah?" he asked with trepidation. To his surprise, his sister just shrugged, and continued dancing.
"You took away my chance at being human, and took me for granted. I hate you, completely." Her words were completely at odds with how she was behaving, but for some reason, the paradox seemed perfectly normal.
"You haven't answered my question," he said, his voice steeling against whatever the hell was going on around him today.
"Alright, I'm buttering you up," she said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. "The truth is, there's a man I met at Gloria's and I want you to meet him. He's nice, though his hair's a bit funny. His name's Stefan Salvatore. Be nice when you meet him!"
Klaus frowned, and Rebekah pulled away. "I'll see you at the club tonight, Nik," she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the living room. It was only when she turned the corner that the music stopped and the silence descended, allowing some clarity to wash over Klaus. Why was Rebekah here? She had left ages ago in a fit of anger, betrayed by his actions. In fact, come to think of it, he and his sister hadn't been on good terms for months, why would she be ready to share a dance? And Elijah – hadn't he left town too?
Klaus shut his eyes tightly against the sudden ache in his head. Opening them, he whirled around the room to find it cold and dark, the fire was gone, and any remnants of life had fled. No one had been here for a while, certainly none of his siblings – but what was wrong with that? Why would they be here in the first place? Why did he suddenly have the strongest feeling that he had just been talking to them?
"Enough of this," he muttered darkly to himself and flashed over to the front door. A walk would do him good, fresh air would calm whatever demons were running through his head. As he wound his way down the road that would lead him to the center of Mystic Falls, every oddity of the past little while struck him. What was he doing, imagining conversations with his sister that he was sure were decades old? Why would Elijah be so cryptic? And why, for God's sake, would he be having hallucinations of his dead brother taunting him with riddles?!
It was entirely possible that somebody was trying to put one over on him; if there was one thing he wasn't lacking in, it was powerful enemies. Vampires, witches, entire werewolf packs – they would all have good reason to want his mind distracted from a possible attack. He had to concentrate, remember every detail of what had happened to him lately, see if some old foe of his had taken the chance to try to interfere in his life…
The French Quarter was quiet that night, peaceful for the two Original vampires who stood on a balcony, overlooking the streets. The mansion which Klaus and Elijah now called home was opulent, and afforded them a prime location from which to watch over the city they once ruled and now hoped to rule again.
"Does it seem a bit too quiet?" asked Elijah, leaning against the intricate iron railing.
Klaus would have normally shrugged off his brother's observation, but there was something a little off about that night, the warm air had a chill, and a thousand years of experience had taught him how to recognize when something was wrong. Still, he wasn't about to show any fears now, not when he had committed himself to reclaiming his town back from Marcel.
"It's fine Elijah, just give it a few more hours for people to get properly drunk and it'll be too loud to stand," said Klaus nonchalantly, swirling some scotch around in the crystal tumbler he held in his hand.
Elijah still seemed worried, and he walked back through the open balcony doors to the study where he took a seat in one of the leather armchairs in front of the fireplace. Klaus joined his brother after a moment, taking the armchair next to his.
"Have you heard from Rebekah?" asked Klaus, his voice even.
Elijah shot his brother a glance out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge his intentions. "When I last spoke to her, she was about to leave for Prague with the boy she's travelling with. He's from Mystic Falls, I believe – Matthew Donovan?"
Klaus scoffed. "A human quarterback. But there's our sister, such fine taste in men." His words were quick and dismissive, and Elijah sighed in resignation, knowing reconciliation between his siblings was far off.
"Nevertheless, you still ask about her whereabouts regularly," said Elijah with a knowing smile.
Klaus scoffed again, avoiding his brother's eye. "It's wise to know where Rebekah is at all times, she does have a habit for bad choices. Don't give me that look," he said, irritated at the small smirk on Elijah's face.
"Forgive me brother if I think you're being obtuse again," said Elijah dryly. "But you and I both know that taking back New Orleans would be an easier task with Rebekah by our side. She knows and loves this city as much as you do. It's hardly a shame to wish for her to be here and-"
"I wish for nothing of the sort, Elijah." Klaus' voice held finality, and his brother gave a weary sigh once more. Suddenly feeling the study to be stifling, Klaus quickly downed his drink and got to his feet. "I think I'll take a walk."
"Try not to provoke one of Marcel's lackeys," warned Elijah and Klaus rolled his eyes as he strode out the door and down the grand staircase. Once outside, he took deep breath of the warm Louisiana air and again became aware of a strange chill in the air.
He shrugged off the odd feeling and meandered through the streets of the Quarter. Soft jazz floated through open bars, the sound of laughter and life accompanying it. For a moment, Klaus remembered the message he had left Caroline, the old promise that one day he would show her his city and all it had to offer.
'When it's mine,' he thought to himself. 'I'll show this to her when it's all mine again.'
With that thought, his spirits lifted considerably. He continued on with a spring in his step, passing the stalls where the witches peddled their wares. Most were gone for the night, but one sat at her table, flipping over tarot cards.
"Lavender for your dreams?" she called out as Klaus passed, but he ignored her.
"Lavender for the hybrid?" she called again and Klaus stopped in his tracks, spinning on his heel to face her. She hardly seemed threatening, and with Marcel's muzzle on the witches' magic, he doubted she was capable of much, but he still approached her with a degree of caution.
"How did you know I was a hybrid?" he asked her tersely, looming over her frail figure.
"The stories run through the streets, we all know them," she replied sagely and Klaus smirked.
"You've heard of me? Fantastic. Spread the word to your sisters, Marcel's 'reign' is coming to an end." He was about to continue on his way, but her voice called him back once more.
"Lavender for your dreams?" she asked, staring up at him intently, offering up a bunch of lavender tied together with a white ribbon.
"Why would I need it?" he asked, wondering why he was indulging her odd offer.
"Lavender helps you sleep. Wards off bad dreams."
"What makes you think I have bad dreams?" he asked with a dark grin. "If you think the blood on my hands gives me any pause, you're much mistaken."
"You should take it. You're going to need it very soon." Her voice was insistent now and although Klaus despised orders, he knew that the French Quarter witches were no soft lot . Magic banned or not, they still had their powers.
"What do you know, witch?" he asked, planting his hands on the table and leaning forward to invade her personal space. "Is someone threatening me? Tell me now, or you won't like what happens next."
The witch shook her head, pushing the lavender towards him again. "I only know what I feel, hybrid. Take my gift."
But Klaus had had enough of old women with vague 'feelings' and if the witch wasn't going to offer concrete information, he couldn't be bothered to take her seriously.
"Keep your trinkets to yourself," he said with disdain and pushed off, striding further into the darkened streets.
As he made his way down Bourbon Street, the odd chill was back.
"Come away hybrid. It's time to sleep."
The disembodied voice was no more than a whisper on the wind, but it caused him to whip around, looking for the source. Before he could identify anything though, his world went dark.
Klaus stopped dead in his tracks, the memory clear as day. What the hell was he doing in Mystic Falls?! He had gone to New Orleans, he had been intent on getting his city back, how in the hell did he end up back in this town?
"Who's doing this?" he asked aloud, his voice a low growl. Without realizing it, he had walked into the center of town, various people brushed past him hurriedly, none pausing to look at him or acknowledging his outburst. This only served to heighten his fury.
"Show yourself!" he yelled, his eyes tinged with yellow, fangs baring themselves. Still, not a single person around him paid him any mind. With a frustrated roar, he rushed forward, intent on grabbing the throat of the middle-aged man coming towards him, but just as his fingers met the skin of the human's jugular, he vanished into thin air.
"What in hell…" Klaus muttered, whirling around him. The town, which had been populated seconds ago, was now completely empty. Not a soul stood on the streets and as much as he concentrated, Klaus couldn't hear a single heartbeat. It was completely deserted.
He tore down the street, turning the corner but still couldn't find a single sign of life. As he ran through the small town, he finally came to a stop in front of the town square.
"Nononono…"
His head snapped up at the sound of a young woman's voice. In the middle of the town square sat a familiar blonde head of hair, and he didn't think he had ever been more relieved to see the vision of Caroline Forbes. She held her head in her hands, and seemed to be in some sort of distress, and he wondered if whatever had happened to him was affecting her too.
"Caroline," he called out, and her head darted up instantly, locking gazes with his. She seemed confused at first, but as he strode towards her, she stood up, meeting him halfway.
"You can see me?" she asked tentatively, once he stood in front of her.
Klaus frowned, what kind of question was that? He wanted to drink in the sight of her, every bit as beautiful as he remembered, but their surroundings quickly brought forward the problems at hand.
"Of course I see you – Caroline, what's going on? What is this?"
She gasped a little. "You too? You see it too – how everything's so messed up and freaking weird and-"
Caroline stopped abruptly, drawing herself together. Suddenly, she grabbed a handful of his shirt-front and yanked him towards her.
"Tell me right now, Klaus!" she said fiercely. "If this is you messing with me, tell me right now, what the fuck is going on?!"
With a light growl, Klaus wrapped a hand around her wrist and tugged it firmly, forcing her to let go of her grip, but taking care not to hurt her.
"Listen carefully, Caroline. For once – and I know this may be hard to believe – I have absolutely no idea what is happening to us."
And there's the first chapter! Confused? I suppose you should be, I'm confused and I wrote the thing. But the important thing is that Klaus and Caroline are confused together, and that's all we can really ask of our OTP, isn't it?
The chapter quote is from my favourite movie, the inspiration for this story, Inception.
Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Feel free to follow me on Tumblr at hummingbirds-and-champagne.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Established in 1983, the FINCONS GROUP has been focused on advanced technologies and has built its reputation on its ability to interpret and anticipate new business models, including the rapid evolution of IT systems.
This approach has quickly led the Group to enrich own offering, including consultancy, system integration, application management and the development of core business solutions.
The FINCONS GROUP has been the protagonist of a costant growing and today it has become an international IT consultancy company with its eyes firmly focused on the future.
FINCONS GROUP services and solutions provide concrete responses to real needs of large accounts and SMEs, both for technologies and processes, guaranteeing the innovation they need.
The FINCONS GROUP has always built strong and constructive partnerships with clients based on professionalism and trust, but the passion is the authentic plus. This is what makes FINCONS GROUP an essential point of reference for numerous leading companies. Standing beside managers, helping them to create winning strategies by offering the most innovative IT solutions for each step in the value chain of the business.
This passion, along with its business knowledge, specialized skills and working methodology, has led the Group to be recognised as the trustworthy strategic IT Partner to support the development of the company's business.


A man was fined for speeding at 118mph near St Albans.
A man was fined more than £600 for driving at 118mph on the M1 near St Albans.
David Nembhard, 29, of Marble Drive, Barnet, was driving a BMW on the M1 at Junction 8 for St Albans on October 19 last year.
His speed, recorded by a follow check, was an average of 118mph.
He appeared at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on September 3 this year, charged with driving at a speed exceeding 70mph.
Nembhard was fined £660, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 and additional costs of £85. He also received six penalty points on his license.


Sigyn is quite keen to visit the Australia exhibit and study some "cuddlies from Down Under," as she puts it.
So now the high-pitched noise you hear is my beloved squeeing at the tiny baby joey this mother kangaroo is carrying.
She's so excited that she's forgotten that she has a camera and could capture this precious moment.
She's letting Sigyn hold her baby! Sigyn will be talking about this for months! I have picked up the dropped camera and now have a photo to prove it really happened.
It was only with great difficulty that I was able to pry Sigyn from the previous exhibit.
Great Frigga's corset! Look, my love! It is quite unusual to see a koala eschew its accustomed arboreal habitat.
It's even rarer to find one that has evolved a removable nose!


text:
🏠 / Cricket records / Rishabh Pant records
Rishabh Pant cricket records
Rishabh Pant of India holds 9 cricket records known to us.
Highest Score by Indian Wicketkeeper in Away Test matches
159* runs
Highest Score by Indian Wicketkeeper in Away One day matches
Highest Score by Indian Wicketkeeper in Away T20 matches
65* runs
Highest Score in IPL 2018
Most Sixes in IPL 2018
37 sixes in 14 matches
Most Fours in IPL 2018
68 fours in 14 matches
Most Sixes in Test Cricket in 2021
Best Batting Strike Rate in One day Cricket in 2021
90.78 in 5 matches
Rishabh Pant is a wicket-keeper batsman of India cricket team. He has taken 89 catches behind the stump in 25 test matches and done 8 stumpings. In 18 one-day cricket matches he has done 6 dismissals in wicket keeping which includes 1 stumpings.He has 7 catches and 5 stumpings to his name in 33 Twenty20 matches
He has played 25 test matches and scored 1549 runs in 42 innings, with 3 centuries and 7 half-centuries, at batting average of 39.71 and his personal best of 159* runs.
His highest score in one-day cricket is 78. His one-day career includes 0 hundreds and 3 half-centuries in his 529 runs scored in 16 matches, at an average of 33.06 and strike rate of 114.25%.
He has hit 512 runs in 29 Twenty20 matches, with highest score of 65* and 0 centuries at an average of 21.33 and strike rate of 123.07. He has scored 2 half centuries and hit 21 sixes and 39 fours in Twenty20 cricket.
Phiroze Palia T20, ODI, Tests records
Manoj Prabhakar T20, ODI, Tests records
AK Sengupta T20, ODI, Tests records
Shardul Thakur T20, ODI, Tests records
Hardik Pandya T20, ODI, Tests records


text:
Q: Blueimp Gallery pinch to zoom on mobile devices I am implementing a Blueimp Gallery on my site. I wonder if it is possible to enable pinch to zoom on mobile devices. Right now the gallery works, but one a phone the images are quite small. Mabye this is not possible and a "No" as an answer would be great, but it drives me somewhat crazy.
Thanks
here is the site as it is at the moment. (please be kind, I am not a programmer)
https://simonmenner.com/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Taking which is lawful & leaving that which is unclear.
[Sahih Muslim, The Book of Musaqah, Hadith: 1599 (4094)] Ch: Taking which is lawful & leaving that which is unclear.
Masjid Al-Haram filled with worshipers at evening. Photo by ShaRik Qureshi.


text:
HKS Names New Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
By HKS
Yiselle Santos Rivera is a trailblazer.
She boldly left her native Puerto Rico 16 years ago to study architecture around the globe, from Mexico to China, before earning her master's degree from Syracuse University in 2005.
Two years ago, Yiselle learned of AIA's 2016 Equity by Design survey results and she realized that more should be done to support women who pursue leadership roles within the field of architecture. To do this, she launched WIELD: Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design. WIELD provides women in leadership positions a platform for visibility and engagement through a series of events.
Infused with Yiselle's own passion and leadership, WIELD encourages professionals — regardless of gender — the opportunity to build community by sharing their own stories and participating in networking opportunities.
Now she'll be able to use that passion in yet another pioneering role as she becomes the first Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for HKS. Not only is the new position a dream come true for the lifelong diversity advocate, but she also believes the move is just good business.
"We want to be able to provide the best value to our clients and our community," Yiselle said. "And if we don't look like our communities and our clients, we will not be able to provide them the best quality product.
"Current studies show higher diversity and more diverse teams equate to better profit," she added, noting that a more diverse workplace can increase a company's profitability by 30 percent.
Yiselle said she's ready for the challenge this new role will bring. For one thing, she'll maintain her current job as a senior medical planner on projects in the HKS Washington office that she has held since 2015. But she said she believes that will help her in her new EDI role.
"To me, these are opportunities that are complementary to each other," she said. "I love being a medical planner, creating environments for people to heal and thrive. EDI engages in very similar issues. It is a means to provide everyone in the workplace a space to be at their best, an opportunity to succeed."
Yiselle will also continue to serve as a board member on the AIA DC Chapter, as AIA Strategic Council Associate Director and an AIA Equity and Future of Architecture Committee member. The load might be overwhelming for some, but not for Yiselle, whose parents — Jaime and Yilda — taught her to speak up and fight on behalf of herself and others with truth and integrity.
Being Genuine
She said she believes the passion, transparency and authenticity that guide her everyday life will ultimately lead to success as HKS' first EDI director.
"I'm a firm believer that if you are genuine and bring your whole self to the table, and are visible, you will encourage other people to see in you, things that they have in themselves," she said. "If you don't bring your whole self to the table, you can't shine, and you can't share who you really are; share your best ideas.
"I think a lot of people are hesitant to do those things, and that's going to be the big hurdle," she said. "You can't tackle equity and diversity without being truly inclusive. And you can't be inclusive if you don't bring everybody, as they are, to the table."
Although her role at HKS is new, this is not Yiselle's first foray into dealing with diversity issues in the workplace. In 2008, she was selected to serve as a diversity task force office champion at HOK when that firm launched a similar corporatewide initiative.
She went on to become a co-founder of the Latin American Interior Designers, Engineers and Architects Committee for AIA DC. That led to her becoming a National Associate's Committee Regional Director for the AIA's Mid-Atlantic Region, where she became affiliated with the association's Women Leadership Summit.
Yiselle said that one of her first steps as EDI director will be to learn as much as she can about areas of diversity and equity already in place at HKS and see how those areas might be enhanced. She praised her home office in Washington and said that it's always been a source of comfort, diversity and inclusion that has helped nurture and support her. She hopes that she'll be able to spread that atmosphere of inclusiveness throughout HKS, adding that the new EDI role is a positive step in that direction. She said it will help HKS reach its stated goal of being the most influential architecture firm in the industry, an industry where she said women account for less than 17 percent of managing partners at firms, figures that drop even lower for minorities.
She offered words of thanks to HKS leadership for recognizing the need for a position like hers and making it a part of the company's new Strategic Plan. She said that kind of backing from the top will be integral to the success of her and others.
"I think that leaders are those with the ability to create the greatest impact. Yiselle said. " We are the ones to ignite the fire. When we show there's value in pursuing equity, diversity and inclusion, when we make sure that everyone is accountable and engaged in the conversation, then there's no space for failure."
The Universe Opened
HKS President and CEO, Dan Noble, showed his support in an email to the staff announcing Yiselle's appointment.
"We recognize the need to invest in a formal champion to lead this effort and equip us with a better understanding of how diversity of thought, background, and perspective create limitless thinking and lasting influence," Noble said.
Yiselle often speaks to groups across the country about the importance of a diverse workforce and just a few days before she was named EDI director at HKS, she moderated a panel on that topic. Immediately after that event, she told a colleague that she wished she had more opportunities like that.
"Then, within weeks, the universe answered," she said, and HKS gave her a role that she hopes will "create a platform for people to be more visible."
She can't wait to get started.
"My view of this role is to create a culture that will always have equity, diversity, and inclusion as paramount in decision-making and team-building," she said. "Ideally, my position will not exist in five or 10 years. This will be embedded in our way of thinking. Equity, diversity and inclusion will be our goal for the future of our firm and our workplace."
Yiselle Santos
HKS is a team of more than 1,400 architects, interior designers, urban designers, scientists, artists, anthropologists and other professionals working together across industries and across the globe to create places that delight, heal and stimulate peak performance. The firm has nurtured a culture of extraordinary people with curious and creative minds who are passionate about delivering elegant solutions. HKS has a dedicated research team that digs deep to discover processes and ideas that improve outcomes for everyone. In everything HKS does, it is mindful of the fragility of all life and of the planet.


text:
#include <core/Sphere3d.h>
#include <core/Math.h>

namespace core
{

sphere3d::sphere3d(): Center(0, 0, 0), Radius(0) {}

sphere3d::sphere3d(const glm::vec3& center, const float radius) : Center(center), Radius(radius) {}

sphere3d::sphere3d(const sphere3d& other) : Center(other.Center), Radius(other.Radius) {}

sphere3d& sphere3d::operator=(const sphere3d& other)
{
	Center = other.Center;
	Radius = other.Radius;
	return *this;
}

bool sphere3d::operator==(const sphere3d& other) const
{
	return ((other.Center == Center) && (other.Radius + EPSILON > Radius) && (other.Radius - EPSILON < Radius));
}

bool sphere3d::operator!=(const sphere3d& other) const
{
	return ((other.Center != Center) || (other.Radius + EPSILON < Radius) || (other.Radius - EPSILON > Radius));
}

inline void sphere3d::set(const glm::vec3 center, const float radius)
{
	Center = center;
	Radius = radius;
}

inline void sphere3d::set(const sphere3d& s)
{
	Center = s.Center;
	Radius = s.Radius;
}

} // end namespace core

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
NYITCOM's student takes first in national poster competition
Oct 30, 2019 NEA Report Craighead County, Education, Email, Health, Top Story 0
NYITCOM's Byrd Takes First Place in Poster Competition at National Convention
JONESBORO, AR – Katherine Byrd, a third-year medical student at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine-Arkansas, won first place in the research student poster competition at the national Osteopathic Medical Education Conference (OMED) held last week in Baltimore, MD.
Byrd's poster was titled, ""Developing a 'Migraneous' Rat Model to Evaluate the Efficacy and Mechanisms of OMT on Migraine Relief." The poster detailed Byrd's current research involving Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) to treat migraines in rats. Byrd is studying the effects of OMM on migraine sufferers and examining how the treatment works. OMM is the therapeutic application of manual pressure or force that osteopathic physicians use to treat structural or functional issues in the bones, joints, tissues and muscles of the body.
The news continues now...
Byrd's first-place finish came in a competition featured approximately 100 entries from osteopathic medical students from across the United States. OMED, which hosted the competition, is the American Osteopathic Association's annual conference that thousands of osteopathic physicians and medical students attend.
"This is an incredible honor and we couldn't be prouder of Student Doctor Byrd," said Shane Speights, D.O., Dean of NYITCOM-Arkansas. "Medical research is an important tenant of our college, and we're very honored to see one of our students receive such prestigious recognition for their tremendous work."
Byrd, who is from Athens, TN, is currently participating in NYITCOM's Academic Medicine Scholars program. Academic Scholars step away from their clinical education for one year during medical school to gain supervised research and teaching experience. NYITCOM's Academic Scholars spend five years in medical school as opposed to the traditional four, and they graduate with a Master's degree in Neuromusculoskeletal Sciences in addition to their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree.
Academic Scholars are required to complete research as part of the program. Byrd, who is working with NYITCOM faculty Jennifer Xie, Ph.D., and Regina Fleming, D.O., on the project, chose her topic in part due to the opportunity to effectively merge principles of OMM and neuroscience.
"The goal of the study is to advocate for the mechanism of OMM and provide robust evidence basis for the treatment, which clinically shows improved quality of life in people who have migraines," Byrd said. "I'm extremely honored to be recognized at a competition that featured the brightest medical students in the country. It's very humbling."
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7. You can select zoom method of output file to fit your television's aspect.
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text:
The ObserverRadio 4
Derek Cooper obituary
Presenter of Radio 4's The Food Programme who took on politicians and industry chiefs
Derek Cooper conducting an interview for The Food Programme in 1999. Photograph: BBC
Tom Jaine and Paul Vaughan
Sun 20 Apr 2014 12.30 EDT
Derek Cooper, who has died aged 88, was for many years the presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme. His interrogations on behalf of the listener impaled ministry spokesmen and representatives of food manufacturers, as well as publicists for the agrochemical industry, on sharp stakes of deadly understatement. His rich baritone voice and faultless enunciation were described by one enthusiastic critic as lolloping "out of the ether like a gigantic labrador hewn from honey-baked ham". The programme was an arresting, yet familiar and well-loved, accompaniment to the preparation of Sunday lunch.
Derek was born in London and spent his (Catholic) childhood in three places. There was his parents' home in New Malden, south-west London – he went to Raynes Park county grammar school – his father, George, working as a clerk on the railways. He also spent time on the Isle of Skye, in the Hebrides, where his mother, Jessie, grew up, and attended Portree high school during the early years of the second world war. And there were the billowing orchards of Kent, where his father's family had been brickmakers and fruit growers. His university studies were postponed by service in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1947, but eventually he settled at Wadham College, Oxford, where at least one of his contemporaries thought him "the wittiest man in Oxford".
Fulfilling a childhood dream to work in radio (and turning down the offer of a job at the Times), he went to south-east Asia for the following decade, to Radio Malaya, which he left in 1960 as controller of programmes. When he returned to Britain, he thought at first of working in television, and joined ITN, but found his production technique was bad at the best of times and that writing and presenting were more agreeable – and that he was better at them.
World in Action, Tomorrow's World and programmes for the BBC Schools service were the first to hear his mellifluous tones – they became hot property in the voiceover market – and he also undertook reporting for Radio 4's Today programme. A piece for Today in 1965 on the British tourist industry and our hopeless attitude to food was reprinted in the Listener where it caught the eye of the publisher Colin Franklin. Franklin's proposal that an expanded version would sell well proved correct when The Bad Food Guide appeared in 1967. Derek's weary despair at the pretension of cooks, hoteliers and restaurateurs and the gullibility of their customers was the more effective as they were invariably condemned out of their own mouths – a standard Cooper technique for years to come.
While researching this book, he wrote to the director of the British Hotels and Restaurants Association to inquire why eating out in Britain enjoyed such a poor reputation. "Eating in Britain does not enjoy a poor reputation," came the swift, and final, response. It was against such monumental stupidity that Cooper battled. Bad Food gave rise to The Beverage Report in 1970, Cooper's analysis of the drinks market: an excoriating view of the rise of the theme pub, an exposure of the fiddles of the world's barmen and a sharp bodkin deflating the aspirations of wine waiters everywhere. The humour was slightly less knockabout than in his first book – a sense of crusade more palpable.
This literary success was a passport to journalism, which Derek pursued with gusto (particularly in the Guardian and the Observer magazine) throughout the 70s. Latterly, he wrote regularly for Saga magazine and for Scotland on Sunday. His books, meanwhile, were more usually about Scotland or Scotch whisky than food or wine, although he did revisit the horrors of restaurants in The Gunge File (1986) – the exploits of Ray Gunge, "catering wizard of the north" – whom he had created for Catering Times.
His evocative accounts of Skye and the Hebrides had long currency and were the result of summer migrations with his family to a house on Skye bought in the late 60s. His wife, Janet, an architect, was from Yorkshire. Her substantial country cookery was the acme of Derek's dietary vision: fresh food, wholesome and attractively cooked. He himself was never a cook; nor, really, did he think himself a gourmet, more a "public stomach" in the Raymond Postgate (founder of the Good Food Guide) sense.
He was a panegyrist of single malt whisky, with books such as The Whisky Roads of Scotland (1982), with eloquent photographs by Fay Godwin. Aptly, he was many times a laureate of the Glenfiddich awards for food and wine writing and broadcasting.
He was the regular presenter of The Food Programme from 1979 until 2001, working closely with the producers Vanessa Harrison and Sheila Dillon. While the weekly half-hour addressed the achievements of British food producers (and there were as many cheerful stories as there was scandal and outrage at commercial excess), it was remarkable for its consistent engagement in what Derek came to call "the food wars". His view was that food should be close to nature, should have as few chemicals involved either in its creation or subsequent processing as possible and that big business was generally (exceptions were allowed) inimical to good eating.
This did not slip easily down the throats of the battalions of scientists intent on efficient production, taste manipulators wishing to gull the innocent (whether children or the indigent) into stuffing themselves full of pure rubbish, or corporations taking profits from food in whatever form: agribusiness, supermarkets, processors and manufacturers. It was even less palatable to those government spokesmen that Derek discovered obfuscating or distorting the truth or insensibly acting as spokesmen for the interests or industries they were meant to be regulating.
These merry grillings were never hysteric but though impeccably courteous they were remorseless: honey turned to vitriol. His time at the microphone coincided with many excitements: the infighting over dietary guidelines, food labelling, salmonella, BSE, vCJD, poverty and agricultural exploitation in the developing world, genetic modification and more. For many of us, The Food Programme was the voice of sanity. Derek's political engagement was mirrored by that of food writers in general, so that his part in founding in 1984 the Guild of Food Writers, of which he was first chairman then president, was a natural extension of his public broadcasting and journalism. He was appointed OBE in 1997. In recent years he had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Janet, whom he married in 1953, died in 2010. He is survived by their son, Nicholas, and daughter, Penny, and by two granddaughters, Alice and Iona.
Tom Jaine
Paul Vaughan writes: Derek Cooper and I were boys together at Raynes Park county grammar, a school started by John Garrett, a charismatic headteacher whose large circle of friends included poets, novelists, theatre people and fashionable dons, most of whom visited the school and talked to the boys. The novelist and poet Rex Warner taught classics, the Euston Road group painter Claude Rogers taught art, WH Auden wrote the school song and his fellow poet Cecil Day-Lewis came regularly to read to us.
The school produced a good few broadcasters (Robert Robinson was another of us) and we were all, Derek included, influenced in one way or another by the school's atmosphere and Garrett's bullying but beguiling personality. Derek was an accurately cast Falstaff in the school play – the rich, deep voice was already in place – and a famously witty member of the Sixth.
He left school in 1943 for a naval short course at University College, Cardiff (now Cardiff University), and his letters from there, and from the Royal Navy at the end of the war, were not only hilarious but an accurate record of service life.
When he was demobbed in 1947 he went to Wadham to read philosophy, politics and economics, which he swiftly changed to English. He did some acting – the Bastard in King John (directed by Tony Richardson) – and then became editor of the Isis. His writing was blossoming: he had always written fluently and attractively, but his wonderful talent for mimicry was accompanied by a gift for unerring literary parody. A pastiche of Graham Greene ("Derek Cooper Meets a Refugee from Greeneland") prompted a telegram from its victim, reading CONGRATULATIONS GRAHAM GREENE.
He won first prize in a New Statesman competition for the best parody of Betjeman ("O flat was the road to St Edderby's Hall, As we cycled together along the sea-wall. Roman the vicar, Spartan the grub, Delectable Catholic play-reading club."): Betjeman himself, it was said, had come second with another pseudonymous entry.
It was all enough to guarantee a flying start in journalism and broadcasting, and the professional success he richly deserved. And throughout his life I could recognise the funny, un-pompous and generous friend I shall always remember from our youth.
Derek Macdonald Cooper, broadcaster, born 25 May 1925; died 19 April 2014
Food and drink books
Radio industry
Food & drink industry


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