Communication - Blog Posts

Hey um

Guys I'm a newbie in the internet

So... How do you make friends here

Do you have to summon them with a portal and pentagram or

It's just that I never had any close friends. And I'm awkward

So I just wondered if someone... Maybe... Would want to try chatting with me

But I have to warn, I'm terrible at communicating, if anyone ever would like to give me a chance

... Bye

*Runs away*

PLEASE READ ITS AO GOOD IM BEGGING YOU🙏🙏🙏🙏

Communication

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Preview:

“Guuuuh,” Mic spits dumbly, mind racing. She’s thought a lot about how she’ll tell everyone about the partnership she and Taco had during the season, but that means in no way that she’s actually ready to do it! Her hands grow clammy as she feels more eyes shift towards her the longer she stays quiet.

Everyone is going to be mad at her! And where does she even start? She’s not close with most of the other former contestants like she is with Soap or Knife, no way they’ll be so gentle about all the crap she’d pulled before quitting! Ugh, but the longer she waits to just say something already, the worse it’ll be.

She gulps, opening her dry mouth to try and explain, only for Taco to beat her to it.

~~~

Please consider reblogging this post, and leaving comments/kudos if you like the story!! It makes me very happy when I know people are reading and enjoying my works!!! <3

this flower garden has conversations with the stars.

≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ welcome to astra’s universe, lovely flower~ ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫

“hello, there. you’ve shifted into a realm of dreams where my garden lies beneath a starry sky, timeless and ready to satiate your purest musings.”

““but how would it do that?” you may wonder. do you feel the presences of fallen stars that are gently swirling a halo around you? close your eyes.  let your wonder sink in. let your wonder tells stories with the stars.”

“my, have the stars of my garden grabbed your interest already? if so, do take a look below ‘keep reading’.”

                                                     ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ 

❥ what is astra’s garden for?

i am a girl whose mind drifts in daydreams a lot. i wish to cultivate this ‘garden’ for meaningful inspirations that bear fruit from writing my daydreams down (in intended lowercase.).

❥ ways i can enjoy my stay in astra’s garden?

here, in astra’s garden, you will see my daydreams manifested into many forms of texts, stories and scenarios for you to share your thoughts on. yes, this is not entirely self-indulgent, at least it is not only for me to write whatever i think down as a means of getting things off my mind. therefore, i look forward to asks from you guys in hopes of having lighthearted interactions filled with motivating positivity! <3 

ೃ⁀➷ important notes!

✧ it is important that we don’t take things too seriously; do relax and enjoy your stay. 

✧ apart from civilized discussions, i will not accept nor tolerate other asks such as nsfw requests, invasive questions, vent asks and generally offensive behaviour.

✧ as this blog is still growing, i am open to suggestions for engaging ideas that may help provide a better experience for everyone.

✧ all of your judgemental binoculars should be destroyed. stop looking, start seeing. just with your bare eyes. you’ll see we are all humans. 

✧ as a young individual, i myself am not the wisest nor the most experienced. i am seeking a comforting environment where i can be myself around you, who too, are also being yourselves. please do not hesitate to give feedback for us all to grow.

✧ criticism, especially constructive, is greatly appreciated. any other offensive criticisms made purely by ill intentions will not be tolerated.

✧ asks are welcomed any time. should i get busy, i will post regular updates, not to worry. 

❥ what can my asks be?

please know that within civilised boundaries, there should be no creative limits to what your asks can be! be it literature such as quotes or poems to hobbies ranging from movie dramas, art, sports, music, games, random tips, facts et cetera, i’d be delighted to hear from you.

my aim is making this blog into a safe place as well as a dream garden for anyone who would like to share their own thoughts and ideas, so let’s indulge ourselves!

about me

                                                    ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

my heart is fluent in a tongue my mind can't translate. so i lay still on my bed, experiencing a wildness that can breathe me back to life from beyond my grave. tonight i believe in spirits. maybe i am a ghost when i fall asleep; anything is possible this very moment because it is nothing like the one it succeeds nor like the one it will precede. the future hadn't been created when i wrote the last sentence and now i am in it. Ah, to be alive.

Yes. Have YOU considered that sometimes working on hard things is both necessary and worthwhile?

Sometimes it's really hard being emotionally intelligent and self-aware, and also being good at analyzing people and yourself, especially when combined with being an overthinker. I know I'm right, even if it doesn't appear true yet, because my brain recognizes the patterns and has this cycle of self doubt that probably leads to self sabotage. I'm so tired of people not being able to be as emotionally intelligent as me, as it just leads to the loss of relationships and me being jaded, when everything could have been avoided with just simple communication

i think before you marry someone, you should sit down and go through the AITA subreddit with them and see what their take on those situations is

communicating with deities

now of course this is a multi layered topic that is different for everyone. some people will use some of these techniques, some people use none, others may use all in sparing amounts. and some techniques may not work for you at all, and that's okay!

just remember that you and your practice is valid, this is just advice for whoever needs it (and that may not be you! it's okay!).

HOWEVER it should be said that a lot of cultures place an emphasis on cleanliness--both spiritual and physical. so, hey, maybe set up some incense and wash your hands before doing some of these methods.

1. Tarot, Runes, Etc.

Now this section is probably the biggest out of all of them. There are so many different physical divination techniques across several different cultures including tarot and runes, but also bone/charm casting (here's a good tutorial for that), psephoi, coin flipping, geomancy, the ogham, and gods so many more I just can't get to all of them.

I like to do this at or near my altar space while wearing my devotional jewelry or sometimes even while veiling, depending on the deity.

What I like to start with is just a simple "Please [deity name] guide this reading." before I ask my question and cast lots. I imagine the deity during the question, during the pulling, and while interpreting.

Sometimes, with deities, the question you ask isn't always the one that is answered. If there is a certainmessage they deem more important, they will give you that instead. This happens to me very, very frequently.

I don't have a particular spread that I always use, but I tend to go for a simple five card pull. I also tend to place a lot of importance in cards that fall out while shuffling, and will look at them with and apart from the other cards I pull. Other than that, a simple past-present-future can also be very useful here.

2. Meditation

This is what I know most practicioners to use, as it seems to come the easiest to most people. However, if you're someone like me who's on certain psychiatric medications, this may not work for you. Furthermore, if you have difficulty visualizing (which is Not your fault, some people are just built differently and that's okay), this may be difficult for you.

The way I used to go about it is that I would find a dark, quiet place, I would light some incense, perhaps even play some light music or nonspeaking ASMR. Here is a good tutorial on YouTube. I just needed to get relaxed enough to be almost asleep, but not so relaxed I lost focus. Recently, I've also noticed that doing some,,, gardening (iykyk),, helps a lot with reaching the right state.

You're looking for just the fine line between sleep and wakefulness, it should almost feel like you're being pulled upward (at least, that's how it feels to me).

Messages may come in the form of images or words, and can be direct or very vague. Just remember to be patient with yourself and your deities, the time may not always be right for you to hear some messages.

3. Pendulums

The reason why pendulums get their own section is just because they're so dang good. Yes, pendulums can and do answer yes/no questions, however they can also be used with certain alphabetical charts to discern individual words and phrases from your deities.

Again, like with tarot, I like to set myself up near my altar with my devotional jewelry. Then I'll ask my pendulum to please contact the deity in question. The reason you want to do this is because I've noticed pendulums may have energy of their own, and may answer questions themselves if given the opportunity. This is not inherently bad, it's just not what you want.

Remember to always ask your pendulum if they're okay being taken over by a deity, some will already be occupied by their own force and won't appreciate being budged out. Others won't care and you'll have an okay time with it.

4. Dreams or Visions

Some of our polytheist friends will be given the ability to receive dreams or visions from their deities. This often comes in it's own package of strange messages and symbolism, but it works nonetheless. Keep a look out for dreams that include your gods' symbols, holy animals, or popular visages.

Remember, it is totally alright if you don't receive direct messages from your gods. I, for one, do not. Sometimes I will dream about my deities but I almost never remember what happened in the dreams, much less if there was a message. Those that receive dreams and visions are not better than you, nor do they automatically have a better relationship with that god than you.

In this case, there isn't much you can do except pray for visions. You can't force them to happen, there's no way to make yourself the perfect vessel or devotee (unlike what some might claim), it just works or it doesn't.

Also if you're having frequent visions and seeing full apparitions while awake that are convincing you to do things or are encouraging paranoid delusions, please seek therapy. I don't automatically believe you need to medicated because you see apparitions of the gods in broad daylight, but you should see someone who can help you discern if these are real messages from your gods or are figments of poor brain chemistry. Take care of yourselves, please.

5. Devotional Acts

Some people, especially in antiquity, communicated the gods in a mostly unidirectional manner. This includes burning offerings and incense, setting up altars, engaging inprayer, and doing devotional activities.

My favorite devotional activities include:

-going thrifting for fun nicknacks for my altar space

-eating food in their name, especially ones that remind you of them

-making devotional jewelry, including prayer beads

-doing divinational readings for others

-going out to look at the sunrise/sunset/moon

-spending time with family, especially female family members

-doing kind things, like making donations to charities you like or giving money to the unhoused

-reading books or stories about your deities

-loving and taking care of your furry friends, especially strays

Anyways, that's all I've got for today, Khaire! <3

KENNITH LIVE REACTION !!!

AVATARKS!

God-damn crucial.

This may just be my experience as an autistic person, but the kids I’ve nannied whose parent’s complain of ‘bad awful in cooperative selfish autistic behavior’ are… Not like that? At all?

Like, for example, I cared for a kid for a while who was nonverbal and didn’t like being touched. Around six years old? Their parent said that they were fussy and had a strict schedule, and that they had problems getting them to eat. Their last few nannies had quit out of frustration.

So, I showed up. And for the first little while, it was awkward. The kid didn’t know me, I didn’t know them, you know how it is. And for the first… Day and a half, maybe? I fucked up a few times.

I changed their diaper and they screamed at me. I put the TV off and they threw things. Not fun, but regular upset kid stuff.

Next time, I figured, hell, I wouldn’t like being manhandled and ordered around either. Who likes being physically lifted out of whatever it is they’re doing and having their pants yanked off? Fucking few, that’s who.

Next time, I go, ‘hey, kiddo. You need a new diaper?’ and check. ‘I’m gonna go grab a new one and get you clean, okay?’ ‘Wanna find a spot to lay down?’ 'Alright, almost done. Awesome job, thanks buddy’.

I learned stuff about them. They liked a heads up before I did anything disruptive. They didn’t mind that I rattled of about nothing all day. They didn’t like grass or plastic touching their back. They were okay with carpets and towels. They liked pictionary, and the color yellow, and fish crackers, and painting. They didn’t look me in the face (which was never an issue- I hate that too, it fucking sucks) but I never had reason to believe that they were ignoring me.

Once I learned what I was doing wrong, everything was fine. Did they magically “”“become normal”“” and start talking and laughing and hugging? No, but we had fun and had a good time and found a compromise between what I was comfortable with and what they were comfortable with. (For the record, I didn’t magically sailor-moon transform into a socially adept individual, either. In case anyone was wondering.)

I don’t like eye contact. It’s distracting and painful and stresses me out.

They didn’t like eye contact either.

Is eye contact necessary to communication? No. So we just didn’t do it.

Was there ever a situation where I HAD to force them to drop everything and lay down on the lawn? No. So the thirty second warning came into play, and nobody died.

“But they never talked!”

No, they didn’t. And they didn’t know ASL, and they didn’t like being touched.

So you know what happened?

My third day in, they tugged on my shirt. 'Hey monkey, what’s up?’ I asked. And they tugged me towards the kitchen. 'oh, cool. You hungry?’. They raised their hands in an 'up’ gesture. 'you want up? Cool.’ and I lifted them up. They pointed to the fridge. I opened it. They grabbed a juice box out of the top shelf, and pushed the door closed again. 'oh sweet, grape is the best. You are an individual of refined taste.’ I put them down and they went back to their room to play Legos.

“But they didn’t say please or thank you!” “But you should be teaching them communication skills!” “But!” Lalalalala.

1. The entire interaction was entirely considerate and polite. I was never made uncomfortable. I was made aware of the problem so that I could help them solve it. There was no mess, no tears, no bruises, no shouting.

2. Did my brain collapse into a thousand million fragments of shattered diamond dust out of sheer incomprehension? No? Then their communication skills were fine. Goal realized, solution found, objective complete. They found the most simple and painless way to communicate the situation and then did it.

Kids are not stupid. AUTISTIC kids are not stupid.

I’m willing to bet real cash money that the real reason the last few nannies had quit had a million times more to do with their own ability to cope, not the kid’s.

To this day, that was the most relaxed and enjoyable job I’ve ever had.

And I know I don’t speak for everyone. All kids are different. All adults are different. But in my time and experience, pretty much 95% of all my difficulties with children come from ME not being understanding enough. Every single “problem child” I’ve worked with turned out to be a pretty cool person once I started figuring out how to put my ego aside and let them set the pace.

Again, not speaking universally, here. I’m just saying. Sometimes social rules are bullshit, you know? People are people

PSA to anyone who is or wants to be my friend: JUST SAY WHAT YOU’RE THINKING like i swear to god please stop beating around the bush or sending signals. i am too dense. i will not perceive the signals.

like if you have a problem with my behavior, TELL ME ABOUT IT. i won’t know it’s a problem unless you say something. and once you do say something, i’ll do everything in my power to change it. but you have to tell me.

i am so sick of feeling responsible every time i fight with someone because THEY wouldn’t communicate right off the bat and blame it on me. my entire life is like a really low stakes never ending miscommunication trope and i am so sick of it.

Your global e-mail needs to include international cultural sense

When I first started receiving e-mails from Japanese students or work contacts, I didn't really notice it. But there is something different to the way e-mails are structured in regards to their communication. Understanding this, being open to it or even trying to follow the customs can go a long way to forging a good business relationship.

Western e-mails get down to business right away, Japanese ones start out with a little bit of friendly banter. I didn't realize I had taken to this habit myself until I tried to work with a Canadian company last year. I was met with short retorts and 'just coaching' messages telling me to cut the friendly chatter. Really? Are you that busy that you can't read 4 seconds of a friendly lead in or some natural commentary. Japanese people want to build trust and create good connections with their business contacts. Some friendly words never hurt anyone. Conversely, I would coach Japanese clients or students to be open to getting rid of the friendly lead in but in my honest opinion, the Japanese style feels a lot more comfortable. I get the impression that both sides are open to a long term business relationship if they approach communication in this way.

I was working within a company and more than a few times students (or just people in the office) would come up to me asking what they should do because their work connection wouldn't reply to their e-mails. It dawned on me that people back home might have taken to not answering e-mails in which they can not readily respond with the information needed. This is just rusty communication. Everyone is working on the same purpose and you have to understand that the Japanese staff are receiving considerable pressure from their bosses to get things done. Similarly, if you couldn't understand the gist of what the contact is asking, don't be afraid to ask them for clarification; "I'm sorry I'm not sure what this sentence means "Quote", could you help me understand?"

Japanese culture is collectivist and they face continual pressure to get everything right, especially in business. Because they are nervous about their English in the first place, understanding and acceptance of their style of communication are not only essential, they are non-negotiable standards that international companies should adhere to.

Is Chat GPT a good replacement for learning a language? (part 1)

It's a legitimate question. Of course I am biased as a language instructor, I want to shout 'no!' I have already spent time in classes arguing why it is not a healthy path to take, but my counter-arguments are thinning out as the technology gets better.

Around this time last year, I had just heard about Chat GPT when a few students were rumbling about it. I thought it was just a chat bot like a lot of websites use, so I brushed it aside. When I finally read about it, I had to check it out. I did as a lot of people did the first time, entering into an argument about which movie robot character was the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) or launching into some juvenile chat thread. It impressed me suitably. Since then, I got it to write a sales e-mail for me, correct my Japanese in another e-mail I was writing and help me with a difficult calculus question I was studying.

Math has been a tough one for me and it was here that I had my first instance where I doubted the integrity of the AI's ability. It gave me a wrong answer. It was a minor miracle that I could spot that the answer was wrong in the first place, if I was relying on it as my tutor, I was in trouble! When I called it on its error, it did remind me that it is a language engine, not a mathematical one but it left me wondering where else it might let us down.

I then started searching the web for articles about Chat GPT's accuracy and I found an article where they asked the AI service to write a summary of a book. It gave a great description and school-worthy report that would have scored top marks. The thing is, the book didn't exist! Okay, I can't find the link, but here is a case where it summarizes a book completely incorrectly. And here are some links where Chat GPT makes up reference lists with non-existent resources (LINK) (LINK).

On top of these academic shortcomings, last year I was trying out a job representing a beverage-related company and asked Chat GPT to give me a list of up and coming beverage companies in Japan. You guessed it, the list contained all companies that don't exist at all.

I have a theory of why this is. You can imagine the panic spreading from educational institutes over the implications of having such a powerful automatic writing tool available for free. The integrity of schools is in peril as more and more students are handing in Chat GPT generated reports as we speak. The key is to build in some fallibility to deter students from cheating. The prospect of saving themselves hours of research which would take previous generations months to compile is too alluring for young students. Therefore, the mistakes are put in on purpose to keep it a fun, yet powerful service for students. But business owners know that it can be adapted for business needs and help make money for the developers.

This chink in the armor is one reason why I would not trust the new powerful AI sites to handle a company's communication requirements. When you consider how important communication is for the success of your business, you can see why it is better to stay in control of your destiny by doing the communication yourself.