Hero

If you're over 18 and finished with high school, you really don't want to start dating minors. It may be legal in your country, but let's face it, it's creepy, regardless of the circumstance. Why would you be hanging out with people so young, anyway? What will you do when you want to go out but they have homework, or have to study for an exam? Not to mention that teenagers generally make for terrible dates, anyway. Working part time at the local EZ Food Store and driving a ten year old Hyundai is not the same as actual maturity. And if there's somebody so much younger than you that you really really like, then they're worth waiting for. Let them grow up a little before you inject yourself in their life. As an adult, really anything is game with other adults. Your brains should already be developed enough to make decisions for yourself. But bear in mind that if the age difference is immediately noticeable, people will start making assumptions and asking questions.

Well, it appears the coup is being announced as unsuccessful across all media outlets. It seems Erdoğan will remain president of Turkey until his natural death, unless someone else can make a better show at taking his seat by force of arms, and for now that seems a long shot. Get ready for a new round of purges! There is a danger that a new regime might cuddle up to Iran, but Erdoğan is going down eventually. Wouldn't you rather it be by the hands of the army rather than some cult or other unknown actor? At least they are somewhat bound by tradition and the constraints of reality.

The teenage years aren't easy for anyone, man. Nobody's mentally mature, and everybody's got to find a way to blow off steam. Some face challenges that let them come off looking pretty capable and innocent in others' eyes, but that doesn't mean they didn't make mistakes. Others find no escape to their difficulties except drinking, starting drama, obsessively playing games at the expense of their social life and academics, or other variably addictive, variably destructive behaviors. My advice is try to find an outlet that's productive or at least neutral. Dedicate that energy into art, music, reading and exploration. Go for sweet girls, not street girls. If you really must use a substance to feel good, limit it to coffee and pot. Don't procrastinate your goals, the better you do earlier in life the easier it is to do still better later. It doesn't magically get better when you turn 18. Being a young adult isn't easy, either. But there's a peace that comes as you come to know yourself and accept your path in life.

There's really nothing that makes you feel engaged as your waiting? It sounds like you're depressed buddy. As "normal“ and widespread as this condition is, if you can't promptly remedy the situation I recommend making an appointment with a psychiatrist before you let it influence and/or delay your studies.

I say grow it out, man. Not enough guys do anymore. Everybody and his brother's got some kind of fade or undercut these days. Even a bit of length will lend an air of confidence to your demeanor, and nobody's going to think "hipster wannabe" without first thoroughly considering "'80s movie star".

I think the shootings will continue more or less undiminished as long as police officers know they will always go scot free for a first offence. Hey man, sorry to change the topic, but I have to ask. You're an American, right? Are you a Neo-Nazi or what?

Not the best example bud, since all the Algerians who were native speakers of French all fled to France way back in the 1960s when the Arab nationalist FLN took over and set off a series of massive purges. Not that it matters, since the US, Canada UK, etc. have some quite rigorous non-discrimination laws in place to preempt exactly this situation.

I'm an expat living in China, not Asian. Now I know China is not Japan, but I think these two countries (and other East and Southeast Asian nations) are culturally very similar inasmuch as they play host to extreme xenophobia and racism by American or even European standards. This may not be a popular opinion here, but I think Magician Lugh should just chill and get a better bullshit filter. Nothing to be gained when you're living abroad from having a delicate ego. In my experience Asian-Americans and other Asian-Westerners have the best hand of all the expats. They get all the same privileges as any non-Asian when they definitively play the nationality card, but at the same time get to miss out on a massive amount of harassment. There are benefits to having the same skin color as the local elite: For example, you aren't the world's biggest mark to every scammer and slightly dishonest dealer around, you don't have the traffic police tap on your window at a red light because they don't believe you could possibly have a fully legal license and registration, you don't get people of all ages descriptions loudly discussing you in pejorative ways about you because they assume you can't understand, and you won't find kids pulling your hair, shouting "fuck you", or randomly running away in fear in public places. That's just real. And everybody knows Asian-Americans, etc., can get the most and the classiest ladies if they have even a hair of charisma. A blue or whatever color passport plus a skin color that won't make everyone stare at her and call her a whore is a winning combination. As for Asians getting lower salaries when teaching English regardless of nationality, that's a load of crap. I've never heard of it in real life. If somebody is offering you a job at a lower salary than your potential coworkers just because of the color of your skin, don't respond and block their accounts. They are some sleazy company you don't want to be working for anyway, or else a sleazy recruitment agency liable to steal a big chunk of your salary every month on the sly and not deliver on any of their promises. Not even exaggerating. A real public school will never do this because salary schedules are set very strictly by local governments. And if you're interested in working for a private English training company, you can find plenty that don't discriminate by color. I could even recommend a couple in my city if you're so inclined. The demand for English teachers with real qualifications all across Asia is as high as ever, and if anybody tells you otherwise it's just because they're trying to lowball you, or else they want to limit the competition for their own job. So buck up, buddy. I hear Japan is a lovely place to be, and it sounds like you'll be going back home and into your old comfort zone before you know it. Eat all those dishes you never heard the name of before, get those language skills up to snuff, network like there's no tomorrow, and take a train or bus somewhere new whenever you can. Use your time well and this'll be one of the best experiences of your life, who knows, you might even want to come back after you have a degree and some work experience under your belt.

Try living in a place that uses Metric, and you'll get used to it fast enough. It's not hard. Frankly the American Customary units aren't that hard either. Lots of other countries have their own customary units that are in everyday usage, too, but don't give them "official" status. American Customary measurements aren't all that hard, either. It's all a matter of getting used to it. In the end the systems aren't all that important.

Just find something dude. Don't be afraid to tell a white lie or misrepresent your way into a job, it's not like you're gonna get grilled by the FBI. First step is standing up on your own feet. All that other good stuff can come later.

I'm in an '11 Chevy Cruze, 1.8T. It's nothing special, but at least it's a manual, so I can still shoot out in front of automatic sedans that cost three times as much at red lights. The first things I did after I got it were install aftermarket parking radar, new leather seats, and some decent tires. It's "nice" in every respect and I put a lot of love into it, but I can't help but think of it as an econobox. If I go back to the US, where cars are reasonably priced, I have my heart set on a Camaro SS. A lot of people say the last couple years' models look a little bit like Hot Wheels, and everybody associates them with Transformers now, but I still really like them. Of course, I could compromise with a Mustang or even a late model Miata. I met a freak stroke of luck a couple years ago, and somehow got a free Mustang rental for two weeks from my insurance when my Honda Civic was in the shop. It was an automatic, but getting behind the wheel of that thing really gave me an appreciation for good handling, high-performance cars that I won't soon forget. The first time I ever got out of a speeding ticket was when a cop pulled me over in that thing, showed him the rental papers, explained the situation, and he laughed his ass off. To this day I can't believe that the rental company let me take it across state lines without paying any extra fees. I doubt I'd ever take one of these cars on the track, but it'd be the highlight of my future daily commute and an easy excuse for a lot of road trips. More realistically, a new motorcycle might be somewhere not so far in my future. They don't call it the poor man's performance for nothing. But even though there's no snow or ice, it rains so much around these parts that riding really sucks half the time, and the winter chill and summer heat rapidly get to you on any journey of more than a few blocks. Also, Chinese drivers have absolutely zero respect for anyone on two wheels and lots of dangerous habits, most places have outright banned bikes, and they aren't even allowed on the freeways here. So while nothing is impossible, it's a real hassle to rely on a bike here or take it on a long trip, and you can't get real insurance outside of a few narrow situations.

If you need to do it, you need to do it. Some people have good self-control, but maybe you don't, and if that's the case you'd better take all the measures you can to get away from bad temptations. If you have a big entertainment/home theater setup with consoles in your home, try putting that into storage for a while. Trade out your custom-built desktop for a new laptop. Life's opportunities fade fast and are hard to come by. You can always come back to gaming later.

Hey Jotari, funny I should get this topic in my inbox. I haven't been a regular Serenes Forest user in a good six years plus, but I'm an American living in China right now, in Hunan province. Don't believe any of the bad stuff people are saying here. Life in China has its disadvantages, certainly, but they're just repeating overblown fear-mongering nonsense they heard in the media, from old people, or from borderline shut-in coworkers. Take it easy. Suzhou is a very nice place, full of rich people. It's a big tourist destination, should be a fun place to spend some time. Air pollution ain't a scratch on Shanghai, and certainly can't compare to Hangzhou. Make as many friends as you can in the beginning, they'll be useful. Enjoy nights out on the town, enjoy the abundant street food, enjoy the water villages in the countryside, and soak in what you can of the diversity of people who come to that destination city from all over China. Save up money for when you head back from the US, or else spend it on something stupid like an extended international vacation or a car. Either way, you shouldn't have regrets. In the meantime, take your time finding yourself the nicest apartment you can, and buy a motorcycle or electric scooter. You'll get to know the city a lot more intimately that way and it'll pay for itself ten times over. You need a really thick skin and solid bullshit filter to thrive as a non-Chinese-looking expat in China. The average guy on the street may say he highly esteems "foreigners”, but it doesn't matter how fluent your Chinese is, you'll be the mark for every con or scam and you won't get any kind of customer service or polite treatment unless you assertively demand it. SJW-type whining about discrimination and fairness won't get you anything here. The same principle applies to your employer, especially if you're working for a Chinese company. Do your job well, but don't expect favors from anyone and don't do extra work for free. If you were able to get the company to shell out for a legitimate work visa, you have a very highly valued skill and with it some intrinsic leverage, use that to your advantage. Nothing pains me more than seeing naive people getting conned by their employers. But the refreshing thing about China is that if you demand respect and actually deserve it, you will get it, no need for empty self-promotion or backstabbing. Modesty (after a fashion) is still considered a virtue here. One last note: Learn Chinese! Don't let anybody convince you it's too hard. Serious and committed studying for a solid hour or two every day can get you to the HSK 4 level (equivalent to IELTS 5 or CEFR level B2) in a year. I know people who've done it even while working full time. And that might be conversational, but it's really only the beginning. Study, study, study. The more standard Chinese you can speak, the better your life in China will be. Chinese people will laugh at you extensively, but they respect people who learn their language. Most non-Chinese never bother, or never make more than a halfhearted effort. Just be sure to get started learning the characters right from the beginning, spoken Chinese is only ten percent as useful as it would otherwise be if you're illiterate. Anyway, this is a subject I could go on about for a long time, but I probably ought to cut it short. If you have any questions at all about being an expat in China, shoot me a PM. And especially if you ever happen by Changsha, we can get a beer and some spicy crayfish.

If even gays can marry anywhere now, who are we to draw the line at this?

Impressive, much respect! (Assuming you're not a native/heritage speaker.)

I might as well ask you if all those vodka martinis ever silence the screams of all the men you've killed....

How often do you see any reference to the Ogre Battle franchise these days? Now there's something abundantly worth preserving the memory of with a fancy theme. Help teach these kids what's what. Now Fire Emblem If? If what? That sounds like way too silly of a name to be canon to me.

IIRC there's no solid data indicating that they constitute a risk to health to date. Propylene glycol, which is the solvent for the e-liquid, is the same stuff that's used in fog machines. I've never owned an e-cig personally and I think a lot of the popular flavors are fairly obnoxious, but it's hard not to root for the dinky little things when they represent a solution to one of the world's biggest public health problems. Three of my four roommates quit smoking within the last couple years and are puffing on them constantly around the house.

As far as I'm concerned, Brazil has been the real Portugal since the beginning of the 19th century.

I think it's long past time we brought together all the characters in a single tier, call it a popular front. Shouldn't be too difficult, seeing as they are all already wholehearted supporters of the socialist system when it comes to the distribution of material resources since the days of FE1.

You can only make so much progress with programs and websites like Duolingo, but hey, a start's a start, and practice never hurt anyone. Personally I'd suggest doing the English course on Duolingo using another language, that way you'll be able to pick up more and more advanced vocabulary while still retaining the same atmosphere and format. For Arabic, I like to recommend the Learn Arabic with Maha YouTube channel. Again, it's just the basics, but it does give a quite pleasant presentation of them. I love learning languages. It's always rough when you hit a plateau in your level but if you keep at the vocabulary grind you'll always get through eventually and few other activities are so mentally rewarding, especially when you can start to read confidently in your target language. That's also when vocabulary acquisition picks up the fastest!

Hmmm, this could be a problematic move. Before you know it, there would need to be characters of roughly equal or greater power with the names Nikita, Leonid, Yuri, Mikhail, Fidel, Hugo etc. and before you know it, there wouldn't be a single slot for a weak character left.

I say play FE4 all the way! What a great little game for 1996. Like others have said the story is quite possibly the neatest in the FE franchise, and the gameplay differences that set it apart from the rest of the series were, in my experience at least, almost all positive ones. Yes, the chapters take a long time to complete, but on the flip side there are only 12 of them. Go into the game with just a little bit of patience for its age and the clunkiness of oldschool translation patches, and you'll be gritting your teeth in anger that there isn't more in no time. The rosy lenses of nostalgia are strong with this one, but they wouldn't be if it wasn't an engaging game to start with. I think that saying it's easier than FE8 is preposterous. Unlike FE8, the difficulty starts amping up right away in the first three chapters, and you're going to have to do a little bit of creative thinking to save your first few characters. It's true that avenues for abuse open up pretty quick, but then doesn't every FE game have its potential for abuse, and FE8 even moreso? Besides, building an overpowered army can be fun sometimes, especially on a first playthrough. And if you play the game totally blind, I think you'll find it's one of the toughest in the series. FE3's another good one, and a highlight of the series in its own right, but others were not kidding when they said it feels clunky. Also, the first half of it isn't going to feel new at all if you've played FE1 or FE11 (still don't understand why book 2 wasn't included in that game). It pains me to admit it, but I never mustered the effort to finish it. On the contrary, every chapter in FE4 felt like a treat.

Sometimes you have to procrastinate with every means at your disposal. Although I hear the last couple Fire Emblem games were pretty sweet, could be worth checking out.

Got it, I misread the screenshot the first time and thought you had all 380-odd bar three you somehow hadn't seen yet.