Game rewards turtling too much

[Rolf Dew]

@Sundiata those pictures are very interesting, seems like they were very good fighters from what you told me. The musket traditions are very interesting too, the black people in South Africa rarely used muskets in combat, so it very interesting too see. Nice hair, isn't it heavy? 

[Astrid]

14 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

Yes they are, for the most part . My dad was a bit short, so I am only 175 cm, one can feel real small around some of the larger Afrikaners and germans. My sister also grew her hair long (past her knees) until her late teens, then she cut it. Nice, so you must look like a real valkryie!  

 

I am trying to inspire girls in Norway not to cut their hair I want to bring very long hair back in style. My grandma has hair to her knees,my mum has hair to her calves,my sister Viktoria has hair to her ankles,and my sister Silje has hair to her upper thighs {she thinks that is enough for long hair lol},and no we are not Christians or menonites lol My grandma started the long hair,and we are continuing the tradition. My grandma always thought very long hair was the only way a girl should wear her hair,and plus we are fjord folk so we love to go by old traditions. No I don't wear an ankle length dress or dress old fashioned heh I am a t shirts/jeans/leather girl lol A total fanatic of black metal music.

Perhaps your sister will grow her hair back one day. I always believed a girl will return to the long hairs after a big cut. Sounds like it was so beautiful. I been pressured a lot to cut my hair after people see my length {especially when I wear a braid},and they usually ask "why don't you donate your hair or you would be prettier with a modern haircut",and I just smile and reply back "why don't you grow your hair very long,you can be prettier". I am not shallow or judge people by looks but sometimes you have to put people in their places that are ignorant.

Yes I been told a lot I can be a Valkyrie {My avat is a Valkyrie} or yes a shield maiden or a saxon princess lol I am into fitness,hiking,martial arts and HEMA so I love to take care of myself,eat healthy and am always active,and gracing the forests,the mountains,the fjords and anywhere that is beautiful

 

[Astrid]

7 hours ago, Sundiata said:

Or an actual Viking Shield Maiden  !!! What do you think of the History Chanel show Vikings?

 

Wow, I thought my hair was long... The longest locks are reaching my knees now... I always said I would trim it when they reach my butt, but I can't bring myself to put scissors to them. It feels so wrong. They do sometimes naturally break off halfway down when they get too long, so I guess it's sorting itself out, lol...

 

Uhu, haven't cut my hair since age 13 (15 years). 

My dad is from Ghana, where I'm living now. He's actually still in Belgium, lol, but he comes back to Ghana every other year or so. We're Akuapem, one of the smaller Akan tribes (including Fantes, Akwamus, Akyims, Denkyera, etc, with the Ashanti being the most famous of all). The specific ethnicities or tribes that contributed to the modern mix of Akuapem people include primarily Guans and Akyims, but also Akwamu, Ga-Adangbe, Ewe and Ashanti (Ga-Adangbe and Ewe aren't even Akan tribes, but some of them migrated and assimilated into Akuapem over the centuries and the Guans are essentially the original pre-Akan population of the area, still speaking their own language in their own towns).

A little bit of history:

"Akuapem" means something along the lines of "A Thousand Forces" (Akuw Apem), and was originally actually a tribal confederacy of many disparate groups of people who were living in the Akuapem hills (many of them refugees from wars and slave-raiding). The "confederacy" was established to fight off slave-raiding incursions and oppression at the hands of the Akwamu, another Akan tribe with a ferocious reputation in the old days. The Akwamu (proto)-empire was utterly destroyed by the Akuapem uprising.

Akuapems had a reputation of fighting slavery, harboring many runaway slaves from the nearby coast and destroying Danish plantations at the foot of the Akuapem hills because of their harshness. So I was surprised to learn that after the defeat of the Akwamu, In turn, the captured Akwamu leadership was sold into slavery (1730's) by the Akuapem... Karma is a... Very interestingly, Europeans in the Americas often didn't comprehend where exactly their slaves were coming from, or in this case, that they weren't slaves at all, but nobles, warriors, generals and chiefs! 150 of the Akwamu "slaves" that were shipped to St. John in the Caribbean very quickly ignited one of the earliest and longest lasting slave rebellions in the history of the Americas! They took over almost the entire island for a 6 month period before being "defeated by several hundred better-armed French and Swiss troops sent from Martinique". Quite perversely, the Akwamu didn't liberate the other African slaves, and captured the islands' plantations intact... They simply took over the plantations, slaves included, intending to run them as usual...

Other Akan slaves that were taken to Jamaica also runaway and established independent communities in the interior. The British never managed to subdue them (Maroon wars) and eventually settled a treaty with them, recognising their independence. Similar story in Suriname. Very few among the maroons of Jamaica and Suriname can actually still speak Twi (Akan language)! I actually cried the first time I saw a video recording of an old Jamaican maroon speaking Twi. I was shocked! One of my uncles once travelled to Suriname and could speak Twi with some of the Maroons he met there!

Other Akan "slaves" were taken to Haiti, and their martial culture helped facilitate the Haitian revolution, the most successful of the slave-rebellions, confidently defeating the Napoleonic armies! 

The Akan slaves were known as Coromantee (derived from the name of the Ghanaian slave fort of Kormantine in Koromanti), and garnered such a fierce reputation that attempts were made to pass legislation banning the import of Akan slaves:

"Edward Long, an anti-Coromantee writer, states:

Such a bill, if passed into law would have struck at very root of evil. No more Coromantins would have been brought to infest this country, but instead of their savage race, the island would have been supplied with Blacks of a more docile tractable disposition and better inclined to peace and agriculture."

Makes me a little proud, to know that our compatriots were not docile, but rather "savage" in their resistance to enslavement     

 

My hair, and where I'm from (some cultural shots from our traditional festivals, a royal funeral and Ashanti military traditions):

  Reveal hidden contents

Exploring the brush outside of town (Abotakyi/Mampong) with a friend... The Akuapem state was actually established here with the signing of the Abotakyi Accord of 1733 

 

I took the following pictures myself:

The late Omanhene of Akuapem (Akuapemhene), King of Akuapem, Nana Addo Dankwa III, 2013:

 

Others

 

 

Old and new

 

Pouring libation in the rain  

 

Funeral of the Akuapemhene (2016), at the traditional Akuapem capital, Akropong

 

 

Talking drum (they can actually talk with it!)

 

 

The Ashanti, a closely related but much larger tribe with very similar material culture had the most impressive military systems in West-Africa during the colonial wars. I recently came across a treasure throve of informations and depictions of Ashanti military traditions (pictures not taken by me). They were heavily reliant on musketry, mostly Dane Guns, but also some locally produced. These images are not reenactments, but part of a living culture (carrying original regalia). Most of these pics are from Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti:

 

Traditional sword bearers, carrying Akrafena (swords of the soul), each sword having it's own unique name. There are also swords of the spirits. Some of the swords were originally for battle, but with the large scale introduction of guns around the 17th century, they became more symbolic. They are used to swear oaths of allegiance, and are used as a sort of royal seal of legitimacy, carried by messengers of the Kings and chiefs. Oh, and even after the introduction of guns, sword bearers traditionally lined the back of musket formations, to cut down any coward who even thinks of running from battle, resulting in the mentality that it is better to go forward and die with honor, than backwards and die in shame.  

 

 

The Asantehene, King of Ashanti, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, the most powerful traditional ruler in Ghana!

 

Ghana wasn't known as the Gold Coast for nothing...

 

 

I like the series Vikings, but I do miss the beautiful Ragnar,he was so good looking heh An Aussie boke that reminds me of my hubby who is strong but also gentle with a nice smile. The series is very enjoyable,and I love the scenery being shot in Ireland. {love the emerald isle,and celtic culture}.

I wouldn't cut your hair, and you let it grow,and stick with nature {I don't even cut my trees} because there is a reason why something keeps growing. Your hair is the communication to the gods.

I try not to get split ends,and I dust my ends the minute I see a split,plus my haircare if down perfect heh I wash my hair only twice a week,and use "mane and tail" shampoo,and oil my hair at every washing. Also never sit on your hair to be cute,yes you are showing people you can but your hair is like lace and it will break. How many times I learned the hard way having to get more cut at my trims. I rarely wear my hair all down in public because #1 I am married,and don't need other men hitting on me #2 I fear someone will cut it #3 I hate tangles from the wind,and #4 Sucks driving with it down. I usually wear a braid,bun,two braids or some hairstyle decorated with norse accessories. Working on the farm with my tresses hanging,forget it lol 

Your dreads sound very nice,and you treasure them with love. Good job ! One that loves their hair I commend. Hair is not only hair it's what identifies us,and how we express ourselves.Always remember that.

I read your whole history and story,so interesting ! Ty ! I love to read about other's background. 

 

7 hours ago, Sundiata said:

 

 

7 hours ago, Sundiata said:

 

 

[Rolf Dew]

7 hours ago, Astrid said:

 

I am trying to inspire girls in Norway not to cut their hair I want to bring very long hair back in style. My grandma has hair to her knees,my mum has hair to her calves,my sister Viktoria has hair to her ankles,and my sister Silje has hair to her upper thighs {she thinks that is enough for long hair lol},and no we are not Christians or menonites lol My grandma started the long hair,and we are continuing the tradition. My grandma always thought very long hair was the only way a girl should wear her hair,and plus we are fjord folk so we love to go by old traditions. No I don't wear an ankle length dress or dress old fashioned heh I am a t shirts/jeans/leather girl lol A total fanatic of black metal music.

Perhaps your sister will grow her hair back one day. I always believed a girl will return to the long hairs after a big cut. Sounds like it was so beautiful. I been pressured a lot to cut my hair after people see my length {especially when I wear a braid},and they usually ask "why don't you donate your hair or you would be prettier with a modern haircut",and I just smile and reply back "why don't you grow your hair very long,you can be prettier". I am not shallow or judge people by looks but sometimes you have to put people in their places that are ignorant.

Yes I been told a lot I can be a Valkyrie {My avat is a Valkyrie} or yes a shield maiden or a saxon princess lol I am into fitness,hiking,martial arts and HEMA so I love to take care of myself,eat healthy and am always active,and gracing the forests,the mountains,the fjords and anywhere that is beautiful

 

Yeah maybe one day she will regrow it . Yes it was quite pretty, she loved it. She used to always get shocked looks or people asking her, "wow you have very long hair!" My sister was the only person I knew with hair way pass her knees, it is pretty uncommon in my family (and extended family) and even where I grew up. Once she grew it almost down to her ankles, but she was rather small then and my mum trimmed it a bit. She also wore her hair tied up in public mostly, especially since we used to cycle and swim a lot as kids.  My mum loved for my sister to grow long hair, but sadly my mum's hair could never grow very long, it grew very slowly (although my mum has such an interesting hair color, it has streaks of blond (kind of a golden color), red and brown hair! My sister has some red streaks too, my grandmother was a red head as a baby and red hair was pretty common in my mum's family). My hair grows very fast and thick like my sister's, so I have to have hair cuts pretty often lol. My sister has wavy hair, so it looked like a flowing mane when it was long.

Edited September 10, 2018 by Rolf Dew

[Astrid]

20 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

Yeah maybe one day she will regrow it . Yes it was quite pretty, she loved it. She used to always get shocked looks or people asking her, "wow you have very long hair!" My sister was the only person I knew with hair way pass her knees, it is pretty uncommon in my family (and extended family) and even where I grew up. Once she grew it almost down to her ankles, but she was rather small then and my mum trimmed it a bit. She also wore her hair tied up in public mostly, especially since we used to cycle and swim a lot as kids.  My mum loved for my sister to grow long hair, but sadly my mum's hair could never grow very long, it grew very slowly (although my mum has such an interesting hair color, it has streaks of blond (kind of a golden color), red and brown hair! My sister has some red streaks too, my grandmother was a red head as a baby and red hair was pretty common in my mum's family). My hair grows very fast and thick like my sister's, so I have to have hair cuts pretty often lol. My sister has wavy hair, so it looked like a flowing mane when it was long.

 

I hope she does grow her hair back because it sounds beautiful,especially the colour. I can imagine how shocked people are when they saw her hair in all it's full glory. I get so many looks from good to bad,and it's funny how many women want to touch my hair and guys want to brush it. I had a man ask to brush my hair for many krones lol He wanted me to come over to his flat and have my hair brushed by him lol He wasn't a creep or strange he was just fascinated by the beauty of my hair. After this incident I started to wear my hair up in public so I can hide it from strangers lol I get nothing done when I go to KIWI for food, and instead I am answering questions about my hair,and I put an end to the questions. 

2 years ago I had my hair dragging the floor by a bit but I had to trim it because no matter how interesting,and unique it was I still couldn't take stepping on it when I wore high boots or heels.I wanted my braid exactly to my lower ankles as the length I have it now so I grew my hair extra long so my braid can be so my much longer. I love a beautiful lengthy braid, and the longer the better. After tripping over it and almost spraining my ankle I had to take it off the floor lol Now my braid is to my upper ankles and that is good enough. I do love feeling like a goddess with my long long hair,and people treat me like one but than you have the trendy mums and women that think my hair is absurd lol Let them,I am the one getting the looks. Now that crime is getting bad in Bergen or especially Oslo I am scared someone might cut my hair to sell. I am trying to prevent that. Even though I live on the fjord,and way in the country I don't want to risk. You can get a lot of money for hair,especially my length. No way ! No thanks

Yes men look better with short hair,and I love an undercut or shaved head with a beard on a man,especially with /muscles tattoos.I never really liked the pretty boy look,more the rugged nature man/Viking type lol 

[Rolf Dew]

5 hours ago, Astrid said:

 

I hope she does grow her hair back because it sounds beautiful,especially the colour. I can imagine how shocked people are when they saw her hair in all it's full glory. I get so many looks from good to bad,and it's funny how many women want to touch my hair and guys want to brush it. I had a man ask to brush my hair for many krones lol He wanted me to come over to his flat and have my hair brushed by him lol He wasn't a creep or strange he was just fascinated by the beauty of my hair. After this incident I started to wear my hair up in public so I can hide it from strangers lol I get nothing done when I go to KIWI for food, and instead I am answering questions about my hair,and I put an end to the questions. 

2 years ago I had my hair dragging the floor by a bit but I had to trim it because no matter how interesting,and unique it was I still couldn't take stepping on it when I wore high boots or heels.I wanted my braid exactly to my lower ankles as the length I have it now so I grew my hair extra long so my braid can be so my much longer. I love a beautiful lengthy braid, and the longer the better. After tripping over it and almost spraining my ankle I had to take it off the floor lol Now my braid is to my upper ankles and that is good enough. I do love feeling like a goddess with my long long hair,and people treat me like one but than you have the trendy mums and women that think my hair is absurd lol Let them,I am the one getting the looks. Now that crime is getting bad in Bergen or especially Oslo I am scared someone might cut my hair to sell. I am trying to prevent that. Even though I live on the fjord,and way in the country I don't want to risk. You can get a lot of money for hair,especially my length. No way ! No thanks

Yes men look better with short hair,and I love an undercut or shaved head with a beard on a man,especially with /muscles tattoos.I never really liked the pretty boy look,more the rugged nature man/Viking type lol 

It's sad to hear about the increase in crime, yeah it is better to be safe than sorry. It sounds like your hair looks great! Haha so you like a real manly man, I can imagine what your husband looks like now. Unfortunately, some people don't know when to mind their own bussiness. It must draw a lot of attention when you and your mother and sisters go somewhere together. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by Rolf Dew

[Sundiata]

On 9/9/2018 at 9:00 PM, Rolf Dew said:

Nice hair, isn't it heavy? 

Thanks, and nope, I never had issues with weight... It's a lot heavier in water, so I'll never be an olympic swimmer, but even that never held me back from recreational swimming (still a faster swimmer than most ). That said, I've known people who suffered from heavy locks and ended up cutting them because of it... It depends on your type of hair, I guess. 

 

On 9/9/2018 at 9:00 PM, Rolf Dew said:

@Sundiata those pictures are very interesting, seems like they were very good fighters from what you told me. The musket traditions are very interesting too, the black people in South Africa rarely used muskets in combat, so it very interesting too see.

Uhu... The 5 Anglo-Ashanti Wars are of a different caliber... Ashantis regularly fielded armies of more than 10.000 fighters, mostly equipped with muskets. The British really struggled tremendously... Even the comparatively small Akuapem state was able to retain it's independence from the Ashanti, and during the Ga-Fanti War, even captured a British and a Dutch fortress, as well as Accra itself (the modern capital of Ghana). Those Akuapem dreams of grandeur only lasted a few years, but hey, it's something right? 

In North, West and East Africa the use of guns wasn't uncommon from the 18th century onwards. Other military mights of the West African region primarily included the Oyo Empire and the Kingdom of Benin, from Nigeria and the Kingdom of Dahomey (Togo). There were many others, but most crumbled from the inside out, due to European political and economic manoeuvring even before the final military push. The Ashanti were the most "intact" state to enter into all out war with European powers. In other places of Africa, the Mahdist armies of Sudan, the Dervish armies of Somalia, the Abyssinian armies of Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Kongo (Congo/Angola) were particularly virulent in their resistance to European colonization. 

Most people have heard of the Zulu, and the famous battle of Isandlwana, popularized by the movie Zulu Dawn, but know next to nothing of the other parts of Africa. Cetshwayo definitely gave the British a run for their money, so respects due, but they were small fish compared to the more potent powers of West and East Africa. The Zulu have become one of the archetypes of the "noble savage", and have been "used" to overshadow the much more impressive histories of the continent. Times are changing, but I'm still waiting for a movie featuring the Battle of Nsamankow, or the Battle of Katamanso, or the the Battle of Adwa, the battles for Kongo, the fall of Benin, the exploits of Samori Toure, the fall of Khartoum (it's been done, but bleh), etc, etc..

Anyway, some more traditional Akan warriors and stuff (maybe we can do a colonial wars mod one day, when guns are implemented):

Spoiler

Denkyira warrior (former overlords of Ashanti), 17th century

(Wikipedia claims that the Ashanti invented the Akrafena (sword), but this painting by Albert Eckhout from 1641, painted before the Ashanti state was even established, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is hogwash...) 

 

 

A previous King of Akuapem:

 

Battle of Katamanso, 1826. Those hills in the background are my home . Ashanti expansion into the coast was stopped here by a local coalition of tribes including Akuepem, Akyim and Ga-Adangbe, with help from the British (alliances switched quickly in those days), who employed rockets for the first time in Africa. My auntie owns a British sabre that was found by some farmers on the old battleground! 

 

 

Guns for gold:

 

Here you can clearly see that guns weren't the main issue for Ashanti, but the introduction of the Maxim gun, in particular, combined with the British use of African levies from their Nigerian colony, heavily outnumbering the actual British forces. 

 

Traditional Akan priests. The golden pectoral disk is known as the Akrafokonmu, or soul washers disc:

 

Denkyira chief wearing the batakari, a battle dress with magical pendants (supposedly bulletproof, although I wouldn't try it...). This would be worn by generals. 

 

 

The Asantehene, king of Ashanti, seated next the Golden Stool, the literal soul of tha Ashanti nation, called down from the sky by Okomfo Anokye (originally from Akuapem ) at Kumasi, with the founding of the Ashanti state.

 

Michael 

 

Muhammad Ali with the Asantehene:

 

Just to clarify, this is all traditional stuff, and Ghana's armed forces today look a little different:

 

 

 

Traditional Akan architecture is also quite interesting and unique. It's essentially extinct today, and a only a handful of traditional temples remain  

Spoiler

Akan temple:

 

Ancient Kumasi before the British:

 

The British smashing everything in sight:

 

Ancient Kumasi after the British...

 

The Aban, or the stone palace in Kumasi. You'd be forgiving for thinking Europeans built it, but it was actually built by Fante masons, accustomed to building European structures on the coast:

 

 

 

 

On 9/9/2018 at 11:38 PM, Astrid said:

Your hair is the communication to the gods.

Lol, indeed, my spiritual antennae  

 

15 hours ago, Astrid said:

I get so many looks from good to bad,and it's funny how many women want to touch my hair and guys want to brush it. I had a man ask to brush my hair for many krones lol He wanted me to come over to his flat and have my hair brushed by him lol He wasn't a creep or strange he was just fascinated by the beauty of my hair. After this incident I started to wear my hair up in public so I can hide it from strangers lol I get nothing done when I go to KIWI for food, and instead I am answering questions about my hair,and I put an end to the questions. 

People are so weird... I've had people grab my hair, and even grabbing my beard?! What the H e l l right? Takes some serious self control on my part not to escalate the situation, but I've had to tell people off quite forcefully... Some people think it's public property or something... I used to wear a turban sometimes, but I'm too lazy to wrap my hair everyday... And then I get even more stares... The hair is definitely not for show, so it stresses me out when people can't focus on anything but your hair, so I prefer to cover it.

 

Turbans for the win!

Spoiler

I lost my other cap though  

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by Sundiata

[Astrid]

10 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

It's sad to hear about the increase in crime, yeah it is better to be safe than sorry. It sounds like your hair looks great! Haha so you like a real manly man, I can imagine what your husband looks like now. Unfortunately, some people don't know when to mind their own bussiness. It must draw a lot of attention when you and your mother and sisters go somewhere together. 

Yes it does suck how crime rose over the past 5 years,and what my little Norway is turning into. When I was a little girl I would go to Oslo with my grandfather to get icecream,and walk around to see the beautiful history of Norway.You can't even walk around Oslo at night because there are so many evil people that are angry,bitter and on drugs.

Bergen where I live is not so bad,well at least for now it is safe,and I hope it remains this way. The only crime in Bergen is how much it rains heh Imagine having super long hair and you get it wet after you brushed it or fixed it a certain way ? How much risk of tangles after the rain hits it ? If you have long long long hair do not live in Bergen lol This is another reason I cover my hair lol My hair is all the same length from top to ends so when it gets wet I better get on the combing asap. 

That's funny you mentioned me and my family walking around with our long hair shocking people,yes we do a lot lol My mum is so cute,and she looks in her 20s for an early 50s girl so when we are all together people think she is my friend or sister lol My mum even loves metal music, and she is the cool mum that loves to have fun,dresses sexy still,and your friends enjoy her. She even went to a "Taake"{Black metal artist from Bergen} show with me and my friends heh No age is a limit on what she can do or can't. So back to the hair story lol Me,my two sisters,and mum were visiting Germany,and we all had our hair down,and people were so coming up to us and asks to touch it,and they wanted to take selfies with us all because of how long our hair is lol Yes they were touching our hair also lol Plus they were shocked and loved how we were all Scandinavians with accents,especially the men lol I learned the men from Italy/Greece and Southern Europe go crazy over long hair. Perhaps because they are romantics and more assertive than Northern European men,and yes Scandinavian men are more shy than romance language men. 

My husband is tattooed,handsome and all muscle {he is a martial artist in MMA,Akido,Jujitsu} but he is gentle,happy,generous,and he treats me like a princess where I treat him like strong man he is. I appreciate him protecting me,and I enjoy the fact he is the strong one,and I am the soft/feminine girl. Here in Norway too many women do not appreciate a strong man because they feel they want to be independent. I go by tradition,and I want my man to protect me,and look at me as the princess,and him the knight. Yes my husband will protect me,and he also guards my hair when we go out lol He is a sweet heart,and he will do anything for me as I will do anything for him. He is also a long hair lover lol We met in Sweden when we were both on holidays,and he fell in love with me,and my hair the first day,and told me we had to get married jokingly. 2 months passes,and he moves here,and marries me lol Love at first sight. What I love about him the most is he plays OAD and MMOS, and when he stops we will be divorced This is all he is good for

 

[Astrid]

11 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

It's sad to hear about the increase in crime, yeah it is better to be safe than sorry. It sounds like your hair looks great! Haha so you like a real manly man, I can imagine what your husband looks like now. Unfortunately, some people don't know when to mind their own bussiness. It must draw a lot of attention when you and your mother and sisters go somewhere together. 

My hair is a golden colour but in the summer it gets this lemon colour,,and gets very light blonde. When I was a little girl I had white hair as most Northern European children do lol I wish I can have that colour back. My hair is poker straight and thick,and the texture is very silky so it is very shiny. I usually part my hair in the middle but lately I have it to the side because it's better to switch parts every so often to keep it healthy and thick but eventually I will go back to the center part than switch again. As in nice ? heh I keep it trimmed right at the top of my feet,and when there is a split I trim it to prevent getting worse which no one even notices I have splits. I mostly comb my hair over brushing because combing is healthier and less strain to cause breakage. I am cautious with where I put my hair when I sit down or what my hair is around to prevent accidents or breakage. When I go to bed I wear a braid to prevent tangles {also you get a free wave of braid waves so you can have nice wavy hair temporarily},and I put it in the front of my body so I don't pull on it when I roll over lol 

When we go to Norwegian pride events my long hair looks amazing in my bunad lol As I mentioned I am the girl with the longest hair. I look more traditional than most the girls. Life is great !

[Rolf Dew]

@Sundiata

Yeah the Zulus get too much attention compared to the real african empires in Africa's past . Yeah people can get kind of stupid when it comes to seeing people that are different from them. Thanks for the pictures, it is really interesting!

[Rolf Dew]

57 minutes ago, Astrid said:

My hair is a golden colour but in the summer it gets this lemon colour,,and gets very light blonde. When I was a little girl I had white hair as most Northern European children do lol I wish I can have that colour back. My hair is poker straight and thick,and the texture is very silky so it is very shiny. I usually part my hair in the middle but lately I have it to the side because it's better to switch parts every so often to keep it healthy and thick but eventually I will go back to the center part than switch again. As in nice ? heh I keep it trimmed right at the top of my feet,and when there is a split I trim it to prevent getting worse which no one even notices I have splits. I mostly comb my hair over brushing because combing is healthier and less strain to cause breakage. I am cautious with where I put my hair when I sit down or what my hair is around to prevent accidents or breakage. When I go to bed I wear a braid to prevent tangles {also you get a free wave of braid waves so you can have nice wavy hair temporarily},and I put it in the front of my body so I don't pull on it when I roll over lol 

When we go to Norwegian pride events my long hair looks amazing in my bunad lol As I mentioned I am the girl with the longest hair. I look more traditional than most the girls. Life is great !

It is really sweet to hear that you and your husband still have a normal married couple relationship, I have heard that feminism  is pushed to the extreme in most of the Scandanavian countries. I can imagine that getting your hair wet can be a big problem, my sister when she was younger, used to fall asleep when my mum blow dried her hair, because it took forever to get dry . Your mum sounds like a great person, it's nice that you and your husband have such a great relationship and similiar hobbies! Do you guys speak English and Norsk at home?

[Sundiata]

3 hours ago, Astrid said:

Yes it does suck how crime rose over the past 5 years,and what my little Norway is turning into. When I was a little girl I would go to Oslo with my grandfather to get icecream,and walk around to see the beautiful history of Norway.You can't even walk around Oslo at night because there are so many evil people that are angry,bitter and on drugs.

It's all over the world, it seems. Last year I was back in Belgium (Antwerp) for 5 months, working in a grocery store, and I got held up at gunpoint! A second guy was threatening a little 50+ year old lady co-worker with a knife... They were some nervous little idiots so nobody complied and then some drunks from a nearby cafe who had seen it all happen from a distance rushed them. They got away, but without any cash... Of course the shop lost several thousand Euro in revenue while it was closed... Idiots... It was the 11th armed robbery in 9 years or so... Antwerp seems to be turning into a little ghetto... In Ghana too, crime is on the rise. They just broke into my neighbours' home a few days ago... Hunger will jump any wall... As a species, we, the human race have been grossly mismanaging this planet and its resources for too long, and we're slowly but surely paying the price. We have money for war, but no money to feed the poor. Let alone create a world where everyone can lead a meaningful life. Supposedly our living standards have never been higher, but desperation is rising in every corner of the globe. Wonder where it will all go. I guess I'll just be playin 0AD as the world slowly burns  

 

2 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

Yeah the Zulus get too much attention compared to the real african empires in Africa's past . Yeah people can get kind of stupid when it comes to seeing people that are different from them. Thanks for the pictures, it is really interesting!

One of the reasons that I like the Wildfire games community so much. People are just dedicated to creating the best game they can make. Where you're from, what god you pray to (or not), what you look like, what your political views are, are all irrelevant. People don't seem to care (not that there isn't room to explore each others worlds, obviously). Which is beautiful in its own way. I don't even know for sure who's male or female... Doesn't matter. What you can offer to improve the game is what matters. People here also have a genuine interest in history, which is really nice! A healthy level of critical thinking and good manners are also pleasant. There's almost no profanity here either, which is a welcome relief on the internet. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by Sundiata

[Astrid]

1 hour ago, Rolf Dew said:

It is really sweet to hear that you and your husband still have a normal married couple relationship, I have heard that feminism  is pushed to the extreme in most of the Scandanavian countries. I can imagine that getting your hair wet can be a big problem, my sister when she was younger, used to fall asleep when my mum blow dried her hair, because it took forever to get dry . Your mum sounds like a great person, it's nice that you and your husband have such a great relationship and similiar hobbies! Do you guys speak English and Norsk at home?

My husband is my dream man compare to what I used to date lol What I am getting at is Norwegian men are so freaked out by feminism that they think they need to serve us girls especially if we are pretty {no looks are not everything but still my point is they treat us like we are above them but we are not},and they are intimidated if we are blonde with a beautiful fit body. They think we are going to cheat on them also which is sad. I am not standing in a mall {I hardly go to malls,the shop of materialism} with a starbucks { overpriced rubbish} in my hand looking a man up and man and guessing what is in his wallet,what car he drives or if he has a flat stomach. They think that way of most girls here, and it's a privilege in their minds to get to date us. The minute my husband seen me,and met me he just asked if I wanted to hangout lol How hard was that ? Aussie men are so assertive it turns me on lol Just say what you feel and stop worrying about what the lesser {feminists} puts in your heads because most girls don't think this way. Most girls are traditional,want to treat a man with respect,and live life happy. What women don't understand is most women/girls want a man to be stronger than them than us being the strength. The reason why marriages don't last { divorce is so common in Scandinavia} is because men and women are not going by their gender,they are reversing their roles. A girl like me loves to be soft,smell nice,and be coddled as the man should be strong, smell nice lol,and let us coddle him. Feminism is so stupid,and it doesn't belong in Scandinavia or anywhere. 

That is so cute your little sister falling asleep while having her tresses blow dried heh Yes long long hair takes forever to dry but one thing that changed my long hair life is the aquis towel. It sucks most the water out and your hair drys just wearing it so I use that after I wash my hair,and it takes less to air dry. The fact I work on a farm I usually wash my hair in the afternoon when I get off working because if I wash my hair before I go to work I will get a cold heh I see these women that wash their hair in the morning,and why ? You can still look nice and have fixed hair if you wash it the night before. Why must you wash your hair everyday or morning ? I wash my hair twice a week,and washing your hair takes away the natural oils. Not good 

My mum is so amazing,and I love her so much plus as I said she is a lot of fun lol My mum is named Astrid also and she looks a lot like me. My father always loved her long long hair as he loves his daughters with long long hair. My brother is the only one of the siblings with shourt hair lol My brother doesn't even notice we have such long hair as he is used to it lol His mates are always like when you lived at home what was it like seeing all that pretty hair lol A few times my brother would touch my braid playing or swing it if we were hanging out but he isn't so amazed at it,and if he is. Nonchalant reply lol I do love my brother so much, as he is into black metal also,and we always share new bands or music.

Well I can speak better Norskk than English but a good way to describe me speaking English is me sounding naïve and cute lol but when I speak my Bergensk I sound valiant lol I been trying to speak like an aussie lol I been having a habit of saying nevah evah ! My husband can speak norskk because his family is Norwegian so we speak norskk together a lot. It depends on who we are with or the area. 

[Astrid]

7 hours ago, Sundiata said:

It's all over the world, it seems. Last year I was back in Belgium (Antwerp) for 5 months, working in a grocery store, and I got held up at gunpoint! A second guy was threatening a little 50+ year old lady co-worker with a knife... They were some nervous little idiots so nobody complied and then some drunks from a nearby cafe who had seen it all happen from a distance rushed them. They got away, but without any cash... Of course the shop lost several thousand Euro in revenue while it was closed... Idiots... It was the 11th armed robbery in 9 years or so... Antwerp seems to be turning into a little ghetto... In Ghana too, crime is on the rise. They just broke into my neighbours' home a few days ago... Hunger will jump any wall... As a species, we, the human race have been grossly mismanaging this planet and its resources for too long, and we're slowly but surely paying the price. We have money for war, but no money to feed the poor. Let alone create a world where everyone can lead a meaningful life. Supposedly our living standards have never been higher, but desperation is rising in every corner of the globe. Wonder where it will all go. I guess I'll just be playin 0AD as the world slowly burns  

 

One of the reasons that I like the Wildfire games community so much. People are just dedicated to creating the best game they can make. Where you're from, what god you pray to (or not), what you look like, what your political views are, are all irrelevant. People don't seem to care (not that there isn't room to explore each others worlds, obviously). Which is beautiful in its own way. I don't even know for sure who's male or female... Doesn't matter. What you can offer to improve the game is what matters. People here also have a genuine interest in history, which is really nice! A healthy level of critical thinking and good manners are also pleasant. There's almost no profanity here either, which is a welcome relief on the internet. 

Yes has crime increased so much in Europe and yes Belgium now is very scary,especially brussels. The devs at Wildfire are wonderful,and they listen to a lot of ideas. Yes the community is nice,and fun to talk history to

Edited September 12, 2018 by Astrid
goofed

[macemen]

Wow this topic drifted way to the side. Nice to see there are people from all around the globe here and also that there are ladies playing 0 A.D. as well. Been trying to get my wife interested in 0 A.D. but to no avail so far.

[Rolf Dew]

@Sundiata Yeah it is really turning into a mess all over the world, it seems like violence in increasing everywhere, which is really sad. Indeed the Wildfire community is amazing, filled with wonderful and interesting people.

Crime is pretty bad in South Africa depending on where you live.

It seems living on a farm is dangerous nowadays too, we've had a fair share of crime too. 

Although murder and rape is extremely common in some parts of the country, especially in the poorer areas and the suburbs. Which is real sad.

We even have land invasions, some guys come and squat on farms or other properties and build townships there. 

Rural areas are a bit more peaceful though. 

In South Africa there is too much politics and it affects the country very badly.

Edited September 12, 2018 by Rolf Dew

[Rolf Dew]

@Astrid yeah sadly a lot of guys have no idea when it comes to treating a girl equally and worshipping them lol. Guys and girls will always be different and have gender roles, but equality can be achieved without switching roles completely. Being equal doesn't mean one has to hate everything about their gender lol. Yeah that is true, I also never really noticed my sister's hair that much growing up. Haha I know what you mean about the accents, the aussie accent is great! The South African english accent is like a posher sounding version of the Australian accent really. Other accents in South Africa are quite different . Nice, so he is a Norwegian Australian! 

It is nice to hear that most Norwegian girls are still traditional .

Edited September 12, 2018 by Rolf Dew

[Rolf Dew]

1 hour ago, macemen said:

Wow this topic drifted way to the side. Nice to see there are people from all around the globe here and also that there are ladies playing 0 A.D. as well. Been trying to get my wife interested in 0 A.D. but to no avail so far.

Haha true this topic has really drifted! Exactly, sad to hear about your wife, maybe one day lol.

[Astrid]

15 hours ago, macemen said:

Wow this topic drifted way to the side. Nice to see there are people from all around the globe here and also that there are ladies playing 0 A.D. as well. Been trying to get my wife interested in 0 A.D. but to no avail so far.

That is so true lol This topic went from haircare to crime in Europe. Yes it is great to see other cultures playing and I always loved to learn about other's cultures. You need to get your wife into O.A.D. because I will tell you this,it is so romantic playing a game with your love. I mean how much better can it than a wonderful game being free at the moment,and playing a game with pretty graphics,and a game you can choose how you want to play. If you want to have archers hide in the woods shooting arrows while your spearmen/sword are on the frontlines while your cavalry are getting ready to flank from the side you can play like that. I love it ! There are endless tactics you can play on OAD because the mechanics give us the freedom to roam. If your wife loves RTS or gaming she will love O.A.D.

[Astrid]

13 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

@Sundiata Yeah it is really turning into a mess all over the world, it seems like violence in increasing everywhere, which is really sad. Indeed the Wildfire community is amazing, filled with wonderful and interesting people.

Crime is pretty bad in South Africa depending on where you live.

It seems living on a farm is dangerous nowadays too, we've had a fair share of crime too. 

Although murder and rape is extremely common in some parts of the country, especially in the poorer areas and the suburbs. Which is real sad.

We even have land invasions, some guys come and squat on farms or other properties and build townships there. 

Rural areas are a bit more peaceful though. 

In South Africa there is too much politics and it affects the country very badly.

Yes I heard about what is going on with the Boers in South Africa,especially Orania,and it makes me sad. I wish the best for them,and I include them in my prayers everyday to the gods. {my faith is odinism} People need to just get along,and understand we are the same humans. Have fun,and live life happy because life is too shourt. Smile

Also you stay safe,and I think it will get better.

[Astrid]

13 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

@Astrid yeah sadly a lot of guys have no idea when it comes to treating a girl equally and worshipping them lol. Guys and girls will always be different and have gender roles, but equality can be achieved without switching roles completely. Being equal doesn't mean one has to hate everything about their gender lol. Yeah that is true, I also never really noticed my sister's hair that much growing up. Haha I know what you mean about the accents, the aussie accent is great! The South African english accent is like a posher sounding version of the Australian accent really. Other accents in South Africa are quite different . Nice, so he is a Norwegian Australian! 

It is nice to hear that most Norwegian girls are still traditional .

Yes my hubby's parents are Norwegians from Rogaland and moved to Australia {From what I heard they got sick of the cold and it depressed them},and now reside in Victoria. So my hubby just decided to come back to his parent's homeland. I think my favourite accent on a man that is very sexy is N.I.,and  there something about a man from Ulster or Belfast when he speaks lol {don't tell my hubby lol} Yes the south Africa accent on a man is so hot lol I remember Leo in Blood Diamond with that accent,and him being cute really made him even cuter lol I I love any UK accent,especially the cockney accent lol It's so tough and manly.

I  never was bothered by the cold weather here except the rain Now the rain

[Loki1950]

Nice to see another neo-pagan one of my friends wears a Thor Hammer being third generation pagan himself reads Old Norse so he can feel the sagas poetry more deeply I am more of a Taoist myself as my avatar image shows

Enjoy the Choice  

[Astrid]

Just now, Loki1950 said:

Nice to see another neo-pagan one of my friends wears a Thor Hammer being third generation pagan himself reads Old Norse so he can feel the sagas poetry more deeply I am more of a Taoist myself as my avatar image shows

Enjoy the Choice  

TY Yes some Norwegians went back to our pagan roots,and converting from a Lutheran {which I never even acknowledged lol never went to church} to a pagan changed my life for the better. I see the world in a whole different perspective,and paganism really is great to be part of especially in this terrible world we live in now. Yes I wear a Mjolnir {very small feminine style} necklace,have a tattoo,and have hair accessories of the hammer. Yes I read all the sagas, and especially Edda. 

Here in Bergen we have Viking events where we participate in reenacting the age. It is so fun !  Me and my hubby  have a circle of pagan friends that meet with us in the forest and we read runes,books,and we discuss our beautiful faith. I always believed there are two worlds. 

[Rolf Dew]

19 minutes ago, Astrid said:

Yes I heard about what is going on with the Boers in South Africa,especially Orania,and it makes me sad. I wish the best for them,and I include them in my prayers everyday to the gods. {my faith is odinism} People need to just get along,and understand we are the same humans. Have fun,and live life happy because life is too shourt. Smile

Also you stay safe,and I think it will get better.

Yes it is really sad, you are right, we all need to get along! Thanks for the kind wishes I really appreciate them!

[Astrid]

14 hours ago, Rolf Dew said:

@Astrid yeah sadly a lot of guys have no idea when it comes to treating a girl equally and worshipping them lol. Guys and girls will always be different and have gender roles, but equality can be achieved without switching roles completely. Being equal doesn't mean one has to hate everything about their gender lol. Yeah that is true, I also never really noticed my sister's hair that much growing up. Haha I know what you mean about the accents, the aussie accent is great! The South African english accent is like a posher sounding version of the Australian accent really. Other accents in South Africa are quite different . Nice, so he is a Norwegian Australian! 

It is nice to hear that most Norwegian girls are still traditional .

Also I forgot to add because I talk so much lol Topics are so interesting aren't they ? About Norwegian girls, well you have your arrogant/mall loving/hair extension/bad makeup wearing snobs that only care about man for his money,or if he is a professional football player and you have your nature loving,happy girls that love a man for his character/strength. Women in Oslo are more snobby than a girl in Bergen lol