NationStates Jolt Archive

(OOC: This first part is basically the same as my lat one but I just think my last one was a bit messy and wanted to tidy it up a bit, and also I had an idea of what could make my factbook a little more unique
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The Republic of Fictions

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Untitled-1-1.png?t=1244306768

Background:
All people could remember of the peaceful times were stories... And eventually even they were forgotten
~Unknown

For many years Fictions ran itself as several small self-governing city-states and nomadic tribes up until the 1820s where there was a civil war which ended in the country being united by Taariq Rahman under a dictatorship regime that held the country for nearly 200 years. Despite this the country was a very peaceful if backwards nation up until Rahman's death in 1855.
During the years that followed the death of Taariq Rahman, urbanisation projects were undertaken and the tribes were entirely wiped out, this was to mark the beginning of the end of Fictions' peaceful ways.
Fictions had been isolated for much of it's history keeping itself to itself, until the 1940s where it broke it's isolation and, although it did not take much interest in global affairs, it's economy enjoyed a tremendous boost the new trading opportunities brought, this rise in the economy led to a technological and industrial boom which lead to huge growth and modernisation, Fictions even to this day is a technologically advanced nation. In 2008 there was a civil War started by former Minister of Education Aaron Gracia, the revolution was stopped however and what happened to Gracia is unknown. Before the war ended or the country had time to recover, Fictions entered a Global war because of it's membership to the IFA, Following a nuclear strike, Fictions surrendered and after a brief period of occupation by The Northern Baltic, Anagonia and Whiskeasy, Fictions' Government signed a Treaty (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14464267&postcount=269/) that would essentially turn it into a democracy, however this treaty was declared invalid when Fictions agreed to become a protectorate of Anagonia. After an armed uprising by the poor the country was turned into a democracy, however the amount of time it would take the country to get used to democracy was miscalculated and the actual election was badly thought out and chaotic.

List of country leaders
(How long they ruled and any notable information)

General Taariq Rahman- (1823-1855) United the country and established the dictatorship.
Lord Isaac Handal- (1855-1861) Created the law stating that execution would face anyone who criticised the government. Established A.M.A.P.P.M.I. (Then known as PeopleWatch) as a way of making sure no-one stepped out of line.
Zain Amari- (1861-1874) Started the NewChristian Church
Lord Raed Qureshi- (1874-1899) Banned every religion except NewChristianty. This lead to the 'removal' of all non-NewChristians
General Jaser Kattan- (1874-1905)
Hasad Basara- (1905-1930)
Zamir Mamta- (1930-1943) Broke Fictions out of isolation but never really had anything to do with other countries
Dalit Tilak- (1943-1951) Changed PeopleWatch's purpose to include propaganda distribution and media monitoring/censoring, in short, Turned PeopleWatch into A.M.A.P.P.M.I.
Ajay Zahin- (1951-1973)
Nalin Raza and Yamir Pal- (1973-1975) First and only time there were two rulers at once
Nalin Raza- (1975-1983) Assassinated Pal and continued to rule the country without him
David Koduri- (1983-1999) Streamlined A.M.A.P.P.M.I. and gave it extra funding and rights Thought up and made a start of the RedWord system
General Bryce Drabek- (1999-2009) Entered a global war before a civil war was over and was killed in a nuclear bombing
Nita Ellison- (2009-late 09) First Female leader
Transition government, no actual leader- (Late '09-2011) the transitional stage between the dictatorship and the democracy
President Owen Chana- (2011-Present) The first democratically elected leader. Ever. Head of the Conservative Party

Geography:

District Map Of Country:
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Models/Picture5.png?t=1234614546

Region: Tyrrhenia Location (http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/264/medmapx.png)

Climate:
Fictions generally experiences high temperatures all year around, as will be shown below:

Average High Temperatures:
January: 26 °C
February: 28 °C
March: 28 °C
April: 30 °C
May: 35 °C
June: 36 °C
July: 40 °C
August: 40 °C
September: 37 °C
October: 34 °C
November: 27 °C
December: 26 °C

Average Low Temperatures:
January: 20 °C
February: 23 °C
March: 23 °C
April: 26 °C
May: 29 °C
June: 30 °C
July: 35 °C
August: 34 °C
September: 31 °C
October: 28 °C
November: 22 °C
December: 20 °C

Summer can be ferociously hot in the cities with daytime temperatures coming close to 50 °C in the hotter seasons.

Terrain:
flat, coastal plain with mild greenland merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland.
The soil of the Fictions is almost entirely sandy, limiting the plants that can grow. Palm, acacia, and tamarisk trees grow naturally in the oasis's and along the coast, and hardy shrubs and grasses survive in the desert. Irrigation around the major oasis's and cities supports the growth of eucalyptus trees, decorative plants such as bougainvillaea, and also fruits and vegetables.

Natural Resources:
Crude Oil, Uranium, Natural Gas, Coal, Copper, Chromite, Talc, Barite, Sulfur, Lead, Zinc, Iron Ore, salt, Precious and Semiprecious stones, Manganese, Gold

Environmental Issues:

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues: Air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide, lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants, Periodic Droughts, Radiation Contamination in the Espias Peninsula especially the exclusion zone.

Economy:

Currency: The Ankh (Ak)
-Banknotes (http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Untitled-1.png?t=1243072222)

Fiscal Year: October 1st - September 30th

Income Tax Rate: 20%

Budget Details: (15/5/09)

Administration: 1,145,318,505,840.00 Ak (5%)
Social Welfare: 0.00 Ak (0%)
Healthcare: 2,061,573,310,512.00 Ak (9%)
Education: 1,374,382,207,008.00 Ak (6%)
Religion & Spirituality: 458,127,402,336.00 Ak (2%)
Defence: 6,871,911,035,040.00 AK (30%)
Law & Order: 9,620,675,449,056.00 Ak (42%)
Commerce: 1,145,318,505,840.00 Ak (5%)
Public Transport: 687,191,103,504.00 Ak (3%)
The Environment: 0.00 Ak (0%)
Social Equality: 0.00 Ak (0%)

Economic Details: (15/5/09)

Exchange Rate: 1 Ak = $1.2063
Gross Domestic Product: 22,964,825,505,919.49 Ak
GDP Per Capita: 19,594.56 Ak
Unemployment Rate: 4.32%
Consumption: 0.00 Ak
Government Budget: 25,451,522,352,000.00 Ak
Government Expenditures: 22,906,370,116,800.00 Ak
Government Waste: 2,545,152,235,200.00 Ak
Exports: 3,072,451,457,119.49 Ak
Imports: 3,013,996,068,000.00 Ak
Trade Surplus: 58,455,389,119.49 Ak

All Budget details taken from Thirdgeek

Exports:
Textiles, Weapons, Technologies, Manufactured Goods, Narcotics (Especially Opium*) Crude Oil, Uranium, Natural Gas, Various Raw Materials

Imports:
Weapons, Technologies, Various Raw Materials, Food (Staple and luxury), Textiles, Manufactured Goods

*The government will not admit to this.

Military:
The Fictions Military (Youtube) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnMU-YcxIcM)

While in Fictions it is compulsory for a citizen to serve at least two years in the armed forces, the Fictions army is concentrated more on Defence, and acts mainly within Fictions' borders.

Fictions and Nuclear Weapons
With help from countries such as Anagonia and The Grand World Order, Fictions has started a nuclear program and is well on the way to becoming a nation with nuclear capabilities. They would however like to stress that this has nothing to do with the attack on C.Espias and revenge is not on the agenda. However they maintain a strong "anti-Nuclear" policy as a front to hide the fact.

Branches:
Military:
Fictions Army (FA)
Fictions Navy (FN)
Fictions Air Force (FAF)
Marines

Special and Miscellaneous

National Surveillance Agency (NSA):
Is in charge of espionage and surveillance within the borders of Fictions. A small branch of this known as ISA covers international espionage.
The NSA and ISA are actually an offshoot of A.M.A.P.P.M.I

Police:
Though not part of the military, it should be mentioned as all police are paramilitary.
Uniform (http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Picture23.png?t=1240574736)

Riot Police:
Specially trained in dealing with anything from protests to riots. They are permitted and often required to use deadly force.

Secret Police:
What secret Police?

The Guard:
Official government guards, they are the best in the country and incredibly loyal.

Vigilantes/Citizens Militia:
The vigilantes are fanatic ultra-militant citizens only make themselves known in times of national distress, but when they do they prove to be of great use to the government. It has been reported that being caught by the vigilantes your fate is worse than if you are caught by government forces. They also are the de-facto police force of the shanties.

Government Structure and Political Structure:

Name (Long from): The Republic of Fictions
Name (Short Form/Common Reference): Fictions

Flag:
http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/fictions__0.jpg

Coat of Arms:
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Picture1-1.png?t=1243083484

Government Type: Conservative Democracy

WA Description Category: Right-Wing Utopia

WA Member: No, used to be but not any more.

Country Motto: Believe, Obey, Fight.

President: Owen Chana
Aide-de-Camp: Sal Castillo
Prime Minister: Markus Rosario
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Keisha Rojas
Minister Of Defence: Kristofer Cabrera


Alliances:
-Member of the Imperial Fascist Alliance (IFA) (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=557609) [I](Military)
-Member of the Anagonian Confederacy (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=582470) (Protectorateship)
-Member of The Association (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=588027) (Economic)

Capital City: Capital Aquaria (Sometimes Spelled CA Aquaria)
Fictin Name: Aqaria

CA Aquaria is the largest city in Fictions and also it's capital. This is where the main government buildings are located and also where the Embassies (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=14119732#post14119732/) of other countries are. CA Aquaria is also home of The Government building, The ministries office and Fictions largest airport, the CA Aquaria International.
CA Aquaria is Twinned With Valbourne (Terraficial Blanc South) and Selené (Beusuandille)

Major Cities:
City Ibea (Abea) - A city by the sea, has the largest and busiest port in the country. C.Ibea is partnered with Ostport (TBN)
City Utand (Qatand)
City Majovul (Majewal) - The only successful attempt at making a city in the desert, Many of the people in this city work in the countries many mines which are located around the C.Majovul Area.
City Tyrosor (Thyraser) - 'Culture Capital' of Fictions
City Germuarur (Ghermara)
City Norata (Naratha)
City Eris (Aaris)
GhostCity Espias (Hesias) - Was acting capital during the latter part of the civil war and during the global war, but was nuked by Whiskeasians and is now a ghost town

Legal System, The basic facts:

Death Penalty: Yes
Methods of Execution: Firing Squad, Single Shooter, Occasionally the Electric Chair
Crimes With the Death Penalty:

-Murder (Exceptions: Wartime: army + Citizens Militia)
-Rape
-Espionage (Foreign agents)
-Terrorism within Fictions (Exceptions: When in favor of government held ideals and against dissenters)
-Illegal Drug growing/distributing/smuggling
-Illegal Immigration (Foreigners)
-Treason
-Kidnapping and the victim dies

Length of Life Sentence: When we say “Life” we mean it.

Media

Major Radio Broadcast Stations:
National 1 (news)
National 2 (Sport)
National 3 (Music/entertainment)

All radio stations and their content must meet the A.M.A.P.P.M.I. specifications for media.

Television: All television channels, programs and their content must meet the A.M.A.P.P.M.I. specifications for media. Any international channels that do not meet the specifications, at the time of the unapproved news story or program will be "Blacked out"

Primary News Network: FNNN (Fictions National News Network)

Logo:
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/fnnn2-1.png?t=1242557804

Largest National Newspaper: Fictions Times

Web TLD: .fic (example: www.examplewebsite.fic)

A.M.A.P.P.M.I. -

A.M.A.P.P.M.I. was in charge of making sure that all media meets the specifications set by the dictatorship government, A.M.A.P.P.M.I. was also in charge of propaganda and advertising. No form of media was published, broadcasted, shown or otherwise distributed without being approved by A.M.A.P.P.M.I.
A.M.A.P.P.M.I. Has been made redundant.

People and Population:
A video about Fictions (Youtube) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvNMf0Y00MI)

Nationality: Fictionian
Demonym: Fictionals/Fictionians

Total Population: 1.172 billion (15/5/09)

Language: Fictin, English is taught in schools

Urban: 86%
Rural: 14%

Literacy Rate (for over 15 years): 72%

Gender Ratio: 1:3 male/female
Fertility Rate: 3.7 children per family

Life Expectancy at Birth: 68 for males, 70 for females

Religion:
Since the revolution, people have been granted freedom to practice any of the major world religions.

Christianity: 71%
Judaism: 9%
Islam: 7.6
No Religion: 10.1%
Other: 2.3%


Superstition:
Fictonians are generally very superstitious, Common held beliefs are these:

-Ghosts/Spirits/Ghouls/Hauntings
-Demons/Witchcraft
-Good luck vs. Bad luck
-If a baby looks in a mirror before it is one year old the mirror will steal it's soul
-Putting sand on the floor in-front of your door on the first Saturday of every month will keep demons out of your house
-Waking up after 6am on new years day means you will have a bad year
-If you hear an ambulance siren and do not counting to ten you will have an accident
-If you say good-bye to someone you will never see them again
-If a candle does not light after the third attempt, no more attempts should be made to light it as it will attract demons
-Swinging an empty swing or rocking an empty rocking chair invites ghosts
-Placing a spotted feather under your pillow will keep the devil from influencing you as you sleep
-If you dream of a dead person you must listen to what they say, as it is the spirit of the person trying to give you a message
-Wearing a locket with the picture of a deceased loved one ensures their spirit goes to heaven
-If water is the first thing you drink after waking up you will wash away stray spirits that may have entered your body while you were asleep

Things considered Good luck:
-Wearing new clothes the day you get them
-The colour orange
-Seeing the sunset on Christmas eve
-To give a pregnant lady a flower
-Wearing a hat on Sunday
-Eat something sweet in the morning and something sour/bitter in the evening

Things considered bad luck:
-Giving bad news before good news
-The number 9
-Leaving the city at night
-Wearing green in a church
-Dropping a knife
-Talking loudly in a public area
-Kissing on a first date
-Say thank-you after receiving money as a gift
-Finding a snake in your house

Slurs and Insults (Used by Fictions people)

Used by Everyone:
Do-Gooder: a bleeding heart nation/person. Someone who always wants to do what is best for others. Someone with too much morality.
Nix: Someone who does not live in a city.
Dev/Toie/Gret/Juppi/Qwal: A foreigner (Generic term. None specific to any particular place)
Smit: Someone who works in Mining (esp. the oil trade)
Spook: Someone in government/A government worker, never actually used to someone's face. Used when talking about them.
Watcher: Someone in A.M.A.P.P.M.I. again never actually used to anyone's face, comes from A.M.A.P.P.M.I's old name PeopleWatch
Bolly: A liberal/communist/democratic/Left wing/anarchist

Used by Military:
Coley: Someone who is only serving their compulsory service and intends to leave afterwards
Nook: Enemy Soldier
Dev/Toie: Foreigner who joined the Fictions army (Can also be used to describe any foreigner in general)
Jane: New Recruit
Wilbert: Officer (Generally applied to an officer who is incompetent)

Attitude towards foreigners: People in Fictions don't travel much and are very suspicious and often hostile towards foreigners

Discrimination:
-Towards Foreigners (Racial Discrimination)
-Towards liberals/communists
-Religion based discrimination
-Between people who live in cities and those who do not
-Generic Class-based discrimination
-Generic Age-Based discrimination
-Generic Gender-based discrimination

Culture
Instead of standardising the culture of Fictions, a “Blog Project” has been started, Citizens may, should they feel, write a Blog entry on an aspect of culture of their choice. (see posts below)

Bell In The Sky
Time is the longest distance between two places.

24/2/09: BLOG PROJECT: Travel Business and Leisure- Tips for foreigners

Lol, Nice we get to have a say in how we present our country, I for one am not Missing this, so here goes:
When it's not a total mess, Fictions is actually quite a nice place, believe it or not.
But sometimes you find that visitors are just too.... foreign. In this blog I hope to inform the unenlightened (No offence) in the way things are done and hopefully give a small insight into the customs of a wonderful (if misunderstood) nation. Without further ado I give my top tips for people visiting the country both on leisure and on business.

Business:
Having worked with foreigners occasionally on business meetings it astonishes me how unprepared they are (most of the time) for what it is like here, perhaps we are just too stubborn to change our ways but in any-case, the only time you are likely to get a “westernised” meeting is if you are meeting high up government officials (Which is not likely to happen is it?) so here are some basic things it would be wise for any prospective businessman to keep in mind while visiting Fictions.

Time is of the essence....
....Not over here it isn't. Many of you westerners are probably used to prompt meetings and operate on tight schedules, things are much more relaxed here and the westernised businessman often finds it unnerving and chaotic. Be prepared to be kept waiting for an appointment or even to have last moment plan changed which you only find out about on arrival . Don't be put of by this, it's nothing personal, It's just the way things work, to us, its the event of the meeting that is important, not the schedule so always confirm beforehand that the meeting is still happening. However, with all this in mind, you yourself are still expected to be punctual.

Let's get down to business...
...But not just yet. This takes time here, often, business takes time and is done after small talk over some tea or coffee (Which you must NOT refuse, doing so is very impolite) interaction is key to business and you must have gained peoples trust if you want to be successful, we are more likely to give better deals to those who have our trust. Also, people do many things at a time here so do not be surprised or offended if your meeting is interrupted several times. This is considered normal. Also, decision making itself is often slow and attempts to speed up the process are resented.

Leisure:
I'm not going to lie, We can be a hostile country especially in times of tension but remember a few things and you should be fine.

You will stand out
When travelling in Fictions, bare in mind that you will stick out like a sore thumb. Chances are you'll be taller or bigger than everyone else. Blondes and Redheads are like magnets to people's eyes. Just remember that you will stand out no matter how long you been here, or how much we know about Fictions' culture and society.

“No Foreigners”
There are some that don't want your there, and finding places that have "Fictionese Only" signs on their doors and there are places -- mostly bars -- that are very anti-foreigner. If faced with one of these, do not enter or attempt to enter, just move on to the next one.

Safety
If you are visiting Fictions it is incredibly important that you stay in the cities and even then stick to city centres and safe areas. Attacks against foreigners are not uncommon so it is vital that you do not draw too much attention to yourself. Also, make sure you find out about the situation in Fictions before going, if the country seems unstable or there has been an increase in “racial attacks” DO NOT GO.

Passports
As a visitor to Fictions, you must have your passport on you at all times. It is a crime to not have your passport on you. If you're stopped by authorities for any reason, you'll have to show your passport to them. If you can't show it, you'll be taken in to the police station. Fictionese police are allowed to stop you at any time, for any reason, and ask to see it.

Speaking English
People will generally assume you are a native English speaker until you prove otherwise, also Many People will insist on using English, however limited their abilities may be, to speak with foreigners even if you have an adequate grasp of the local language.

I will sum it up with an all important Do's and Don'ts list:
Do's:
-Make sure you have a valid passport with you at all times
-Take general malaria vaccination, it is not a serious issue but it's better to be safe.
-Change your money only from authorised moneychangers or banks.
-Always drink bottled water that is easily available everywhere in Fictions. Tap water is desalinated and safe for drinking, but drinking bottled mineral water is advisable.
-Taking of photographs can be sensitive; ask permission and avoid secure areas (airport, military camps, official buildings etc.).
-Use sunglasses and sun cream, as sunburn is common in Fictions and heat sometimes can be unbearable.
-Remember there are far more non-uniformed police than uniformed

Don'ts:
-Do not photograph airports, docks, telecommunications equipment, Govt. buildings, and military and industrial installations.
-Don't Refuse a drink or an invitation of hospitality as it is considered offensive.
-Don't participate in local demonstrations.
-Don't Criticise the system, this is illegal, even if you disagree with it, don't, just don't, and by all means DO NOT come to the country to protest.
-Don't criticise the people or our culture, we are a proud nation and as I mentioned, can be quite hostile.

Well, that is all I can think of for now, hope it was informative and helpful, bye bye
XXX Bell

KC's Zone
Anything and everything and all in between.

[Date Hidden]: BLOG PROJECT: you know Your from Fictions when...

Just something I found while surfing the net (http://www.zompist.com/amercult.html), Thought I'd make one for us too...

If you are Fictional...
-You are a bit dazed by this whole "democracy" concept.
-You know about the concept of freedom of speech but you wouldn't dare talk about it too much.
-You know how football (not that American stuff) is played, especially if you are a man.
-You are lucky if you get two weeks holiday a year

If you died tonight you wouldn’t be surprised….
-You believe in God (especially when you are in trouble)
-You don’t consider dogs, cats, monkeys, or guinea pigs to be food; however some insects are considered a delicacy in certain areas. Seafood is very common.
-A bathroom has a shower and a toilet. The washing machine may be in there too.
-If you live in a big city (If you did not you would not e reading this) Your main method of transportation would be car, minibus or taxi.
-You expect phones to work but strongly suspect they are being tapped.
-You need to be 18 to get a drivers license.
-Court system? Suing someone for damaging you is not a possibility.
-You probably can get by in English and will often assume all foreigners are English speaking and you are slightly shocked if a foreigner can speak Fictin - after all, where did they lean it?
-Education is free through high school. University isn’t, unless you get a scholarship.
-If you live in the city it is certain you will live in an apartment If you don't live in a city you would not be reading this.
-If you're an urban dweller, your apartment has all the usual rooms, complete with electricity and running water. If you're rural or live in a shanty town, it might not have all those things.

Everybody knows that...
-The date comes first and the month second, as in 3/1/2009 (and you know what happened on that date?)
-You expect marriages to be made for love, after all, arranged marriages are for those backward rural areas and your far more sophisticated than them eh? Marriages are made in registry offices with an optional church service.
-The train system is adequate but most people would rather drive to get to other cities (even if it does take longer) using planes within the country is fast but can be expensive.
-If a man has sex with a man, he is gay and that is illegal.
-If you're a woman, you don't go to the beach topless. Ever.
-You'd rather a film be dubbed than subtitled. But don't really mind either way.
-You don’t seriously expect to be able to transact business, or deal with the government, without paying bribes.
-If a politician has been cheating on their spouse you would not care and who are you to say anything anyway?
-In the cities almost every store and restaurant will accept credit cards but you mainly pay in cash.
-A company can fire just about anybody it wants explanations are an optional extra.
-You think that everyone in your country is of the same race. Unless they are foreigners.
-You don't think much about income taxes as they are deducted from your wages
-Commas are commas. Decimal points are decimal points and dots are full stops.

We see everyone as they really are, and aren’t afraid to say it...
Anagonias- Their all right, for foreigners, I guess... They did help to rebuild out country after all...
Whiskeasians- The worst country in the world, vicious, warmongering “nuke first, ask questions later” bastards that the world would be better off without.
Northern Terraficials- Commie idiots
Southern Terraficials- Somewhat more sensible than their northern neighbours but their still so.. foreign.
IFA- Not too bad for foreigners, actually some of them are quite nice they don't even seem to mind that were a bloody stupid democracy. Or maybe they just have not noticed...
ODECON- Evil do-gooders

Contributions to World Civilization
-You studied Fictional history in school and a bit about other IFA nations but not much.
-If you're male, you have to spend two years in the military, If you are female you spend one year in the military.
-Most food is imported and expensive.
-You use the metric system.
-You are not a farmer.
-You would consider the Volkswagen Beetle to be a small car. if foreign cars were not illegal
-The police are armed with submachine guns and sometimes required to use deadly force... Not so much now a days but its only a matter of time..
-If a woman is plumper than the average, it doesn't improve her looks.
-The biggest meal of the day is in the evening.
-The nationality people most often make jokes about are Whiskeasians.
-There's parts of the city you want to avoid at night unless accompanied by a knowledgeable local.
-The people who appear on the most popular talk shows are mostly entertainers, politicians, or rather strange individuals sometimes the person in question is al of the above.
-You drive on the Right side of the road-- or anywhere else as necessitated by circumstance. You don't stop at red lights, even if there are people around. If you're a pedestrian, you will fearlessly and nonchalantly cross the street, anywhere you please, whether the light is green or not.
-Your country has been invaded and occupied by foreign powers and you feel angry and resentful about it.
-The image of your country is extremely important. You feel that your country is misrepresented around the world.

Inside and Outside of CA Aquaria...
-You feel you aren't considered as important as people living in CA but will never voice those opinions in public.
-You care what family someone comes from and a foreign son/daughter-in-law is unacceptable.
-When someone dies their property and money is seized by the state but possessions are freely distributed among relatives.
-You see opera and ballet as being “too foreign” and the idea never caught on anyway. Plays however are popular.
-Cinema is very popular and you visit it regularly.
-Even if there is an answering machine on a phone you would probably not leave a message at the beep.
-Taxis are normally operated by locals who know the city and drive way too fast.
-Welfare is given only to those who genuinely deserve it and you prefer it that way.
-You will haggle but only in markets never in shops.
-If you live in the city you can count on excellent medical care (after a long wait) however in rural areas it is virtually non-existent.
-You are distrustful and maybe even openly hostile towards foreigners and HATE Whiskeasians.

Space and Time..
-While you are expected to arrive at a meeting on time (up to half an hour late is acceptable but you can get away with an hour) the same cannot be said for those organising the meeting who may even reschedule it and not tell you until the very last minute and the meeting itself may be frequently interrupted.
-If you have guests you will serve them a drink.

(OOC: Disclaimer- any resemblance to RL words are purely coincidental, there are only a certain amount of syllables in the world xD)

Language: The Basics
Language and writing projects.

[Date Hidden]: BLOG PROJECT: The basics of Fictin

As part of my languages: the basics courses, I decided to so a section on Fictin as part of the blog project.
Fictin is the native language spoken in the Republic of Fictions, as a language, Fictin has no direct relation to any other other language, it has its own unique alphabet and frameworks (although the sentence structure is similar to that of English)
In Fictin there are three types of letters in the alphabet, Adar letters, Thiasi letters and Kekhnar letters.

Adar letters are the original letters of the Fictin alphabet and solely form the majority of most words.
Kekhnar letters are fairly new, the first examples of kekhnar letters being used are some point in the mid 40s where Fictions was only just starting to break out of it's isolation, kekhnar is used mainly for writing names and foreign words, you will rarely see kekhnar used in normal words, but it is not unheard of.
Thiasi Letters are vowel sounds that are placed either above or below an Adar or Kekhnar letter.

The Fictin alphabet consists of 21 Adar (blue) letters 4 Thiasi (red) letters and 8 Kekhnar (green) letters.

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Picture2-1copy.png?t=1240652087

NOTE: This is a translation guide, not a pronunciation guide.

To illustrate how Adar and Thiasi work together, and also to give an idea of how the language is written, I will be using the word “example” which in Fictin is “ghanide” I will not use Kekhnar as their relations with Thiasi is the same as Adar.

NOTE: When written down, Fictin is read from right to left
(<-------- always read Fictin going this way)

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Picture4-2.png?t=1240650398

Now let us try a more complex sentence like “this is an example sentence” which in Fictin is “Nelhi da ma ghanide sahanri”

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/xresNTAP/Fictions/Picture4-3.png?t=1240651082

When you get used to looking out for the thiasi letters, the language becomes easier to read, however, for the sake of allowing you to understand, I will be using the romanized versions of the words.

A note on the apostrophe

In various cultures and languages the apostrophe is used to mean various things, in Fictin it is used to represent a glotteral stop speech and as a piece of punctuation it can also show that two words have been added together, The apostrophe used in the following circumstances represents a glotteral stop;
-Turning a positive modal verb negative
-Indicating gender while showing a possessive
The apostrophe used in the following circumstances indicates a brief break in speech.
-Adding titles to peoples names
-Adding two words together (as one might use a hyphen in english)

Possessives and Gender Nouns

To show something is belonging to someone or something you say that the item is someone; the is [person] or the [person] is [item]

To show this as an example we will show a car belonging to the Example family. The basic neutral phrase for this would be “The car is the Example family” or “Nal ghaqa da nal Example yihan”

Seems simple? That was because the car belonged to the whole family and was therefore gender neutral, showing the possessive is the only time when a noun will show gender but if something belongs to a group of people or an organisation then it is always neutral, however if the car belongs only to Mr. Example, you will have to make the car masculine, likewise if to belonged to Mrs. Example, the car would have to be feminine.
To make something feminine you add 'i to the end making car (ghaqa) when it is feminine ghaqa'i.
To make something masculine you add 'e to the end making car when it is masculine ghaqa'e

So if the car belonged to Mr. Example you would say “Nal ghaqa'e de Mr. Example”

Now say the car belonged to you, you would say “The car is me” or “Nal Ghaqa'e('i) de Shi” (remember though if you are male to make the car masculine and if you are female to make the car feminine).

[I]NOTE: Even if the noun already ends in “i” or “e” you still add it to the end as the apostrophe indicates a glotteral stop.

Are you with me so far? good, lets make things even more complicated, say Mr. Example is your neighbour, and when asked about the car you for some reason do not want t give Mr. Example's name, or do not know it, in that case you would want to say “that car belongs to my neighbour” however you would have to say “the car is my neighbour” can you see the problem? A double possessive if you tried to stick with the rule explained earlier you would end up saying something like “the car is neighbour is me” and that makes no sense in English or Fictin.
In a situation like this what you say is “The car is neighbour me” or “Nal ghaqa de ranil shi”

Now add genders. because the car is Mr. Example's you must make the car Masculine, when referring to Mr. Example simply as “my neighbour” you are showing that he is your neighbour, you must turn the word neighbour masculine or feminine depending on your gender.
“Nal ghaqa'e de ranil'e shi” or “Nal ghaqa'e de ranil'i shi”

That was not too bad, however, say Mr. Example was not your neighbour but was Mrs. Other's neighbour, you would say “The car is neighbour Mrs. Other” “Nal ghaqa'e de ranil'i Mrs. Other”

NOTE: You would know that you are not saying that the car belongs to your neighbour called Mrs. Other because if that was the case you would not have given the word neighbour a gender. If you had wanted to say that the car belongs to your neighbour called Mrs. Other you would say “Nal ghaqa'i de ranil'e('i) shi, Mrs. Other” (the word car would be feminine because in this case it belongs to Mrs. Other who is female)

The car is still Mr. Example's and he is still Mrs. Other's neighbour, but let us assume that Mrs. other is your cousin and you did not want to refer to her by name, so you want to say “The car belongs to the neighbour of my cousin” what you would say is “The car is neighbour cousin me” which in Fictin would be “Nal ghaqa'e de ranil'i khada'e('i) shi” (remember to turn the word cousin masculine or feminine to depending on your gender)

The only exception to this being your possession rule is if you want to make a statement about something that belongs to you, let us use the infamous Monty Python line “My hovercraft is full of eels!” what you would say is “Hovercraft me is full of eels!” which is “Zitha'shirani'e('i) shi de yolf qam tihale!” As you notice, you still give the noun a gender even though the word order has changed somewhat.

It is interesting to note that in this case the apostrophe is used to attach the two words “hover” (zitha) and “craft” (shirani) together.

Still there? Good, now to make matters worse we have to bring class into it, assume Mr. Example is a higher social class than you, and you must, of course, show respect even if not talking directly to them. We will go back to basics now with “the car belongs to Mr. Example” which you already know to be “Nal ghaqa'e de Mr. Example” to indicate that someone is of higher social class than you you must end their name with 'thi the end result being “Nal ghaqa'e de Mr. Example'thi”
This does not apply however if you are not using his name and referring to him simply as a neighbour.

NOTE: If you are a minor talking about someone senior to you, you must always end it in 'thi even if you are a higher class to them. This ends when you are 18 and no longer considered a minor.

Titles and Class

Class structure is very important, and as a sign of respect it is always appropriate to call someone by their correct title. This can be done by use of prefixes or suffixes separated by an apostrophe [title]'[name] or [name]'[title]
These are the common titles or titles you may need

Mister- Yosha'Name
Mrs- Yasha'Name
Miss- Yash'Name
Doctor- Dakhen'Name
Professor- Zighe'Name

As was already mentioned in Posessives, the suffix 'thi is added when someone is of a higher class than you, for example, if doctor example was a higher class than you and you were talking about him or to him, you would always use the suffix, so you would in essence be saying “Dakhen'Name'thi” and as mentioned in the possessives section, if you are under 18 you must always use the 'thi suffix to someone your senior (however this only applies if the person in question id over 18) in order to show respect.

Back in the days of the dictatorship, the leader had his (or her) own title that as used only for them, this title is still sometimes used by people when talking about the president.

Dictator's title: Aakhiya'Name'thi (e.g. Aakhiya'Ellison'thi)
Presidential title: President'Name'thi (e.g. President'Chana'thi)

NOTE: As the title of president has only come about recently, it is in English and therefore uses kekhnar letters.

It is an expected thing thing to use such titles unless the person gives you permission to drop the titles and use only their name. If you are the same class as someone you do not add 'thi to their name but their title (Mr, Mrs etc...) are expected. If you are a higher class than someone you may automatically leave out any titles and refer to them by name.

Negatives

In Fictin there is no word for “not” instead, the effect is gained by making the modal verb negative this is done by adding 'o to the end, the apostrophe indicating a break in speech.
It is interesting to note that unless wring kekhnar making something negative is the only time you will come across an “O”

Compared to some of the grammar rules, making something negative is very simple, for my first example I will use the simple sentence “He should not be late” which in Fictin would be “Yomi qemni'o ril thiwaa”

In this sentence, the modal verb is "should" (Qemni) to turn this into should not you turn the modal verb negative by adding the 'o making it "Qemni'o"

Common modal verbs are:
Are- Ridi (Ridi'o)
Do- Lith (Lith'o)
Can- Gha (Gha'o)
Could- Gheha (Gheha'o)
May- Zira (Zira'o)
Might- Zerihe (Zerihe'o)
Must- Ziregha (Ziregha'o)
Ought- Khayi (Khayi'o)
Shall- Qam (Qam'o)
Should- Qemni ( Qemni'o)
Will- Hajafi (Hajafi'o)
Would- Hejfahe (hejfahe'o)
Have- Hetham (hetham'o)

Useful Phrases

To finish of my little article I will give you some useful phrases.

Welcome- Ghijani
Hello- Beghthi Methi (formal) Halha (informal)
Good-bye- Kho Rija (formal) Bakhi (informal)
How are you?- Jahe qiqe shal?
I am fine- Shi din nireja
What is your name- Gheni de aime nihame?
My name is....- [name] de shi
Where are you from?- Gheni magha de shal? (Lit: what place is you?)
I am from- Shi din [country/region/city]
I don't understand- shi lith'o Ghoshaanithan
Please- Mihigha
Thanks- Kokha
Sorry- Qibeja
Excuse me- Sithaqi

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