On my to-do list:
1. Go to the bank and deposit my larger-than-usual paycheck.
2. Get my bank account relatively balanced.
3. Paint my nails. (I know that sounds silly, but I've had very little personal time over the last few days.)
4. Organize my clothes. I keep buying clothes and I have two baskets just waiting to be put in their homes. I also need to start sorting as to what I want to take abroad with me.
5. Start making plans for the weekend I visit ND.
6. Start making plans for the weekend I visit Case.
7. SEKRIT PROGITS ERRYBODY.
Seven is a nice even number. Happy Monday, everyone.
- Jen -
30 August 2009
29 August 2009
I don't want one more month of summer!
I know that sounds very strange to say, but I don't know what to do with myself now that it's nearly September and I'm not in class. I still have more than a month before I leave for school. This extra-long summer is wearing on me.
Even though I looked really cute at work yesterday, the three-inch heels were only three-hour heels, not six-hour heels, and so I may have suffered irreparable nerve damage in my toes. Updates to follow if I get feeling back.
Of the many things I would like to own in the near future:
1. Adventureland on DVD.
2. The new Guitar Hero game for Nintendo DS.
3. Can't think of anything else, but pretty soon people will be asking me what I want for my birthday. Can't I just say 'boyfriend to be home for a little while'?
I've been watching so many movies lately it's ridiculous. I never change them out until I finish them, so this is the third time now that I've watched the opening of The Blues Brothers in the last few days.
... Oh, I'm sorry, did you expect something exciting? Try again later.
- Jen -
Even though I looked really cute at work yesterday, the three-inch heels were only three-hour heels, not six-hour heels, and so I may have suffered irreparable nerve damage in my toes. Updates to follow if I get feeling back.
Of the many things I would like to own in the near future:
1. Adventureland on DVD.
2. The new Guitar Hero game for Nintendo DS.
3. Can't think of anything else, but pretty soon people will be asking me what I want for my birthday. Can't I just say 'boyfriend to be home for a little while'?
I've been watching so many movies lately it's ridiculous. I never change them out until I finish them, so this is the third time now that I've watched the opening of The Blues Brothers in the last few days.
... Oh, I'm sorry, did you expect something exciting? Try again later.
- Jen -
23 August 2009
No, I am NOT at ND right now.
Kinda wish I was, though. My mind is so ready to go back to school, and my body is so ready to stop working these insane 24-hour weekends. It's so sad to see all my friends' statuses change on Facebook to "Going back to ND, woohoo" and not to be there to see them or to participate in the madness that is moving in. I'll see them soon enough, but it's just saddening.
Among the many things I am craving right now are the earrings from Watchmen. I can't find a screencap of them, which is pretty sad, but those of you who have seen the movie, it's the earrings that Doctor Manhattan (Jon Osterman) gives to his first girlfriend (Janey Slater) over Christmas. They are so pretty, so understated, and yet they go with pretty much everything. Yet somehow I can't find a screencap or even a question about who designed them over the Internet. (Also, I checked in the original comic, and it looks like similar earrings are actually spotted on Laurie aka Silk Specter II. What in the world...)
I'm selling about two laundry baskets' worth of clothes within the next two days. One of the perils of turning 20 is that I can't dress like I'm 13 any more. I still have jeans that I wore my freshman year of high school. And that's not necessarily fashion appropriate for a junior in college who is a) going abroad to a more fashion-forward country and b) is looking career-forward in her clothes. These are the perks of being in retail and getting a massive discount on quality, fashionable clothes. Unfortunately, I probably need hundreds of dollars in clothes. Boo.
At least I finally have two days off tomorrow and Tuesday... two days to work on Secret Projects. I am so tired.
- Jen -
Among the many things I am craving right now are the earrings from Watchmen. I can't find a screencap of them, which is pretty sad, but those of you who have seen the movie, it's the earrings that Doctor Manhattan (Jon Osterman) gives to his first girlfriend (Janey Slater) over Christmas. They are so pretty, so understated, and yet they go with pretty much everything. Yet somehow I can't find a screencap or even a question about who designed them over the Internet. (Also, I checked in the original comic, and it looks like similar earrings are actually spotted on Laurie aka Silk Specter II. What in the world...)
I'm selling about two laundry baskets' worth of clothes within the next two days. One of the perils of turning 20 is that I can't dress like I'm 13 any more. I still have jeans that I wore my freshman year of high school. And that's not necessarily fashion appropriate for a junior in college who is a) going abroad to a more fashion-forward country and b) is looking career-forward in her clothes. These are the perks of being in retail and getting a massive discount on quality, fashionable clothes. Unfortunately, I probably need hundreds of dollars in clothes. Boo.
At least I finally have two days off tomorrow and Tuesday... two days to work on Secret Projects. I am so tired.
- Jen -
20 August 2009
Public Service Announcement: Safe driving.
My neighbor's son (17 years old) totaled his car last night. He drove it into a tree while whipping around a corner too fast. Keep in mind, this is a very poorly engineered car for a teenager to be driving, since it only has rear-wheel drive, the tires were designed for dry weather, and it was raining tremendously last night.
The kid is okay, but it kind of struck something home to me. Teenagers, myself included, are not among the world's safest drivers. And I have an idea as to why they might be. Teenagers are so absorbed in the freedom that driving gives them to actually pay attention to the fact that they are piloting a two-ton missile.
Do you think about that every day while you're driving? You're probably too busy adjusting your radio, talking on your phone, searching your iPod, or programming your GPS... perhaps you're even texting. Maybe you're absorbed in how poorly the person in front of you is driving (in your opinion), or maybe you're angry at the driver who just pulled out in front of you. The fact is, it's so easy to get distracted while we are driving a car and so hard to remember that we actually have a responsibility when we enter these death machines.
I'm probably coming across as far too critical, but I try not to forget while I'm driving that I share the road with other things -- other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, not to mention small furry creatures. Sure, I enjoy listening to music, but I set my iPod before I get on the road, not after. I make a point of not taking phone calls or texting while I'm driving.
That doesn't stop people like me from getting into accidents, however. Two years ago, I was hit by a sixteen-year-old male who was on his way home from exams while I was on my way to graduation practice. There was heavy traffic, but that didn't stop this kid from using (or as he said in the police report, "reaching for") his cell phone while he turned into his subdivision. He was so distracted by everything going on around him that he didn't notice that he turned into my car. He actually drove home after the accident instead of stopping to see if I was all right and to complete accident report forms.
Even though I didn't cause the accident, it's enough to make me pause and think before I get into a car. And to this day, I still get angry at friends who call me while they're driving. Everyone who reads my blog, and everyone who drives a car, should be smart enough to realize that what you are piloting can easily kill someone, maybe even yourself, if even one small mistake is made. That's a pretty heavy level of responsibility. So please. Don't call or text me while you're driving. Keep a steady hand on the wheel, enjoy your favorite playlist, and be aware of everything going on around you.
(Also, how in the world is it possible to drive into a frickin' tree? Someone please explain this to me.)
- Jen -
The kid is okay, but it kind of struck something home to me. Teenagers, myself included, are not among the world's safest drivers. And I have an idea as to why they might be. Teenagers are so absorbed in the freedom that driving gives them to actually pay attention to the fact that they are piloting a two-ton missile.
Do you think about that every day while you're driving? You're probably too busy adjusting your radio, talking on your phone, searching your iPod, or programming your GPS... perhaps you're even texting. Maybe you're absorbed in how poorly the person in front of you is driving (in your opinion), or maybe you're angry at the driver who just pulled out in front of you. The fact is, it's so easy to get distracted while we are driving a car and so hard to remember that we actually have a responsibility when we enter these death machines.
I'm probably coming across as far too critical, but I try not to forget while I'm driving that I share the road with other things -- other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, not to mention small furry creatures. Sure, I enjoy listening to music, but I set my iPod before I get on the road, not after. I make a point of not taking phone calls or texting while I'm driving.
That doesn't stop people like me from getting into accidents, however. Two years ago, I was hit by a sixteen-year-old male who was on his way home from exams while I was on my way to graduation practice. There was heavy traffic, but that didn't stop this kid from using (or as he said in the police report, "reaching for") his cell phone while he turned into his subdivision. He was so distracted by everything going on around him that he didn't notice that he turned into my car. He actually drove home after the accident instead of stopping to see if I was all right and to complete accident report forms.
Even though I didn't cause the accident, it's enough to make me pause and think before I get into a car. And to this day, I still get angry at friends who call me while they're driving. Everyone who reads my blog, and everyone who drives a car, should be smart enough to realize that what you are piloting can easily kill someone, maybe even yourself, if even one small mistake is made. That's a pretty heavy level of responsibility. So please. Don't call or text me while you're driving. Keep a steady hand on the wheel, enjoy your favorite playlist, and be aware of everything going on around you.
(Also, how in the world is it possible to drive into a frickin' tree? Someone please explain this to me.)
- Jen -
18 August 2009
Just a few little things.
I'm trying to get into the habit of blogging every day, but I don't always have profound things to say. So, it's kind of difficult.
I'm learning how to live without my cell phone. I don't like the one I have, and being on a pay-as-I-go plan in the UK is going to be expensive, so I need to learn how to use one for only necessities. That being said, I seriously used Skype for the first time last night and I like it a lot. Might not replace Gmail Video Chat or AIM video chat, but it's a cool idea.
As of today, it's been 1038 days since Justin and I started dating. I just got curious and figured it out in a day calculator. Isn't that so weird to think? Three years in October. Three years is a long time. Yet we're still not at a point in our lives when we can think of anything other than what we're doing right now. Still going to be long-distance for a while, and I'm just turning 20 next month. I'm only thinking about this because I just recently saw The Hangover with Justin, and the groom's friend has decided to ask his girlfriend to marry him at the wedding. When asked why (because the girl is rude), the guy just says "We've been dating three years, and that's just what you do." Well, no. That's not 'just what you do'. Sometimes that just isn't possible.
I'm hoping that my plans work out to come see my friends on the weekend of Sept. 11-13. If not... I'm going to be kind of upset, but we'll learn how to video chat and things like that. I also hope my plans work out to see Justin the weekend of Sept. 25-27. If not... well.
It's just so weird to think that I'm not going back to school on Sunday. Normally I wouldn't be working because I'd be busy packing, and I'd be getting ready for the grind of school and the stress of having school plus a long-distance relationship to worry about. I can't fathom that my friends will have taken classes for a month before I leave. Oh well. I'm on one of those 'weird quarter systems' this year.
One of these days, I just want treated like I'm special. I think that's too much to ask, though.
- Jen -
I'm learning how to live without my cell phone. I don't like the one I have, and being on a pay-as-I-go plan in the UK is going to be expensive, so I need to learn how to use one for only necessities. That being said, I seriously used Skype for the first time last night and I like it a lot. Might not replace Gmail Video Chat or AIM video chat, but it's a cool idea.
As of today, it's been 1038 days since Justin and I started dating. I just got curious and figured it out in a day calculator. Isn't that so weird to think? Three years in October. Three years is a long time. Yet we're still not at a point in our lives when we can think of anything other than what we're doing right now. Still going to be long-distance for a while, and I'm just turning 20 next month. I'm only thinking about this because I just recently saw The Hangover with Justin, and the groom's friend has decided to ask his girlfriend to marry him at the wedding. When asked why (because the girl is rude), the guy just says "We've been dating three years, and that's just what you do." Well, no. That's not 'just what you do'. Sometimes that just isn't possible.
I'm hoping that my plans work out to come see my friends on the weekend of Sept. 11-13. If not... I'm going to be kind of upset, but we'll learn how to video chat and things like that. I also hope my plans work out to see Justin the weekend of Sept. 25-27. If not... well.
It's just so weird to think that I'm not going back to school on Sunday. Normally I wouldn't be working because I'd be busy packing, and I'd be getting ready for the grind of school and the stress of having school plus a long-distance relationship to worry about. I can't fathom that my friends will have taken classes for a month before I leave. Oh well. I'm on one of those 'weird quarter systems' this year.
One of these days, I just want treated like I'm special. I think that's too much to ask, though.
- Jen -
16 August 2009
Things I've learned since my last post.
Last Wednesday, I learned that biometrics appointments are nowhere near as intimidating as they really sound. You take a number, wait in a short line, have them spray water on your hands, watch as they digitally capture palm and fingerprints, smile for them as they take your picture, and get a piece of paper stamped. I'm going to mail it in tomorrow and it should get back in time for me to leave... right?
On Friday, I learned that the LG enV 3 is an amazing phone. I went with Justin to his family's wireless carrier, which is also the one my family uses. He decided to get the blue enV 3 as his new phone, and I'm completely... well, envious. It's got an amazing camera and a QWERTY keyboard on the inside. I really want the red one, but I'm getting a new phone when I go abroad (I think) and so I won't really need a new mobile phone in the States until my senior year or so. Might not even need one then, because my phone now can download ringtones and send picture messages just fine, and that's the most advanced things I do on it, besides set a friggin' alarm.
(Coincidentally, I also learned that I'm really not cool enough to use any kind of Blackberry. At least, for right now. We'll see if I learn any more about good cell phone deals while abroad.)
At work, I finally learned how to iron. This was kind of a literal trial by fire, because these clothes were supposed to be nicely pressed for a mannequin/model setup, and it had to be perfect anyways, but my boss (head honcho lady who is an absolute perfectionist) was actually teaching me how and in the room right next door. And two days later, I had to do it again. Oh well. At least $22.50 of my paycheck (before the freakin' government gets its grubby hands all up in there) was spent doing a basic household chore.
Again at work, I learned that ladders are bleeping heavy. Seriously. I'm kind of a small person, and I was trying to move a ladder that was three times as tall as myself and probably three times as heavy... just so I could reach two pairs of boxers for a customer. And they weren't even the right size.
Yesterday, I learned a lot. One of the things I learned is that migraines are actually rather incapacitating. I woke up with one and just felt like crying. So I called in sick, but no one believed me. What the crap? I couldn't work eight hours during the back to school rush with a migraine.
Then, when I went to run errands, I learned the hard way that it's kind of a bad idea to go into work to pick up my paycheck and held clothes when I called in because of my migraine. In hindsight, it seemed like a 'well, duh' moment, but it was supposed to be my 'birthday' and those clothes were for my birthday.
Again yesterday, while going out to dinner for my birthday, I kind of wanted to go out to Chili's, because it's affordable and I haven't been there for a while. And I learned that there is not a Chili's probably within 50 miles of me. However, I also learned that TGI Friday's is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. There's so much variety and everything is delicious. You could just point to something and say "I'll have this" and you'd enjoy it.
Yesterday, I also learned that Pop Rocks are just as delicious when you're nineteen as when you're nine. There's a candy store in downtown Dublin called MJ's, and it was voted the Columbus Monthly Candy Shop of 2009 or something like that, so Justin and I decided to check it out. Not so big, but they had a few specialty things... like Pop Rocks. And they were just as good as I remembered. Still looking like the Shock Tarts I used to eat constantly in middle school, though; they might not make them any more.
Again yesterday, I was watching Watchmen, which Justin got me for my 'birthday', and I learned that Doctor Manhattan is kind of a dick. (Partly literally; my nickname for him is the Giant Blue Schlong.) But really, he's just... not that cool. Doesn't know how to relate to people, can't handle emotional pain at all, doing quantum mechanical calculations while he's trying to seduce his girlfriend. What a loser. I don't even care that he can teleport or prevent nuclear war or whatever. Kind of a dick.
The last thing I learned yesterday, more like realized, is that I put way too much effort into work. I could scale it down a little bit. Like, a lot. I stress myself way too much about whether I'm doing a good job, and I should actually probably bust my butt less. Other people are there to pick up any slack I leave, after all, and they can actually live without me for a little while.
And finally, this morning, I relearned a terrible fact: I hate, really hate, being in a long-distance relationship. I love the relationship I have with Justin, and being away from him? Really sucks. We get all crankypants and cynical without one another.
This is the last bona fide summer that I may get with Justin. Next summer, he'll probably have an internship in Cleveland and I'm shooting for one in London. The summer after that, I'll have graduated and by that time will probably have moved out because I'll have found a job. Maybe I'll be preparing for law school, but then that means that I'll still be in school for another three years. I really can't win, no matter how I slice it. It's not going to be over any time soon. I'm just surprised, every year, when I find that I have the emotional strength to do it.
Too much learning for summer, and I don't even get to go back to school yet. Something is wrong. Something is w-r-o-n-g wrong.
- Jen -
On Friday, I learned that the LG enV 3 is an amazing phone. I went with Justin to his family's wireless carrier, which is also the one my family uses. He decided to get the blue enV 3 as his new phone, and I'm completely... well, envious. It's got an amazing camera and a QWERTY keyboard on the inside. I really want the red one, but I'm getting a new phone when I go abroad (I think) and so I won't really need a new mobile phone in the States until my senior year or so. Might not even need one then, because my phone now can download ringtones and send picture messages just fine, and that's the most advanced things I do on it, besides set a friggin' alarm.
(Coincidentally, I also learned that I'm really not cool enough to use any kind of Blackberry. At least, for right now. We'll see if I learn any more about good cell phone deals while abroad.)
At work, I finally learned how to iron. This was kind of a literal trial by fire, because these clothes were supposed to be nicely pressed for a mannequin/model setup, and it had to be perfect anyways, but my boss (head honcho lady who is an absolute perfectionist) was actually teaching me how and in the room right next door. And two days later, I had to do it again. Oh well. At least $22.50 of my paycheck (before the freakin' government gets its grubby hands all up in there) was spent doing a basic household chore.
Again at work, I learned that ladders are bleeping heavy. Seriously. I'm kind of a small person, and I was trying to move a ladder that was three times as tall as myself and probably three times as heavy... just so I could reach two pairs of boxers for a customer. And they weren't even the right size.
Yesterday, I learned a lot. One of the things I learned is that migraines are actually rather incapacitating. I woke up with one and just felt like crying. So I called in sick, but no one believed me. What the crap? I couldn't work eight hours during the back to school rush with a migraine.
Then, when I went to run errands, I learned the hard way that it's kind of a bad idea to go into work to pick up my paycheck and held clothes when I called in because of my migraine. In hindsight, it seemed like a 'well, duh' moment, but it was supposed to be my 'birthday' and those clothes were for my birthday.
Again yesterday, while going out to dinner for my birthday, I kind of wanted to go out to Chili's, because it's affordable and I haven't been there for a while. And I learned that there is not a Chili's probably within 50 miles of me. However, I also learned that TGI Friday's is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. There's so much variety and everything is delicious. You could just point to something and say "I'll have this" and you'd enjoy it.
Yesterday, I also learned that Pop Rocks are just as delicious when you're nineteen as when you're nine. There's a candy store in downtown Dublin called MJ's, and it was voted the Columbus Monthly Candy Shop of 2009 or something like that, so Justin and I decided to check it out. Not so big, but they had a few specialty things... like Pop Rocks. And they were just as good as I remembered. Still looking like the Shock Tarts I used to eat constantly in middle school, though; they might not make them any more.
Again yesterday, I was watching Watchmen, which Justin got me for my 'birthday', and I learned that Doctor Manhattan is kind of a dick. (Partly literally; my nickname for him is the Giant Blue Schlong.) But really, he's just... not that cool. Doesn't know how to relate to people, can't handle emotional pain at all, doing quantum mechanical calculations while he's trying to seduce his girlfriend. What a loser. I don't even care that he can teleport or prevent nuclear war or whatever. Kind of a dick.
The last thing I learned yesterday, more like realized, is that I put way too much effort into work. I could scale it down a little bit. Like, a lot. I stress myself way too much about whether I'm doing a good job, and I should actually probably bust my butt less. Other people are there to pick up any slack I leave, after all, and they can actually live without me for a little while.
And finally, this morning, I relearned a terrible fact: I hate, really hate, being in a long-distance relationship. I love the relationship I have with Justin, and being away from him? Really sucks. We get all crankypants and cynical without one another.
This is the last bona fide summer that I may get with Justin. Next summer, he'll probably have an internship in Cleveland and I'm shooting for one in London. The summer after that, I'll have graduated and by that time will probably have moved out because I'll have found a job. Maybe I'll be preparing for law school, but then that means that I'll still be in school for another three years. I really can't win, no matter how I slice it. It's not going to be over any time soon. I'm just surprised, every year, when I find that I have the emotional strength to do it.
Too much learning for summer, and I don't even get to go back to school yet. Something is wrong. Something is w-r-o-n-g wrong.
- Jen -
12 August 2009
It's been a busy day.
Between ten this morning and right now, Things Have Happened.
I realized that I'm going to miss some distinctly American food while I'm abroad. Case in point: Hot Pockets, specifically the ham and cheese variety. Be mad all you'd like, but I love the stupid little microwaveable 'sandwiches'. All the same, I'm really looking forward to new culinary experiences too.
I beat the first Halo game, normal difficulty, on co-op today! Yes, I really am that slow and that noobish. I love video games, but I'm just not very good at them. It's sad really.
I went out to dinner with Justin and his parents to a place called Chili Verde. They've been voted best Mexican food in Columbus for a few years now, and they did not disappoint. Their salsa and their queso are both very good. My seafood chimichanga was also absolutely delicious. Somewhat expensive, but authentic. A lot of fun, even if that dinner does mean that it's the end of the summer for me and Justin.
The biggest part of the day, though, was that I saw my first Indiana Jones movie. Pathetic, right? I don't know how I've managed to go so much of my life without seeing one, but I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark tonight. It did not disappoint. I don't know how it could, with Han Solo and Gimli as main players and Michael Moore as a second director (no, not that Michael Moore, we checked on imdb). Steven Spielberg as director, John Williams on the soundtrack, produced by LucasArts... I didn't really realize how epic this movie was. What a classic. I'm still dumbfounded that I wasn't exposed to this earlier. Although I'm surprised that this movie received a PG rating, seeing that most video games that would depict that level of violence these days would receive an 'M for mature' rating... I guess they rationalized it by saying that Nazis weren't real human beings.
And now, even though I'm so, so ready to sleep, I need to trudge through paperwork to make sure I have everything I need for my visa biometrics appointment tomorrow morning. I'm very confused by a certain point, but hopefully things will be clarified for me by the time I get there. Oh, and I need to find the place. And fill out the appendix (still). May I never have to do this again.
For now, I'm off to watch a meteor shower. The last time I tried to watch one, I didn't see anything...
- Jen -
I realized that I'm going to miss some distinctly American food while I'm abroad. Case in point: Hot Pockets, specifically the ham and cheese variety. Be mad all you'd like, but I love the stupid little microwaveable 'sandwiches'. All the same, I'm really looking forward to new culinary experiences too.
I beat the first Halo game, normal difficulty, on co-op today! Yes, I really am that slow and that noobish. I love video games, but I'm just not very good at them. It's sad really.
I went out to dinner with Justin and his parents to a place called Chili Verde. They've been voted best Mexican food in Columbus for a few years now, and they did not disappoint. Their salsa and their queso are both very good. My seafood chimichanga was also absolutely delicious. Somewhat expensive, but authentic. A lot of fun, even if that dinner does mean that it's the end of the summer for me and Justin.
The biggest part of the day, though, was that I saw my first Indiana Jones movie. Pathetic, right? I don't know how I've managed to go so much of my life without seeing one, but I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark tonight. It did not disappoint. I don't know how it could, with Han Solo and Gimli as main players and Michael Moore as a second director (no, not that Michael Moore, we checked on imdb). Steven Spielberg as director, John Williams on the soundtrack, produced by LucasArts... I didn't really realize how epic this movie was. What a classic. I'm still dumbfounded that I wasn't exposed to this earlier. Although I'm surprised that this movie received a PG rating, seeing that most video games that would depict that level of violence these days would receive an 'M for mature' rating... I guess they rationalized it by saying that Nazis weren't real human beings.
And now, even though I'm so, so ready to sleep, I need to trudge through paperwork to make sure I have everything I need for my visa biometrics appointment tomorrow morning. I'm very confused by a certain point, but hopefully things will be clarified for me by the time I get there. Oh, and I need to find the place. And fill out the appendix (still). May I never have to do this again.
For now, I'm off to watch a meteor shower. The last time I tried to watch one, I didn't see anything...
- Jen -
11 August 2009
UK Visa application.
I realized that I kind of glossed over the whole visa application process in my last post, so I suppose I'll go over some of the details in this one.
So we got our visa letters at the very end of July. During the school year, our approximate date for receiving them was set at July 4. Needless to say, I was a little worried when they didn't show up on time. It takes what, four to six weeks to complete the visa application process, and I don't want to run any risks that I won't have the necessary documentation to enter the UK.
So we finally get the letters and I start the process pretty much immediately. The preliminary application is accessible online, but there's a lot of information that the UK requires from us; they're not going to let just anyone get into Harry-Potter-land, you know. There's your basic a/s/l that they ask for, of course, but then they ask funky things like your birthplace, and it gets complicated if you can't remember whether the hospital you were born in falls within a certain city's limits. Perhaps I was just overthinking.
Second trip-up was the city of issuance for my passport. Current passports (circa 2005 I think) do not actually include the city which processed your application on the passport itself. The issuing authority, which used to be the city of issuance, is now merely the US Dept. of State. This gets complicated when the UK asks for your passport's city of issuance. Shouldn't they know by now that US passports don't contain this information? I mean, it's been four years. And this question didn't fool just me; it also got a few others in my group as well. I just hope that the UK recognizes that the Dept. of State can totally be a city.
Another thing: Why do they need my mother's family name? It's complicated enough that they call it a patronymic, a word that even Little Miss Smarty-pants needed to look up on dictionary.com. But then to confuse me by asking, essentially, for my mother's name at birth? Why do they need that? That hasn't been her legal name for 21 years now.
Then, as my friend AJ so cleverly pointed out, they have a question and answer session trying to get you to prove that you're not a terrorist. I just kinda laughed my way through these, because honestly, do you think a terrorist wouldn't lie about his terrorist qualifications in order to get into a country like this? I mean, you're told to tell the truth and everything, but if you're really hell (or, I guess, heaven) bent on starting terrorist activity once you're in a country, why wouldn't you lie and just say, "no, I'm not a terrorist"?
Then, after going through this online preliminary process, you're told to schedule a biometrics appointment at a nearby consulate. Turns out that there's an office in Columbus, but we don't have a drop box here, so I have to ship it with my own money. I was confused, because I thought the nearest consulate was in Chicago, but apparently all they need are my fingerprints and a photo ID that looks like my passport photo. Again, I'm confused. Aren't everyone's fingerprints on file in the United States by now? Why can't they just dredge those up themselves without me having to actually come in for an appointment? And why can't I just send in a photo, while I'm 'on my honour' anyways, and just claim 'yeah, that's me'?
Then, at the actual biometrics appointment, they want all sorts of documents from you. Check out this list of several things you never thought you'd need but apparently won't be able to enter the country without:
-your old passport or a copy of it
-a recent color passport-style photograph
-'evidence of funds available to you'*
-a 'certificate' confirming you have continuing studies
*I have no idea what this really means for us. Sure, at one of our meetings we were told to have at least US$1000 in a steady bank account, but we were also given notice that we will be given US$1200 over the course of nine months as a stipend. So which proof do we actually need? More on that later; an email needs to be sent.
And in addition to all of this, for a student like me there's also an additional appendix to fill out. On actual paper, too. So that's my job for today. Fill out the six-page, extremely complicated appendix form, figure out how I prove that I have enough money to eat, and find my extra passport photos and my old child's passport.
*****
So, as some of you may notice, I changed the title of the blog. As Justin pointed out, having Google search eliminate two of your blog title's words makes it hard for it to show up on Google's front page. I chose the new title partly because I'm a huge nerd and love the concept of escape velocity (well, any kind of velocity really - terminal velocity is another of my favorites), but also because that's what my life looks like it will be doing in the next few years while I blog about it. I'm going to have so much momentum behind me that it will probably feel like I can just slingshot off the face of the earth. The two words separately also enthrall me. I'm 'escaping' to the UK to fulfill my dream of living there, and I'm going to have intense 'velocity' as I continue adding to my life experiences through travel, culinary adventure, and small moments every day.
Speaking of small moments, stitches are out and I don't have skin cancer. That's good news for me. However, Justin's summer is quickly winding down and we don't have a lot of time left before he leaves for college. Welcome back, long-distance relationship, my old friend.
Yesterday we spent a lot of time at COSI, which is like a science museum only cooler. There are exhibits like Gadgets (take apart computers in a cafe! learn how simple machines like levers, pulleys, and gear systems work! play with transistors, make the charge of a battery light an LED, and figure out why a stream of air will keep a ball buoyant!), Ocean (go inside a two-man submarine! suck up divers' helium and listen to your voice change! figure out wave physics! discover what makes a water vortex!), Progress (look at the same street from 1892 to 1962 and see what has changed! authentic artifacts from both time periods included! cheesy dialogue required!), Space (play with flight simulators! walk through a tunnel simulating the inside of a black hole! strap yourself into a space station toilet! practice grabbing rocks with robot arms!), Life (strange x-rays of pregnant dogs and abdominal shrapnel! pickled fetuses! diagrams of giving birth! shrunken heads from South America!), and the outdoor Science Park (lift a car using a long lever! go on a ride using centripetal force to drop the floor from under your feet! shout into an echoing well! whisper across the park using elliptical 'whisper catcher' dishes!).
Some more attractions included a high-wire unicycle (yes, this is possible; there is a weight on the bottom supposedly keeping you from ever losing your balance), a traveling exhibit using pictures from outer space telescopes to illustrate galaxies and nebulae in far-flung reaches of the universe, and a temporary exhibit on ancient Egypt that was fascinating. And the whole experience is totally interactive, so it's hands-on science. The center is mostly for younger kids, I'd say around middle school age. I remember going on field trips when I was younger to see some of the exhibits, and it's mostly like a huge playplace where one also learns about SCIENCE. It also makes for a great date experience, though, so I'm glad I was able to go before the summer ended.
Enough from me. I have visa papers to get together, shopping to do, and boyfriend-hanging-out to plan.
- Jen -
So we got our visa letters at the very end of July. During the school year, our approximate date for receiving them was set at July 4. Needless to say, I was a little worried when they didn't show up on time. It takes what, four to six weeks to complete the visa application process, and I don't want to run any risks that I won't have the necessary documentation to enter the UK.
So we finally get the letters and I start the process pretty much immediately. The preliminary application is accessible online, but there's a lot of information that the UK requires from us; they're not going to let just anyone get into Harry-Potter-land, you know. There's your basic a/s/l that they ask for, of course, but then they ask funky things like your birthplace, and it gets complicated if you can't remember whether the hospital you were born in falls within a certain city's limits. Perhaps I was just overthinking.
Second trip-up was the city of issuance for my passport. Current passports (circa 2005 I think) do not actually include the city which processed your application on the passport itself. The issuing authority, which used to be the city of issuance, is now merely the US Dept. of State. This gets complicated when the UK asks for your passport's city of issuance. Shouldn't they know by now that US passports don't contain this information? I mean, it's been four years. And this question didn't fool just me; it also got a few others in my group as well. I just hope that the UK recognizes that the Dept. of State can totally be a city.
Another thing: Why do they need my mother's family name? It's complicated enough that they call it a patronymic, a word that even Little Miss Smarty-pants needed to look up on dictionary.com. But then to confuse me by asking, essentially, for my mother's name at birth? Why do they need that? That hasn't been her legal name for 21 years now.
Then, as my friend AJ so cleverly pointed out, they have a question and answer session trying to get you to prove that you're not a terrorist. I just kinda laughed my way through these, because honestly, do you think a terrorist wouldn't lie about his terrorist qualifications in order to get into a country like this? I mean, you're told to tell the truth and everything, but if you're really hell (or, I guess, heaven) bent on starting terrorist activity once you're in a country, why wouldn't you lie and just say, "no, I'm not a terrorist"?
Then, after going through this online preliminary process, you're told to schedule a biometrics appointment at a nearby consulate. Turns out that there's an office in Columbus, but we don't have a drop box here, so I have to ship it with my own money. I was confused, because I thought the nearest consulate was in Chicago, but apparently all they need are my fingerprints and a photo ID that looks like my passport photo. Again, I'm confused. Aren't everyone's fingerprints on file in the United States by now? Why can't they just dredge those up themselves without me having to actually come in for an appointment? And why can't I just send in a photo, while I'm 'on my honour' anyways, and just claim 'yeah, that's me'?
Then, at the actual biometrics appointment, they want all sorts of documents from you. Check out this list of several things you never thought you'd need but apparently won't be able to enter the country without:
-your old passport or a copy of it
-a recent color passport-style photograph
-'evidence of funds available to you'*
-a 'certificate' confirming you have continuing studies
*I have no idea what this really means for us. Sure, at one of our meetings we were told to have at least US$1000 in a steady bank account, but we were also given notice that we will be given US$1200 over the course of nine months as a stipend. So which proof do we actually need? More on that later; an email needs to be sent.
And in addition to all of this, for a student like me there's also an additional appendix to fill out. On actual paper, too. So that's my job for today. Fill out the six-page, extremely complicated appendix form, figure out how I prove that I have enough money to eat, and find my extra passport photos and my old child's passport.
*****
So, as some of you may notice, I changed the title of the blog. As Justin pointed out, having Google search eliminate two of your blog title's words makes it hard for it to show up on Google's front page. I chose the new title partly because I'm a huge nerd and love the concept of escape velocity (well, any kind of velocity really - terminal velocity is another of my favorites), but also because that's what my life looks like it will be doing in the next few years while I blog about it. I'm going to have so much momentum behind me that it will probably feel like I can just slingshot off the face of the earth. The two words separately also enthrall me. I'm 'escaping' to the UK to fulfill my dream of living there, and I'm going to have intense 'velocity' as I continue adding to my life experiences through travel, culinary adventure, and small moments every day.
Speaking of small moments, stitches are out and I don't have skin cancer. That's good news for me. However, Justin's summer is quickly winding down and we don't have a lot of time left before he leaves for college. Welcome back, long-distance relationship, my old friend.
Yesterday we spent a lot of time at COSI, which is like a science museum only cooler. There are exhibits like Gadgets (take apart computers in a cafe! learn how simple machines like levers, pulleys, and gear systems work! play with transistors, make the charge of a battery light an LED, and figure out why a stream of air will keep a ball buoyant!), Ocean (go inside a two-man submarine! suck up divers' helium and listen to your voice change! figure out wave physics! discover what makes a water vortex!), Progress (look at the same street from 1892 to 1962 and see what has changed! authentic artifacts from both time periods included! cheesy dialogue required!), Space (play with flight simulators! walk through a tunnel simulating the inside of a black hole! strap yourself into a space station toilet! practice grabbing rocks with robot arms!), Life (strange x-rays of pregnant dogs and abdominal shrapnel! pickled fetuses! diagrams of giving birth! shrunken heads from South America!), and the outdoor Science Park (lift a car using a long lever! go on a ride using centripetal force to drop the floor from under your feet! shout into an echoing well! whisper across the park using elliptical 'whisper catcher' dishes!).
Some more attractions included a high-wire unicycle (yes, this is possible; there is a weight on the bottom supposedly keeping you from ever losing your balance), a traveling exhibit using pictures from outer space telescopes to illustrate galaxies and nebulae in far-flung reaches of the universe, and a temporary exhibit on ancient Egypt that was fascinating. And the whole experience is totally interactive, so it's hands-on science. The center is mostly for younger kids, I'd say around middle school age. I remember going on field trips when I was younger to see some of the exhibits, and it's mostly like a huge playplace where one also learns about SCIENCE. It also makes for a great date experience, though, so I'm glad I was able to go before the summer ended.
Enough from me. I have visa papers to get together, shopping to do, and boyfriend-hanging-out to plan.
- Jen -
04 August 2009
Just a collection of small moments.
Applying for a visa is unnecessarily difficult. With the way passports are issued now, part of the information that these people need is actually not available to us. And how exactly am I supposed to show proof of some of the things they want? Thankfully, I don't have my biometrics appointment until next week. Biometrics sounds so intense, but I think all it is is a passport-sized photograph and fingerprints. And thank goodness I've never had any kind of traffic infraction; it's counted as a criminal offense. Crossing my fingers that I don't get one in the next month and a half.
Yesterday was fun. Justin and I went out bowling and had what I consider to be Columbus' best pizza on our way. Next time any one of you are in town, check out Massey's. It's delicious. Also on the way, Justin and I both had our first experience inside a Waterbeds 'n' Stuff. (I still have no idea why we went in there, except just to say that we did.) As far as bowling went, Justin is much better than I am; I suspect it's because he's been lifting this summer and could use a heavier ball. As it was, I still have stitches in my back and my arm was hurtin' somethin' fierce, so I scored a 77 while he scored a 140. Pretty impressive on his part.
I have many days of work in front of me. Switching from summer to fall is grueling, but it's nice to have a job. Not much else to say right now other than I'd like to rewatch LOST sometime soon.
- Jen -
Yesterday was fun. Justin and I went out bowling and had what I consider to be Columbus' best pizza on our way. Next time any one of you are in town, check out Massey's. It's delicious. Also on the way, Justin and I both had our first experience inside a Waterbeds 'n' Stuff. (I still have no idea why we went in there, except just to say that we did.) As far as bowling went, Justin is much better than I am; I suspect it's because he's been lifting this summer and could use a heavier ball. As it was, I still have stitches in my back and my arm was hurtin' somethin' fierce, so I scored a 77 while he scored a 140. Pretty impressive on his part.
I have many days of work in front of me. Switching from summer to fall is grueling, but it's nice to have a job. Not much else to say right now other than I'd like to rewatch LOST sometime soon.
- Jen -
02 August 2009
Dublin Irish Festival experience.
My friend decided to come down from Cleveland to see me this weekend. That's because my city, as I think I mentioned in my first post, has the world's largest Irish festival (that's not actually in Ireland). I think our goal this year was 100k visitors, and I think we might have made it; record-breaking turnout on Friday night seems to lean in that direction.
Anyways, AJ came in late-ish on Friday night after dropping off a girl he knew on Ohio State's campus. We decided that it was worth our entry fee for the day to go to the Festival for about an hour to see Gaelic Storm perform. Honestly, I didn't like them as well as some of the other bands I saw, but that's just me; they were okay. It gave AJ a little bit of time to see what he was really getting himself into with this whole stay-with-Jen-for-a-weekend shenanigans.
My brother left for band camp on Saturday morning, so it was just us four in the house for the rest of the weekend. AJ and I didn't really get moving to go to the festival until about 1:30, but by the time we got there, we still had plenty of things to see and do. Lots of vendors come in every year, and in particular AJ was entranced by some of the photography and paintings. There was one vendor who actually did cast paper. Think about it: you make a relief from wax, make a rubber molding of your wax relief, then press paper pulp into the rubberized mold. Voila! Cast paper. Then, of course, they were elaborately painted. Amazing stuff.
We got to learn about physics all day. One of the first events AJ wanted to see was some of the highlander sports that were available. The event was sheaf-tossing. (Sidebar: NOT SHEEP TOSSING. We have been trying to explain this to people over the phone for a long time, and everyone seemed to think that the bales of wheat would bleat as they were being thrown. NOT THE CASE. No animals were harmed during this Festival.) So we got to see these burly men trying different techniques, like where their pitchfork would grab the bag, where they would stand to hurl this (20-pound) weight over what looked like a pole-vaulting setup, etc. Too bad we got there too late for the caber toss. There was also some free-stone throwing going on (like less-glorified shotput, if there is such a thing.)
Then we headed to learn how to Irish dance, but it was mainly an elaborate square-dance and not the step-dancing (kicks, etc.) I was hoping for. We saw that there were dart lessons taking place in the 'pub', so we stopped in. More physics! A professional dart player (didn't know there was such a thing) stopped by and gave us a few pointers as to basic form, then set us loose knowing the rules of Cricket. (Yes, it is a dart game.) Basic rules: Get three each of 20 through 15 and three bulls-eyes. Whoever gets there first is the winner.
While we were throwing darts, AJ's brother Alex came up from Oxford. Diversion: What is it with Ohio and its international city names? There's Lima, London, Oxford, Dublin... Newark, although that's technically in Jersey so not too international. There's even a Hicksville (literally, that's what the town is named). So no, this isn't Oxford, UK, where I will be studying, although there is a university in Oxford, OH: Miami University. Which is NOT the same as the University of Miami, which is in Florida. OHIO IS CONFUSING. Anyhow. Alex met up with us while we were in the pub and joined in on our game of Cricket. After a while, my stitches started acting up, so I had to quit, but it was interesting to see how close the game was (with two amateurs, there wasn't much 'competition' per se).
Then we met up with my parents for dinner. They had been waiting at the rock pavilion, which is one of our five (yes) stages that we have set up for various performing guests to come in. I had fish and chips for dinner and one of those shake-up lemonades that you'll always find at the fair. Major carnie food available. Alex got some kind of stew in a bread bowl, and AJ got food from our local German restaurant (although, it must be said, they make good bangers). We met up with my parents and watched a band called the Young Dubliners. I thoroughly enjoyed them, to the point where I bought their most recent CD, Saints and Sinners. One of the guys in their band was playing some kind of bladder instrument that I couldn't quite make out, but it was the same guy who recorded some of the music for Braveheart. (Requisite cry of FREEDOM! included.)
Then AJ, Alex, and I realized that there was an entire half of the festival we hadn't even been to yet. (One of these days, I will find a map of how big this festival has become over the past decade, since I've lived here. It's HUGE now. Used to just be in the part we hadn't even gotten to yet.) On our way, in one of the artisan workshops, we saw a little girl who couldn't have been more than seven, pounding a chisel in order to create a wood relief. AJ and Alex, with their impeccable baby radar, were enthralled by this strange phenomenon.
Anyhow. In order to get to the other half of the festival, we had to walk by these period reenactors, and... you guessed it, MORE PHYSICS! We learned how to hand-make rope (this very interesting contraption that uses torque in order to force the strings to bind together in a twisting fashion). We also learned what is most effective in terms of the design of chain mail. Yes, there are different designs, and some help keep the blade from sticking in your mail and ripping off your shoulder. Also, helmets are cone-shaped because it helped the sword blows to the head from denting your helmet and instead forced the blow to glance off towards the shoulders, again a reason why your mail should always be facing in the right direction. More information about how heavy this stuff actually is (30 lbs. for a shield, 38 lbs. of full chain mail, 7 lbs. for a helmet, 5 lbs. for the chain mail that goes under the helmet, a 20 lb. pack on your back, plus weaponry) made me wonder why these people ever went to war in the first place.
While it was finally getting dark, we cruised around the vendors and food available in this all-new area, until we heard clacking. That's the mating call of the Irish step dancer, people. So we go to this stage, and it's the Richens Timm Academy of Irish Dance. And these people are not messing around. During the competitions that took place at my high school Friday and Saturday, these people had managed to train seven world qualifying dancers. Some had placed second or third in North American competitions.
Here's a story that you probably couldn't find anywhere else: At one point during this dancing, with mostly people my age performing, a little boy is sent out on stage. I look at him, thinking it's a gimmick, until he actually starts dancing. This kid is a progete. He's a miracle. He's dancing like I've never seen an adult dance before. And when he bows and leaves the stage, we learn that little Colin is six years old and that he's currently in third place in the world overall. Not just in his age group. Thus why I've created a new slogan for my city: Only in Dublin. Only in Dublin would you see this kind of horrifying yet gorgeous showmanship.
After watching more of their fabulous dancers, we headed back to the rock stage for the third time that night to watch Prodigal. Again, I didn't like them as much as I liked the Young Dubliners, but they were okay. More of notice during this performance was the amount of alcohol that had been flowing throughout the day was actually starting to catch up with these people. Stumbling, slurring, obnoxious behavior, you got it all. By this time Alex had managed to catch up with one of his friends from Powell, a small town about five to ten minutes away from where I live in Dublin. So the four of us are just trying to listen to this band relatively peacefully, but of course we can't, because we're sober and everyone else is not.
I don't understand how this phenomenon takes place at our Festival. We have a system by which you have to buy 'tokens' which are then exchanged at selected beverage stations for beer, wine, mixed drinks, soda, or water. Tokens are $2. Once you get to the beverage station, soda or water is one token, and alcoholic drinks are three. This means that each alcoholic drink costs six dollars. Yet before my eyes I'm seeing people who are definitely in the process of getting smashed. This means that these people have probably spent thirty dollars at least on just alcohol, let alone food and entry fees. I don't understand this, I really don't. It's not THAT much more fun drunk.
So, after getting hit on a few more times than necessary, I decided it was time to run back to my car, parked at the Mormon church, and call it a night.
This morning AJ and I headed out early so that he and I could get to our church services. AJ decided to meet up with his brother so that they could go to the Catholic mass spoken in Gaelic ("if it looks unpronounceable, it is"). I decided to go to the interfaith service with Justin (whatever, that's my boyfriend's name, no one else is anonymous here). His church sponsors the only service at the Festival that isn't Catholic, and I enjoy the one time a year that I go to hear his pastor. After the service, I bought funnel cake for breakfast. You can laugh or jeer if you want, but I had been craving one since last Thursday and I finally had what I wanted. Since it was Justin's first day at the festival, I mapped out where we should go. We went to see the Young Dubliners again once we had eaten breakfast. Their setlist was the same, but I didn't mind. After a little more wandering and a little more darts, Alex left us to go back home to Carmel (right outside Indianapolis, Indiana).
Around 2:30 we decided to start wrapping things up. At a certain point, even I get all Irish'd out. So we bought some candy from the import shop (and let me tell you, I can't wait to have all the UK candy available, though it isn't as good as Japanese candy for sure). We were almost home until AJ reminded me that he wanted to go see our quaint, historical downtown area for some local ice cream. Jeni's is fantastic. They have a lot of gourmet flavors. Black coffee actually tastes like coffee smells. I had a 'kona stout' taste today, and it did taste like stout, and then mild coffee. Delicious. AJ got this mixture of 'backyard mint', 'goat cheese with roasted red cherries' (like cheesecake ice cream), and some sort of cherries jubilee. He tried the chocolate cayenne, which is my brother's new favorite, but he didn't care for it.
After Jeni's, it was time for AJ to pack up, get his friend from OSU, and head back to Cleveland. He's texted me that all is well, and hopefully I'll have time to read his blog entry. (This one is almost as long as the ones he writes!) I'm exhausted. It was fun being a host, especially since I was used to having another boy in the house, but AJ is very high energy, and I can only keep up with so much at once. I'm exhausted right now, and I should probably sleep, but I needed time to document what turned out to be a very nice weekend.
This upcoming week looks like Secret Projects, plus a lot of work, plus perhaps going to COSI tomorrow with Justin. Ohhhh I'm so tired.
- Jen -
Anyways, AJ came in late-ish on Friday night after dropping off a girl he knew on Ohio State's campus. We decided that it was worth our entry fee for the day to go to the Festival for about an hour to see Gaelic Storm perform. Honestly, I didn't like them as well as some of the other bands I saw, but that's just me; they were okay. It gave AJ a little bit of time to see what he was really getting himself into with this whole stay-with-Jen-for-a-weekend shenanigans.
My brother left for band camp on Saturday morning, so it was just us four in the house for the rest of the weekend. AJ and I didn't really get moving to go to the festival until about 1:30, but by the time we got there, we still had plenty of things to see and do. Lots of vendors come in every year, and in particular AJ was entranced by some of the photography and paintings. There was one vendor who actually did cast paper. Think about it: you make a relief from wax, make a rubber molding of your wax relief, then press paper pulp into the rubberized mold. Voila! Cast paper. Then, of course, they were elaborately painted. Amazing stuff.
We got to learn about physics all day. One of the first events AJ wanted to see was some of the highlander sports that were available. The event was sheaf-tossing. (Sidebar: NOT SHEEP TOSSING. We have been trying to explain this to people over the phone for a long time, and everyone seemed to think that the bales of wheat would bleat as they were being thrown. NOT THE CASE. No animals were harmed during this Festival.) So we got to see these burly men trying different techniques, like where their pitchfork would grab the bag, where they would stand to hurl this (20-pound) weight over what looked like a pole-vaulting setup, etc. Too bad we got there too late for the caber toss. There was also some free-stone throwing going on (like less-glorified shotput, if there is such a thing.)
Then we headed to learn how to Irish dance, but it was mainly an elaborate square-dance and not the step-dancing (kicks, etc.) I was hoping for. We saw that there were dart lessons taking place in the 'pub', so we stopped in. More physics! A professional dart player (didn't know there was such a thing) stopped by and gave us a few pointers as to basic form, then set us loose knowing the rules of Cricket. (Yes, it is a dart game.) Basic rules: Get three each of 20 through 15 and three bulls-eyes. Whoever gets there first is the winner.
While we were throwing darts, AJ's brother Alex came up from Oxford. Diversion: What is it with Ohio and its international city names? There's Lima, London, Oxford, Dublin... Newark, although that's technically in Jersey so not too international. There's even a Hicksville (literally, that's what the town is named). So no, this isn't Oxford, UK, where I will be studying, although there is a university in Oxford, OH: Miami University. Which is NOT the same as the University of Miami, which is in Florida. OHIO IS CONFUSING. Anyhow. Alex met up with us while we were in the pub and joined in on our game of Cricket. After a while, my stitches started acting up, so I had to quit, but it was interesting to see how close the game was (with two amateurs, there wasn't much 'competition' per se).
Then we met up with my parents for dinner. They had been waiting at the rock pavilion, which is one of our five (yes) stages that we have set up for various performing guests to come in. I had fish and chips for dinner and one of those shake-up lemonades that you'll always find at the fair. Major carnie food available. Alex got some kind of stew in a bread bowl, and AJ got food from our local German restaurant (although, it must be said, they make good bangers). We met up with my parents and watched a band called the Young Dubliners. I thoroughly enjoyed them, to the point where I bought their most recent CD, Saints and Sinners. One of the guys in their band was playing some kind of bladder instrument that I couldn't quite make out, but it was the same guy who recorded some of the music for Braveheart. (Requisite cry of FREEDOM! included.)
Then AJ, Alex, and I realized that there was an entire half of the festival we hadn't even been to yet. (One of these days, I will find a map of how big this festival has become over the past decade, since I've lived here. It's HUGE now. Used to just be in the part we hadn't even gotten to yet.) On our way, in one of the artisan workshops, we saw a little girl who couldn't have been more than seven, pounding a chisel in order to create a wood relief. AJ and Alex, with their impeccable baby radar, were enthralled by this strange phenomenon.
Anyhow. In order to get to the other half of the festival, we had to walk by these period reenactors, and... you guessed it, MORE PHYSICS! We learned how to hand-make rope (this very interesting contraption that uses torque in order to force the strings to bind together in a twisting fashion). We also learned what is most effective in terms of the design of chain mail. Yes, there are different designs, and some help keep the blade from sticking in your mail and ripping off your shoulder. Also, helmets are cone-shaped because it helped the sword blows to the head from denting your helmet and instead forced the blow to glance off towards the shoulders, again a reason why your mail should always be facing in the right direction. More information about how heavy this stuff actually is (30 lbs. for a shield, 38 lbs. of full chain mail, 7 lbs. for a helmet, 5 lbs. for the chain mail that goes under the helmet, a 20 lb. pack on your back, plus weaponry) made me wonder why these people ever went to war in the first place.
While it was finally getting dark, we cruised around the vendors and food available in this all-new area, until we heard clacking. That's the mating call of the Irish step dancer, people. So we go to this stage, and it's the Richens Timm Academy of Irish Dance. And these people are not messing around. During the competitions that took place at my high school Friday and Saturday, these people had managed to train seven world qualifying dancers. Some had placed second or third in North American competitions.
Here's a story that you probably couldn't find anywhere else: At one point during this dancing, with mostly people my age performing, a little boy is sent out on stage. I look at him, thinking it's a gimmick, until he actually starts dancing. This kid is a progete. He's a miracle. He's dancing like I've never seen an adult dance before. And when he bows and leaves the stage, we learn that little Colin is six years old and that he's currently in third place in the world overall. Not just in his age group. Thus why I've created a new slogan for my city: Only in Dublin. Only in Dublin would you see this kind of horrifying yet gorgeous showmanship.
After watching more of their fabulous dancers, we headed back to the rock stage for the third time that night to watch Prodigal. Again, I didn't like them as much as I liked the Young Dubliners, but they were okay. More of notice during this performance was the amount of alcohol that had been flowing throughout the day was actually starting to catch up with these people. Stumbling, slurring, obnoxious behavior, you got it all. By this time Alex had managed to catch up with one of his friends from Powell, a small town about five to ten minutes away from where I live in Dublin. So the four of us are just trying to listen to this band relatively peacefully, but of course we can't, because we're sober and everyone else is not.
I don't understand how this phenomenon takes place at our Festival. We have a system by which you have to buy 'tokens' which are then exchanged at selected beverage stations for beer, wine, mixed drinks, soda, or water. Tokens are $2. Once you get to the beverage station, soda or water is one token, and alcoholic drinks are three. This means that each alcoholic drink costs six dollars. Yet before my eyes I'm seeing people who are definitely in the process of getting smashed. This means that these people have probably spent thirty dollars at least on just alcohol, let alone food and entry fees. I don't understand this, I really don't. It's not THAT much more fun drunk.
So, after getting hit on a few more times than necessary, I decided it was time to run back to my car, parked at the Mormon church, and call it a night.
This morning AJ and I headed out early so that he and I could get to our church services. AJ decided to meet up with his brother so that they could go to the Catholic mass spoken in Gaelic ("if it looks unpronounceable, it is"). I decided to go to the interfaith service with Justin (whatever, that's my boyfriend's name, no one else is anonymous here). His church sponsors the only service at the Festival that isn't Catholic, and I enjoy the one time a year that I go to hear his pastor. After the service, I bought funnel cake for breakfast. You can laugh or jeer if you want, but I had been craving one since last Thursday and I finally had what I wanted. Since it was Justin's first day at the festival, I mapped out where we should go. We went to see the Young Dubliners again once we had eaten breakfast. Their setlist was the same, but I didn't mind. After a little more wandering and a little more darts, Alex left us to go back home to Carmel (right outside Indianapolis, Indiana).
Around 2:30 we decided to start wrapping things up. At a certain point, even I get all Irish'd out. So we bought some candy from the import shop (and let me tell you, I can't wait to have all the UK candy available, though it isn't as good as Japanese candy for sure). We were almost home until AJ reminded me that he wanted to go see our quaint, historical downtown area for some local ice cream. Jeni's is fantastic. They have a lot of gourmet flavors. Black coffee actually tastes like coffee smells. I had a 'kona stout' taste today, and it did taste like stout, and then mild coffee. Delicious. AJ got this mixture of 'backyard mint', 'goat cheese with roasted red cherries' (like cheesecake ice cream), and some sort of cherries jubilee. He tried the chocolate cayenne, which is my brother's new favorite, but he didn't care for it.
After Jeni's, it was time for AJ to pack up, get his friend from OSU, and head back to Cleveland. He's texted me that all is well, and hopefully I'll have time to read his blog entry. (This one is almost as long as the ones he writes!) I'm exhausted. It was fun being a host, especially since I was used to having another boy in the house, but AJ is very high energy, and I can only keep up with so much at once. I'm exhausted right now, and I should probably sleep, but I needed time to document what turned out to be a very nice weekend.
This upcoming week looks like Secret Projects, plus a lot of work, plus perhaps going to COSI tomorrow with Justin. Ohhhh I'm so tired.
- Jen -
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