I know everyone is just so excited that it’s Outdoor Festival Season here in Seattle…even though the sun just refuses to come out, thereby lessening some of the pleasure, in my opinion. However, you’re excited anyway because you know I’ll be giving you the down low on every outdoor thing I go to, right?
Well, no, actually, tonight I’m going to spare you. I’m just going to mention a couple of things about Folk Life and then we can get on with your regularly scheduled program of a) talking about my various friends, and b) whining about how I ain’t got no job, ain’t got no money, and I’m broke. Okay?
A Conversation Overheard By Chiara While Having Her Picture Taken While Sitting in a Lovely Wooden Fairy-Throne-Like Chair
Strung Out Teenager:Aw, yall. That thing is so Tolkein!
Strung Out Teenager II: Aw, man. That thing is like, so mystical.
Strung Out Teenager III: Sheeeeeit. Look at this price tag, yall! Four hunnerd dollars!
SOT2: Aw, man, let me just whip out my checkbook.
SOT3: For reals.
SOT1:I kind of like it. Like to have it in my room. Just sit up in there and be all, yo, I’m a princess, what you need?
SOT3: Girl, you can’t have that in your room! That thing has, like, squirrels and shit in it!
SOT1: Man, Princess Amidala, yall!
Chiara and Carl:[running away] Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Carl and I did some contradancing, which was hysterical for many reasons, the first being that we had no idea what contradance was. Didn’t stop us though! We just hopped in line and went for it, and most of the other people in our “set” were very nice about our complete ineptitude. It’s like very enthusiastic English Country Dancing, for all you Jane Austen geeks out there, or sort of like square dancing, for all you other types of geeks. Super fun. Also, we went to a waltz workshop, which was pretty good, but neither of us has waltzed in forever, and the people giving the workshop decided to get all arty and teach us a waltz that started on the right foot, for the lead. Now, you know and I know that when we waltz, we start on the lead’s left, right? I mean, correct? Yeah, well, that screwed us up for the rest of the time, but we didn’t care. We just, as with the contradance, went for it, and apologized to everyone we ran into .
We ate some fair food…including the fantastic Kenyan Sambusas, which were delectable in every way and have a name perfectly suited for yelling across a crowded greenway at your beloved: “Saaaaaaaaaam Bu!Sa! Get in line, sweetie!” Try it! It’s fun! We saw lots of hippies, lots and lots and lots of hippies, with their dogs and their hacky sacks and their baggy pants and their drum circles. Went to see some Middle Eastern folk dance by one of my old bellydance teachers. Saw an photo exhibit about the history of logging in Western Washington. Took the bus there and back, which was fabulous. Oh, and Carl finally got to have an Elephant Ear, which I’m guessing he liked as I only got about three bites of it.
So, you know, weekends don’t mean a ton to the unemployed, but having a long one was nice nonetheless. I hope all yall people with jobs enjoyed your days off, and that you did something fun as well.
PS My dear friend Amy, has started her very own journal here. So far she’s only got one entry, but keep an eye on this kid, she’s going to go far!