It's been a few weeks since I last blogged. Why did it take a long time to blog again? Well, I started working again. It should feel good, right? I mean, working is making money, however little that is, still better than not earning for a living. Here is the thing though---how much do a person have to make to be making a living.
I honestly don't think American small businesses pay their workers any thing they deserve. Often the hardest workers get little pay, unless they work for the government, in which case they are taken care of most of time.
I know I am whining, but that's because I am a mild proletariat revolutionary. Okay, that is an exaggeration, but you get my point.
I don't want to talk about politics now; it is a year away---more than an eternity in politics.
I do want to talk what I did this summer so far before I completely forget:
Start from last weekend, we went to the Renaissance Fair in Tuxedo, NY, one a hour and a half from the city. I went with my Lutheran buddies---Dan, Kelly, Kate, Kelly's friend Missy.
Kelly drove the rented minivan. First thing on the road I noticed Interstate 80---it is the interstate that starts from one coast to another coast, east to west, the whole 3000 miles. I used to drive on it all the time in California Berkeley. I almost felt home sick. Oh boy.
We knew in advance that it was going to rain that day. For that reason, Kristine even canceled her trip with us. But the rest of the us braved on---I am glad we did, we had a lot of fun:
I have never been to Renaissance Fair, though I have heard of friends talked about their experience in it. It was really better than I thought. Tuxedo actually has the better RF than some other places, I heard from Missy, and it was really so nice to me, very calm and yet exciting. I guess folks in the middle ages were quite like that, you know, without TVs, radios, cars, etc, just idyllic, rustic, country life.
I saw so many things; too many to list one by one. People were dressed in their funny medieval/pirate addresses. (Why they dress their pirate suits? Beats me but I adventure to say those were left-over dresses from some Halloween.) We did dress up, we were not that serious about this event but if we ever go there again maybe I will suggest that we do bring some customs to make it more fun.
I am watching College Football USC playing Minnesota as I am typing. It's the Labor Day weekend, and I have worked pretty hard in the past few weeks. I want to type it down before I forget---sometimes work can get to you, make you forget about fun things. So watch out I'd better.
I think they were getting some falafels---yes falafels in the Renaissance. To make my Renaissance experience more authentic, I decided not to eat that or hot dogs.
USC just scored the first touch down.
Back to the story, okay while they were waiting in line to get food, I went across to the leather shop for some window shopping. Nothing was on sale, well everything was hand-crafted, including wrist guards, mug holder, quiver, chest plate. I tried the wrist guards. But I realized I don't have a sword or a bow to go with it. Later in the day I would get a bow as a souvenir.
We went the glass blowing shop after that. Kate was lost for a second, Kelly had to make a call. They were glad to have cellphones in our fake Renaissance time.
I hadn't seen how they make glass that way, not the whole process at least. It was actually a half-hour work, involving several trips taking the glass in and out of the furnace. You can probably find the correct and detailed information on how to make blown glasses on line, so I won't get into it here. What surprised me were:
1, you don't blow the glass that much, you spin it.
2, you can add color during the process by crumming it dye crystals.
3, you add the buttom of the glass in the end.
4. glass opening can be very small until the end.
Next, to the...uh, I forgot where we went. I think we stroke along the Renaissance park, or kingdom. We walked passed a purple-roped wizard, complete with pointed hood and stars patterns, reading someone's palm; investigated a zoo keeper with a small California King snake on him. I stroke the King snake. As I did so the zoo keeper said that King snakes are immune to other snakes' venom and which allow them to eat them...wow!
Next Kelly and Missy got themselves some dessert. I went around and found a hat shop, saw a suede leather archer's hat and decided to collect it---it was beautiful with the long feather on. I am a Robin Hood fan---one of the original proletariat heros before they were called that.
I caught up with the gang; they were drinking in the beer garden. "A cherry wheat Sam Admas please." I said to the bartender in his long dress.
We were talking and waiting for the chess game show to start. While we sat and talked, the bangs started their show in the back. One of the bands was a royal band---the Queens was among them.
All was good when music was on.
On our way to the chess game, I saw a tomato throwing ground. You can buy tomatos and throw at the guy on the other end hiding behind a wall except his head.
We also saw birds in cages---an owl, a vulture, a hawk. There was also a big cage of white parrots/macaws.
The chess game was not a chess game, instead it was a theatrical play and staged sword fightings, which was fun and entertaining for everyone. But it was longer show than we had time for it as it turned out--- I thought that baby boy sitting behind me was kicking my back as he did earlier and it was Kelly poking me with her umbrella signaling retreat. I thought I was killed by the kid.
We came across a little bridge over a beautiful pond. Over at the foothill of the forest was the knife-throwing show. The two knife throwers are pretty funny. A father and a son supposedly. The father of course sacrifices himself by being the target. The son did not disappoint! I hope they will never ever miss. Now I think about it, William Tell had to shoot an apple over his son according to the legend. Now it is the reverse, and funny.
What next?
The final game was the jolting knights. To save the best for last we had to wait until the end of the day. I went around the swords shop. They had a beautiful Holly Roman Empire theme-colored broad sword---red, gold, and black. When I have extra money one day I will hang one on my wall, to ward off evil spirits, according to Chinese folk traditions.
Dan had to pull me out of the shop.
As we all sat down on the bleacher to wait for the jolting to start in...half hour/eternity, the rain started to came down. Umbrellas were up, no problem; temperature still good, no complains.
But the knights were soaked when they finally came out of the castle. I guess getting wet was not the first thing you would worry about if you were getting jar in the front with a spike by a knight galloping on a horse.
There were total of of 4 knights I think, could be more since there several rounds of jolting. I saw the wood chips from the disintegrated spikes the flying off in the air. After a few rounds, the winner (Robin Hood) put down the rest. Just as the Queen was about to honor him, an uprising!
....if you want to know who won, you should go to the fair!
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