Welcome to Knoebels

Last weekend was my great grandmother's family's 94th family reunion. I never met my great grandmother, but she was the second oldest of thirteen kids (including a set of twins) who survived to adulthood and the mother of my paternal grandfather. Every year, the reunion is held in the same small town. 

Sadly, fewer and fewer people go each year. after 94 years, many members of the family have moved, lost touch, and passed away. However, at one time, my family was able to old a baseball game, a family band, and cakewalk (this tradition lasted until the early 2000s and one year I won the cakewalk which meant my parents had to take home a giant cake). Those of us who are able to attend, have a great time, hold a family meeting, make announcements, and share what's been going on since we last saw each other. In years past, my family occasionally went to the local amusement park (it helped that one of my cousins could get us in for free). 

I swear this is all relevant. 

Last year, I mentioned to one of my cousins how I missed going to the local amusement park. My cousin laughed and said that it was a nice park, but Knoebels was way better. 

This sign is like halfway into the park. 

I had heard of Knoebels from when Travel Channel actually showed shows on travel. I used to love their specials on Top Ten Amusement Parks and Top Ten Best Rollercoasters. It started my obsession with rollercoasters, mechanics, and physics in general (I actually do have a minor in physics, so...). For my 20th birthday, my parents gifted me a behind the scenes rollercoaster tour at Buschgardens Williamsburg. Knoebels was one of the amusement parks frequently mentioned on those shows for having outstanding rides and especially rollercoasters. 

However, I never went to Knoebels as a kid. I also still haven't been to Cedar Point despite constantly being promised that "we'll go next year" whenever we went to Michigan. I suppose "next year" is never going to actually happen.

Alright, I'm done discussing childhood. 

Knoebels is so different from any amusement park I've ever been to. The closest I might be able to compare it to are the boardwalk piers with amusement rides, except its in the middle of Pennsylvania's coal country and surrounded by campgrounds instead of sand and beach motels. 

Also you can go to Knoebels completely free if you want to. 

Parking is free. Entry is free. There are several museums that are also free. The rides are purchased through a ticket system (and they still use paper tickets) or you can purchase a wrist band to ride all the rides (except the Haunted Mansion). The wristband is only offered during the week though, so if you go on a Saturday like I did, you have to purchase one of several ticket books. 

You can even see a swan.

Rides cost between $2.50 and $6.00. The kids rides range from $2.50 to $4.00, family fun flat rides were between $3.00 and $4.50, and the rollercoasters are between $3.50 and $5.00. The only $6.00 ride was the ski lift which gives you a great view of the park (I have only seen this through YouTube videos as I opted to spend my tickets elsewhere). 

The food is also fairly inexpensive, but the carnival games seemed to cost on par with other amusement parks. I didn't play any of the games, but they had most of the classics. There is also one indoor restaurant called the Alamo that's been operating for almost a century. 

Oh, and I forgot to mention one other thing, dogs are allowed in the park. Not everywhere, but you can bring them in. Knoebels is surrounded by campgrounds (nearest hotel is a bed and breakfast) and they don't want you to leave your furry best friend at the campsite while you and your family enjoy the park. 

When I arrived at Knoebels, it took me a bit of time to find a parking spot. Their parking lot is a huge field and has a shuttle that runs up and down the lines of cars. I parked close enough that I didn't need to take the shuttle, but far enough away that I had to wander through their group pavilions that can be rented for events. Most were rented out by large parties, church groups, work family days (I saw Sherwin-Williams there), and a few family reunions. 

If there is a main gate to the park, I didn't find it. After getting through the maze of pavilions, I walked up to a giant board with the map on it which was next to one of those boat rides that take you up real high and then drops you down with a huge splash.

It was at this point that I learned that it was the 100 years celebration of the park's opening. Their old skating rink was set up as a history museum of the park. The skate rink hadn't been used in decades, but they did have a remaining skate in the collection. Much of the park had facts posted around with history facts about the park and surrounding area. There were at least two recent flood markers (both in the 2010s) and displays of old work equipment. One of my favorite finds was the blacksmith's shop where you could purchase a horseshoe, fire poker, or tent post. 

I also adored the carousel museum. Though small, the carousel museum included a brief history on carousels and included examples of horses from the mid to late 1800s. I think the earliest one I saw had been built in the 1870s. Knoebels has two working carousels, a small one mainly for kids (that didn't stop me from going on it) and a big one that also had the ring game. 

If you've never heard of the ring game on carousels, you've really missed out on something special. The ring game is for people who sit on the outer edge of the carousel. An arm is extended down that holds little metal rings. Riders are meant to grab onto the rings and then toss them in the designated area. The rings are maybe two inches in diameter (or big enough to get two fingers hooked in) and traditionally there is one brass ring that wins the grabber a free ride (I don't think Knoebels has this feature). 

The ring game has long gone out of fashion - likely because of insurance. As I hadn't played the ring game in a long time, I quickly relearned how difficult it was to grab them and how easily someone could hurt themselves. However, it is a ton of fun and amazing that Knoebels has the game on their Grand Carousel. 

I ended up purchasing $25.00 worth of tickets. The first thing I opted to ride was the rollercoaster Flying Turns. This ride was built in the 2000s based on a design created in the 1920s. Similar to a steel bobsled type rollercoaster, it is the only known wooden rollercoaster without a track. It is also freaking awesome and one of two rides I was had to try (the other was the Grand Carousel).

With only $20.00 remaining in tickets, I decided to hold off on the other rollercoasters until my next visit (hopefully when I could get the unlimited ride wristband). Instead I rode both carousels, the tilt-a-whirl, Paratroopers, the swings, and The Haunted Mansion (yes it needs to be capitalized). 

The Haunted Mansion is a traditional dark ride that fewer and fewer amusement parks have. I've only really experienced similar rides at the seashore amusement parks on the different boardwalks. The Disneyland version this ain't. It's loud with plenty of jump scare (though thankfully none are humans in a mask) and some questionable stereotypes. The story for this Haunted Mansion included a cursed object taking over the house after the guy who "acquired" the object got married and moved in with his new bride. My favorite room was one with glowing skulls that seemed to spin around the room. My least favorite part was the truck horn jump scare (if you know, you know).

Though I didn't try it, Knoebels also has an outdoor pool area that charges for entry with the option to upgrade to include waterslides. The pool area looked really nice and the slides looked like a lot of fun. 

I really enjoyed my time at Knoebels, though it was only for a few hours. It's a park that feels much more focused on traditional amusement rides than just thrilling rollercoasters. In fact, most of their big rollercoasters are wooden. I plan to go again and possibly camp there at some point (especially if I can meet up with my family and they bring the huskies). There are definitely some rides I wasn't able to try that sound amazing (like Phoenix and Black Diamond). 

Maybe I can convince my cousins that we need to have our family reunion there (even if it breaks with tradition). We might be able to get more of the family to come if rides are included.

Have you ever been to Knoebels? If so, what's your favorite ride? I still can't believe how awesome Flying Turns was. 

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or l eave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Lessons Taught

 …but didn’t sink in.

Have y’all ever wondered how much media is out there about World War 2. I have - mostly because while cleaning out my one parent’s apartment, I came across so many books and movies about World War 2. Books about ships and weaponry, books about major battles, mysteries that took place during the war, thrillers and spy novels mostly set in Europe, multiple copies of the same movie (why were there three versions of Tora! Tora! Tora!?), and documentaries galore. 

I ended up getting rid of a lot of it, but I still wanted to take my time and appreciate some of the books and DVDs. I am also still finding multiple copies of the some movies that I didn’t catch earlier. 

This is an old photo of the Mighty Mo where World War 2 officially ended.

World War 2 was a major event - there is no denying that. It shaped a lot of media in the mid- to late- 20th century. From the early propaganda films to turn of the century miniseries like “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”, there isn’t a lack of shortages in documentaries, TV shows, books (fiction and non), art, and video games.

Tons of which are still coming out today.

I’ve even won a few books seeped in World War 2 influence from GoodReads giveaways. Three to be precise. One is a post war mystery thriller featuring Julia Child as a side character - the first in a series I’d like to keep reading - called Mastering the Art of French Murder. Another is the non-fiction account of the writer’s grandfather’s tank unit called Task Force Hogan: The World War II Tank Battalion That Spearheaded The Liberation of Europe. That one is worth the read if you enjoyed stories like “Band of Brothers” or if you had a family member who served in a similar setting. The third was a strange thriller called Her Father’s Daughter which focused on recovering stolen art and finding Nazis who escaped justice. Sadly, it was not as good as the summary might suggest. I don’t recommend that one.

Because of its cultural significance, World War 2 was a major part of my education. History classes would focus on how appeasement didn’t work to keep the Nazis from their expansionist goals and how Japan wanted to join in on colonialism since it worked so well for western countries (though much less so for all colonized people). Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and Hiroshima were studied inside and out. We watched parts of movies and miniseries like “Saving Private Ryan”, “Barefoot Gen”, and (of course) “Band of Brothers”. Our English teachers had us read A Thousand Paper Cranes, Night, and The Dairy of a Young Girl (i.e. Anne Frank’s Diary). We visited the Holocaust museum in 12th grade for a field trip and discussed the results of the Nuremberg Trials.

Yet with all this history and media, the current state of the world has me questioning if anything was actually learned. I grew up knowing the Nazis were bad guys, not only because Indiana Jones fought them, but because we learned about the Holocaust and how their actions compounded into one of the greatest mass murders in world history. Yet now, an Indiana Jones game comes out and there are people mad that Nazis are the bad guys. We also have people denying the Holocaust happened.

I could argue that there’s a similar over saturation of media about the American Civil War. Again, it was a major event that killed hundreds of thousands and ended the horrific practice of slavery. Except it took another century for the Civil Rights Act to take effect - that was during my parents’ childhood.

About two years ago, I was fortunate enough to see a stage performance of “Cabaret” at my local theater. I loved it and wrote a post about it. In the post, I noted that we lived in interesting times and that if you didn’t think they were interesting, then you weren’t paying attention. Well, I hope you are paying attention now.

I continue to hope for better times, but the lessons I was taught in my history and English classes indicate that things are likely to get a lot worse. What will be the new “normal” is up in the air.

But if we can’t learn the lessons from World War 2 (like how appeasement never works), why should more and more media about that time period keep coming out? There have been other wars, other world conflicts, and genocides that could and likely should be studied. Is it because many Americans view themselves as the ultimate “good guys” during that time (at least in the European theater - the Pacific is a lot more complicated)? 

On another hand, World War 2 media often tops the lists of banned books. Two books I’ve read, Night and The Diary of a Young Girl. Others include Maus and Number the Stars - both of which I’ve been recommended. All of these books were either written by people who experienced the Holocaust first hand, had family who survived the Holocaust, or conducted on site research.

Everyone wants to be a hero in some capacity. I often wondered what I might have done during some of history’s biggest events. Where I’d have been or how I might have contributed. You, dear reader, likely have as well.

The answer is, whatever you are doing right now. History is happening. The ordinary and nameless are who make the biggest impact. What stories are you leaving behind? In 20 or 30 or 50 years from now, someone might ask you what you were doing today. Will you be proud of your answer?

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you all like hearing from me.

Welcome to 50 Years of Jaws

 How many times this week did you hear that it was the 50th anniversary of Jaws?

Well, I’m here to mention it again. 

I’m a fan of the first Jaws movie. I haven’t seen any of the sequels except for Jaws 3D (though not in 3D) - and I actually kind of like that one. I have ridden “Jaws the Ride” at Universal Studios Osaka - this was a really cool experience ride that I only partially understood  since the “guide” only spoke Japanese. I think we rode it about three times. I also got a hat, which I still wear.

I did not like the Jurassic Park ride.

Jaws is not my favorite movie, but it is one that I can stream on a hot summer day and pretend I’m at the beach. Not that I want sharks to show up at my favorite beach, but one of the incidents Jaws is based on happened near my favorite beach town in New Jersey.

Side note: my favorite movie is a different Steven Spielberg movie that also features practical effect monsters.

Jaws changed the way people went to the movies. The term “blockbuster” (may the store rest in corporate afterlife) was coined because people liked up around the block to purchase tickets. Soon after, any “big” movie with a large audience was branded a blockbuster and advertised as such (gotta maximize those profits).

It also changed the way people viewed sharks.

Prior to the 1900s (the century not the decade), most people didn’t interact with sharks unless they were fishermen or caught in a shipwreck. 

However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, seaside vacations became popular with the upper classes. Cape May became one of the first beach resort towns that New Yorkers flocked to. It was in 1916 when a series of shark attacks took place off the coast of Ocean City, New Jersey (this is explicitly referenced in the film). It caused a panic, like in the movie, but the casualties were spread out all along the south New Jersey coast.

More than half century later and there were far more people frolicking in the water. Peter Benchley came to regret his 1974 novel of the same name as the movie because of the increased fear of sharks. This fear may have led to more people killing sharks and causing their populations to decrease. Yes, shark attacks continue to increase, but that’s because humans are encroaching more and more into their territory, not because they like the taste of human. 

Consequently, Benchley became a shark conservationist and dedicated much of his later life to educating people about sharks. Apparently, there’s now even a shark named after him colloquially known as the ninja lanternshark (Etmopterus benchleyi), which was confirmed in 2015.

I consider Jaws to be an adventure horror movie - a very rare mashup in my opinion. Like many films by Spielberg, there’s a sense of wonderment and exploration that blankets the film through the horror of the shark attacks. Even John Williams score volleys between suspenseful and creepy (the shark’s theme) to whimsical and thrilling (Chief Brody’s ending theme while shooting at the shark). 

It’s also rated PG instead of PG13 (mostly because PG13 wouldn’t come around until Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984). 

Jurassic Park (also directed by Spielberg) has a similar adventure horror mix as Jaws, as does The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (though those two aren’t Spielberg’s). The scary parts are still there, but I feel like I’m on an adventure when I watch them.

And 50 years later, Jaws still holds up. The practical effects are great, the characters believable and relatable, and the shark is still scary. 

Fun fact: the shark’s name became Bruce on set after Spielberg’s lawyer. 

There were multiple versions of the shark, none of which worked quite right nor looked very good, which is why you don’t see much of the shark. This caused creative use of the camera and shots taken, adding to the film aging well. I saw a version of Bruce at Universal Japan as a kid (that same trip mentioned above). 

I’m also not afraid of sharks and never really was. My biggest fear in the ocean as a kid was seaweed. My grandfather told me seaweed was mermaid hair and that really freaked me out. I didn’t go in the water for three years. Drove my parents nuts.

I recently won a copy of “Robert Shaw: An Actor’s Life on the Set of Jaws and Beyond” from GoodReads. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m looking forward to cracking it open on a sunny day at the Jersey Shore. Maybe I’ll even pick up a copy of the original “Jaws” book too.

Happy 50th birthday Jaws. May Jurassic Park age as well as you. 

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Cabaret

This weekend has been an exploration of the arts for me. And while I’d love to go into details about all that I was up to, I think this topic deserves its own blog post.

Leave a comment if you’ve seen the movie or play Cabaret. The musical has many influences, but the main one is the book “Goodbye to Berlin” by Christopher Isherwood. The book is semi-autobiographical and takes place during the Weimar Republic in Berlin Germany.

And to add fuel to this fire, here's a controversial statement: I think students should be taught Cabaret. Not in college, but in high school...no younger than 12th grade. It's a tale of tragedy, accommodation, and the sinister way terrible ideas become mainstream that would make for a fascinating study in media literacy. The conservatives may clutch their pearls over the overt sexuality, gender fluidity, queerness, and other touchy subjects that are covered in this story. It's basically the book banner's worst nightmare - which might be why its so important to teach and discuss.

Cabaret is a fantastic glimpse into a very interesting point in history. One that should not be forgotten. And one that isn't discussed enough.

I haven’t read the book or seen the 1972 movie. Though I admit I know a bit about them from YouTube videos discussing queer history.

My first full exposure to the show was Friday at my local community center.

That’s right. I may have been spoiled by Broadway and the shows just off its street when I lived in New Jersey, but that won’t stop me enjoying local community theater productions either. And this production of Cabaret was very good.

The version I saw has been updated in the years since it first premiered in 1966. The story is also a little different from the 1972 movie. However, the songs are all there. 

I loved it!

The Emcee was great. I loved who they got to play Sally Bowels. The stage was well designed with deep reds and art deco browns. A soft smoke hung sinisterly in the upper rafters of the stage through most of the show. Always ominously looming over the characters.

Because despite the upbeat and happy performances of the member aid the Kit Kat Klub and the assurances that there are no troubles in its halls - evil is slowly pulling them into a death spiral. It’s 1929/1930s Germany guys - things are about to get really bad for a lot of people, particularly these characters.

Something y’all might not know about 1920s Germany - Berlin specifically - was that it was famous for its Cabarets, art, and queer scene. The world's first Transgender clinic with the largest research and resources on the LGBTQIA+ community was the The Institute for Sexual Research and was located in Berlin. I say "was" because like anything labeled "degenerate" by the ruling political party in the 1930s, it was destroyed. 

Nearly all of the art scene from the Weimar Republic's Berlin was destroyed. All that remains of it are written records of their existences and a few photos that survived into modern times. These are poor substitutes for the thriving art community was the cut short far too soon. We'll never know what these artists might have accomplished. 

"Goodbye to Berlin" is a record of the Berlin cabaret culture. This record has been morphed and transformed into the current Cabaret show. A show that is hilarious, sexually charged, queer, and sinister. 

It is at this point in my blog post that I will be writing about a story that was written over 50 years ago. If you are unfamiliar with Cabaret or how it ends and you chose to proceed, don't say I didn't warn you.

At first it's slow. The protagonist, Clifford Bradshaw meets a man named Ernst on the train. At the boarder Ernst hides one of his bags - claiming the contents are perfume and other knick-knacks that go over the legal customs limit. Ernst directs Clifford to a boarding house run by Fräulein Schneider, who tends to let the rules slide if it means that she still gets the rent at the end of the month. She is in love with a fruit seller, Herr Schultz, who is also Jewish. Ernst also tells Clifford to check out The Kit Kat Klub where he meets the flighty, yet lovable Sally Bowles and reconnects with an old flame...named Bobby.

So far, the story is full of people living a carefree life, celebrating the promises of a new year (Clifford arrives on New Year's Eve). The main conflicts are Fräulein Schneider and one of her tenets who brings home sailors every night, Sally breaking up with her boyfriend (who is also the club owner - and gets a fantastic break up song in the form of "Mein Herr"), and Clifford trying to figure out how to pay the rent. 

Ernst seems to be a friendly enough character. Not only does he get Cliff a cheap lodging, but eventually he becomes Cliff's first English student and then starts to recommend Cliff as a teacher to his friends. He knows Sally and frequents he Kit Kat Klub.

And then the end of the first act approaches. 

Everything seems fine. Everyone is having fun. Then Ernst takes off his jacket and we see his armband. 

Yeah - Ernst is a follower of a certain art school reject (and that's the closest I'm going to name that person). 

This is the point of no return for everyone in this story.

As the second act begins, we're treated to a chorus line of girls (plus the Emcee dressed as one of the girls) in a kick line and preforming some acrobatics. Close to the end of the number they start counting in German (makes sense, they are in Berlin). And then they make a very specific gesture that is related to a certain fascist political party.

This isn't the first time in the show that the certain political party was mentioned. Sally, intrigued by the fact that Clifford is a writer, picks up a book he is reading and assumes he wrote it. She then exclaims "Why it's in German!" 

Clifford is reading the certain art school reject's manifesto to "learn about the current politics". Sally is dismissive. After all "it's all just politics. What does that have to do with us?"

At the same time the adorable romance between Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz comes to a screeching halt because of what Ernst did at their engagement party (yeah - I didn't mention that part). Fräulein Schneider is a practical woman - she has a whole song about this personality trait in Act 1 called "So What?" - she's seeing the extent a certain political party has grown and how many of her friends and neighbors have joined. Herr Schultz, however, is optimistic. He believes ("as a German" himself) that everything will be fine. 

But a brick through Herr Schultz's fruit shop window frightens Fräulein Schneider to the point that she calls off their engagement. She knows that it's not just "mischievous school children" doing these things.

The Kit Kat Klub's show cuts in again with what appears to be a comedic performance of the Emcee with a person in a gorilla suit called "If You Could See Her". However, the last line is chilling and suddenly all the humor, all the laughter you've participated in is no longer funny at all. In fact, you might start to feel a bit uncomfortable, maybe even disgusted with yourself. 

There are quite a number of points in the show like this. The most famous song - also called "Cabaret" - is the second to last in the play. If you hear it on it's own, the song sounds like a fun up beat about enjoying life. However, just before Sally goes on, there's another scene that's a point of no return moment for these characters. 

Clifford, horrified that he's become friends with and working for a certain political party decides to leave and wants Sally to come with him back to Pennsylvania (she's actually from England). She's pregnant and has been living in a fantasy that it's Cliff's (it's not clear whose baby it is, but it's unlikely to be Cliff's). Sally doesn't want to leave Berlin - she loves it - and she's been invited back to preform at The Kit Kat Klub. Cliff doesn't want her to perform, he wants to marry her and start living like responsible adults. 

In many ways, Cliff is just as naïve as the other characters denying what's going on around them. Whereas he is politically knowledgeable, he isn't very good at understanding the people around him. Sally understands the world of performance and doesn't believe that anything else can touch her. It's just as much a fairytale as Cliff's vision of a long term relationship with her. He can't force Sally into a role she neither wants nor can thrive in. She wants to live life to the fullest, but not the longest.

That's the message of the song "Cabaret".

Cliff leaves Berlin alone, but with the barebones start of the novel that will make him famous. As he leaves, he starts to sing for the first time and is eventually overtaken by the Emcee. The Emcee reminds the audience that "Life is beautiful. The girls are beautiful. Even the orchestra is beautiful." The Emcee sings a similar song that he sang at the opening of the production, welcoming us in. However, this time the music is off. It more sinister sounding. 

The Emcee in the production I saw had his makeup smeared more and more as the Second Act went on. By the finally, it looks like he's been crying. Everyone came on stage. Three doors were opened. Herr Schultz stood in one. A gay couple in another. In the center was a lesbian couple fearfully holding each other. The background turned brilliantly white as the drumroll melded with a mysterious crackling sound. The smoke that had been hovering in the rafters now wafts on stage. The Emcee takes off his jacket and he's wearing a shirt with a pink triangle and a Star of David. He enters the center door with the lesbians. Three characters, a man dressed in a navy uniform, the owner of The Kit Kat Klub, and Ernst begin closing the doors while the other characters look away. Before his door is closed, the Emcee looks around as though begging someone for help.

The final door slams shut and the lights cut to black.

Cabaret is a tragedy. One that most people should realize going in. It takes place in Germany between two World Wars. Anyone who has taken a modern World History class knows what's about to happen to the majority of these characters. Cliff even asks Herr Schultz why he doesn't go to America with everything is going on - he has family there. But Herr Schultz wants to stay in Germany because it is his home and he is German. He is also Jewish. 

The Kit Kat Klub was lively, counter culture, and perverse, but it also accommodated and catered to people who hated them. In the end, it was destroyed. The fairytale turned into a nightmare.

Fräulein Schneider asks the audience several times during the production "what would you do?" She's asking for the audience to put themselves in her shoes, to empathizes with her.

We live in interesting times and if they don't seem all that interesting, then maybe you're not paying that much attention to what is going on around you. If you've ever asked yourself what you might do during a certain historic event such as the Civil Rights Movement or the Vietnam War protests, what you might have done during the Salem Witch Trials or the aftermath of 9/11 (this one is for the Z generation). 

I've asked myself that many times - mostly when I was still in school. 

Some recent current events have provided me with some answers. I can't say that I'm happy 100% with the ones I've found.

There are so many reasons Cabaret is a fantastic work of art. It's dark and tragic, but also fun and lively. You know what the ending is for these characters, but that doesn't stop you from hoping that this time - this show - they'll get a happy ever after.

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Hocus Pocus

If ever there was a movie that screamed Halloween - it would be Hocus Pocus. From the vibrant color scheme and colorful costume to the setting being the infamous Salem Massachusetts, Hocus Pocus oozes the holiday from the very first frame of Sarah riding her broomstick through the country side. Its a seasonal favorite for my family and many of my friends - especially if you were a kid in the 90s and 2000s. 

Is it a perfect movie? No.

Is it a satisfying movie? Yes. 

--Prepare For Spoilers for a 30 year old Movie--

Though the Sanderson sisters are a lot of fun, you cheer when they are defeated at the end of the story. You're excited to see the bullies get their comeuppance. It's hilarious when Billy inevitably betrays Winnifred. And its bitter sweet to see Thackery Binx reunite with his sister and move on to the next life. 

The journey Max, Danny, and Allison go on over the course of one night is exciting and scary. Yet, the kids manage to use their wits and ingenuity (multiple times) against the witches to save the lives of all the children of Salem. Each one has a moment to shine. From Danny improvising her interest in meeting the sisters, to Max and the "burning rain of death", and finally Allison with her version of "daylight savings time". 

Though it is a little weird that a Disney movie made for kids is constantly bringing up virginity.

--End of Spoilers for a 30 year old Movie--

The movie also gets a number of things right about witches in the colonial period of Massachusetts that so many other stories get wrong (looking at you Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost). 

Witches were considered evil in the colonial period, having made a deal with the devil. Winnifred, Mary, and Sarah all refer to Satan as their master and proclaim their devotion to him. 

Witches were hanged (or pressed, or drowned) in the colonies - not burned at the stake (that was a continental European thing). North American's wouldn't have burned witches because then the spectators might have seen naked bodies. The last thing a Puritan would have wanted to see is a naked witch. 

The movie actually takes place in Sale, MA and the city really does look like that. Some of the bigger landmarks were missing, such as the hotel and House of the Seven Gables, but that's really the outside of the town hall. Also, there really are underground tunnels throughout the city - there was a huge pirate problem up until the early 1800s. 

However, there is one major inaccuracy to the movie. There were no real witches in Salem during the colonial period. None of the people accused, imprisoned, or murdered for witchcraft were actually witches. They were victims of a mass hysteria, racism, and a scheme to steal property by the elite of the city.  

Memorial to the victims of the Salem Witch Trials.

It took nearly three centuries for the city to address this shameful period in their history. Now there's a beautiful memorial to the victims and a lot of tourist traps for people see. I personally found that a historical ghost tour was a lot more interesting than the wax museums that line the main street. Though the Witch House, which has the recreated jail in the basement was creepy.

Yeah, Hocus Pocus focuses more on the spectacle of Salem's infamous history. But I think creating three completely fictional characters that have the actual historical stereotypes of colonial witches works. It plays up the folk horror of witchcraft, makes it ridiculous, and weaves in a tiny smidge of historic reality.

The new sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, adds to that malicious silliness.  

I don't plan on spoiling that movie, as it only came out three days ago at the time of me writing this post. I found it funny and a cute addition to a story that really didn't need a follow up. Some of the details are a delight - like the witchcraft store (because if Salem has an overabundance of anything, its witchcraft stores) and adults trying to side step explaining what a virgin is to a little kid.

Do I recommend the movie? Maybe - if you really liked the first one, the nostalgia will hit you right in the feels. However, I don't think it'll be the cult classic the first one is.

At their core, the Hocus Pocus movies aren't about the accurate history of Salem, MA, the witch trials, or the trauma surrounding them. 

They are stories about family and friends. The first movie has Thackery and his sister Emily mirrored by the siblings Max and Danny. The second movie is about the relationship of the Sanderson sisters and is mirrored by the three friends Izzy, Becca, and Cassie.

Hocus Pocus is one of those movies that became a cult classic because of how it treats its audience. For adults, its a reminder of what it means to be a kid. For kids, it's an adventure against villains that are silly, but still super evil. It's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be.

Hocus Pocus 2 is okay. It's not good. It's not bad.

Do you have any fond memories watching Hocus Pocus? Mine include catching it on ABC Family on a late fall day and my family realizing that the guy who plays Thackery (but is not the voice actor) was also on NCIS.

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please, like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me. 

Welcome to Weddings in the Time of COVID

 This past month, I participated in two weddings. For one I attended in person as a bridesmaid. For the other, I was able to watch the ceremony via a Zoom video link. 

I was equally thrilled to attend both. 

I've seen a number of my friends celebrate major mile stones on Facebook recently. I've seen posts about engagements, marriages, baby showers, major birthdays, graduations, and, unfortunately, even a few funerals. Some of these events are in-person, some are only over the internet, others are a mix.

The wedding I attended in person was outside and everyone (except the bride, groom, and officiant) wore masks the entire time. We were able to dance, but, again, masks were always on and we kept our distances. The favors included hand sanitizer and another mask. 

No flowers were thrown. Sparklers couldn't be lit. But the wedding planner provided everyone a stick with colored ribbon to wave as the bride and groom left the ceremony. It still felt like a normal wedding, just with a lot less people and a few minor changes that Instagram or Pinterest might list as a new wedding trend.

Which a lot of this might become. 

Weddings (well any event really) can be expensive and a lot of personalities can cause unnecessary drama. Only allowing a limited number of people at the actual event would likely help the happy couple out a lot. 

Attending a wedding ceremony via Zoom is also really nice. 

I felt included and honored to be a part of my friend's big day. I'll admit that the lack of stress trying to get to the wedding on time was really nice (I've been late to many weddings, coming in just as the bride walks down the isle). Certainly, I'll miss seeing them in person, but I can call them later and mail them a present.

I did something similar for a baby shower I was invited to (though there I was having some technical difficulties and missed most of it).

We as a society want things to go back to "normal" - whatever that means to you - but the reality is, "normal" isn't coming back any time soon. We likely adopt some of these new practices for future events (especially the Zoom stream option).

It's good for us to have these celebrations, even if there are a number of limitations. 

Many years into the future, we'll be sitting down with the next generation or the one after that and looking at our old Facebook timelines when a memory will annoyingly pop up. The kids will see the pictures and they might ask us why everyone at the wedding was wearing fancy masks that covered their mouth and nose. And we'll tell them about the virus that stopped the world in it's tracks and likely changed the course of history.

These pictures are going to end up in history books. They'll be right next to the ones showing the doctors and nurses working hard to save lives. Adjacent to the protestors in masks marching in the streets demanding justice and change. Below the ones of long lines at the polling stations. 

COVID-19 isn't the end of our way of life, but a new beginning that allows new adaptations when we are faced with the toughest of times.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to...2020 Sucks

I've heard it said that there are some decades where nothing happens and no history is made, and sometimes the history of a decade occurs in a single year. I'm convinced that I am living through one of those times.

I think this street art from Iceland somewhat reflects what I'm feeling.

I mean, I've lived through a number of major historical events, but the year of our existence 2020 seems to take the cake. I think the tone of the year (and maybe the whole decade) was set when I woke up on the first day of the year to #worldwar3 trending on Twitter. Also Australia was on fire.

Come March, everything is on lock down, followed quickly by mass layoffs and demands to "reopen the country". Stress and anxiety have been at an all time high since. I know it's been affecting me because I've been struggling to write and paint. When I do finally sit down to focus on creating something, my mind gets stuck. I either can't finish what I start or am completely dissipated with the end result.

I still try.

In the middle of all the stupidity around people breaking quarantine and lock down procedures, a video of a woman in Central Park asserting her dominance over a black man by threatening to call the police on him...when she was the person in the wrong. She faced a lot of backlash - rightfully deserved, but some of the follow up to her actions have been disheartening (the dog rescue that took her dog after she strangled the poor boy, eventually gave the dog back).

A few days later, a video of George Floyd being murdered by police went viral. Part of me can't help noticing the timing of the two videos. The woman Central Park wasn't just threatening a black man with arrest, but possible violence from the police.

Protests have continued since and we've learned the names Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain who'd both been killed by police prior to George Floyd. Now there is a federal police presence in Portland, and more coming to cities across the country.

I've watched a lot of videos and seen pictures from the protests and the damage caused by rubber bullets and tear gas. I watched on live TV while protesters were cleared from Lafayette Square so the president could hold up a bible (upside down) in front of St. Johns Church.

Part of me feels that November can't come soon enough, part of me is worried that it won't matter.

At least the president finally said that people should wear masks. The reports of people catching COVID-19 after his rallies was worrisome. A few people have talked about being yelled at by strangers for wearing masks and being "sheep" or perpetuating a hoax.

COVID-19 is not a hoax. Wear a mask.

At least the murder hornet plot point that popped up in May has since vanished. Though I put nothing past what could happen in 2020.

When I started out this year, I was hopeful and optimistic. I wasn't in the best place in my life and thankfully some things have gotten a lot better. However the same can't be said for a lot of other people.

In the coming weeks, without a viable plan, mass evictions are likely to start. People (especially minorities and women) would end up on the streets without anywhere safe to go. This isn't just the usual amount of bad. This is the type of bad that could drastically increase their odds of catching COVID-19. More people are going to die if our government doesn't create a stimulus plan that includes renters, people who are food insecure, and anyone out of work.

There are a lot of terrible things happening in the world right now. It's tempting to delete my social media, turn off the news, and bury my head in the sand and pretend everything will be alright. I'll probably be alright, but the world doesn't revolve around me.

It's tough to know what to do when faced with everything going on. I often feel helpless in the face of so many problems. I feel I can't do a lot to help due to the virus, but I have been writing to my elected officials and donating money when I can. I try to stay informed with what is going on and educating others. These are small things, but maybe these small things will pile up until they have enough momentum to create real change.

2020 sucks.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Food World Building Part 3: Herb Lore and Spice Wars

What would my kitchen be without my herbs and spices?

A pretty bland kitchen.

I love using a lot of flavor in my food. Cumin, cinnamon, oregano, basil, rosemary, cayenne, and paprika are all ingredients I swear by. If I could, I'd put cinnamon in everything.

Spices bring out so much in food and are beneficial to living a healthy life. For example, cinnamon has been shown to help with diabetes and ginger helps with stomach aches. Before the advent of modern medicine, a lot of people had gardens where they grew herbs for cooking and medicinal uses.

The difference between herbs and spices are which parts of the plant they come from. Herbs are the leaves, while spices come from the non-leaf parts. A plant can produce herbs and spices, though under different names such as coriander (spice) and cilantro (herb).

Many religions use herbs and spices in ceremonies and ritual practices. Frankincense and myrrh hold special meaning for Christians as they were two  of the three gifts given to Jesus by the Three Kings. Wiccans and those who practice witchcraft use them in their rituals and ceremonies.

Picking up what you need isn't too hard. Most stores have an entire section dedicated to fresh and dried seasonings, some have oil extracts sections, and it's pretty easy to pick up a tea mix. With so much variety and availability, it can be easy to forget that a lot of these herbs and spices weren't always readily available.

The ancient trade highway, The Silk Road, was famous for it's spice trade. Connecting China with Southern Europe, The Silk Road was the only route available for hundred of years for trading in spices and luxury goods. Whoever controlled the road could gain incredible wealth. Today, along the road, there are ruins of the ancient outposts that would protect the traders from bandits and raiders on their journey.

But some weren't satisfied with the slow over land trade routes. For those who lived at one extreme end of the other of The Silk Road and other major trade routes, the demand and, by extension, the prices for exotic spices skyrocketed.

And it help fuel European exploration and imperialism was an interest in obtaining spices. Between the 15th and 17th century, Europeans sought to create and control their own spice trade routes, particularly in India and China. Competition was fierce and hostile take overs of local governments common.

Seasonings are an integral part of human history. Yet, today, herbs and spices are so easy to come by, that it feels like we don't always think about them the same way our ancestors did. Exploration, medicine, and culinary advancements can all be attributed to their existence.

I find that small details, like what kind of herbs and spices are being used, can make or break a fantasy or historical fiction media. Just because seasonings are easy to obtain now, doesn't mean that it would have been on hand 500 years ago. I think that a fantasy setting can seem more believable, yet still otherworldly, if it is established how trade is used in the world building. Often times, I am disappointed to see that these small details are left out entirely.

Incorporating the use of herbs and spices into stories shouldn't be left to the works of fantasy and historical fiction. Science Fiction has a whole spectrum of possibilities for how we might treat them in the future. Imagine what kinds of spices we might find on an alien world, or how explorers might find that they are missing herbal teas from their home world. Will replicators, like those seen in Star Trek,  be able to capture the culinary qualities of seasonings as well as the medicinal? Will new trade wars happen for exotic spices from galaxies far far away?

For more information for hallucinogenic and trans-dimensional properties and trade of spice in Science Fiction please read or watch Dune.

In all seriousness, I can't write about the human relationship with food without bringing up our relationship with herbs and spices. It's amazing how much of an impact on human history these staple kitchen ingredients.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to Folklore and Mythology: The Intro

As I've been pursuing the Internet over the past few weeks, I keep coming back to mythology and folklore. If there's one culturally universal "thing" that all humans seem to enjoy, it's a good story. From fairy tales to ghost stories, religious text and mythology to tall tales, everyone seems to have a story to tell.

Stories that are remembered and retold can say a lot about a culture. They often contain elements that are important to the culture that story was written in. Most of these stories have a lesson that the protagonist and reader learn together. Then again, these stories might not have any point at all and simply show how a culture tells a story.

I especially love the folklore and fairy tales that are about mysterious magical creatures that challenge the protagonist. I loved hearing about Baba Yaga, the Kappa, and the Jersey Devil and how the hero would escape encountering these creatures. They were fantastical and mesmerizing, but also frightening. These stories taught young me how to be brave and that there are different ways to fight an opponent that I'm no match for.

This is a type of Tengu (according to Google)

Ghost stories often encompass a culture's history. I first got into hearing ghost stories by watching Haunted History on the (used-to-be) History Channel. The show would pick a city or state and tell spooky stories about select locations. They'd include an explanation of the culture of the time and why someone would take the actions that they took in the context of the story. Young me enjoyed learning history with a slightly spooky edge. It made things interesting.

Mythology is everywhere in our modern culture. The third Thor movie just came out and there were a lot of (incorrect) references to Norse mythology. One of the top movies of this past summer, Wonder Woman, was (if you squinted) all about Greek and Roman mythology. Several TV shows incorporate mythology into their story lines such as Jackie Chan Adventures (Chinese), Xena Warrior Princess (Greek), Lucifer (Christian), and Supernatural (pretty much everything under the sun).

I couldn't conclude this post without mentioning the books that often introduce kids to these stories. Percy Jackson is probably the best known series right now, but I was introduced to these mythologies and folklore through Fruits Basket, Asterix, The Immortal Diaries of Nickolas Flamel, and Harry Potter.

So over the next few weeks, I'm going to be looking at different folklore and mythologies and how they have influenced, reflected back, and changed with modern culture (particularly American and western culture). I want to see if some stories are truly universal, such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are often claimed to be.

Disney has created a whole franchise dedicated to fairy tales.

I am doing this because we are a people who love stories and how better to learn people than by listening to their stories.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Please let me know in the comments if there is a specific folklore or mythology you'd like me to look at.

Welcome to Icons Part 6: Iconic Moments in History

Have you ever wondered what you would have been doing during some of histories biggest events? Would you have marched with the Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights movement? Or picketed the White House with the Women's Suffragettes? Which side of the French Revolution would you have fought on?

History has always fascinated me. From a young age, I'd watch documentaries on anything and everything that was on the History Channel (you know, before it became nothing but pawn shop reality TV and aliens). I especially loved the specials on Halloween and warriors of the ancient world.

I spent many days in history class imaging what it would have been like to be apart of some of the biggest events taught in class. I wished I could have gone to Woodstock and jammed with the rest of hippie culture. I imagined what it would have been like to journey along the Oregon Trail (and hopefully not die of dysentery).

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that I've lived through some pretty big historical events (at least from an American perspective). At the time, I might not have realized they how big or significant they were going to become or the ways these events would change the course of history. Some events will leave a positive impact on my life and the lives of many other people. I got to witness the election of the United State's first black president and the legalization of gay marriage. Other events have left scars that will likely never fade, like living through 9/11.

Every generation seems to have a few events that they will always think back to and remember with exact detail. I remember asking my family about different events that they lived through. My mom has a couple of memories from the Detroit riots. My dad likes to joke about surviving the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island. I've heard that my grandfather never forgot the day Pearl Harbor was attached. And there were a lot of stories about how my grandparent's families lived through the Great Depression.

Decades seemed to be defined by certain events that happened. When I think of the 1930s, I image the Dust Bowl and extreme poverty. The United States of the 1960s, I imagine a country divided by politics. The Civil Rights Movement was at it's height as were the protests against the Vietnam War. JFK was assassinated and astronauts walked on the moon. The 2000s were a time of rapid progress and prosperity before it all came crashing down in 2008. The start of the decade launched us into an era of fear and ended with a slogan for "Hope".

Everything that has already happened is history. Some things have been forgotten and lost to time, such as the origins of the Nazca Lines. There are events that are only remembered through folklore and legend. Remember when archaeologists found the city of Troy? Most historians had thought the story was just a myth before physical evidence suggested otherwise.

History is written by the people who survive events and make an effort to pass down knowledge. The event that happened can't change, but how it is recorded and remembered can. History can be used to inspire nationalism and extreme pride in a country's people, almost to the point of blind devotion in extreme cases. It can be written in a way that hides or brushes over "uncomfortable" truths that modern societies would rather forget than acknowledge. It's never rewritten, but occasionally needs to be revised.

There are major events going on all the time. I can't just dream about what I would have done, but what I can do in the present. Protests and counter protests have been all over my news feed and social media. The threat of a nuclear attack is at the highest that I can remember (I wasn't exactly around for the Cold War).

What will the 2010s be remembered for?

What impact will I have on these events? Only time will tell.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week!

Welcome to the Iconic Part 1: A Religious History

If I'm going to be doing a series on icons, I might as well take a quick peek at the history of icons. Apparently when you look up the word "icon" on the Internet, the first definition that pops up indicates that the origin is religious. Google defines the term as "a painting of Jesus Christ or another holy figure, typically in a traditional style on wood, venerated and used as an aid to devotion in the Byzantine and other Eastern Churches."

An icon of St. Alexandra (or at least I think that's what this is).

Though the religious icon is traditionally a part of the Eastern Church, that's not to say that icons and iconic images didn't influence the western church's art. After all the English word icon comes from the Greek word "εἰκών" (pronounced as: eikōn) meaning an image or a likeness that represents something else. This doesn't necessarily mean a religious image, but it can be hard to separate the term from the traditional artistic style.

I feel I shouldn't be all that surprised that religion plays a role in defining what an icon is. For a good chunk of western civilization after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Christian Church held nearly all the wealth and power. One of the easiest ways to display their power was through art. Many art history scholars can tell you all about how the image of The Holy Mother Mary's image was constantly changing depending on the fashion and ideal beauty standards of the time. The Byzantine Mary from the 9th century looks very different from the much later portraits Rafael would paint.

This isn't the first time I've noticed how religion has influenced our society. Do any of you guys remember the Parable of Talents from the Bible? It's okay if you don't. I remember as a child thinking it was funny how the word English word for talent sounded similar to an ancient currency. The Sunday School teachers would explain to us that this parable was teaching us to spread our talents (as in our natural aptitude or skill set) and that we would prosper because of it. And though I'm not entirely sure what the origin of the English word for talent is, it can't be that much of a coincidence that the story and the modern definition work well together.

(Side Note: I recently reread the Parable of Talents out of curiosity and I'm 99% sure that Jesus is talking about the virtues of economic investment, not the investment into a person's natural aptitude or skill set. I'm not sure why I find this interesting, but I do.)

So that brings me to the modern school of thought on icons/iconic images. Today icons are seen as symbols, regardless if the symbol is a person or thing. Icons are typically thought of as images representing something. The fashion industry in particular seems to be full of icons like Tyra Banks, Marilyn Monroe, or Princess Kate (feel free to disagree with me).

But does the modern icon have the same reverence and devotion as the religious iconic images of old?

I'd argue from a cultural stand point that they do. Our society has a slight (possibly unhealthy) obsession with the famous, rich, and powerful. People, places, and objects can all be used to symbolize something, so why not turn them into an icon. There are many images that are hard to disassociate from a certain concept, whether it be the tragic yet glamorous Hollywood lifestyle from Marilyn Monroe, Woodstock from hippy culture, or the Eiffel Tower from Paris.

Icons, like everything else, have evolved over time. What started as images to aid in the worship of the Christian Religion have morphed into images that symbolize what society deems worthy of worshiping (mainly celebrities).

So, join me next week as I continue to discover what it means to be an icon...

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week...

Welcome to Historical Precedence

I'm not going to lie, I totally picked this title because of how similar (and rarely confused for) the word is to president, especially since tomorrow is Presidents Day in the US. They have very different definitions and one can argue that the word precedent is even closer phonetically, but all three words are closely related.

Precedence means "the fact of being above or ahead of another or others in order, rank, or importance" (at least according to dailywritingtips.com). So what would be a historical precedence?

Well, since Google keeps autocorrecting my question (precedence to precedents), I'm going to assume it's not actually a "thing".

Alright, historical precedence is not an actual English phrase, why am I still making it the topic of this blog post?

Because someone(s) out there is deciding what is taught in our schools, picking out the content for the (used-to-be) History Channel, and organizing the algorithms that make it easier to search for things on the Internet. It's why niche book markets exist. Who is deciding what is important enough to be recorded and saved for future generations (or alien life after we go extinct).

The "winners" of course.

Now, there's only so much history one can learn in their life time. Most US school children get a very general pre-columbian Native American history lesson, an in depth lesson on the founding of the US up until today, and a few short segments on world history (including religion and changes in geography). The "winners" in this case are the school board members who get to determine what's in the curriculum.

That doesn't mean history can't "change". Alright past events don't change, but new evidence can be presented that highlights a new perspective on those events. In ancient times (and even still today, but I'm not about to comment on current events), history was often changed as a result of a new government coming in (conquest). The old gods and heroes were tossed out or absorbed to fit the new regime's narrative in the hopes of solidifying their claim to power.

So if the old civilization was forced to adopt into their new leader's history, did that completely erase what had been there previously?

No, not at all. It might have stopped being mainstream information, but it wouldn't just disappear overnight (unless they were scrolls being stored at the Great Library of Alexandria). Tombs and burial grounds hold many key artifacts that archeologists use to piece together "lost" history. People would be buried in clothes they wore, maybe a few pieces of jewelry or pottery, and possibly a weapon. Some people still do this today (you get buried in your favorite suit/dress with a cell phone).

This morning I was watching Mysteries At The Muesum which was featuring an episode of King Tut. For many years historians thought he might have been murdered because of how his skull looked, but new evidence has come to light that he might have just suddenly died of an illness and that the skull fracture happened postmortem. Does it change history? Kind of. It changes how we interpret a historical event.

These types of things happen all the time. If you were to open a history book from the 1920s it would look very different from a history book published today. It's not just because of how much has happened since then, it just shows how we prioritized our history and which events we feel take precedence now.

One of my favorite quotes about history comes from the movie/play 1776. Around the middle of the film John Adams is speaking with Ben Franklin and bemoaning about history will judge them for this moment and Franklin relies that "they will be long gone" and that they wouldn't be remembered as infallible demigods, but men, no more nor less.*

What I took away from that quote, was that no matter who you actually were and what you actually do with your life, someone else will be telling your story to future generations. It's up to the next story teller to portray you as a hero or villain, a revolutionary or a crackpot fool.

So what's historical precedence? It's whatever information deemed is important enough to remember and pass on to future generations. After all people are making history everyday.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.

*As I haven't seen the movie 1776 in a while and can't find a solid transcript for the quote, I'm choosing to paraphrase it.

Welcome to another new home

I moved into my new apartment roughly two weeks ago. Though there's still a lot of things out of place, I have managed to unpack most of my boxes. I've also been making a list of things I still need to get (like a kitchen table).

My new apartment is on the second floor of a very old house. My landlady lives on the first floor of the house with her three dogs. I have a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and a bathroom. I also have some attic space for storage. It's not huge, but it feels big.

According to my landlady' son, the house is one of the original to the town I moved to. At one time the first floor of the house was a bakery and the second floor was where the family lived. It was once a part of the downtown area. Now the main road seems to over the train tracks and the house is in more of a residential area. It's still pretty busy though because of the train station across the street.

The apartment has a lot of character.

The town I've moved to was established in 1919. It's not really that old when you think about it. It wasn't even around when my grandfather's house was built (which was anywhere from the late 1880s to the early 1900s). Many of the houses on my street are two family homes or look like they were originally shops. The roads are narrow and a few are one way only. It is also quieter than my last town.

I don't know what the future holds in store for me, but I am content with my choices in the present. I can't wait to get everything set up and organized (like the spice rack). I also want to learn more about the house and town I'm living in. The town is no here near as large as the last place I live, nor is it as spread out as the town I lived in in Maryland. There is a main street with a few stores and restaurants. There are plenty of places to walk to.

Who knows what kinds of adventures I'll have here.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome to Keeping A Journal

Last week, I wrote about "being a writer". So this week I might as well follow up with another post about writing. It makes sense in my version of logic.

I've kept a journal in and off since as far back as I can remember. I think I received my first journal in  1st or 2nd grade. There were very few entries and the handwriting is pretty much impossible to read. It wasn't until I went to Japan that I really started taking the art of keeping a journal seriously.

Before my trip to Japan, I was presented with a lovely journal that I was told to use to record my trip. This was before the age of travel blogs (the Internet was just becoming a household utility) and even if they had been known, I doubt young me would have been allowed to have one (especially with my terrible spelling and grammar). Initially I didn't write all that much. However my aunt felt that this would be an excellent opportunity to practice good penmanship and insisted that I write in it as often as possible.

She also had me do many penmanship exercises on the days we didn't have any outings, but I digress.

For six weeks, I wrote about my adventures in Japan. I am so glad I did. I admit, I do cringe a little when I reread my writing style from back then, but there are so many little things that I would have forgotten without that journal. It's been a long time since that trip, but it was my first taste of international travel.

My aunt also told me how my grandmother (her mother), kept journals during all their trips when she was alive. My grandmother had died when I was very young and I wanted to be like her in the stories everyone told me. I made an effort to write as much as young me could with my limited attention span.

There were many more travel journals. Some only have a few entries in them, others have multiple trips and a highlight of my likes and dislikes. I even have a journal that as a school assignment for my 8th grade English teacher after my parents pulled me out of school for a trip. Its fun seeing how much my writing has changed since that first trip.

It was only recently that I was able to read my grandmother's journals. They are very interesting and maybe someday I'll have a version of them written up. My grandfather did a lot of international work and he brought the family with him (my dad has his own version of many of the stories I read). My grandmother's journals give a unique insight to that time in history as well as many different cultures that are rarely covered in US history text books.

In highschool, I had a journal that wasn't really a journal. I didn't write about my day to day activities not did I make an effort to document anything of extreme importance. I actually used it to write poems, draw silly pictures, and short stories. It's a bit bizarre to go back and look at that one. The inner workings of a high schooler are a bit like navigating reading a Lewis Carroll novel (see what I did there?).

My college journal was a lot different. There aren't any poems (well maybe one or two), fewer drawings, and there's a lot more reflection in what I was doing at the time I was writing. It's both a log of events and a place where I vented all my emotions. It was therapeutic and what I needed. Heaven help me if I had tried blogging in college (actually I did, but that's not important).

That's partially why I really like keeping a journal (in addition to a blog). It's where I put my more personal writings that certainly don't belong on the Internet. I'm not very good at keeping up with the one I have now, but it serves it's purpose when I need it to. That's what is important.

As I've written, this blog is more or less a log of me trying to navigate through the so called "adult world". My journal is me trying to make sense of that world. I might flip through it at times to see how much I've progressed (or my lack of). I recommend keeping a journal. Sometimes writing everything down helps. It everything out onto paper so that the mind can organize it. Having a travel journal is also fun and I can go back to remind myself of what I did on a trip.

A journal doesn't need to be fancy. A composition notebook works just as nicely as a fancy leather bound book from a fancy store. A blog is good too, but remember this is the Internet. People don't have to be nice and anyone can find you.

A journal can be a great friend...unless it's possessed by young Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle Jr. Then you might want to stab it with a baselisk's fang.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now I'm off to find a baselisk's fang!