Catching up
Sep. 18th, 2005 09:01 amOkay, yesterday? Was unbelievably fun. But very exhausting, so I conked
out about an hour or so after I got back instead of writing about it.
For those of you who don't know, yesterday I went to an SCA event, Rendezvous at the Bridge. Um, maybe I should start by defining what the heck the SCA is. SCA stands for Society of Creative Anachronists, and they do medieval reenacting. Minus the plagues and the whole bathing once a year thing. Rendezvous is a weekend event, there are tourneys, and classes on medieval crafts, and shopping, and a hundred odd people running around in garb and having a rather insane good time.
I went with a few friends from my college's Medieval Society. We left around ninish, and drove for three quarters of an hour to the campsite where we were holding the event this year. We checked in, got our site maps and list of events, and wandered around for a bit. Lierin and I ended up talking to a man with a huge black dog, and petting the dog. Now, I normally don't do dogs, as I've had some rather bad experiences with them, but this one was different. He was so gentle and affectionate, and there's a reason they named him Samwise. A true and loyal friend indeed. I ended up staying there for quite a while, cuddling the dog. What can I say, I'm going through pet withdrawl, and he was adorable.
We also talked with a few people from the local society. They're eager to work with our college society, and are suggesting a few events we can hold at school. Like possibly a Halloween ball. Lierin and I are going to suggest to the Quidditch club that we combine the two clubs for this, as we were talking about doing something for Halloween in that club as well. We gave our contact information to one of the local Shire's leaders, and he's going to get us on the mailing list, so we'll know when events are going to be. They also mentioned having a few people over to teach us medieval crafts, like kniting chain mail. I'll have to ask about spinning at the next meeting, I'd love to learn how to do that.
We also attended the dancing class in the afternoon, which was fun. I'm starting to remember the basic steps that make up the dances from my previous lessons, so I got to focus more on learning the dances. They were fun, and a great way of getting a lot of exercise. The Karabushka remains one of my favorites.
After the dancing, we were all tired, so we sat down and watched the tourneys. While we were watching people bash each other with sticks, we talked. Two of the four of us had been to Harlaxton, the campus our university has over in England. They were telling Lierin and I all about it, and the wonders of being in Europe. I know I can't go for a semester now, but I am so doing one of my clinicals there, come hell or high water. Actually, if I wanted to, I could do different clinicals in different countries. I'm not sure I'd actually do this, but <lj user="celtic_sky" />? If I go to Australia in three years or so, can I stop by your place?
I mentioned the merchants, but I haven't mentioned the coolest one there. He was a bard, selling some of his cds, and it turns out that he does some of the cds for Mercedes Lackey! And what's more, he's written a few short stories that have ended up in her Valdemar anthologies, and one was one of my favorites from that book. I was so embarassingly squeeful. I think he took it as a compliment.
After the tourneys were over, the king and queen held court. They honored several of the members of the local shire for the work they had done, and passed out awards. There was one section of the audience that kept moving en mass after each honor, until they got threatened by a few of the guards. Then the King decided that they must be trying to start a melee, and called out the court bard. He told the bard to sing them a melee. Now, a melee is a type of battle, not a song, but this bard was pretty inventive, and came up with a song pretty quickly. To the tune of "Daylight Come and Me Wanna Go Home". Everyone sing with me, "Melee! Melee! Melee come and me wanna fight more." That was fun.
As we hadn't been able to buy tickets to the feast, we decided to head home after court. We stopped by Penn Station for food, and shocked the other patrons because we were in garb. One guy actually walked into a table because he was so busy staring at us. And that was my Saturday. Fun, right?
For those of you who don't know, yesterday I went to an SCA event, Rendezvous at the Bridge. Um, maybe I should start by defining what the heck the SCA is. SCA stands for Society of Creative Anachronists, and they do medieval reenacting. Minus the plagues and the whole bathing once a year thing. Rendezvous is a weekend event, there are tourneys, and classes on medieval crafts, and shopping, and a hundred odd people running around in garb and having a rather insane good time.
I went with a few friends from my college's Medieval Society. We left around ninish, and drove for three quarters of an hour to the campsite where we were holding the event this year. We checked in, got our site maps and list of events, and wandered around for a bit. Lierin and I ended up talking to a man with a huge black dog, and petting the dog. Now, I normally don't do dogs, as I've had some rather bad experiences with them, but this one was different. He was so gentle and affectionate, and there's a reason they named him Samwise. A true and loyal friend indeed. I ended up staying there for quite a while, cuddling the dog. What can I say, I'm going through pet withdrawl, and he was adorable.
We also talked with a few people from the local society. They're eager to work with our college society, and are suggesting a few events we can hold at school. Like possibly a Halloween ball. Lierin and I are going to suggest to the Quidditch club that we combine the two clubs for this, as we were talking about doing something for Halloween in that club as well. We gave our contact information to one of the local Shire's leaders, and he's going to get us on the mailing list, so we'll know when events are going to be. They also mentioned having a few people over to teach us medieval crafts, like kniting chain mail. I'll have to ask about spinning at the next meeting, I'd love to learn how to do that.
We also attended the dancing class in the afternoon, which was fun. I'm starting to remember the basic steps that make up the dances from my previous lessons, so I got to focus more on learning the dances. They were fun, and a great way of getting a lot of exercise. The Karabushka remains one of my favorites.
After the dancing, we were all tired, so we sat down and watched the tourneys. While we were watching people bash each other with sticks, we talked. Two of the four of us had been to Harlaxton, the campus our university has over in England. They were telling Lierin and I all about it, and the wonders of being in Europe. I know I can't go for a semester now, but I am so doing one of my clinicals there, come hell or high water. Actually, if I wanted to, I could do different clinicals in different countries. I'm not sure I'd actually do this, but <lj user="celtic_sky" />? If I go to Australia in three years or so, can I stop by your place?
I mentioned the merchants, but I haven't mentioned the coolest one there. He was a bard, selling some of his cds, and it turns out that he does some of the cds for Mercedes Lackey! And what's more, he's written a few short stories that have ended up in her Valdemar anthologies, and one was one of my favorites from that book. I was so embarassingly squeeful. I think he took it as a compliment.
After the tourneys were over, the king and queen held court. They honored several of the members of the local shire for the work they had done, and passed out awards. There was one section of the audience that kept moving en mass after each honor, until they got threatened by a few of the guards. Then the King decided that they must be trying to start a melee, and called out the court bard. He told the bard to sing them a melee. Now, a melee is a type of battle, not a song, but this bard was pretty inventive, and came up with a song pretty quickly. To the tune of "Daylight Come and Me Wanna Go Home". Everyone sing with me, "Melee! Melee! Melee come and me wanna fight more." That was fun.
As we hadn't been able to buy tickets to the feast, we decided to head home after court. We stopped by Penn Station for food, and shocked the other patrons because we were in garb. One guy actually walked into a table because he was so busy staring at us. And that was my Saturday. Fun, right?
no subject
Date: 2005-09-18 02:52 pm (UTC)Minus the plagues and the whole bathing once a year thing.
*snort* That's a relief! ;)
no subject
Date: 2005-09-18 03:20 pm (UTC)And yeah, we can all do without the plagues. Those aren't much fun.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 11:41 am (UTC)They have a yearly Medieval festival near where I live and I've always wanted to go, and now you're making me wish I had this year!
Actually, if I wanted to, I could do different clinicals in different countries. I'm not sure I'd actually do this, but celtic_sky? If I go to Australia in three years or so, can I stop by your place?
Eeeee! That'd be wonderful! It would probably depend on whether I was at uni or home or whatever at the time, but yes! That'd be great. So... Yes. :D
no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 01:40 pm (UTC)Eeeee! That'd be wonderful! It would probably depend on whether I was at uni or home or whatever at the time, but yes! That'd be great. So... Yes. :D
Yay! And we'll figure out a way to meet, I can't imagine being on the same continent with you and not meeting up.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 11:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-20 02:30 am (UTC)