You probably don't, but I sure do. It was Saturday, our last full day in Vegas. We decided to go a bit further down the Strip than we had before. So, lured by the mysteriousness of the North Strip, and the promise of $3 blackjack, the Thoresons loaded up into two cabs and trekked up to Circus Circus. Most of the big casinos on the Strip have themes. Ours was themed like New York City, Caesar's is all Ancient Rome, the Wynn was Asian-inspired...you get the idea. Using the incredible deductive reasoning skills I am sure you were all blessed with, I think you can imagine what theme awaited us at Circus Circus....well, you're wrong! The casino was almost entirely non-themed! I was expected cocktail waitresses in clown make-up, balloons, merry-go-rounds...but there was nothing! Just drab carpet and a lot of lights. Though I was fully prepared to punch the first clown that got in my face, I was actually a little disappointed with the lack of effort on the part of the casino designer. You'd think decorating a place--that is already very reminiscent of a giant circus--like a circus would be cake. Perhaps I am wrong here.
Anyway, Circus Circus was a bit of a let down, and there was no $3 blackjack. So we went across the parking lot to Slots-A-Fun, Circus Circus's seedy annex. The name on the sign even read "Slots-A-Fun." Truth. Not even "Slots-O-Fun," which would be, not correct, but at least a more acceptable abbreviation. We traipsed inside and found a smaller version of Circus Circus. The casino was probably 1/10 of the size of the casino at NY NY and smelled faintly of cigarettes, sweat, and whatever you find at rock bottom. After a cursory lap around the tables, we settled at $3 blackjack where an old geezer named Arch slowly dealt the hands. I started with $30, thinking, hopefully at $3 a pop, I will lose the money more slowly. Which, indeed, is what eventually happened. At the end of the first two hours, I was actually up by six bucks.
A few hands after we began, Arch was sent to another table, and Chris, a middle aged, fast talking Asian lady started dealing. She was a good dealer--and by good I mean, faster than Arch--but she had a mouth like an auctioneer. She was with us for maybe 15 minutes, and we probably only played about 4 hands, because she kept telling us how we were going to learn so much from her, and catcalling to my brother. Soon after she started dealing, we hit a bit of a snafu. She was dealing the second cards, past my dad, me, Emily and onto Mike. She dealt him an Ace, which, combined with the face card he already had, gave him blackjack. Suddenly, I realize Chris has made a mistake. She accidentally dealt two cards instead of one. But I don't say anything because that means Mike would lose blackjack and the annoying guy next to him would get his Ace (and a blackjack too). But Chris notices, and calls the pit boss over. Suddenly everyone is talking. Chris separates the cards, and we see that there are in fact two aces in a row, meaning both Mike and the annoying guy would've had blackjack. Everyone begins talking again. The pit boss tells me, since I have the lowest hand (a 15), I can chose to play the hand or not.
Now, let's think about this. I'm playing $3 blackjack in a seedy casino with my family. Probably, I'm no ace at gambling. Probably, I haven't done a lot of gambling in the past. And probably, when you throw around casino jargon, I'm not going to understand what you're talking about. All of these things were the case. So when the boss tells me its my decision to play or not, I'm thinking he means I decide whether or not I want a re-deal. So of course I say no. Two people on the table have blackjack--I'm not gonna mess that up over a lousy 15! The boss looks at me, and says, "Really, you want to play that?" Kind of obnoxiously. I say, yes. Finally Chris explains that I can take down my bet without messing up the cards. So I do that. This angers the boss. He doesn't understand why I didn't do that in the first place. We get into a heated conversation. He's pretty much yelling at me for not understanding what he meant. And I'm not into taking heat from some second-rate casinos pit boss skeezebag. So I cop an attitude. Cause if there's one thing I've learned since working at Uno's, its how to cop an attitude. I narrow my eyes. I curl back my lip. I look at him like I can't even believe he has the nerve to speak to me. And I say, "I'm sorry, (as in ex-cuse me?) I didn't understand what you were saying." And he looks right at me and goes, "Well I was speaking clearly." Like I'm some sort of idiot for not understanding the meaning of his words when everyone is talking at me, and I have never encountered this situation before. My family can tell you, I was not pleased with this guy. Like, who are you? I'm here, with my family, spending money in your establishment, and you're going to give me lip, when it was your dealer who messed up? Cause you know, if I decided to leave and take my family and my money down to the Belagio, you'd lose half the people in your casino, and I'd have pit bosses crawling all over themselves apologizing for the mistake.
But I guess that's what you can expect from $3 blackjack at Slots-A-Fun. Slimy pit bosses and dealers who either lost their skills twelve years ago, or spit too much talk to be tolerated by any of the big time casinos. You really do get what you pay for. Lessons learned in Vegas, I guess.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Commenting
Soon after I began blogging, my statistics counter broke. For the vast majority of the time I've spent in the blogosphere, I have not been able to ascertain how many people have visited my blog, or even if anyone had. But good news: my stats are back! And I am pleasantly surprised to find out a couple of things: my page has been visited over 1,000 times! Probably most of these were me, but still, its exciting. Also, there have been views in Romania (which we knew), but also the UK, Australia, and Russia (among others)! To me, this is great. Because I really like people from other countries, generally, and if I could use my blog to start up conversations with them, I think we could all learn so much.
So, here is my proposal. I am working on trying to get a guestbook gadget up and running, but until that happens, I would sincerely love if y'all would leave comments on my blog. Whether you are my best friend, or a complete stranger, if you like what I'm writing about, or absolutely hate it. Please just let me know that you are reading, and let's make this blog a little more interactive! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I absolutely abhor monologue-ing. So comment to me so we can converse! Seriously. I would love to hear what you guys think, and it makes it so much more interesting to me than only reading my own thoughts and opinions. The only thing I ask is that this blog remains a conversationally respectful zone. Disagreements are fine, great even, but let's all focus on learning and conversing, not arguing, yeah?
So in summary, if you happen to stumble upon my blog and feel moved to comment, please do. But please try hard to feel moved!
So, here is my proposal. I am working on trying to get a guestbook gadget up and running, but until that happens, I would sincerely love if y'all would leave comments on my blog. Whether you are my best friend, or a complete stranger, if you like what I'm writing about, or absolutely hate it. Please just let me know that you are reading, and let's make this blog a little more interactive! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I absolutely abhor monologue-ing. So comment to me so we can converse! Seriously. I would love to hear what you guys think, and it makes it so much more interesting to me than only reading my own thoughts and opinions. The only thing I ask is that this blog remains a conversationally respectful zone. Disagreements are fine, great even, but let's all focus on learning and conversing, not arguing, yeah?
So in summary, if you happen to stumble upon my blog and feel moved to comment, please do. But please try hard to feel moved!
Haters Gon' Hate
This evening, upon finally working up the energy to write about Vegas a description that was charming, witty, interesting and befitting the title of "travel writing," I logged on to my precious, yet neglected blog, only to find VICIOUS and UNWARRANTED comments upon my lack of blogging. No, these comments did not come from across the sea, from our Romanian frenemy, Clau2002. These comments came from someone much nearer and dearer to me. My own boyfriend, Andrew, has cast aspersions on my blogability. And for this he receives a public calling out and this short rebuttal: BOO! And a mean glare upon our next meeting.
But seriously, folks. I know I have been remiss in my Vegas recap. But it was only because this week has been utterly exhausting, what with work and jetlag, and I just couldn't bear to write unless I could do my trip justice. I will try now.
Vegas was, in a word, exquisite. Well, to be frank, Vegas was gaudy, tacky, overbright, a little smelly, and chock full of annoying skywalks that made walking across the street a twenty minute trek. But my Vegas Vacation was superb. I got to spend gobs of time with my family, which was, on the whole, great. I did lose some money, but I learned a new game (craps) and I got to see places I've never seen before, which is something I adore. I got some excellent photos, a lot of good memories and a few good meals (thank you, Excalibur buffet). All around, I think it was a successful family vacay, and I hope it is not the last. A few of us discussed a Mediterranean cruise in a couple years. All I can say is, I am so down.
A lot happened in Vegas, and I think one of the necessary skills of a travel writer is to be able to squeeze multiple stories from one trip. So I have decided to write about my major Vegas adventures one at a time over the next few days. This will allow me to take fresh perspectives and get into an appropriate amount of detail without posting an absolute novel. So stay tuned for those tales. But here is a sneak peek about some things that will appear: the absolute supernatural nature of the bad luck I had at gambling, the time I nearly brawled with a skeezy casino pit boss, my adventures in Coyote Ugly, the wonderful luck I had at picking pearls and how not to starve to death in Death Valley (its actually harder than you'd think to stay alive...being a National Park and all).
So stay tuned for that, LOTS of photos, and a further update about my job situation (hint: progress is being made!)
Ciao for now, carrisimi.
BW
But seriously, folks. I know I have been remiss in my Vegas recap. But it was only because this week has been utterly exhausting, what with work and jetlag, and I just couldn't bear to write unless I could do my trip justice. I will try now.
Vegas was, in a word, exquisite. Well, to be frank, Vegas was gaudy, tacky, overbright, a little smelly, and chock full of annoying skywalks that made walking across the street a twenty minute trek. But my Vegas Vacation was superb. I got to spend gobs of time with my family, which was, on the whole, great. I did lose some money, but I learned a new game (craps) and I got to see places I've never seen before, which is something I adore. I got some excellent photos, a lot of good memories and a few good meals (thank you, Excalibur buffet). All around, I think it was a successful family vacay, and I hope it is not the last. A few of us discussed a Mediterranean cruise in a couple years. All I can say is, I am so down.
A lot happened in Vegas, and I think one of the necessary skills of a travel writer is to be able to squeeze multiple stories from one trip. So I have decided to write about my major Vegas adventures one at a time over the next few days. This will allow me to take fresh perspectives and get into an appropriate amount of detail without posting an absolute novel. So stay tuned for those tales. But here is a sneak peek about some things that will appear: the absolute supernatural nature of the bad luck I had at gambling, the time I nearly brawled with a skeezy casino pit boss, my adventures in Coyote Ugly, the wonderful luck I had at picking pearls and how not to starve to death in Death Valley (its actually harder than you'd think to stay alive...being a National Park and all).
So stay tuned for that, LOTS of photos, and a further update about my job situation (hint: progress is being made!)
Ciao for now, carrisimi.
BW
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
I am Excited for Tomorrow
Because I will be in Las Vegas! Provided, of course, that no snow or ice or sleet its Baltimore. It is expected, but I truly hope it will pass us by! I am so not into sitting around BWI when I could be sitting around a blackjack table. Fingers crossed!
There were quite a lot of things I planned to do before I left. One of them was to do another POD (photo of the day) update, because it has been, like, a whole month since I last did one, and I have gathered quite a lot of photos since then. But, like so many things in my life, I just kept forgetting. And now it is the eve before my flight, and I find out we are leaving tonight and staying in a hotel near the airport, in case of inclement weather. So now I am scrambling and folding and packing and showering to leave in AN HOUR! But I just had to take a quick moment to say a little goodbye to my readers, though, most of you will be with me in Vegas. So, Kathryn, Ann, and Clau2002 (if you're still around) I will not be blogging for the next few days. But I will certainly have lots of stories (and photos) to catch up on when I return! I know I haven't been writing as regularly the past few weeks, so you probably won't even miss it. But I just feel like I had to say a little something before I embarked on a new adventure.
Plus, starting Monday, this will officially be a travel blog!
There were quite a lot of things I planned to do before I left. One of them was to do another POD (photo of the day) update, because it has been, like, a whole month since I last did one, and I have gathered quite a lot of photos since then. But, like so many things in my life, I just kept forgetting. And now it is the eve before my flight, and I find out we are leaving tonight and staying in a hotel near the airport, in case of inclement weather. So now I am scrambling and folding and packing and showering to leave in AN HOUR! But I just had to take a quick moment to say a little goodbye to my readers, though, most of you will be with me in Vegas. So, Kathryn, Ann, and Clau2002 (if you're still around) I will not be blogging for the next few days. But I will certainly have lots of stories (and photos) to catch up on when I return! I know I haven't been writing as regularly the past few weeks, so you probably won't even miss it. But I just feel like I had to say a little something before I embarked on a new adventure.
Plus, starting Monday, this will officially be a travel blog!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The "Book Worm" Part 2
So, I went to the library yesterday in search of the first two bestsellers of 2011. Unfortunately, they are very popular (go figure) and all out of circulation. For Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive the estimated wait time was 46 days! I don't really have that kind of time. So I'm not sure what my plan of action will be...should I just buy the books? Should I read last year's bestsellers? Or should I just wait until they come in to the library and read them really fast? I don't know....
My trip to the library was not entirely wasted, however, because I bought something awesome at the book sale. Our library has recently started selling books for super cheap. $1 hardcovers and $.50 paperbacks. You can't beat that. Especially when they are having a buy 1 get 1 free sale. Yesterday I stumbled upon old back issues of National Geographic Magazine bound in gorgeous embossed leather books. Like old issues, from the 1960s. And they were only a dollar each! Plus they were on sale, so I picked out four huge volumes and got them all for $2. Perhaps none of you realize how excited this makes me. But it combines some of my most favorite things: learning about other places and cool stuff about Earth, old stuff, books, gorgeous old books, and buying cool things for really cheap. There is seriously nothing better.
I love old books. Especially old ones that have beautiful bindings and worn out pages. There is just so much character in them. And they all have a story. I have a dream of reading a book that just absolutely changes my life, then writing my name and the year in the cover. Then passing it along for someone else to do the same. Eventually the book will end up in someone's attic with tons of names in it, and someone will find it years from now, and read it, and then research all the names and trace its path. I just think that would be so cool. I wish I could find something like that. Which is probably why I love looking at old books, just in case that happens to me one day.
Lots of people like shiny new things, and new books definitely have advantages. I like hearing the crack when you first break the binding. And dust jackets are best when they are smooth and whole. And with a new book you never run into suspicious looking, potentially disgusting mystery stains (though, you mostly run into that in library books in elementary schools). But there's just something about a well-loved book that draws me in. You don't get that sort of experience with a Kindle. A tangible book is magic.
At least, I think so.
My trip to the library was not entirely wasted, however, because I bought something awesome at the book sale. Our library has recently started selling books for super cheap. $1 hardcovers and $.50 paperbacks. You can't beat that. Especially when they are having a buy 1 get 1 free sale. Yesterday I stumbled upon old back issues of National Geographic Magazine bound in gorgeous embossed leather books. Like old issues, from the 1960s. And they were only a dollar each! Plus they were on sale, so I picked out four huge volumes and got them all for $2. Perhaps none of you realize how excited this makes me. But it combines some of my most favorite things: learning about other places and cool stuff about Earth, old stuff, books, gorgeous old books, and buying cool things for really cheap. There is seriously nothing better.
I love old books. Especially old ones that have beautiful bindings and worn out pages. There is just so much character in them. And they all have a story. I have a dream of reading a book that just absolutely changes my life, then writing my name and the year in the cover. Then passing it along for someone else to do the same. Eventually the book will end up in someone's attic with tons of names in it, and someone will find it years from now, and read it, and then research all the names and trace its path. I just think that would be so cool. I wish I could find something like that. Which is probably why I love looking at old books, just in case that happens to me one day.
Lots of people like shiny new things, and new books definitely have advantages. I like hearing the crack when you first break the binding. And dust jackets are best when they are smooth and whole. And with a new book you never run into suspicious looking, potentially disgusting mystery stains (though, you mostly run into that in library books in elementary schools). But there's just something about a well-loved book that draws me in. You don't get that sort of experience with a Kindle. A tangible book is magic.
At least, I think so.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Weekly Shout Out
I have completely failed at the Weekly Shout Out. My bad. With the holidays and all that, I just forgot. For those of you who know me well, you know that I do not have a good memory when it comes to a lot of things. I like to think its charming, one of those things that you can't get mad at, because its just so "me." But probably its really easy to find annoying, so sorry!
But the first shout out of 2011 goes to someone who, if they don't find it charming, at least doesn't hold it against me. And that person is my boyfriend Andrew. It just so happens that today is Andrew's 23rd birthday, so he gets the dual honor of being the first shout out this year and getting a huge "Happy Birthday" from BWBA.
Happy Birthday, Andrew!
That's pretty huge, yeah? Anyway, Andrew gets the shout out for many reasons, being born today, and surprising me on New Year's Eve among them. But Andrew gets the shout out for many other reasons. He puts up with me and all my crap better than almost anyone I know. He also sometimes knows my mind better than I do. Often, when I don't know why I feel a certain way, I ask him to tell me and he almost always gets it right. It is super freaky.
Andrew is also one of the sweetest people I know. He is very considerate, and romantic. In fact, if it weren't for him, we'd probably be just friends, because in real life, I'm not really all that romantic. He is also funny and very sharp dresser (thanks, in part, to me and Ann, though the material was there, we just molded it a bit). And the number one reason Andrew gets the shout out is because he understood why hadn't yet given him one. I'm not the type of girl who loves talking about her boyfriend. I sometimes get annoyed with people who can't stop talking about their significant other, and I would never want to put somebody else through that. So I am often overly careful about being too praiseworthy of Andrew to others. This is stupid, but its something that I do. And Andrew understands this, and does not hold it against me. So that is why he gets this shout out this week. Oh, and because I love him.
But the first shout out of 2011 goes to someone who, if they don't find it charming, at least doesn't hold it against me. And that person is my boyfriend Andrew. It just so happens that today is Andrew's 23rd birthday, so he gets the dual honor of being the first shout out this year and getting a huge "Happy Birthday" from BWBA.
Happy Birthday, Andrew!
That's pretty huge, yeah? Anyway, Andrew gets the shout out for many reasons, being born today, and surprising me on New Year's Eve among them. But Andrew gets the shout out for many other reasons. He puts up with me and all my crap better than almost anyone I know. He also sometimes knows my mind better than I do. Often, when I don't know why I feel a certain way, I ask him to tell me and he almost always gets it right. It is super freaky.
Andrew is also one of the sweetest people I know. He is very considerate, and romantic. In fact, if it weren't for him, we'd probably be just friends, because in real life, I'm not really all that romantic. He is also funny and very sharp dresser (thanks, in part, to me and Ann, though the material was there, we just molded it a bit). And the number one reason Andrew gets the shout out is because he understood why hadn't yet given him one. I'm not the type of girl who loves talking about her boyfriend. I sometimes get annoyed with people who can't stop talking about their significant other, and I would never want to put somebody else through that. So I am often overly careful about being too praiseworthy of Andrew to others. This is stupid, but its something that I do. And Andrew understands this, and does not hold it against me. So that is why he gets this shout out this week. Oh, and because I love him.
The "Book Worm" Part
This blog is entitled "Book Worm in the Big Apple" and it occurs to me that it isn't really living up to its name. I am not in the Big Apple, and I have done very little book blogging. That is about to change.
It was (very) recently brought to my attention that my "Favorite Books" make it appear that I am in high school. While I disagree with that, and believe the person who pointed that out probably doesn't even know what some of the books on the list are, I believe this is the perfect opportunity to unveil one of my New Year's Resolutions.
I thought of this idea a few days ago and was putting off writing about it until I began. But I think now is the perfect time.
I am going to read every #1 book on the New York Times Bestseller list for Hardcover Fiction in 2011. Now, at first that seems like a lot of qualifications. But there are like, 20, different bestseller lists that come out every week. So, I chose one genre and am going to read every book that hits number 1 this year. This is a great way to: A. read more books, B. become more in touch with what's happening in the book publishing world and C. occupy my time with yet another project (blogging, photo of the day and planning vacations being the others).
So, I am about to leave for the library and I'm hoping that Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive will be available, because that is the bestseller for the weeks of January 2nd and 9th. I am going to read all kinds of books I wouldn't normally choose! Wish me luck at the library!
It was (very) recently brought to my attention that my "Favorite Books" make it appear that I am in high school. While I disagree with that, and believe the person who pointed that out probably doesn't even know what some of the books on the list are, I believe this is the perfect opportunity to unveil one of my New Year's Resolutions.
I thought of this idea a few days ago and was putting off writing about it until I began. But I think now is the perfect time.
I am going to read every #1 book on the New York Times Bestseller list for Hardcover Fiction in 2011. Now, at first that seems like a lot of qualifications. But there are like, 20, different bestseller lists that come out every week. So, I chose one genre and am going to read every book that hits number 1 this year. This is a great way to: A. read more books, B. become more in touch with what's happening in the book publishing world and C. occupy my time with yet another project (blogging, photo of the day and planning vacations being the others).
So, I am about to leave for the library and I'm hoping that Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive will be available, because that is the bestseller for the weeks of January 2nd and 9th. I am going to read all kinds of books I wouldn't normally choose! Wish me luck at the library!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Here Comes Trouble
I'm not sure what it is about today, but I feel like getting into trouble. It started at mass, when a longtime friend of my mom's saw me and said "Hey, there trouble!" which is what he always calls me (he probably doesn't remember my name). Then I was looking at photos from Andrew's brother's girlfriend, Hannah, who is currently studying abroad in Ireland. And that made me remember my study abroad experience in Australia. Then I watched Crocodile Dundee III with my family. And Mick Dundee is excellent at getting into trouble. Finally, I am listening to Blue County (a great, but completely obscure country band...check them out) whose songs are all about nostalgia and fond memories of the trouble you get into as a teenager.
And now I just want to go looking for some trouble. Nothing serious, mind you. Just an adventure, a little healthy, young-people-are-dumb-but-didn't-we-have-a-good-time sort of trouble that I can look back on when I have kids and say, "Yeah, your mom was pretty cool back in her day." That's the stuff.
I love a little trouble. I think mistakes and broken hearts and tattoos and adventure is what life is all about. You never feel more alive than when you've got adrenaline pumping in your ears. A little recklessness never hurt anybody--as long as it's a little. But it sure does give you some good stories. One of my favorite stories to tell people is the time my sister and I went zoorbing and hang gliding and sky diving all in one day. Now, that's not trouble in the general sense, but its adventure. And people think I'm really cool, which is an added bonus.
So here's to adventure. Narrow escapes. Mistakes. Looking for a little trouble. And of course, the friends you find it with. That's all of you guys ; )
And now I just want to go looking for some trouble. Nothing serious, mind you. Just an adventure, a little healthy, young-people-are-dumb-but-didn't-we-have-a-good-time sort of trouble that I can look back on when I have kids and say, "Yeah, your mom was pretty cool back in her day." That's the stuff.
I love a little trouble. I think mistakes and broken hearts and tattoos and adventure is what life is all about. You never feel more alive than when you've got adrenaline pumping in your ears. A little recklessness never hurt anybody--as long as it's a little. But it sure does give you some good stories. One of my favorite stories to tell people is the time my sister and I went zoorbing and hang gliding and sky diving all in one day. Now, that's not trouble in the general sense, but its adventure. And people think I'm really cool, which is an added bonus.
So here's to adventure. Narrow escapes. Mistakes. Looking for a little trouble. And of course, the friends you find it with. That's all of you guys ; )
Last Words on the International Affair
I think our brief encounter with clau2002 is most likely over. From some research my excellent sister Emily did, we have discovered that his (or her) post on Bookworm was not clau2002's debut rant. In fact, he has posted other, sometimes nastier, comments on other Romanian-related blog entries. From my own research, I have created a profile of sorts. In my imagination, clau2002 is a strongly patriotic Romanian who spends their free time trolling the webs for anything that mentions Romania. Should that post be incorrect, a joke, or even not in line with clau's own personal feelings about Romania, he dashes off a quick, angry, sometimes premature response. I also imagine that he is a hit-and-runner when it comes to posting. In other words, I doubt we will ever see another response from clau2002. I think he is quick to insult, and slow to follow up. I also found it interesting that he is a frequent poster on "King of Romania" the blog he suggested I follow for a "real" look at Romania. Not sure why he held that up as an example if there are such obvious and grievous error. Only clau can tell us that.
So that is my profile. Perhaps I am quick to judge, but I would also be quick to recant, should I be found in error. Please, clau2002, come back to Bookworm and prove me wrong. I wouldn't mind at all.
So that is my profile. Perhaps I am quick to judge, but I would also be quick to recant, should I be found in error. Please, clau2002, come back to Bookworm and prove me wrong. I wouldn't mind at all.
Friday, January 7, 2011
International Controversy
I guess I have truly made it in the world of blogging. My previous post has come under fire from a reader in Romania, who calls me ignorant for my commentary on the income tax legislation. This means two things: 1. I have a reader in Romania, and 2. My blog is controversial. I have decided to address our Romanian friend’s comments in a post rather than a comment so that my other readers can witness the conversation.
Dear clau2002,
Let me start by saying that I never meant any harm or offense by my post. I am just a hobbyist blogger, who was under the impression that the only people who read my blog were 5 of my closest friends, who know me well enough to know when I am joking or being frivolous. That said, I would like to further address your comments thus:
Witchcraft is not at all widespread in America. If I am ignorant for thinking that based on a news article written by the Associated Press (a widely-trusted and regarded news source) then perhaps you may be ignorant for thinking the same of the US based on…what exactly?
Also, I think it’s fairly common knowledge that, while based on a historical figure, Dracula is not, in fact, historical himself. I know this, and my readers (I thought) know I know this. However, even fictional characters can have birthplaces, no? I will give you a few examples: Where was Harry Potter born? England. Where was Bella Swan born? America? Where was Dennis the Menace born? I’m not sure exactly, but if I had to guess, it would be somewhere in the Mid-West. So you see, Dracula does have a birthplace, and that place is Romania.
I hope you will take notice that my blog post does not address why this law came into effect. I don’t talk about the reasons lawmakers decided to do this now, so I think you would be wrong in correcting me to that effect. If you say it is to hold them accountable in court, that’s just swell. But, I beg of you, do not fire that nugget of information at me like you’re winning some sort of battle. You can’t correct me on something I didn’t say. I would also like to point out that your use of the words “Gypsy crooks” kind of gives away your personal feelings about the witches and fortunetellers. I’ll say it bluntly: it sounds like you have a bias, and perhaps the reasons you give are not the ones lawmakers had in mind. I suspect their reasons may lie somewhere along the lines of: hey, these citizens are making money, why don’t we tax it? But, I do not live in Romania, and thus, I cannot be sure.
I do, however, apologize for my use of the phrase “widely accepted.” What I meant to say is that they “exist.” Though, I may add, if a national ruler had a personal witch, I don’t think it would be a stretch for an outsider to think they were accepted as at least slightly legitimate. Nonetheless, I apologize for the unintentional exaggeration.
In closing, I thank you, claus2002, for your input and insight into Romania. I also thank you for showing me that deciding to visit a place one day should be a matter of great consideration. I was all set to plan a trip to Romania, but your remarks have given me pause. Perhaps I may not be understood in Romania quite as well as I am understood in the United States, perhaps my jokes will be attacked as seriously offensive remarks. I don’t know. But I do know I appreciate your active readership, and I do sincerely hope that you will continue reading. I pride myself on my open mind both to other cultures and to criticism, and I would genuinely like to continue learning from each other.
All the best,
BW
PS-- I was also just wondering: how did you find my blog? I tried Google searching, and it didn't come up, short of writing the exact name of my blog. How did you stumble upon it?
PS-- I was also just wondering: how did you find my blog? I tried Google searching, and it didn't come up, short of writing the exact name of my blog. How did you stumble upon it?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
I Should Probably Visit Romania
But not anytime soon. Romania has been on my list of places to go only insofar as everywhere is on my list of places to go, but I never really had a specific interest in it. That has changed, thanks to this article.
Evidently, superstition and witchcraft and magic is still very big in Romania. Witches and fortunetellers are widely accepted and have recently been officially acknowledged as "self-employed workers." On the one hand, this is awesome for both them and me, because I think that is just fabulous. On the other hand, witches are now required to pay income tax. This does not sit well with many witches, and they have planned protests in the form of evil spells and hexes.
I am thinking, this is a great country. So I will definitely visit there someday, but will probably wait until this income tax thing has died down. I don't want to be talking to someone in a pub and say, "so, how about those income taxes?" and then be the victim of a dead-dog-hex. That would be not so fun. But this, albeit very poorly written, article has sparked an interest in me for Romania, and I will add it to my tangible list of places to go, instead of just letting it remain implied based on the fact that it is a place to go. I mean, it's the birthplace of Dracula, and now they have government-acknowledged witches and voo-doers roaming the countryside. Its gotta be worth a closer look!
Evidently, superstition and witchcraft and magic is still very big in Romania. Witches and fortunetellers are widely accepted and have recently been officially acknowledged as "self-employed workers." On the one hand, this is awesome for both them and me, because I think that is just fabulous. On the other hand, witches are now required to pay income tax. This does not sit well with many witches, and they have planned protests in the form of evil spells and hexes.
I am thinking, this is a great country. So I will definitely visit there someday, but will probably wait until this income tax thing has died down. I don't want to be talking to someone in a pub and say, "so, how about those income taxes?" and then be the victim of a dead-dog-hex. That would be not so fun. But this, albeit very poorly written, article has sparked an interest in me for Romania, and I will add it to my tangible list of places to go, instead of just letting it remain implied based on the fact that it is a place to go. I mean, it's the birthplace of Dracula, and now they have government-acknowledged witches and voo-doers roaming the countryside. Its gotta be worth a closer look!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year
I feel as though my blog has been lacking lately. This is due in part to the holidays, and recovery from the holidays, and also in part to my work schedule, and how I have worked everyday since the 26th. Its been rough, but I made it through.
I now have three days off, and I am sitting in Andrew's living in room on Long Island. I made plans to come up after New Year's to spend some holiday time with his family, and it actually worked out perfectly, because I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow now too. Wish me luck.
I've been at Andrew's for about three hours. I drove up this morning with Andrew because...he surprised me on New Year's Eve! I was just sitting there in a bar with AJ, Emily and Michael, and the next thing I know, he's there! I was shocked. I started crying. And hitting people. But it was a great surprise, because now we have spent four NYE's in a row together. So he drove me up this morning (which is great, because I saved serious money on a train ticket) and I will take a train home on Wednesday morning.
I hope you all are having wonderful 2011s, and had safe and happy New Year's Eves. Mine was pretty great. I had fun with my family (though I had a little too much cheap champagne) and then Andrew showed up, which was great. Also, I am told, my hair looked fantastic, so that always helps make a night. I haven't yet made my resolutions, but I will let you know when I do, and keep you updated on how quickly I can break them.
Hope you all have better luck!
I now have three days off, and I am sitting in Andrew's living in room on Long Island. I made plans to come up after New Year's to spend some holiday time with his family, and it actually worked out perfectly, because I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow now too. Wish me luck.
I've been at Andrew's for about three hours. I drove up this morning with Andrew because...he surprised me on New Year's Eve! I was just sitting there in a bar with AJ, Emily and Michael, and the next thing I know, he's there! I was shocked. I started crying. And hitting people. But it was a great surprise, because now we have spent four NYE's in a row together. So he drove me up this morning (which is great, because I saved serious money on a train ticket) and I will take a train home on Wednesday morning.
I hope you all are having wonderful 2011s, and had safe and happy New Year's Eves. Mine was pretty great. I had fun with my family (though I had a little too much cheap champagne) and then Andrew showed up, which was great. Also, I am told, my hair looked fantastic, so that always helps make a night. I haven't yet made my resolutions, but I will let you know when I do, and keep you updated on how quickly I can break them.
Hope you all have better luck!
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