Celtic Classic Weekend…Slainte!

This past weekend I went to one of my favorite places…the Bethlehem Celtic Classic! The Celtic Classic is the largest free Celtic fest in North America and it is honestly just so much fun.  I love fests of any sort (unfortunately I missed the Italian American Fest that is a normal stop for me this time o’ year, but grad school interrupts. Damn papers.), but Celtic fests have to be my favorite.  In my opinion, there is nothing better than good beer, good music, men in kilts, and all things Celtic, really.  I should just take a hop, skip, and a jump over the pond already and set up shop in Ireland (or Wales. Or Scotland.)

If I can’t make it to Ireland, Bethlehem could get the job done in the meantime.  Bethlehem, PA is a historic town that’s main income used to be steel.  It was settled by the Moravian’s and now hosts Moravian College and Lehigh University.  The town itself is adorable.  I really don’t know much about it other than I love it.  The Hotel Bethlehem is where my dream wedding would take place.  Everything is Celtic, slightly pagan, and has this old world charm that is missing in so many modern towns.  I love any place with brick sidewalks, old ruins, and that earthy feel that is so hard to find in my congested hometown.  I feel like when you are in Celtic regions, you can feel a connection to the earth.  Maybe I am imagining it or maybe I’m descended from faeries.  I guess we’ll never know, but I’m going with faeries.

So, let’s just go through all the great things that were at the fest this weekend.  First, the food.  I know Ireland and Scotland aren’t exactly known for their food (haggis anyone?), but Shepard’s pie is honestly one of my favorite foods.  I know there is a “big” hooplah over whether or not beef or lamb goes in Shepard’s pie, but I like beef.  Tar and feather me if you must.  Lamb’s are just so cute and I have a hard time eating adorable things.  Also, I just haven’t really had the opportunity to try it. Maybe if someone wants to make it for me, I’ll try, but I don’t want to spend money in case I don’t like it.

Second, and this one is verra obvious, the alcohol.  I’m not a whisky drinker (maybe I’ll get there one day), but I do love me some beer.  I especially love me some Smithwicks.  I love it even more when there is just a trailer filled with it.  I will never understand the people who get Miller Lite (my go to cheap beer, not knocking it), when Smithwicks is available for the same price.  Guinness was obviously on tap, as well, but one more dollar.  As I like to say, Guinness is like eating bread and Smithwicks is like the best milk you’ve ever had.  Maybe not exactly, but it works for me.  Slainte!

Third thing, the music.  I love Celtic rock.  Again, it goes back to the feeling of being connected to the earth and I really don’t think you can beat that.  I love bagpipes and there were plenty of pipe and drum bands marching around playing.  The highlight of the music though was Jamison.  Jamison played traditional Celtic rock songs and put a Celtic spin on some rock and pop classics.  The energy of those guys though was what I’m really writing home about.  They can perform, they can get the crowd going, and they do not stop.  I watched them twice yesterday and I’m probably going to start following them around the coast.  If you want good music and an entertaining show, you definitely want Jamison. Alabama said it best, you gotta have a fiddle in the band, and they do.

So let’s talk shopping.  I love to shop and this place has some of the best vendors of any fest I’ve been to.  I hate all the cheap IRELAND t-shirts that most people have and try to claim that they are actually Irish.  It looks like a Claire’s during March.  I don’t want fake St. Paddy’s Day stuff.  I want to buy actual things from Ireland.  So after walking through the entire fest and debating whether my purchase would be jewelry, pottery, or clothing, I settled on a gorgeous emerald green wool shawl from Ireland.  I have a rule that if a stranger tells me I should buy something/look good in something during my deliberation stage, then I need to buy it.  Well, I put the shawl on to learn how to wear it and a lady told me it looked beautiful on me. So I bought it.  It’s the cross that I bear.

So the final favorite part of the fest, which I know you’ve all been waiting for, is the Highland Games.  Every time I see these 6’5 wonders of men, I just fall in love with this sport even more.  I got a spot right in front for the caber toss, which is my favorite event, and cheered on the athletes.  Now, I learned from talking to one of the athletes, that the Bethlehem games is the hardest throwing competition to get into, so these guys are the best of the best from this side of the pond.  There were multiple perfect throws, which is impressive every time it happens.  These guys can also put on a show.  Maybe Scotsmen are just born showman, but I’ve never been to a Games where the athletes weren’t also hysterical to watch.  My favorite part of the Bethlehem games is the meet and greet following.  I just like to stand among Highland athletes because I feel so short.  At 5’9, I am not a short woman and I rarely get to look up at men, but standing among those giants was a wonderful feeling that I do not often get.  I bent one of the younger and very attractive athlete’s ear for a while (he was very nice and told me all about the Games), but eventually I needed to move over and let the kids get pictures with him.  It was lovely while it lasted.

All in all, it was a lovely day.  I went home after and rode the Celtic wave a little more and watched the mid-season finale of Outlander.  Days do not get better than that.  Unfortunately, the Celtic fest season is over for now, but until next summer, I will just live knowing that I will actually be studying in Scotland next summer, which is pretty much better than anything I’ve done before.  So, here’s to my health and yours.  Slainte!

Does thee King need a new mistress? Huzzah!

My pickup line for King Henry at the PA Renaissance Faire.  The actor is actually married, so I did not use that, but I would’ve liked too.  He is quite a good looking cat.  I’m a liar.  I did not know he was married until I looked at the cast info on the website after.  I just didn’t say that because I don’t actually say things like that in real life, I just think them and then admit to it on the internet.  I did tell one of the other actors he was beautiful though because he was.  Hopefully he likes girls (nothing wrong if he doesn’t, I’m just shit out o’ luck then).

I spent my Saturday at the PA Renaissance Faire for the Scottish and Irish weekend (I was hoping for a celebratory freedom themed weekend, but oh well, who am I?), but alas had to settle for a few jokes at the “No Thanks” party’s expense and normal levels of Celtic merriment and kilts.  Any level of kilt is okay by me.

For being a Scottish and Irish themed weekend, there really wasn’t anything overwhelmingly Scottish or Irish about it (I am a firm believer there should be a “Men in Kilts” competition at every event regardless).  There were a great deal of manly men showing off their calves though in the name of Scotland and I quite enjoyed it.  This was the first time I was at the PA Ren Faire when it wasn’t the Celtic Fling, so maybe it was more Celtic focused than normal.  I’ll let you know in two weeks when I’m back for the wine fest.

This was my first time fully committing to the renaissance aspect of the faire.  I dressed up, followed the story line, and didn’t just drink beer and shop.  I had no problem following the story line of King Henry the VIII, mainly because I highly enjoy that time of history and the actor playing King Henry, as mentioned previously, is a total hunk of sexy man meat.  I’d let that king behead me any day, if you know what I mean (you don’t know what I mean, i’m really stretching for a joke).  Basically, Henry is a hottie.  This is also super romantic Henry before Catherine couldn’t give him sons and banished her.  What a doll face.

This is what I love about renaissance faires: everyone is just having a really great time. There is no other place you can go where people just say, “You know what, this is totally ridiculous, but I’m having fun, so screw you and you’re stupid face. I mean, thy stupid face.”  No one actually said that, but it’s the sentiment.  No one is judging you for wearing your craziest getup and bowing to an actor posing as one of the most ruthless kings in history, speaking in a fake English accent, pretending you’re in England when you’re just in Pennsylvania, and overall just acting like a loon (but a loon that is having a lot of fun).  I mean, I’m not one of those people who lives and breathes renaissance faires, but I just committed to the story line and had a blast.  There was beer, raucous singing, dirty jokes, live jousting, more hot men than you would think, and some awesome outfits, so what is there not to love? Nothing, I tell ya, absolutely nothing.

I’ll be going back in two weekends, and honestly, I can’t wait.  There is a great sense of community and everyone just let’s down their guard and has a good time.  I actually feel like the people who aren’t dressed up look more out of place than the people that do.  It’s a situation where you just need to get over yourself, own it, and have a blast.  I will be attempting to make my own outfit for future faires (depending on how big a headache I give myself will determine how much I’m willing to spend on a pre-made outfit), so I can really make the most of the atmosphere and experience.  It is an experience.  The actors are incredibly talented, stick to character through and through, and honestly just make for a really entertaining day.  I highly recommend people don’t knock it til they try it, but if you take yourself too seriously, then don’t even bother.  This is a place for people who really just want to enjoy themselves and have a good time.  Huzzah!

The Sex is in the Heel

I didn’t know the back of the shirt I bought said that.  I kinda like it though because I do agree that high heels are sexy.  I chose the shirt because it was a super cute v-neck with the Kinky Boots logo on the front.  I got it home, took it out of the bag, and then realized my father is going to question why the back of my shirt is talking about sex in heels (he also questioned why I was wearing a shirt that reads “It sucks to be me.” after seeing Avenue Q.  Some people just don’t get it.).

Being the super sleuths that you are, I’m sure you figured out that I went to see Kinky Boots today.  It’s Broadway Week and tickets were buy one get one free.  Payless ain’t got nothing on that (Payless, if you want to give me free shoes, I won’t complain).  Kinky Boots did two things for me tonight: 1. Made me want to buy new shoes; and 2. Get up and dance.  Now, I am a shoe person.  I love me some heels despite being 5’9 and already taller than most of the boys.  I think a great pair of shoes can change your life.  I think nothing ruins a day quicker than having on a horrible pair of shoes.  I think this show demonstrated what great shoes can do for you.  It also teaches you that you should be proud to be yourself and not judge others, but really, the shoe thing.

The dancing.  It wasn’t that the dancing was anything spectacular, it was actually pretty simple choreography, but the music was so good that I just wanted to jump on stage and join them.  Cyndi Lauper wrote it though, so I am not surprised the music was fantastic.  I just want to take a minute to comment on choreography, especially in musicals.  I don’t think choreography in musicals needs to be overly complicated to be impressive.  I was always taught that a simple step done in perfect unison is always more impressive than an difficult step done poorly.  Now, I am not saying that there wasn’t any difficult dancing in this show, because the Angels were phenomenal and incredible dancers, but there were six of them.  Six really strong dancers, or at least six really strong dancers that were given the opportunity to showcase their talents, carried most of the dancing in the show.  The last number of course demonstrated that everyone in the cast could keep a beat and do some fancy footwork, but the show really relied more on the vocals of the cast.

I think the thing that ruins a show the quickest is a weak vocalist.  There was not a single weak vocalist on this stage.  I was blown away by everyone’s singing.  Andy Kelso (also a total babe), Billy Porter, and Haven Burton (especially Haven Burton, man that girl can belt it), were sturdy leads and it is abundantly clear why Porter took home the 2013 Tony.  I don’t want to say that he stole the show because it is easy for his role to be the scene stealer (he gets the good costumes and the good songs), but he was amazing.  Andy Kelso gets to play Charlie Price, who doesn’t change out of khaki slacks until the last scene.  It isn’t difficult to be overlooked by the belting drag queen in the full on sequin getup.  Kelso was perfect though.  His character undergoes the deepest emotional development in the show, which as an actor takes talent to make believable in the 2-hour time frame provided.  I thought Kelso was a perfect Charlie and I understand why he has been cast as every hot character on Broadway in the last few years (Fiyero in Wicked and Sky in Mamma Mia).  And the say only men objectify women.

All in all, Kinky Boots was a solid show.  It was fun, entertaining, and meaningful without taking itself too seriously.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is interesting in seeing a slightly quirky, off beat, Broadway spectacle.  Oh and if you’re looking for a place to eat, I went to John’s today which, in my humble opinion, has the best pizza in NYC.

“Chanticleer, you’ve gotta crow, and you gotta crow now!”- Patou

I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “Did she just quote Rock-A-Doodle?” The answer is yes, I did.  What are you going to do about it, eh? Ever have a moment when you see something from your childhood and then you finally realize what it’s referencing and you have that OHHHHHH! moment?  Well, I had one today when I realized that chanticleer was French for rooster and that was the name of the rooster in Rock-A-Doodle, my little brother’s favorite movie circa 1994ish.  I also realized why that was the perfect name for a gay bar in Ithaca, NY.  I’m a quick one.  Why am I learning about the translation of chanticleer, do you ask? Is it because I finally got past the first chapter of my French Rosetta Stone lessons? Nope! It is because I went to Chanticleer Gardens today!

Flowers just growing in the grass on the lawn at Chanticleer

So without going into the history of Chanticleer Gardens too much (you need to learn something on the tour!), I will just give a quick run down of why I went and some of the things I saw.  First of all, I went with my graduate class on a seminar of Philadelphia.  Chanticleer Gardens is located in Wayne, PA, which is a suburb on the Main Line of Philadelphia.  The area surrounding the property is wealthy and gorgeous.  You just drive through a neighborhood of mcmansions to get there because the property itself was just one of those mcmansions that the son of the owners decided to add to the National Registry and set up a foundation so the land could never be developed.  It has been open to the public since 1993.  For $10 you get a tour of the Chanticleer House and for free you can just go and ponder life in one of the most beautiful gardens in the US.  The garden itself was very reminiscent of the Chatsworth House grounds in Derbyshire, just a lot smaller, but the design is that of an English Garden, so that explains the similarity.  For your viewing pleasure:

 

The property consists of the main house, which was the parents house, and the two childrens’.  The daughter’s house is now used as administrative offices and the son’s was torn down to create a ruins.  The ruins were probably my favorite part.  They were macabre and artistically unique compared to the colorful typical English Garden decor throughout the rest of the property.  Don’t get me wrong, I love colorful flowers and an English Garden, but the ruins stood out and I enjoyed them.

           Inside the ruins

Heads in a fountain.

Dining room table turned water feature

                  Ruins from the outside

After Chanticleer Gardens, we drove over to West Chester, PA to Teca for lunch.  The food was delicious, the wine was fantastic, and the waiters were gorgeous.  Seriously, every waiter was hot as hell.  Our waiter, Nick, was probably more delicious than the food, which is saying something because my risotto (speck, tomatoes, and artichoke) was fantastic.  Nick, if you’re reading this (doubtful), I’m single, leave me your digits in the comments.  Teca is a wine bar and we had this fantastic Super Tuscan wine that was amazing (I took a picture of the label, don’t worry!) I highly recommend Teca if you’re in the West Chester area.  The food was phenomenal (we ordered an array of appetizers; my favorite was the fig, cantaloupe, prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, and roasted red pepper plate), it was the best wine I’ve ever had (also the most expensive, so that could be the reason), and not only was the wait staff all male models, they were excellent waiters, as well!  I was really tempted to be super corny and ask Nick if he was on the menu.  This is why I’m single.

2007 70% Cabernet 30% Merlot 13.5% Alc 100% DELIGHTFUL

After lunch, we stopped at one more gem.  Baldwin’s Book Barn, also known as heaven.  Baldwin’s Book Barn is a renovated barn with 5 floors of used books.  There are more than 500,000 books there for you to buy.  There are multiple nooks and crannies to get lost in, secret rooms, staircases that lead up and down, change direction, then you end up in Hogwarts.  Honestly, the amount of books was overwhelming.  I walked out with five; one on Druids in Celtic tradition, one on the Tristan Chord in Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, one on fashion of the First Ladies, another on the history of costuming in France, England, and America, and a final one on fashion design that the manager gave me for free!! The Baldwin Book Barn is a book lover’s dream come true.  It has every topic under the sun and it smells ah-mazing.  Plus, the average book is less than $10.  They also have rare first editions and collectibles.  They had a first edition The Great Gatsby that was valued at $65,000.  And the best part is that they take credit. Oh and if you can’t make it out to West Chester for the Book Barn, you can hit up their website where they have 4,000ish of their more interesting and unique books for sale. Woot woot! Shopping spree!!!!!!

Movie Review Time!!

I apologize for my delay in posting (I know you have all been waiting with bated breath for my next installment). I enjoyed my Labor Day weekend with a few Shipyard Pumpkinhead beers and then started school again!! I just began my Masters in Humanities at Arcadia University and had my first class Tuesday night.  The course is an interdisciplinary course on the year 1859.  A lot of cool things happened in 1859.  Darwin’s Origin of Species was published, Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde was written, Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities, and John Stuart Mill wrote On Liberty.  Big year.

So, firstly, I hate Dickens.  I think reading his writing is a chore and I think he is an ass.  That’s my scholarly opinion.  Great Expectations was  probably the most painful book I’ve ever forced myself through (I say that because there were a few books that I just put down that I dislike equally, but I actually completed Great Expectations).   I am not looking forward to reading A Tale of Two Cities, but at least we’re dealing with Dickens first so it will be over quickly.  Well, part of the course is to write a 3-5 page informal paper on some sub-category of our topic of conversation’s life.  I chose to write on Catherine Dickens and Ellen Ternan.  There is not much fact on what happened with Dickens and Ternan (his assumed mistress), but apparently there was enough to make a movie on it.  

The Invisible Woman began for me as a supplement to an assignment and it ended as a spark to actually look forward to researching Dickens’ and Ternan’s relationship.  It did not change my attitude on Dickens; he was a man who thought that grand gestures and charity would make up for him being a prick to his family.  He separated from his wife because she got fat, well that’s okay, he donated a lot of money to a hospital! He’s a great man! DIckens was a celebrity and played the audience.  He knew what image he needed to be successful and kept all of his dark and dirty secrets secluded in homes.  Literally, he put Catherine in a secluded home and wouldn’t let their children see her and kept Ternan in a home and kept her secret so he wouldn’t ruin their reputation.  Great guy.  I don’t know, here’s a thought, don’t leave your wife who bore you all your children for a kid who isn’t fat yet.  Guess what, she will be after popping out as many kids as Catherine did.  Well, that never came to fruition because Dickens died and left Ternan to get married and have children of her own with her husband. 

No one actually knows what really happened between Dickens and Ternan.  Scholars argue that she was his mistress or that he just took care of her.  Well, I’m going to be realistic and say that she was his mistress, obviously.  She was a young kid who had a celebrity crush on Dickens; she was a fan of his writing.  Guess what, if MIchael Weatherly (Tony from NCIS and my favorite slightly too old for me celebrity) asked me to be his mistress, I’d do it.  So would Ternan.  Funnily enough, the only actual accounts of their relationship are from Dickens’ children.  I’m sure they’re unbiased.  They claim that Ternan was pregnant, but lost the baby.  That would be a quick way to get revenge on her by soiling her reputation, but it could also be true, who knows.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, there is no written documentation because Ternan conveniently gave birth in Paris before a fire that wiped out most of the documents.  I guess the world will never know.  

This is supposed to be about the movie though.  I get off on tangents so easily.  Ralph Fiennes and Felicity Jones play Dickens and Ternan.  It was a great movie.  If anyone can make me like a character that is a bit unsavory it’s Fiennes (Voldemort anyone? or his character in Schindler’s List, which is arguable the most evil character in movie history).  Now I am not comparing Dickens to a Nazi or Voldemort, that is a gross statement, I’m just saying that Dickens was your typical narcissistic asshat who thought his shit didn’t stink, but Fiennes makes him almost likable (probably due to Fiennes general attractiveness.  It’s amazing what character flaws we will overlook for a pretty face).  I really don’t like Dickens. Jones was excellent as Ternan, despite the fact that I couldn’t stop trying to place her the whole movie.  Doctor Who.  She was in an episode of Doctor Who.  She’s been in other things, too, but I haven’t seen them.  If the movie did anything, it made me interested.  I immediately began researching, which is good considering I need to write a paper.  Fortunately, I can give my opinion in said paper, which is what I do best!

Moral of the story: if you’re at Redbox and are considering movies, The Invisible Woman won’t disappoint.