sparks fly as the fires burn at midnight

Happy Easter, one and all!

Yesterday I finally managed what didn't work out last year: I went to the Spectaculum (which is something like a RenFaire) in Gelsenkirchen. Jörg didn't come along because he was slightly ill, and had to help friends with their computer, but I just had to go.

And it was quite lovely (aside from some... not so nice things). I met Aditu (tzaaihta) with a friend, rahja, nefantoiel and her girlfriend, and Cele there, plus some poor guy called Nils who'd played taxi for Rahja and Cele so they could have mead. The medieval market was far larger than what we usually get, with better and more interesting stuff. It even stayed mostly dry (except for some rainy interlude during the nightly concert), and I managed not to spend all my money there (although there were lots of things that seriously tempted me, but by now I generally just collect ideas and try to make stuff myself before spending insane amounts of money on them). I did buy some food, which was more expensive than good, though. (Although the turkey wraps were excellent. I just wonder where they got the turkey from before 1492. Ah, mysteries of humanity.) There was a dog who may have wanted to become a horse, judging by his size (my and his shoulder were at the same height), the sort that is benevolent because it doesn't have natural enemies, and probably hunted with Oromë at some point.

We watched a pretty cool jester who got unexpected help from an adorable three-year old named Lilly, and a market-physician. And then there were the bands, Faun and Saltatio Mortis. The former made beautiful music, though I missed most of their concert (and also didn't think of buying a CD *sigh*). Saltatio Mortis - well, they're famous, and everybody loves Alea (except for me, who likes the main drummer better, who looks like a young Qui-Gon Jinn gone pirate), and they do make nice music (although others make the same music, and better), and they were at the Middle-earth Festival in 2003 - but they can't sing, and their pronunciation, both in Latin and Old French, are horrible. Perhaps singing a bit less fast but more accurate might be actually better *rolls eyes*. They do have presence, though.

More annoying than the bad singing, however, was Cele. I mean, it's lovely that she's unashamedly herself, but if five different people around her wonder about what drugs she's been taking ("None, she's always like that") or whether she's completely drunk, it might be good to turn it down a few notches. And starting a drama about a wrongly-bound hakama is... just ridiculous, and coming from me, that says a lot (... it's an effing riding skirt, for Someone's sake!). As does getting me to be sick of Kendô-talk.
Also, I hate those rocker types that like to destroy the whole atmosphere by their oh-so-funny jokes. Shut up, asshole, the joke's ancient and not getting funnier when drawled out in your drunken voice. I really admire the people working on the market who put up with that or even manage to somehow integrate it into their show. If I had been one of the knights or guards, the third to be a total bastard would have gotten a good thwap with a lance.

Oh well.
Otherwise, it was highly enjoyable (but I do look forward to the DrachenUrukfest where everybody will be in-time, Erudammit). I brought home a bottle of gooseberry wine for Jörg. They didn't sell the prickly pear mead in bottles, unfortunately.

Kitten #2 has begun to walk into the next room, and to climb the walls. Kitten #1 bit his mother when he/she/it got sick of being washed. Both of them have their first teeth poking through. Awwww.

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( ... da schau, eine Übersetzung )

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