Leap Year Traditions
2004 is a Leap Year!Leap Year was the traditional time that women could propose marriage. In many of today's cultures, it is ok for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been the case. When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.
It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. So, according to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the Leap Year.
According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day.
It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.
The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. They also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a Leap Year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.
In the United States, some people have referred to this date as Sadie Hawkins Day, with women being given the right to run after unmarried men to propose. Sadie Hawkins was a female character in the Al Capp cartoon strip "Li'l Abner." Many communities celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November.
There is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leap year. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Im in the Isle of Mann. Mannanin- Mana-Mana (do-do-do-do do)
It's very green here. Green and hilly and sea gulls all about. I like to smile to myself when I hear talk of "fizzy pop" and "Christmas crackers" Honestly I have no idea what is to be found in a Christmas cracker.
There is much more to be said of Rome, but I'm not sure I'm up to the task just yet. I was not a happy camper when I left and I may have let Evil Shannon take over momentarily. The Fonz will not be happy with Evil Shannon.
I did get a great picture of the Pope dressed like Santa, and that is thus far the highlight of this jouney.
I'm just chilling now.
Here on the Isle of Mann there is lots of green grass, hills, sheep, old churches and grave yards, also lots of drunks and some scary driving. I hope to make it off the island whole and healthy.
I tried a "jelly baby" today. Kinda like a gummy bear, but worse.
Crazy baby eaters.
It's very green here. Green and hilly and sea gulls all about. I like to smile to myself when I hear talk of "fizzy pop" and "Christmas crackers" Honestly I have no idea what is to be found in a Christmas cracker.
There is much more to be said of Rome, but I'm not sure I'm up to the task just yet. I was not a happy camper when I left and I may have let Evil Shannon take over momentarily. The Fonz will not be happy with Evil Shannon.
I did get a great picture of the Pope dressed like Santa, and that is thus far the highlight of this jouney.
I'm just chilling now.
Here on the Isle of Mann there is lots of green grass, hills, sheep, old churches and grave yards, also lots of drunks and some scary driving. I hope to make it off the island whole and healthy.
I tried a "jelly baby" today. Kinda like a gummy bear, but worse.
Crazy baby eaters.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Yes, yes, for many years I have known about Nutella. I supose, though that's its kinda like Canada for me, out of sight, out of mind.
I have never really craved Nutella. I don't remember ever seeing Nutella in the store in the US, but then I would never have looked for it. Is there peanut butter and/or jelly? Why then would I want Nutella?
It's a novelty like vegemite
I might rather have vegemite
I have never really craved Nutella. I don't remember ever seeing Nutella in the store in the US, but then I would never have looked for it. Is there peanut butter and/or jelly? Why then would I want Nutella?
It's a novelty like vegemite
I might rather have vegemite
I specifically went into Frankfort early so that I could participate in a walking tour of the city. I suppose I had been expecting an English tour, but when I got there I heard everyone speaking different languages, and I thought, well, I don’t know, maybe it will be in German, there seem to be lots of languages here. When the tour started it was all in can you guess Italian . . . yeah that makes sense. Well, I just followed along to see what there was to see (not so much really)
There was an Australian girl there too, so we got called up to the front of the tour for translations periodically. We saw a building where Shindler (the one with the list) lived for some undisclosed amount of time. She pointed down a street light up with neon and said (I quote, but I cant find the quotation marks) This is the street of sexy shops. When the lights go out, it is not busy, but . . . the lights they do not go out.
The tour started at the train station, now here am I silly American that I am thinking, It will be a circular tour, they will bring me back to the station . . . no ! Those crazy Italians in Germany walked me 40 minutes into the center of Frankfort and left me!
So, like a blind person I carefully felt my way back to the station, I ended up following some more Australians, (I love you Aussies!) back to the station.
So, I got my bus to the airport and waited there for the plane, which naturally was late. I met some Americans in line who naturally complained about the plane being late. We got the airport in Rome and we had already missed the bus which runs to the metro station, so we had 2 hours at the airport in Rome to kill.
Some observations:
Italians are very animated it seems to Americans they are always fighting, while actually they are just discussing.
The cleaning lady at the airport was not just animated she was livid. She mopped the steps and attacked everyone who dared step on her clean steps!
That’s when you need a sign that says stay away from me crazy Italian lady!
The Americans I had met in Frankfurt were like a walking comedy routine. It was a young couple and the husbands mother. The mother was reading an Italian phrase book, and loudly practicing important phrases like, "Don’t touch me there!" (non toccarme lí)
"F*ck off!" (sorry, I can't find the translation)
"Will you hold my dentures?" (farà lei tiene le mie dentiere) and "Would you like to kiss me?" (farebbe lei ama per baciarme)
The husband was standing off to the side muttering something about how this was National Lampoons Eurotrip, but older, Italian people were turning to stare, and the little wife had her nose stuck in about five different Rome tour guides.
There was a little girl across the airport carrying around what appeared to be an overgrown Strawberry Shortcake doll. It was more like a Strawberry Tallcake doll, the girl was probably four feet tall, the tall was at least three feet tall. It was only wearing underwear and its flaming red hair was sticking up in all directions. It was frightfully like Chuckie!Chuckie! Chuckie! (Euro) Chuckie!
When the bus finally came they told us it would be 40 minutes to 1 hour before we got to the station, by then the station would be closed, we would have to take a cab.
Fantastic.
The drive must have taken us though the seediest part of town, Ive been some scary places, but I feared for my very life in as we slowly drove through the darkest dirtiest part of Rome at 1:30 am.
Thank God those crazy Americans were still there. They led me down to the taxi stand and let me share a taxi with them. I got to my hostel and rang the bell, and stood there in dark cold (slightly less scary) Rome for 10 minutes before The Fonze came down to open the door and lead me down the block to his apartment (not the hostel I booked and paid for). More on that later.
There was an Australian girl there too, so we got called up to the front of the tour for translations periodically. We saw a building where Shindler (the one with the list) lived for some undisclosed amount of time. She pointed down a street light up with neon and said (I quote, but I cant find the quotation marks) This is the street of sexy shops. When the lights go out, it is not busy, but . . . the lights they do not go out.
The tour started at the train station, now here am I silly American that I am thinking, It will be a circular tour, they will bring me back to the station . . . no ! Those crazy Italians in Germany walked me 40 minutes into the center of Frankfort and left me!
So, like a blind person I carefully felt my way back to the station, I ended up following some more Australians, (I love you Aussies!) back to the station.
So, I got my bus to the airport and waited there for the plane, which naturally was late. I met some Americans in line who naturally complained about the plane being late. We got the airport in Rome and we had already missed the bus which runs to the metro station, so we had 2 hours at the airport in Rome to kill.
Some observations:
Italians are very animated it seems to Americans they are always fighting, while actually they are just discussing.
The cleaning lady at the airport was not just animated she was livid. She mopped the steps and attacked everyone who dared step on her clean steps!
That’s when you need a sign that says stay away from me crazy Italian lady!
The Americans I had met in Frankfurt were like a walking comedy routine. It was a young couple and the husbands mother. The mother was reading an Italian phrase book, and loudly practicing important phrases like, "Don’t touch me there!" (non toccarme lí)
"F*ck off!" (sorry, I can't find the translation)
"Will you hold my dentures?" (farà lei tiene le mie dentiere) and "Would you like to kiss me?" (farebbe lei ama per baciarme)
The husband was standing off to the side muttering something about how this was National Lampoons Eurotrip, but older, Italian people were turning to stare, and the little wife had her nose stuck in about five different Rome tour guides.
There was a little girl across the airport carrying around what appeared to be an overgrown Strawberry Shortcake doll. It was more like a Strawberry Tallcake doll, the girl was probably four feet tall, the tall was at least three feet tall. It was only wearing underwear and its flaming red hair was sticking up in all directions. It was frightfully like Chuckie!Chuckie! Chuckie! (Euro) Chuckie!
When the bus finally came they told us it would be 40 minutes to 1 hour before we got to the station, by then the station would be closed, we would have to take a cab.
Fantastic.
The drive must have taken us though the seediest part of town, Ive been some scary places, but I feared for my very life in as we slowly drove through the darkest dirtiest part of Rome at 1:30 am.
Thank God those crazy Americans were still there. They led me down to the taxi stand and let me share a taxi with them. I got to my hostel and rang the bell, and stood there in dark cold (slightly less scary) Rome for 10 minutes before The Fonze came down to open the door and lead me down the block to his apartment (not the hostel I booked and paid for). More on that later.
Welcome me to Happy Days Hostel. I have not met the Fonze. Nor have I met the 2 Canadian girls who supposedly owned the place, nor have I been staying in the actual hostel, where surprisingly enough there is not an internet connection, not a common room, not two bathrooms and certainly not breakfast.
New ownership . . . Ivano, hes kinda like the Fonze, but Italian, and he graduated from UT, hes a happy guy with lots of hair and he loves the ladies.
Ive taken to making now real decisions this trip. In each hostel I have found someone and just started following them around. Yesterday I followed Laurence and Ellen and Alison around. Laurence left this morning, so today I followed Ellen and Alison around. I might have to strike out on my own tomorrow.
I had big plans to go see the Pope, but I forgot to go pick up the tickets today, I was busy freezing bits of my anatomy off at the coliseum and other crumbly places.
It was amazing, everywhere I looked it was something old and fantastic, before too long my brain overloaded and I just started snapping pictures of everything two or three times.
Im going to come home with 500 pictures of buildings and columns and fountains and other old crap that I can not identify.
Yesterday we went to the Vatican. We had a tour of St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican museum. The guide kept saying things like, This is the biggest church in the world! and This is the biggest Dome in the world!, and This is the biggest museum in the world! Then she would have to qualify, well, not the biggest church, but the biggest catholic church, and this is the biggest dome in a catholic church, and this museum isn’t actually the biggest, but it does have more stuff.
It seems that the Popes of old were a bunch of bastards. Im going to have to do some research into this. Some of them had horse races in the Papal courtyard, illegitimate babies, pillaging of the monument of antiquity, glorifying themselves by putting their names all over the churches, having statues and monuments made for themselves . . . etc.
I have especially enjoyed the Rome tourist gift shops. They have the tackiest things here, of course I have made several beauteous purchases. I bought a nativity in a nutshell, about 5 mini rosaries, a few real rosaries from the Vatican, postcards and I have my eyes out for a fake Gucci there are African guys on the streets selling them for 10 euros.
New ownership . . . Ivano, hes kinda like the Fonze, but Italian, and he graduated from UT, hes a happy guy with lots of hair and he loves the ladies.
Ive taken to making now real decisions this trip. In each hostel I have found someone and just started following them around. Yesterday I followed Laurence and Ellen and Alison around. Laurence left this morning, so today I followed Ellen and Alison around. I might have to strike out on my own tomorrow.
I had big plans to go see the Pope, but I forgot to go pick up the tickets today, I was busy freezing bits of my anatomy off at the coliseum and other crumbly places.
It was amazing, everywhere I looked it was something old and fantastic, before too long my brain overloaded and I just started snapping pictures of everything two or three times.
Im going to come home with 500 pictures of buildings and columns and fountains and other old crap that I can not identify.
Yesterday we went to the Vatican. We had a tour of St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican museum. The guide kept saying things like, This is the biggest church in the world! and This is the biggest Dome in the world!, and This is the biggest museum in the world! Then she would have to qualify, well, not the biggest church, but the biggest catholic church, and this is the biggest dome in a catholic church, and this museum isn’t actually the biggest, but it does have more stuff.
It seems that the Popes of old were a bunch of bastards. Im going to have to do some research into this. Some of them had horse races in the Papal courtyard, illegitimate babies, pillaging of the monument of antiquity, glorifying themselves by putting their names all over the churches, having statues and monuments made for themselves . . . etc.
I have especially enjoyed the Rome tourist gift shops. They have the tackiest things here, of course I have made several beauteous purchases. I bought a nativity in a nutshell, about 5 mini rosaries, a few real rosaries from the Vatican, postcards and I have my eyes out for a fake Gucci there are African guys on the streets selling them for 10 euros.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
have you come across nutella in your travels? so im sitting at a hostel called babel fish in wurtzburg germany eating a a roll with nutella i snagged from the last hostel. im hanging out here waiting for my next train to go to frankfurt from frankfurt to hahn where i do not pass go, but straight on to rome. in rome i expect i will get lost and then make it into the next hostel about 11 or 12 midnight hopefully sooner though
i got a 'snow ball' desert, a regional specialty that tastes strangely like a pepero stick all rolled up into a ball. appearenly they are not so popular among the natives. some woman argued with me yesterday about whether or not i liked it. she said, 'Do you like it?'
i said 'yes, its alright.'
she said 'no!'
i said, 'its not bad'
she said, 'no! no good white, no good black! no good!' (white = powdered sugar black = chocolate)
I said, 'i like it.'
she said, 'no.'
so i said, 'okay' and left.
i learned all about the prince bishop of wurtzburg, he had to retire when Napoleon came and took over the world, but until then he appearenlty kept his fat butt planted right here in the city. they showed us his toilet, it was a beautiful piece of furtiture, which looked like a small chest of drawers.
but low, it opened up into a throne!
it also seems that back in the day it was a great honor to be recieved by kings on their 'thrones' if you know what i mean. ummm, YUCK!
i got a 'snow ball' desert, a regional specialty that tastes strangely like a pepero stick all rolled up into a ball. appearenly they are not so popular among the natives. some woman argued with me yesterday about whether or not i liked it. she said, 'Do you like it?'
i said 'yes, its alright.'
she said 'no!'
i said, 'its not bad'
she said, 'no! no good white, no good black! no good!' (white = powdered sugar black = chocolate)
I said, 'i like it.'
she said, 'no.'
so i said, 'okay' and left.
i learned all about the prince bishop of wurtzburg, he had to retire when Napoleon came and took over the world, but until then he appearenlty kept his fat butt planted right here in the city. they showed us his toilet, it was a beautiful piece of furtiture, which looked like a small chest of drawers.
but low, it opened up into a throne!
it also seems that back in the day it was a great honor to be recieved by kings on their 'thrones' if you know what i mean. ummm, YUCK!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
disclaimerÖ the z and the y are in opposite places on this kez board and the puntuation is all wrong to mz american stzle, iäm not going to stop and fix it all, so get used to reading it all weird. and I cant alwazs find the right tab to make caps so :P
Wurtyburg thatäs funnz. that too. so here i am. todaz i learned about the prince bishops of the citz. iäve never heard of such a title, but there thez were, iäll have to learn more abou them.
we toured his palace, it was strange the whole thing was for show, he never lived there (from what i understood) it was largelz destrozed in WWII, like most of this town. then rebuilt. go go gadget germans!
itäs snowing tonight. it looks prettz, but its so cold, i reallz hope there is warm weather in the next stop.
I also reallz hope i donät get lost, everzbodz start thinking happz thoughts that i will find the hostel first time around
iäm reallz tired todaz, for some reason i woke up at 4am this morning and couldnät go back to sleep.
itäs eight fiftz five and iäm readz for bed!
itäs possible that iäm too old for this kind of journez across the world.
iäm going to go take some drugs, get in bed with all mz clothes plug mz head phones in and sleep, i hope
good night
Wurtyburg thatäs funnz. that too. so here i am. todaz i learned about the prince bishops of the citz. iäve never heard of such a title, but there thez were, iäll have to learn more abou them.
we toured his palace, it was strange the whole thing was for show, he never lived there (from what i understood) it was largelz destrozed in WWII, like most of this town. then rebuilt. go go gadget germans!
itäs snowing tonight. it looks prettz, but its so cold, i reallz hope there is warm weather in the next stop.
I also reallz hope i donät get lost, everzbodz start thinking happz thoughts that i will find the hostel first time around
iäm reallz tired todaz, for some reason i woke up at 4am this morning and couldnät go back to sleep.
itäs eight fiftz five and iäm readz for bed!
itäs possible that iäm too old for this kind of journez across the world.
iäm going to go take some drugs, get in bed with all mz clothes plug mz head phones in and sleep, i hope
good night
Thursday, December 15, 2005
so i went around town today, this time in the light and checked out all the old buildings, and the city wall and walked around in the dry moat and probably the most interesting things were that 1. \i have one other girl staying in the room with me and she's pretty cool, so we hung out all day and 2. we climed up a strange set of stairs just to see where they would go, when we got to the top there was a door with an arrow and a sign that said, 'watch the walking lights' so we went through to watch them and see what they are and we kept walking up and up some stairs, and the stairs kept getting smaller and smaller . . . or were we getting bigger and bigger \i don't know by by the top of the top my butt was so big i wasn't sure it would fit through but it did and i got some great pictures from the highest point in the city
i'll post them someday
ttfn
i'll post them someday
ttfn
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
um, so i tried to post, but i ran out of time and lost it here's another Euro down the tube.
so far it's been a disaster, but i'm getting the hang of all these planes and trains and busses.
i have missed at least one of each in the past two days. Due to a miscalculation, i missed my train in london, so i missed my plane in london, which resulted in me missing my bus in hahn and missing my train in frankfort. But i got a new plane ticket, bus ticket, train ticket. i'm not good at the train tickets esp. i've been on the wrong train, going the wrong way, at the wrong time and missed several out of sheer confussion on the matter.
but i made it here now. today i think i might take a vacation from my vacation and stay here at the hotel. it took me . . . no joke, 3 hours to find it. this is not a big town. i was walking anc carrying luggage the whole time, but still! By the end it was a matter of will power to keep going. it's freaking cold here!
i'm hungry, i gave some old lady all my crackers. she wanted them. i think. i figured the gestures for I want your crackers is easily translatable, even in german.
so far it's been a disaster, but i'm getting the hang of all these planes and trains and busses.
i have missed at least one of each in the past two days. Due to a miscalculation, i missed my train in london, so i missed my plane in london, which resulted in me missing my bus in hahn and missing my train in frankfort. But i got a new plane ticket, bus ticket, train ticket. i'm not good at the train tickets esp. i've been on the wrong train, going the wrong way, at the wrong time and missed several out of sheer confussion on the matter.
but i made it here now. today i think i might take a vacation from my vacation and stay here at the hotel. it took me . . . no joke, 3 hours to find it. this is not a big town. i was walking anc carrying luggage the whole time, but still! By the end it was a matter of will power to keep going. it's freaking cold here!
i'm hungry, i gave some old lady all my crackers. she wanted them. i think. i figured the gestures for I want your crackers is easily translatable, even in german.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
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