So many people told me I had to update my blog while in Europe. I am on my sisters computer on internet we had to pay 20 pounds for! And we blew out the power in the room trying to charge this computer, but here is the blog.
I've been keeping extensive notes in my phones blogger. It's the only thing I can really use my phone. Oh and a camera. For which I am eternally thankful to photo track my journey. When I return I'll put up my long long blog and try to organize it for easy use. I've been very satisfied with our choices and visits so far on the trip and so I hope others can use the blog as a suggested sites to visit. I'm not going to talk too much about my trip right now though besides a brief stint in the next paragraph, knowing that I'm publishing a play by play later this week upon my return.
Just a brief snapshot though, I've been in Ireland for 5 days and am now just arrived in London this afternoon. The trip has been all that i expected which was just to be blown away by the architecture, the statues, the parks, the history, the churches, and the grand castles and buildings all around. The food has been good and the traveling been relatively painless. Overall I'm having a great time. I think I'd need a year in London to be satisfied and I am even more jealous of Brock living here than ever before. My goal is to see a play while I'm here.
On to the musings! Traveling with family makes you really analyze your role in the group. I have found that I am the translator and peacekeeper. In our family of five I am the middle one, though of the children I am the oldest. This means I am the leader to my siblings but sometimes the odd one out because they are closer in age and my parents are a team. As I've mentioned before I am also the "smart one" (my brother the funny one my sister the cute one/girl) We are like the Warners from the Animaniacs really. This means I can be intimidating to my siblings and they don't tease or pick on me much because I tend to get them back. Sooner or later they are going to figure out that they are just as quick and witty as I am but until then, I get an older brother bonus to our bickering. And we tease and tangle a lot. Its part of our relationship. My sibs also make fun of my parents, something I never do, and I guess that also sets up weird lines in the battles that inevitably follow lots of time together.
I jokingly told them I was going to keep a tally for how many times my sister, Cheeky Monkey, would get into a fight with my brother, Jules Drewe Yorke. This turned into how many times she'd fight with my mom. And then with my dad. I think the tally, which I'm barely keeping but constantly reminding them that I am, is around 12 or 13 between the sibs, 9 or 10 between my mom and her, and 3 or 4 with my dad. It has often been my job to translate what mom or dad want from her and to a lesser extent Jules, and relay that information in language that is patient, understanding and comprehensive. For example, CM got all bent out of shape because we went to this nice manor home and ordered drinks. She doesn't like a lot of alcohol yet (she's only 18 and can drink here but not at home) and so she didn't really want to spend this trip acquiring tastes. So as we are sipping our good irish whiskey, she opted for nothing. But she felt that my dad rushed her to make a choice of what to get because the waiter was coming and that he would give her crap if she ordered a super fruity drink. The night before she had a pina colada and that cost more than two shots of high quality sipping whiskey. It was my job to explain that my dad wasn't rushing her and is only teasing, not serious. I also had to explain that its acceptable to ask the waiter for more time. My mom just got mad at my sister for being angry, which pissed her off more and my dad kept trying to get her to order anyway, which her pride wouldn't let her do either. She felt better after talking to me and enjoyed herself more.
I'm not telling this to brag about my peacekeeping skills (besides sometimes i instigate the battles hehehehehehe). It's more about family roles. My sister will grow out of her feuds with my parents (though never my brother) as she gets older and moves out of the house. It happened to Jules too. My role is just to keep everyone understanding everyone. I was navigating my father across Ireland and he, having some trouble with driving on the left side of the road, kept veering over a line. My mom kept backseat driving. I, terrified for my life at times, still was patient and supportive of my father, knowing he needed that not the constant criticism from the three in the back seat.
There are times where I cause trouble too. Especially when I get on my independent streaks and what to move at a certain pace or don't like it when my family asks me personal questions like the ever-popular whats going to happen to you and Tenshi when you move. We're dealing with it, we'll carry on is sometimes along the lines of my terse reply. I don't know why such inquiries get under my skin. They just do. And I have to be more open with my family and continue the patience. I'll try to work on that for a bit the next few days. Or go explore London on my own alone. One of the two.
Well I have to go. I have to give this computer back to my sister soon and its pretty late here though its only 340 there (1140 here). I will say I miss all of you and hope to have a nice return party where I can show you pictures and share a drink from a foreign country. I'll be super jet lagged but maybe in early July. Until then, I leave you with this limerick I wrote while in Limerick, Ireland. Cheerio!
There once was a limerick from Limerick
That touched every soul with its rhetoric
At dawn break it had fled
From the poor poet's head
And so vanished Limerick's great limerick.
Listening to: beatles led zeppelin and muse and any other british rock music i can
reading: Strange signs on the street (toilet not restroom) in british accents in my head
playing: Chrono Trigger on the DS, if i can charge my DS...
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