tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318495112024-03-15T01:26:19.424-07:00Circles and Dots and Other DistractionsMichelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.comBlogger1502125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-23204392725723343582023-07-17T17:31:00.005-07:002023-07-17T17:44:32.998-07:00Happy Birthday, Uncle George!Today would have been my great uncle George Bergman's 91st birthday. He contracted HIV and developed AIDS in the 80s and died in 1985. I never met him. Recently, I realized that since he didn't have any descendants, if I didn't ask my grandma about him soon, his story might be lost. <br /><br />
<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/d85aa897-19f8-45f1-8691-9a9f6643e3f6?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="A black and white photo shows a tan white man sitting at a wooden, upright piano outside in front of a brick building with tall, skinny windows while smiling at the camera. He's wearing a striped, short-sleeved, collared shirt, a wristwatch, and dark slacks. His short, dark hair is slicked back and he has a dimpled chin. A white woman with a ruffly black dress and her light hair pulled up on top of her head leans against the piano while looking at the man." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.40.31_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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My grandma lovingly told me about George. Her brother loved music and played one of Chopin's polonaises before he ever had a piano lesson! He enjoyed singing (he was a tenor), playing the violin and piano (he and I learned on the same piano!), and going to the opera.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/4bbf223d-10a6-4548-bc37-a4872d4d1422?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George as a child in the 1930s. A black and white photo shows a young boy in a collared white shirt and dark overalls looking at the camera. He has short, dark hair slicked back and to the side, dark eyes, prominent ears, and a dimple in his chin. The background is black." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_as_a_child_in_the_1930s.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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Their mother especially adored her golden boy, which I'm sure was hard for my grandma at times. There were quite a few pictures of him (as a child, he looked like one of my cousins!), and a few papers—letters from schools, news articles about him, and his funeral program.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/6fe669a3-7953-4876-9e7c-cff0d7cb60e4?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George and his mother. On the left is a white woman with reddish, ear-length hair, red lipstick, drawn-in brown eyebrows, and a black and white collared top. She has one arm around a dark-haired white man on the right, with her hand on his shoulder, her other hand on his bicep, and her head touching his. On the right, the man is seated in a macramé-like chair and leans his elbow on the arm of the chair, with his hand up to his dimpled chin. He has short, dark hair and is wearing a floral and geometric collared top. Both are looking at the camera with a pleased look." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.45.22_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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When George died, my grandma was by his side in Philadelphia. One of the last things he said was, "There are so many astral people around."
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/b4b660a4-527a-4f9e-a15b-73db003e0477?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="Carroll and George at the piano. A white man and white woman are backlit as they play a duet at a dark, upright piano. He has short, dark hair and is wearing a suit and tie. She has light hair and is wearing a white collared top with a flower on one side." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.44.12_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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I've enjoyed using library resources to research more about him—I found him in news articles and phone books, and was delighted to learn that he and my grandparents always lived within ten blocks of my favorite and longest-yet apartment in San Francisco!
<br /><br />
<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/7b775a52-667f-4cc3-8677-8e68128cb0a2?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George possibly in San Francosc. A thin white man with short, light hair, a cleft chin, and a prominent Adam's apple looks toward the camera with his chin up. He is wearing a dark polo shirt, a dark wristwatch, grayish-brown flare pants, and a thick dark belt with a silver buckle. Behind him are cars, maybe from the 70s—one brown and one off-white. Behind the cars are buildings possibly in San Francisco — one with a flat, white front and reddish garage, door, and window frames, and a beige one with a bay window." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.36.54_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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I wish I could find people who knew him in the 50s and 60s in SF and NYC. My grandma said he was a music critic for an SF newspaper, but I've only been able to confirm that he worked on the San Francisco Examiner's classifieds and wrote one opera opinion piece. Every music critic has since died.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/8442ea26-a5fb-4e7d-a2cb-6b0b0a1d95b9?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George Bergman Italy Trip in San Francisco Examiner April 25th, 1960. A black and white image of a news clipping shows a young white man with dark hair, dark eyes, an open-lipped smile, a cleft chin, and a plaid collared shirt. The top says, 'MAJORS IN ITALIAN. A major in Italian language and literature who expects to become a teacher, he will spend about 10 weeks in a.'
A B&W news clipping 'Bergman Envoy to Italy' shows a young white man with dark hair and eyes, an open-lipped smile, a cleft chin, and a plaid collared shirt. The caption says, 'GEORGE BERGMAN . . . college ambassador.' The article says:
George Bergman, sophomore at San Francisco State College, will travel to Italy this summer as the school's 'college ambassador' in the experiment in International Living Program it was announced yesterday.
Bergman, 27, was chosen from 18 Applicants for the trip, which is financed by the organization's Bay area Council.
MAJORS IN ITALIAN
A major in Italian language and literature who expects to become a teacher, he will spend about 10 weeks in a small Italian community as yet unnamed as the house guest of a family.
Bergman, who finances his college study by working part time in the classified advertising department of The Examiner, entered college at the age of 25 after spending the years since high school studying music in New York City." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_Bergman_Italy_Trip_in_San_Francisco_Examiner_April_25th_1960_Cropped.jpeg?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/e15f7885-70db-43a7-b53d-a87a9c80d3f3?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George Bergman on Ozawa Departure San Francisco Examiner 1975-07-30. San Francisco Examiner
Ozawa departure
The resignation of Maestro Seiji Ozawa as music director of San Francisco Symphony brings to mind, if one may be permitted, a blatant analogy — the lesson learned by Pope Julius II in his dealings with Michelangelo: genius must be accommodated.
The custodians of the orchestra have long found it difficult to understand the undemocratic truth that in all art the genius must rule as the autocrat. The moment of Vienna’s greatest musical glory was 10 years under the domination of Gustav Mahler.
After his dismissal it sank into mediocrity from which it did not recover until decades later when Von Karajon assumed a role similar to Mahler’s. Since the departure of Pierre Monteux our orchestra had indeed known evil days. It began to recover its stature under the late Josef Krips and then had the truly unheard of good fortune to secure the artistic services of Maestro Ozawa who, despite great odds and much opposition, improved enormously the quality and prestige of the orchestra.
The great tact with which he is attempting to attenuate the shock of his leaving did not alter the fact that elsewhere his genius is better appreciated . . . And as to his successor, could San Francisco support one of the great egotistical giants of music who could forge the orchestra into the instrument it could and should be?
GEORGE BERGMAN
San Francisco" src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_Bergman_on_Ozawa_Departure_San_Francisco_Examiner_1975-07-30.jpeg?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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I wish I could find out the name(s) of George's partner(s) in New York City, San Francisco, Paris, and Philadelphia. Would he believe that gay marriage was legalized within his sister's lifetime? Did he face violence or arrests because he was gay? Did he join any early pride parades?
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I'd heard different things about George's cause of death, so I requested a death certificate, but only immediate family members and direct descendants are allowed to receive a copy, which begs the question—what about decedents without descendants or living immediate family?
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/ac8ed060-e159-48e8-836c-9aaebf99ef84?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="B&W George in front of body of water in 50s. A black and white photo shows a white man sitting in front of a body of water. He is looking to the side with a serious expression and has short, dark hair and a cleft chin. He is wearing a short-sleeved, collared, plaid top, a dark wristwatch, and dark slacks." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/B_W_George_in_front_of_body_of_water_in_50s.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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When I tried to request his transcript from SFSU to identify his major and graduation year, I was told I have to prove I was related. I'm trying to figure out how one does that—apparently a family tree isn't enough.
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Thankfully, the SFSU university archivist was very responsive and easily found George's commencement program with his major (Italian) and graduation year (1962) that included a photo.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/d0d239c8-da8a-4e97-aae9-237f4893b4f8?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George Bergman Photo in SFSC 1962 Commencement Program. A black and white photo shows a white man with dark eyes, a cleft chin, and his short, dark hair combed back. He is looking to the side with a pleasant expression and is wearing a dark suit with a white collared shirt and tie with diagonal stripes. A dark spot is on the photo near his nose." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_Bergman_Photo_in_SFSC_1962_Commencement_Program.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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But one thing I keep thinking about was that big parts of his life are likely missing because the family didn't talk openly about George being gay, and he lived far away from family members still alive today.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/d13f7301-1831-4242-b357-072a365df558?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="Bergman, George '76 at GFS. A black and white photo focused on a dark-haired white man with hair to his ears wearing a striped, collared sweater. He is looking down and one hand is visible holding something casually in front of his chest. There are blurry other people around him—one in the foreground with chin-length blond hair, and one right behind him with dark curly hair." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Bergman_George_76_at_GFS.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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So I started looking up some of George's former students who were named in an article about George's foreign language and performing arts video collection being donated to Germantown Friends School and found two who had talked about George in a Facebook post!
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I ended up connecting with former students, a coworker, and the school's archivist, all of whom shared wonderful things! George was fashionable and always wrote with a purple flair pen. He had an “incredibly resonant voice with stylish cadences” (I'm trying to find a recording).
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/680b4cd3-cc44-4d2d-aae8-16cd9196fa8e?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George leaning against car in the 50s. A black and white photo with bushes in the background shows a long white car, probably from the 50s, in the foreground. A tan white man with short, dark hair leans back with his elbow on the car while looking at the camera. He has a cleft chin and wears large, dark sunglasses, a dark, short-sleeved, collared, striped top, and light slacks." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_leaning_against_car_in_the_50s_.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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Despite the understood "don't ask, don't tell" attitude at the time, George made a welcoming space for closeted kids and faculty members. He earned respect by having no doubts about himself.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/1d3c260a-7b89-40f9-a7a4-e6c10dcbabda?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George in sunglasses. A black and white photo shows a white man with short, dark hair combed back. He is standing in front of a large, flowered bush with his hands in his pockets. He is wearing large, dark sunglasses, a short-sleeved, collared, striped, light top with the sleeves rolled up, and light pants with a thin dark belt." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.40.48_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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George recognized the school's opera queens and opera-interested and accompanied them, with his mother, to a New York opera and brunch at the World Trade Center restaurant Windows on the World, where he declared that everyone *must* see the amazing bathroom. (Anyone have a pic?)
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/2bbfbd8e-c40d-4148-8d31-44df1efc69b2?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="Marjory and George in the 70s or 80s. A white woman with reddish hair and a thin white man with chin-length brown hair stand in front of a large plant and ruffly lamp, looking at the camera with pleased expressions. The woman, on the left, has red hair, red beads, a red dress, and a red bracelet. One of her arms is behind the man and one hand is held at her hip. The man, on the right, has a dimpled chin and prominent Adam's apple, a dark collared top with shapes on it, and dark slacks. One hand is on the woman's shoulder and the other hands down by his thigh." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Marjory_and_George_in_the_70s_or_80s.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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Somehow, George was good friends with Coe Glade, a woman who held the world record for performing as Carmen in the opera the most times. He found out a coworker's mom loved opera as well and escorted her a few times, dressed very elegantly.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/f19d047d-110b-46f6-979f-528e211e358e?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George in suit, pointing with pen. A black and white photo shows a white man with a strong cleft chin and his short, dark hair combed back. He is wearing a dark suit and tie and sitting with one hand on his knee and his other hand holding a pen to point at something in a book that someone cropped out of the picture is holding." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.37.20_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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George played classical musical at "an ear-splitting volume." He showed up to support student songwriters and attended rock concerts with students. He surprised a coworker by telling her all about Pink Floyd.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/411aac47-9160-4481-ad1d-e20ef4493c56?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George in houndstooth in the 70s or 80s. A tan white man with light, ear-length hair, dark eyes, and a cleft chin smiles open-lipped at the camera against a pink background. He is wearing a brown and white houndstooth sport coat over a dark top." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_in_houndstooth_in_the_70s_or_80s.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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Among George’s favorite movies were It’s a Wonderful Life, Sunset Boulevard, Casablanca, All About Eve, Ninotchka, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, The Lion in Winter, Notorious, A Star is Born, Rebecca, The Little Foxes, Wuthering Heights, and Becket.
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George organized a celebration of 100 years of recorded sound and played the best recordings—Enrico Caruso, Leopold Stokowski conducting . . . and a song written by student Joshua Newberg, after which he announced, “That of course was Rudolf Schmidt and the Vienna Quintet.”
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His extracurricular activities were: “Photography, Piano, Swimming, Theatre, Tape Recording, Concerts, Cinema, the Nations of the World.” He put on Romeo and Juliet with his French students and Frenchified everyone's names in the program. Thank you, GFS archivist!
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/dfe7ba20-b1bb-4c98-a238-bd96870d6ab7?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="Roméo et Juliette '77. A handwritten program that says, Roméo et Juliette '77 en Français
Lette Tragédie Sera Présentée par Les Éleves de French IV. Unique Représentation
Jeudi, 26 Mai 1977 à 20: Hres.
Salle Yarnall
Germantown Friends School
31 West Coulter Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144" src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2023-07-17_at_16.06.14.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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He put himself in positions where he could support people who needed support and had an instinct for what people needed to hear. He accepted a very out-of-character role in a play for a shy kid directing it and told a visiting graduate, “You have evolved” (in French).
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/7522fec8-3432-48d3-832e-092e98c9eb03?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George Bergman in The Brig at GFS in 1977. A black and white photo shows people on a stage with a brick background. Towards the back, five men are lined up in front of cots as if at attention. They are wearing white shirts with dark, loose-fitting jackets and dark pants. A thin white man with light, ear-length hair stands in the middle wearing a light collared top and light slacks. His elbows are at his sides and his hands touch over his ribs while he faces the people who are lined up. Another man in the foreground holds his hands up as if explaining something. His hair is brown and curly and he's wearing flared jeans and a light sweater." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/George_Bergman_in_The_Brig_at_GFS_in_1977.jpg?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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When George died, people at the school said he'd died of cancer without mentioning George having AIDS, and they said it was to protect his mother. I think that with how close George and his mother were, she probably knew he was gay and that he had AIDS.
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Student David Dunn Bauer said, "George was glamorous, and we as a Quaker school were not, but George treated us as if we were. If we’d been in NYC, he'd have worn a full-length mink and it would have been fabulous. I graduated in 1977, and every one of these memories of George is vivid. George does not fade."
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/db973d16-c10d-42e4-91be-92dc9f25e0ee?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="George at Grand Canyon. A thin white man looking at the camera with a serious expression sits on a rock wall at what appears to be the Grand Canyon. He has short, dark hair, a striped boat neck top, a dark belt with a silver buckle, a black wristwatch, form-fitting jeans, and he is wearing large, translucent sunglasses." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Screen_Shot_2022-07-17_at_5.44.45_PM.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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George's friends at GFS made a quilt square for the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in honor of George. It didn't take me long to find it, and I was surprised to recognize it as soon as I saw it. That cleft chin is unmistakable.
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/a42dbb58-e9d8-44ec-a694-d176c233268f?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="AIDS Memorial Quilt Square for George. A purple rectangle with 'George' in pink cursive on the right, angled up to the top right corner. On the left is a white block print bust of a man with short hair and a shadow on his chin that indicates a cleft chin. He is looking to the right side of the rectangle with a closed-lipped smile." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/AIDS_Memorial_Quilt_Square_for_George.png?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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<a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/MichemilyG/a/6759bd4d-cbb8-42f5-bcfc-338a9c3b5a6c/p/9a2e0ec7-264c-47e2-b285-d7a527f37396?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy Birthday George Cake. A tan white man with short hair, a dimpled chin, a navy top, and a wristwatch looks at the camera while holding a round white cake that says, 'Happy Birthday George.' In the background is a window with tan curtains, something hanging from the ceiling in macramé, a plant, and an unidentifiable object." src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/z72/MichemilyG/Happy_Birthday_George_Cake.jpg?width=380&height=380&fit=bounds" /></a>
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What a gift to learn all these things about George so I have a clearer picture of him on his birthday! I'm also writing about my Grandma's life and love and learning more about her when we chat once per week.
Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-86352324240491116622023-02-26T11:28:00.001-08:002023-02-27T09:20:59.295-08:00The last year has been beautiful<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDsPeYch89RZiJO8JHNdunWXl2ynupf-wYxRAGUFuAU9QGR-F1V9FPGQakqnQyWV4k1DdIk1IETVWWiv1NwN4L-ZSOU38ZfNcfAzuBUs-tnebGhXyEQjL0SsjNLQeGLL3OiDYMWpAD3uyOP_TXh6rhUVm-eT4zVpivjJXqUx0vtsYBs4KgxU/s4032/IMG_1337.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDsPeYch89RZiJO8JHNdunWXl2ynupf-wYxRAGUFuAU9QGR-F1V9FPGQakqnQyWV4k1DdIk1IETVWWiv1NwN4L-ZSOU38ZfNcfAzuBUs-tnebGhXyEQjL0SsjNLQeGLL3OiDYMWpAD3uyOP_TXh6rhUVm-eT4zVpivjJXqUx0vtsYBs4KgxU/s600/IMG_1337.JPG"/></a></div>
<p>The last year has been beautiful.</p>
<p>I figured out how to better split domestic responsibilities with Michael and adopted the life-changing weekly spousal one-on-one meeting. I relished no longer having dinner be my problem. I went on daily walks with Maggie and Michael and marveled at the beauty of our home in the San Francisco Bay Area. I biked around San Francisco and enjoyed excellent food with Michael and Maggie, our very good girl. I took a multitude of pictures of Maggie and cut and threw endless pieces of carrots and green beans and radishes for her. I expanded the "foods dogs can eat" list on the fridge. I picked up trash and Maggie's and other dogs' poop at the park. I discovered a great new hike we can enjoy with Maggie. I comforted and distracted Maggie during thunderstorms and fireworks. I had Wellness Wednesdays workouts, dinner, and learning with Michael, Claire, and Maggie.</p>
<p>I took drastic measures to eliminate invasive weeds, built new garden beds, and coaxed the garden to be more like my vision, with strawberries, raspberries, passion fruit, olallieberries, lavender, snapdragons, carnations, blueberries, corn, onions, tomatoes, garlic, green beans, radishes, carrots, potatoes, lemons, limes, pomegranates, plums, apples, avocadoes, peppers, tree dahlias, lettuce, bok choy, nasturtium, cala lilies, camellias, hydrangeas, and more. I sorted a ridiculous amount of objects, mostly trash, dug up in the yard.</p>
<p>I created a baking calendar to make and enjoy my favorite goodies over the course of each year. After Reading How Not to Die, I adopted a vegetarian diet and developed a really healthy and delicious smoothie recipe. I had a delightful conversation with the person in the painting I inherited from my artist grandfather. I meditated and savored my bed. I mourned the decline of Twitter. I set app limits and loved it. I became overwhelmed with all the things I wanted to do. I drew boundaries. I finally processed an email that had been in my inbox for years. I paid someone else to take the headache of taxes for the first time this year and was ecstatic when we filed a few days ago.</p>
<p>I grew as an empathetic manager and cheered on many people at Techtonica. I was censured for advocating for inclusion. I received a raise. I lost a job. I learned about negotiating severance and shared what I learned. Layoffs caused hiring partners to back out of their agreements, so I negotiated contract terminations and found solutions for unplaced grads and launched a new Techtonica program to support past grads looking for jobs. I said goodbye to Techtonica's Partnerships Manager of three years and interviewed and negotiated with job candidates before hiring someone amazing who starts next week. I became the resident feedback expert. I learned about and advised and played Gartic Phone with Techtonica participants. I gathered feedback, implemented changes at Techtonica, and had the satisfaction of seeing participants and staff members thrive. I learned to stop working in the evenings.</p>
<p>I picked up antique woodwork and furniture restoration. I figured out how to safely and effectively strip lead paint through a lot of trial and error while devouring audio books at 2.5x. I acquired a foosball table, Eastlake furniture, and a barrister bookcase. I dusted off my piano skills and the perfect 1895 piano built in San Francisco and learned a song I've liked since I heard a friend play it in Leipzig. I visited lovely historic houses and joined an old house community. I saw a tiny Buddhist temple and learned about the history of Chinese people in Mendocino County. I installed rope caulk, bronze weatherstripping, and portières to make the winter less miserable for us.</p>
<p>After years of mostly business writing, I started writing for me again. I researched my great uncle who died the year I was born and found out some fascinating things about him from past students and schools he worked at, then wrote about him and my grandma. I received a letter in shorthand from my grandma to treasure forever.</p>
<p>I continued to learn about and try to be a better advocate of anti-racism. I managed not to suffer too much from allergies with a dog in the house, but was sick and had a mysterious skin bump and weird allergic reactions to stuff outside. I started having my prescriptions mailed, and was relieved that my doctor could prescribe the restricted daily allergy medicine, Allegra D, that I'd been buying every two weeks for years. I discovered the best non-fogging, sanitizable, breathable mask, Airgami. I lost my keys. I bought two of the most comfortable Duluth coveralls for projects but then couldn't stand to make them dirty.</p>
<p>I appreciated over 100 books, especially A Little Life, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and Ejaculate Responsibly. I was in charge of the monthly family book club, mostly so I could talk to my family each month. I donated to organizations planting trees every month in hopes of curbing climate change. I grumbled about cars and smoke and noisy motorcycles and junk mail and sexism and people painting woodwork and more.</p>
<p>I enjoyed visits and email and text and cute and funny video exchanges with friends and family.</p>
<p>I'm pleased with the life I've built and who I've become and I hope to grow and experience like this over the next year, too.</p>
<p>Tl;dr: Life has been very full in the last year and I'm looking forward to more.</p>Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-22387873919105368792021-12-31T21:28:00.004-08:002021-12-31T21:30:06.110-08:00Adding Maggie to the family<p> We adopted a dog! Maggie is a 4-year-old chow mix and she is so sweet. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-C1p9JsweQ/YWr0QKLPJGI/AAAAAAABVa8/aNp3rE9kWx0IhTPQQPfgVCTckDEhxcH6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s768/Adopting%2BMaggie%2BNV.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="687" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-C1p9JsweQ/YWr0QKLPJGI/AAAAAAABVa8/aNp3rE9kWx0IhTPQQPfgVCTckDEhxcH6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Adopting%2BMaggie%2BNV.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>We marvel at <i>how lucky</i> we are to have found such a calm, well-behaved dog and I’m really, really glad we got an adult dog that didn't need potty training. She doesn’t chew on things, she rarely barks, she’s never had an accident inside, she doesn't eat human food, she doesn’t care about toys, she rarely whines, she doesn’t seem interested in houseplants, she only goes on grass or wood chips, she's good about not getting on furniture, she doesn't slobber, she doesn't let her tongue hang out, she doesn't often lick faces or jump on people, and she loves attention but can settle down on her own when we’re busy. Plus, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/floofymaggie" target="_blank">she's just so cute and entertaining</a>!</p><p>I worried about how a dog would fit into our life, but Maggie showed up and continually brings out the best in us. Having Maggie as part of the family has helped us have more balance—I think we surpassed our last year's number of walks in the first few weeks. We've learned a lot about dog care and she entertains us and sweetens our life every day. Adopting Maggie was a good choice and the top highlight of 2021.</p>Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-55855923856179351262020-07-12T18:45:00.000-07:002020-07-12T18:45:33.365-07:00My Aunt, Diane Ellingson SmithOne year ago today, I was running a hackathon event at Twilio when I received a text message from my cousin saying that my Aunt Diane had died. I remembered all the lovely visits to her and my Uncle Scott's house—barbecues, sleepovers, lunch and woodworking—and enjoying her wit and friendliness at family get-togethers.<br />
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She was an accomplished gymnast years before I was born and despite dealing with a huge, life-changing injury because of the sport, she remained a lifelong gymnastics fan. I loved re-reading her book, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-You-Dare-Give-Up/dp/1885640307/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Don't You Dare Give Up</a>,</i> utilizing old research skills from back when I worked at two libraries, and re-watching a video made about her to review all that she achieved and stood for during her life. You can <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Ellingson_Smith">read her bio here</a>.<br />
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Here's a video that shows some of her gymnastics, her sharing lessons learned, and a glimpse into her time as a teacher:<br />
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I miss her and hope she's doing flips and cartwheels now.<br />
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<br />Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-52714014257985160572019-08-31T22:37:00.001-07:002019-09-04T21:21:12.312-07:00The Last Five Years' Best BooksTo celebrate five years back in San Francisco, I'm sharing some books that have really stuck out:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks"><i>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</i> by Rebecca Skloot</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/334176.The_Sparrow"><i>The Sparrow</i> by Mary Doria Russell</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18079683-boy-snow-bird"><i>Boy, Snow, Bird</i> by Helen Oyeyemi</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18428067-a-constellation-of-vital-phenomena"><i>A Constellation of Vital Phenomena</i> by Anthony Marra</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13540215-the-orchardist"><i>The Orchardist</i> by Amanda Coplin</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571564-hyperbole-and-a-half"><i>Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened</i> by Allie Brosh</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22816087-seveneves"><i>Seveneves</i> by Neal Stephenson</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22521576-changing-the-conversation"><i>Changing the Conversation: The 17 Principles of Conflict Resolution</i> by Dana Caspersen</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104344.The_Gate_to_Women_s_Country"><i>The Gate to Women's Country</i> by Sheri S. Tepper</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790842-life-after-life"><i>Life After Life</i> by Kate Atkinson</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46074.Limbo"><i>Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams</i> by Alfred Lubrano</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24468.On_Gold_Mountain"><i>On Gold Mountain</i> by Lisa See</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20575411-lila"><i>Lila</i> by Marilynne Robinson</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/161724.The_Knife_Man"><i>The Knife Man: Blood, Body Snatching, and the Birth of Modern Surgery</i> by Wendy Moore</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25763894-green-island"><i>Green Island</i> by Shawna Yang Ryan</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35133922-educated"><i>Educated</i> by Tara Westover</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25246592-the-man-who-spoke-snakish"><i>The Man Who Spoke Snakish</i> by Andrus Kivirähk</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29751398-the-power"><i>The Power</i> by Naomi Alderman</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/693208.The_Absolutely_True_Diary_of_a_Part_Time_Indian"><i>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</i> by Sherman Alexie</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40044460-split-tooth"><i>Split Tooth</i> by Tanya Tagaq</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25733983-lab-girl"><i>Lab Girl</i> by Hope Jahren</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29780253-born-a-crime"><i>Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood</i> by Trevor Noah</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29430055-lucky-boy"><i>Lucky Boy</i> by Shanthi Sekaran</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52318.Wild_Seed"><i>Wild Seed</i> by Octavia Butler</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/600335.The_Dollmaker"><i>The Dollmaker</i> by Harriette Simpson Arnow</a></li>
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But seriously, there's one masterpiece that every high schooler should read:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27071490-homegoing"><i>Homegoing</i> by Yaa Gyasi</a></li>
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Read my reviews on Goodreads.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-11090920293140511942018-09-30T23:50:00.001-07:002018-10-01T07:31:15.861-07:00This September I'll RememberThe womp of the waves against Shelter Cove<br />
The porcelain of rocks worn into roundness over time<br />
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Breathing in sunsets and storing away the calm for later<br />
Playing Scrabble and the scrabble of a crane fly on the ceiling<br />
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The roar of rocks rolling away<br />
The glaring glitter of the sea<br />
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Taking on a path with cliffs on both sides<br />
Gallivanting like goats<br />
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The Michelle Gs at TechCrunch<br />
The piling up and ups and downs of pain<br />
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Volunteer nights and nights volunteering a listening ear and computer tips<br />
Mini olallieberry pies to make space in the freezer and joy in my heart<br />
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Fear of having taken on too much<br />
Hanging in there so far<br />
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Snickerdoodle the cutest Corgi<br />
Seeing Salesforce Park for the first time<br />
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Burmese and ice cream with visitors from our 2014 life<br />
Jumpsuits and the visit of a sister<br />
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Missing perfumed hours spent next to my lost music mentor<br />
Reading about Peggy's first penicillin shot<br />
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Replacing Michael's favorite shoes<br />
A tired anniversary<br />
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A grand plus of dentistry<br />
Weezer's cover of "Africa"<br />
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Setting a record on dinner and asking about rolls before dessert<br />
Rolling fog, fresh air, a view from the other side, and whorls of grass<br />
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The hardest shin whack maybe ever experienced<br />
The lotion rub that was supposed to be a massage<br />
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Ice cream before Indian<br />
The betrayal of communal mothers<br />
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Revisited vistas and a seal, king of the rock<br />
A traffic jam made okay by togetherness and <i>The Tsar of Love and Techno</i><br />
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Pondering the eucalyptus life<br />
An empty apartment<br />
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Saying goodbye to two offices, hello to two more, and working towards yet another<br />
Trying to keep orchids alive and watching the flowers fall<br />
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Last-minute community wrangling<br />
Rejoicing in graduates at Grace Hopper<br />
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Worrying about not enough yeses<br />
Avoiding news to save myself<br />
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Salty spam<br />
Giggling at Gritty<br />
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Weekend naps<br />
Chocolate just for me<br />
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<a href="https://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2018-09-09%2022.18.50-2_zpss0ihoxis.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Mini olallieberry pies photo 2018-09-09 22.18.50-2_zpss0ihoxis.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="https://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2018-09-09%2022.18.50-2_zpss0ihoxis.jpg" width="639" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2018-09-12%2009.14.31_zps8k0va7li.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Visitors from Shanghai photo 2018-09-12 09.14.31_zps8k0va7li.jpg" border="0" height="480" src="https://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2018-09-12%2009.14.31_zps8k0va7li.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2018-09-22%2010.42.15_zpsoh1npp75.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Whorls of grass at Cavallo Point photo 2018-09-22 10.42.15_zpsoh1npp75.jpg" border="0" src="https://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2018-09-22%2010.42.15_zpsoh1npp75.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-57516351316988909452018-09-04T20:11:00.002-07:002018-09-04T20:21:39.411-07:00ScrabbledTo my utter joy, Michael has recently learned to enjoy playing Scrabble with me. Unfortunately, the nearly-70-year-old Scrabble game I inherited from my great uncle was missing 15 tiles.<br />
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I was disappointed to find you can't really order just the tiles you need from the game maker, but I'm ecstatic that it only took $8.50 to get all the missing letters from someone on Etsy! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/385140956/scrabble-tiles-pick-your-own-custom-20?ref=shop_home_active_7">Get your own here</a> (and get 10% off with 10OFF code).Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-41278218587109912452018-06-30T23:00:00.000-07:002018-07-01T00:20:26.800-07:00My Breathing ThingFor the last year and a half, I've dealt with what I call a "breathing thing." It started around the time I did the Techtonica crowdfunding campaign, and it's never gone totally away or been explained by the doctors I've seen. Basically, sometimes I can't get a satisfying breath. I try to breathe in deeply, but I can only get a good breath every several breaths or so because of a tightness in my lungs. It's worse when I'm more stressed or tired than usual. As a result, I end up feeling fluttery and sighing a lot.<br />
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The lack of a consistently-good breath makes me anxious, which just makes my breathing even worse. Interestingly, almost everything I've looked up about how to calm one's self starts with focusing on breathing slowly and deeply. As you can imagine, that method backfires in this case.<br />
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Michael thought it might have to do with my very-messed-up nose, which is lopsided and lumpy and doesn't let in a lot of air after several sinus surgeries that were supposed to help with that and all the sinus infections. He once discovered that pulling up and sideways on the skin next to my nose results in me feeling cool air hitting membranes that don't usually get it (it's a very strange feeling). I talked to an ENT about the problem, and I found out that there's a name for Michael's "method"—it's called "Cottle's Maneuver."<br />
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The ENT sent me to some surgeons for consultations, but they all said that unfortunately there wasn't enough bone to work with in my nose and they'd need to use one of my ribs to support reconstruction. I did not like that idea one bit and asked about a cadaveric rib, but I was told it could dissolve! Knowing the weird medical issues I've dealt with, that would probably happen to me. Also, both surgeons told me they weren't sure they could get insurance to justify surgery. Soooooo that's a no-go.<br />
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But I don't think the breathing thing is from my messed-up nose, because that would mean that breathing through my mouth would fix the problem, and it doesn't. The doctor checked my air intake with a spirometer and the oxygen levels in my blood, and both were fine, so I just deal with it and try to get some rest before it gets so bad that I can't sleep. Of course, all the stress from running a nonprofit by myself and the reflux I also deal with makes it hard to stay asleep. I often feel like things have to get better at some point, but then when I examine that thought, I realize I'm trying to look at things as fair, and really, it's more likely that more and more physical things will go wrong as I get older.<br />
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Anyway, it's so hard to get enough rest, and I'm not really sure why I'm sharing this, so off I go.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-78893827811213106532018-03-31T22:16:00.001-07:002018-03-31T22:16:56.059-07:00Passion Fruit YogurtOn my birthday, I invited friends to meet me at Straw, a restaurant that was donating 10% of dine-in sales to Techtonica. Although I was perfectly happy to have people be there or donate to the Facebook fundraiser I'd started, one friend I am always so impressed by brought me a gift. In addition to a Target gift card that she insisted I spend on myself, she gave me a whole pack of passion fruit yogurt.<br />
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Now, it's one thing for someone to happen to give me a flavor of yogurt that I really love, but I knew as soon as I saw the yogurt that she remembered this poem I'd written six months earlier (August 28th):<br /><br />
<i><b>This is just me crying on a Post-it note</b></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>You have taken</i><br />
<i>my passion fruit yogurts</i><br />
<i>that were in</i><br />
<i>the company fridge</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>and which</i><br />
<i>I was looking forward to </i><br />
<i>all</i><br />
<i>day</i><br />
<i>long</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Replace them</i><br />
<i>they cost more</i><br />
<i>than I've earned in a year</i><br />
<i>and I would have savored</i><br />
<i>every</i><br />
<i>last </i><br />
<i>bite</i><br /><br />The yogurt showed that she saw me and appreciated me, even in a moment when I felt petty about feeling upset by missing yogurt. I'm still feeling in awe of her thoughtfulness. Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-67949633765237514942017-12-31T23:43:00.002-08:002017-12-31T23:43:37.903-08:00Fumbling for WordsHave you ever simultaneously had the breath knocked out of you and the pain of the world knocked into you? That somewhat explains what happened to me last November. Despite the leaps of progress for women after centuries of denial of opportunities, and after getting to a breaking point with many tragic humanitarian issues in the country, a huge portion of the U.S. decided they didn't care about other people. One person really hurt me by saying, "It's not like someone died," but to me, it felt like an expansive death sentence or at the very least a huge, selfish, "We utterly don't care about you" directed at millions of people that would result in harmful policy and ongoing discrimination and tragedy. I didn't just feel my own pain; I felt the weight of widespread devastation. And what can one say when they can't breathe and they've been told their voice doesn't matter?<br />
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I'm amazed that despite the heavy burden of constant terrible news over the last year, many people have been able to process quickly and get enough breath to raise strong voices in opposition. I'm just now starting to feel like I can feel around in the dark for my voice, but only because I've been guiltily using my privilege to mute a lot of the constant influx of bad news. All I've been able to do for the last year is focus my energy on building <a href="http://techtonica.org/">a program</a> that empowers people who have even fewer privileges under the current administration. It's so, so hard, but I care so, so much about this important cause.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-42386549975845578502016-11-08T08:26:00.001-08:002016-11-08T10:23:07.255-08:00#ImWithHerWhen I was in elementary school, I made friends with an older woman in my neighborhood. Pat had a cute little dog named Goochie, her house was full of curiosities that any young child would marvel at, she would happily give you one of the amazing-smelling roses from her garden, she had the most curious mole on her face that I couldn't help but look at, and she was always friendly and accepting. My family would invite Pat over to Sunday dinner and occasionally she would invite my very large family over to her house for dinner. <br />
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One time, when we arrived at Pat’s house, she had the television on. Hillary Clinton was speaking, and Pat said something along the lines of, "Isn't she just wonderful?" Pat occasionally did strange things, and who could blame someone getting up there in years and living alone? At the time I didn't know much about Hillary Clinton, but I watched my mom avoid the question and later heard my parents talk about the Clintons and specifically Hillary in a disparaging way, so naturally I thought Pat's opinion of Hillary must be one of her quirks that was forgivable due to her age. <br />
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From people I was surrounded by, I learned that Hillary couldn’t do anything right—I even remember hearing her being criticized for getting expensive haircuts, which most of us would probably do if we had the means and our looks were being critiqued by the world.<br />
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It took about 20 years for me to re-evaluate the belief that Hillary was a horrible person. Today, #ImWithHer.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/hillary%203_zps2coatwai.png.html"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhUPPW6Zu7vBw8Tgd2PCZ0NnzG81qneCf6UIQPfZc3leQJh-EOTt2t2J4GyfNUdVv8ADsXAnPG_LVNxqWbXOaUWv83FiEPxXojH3gdLqHfv-WWA_zu-ajPt3AuQ5cUHMIP4VDqyEaLYYC1ul_kEpDwGVYWBl8MbvJBf8TkxXvvBb92vL1ymlmYsp2o06BM=" width="400" /></a><br />
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In the past few years as much of my life has circled around my professional life, I have learned a lot about gender bias. I’ve learned that women are often expected to balance on a very thin fence and it’s often impossible to please people—women either have too much makeup, or not enough. They either are not involved enough or too bossy. They either smile too much or too little. These opinions do not just come from men; we've all learned to look at women this way and it takes effort and dedication to look past what we've learned. It's hard for women to completely win at whatever they do.<br />
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I’ve seen all the same bias at play with Hillary—her voice is shrill, her voice is too manly, she’s not loving enough, she’s a woman and women are too emotional. She’s been criticized for her husband’s choices and her outfits. Media focus has been more on her past mistakes and where she as a person falls short than on where she stands now. Through it all, she has remained unwaveringly confident. I wish I could have poise like that.<br />
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Honestly, I've mostly looked at politics as annoying and to be avoided as much as possible. I think it says something that someone like me has been seriously affected by the hatred and selfishness spewed by Trump in the current election.<br />
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I’ve cried when hearing that people I know are supporting Trump—not because they’re not supporting Hillary Clinton, but because I hear "Like Trump, I don't respect you or any woman and I am not willing to show love and understanding to people who are different from me."<br />
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A lot of people have had trauma re-surface because of Trump and it’s terrifying to think his hatred could be normalized more than it already is. I can’t even begin to tell you how emotional I’ve been this election, from the trauma of Trump, to the excitement at possibly having a woman in the office of president, to the bitter disappointment at how strong the racism, xenophobia, and sexism are in the U.S. <br />
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Although I haven’t lived in Utah for many years, this breaks my heart: <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-07%20at%203.09.22%20PM_zpsxxndhyl2.png.html"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi23X5x3q-eIw9glP_2-HpiQxoH9AyfyXVPerJ22Z5Q-nYK9sKOuUY0oHODFsTcUe5RbG_awgilXqKit3mL4NBmvO4aEuxBFDryabppgRr9wUhBtGOxlGYa_mA9e2cvcu0UwIiaj5D9J4mWPBUXvw3ISvPfO2zADeip2rPm3McdgL4V-wMPUcj7tln66_wtT3KTI3MH3uYKfe9eBXPUZFhCVjYyZsEVccoHNK4=" width="298" /></a> <br />
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I was so proud of so many from the state I was raised in disliking Trump. What happened? Were people unable to look past their party? Do people know that Utah used to be Democrat and it's okay to vote outside of your party to thwart someone like Trump? <br />
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As far as I know, in my lifetime, Trump is the only U.S. presidential candidate who has been so openly, repeatedly, unapologetically hateful of people different than he is. I do not believe that either party is an advocate for hatred and I’m confounded as to why Donald Trump has come this far. This election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is no longer a question of political views or parties; it is a question of hating/allowing hate for or supporting your fellow humans. <br />
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I don’t believe it’s possible for any human to be a perfect leader (do you?!), and I don’t think Hillary Clinton is the exception to that. I do know that Hillary Clinton has long cared about women’s and children’s rights, that she has years of experience dealing with the most difficult situations, that she does her homework to make the best decisions she can, that she stuck it out with an unfaithful spouse (seriously, wow), and that she’s seeking to learn and be more inclusive as we all should.<br />
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Having Hillary Clinton as president would be a whole world better than an America with a hateful Trump as leader. Again, I know that Hillary Clinton isn’t perfect. But I also know that she hasn’t sexually assaulted anyone, been unapologetic and even encouraging of sexual assault, mocked people with disabilities, proudly avoided paying taxes, stereotyped minorities as rapists and criminals, stooped to endless name-calling and body-shaming, talked casually about nuking, not paid hundreds of people for their work, been hands-off about raising children and discouraged fathers from being involved, or been endorsed by the KKK. <br />
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If I felt like I had any sway and that it’s not mostly too late, I would beg: do not vote for Trump and the hatred and fear he stands for. It has been somewhat relieving to hear of family members who have decided to vote for third-party candidates in mostly Republican states, but in the end, they are essentially voting for Trump and "spoiling" the election. (See <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jx3SgxGG8">this video about voting paradoxes</a> to learn about the spoiler effect.)<br />
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It has taken a lot for me to say this publicly online, but the more I think about it and feel upset by the awfulness of Trump, the more I feel like I have to say something or forever regret not standing up for someone I believe in and against a horror. I, like many others, have asked myself if I would have stood up against Nazis in Germany or if I would have been on the wrong side of history. Today, though I'm late, I stand with the person I believe will steer America clear of similar utter chaos and tragedy.<br />
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To anyone reading this who has been afraid to publicly support Hillary Clinton or at the very least to speak up against Trump, I encourage you to stand with me. <br />
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To anyone who has not closely examined their disgust of Hillary Clinton and needs some inspiration (even if you've already voted), let me know and I will add you to an amazingly inspiring, Hillary-supporting Facebook group that you can <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/7/13546830/pantsuit-nation-hillary-clinton-election-secret-private-facebook-group">read about here</a>.<br />
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At the end of today, I hope to be able to know for sure that we will finally have a tough, experienced woman as president who will set an example for generations of girls and women. I hope if Pat is watching, she'll be proud. I also hope that my ballot stub will be a treasure for years to come as I've seen happen with suffragette sashes.<br />
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I leave you with <a href="http://www.cjanekendrick.com/2016/10/just-before-i-vote.html">some words that resonated with me from blogger CJane</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[Hillary’s] fight feels so personal to me. She's had to fight like hell and she's still standing--and that's important to me because I've never seen it done before. And I need to see it done. What will we gain from a nation full of women who fight and stay strong and don't give up until their voices are heard from the very, very top? We don't know. But I am willing to bet it's going to be radical, transformative and ultimately healing.</blockquote>
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#ImWithHer<br />
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Some other things to check out: <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.onedaydemocrat.com/#video">One-Day Democrat</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hillaryclinton/videos/1318546694868523/">This inspiring video</a> </li>
<li>"<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/dont-gamble-on-trump/506207/">The Conservative Case for Voting for Clinton</a>"</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/alyson.draper/posts/10209809201680871">The awful abortion experience of this Mormon woman</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-31%20at%2011.20.06%20PM_zpsodkedcgl.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2016-10-31 at 11.20.06 PM_zpsodkedcgl.png" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Screen%20Shot%202016-10-31%20at%2011.20.06%20PM_zpsodkedcgl.png" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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LinkedIn chose me to be on their first "Next Wave" list of professionals 35 & under—I was in the top 10 for software (you can <a href="https://lists.linkedin.com/2016/next-wave-top-professionals-35-and-under-20161011/software?">read more here</a>). This is what they wrote about me:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Any good engineer can solve problems; Glauser challenges the assumptions behind them. If you missed the #ILookLikeAnEngineer hashtag and billboard campaign in 2015, then you also missed how Glauser, 31, prompted women and minorities throughout the tech industry to empower themselves and to express their identity as engineers. In a similar vein, she’s now working on a startup that will help further empower low-income individuals by giving them free training and helping place them in companies looking to increase diversity. Glauser completed Hackbright Academy in 2012 and has worked as a full-stack developer in several different companies since then. In addition to her tireless efforts to create opportunity in software engineering, she also serves as the Lead for the San Francisco PyLadies meetup.</blockquote>
I don't really know how they came upon my name, chose me, and found out all of those details (it seems a little too specific to be directly from my LinkedIn profile, but maybe not) but it was definitely an exciting day with a lot of people reaching out and following me on various platforms. My feelings were varied from embarrassment and not wanting to share, to doubt that they'd chosen the right person, to being humbled by being placed with other seriously amazing people, to being glad to have some of my hard work recognized in some small way.<br />
<br />
I ended up sharing in many places for a few reasons:<br />
<ol>
<li>I was still in the midst of running the crowdfunding campaign for Techtonica and didn't want to miss any opportunity to drive traffic to Techtonica,</li>
<li>Michael threatened to share if I didn't, and</li>
<li>I'm always hearing about how women understate their accomplishments and I'm working on not doing that.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Hilariously enough, when some people from LinkedIn first emailed me and said I was in the running for an award and asked for my best address, I stupidly told them, "This is my best address," thinking they meant email address. When they came back asking for a mailing address, I became really suspicious and asked what they'd be sending and if my mailing address would be added to a list and doom me to never-ending snail mail junk. They didn't answer me the first time, and when they followed up, I again asked the same questions before they told me, "We want to send you a gift for winning, but please don't tell anyone yet, and no, you won't be added to any list." Still, I wasn't quite sure if these people were really from LinkedIn, so I gave them Michael's office address.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/IMG_20161011_202943_zpsbfsplzwy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="LinkedIn Next Wave Sunglasses photo IMG_20161011_202943_zpsbfsplzwy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/IMG_20161011_202943_zpsbfsplzwy.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
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These sunglasses arrived in a box much bigger than the sunglasses. They were in a special plastic case nestled in nice packaging and all of that was wrapped in tissue paper. I told Michael, "These are either the most expensive sunglasses I've ever owned or the most delicately-wrapped sunglasses ever."<br />
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Thanks for the honor and the gift, LinkedIn!</div>
Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-56288052845368848322016-09-26T21:55:00.001-07:002016-09-26T21:55:34.118-07:00I'm Launching a Nonprofit Called TechtonicaI finally publicly announced the reason I've been so busy for the last while . . . I'm launching a nonprofit! Techtonica offers low-income women and non-binary adults free tech training, along with living and childcare stipends, then places them in positions at sponsoring companies that are ready to support more diverse teams. <a href="https://medium.com/@michelleglauser/techtonica-how-to-diversify-tech-and-help-neighbors-in-need-837d5f0b40bc#.okvs2k2cw">Read more here</a>.<br />
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Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000137.373501499999996 -123.06486250000002 38.1763575 -121.77396850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-15499965558387908952016-08-31T23:30:00.001-07:002016-08-31T23:30:23.266-07:00Fogust in San Francisco<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-07-08%2013.26.38_zpsiwtauxhh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Summer in the Office photo 2016-07-08 13.26.38_zpsiwtauxhh.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-07-08%2013.26.38_zpsiwtauxhh.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
I remember wearing sandals and having a couple of warm weeks in August last year, but this "Fogust," <a href="https://twitter.com/KarlTheFog">Karl the Fog</a> hasn't had many vacation days. Of course, when offices are kept cold enough to turn your hands blue and send you in search of USB-heated gloves, the weather outside doesn't matter much anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-08-13%2011.33.09_zpszvv11u9s.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="St. Dorothy's Rest photo 2016-08-13 11.33.09_zpszvv11u9s.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-08-13%2011.33.09_zpszvv11u9s.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-08-13%2011.33.17_zpsqppnwj0l.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="St. Dorothy's Rest photo 2016-08-13 11.33.17_zpsqppnwj0l.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-08-13%2011.33.17_zpsqppnwj0l.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
I escaped to warmer afternoons and chilly, but Perseid-graced nights at <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/2300659-181/always-welcome-at-st-dorothys?gallery=2330543&artslide=0">St. Dorothy's Rest</a> with friends. One night, I woke up in the middle of the night and went outside by myself. I drank in the starry sky, the cool, refreshing air, the smell and towering presence of redwoods, and the quiet. Even though it was pretty cold, I had to wrap up that peaceful moment for later.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-08-26%2014.58.46_zpsudjiq8pt.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Contact Care Improvisation photo 2016-08-26 14.58.46_zpsudjiq8pt.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-08-26%2014.58.46_zpsudjiq8pt.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
What do you do when you forgot to bring your contact solution and case with you and your eyes are burn-y? Improvise with eye drops and spoons.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-07-14-11.42.20-lighter_zpsjavnfrrp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sufi photo 2016-07-14-11.42.20-lighter_zpsjavnfrrp.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-07-14-11.42.20-lighter_zpsjavnfrrp.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
This is Sufi. Though Sufi often looks at me like she's judging me and I'm not usually a huge fan of smaller dogs, Sufi doesn't make messes or bark and I love having her around at work. Sadly, I won't see her anymore after this Friday.
Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000137.373501499999996 -123.06486250000002 38.1763575 -121.77396850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-82644637365215018572016-07-21T22:42:00.000-07:002016-08-31T22:54:25.600-07:00GlassesIt's hard to believe that it's been nearly <i>ten years</i> since <a href="https://michelleglauser.blogspot.com/2006/10/wide-eyes.html">I had LASIK done on both eyes</a> (wow, look at the terrible quality of that digital photo!). Unfortunately, my eyes have "receded" since, and <a href="https://michelleglauser.blogspot.com/2015/05/i-can-see.html">contacts</a>/too much computer time/post-LASIK dry eyes have made my eyes burn-y all the time. The eye doctor told me that she wouldn't let anyone do LASIK at such a young age now because eyes can still change significantly. She also said that doctors now put people on a prescription before doing LASIK that helps prevent the dry eyes after.<br />
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So, for the first time in nearly ten years, I have prescription glasses. They're not very convenient for biking or snuggling, and I keep forgetting they're not screen glasses or sunglasses and putting them on top of my head, which gets my hair snagged in the nose pieces. It's such a relief to be able to give my eyes a rest, though I have to switch back and forth so that I can play soccer and bike places and wear sunglasses while still being able to see, but meh.<br />
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<a href="https://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-07-15%2010.46.26_zpsmvrrwebh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Back to Prescription Glasses" border="0" height="400" src="https://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-07-15%2010.46.26_zpsmvrrwebh.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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Michael also got glasses—his first pair ever. He keeps making a sad face and saying, "I have football eyes" because that's how the doctor described astigmatism to him.<br />
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<a href="https://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/14139073_10210219914356942_2013458633_o_zpsxs5nb6aj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 14139073_10210219914356942_2013458633_o_zpsxs5nb6aj.jpg" border="0" height="225" src="https://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/14139073_10210219914356942_2013458633_o_zpsxs5nb6aj.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Thanks to FaceTime and my sister Heidi for helping us pick hip glasses.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-62621490057288195212016-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:002016-07-01T11:20:10.249-07:00Adventures in Humane Mouse CaptureA couple of weeks ago, I discovered mouse poop in our cupboard. We'd found poop before and blocked the hole in the back of the cupboard, but apparently that wasn't enough this time. A few days later, I went to bed early (which is a clear recipe for Michael forgetting to ever go to bed), and Michael heard scratching before I woke up wondering where he was. When we discovered a bag of chips and a bag of rice had been chewed into despite being moved to a high shelf away from the cupboard, we knew something had to be done.<br />
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I really don't like the idea of killing things, and once Michael saw the mouse freeze while using the microwave cable to climb up to the shelf, he started saying, "It's so <i>cuuute</i>. Can we keep it as a pet?" I told him how when I was little, I'd once found a mouse in a mouse trap at my grandparents' cabin. I can't remember if it'd eaten rat poison or if it was in a trap, but it was really weak and unable to run. I felt so bad for it that my dad put it into a box and I watched it and provided it with food. I even gave it a name—Marie. Unfortunately, Marie didn't make it. Telling that story made me remember how my siblings, cousins, and I had caught squirrels, so I told Michael about the squirrel-catching method we used: you attach a string to a stick, prop a box on the stick, put some food under the box, and wait for the squirrel to go for the food before pulling on the string.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-06-22%2000.16.11_zpssmuitq2i.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Squirrel Trap Didn't Work photo 2016-06-22 00.16.11_zpssmuitq2i.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-06-22%2000.16.11_zpssmuitq2i.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
City version of the cabin squirrel trap: garbage can, broken chopstick, and packaging string attached to an iPhone charger cable.<br />
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Unfortunately, the mouse was too scared to run out in the open and just stuck to the edges. I was really surprised by how little the mouse was; I don't remember them being the few times I saw them at the cabin. Its ability to squeeze under the oven, dart and wriggle into the cupboard, and hide behind the fridge was quite impressive. We blocked off all the good places to hide and put all the chewable packaging into the fridge or a high, closable cupboard.<br />
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The next night, after trying to get the mouse again and turning our kitchen into a disaster area, we started googling. We tried the balancing-spoon-with-peanut-butter method with a Blue Apron box (handy). We tried the balance-a-glass-on-a-nickel method. The mouse didn't fall for any of those methods even though I waited and watched each time until it came back out of hiding and wandered around. Finally, I decided to try the string-through-a-plate method and waited and waited. I think because I'd stuck the ramp right into the mouse's hiding place, it was too scared to come out again, so I went to bed after waiting for a long time.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-06-22%2023.02.18_zpsnakneoss.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Spoon on a String Didn't Work photo 2016-06-22 23.02.18_zpsnakneoss.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-06-22%2023.02.18_zpsnakneoss.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
The precarious spoon method.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-06-23%2000.53.09_zpsrrtjvrui.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Precarious Peanut Butter Plate on a String photo 2016-06-23 00.53.09_zpsrrtjvrui.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-06-23%2000.53.09_zpsrrtjvrui.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
The precarious plate method.<br />
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Nothing in the morning. In the evening, when I got home, I saw this in the box:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-06-23%2020.57.52_zpssf8euwyo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Precarious Peanut Butter Plate on a String Worked photo 2016-06-23 20.57.52_zpssf8euwyo.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-06-23%2020.57.52_zpssf8euwyo.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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It looked subdued, like it had jumped itself out and was hopeless. I had no idea how long it had been in there, but it had clearly been jumping and trying to make a hole in a top corner to get out.<br />
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As soon as I decided I'd better cover the box, the mouse started going berserk and jumping, and its panic gave it super powers—it jumped right out even though we'd made the walls higher than we thought it could jump (about 18"). I re-set the trap, got some cardboard ready to cover it if I got another chance, and went into another room. A few minutes later, I heard scrabbling, and ran in and taped the cover over the box right away. I didn't really want to do anything with the mouse without Michael, so I left it in the kitchen like that, but I felt nervous that it was going to get out somehow and checked on it several times. Each time it had been jumping and wearing down a corner of the box where I'd added a piece of cardboard to make it taller, so I covered the corner with tape.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-06-23%2021.46.18_zpsz8jobrgd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Our Kitchen Was a Disaster photo 2016-06-23 21.46.18_zpsz8jobrgd.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-06-23%2021.46.18_zpsz8jobrgd.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Our kitchen was a disaster.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-06-23%2021.51.17_zpsarhozzxe.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Mousey Peaking Out photo 2016-06-23 21.51.17_zpsarhozzxe.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-06-23%2021.51.17_zpsarhozzxe.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
The mouse burrowed its way under the bottom flap of the box whenever I'd go to look at it.<br />
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I decided to put my camera on the edge of the counter and film what it was doing when I was gone. It took 10 minutes on the dot for the mouse to make its way out.<br />
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When Michael got home, he was excited to see the mouse, but it burrowed its way under the flap and was too scared to come out, even when we put peanut butter close to it. So Michael captured this picture:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/20160623_223908_zps1hdcqt9d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Mice Can Get So Flat photo 20160623_223908_zps1hdcqt9d.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/20160623_223908_zps1hdcqt9d.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a><br />
Mice can sure get flat!<br />
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I said we'd better take it to the park.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/20160623_224128_zpsykkytpbu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sad Michael and Blue Apron Mouse Box photo 20160623_224128_zpsykkytpbu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/20160623_224128_zpsykkytpbu.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a><br />
Michael was sad, so I agreed to bring along a "care package" to send the mouse on its way: some sunflower seeds.<br />
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Our conversation on the way to the park at nearly 11 PM:<br />
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Michael: "Are you sure we can't keep it?"<br />
Michelle: "Yes, it'll chew its way out, escape, and then steal our food again."<br />
Michael: "It wasn't stealing; it was hungry."<br />
Michelle: "It moves really fast, so you can't really cuddle it like you can with hamsters."<br />
Michael: "So I'll just look at it."<br />
Michelle: "Our lease doesn't let us have pets."<br />
Michael: "I can feel it shaking in this box. It's so scared. Maybe we can just put it in this yard [across the street] so we can visit it."<br />
Michelle: "No. The Chow Chow that lives there will scare it to death! And it'll get into that house . . . though it'll probably find its way from the park to someone's house anyway."<br />
Michael: "What about <i>this</i> house? No one has moved in yet, so it can have the whole house to itself."<br />
Michelle: "No! Besides, there's no food in there. Whew . . . it is such a clear, cold night; look! There are a few stars!"<br />
Michael: "Won't it be too cold out here?"<br />
Michelle: "No, it'll build a nest and keep itself warm. My hamsters did that with whatever was nearby."<br />
Michael: "Do you think those people are wondering why we are carrying a box into the park late at night?"<br />
Michelle: "Probably. Maybe you should have just given it to them."<br />
Michael: "Let's let it out here."<br />
Michelle: "No."<br />
Michael: "Do we have to go all the way to the top? How about here?"<br />
Michelle: "No."<br />
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Finally, we let the mouse go, though we had to use a stick to open the flap to get it to run away.<br />
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When we got home, I said, "My parents always said that where there's one mouse, there are multiple mice." I re-set the plate trap but didn't really think we'd catch anything. After three nights of being up really late trying to catch a mouse, I weirdly took my time getting ready for bed. And then suddenly I heard scrabbling again! I turned to Michael with wide eyes and said, "Do you hear that? We've got another one!"<br />
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The second trip up the hill and release weren't quite so full of fanfare, though I kept exclaiming at catching another mouse and at the fog that had completely moved in during the ~50 minutes we'd been inside. Michael wanted to know if the mice would find each other and if they were siblings or a couple. "Maybe both," I replied.<br />
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When we got to the same spot as before, we could see that the chip and peanut butter we'd left were gone, hopefully to Mouse #1. Mouse #2 never figured out the flap thing, and it darted out and in the opposite direction of where Mouse #1 had gone. Here's a video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nPHiUKGW6Rw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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No more mice have been caught. I haven't yet decided if we should ask our property owners to fill the hole or not. I don't want them thinking we have a dirty household (which we do not) and blaming it on us (especially since I'm still hoping that some day I can convince them to replace the old windows), but I also would really rather not to have to lose food and clean up after and catch more mice.<br />
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For now we have an entirely empty cupboard and we're happy to have a quiet kitchen. The mosquitoes in the bedroom, on the other hand, are as annoying as ever . . . they can smell me through the ancient windows and make their way in with the windows, blinds, <i>and</i> curtains closed, and we don't always find them with our perimeter checks before turning off the light. Our neighbors must wonder about the middle-of-the-night circling followed by a sudden slap of a flip flop on the wall or ceiling.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-56950106119786250842016-03-31T22:00:00.000-07:002016-04-01T12:15:08.397-07:00HappinessIt has been a <i>very busy</i> few months. Here are a few simple things that have brought me great joy and tranquility: <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/blog1_zpsvdrjlqmn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Michael Biking in San Francisco photo blog1_zpsvdrjlqmn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/blog1_zpsvdrjlqmn.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>
Biking with Michael is one of the best things in my life. Each morning after plenty of snuggling, we get dressed and hop on our bikes to fly down the hill and race with Muni buses until we reach Market, where we kiss goodbye and go separate ways for a few more blocks. On the way home in the evening (often after attending a business/civic/tech event together), we talk about our days as we labor our way back up the hill. Sometimes Michael gives me a few pushes to get me up the steepest parts, and I like to make sure his lights are on and that he doesn't run too many reds. Biking to and from everyday activities may seem mundane, but it isn't; I cherish this time spent together. (The pictured area isn't part of our weekday route; we were headed home from Target.)<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/blog2_zpspnzzn07z.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Lafayette Park, SF photo blog2_zpspnzzn07z.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/blog2_zpspnzzn07z.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Watching dogs play at Lafayette Park<i> is</i> happiness and when I can do that while sharing observations and holding hands with Michael, it's even more delightful. Also, I am convinced that Lafayette Park is the best park in San Francisco. It is well-designed and well-maintained, it has accessible bathrooms and garbage cans, it has a fenced-in playground, there are tall trees that make air you want to breathe deeply, and there are so many friendly dogs to watch (and occasionally even pet). Also, the views of the Bay Bridge, Financial District, Nob Hill, Bernal Heights, Twin Peaks, the bay, Danielle Steel's house, and Pacific Heights architecture are incredible.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/blog3_zpshyvfeqto.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Oranges and Lemons with Yellow Flowers photo blog3_zpshyvfeqto.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/blog3_zpshyvfeqto.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>My friend Lynn brought me flowers and Michael's mom brought us oranges and lemons and their perfectness together pleased me every time I went into the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/blog4_zpscrsd9lce.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gold Necklace and New Blouse photo blog4_zpscrsd9lce.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/blog4_zpscrsd9lce.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>
I bought this necklace and this shirt and they make me feel cute and modern. I've worn necklaces about once a year for the last ten years and I've hated gold for so long, but it was time to get with the times, and since minty greens and corals are my go-to colors these days, I'm quite happy with the choice.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/blog5_zps8lbne1ai.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tenderloin Community Garden photo blog5_zps8lbne1ai.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/blog5_zps8lbne1ai.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>
I was able to help harvest bok choy, Swiss chard, kale, and turnips at a community garden at Civic Center that I've been wondering about for several years. The food went to Tenderloin residents who stopped by. The woman in this picture knows everything about the garden, and she would often start talking and none of us volunteers were quite sure who she was addressing. At one point when I wasn't sure what I was holding, she took a hearty bite of a freshly-harvested radish. The combination of her warmth and the sun and dirt and collaboration and contribution to neighbors and being able to work in a garden again warmed my soul.<br />
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Freude und Seelenruhe. Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000137.373501499999996 -123.06486250000002 38.1763575 -121.77396850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-32860679545307024492016-02-15T22:58:00.000-08:002016-03-31T21:44:35.806-07:00Valentine's Day 2016I finally made <a href="http://michelleglauser.blogspot.com/2015/10/ireland-2015.html">the Irish brown bread recipe</a> that we got in Ireland, even though I was unsure if the linseed/flaxseed should be whole or ground. Turns out the ground flaxseed from Trader Joe's worked just fine. Also, I just made educated guesses about the amounts. Mmmm.<br />
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Michael is good about making things look pretty (and yes, we're going to need to order more glass-jarred Nutella or make a trip to Canada or Europe!):<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-02-14%2010.34.42_zpsrzgmcmzb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2016-02-14 10.34.42_zpsrzgmcmzb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-02-14%2010.34.42_zpsrzgmcmzb.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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After we watched <i>The Intern</i> (I enjoyed it more than I thought I would), I pulled my valentine for Michael from behind the couch:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-02-14%2017.04.01_zpseledzoqu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="#Hamilfan Valentine photo 2016-02-14 17.04.01_zpseledzoqu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-02-14%2017.04.01_zpseledzoqu.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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"I will send a fully-armed battalion to remind you of my love" is a fabulous line from <i>Hamilton</i> the musical that I've been obsessed with recently. Michael wasn't too sure about <i>Hamilton</i> when I first played it for him, but we listened to the whole thing while driving to Fremont and then Sunnyvale a few weeks ago, and he reacted the same way I did once I got it—by reading a whole bunch of Wikipedia articles and playing the album on repeat on Spotify. He finds King George's songs especially hilarious. You can <a href="https://play.spotify.com/album/1kCHru7uhxBUdzkm4gzRQc">listen to <i>Hamilton</i> here</a>. (I was about to list my favorite songs for you, but there are simply too many. Be forewarned that there is some strong language.)<br />
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We cleaned our apartment (wow it felt great to have things scrubbed down—it's been too long) and cooked a simple dinner of dream potatoes, rosemary chicken, and asparagus. Michael's family came
over to enjoy it with us:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2016-02-14%2018.03.35_zpsnjcti8kq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Valentine's Dinner with the Tsai Family photo 2016-02-14 18.03.35_zpsnjcti8kq.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2016-02-14%2018.03.35_zpsnjcti8kq.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a><br />
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It was a lovely Valentine's Day.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000137.373501499999996 -123.06486250000002 38.1763575 -121.77396850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-84053793808824776912015-12-02T22:16:00.000-08:002016-03-31T22:19:06.569-07:00Edgy HaircutSo apparently I'm updated now.<br />
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I signed up to get my hair cut at Sassoon Academy, because ever since I had my mom cut off ~12 inches earlier this year, I've felt like I didn't know what to do with my hair and that maybe they could help me figure something out. Because I signed up to be a model, I only paid $21, but it was a surprise when I was lined up with the edgiest-looking student, a 60-something-year-old Japanese woman named Yoko. When I told her I was open to ideas, I wanted something easy, and that I had some pictures I could show her of haircuts I liked, she was very insistent that she didn't want to see the photos.<br />
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The teacher who walked around checking progress mentioned several times that she didn't get the feeling that "Michelle really wants something super edgy" and that she thought I'd just want to tuck it behind my ear. I agreed. But Yoko was really set on doing something so I would be "updated." Her idea included a fringe and I haven't had one since I was 12 or so. I hated my mom saying, "You can't go to school until your bangs are curled" every morning, and the process of growing said bangs out seemed so annoying to me at the time that I just haven't wanted them since. Oh well, they're back! Also, I don't ever recall having hair short enough to feel like it's been buzzed, so it's a first to have a weird little short part in the back.<br />
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Anyway, I kept telling myself that it was just hair, but the result was a bit shocking to me and for the first few days I felt like Cousin It (I had to show Michael who that is) and I felt like I had to explain to friends I saw that yes, I had a weird new haircut. I actually really liked that I finally had a new hairdo and that they'd taken my face shape, hair texture, desired maintenance, cowlicks, and other things into consideration, but in a way I felt like Yoko tried to make me someone I'm not and I feared that I might have to go find someone to give me a pixie. However, I've since kind of figured out how to calm it down a bit, and it's definitely less edgy when parted on my right instead of my left.<br />
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Yoko told me that all I needed to do was blow dry and then basically mess up my hair to make it look good, but I didn't expect that I'd need to wash my hair every single day to make it look good—no pony tails for me right now. It's weird to wash because there's not enough long hair to gather together to squeeze out. Also, the bangs sometimes get really greasy and separated from me biking and/or not wanting them in my eyes all the time and then I feel really embarrassed by them and can't do much to hide them—they still get a greasy split in them when I use a bobby pin because of how thin my hair is, and dry shampoo doesn't seem to do much.<br />
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I've since grown to like my new hair. <br />
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So here are the photos Yoko took (meaning this is how she intended it to look on a daily basis, which it definitely doesn't because I just can't handle it all over the place). <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/_zpssl8nushi.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sassoon Academy Edgy Haircut 2015 photo _zpssl8nushi.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/_zpssl8nushi.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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And here are some pictures of me with the new 'do:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/12231111_10153766746134173_1411162417_n_zpsifjvu8va.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 12231111_10153766746134173_1411162417_n_zpsifjvu8va.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/12231111_10153766746134173_1411162417_n_zpsifjvu8va.jpg" height="640" width="489" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WL4_SoGxQVqZ-BHOB9AxzxUWA8lZzX3UB3o5yzBiAJNnI6Zw8ieKD6DY4rXoAh9OQH5ZJdM7Mj0cFv19suGea5Xs0SL7TiFDeOFPe95zX8CxYAp3AZ-nQYO-4zhLiaQQOD-LwnnapyrQxX90iFlwwNbBY-ONCofoiKE0bQ7rSmtePidIyc59rzRAcneFjca3rCGsltbNTKijQDdth8UE9Ruz4xI-HsIZbw_rhISlt_2OZFUxiHTgk-EGCHzxlYkOqxZEVVZKyPx08TL8y3ecksBGKh7-0iw2443-a887vTN-SibSETmVb-VebkpZgutJCUC3xZqhCdzEaKMnn0xeuteLxmuQyXhk-vKu1l26l2WHkojhgOhG1hplLxteTaPqmxLsK9pB69PIpp1b3yVzUc2BL5bDGt3_DLqgp9NuPLIi_rnxO8g0ZiqEvxnB1OVpy7U-9jHx0a0TPxNAgS3U7ycoMlMC0H-kw3TVMqgaXGrhg1malSWh9ygUXjucMfrIvF7tMlBiuWlBJsQrbAgxxdYeJNYyTwqxVvVlUo4LIkz4W4BUEuxDkBNGXgc0sKsMbfyC8g=w640-h480-no"><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WL4_SoGxQVqZ-BHOB9AxzxUWA8lZzX3UB3o5yzBiAJNnI6Zw8ieKD6DY4rXoAh9OQH5ZJdM7Mj0cFv19suGea5Xs0SL7TiFDeOFPe95zX8CxYAp3AZ-nQYO-4zhLiaQQOD-LwnnapyrQxX90iFlwwNbBY-ONCofoiKE0bQ7rSmtePidIyc59rzRAcneFjca3rCGsltbNTKijQDdth8UE9Ruz4xI-HsIZbw_rhISlt_2OZFUxiHTgk-EGCHzxlYkOqxZEVVZKyPx08TL8y3ecksBGKh7-0iw2443-a887vTN-SibSETmVb-VebkpZgutJCUC3xZqhCdzEaKMnn0xeuteLxmuQyXhk-vKu1l26l2WHkojhgOhG1hplLxteTaPqmxLsK9pB69PIpp1b3yVzUc2BL5bDGt3_DLqgp9NuPLIi_rnxO8g0ZiqEvxnB1OVpy7U-9jHx0a0TPxNAgS3U7ycoMlMC0H-kw3TVMqgaXGrhg1malSWh9ygUXjucMfrIvF7tMlBiuWlBJsQrbAgxxdYeJNYyTwqxVvVlUo4LIkz4W4BUEuxDkBNGXgc0sKsMbfyC8g=w640-h480-no" width="640" /></a>Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-67639770497110936612015-10-27T10:34:00.001-07:002015-10-27T11:52:41.342-07:00Ireland 2015Since Michael had to make a two-day
trip to London for an alumni leadership summit and I was badly in need
of a vacation, we decided that I'd go along and we'd visit Ireland for a
week. One of the few things I enjoy about flying is that I can watch cleaned-up movies I probably wouldn't have watched otherwise because I'm stuck there and can't do much else easily. I really enjoyed <i>Max</i> (predictable as it was) and <i>Polar Bear Infinity</i>. Also, this was the first time that I brought earplugs with me and I really appreciated not being quite so bothered by the noise of the plane. I don't know if this is normal, but I can still hear people talking to me when I have earplugs in, so talking to flight attendants and Michael wasn't a problem.<br />
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Once in London, Michael and I groaned to each other that we really do love London and ought to figure out a way to live there at some point. After we got a tour of the really cool new Hult undergraduate campus (with housing) that used to be a brewery, Michael was pretty much busy the rest of the time, so I got to meet up with friends (Mark, Eleonore, Gunjan, Deepali, and Eleonora) and walk through the Tate Modern.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2015-10-11%2016.55.30_zpsqnz5facw.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Saying Goodbye in London photo 2015-10-11 16.55.30_zpsqnz5facw.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2015-10-11%2016.55.30_zpsqnz5facw.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/IMG_20151011_124829_zpsyupv1oyx.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Having Breakfast in London photo IMG_20151011_124829_zpsyupv1oyx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/IMG_20151011_124829_zpsyupv1oyx.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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After landing in Dublin and getting a SIM card, we picked up a rental car. In the process we found out that my credit card covers rental car insurance . . . <i>except not in Ireland or Jamaica</i>, so we had to pay for that ourselves. While driving
from Dublin to Belfast, we shamefacedly had to get a toll worker to make
a phone call to charge our credit card because we didn't have any
change. Whoops. We exited the freeway to get some change, but there
weren't anymore tolls until we were in Northern Ireland and needing
pounds instead of euros. Whoops again.
Despite the fact
that we had difficulty switching SIM cards at the border, we were able
to make our way to <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5106105">our Airbnb</a> and make it into the gate directly on a
roundabout on our second try.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2010.37.28_zpsz4zhprof.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Belfast Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5106105 photo 2015-10-12 10.37.28_zpsz4zhprof.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2010.37.28_zpsz4zhprof.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
The building was tall and unassuming, but
the inside was uniquely decorated with iconic pieces from nearby
churches (our host is a collector and artist), and the walls were so thick that we could mostly only hear
sounds from within whichever room we were in. I love old stone buildings
like that. It was around 10 PM when we arrived and we didn't feel like trying to find a
restaurant, so we bought some tomato soup, potato bread, and Irish
cheddar at the store across the street. Some Australian guests were
also staying there, and they told us all about the farm they have and how
they love to welcome students there to do work (via a website I'm trying to find).<br />
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In the morning, we realized that seeing the Titanic Museum probably wasn't going to happen because of all the driving we needed to do to get to our destination for the evening, so we drove past and appreciated the architecture of the museum before heading north.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2010.54.31_zpsgqdnyzqy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Titanic Museum in Belfast, Ireland photo 2015-10-12 10.54.31_zpsgqdnyzqy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2010.54.31_zpsgqdnyzqy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Before leaving San Francisco, I'd checked out audio books read by Irish readers, so I chose to start with <i>Transatlantic</i> by Colum McCann (read by Geraldine Hughes) because I thought the first flight across the Atlantic would interest Michael (he loves planes). It was great to listen to an Irish accent as we drove around. At first I wasn't sure if Michael liked the book or was even really listening, but each time we stopped, he knew what we'd heard last and he occasionally asked questions. Audio books on road trips are definitely the way to share novels with my husband, yay!<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2012.30.10_zpsvrlnkrkt.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Drive to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland photo 2015-10-12 12.30.10_zpsvrlnkrkt.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2012.30.10_zpsvrlnkrkt.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
We took a wrong turn at some point (knowing which exit to take on roundabouts is not always so easy) and ended up being glad because we were able to drive along the northern-most coast of Ireland.<br />
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The sky, clouds, stone walls, and green fields were gorgeous, but I was most excited to see the Giant's Causeway, which I've wanted to visit for years.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2013.07.33_zpsgnlpy92n.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland photo 2015-10-12 13.07.33_zpsgnlpy92n.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2013.07.33_zpsgnlpy92n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
The Giant's Causeway did not disappoint. It was windy and cold and it sprinkled a bit, but visiting there first was a great way to really start our trip.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2292_zpsrgoh8dqy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Caterpillar at Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2292_zpsrgoh8dqy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2292_zpsrgoh8dqy.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2312_zps7ite4jps.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2312_zps7ite4jps.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2312_zps7ite4jps.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151012_133702_zpsqvi57a5z.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_20151012_133702_zpsqvi57a5z.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151012_133702_zpsqvi57a5z.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2013.41.47_zpslutjtlrr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland photo 2015-10-12 13.41.47_zpslutjtlrr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2013.41.47_zpslutjtlrr.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
I tried to capture the way the kelp sparkled in the sun, but I didn't do a very good job.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151012_134340_zpsjruouzhe.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_20151012_134340_zpsjruouzhe.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151012_134340_zpsjruouzhe.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2379_zpswoujhjlp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2379_zpswoujhjlp.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2379_zpswoujhjlp.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2404_zpsyst7wpc8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2404_zpsyst7wpc8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2404_zpsyst7wpc8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2475_zpsncpyc8pc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2475_zpsncpyc8pc.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2475_zpsncpyc8pc.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2450_zpsbn9nszrm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2450_zpsbn9nszrm.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2450_zpsbn9nszrm.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2428_zpsck8vsu4a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2428_zpsck8vsu4a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2428_zpsck8vsu4a.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2371_zpsrwtbrfss.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2371_zpsrwtbrfss.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2371_zpsrwtbrfss.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/PANO_20151012_133926_zpsfiwuhayr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland photo PANO_20151012_133926_zpsfiwuhayr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/PANO_20151012_133926_zpsfiwuhayr.jpg" height="133" width="640" /></a><br />
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After warming up with some soup and Irish soda bread at the Giant's Causeway visitors centre, we headed to Londonderry/Derry to see the city wall.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2016.47.10_zpsa4pjkphn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland photo 2015-10-12 16.47.10_zpsa4pjkphn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2016.47.10_zpsa4pjkphn.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
The museums and churches and shops were closing when we arrived, but we enjoyed a nice walk around the wall, and there were some signs so we could read about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29">Bloody Sunday</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2525_zpspxaugp2a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland photo IMG_2525_zpspxaugp2a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2525_zpspxaugp2a.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2016.50.01_zpsecpvn3w4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="City Wall of Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland photo 2015-10-12 16.50.01_zpsecpvn3w4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2016.50.01_zpsecpvn3w4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2016.44.46_zpsatudqt8a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sweeney Todd moved to Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland photo 2015-10-12 16.44.46_zpsatudqt8a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2016.44.46_zpsatudqt8a.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
Heidi, it looks like Sweeney Todd moved to Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland.<br />
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We picked up some Dominican Republic chocolate. I ate so much chocolate on this trip that I got a canker—and kept eating anyway. Mmmm.<br />
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During the drive south to Ballinrobe, we giggled at some place names, such as, "Ballybunion." We crossed into Ireland, so I had to wrestle with our phones to switch SIM cards—it turns out when you switch SIM cards, you should probably re-start the phone, otherwise it won't do much of anything except make you feel frustrated. Another tip—addresses in the Irish countryside don't work so well with modern map apps, so make sure to get a longitude and latitude of where you're going. I ended up tethering my laptop to Michael's phone, using <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7688238">our Airbnb</a> host's directions and map to find the place (for some reason it wasn't easy to find the same info on the phone app), drop a pin there on Google Maps, and type in the latitude and longitude of the pin to Michael's phone. Whew.<br />
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Before our trip, I'd read about the last couple hundred years of Irish history, and I was happy to see that signs had Irish and then English. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2018.37.39_zpsq3n6uuvu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Drive from Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland to Ballinrobe, Ireland photo 2015-10-12 18.37.39_zpsq3n6uuvu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-12%2018.37.39_zpsq3n6uuvu.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
We were graced with a lovely sunset and views of interesting mountains (such as a huge chasm in the <a href="http://mountainviews.ie/summit/573/comment/4302/">Dartry Mountains/Kings Mountain</a> and the plateau-looking <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benbulbin">Benbulbin</a>).<br />
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We stopped near Sligo to get some food—I wanted a Döner (of course) and Michael wanted fish and chips. The sign said that it was the fastest fast food, but we were there long enough that Michael started charging his phone.<br />
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As we got farther from city lights, the stars got better and better. Michael was doubtful when Google Maps had us go off of the main road into some side roads instead of down into town and then back up via the directions our host had sent, but I had faith in my methods and told him to persist even as we drove over some overgrown dirt roads where he swears he saw spider webs across the road.<br />
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We arrived within a few minutes, where we were greeted by Liam and Noreen, and Harris, their dog. They had set out cheese, crackers, and tea for us. It only took a few minutes before Liam and I were deep into conversation about literature, entrepreneurship in Ireland vs. Silicon Valley, Zana, and more, while Harris laid his head in my lap and enjoyed some head-scratching. Liam gave me a flyer from his latest endeavor and let me have a CD of his humorous sports writing. I told them that we would be headed to Ashford Castle the next day and that my ancestors the Binghams had lived there 22 generations ago, and Noreen said, "I can see some Irish in you." They asked if the Binghams had been landlords and I had to answer with a yes. With this question, I realized for the first time that the Binghams were probably part of the Old English class of people who settled in Ireland but kept themselves separate and who considered themselves better than the Irish. I'd just finished reading <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_September">The Last September</a> and felt a bit of shame about the possibility of uppity ancestry, but Liam and Noreen were nice about it. Eventually, it was getting pretty late, so we said good night and headed outside for a few minutes of stargazing.<br />
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Several tries with the star setting on my camera didn't produce any
great results of us (it was tricky because it was so dark that we didn't know where to aim
exactly and an animal that turned out to be a black cat was moving
around in the dark and freaking us out a little), but we did get this of
Liam and Noreen's backyard:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/P1150257_zpsamzdgekf.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Airbnb near Ballinrobe, Ireland: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7688238 photo P1150257_zpsamzdgekf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/P1150257_zpsamzdgekf.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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We stayed up late into the night, trying to quietly plan the rest of our trip.<br />
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The next morning, Liam and Noreen and Harris were gone, but there was some delicious bread left out for our breakfast. We took the back entrance into the castle the way Liam had suggested. The first thing we did after parking and marveling at the shady side of the castle was head to the School of Falconry. I'd booked a somewhat pricey "Hawk Walk" for us, and I did not regret it at all.<br />
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Our guide Alec showed us several different birds of prey, including an owl named Dingle. "Owls aren't actually that smart," he said as Dingle raised his eyebrows at us. Alec pointed out a peregrine falcon and told us all sorts of interesting things about hawks, such as that their sight processes more images than ours does, so they can react faster. Apparently the same thing happens to humans sometimes, which is what people are talking about when we say that "time slowed down."<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2603_zpsapzpemdl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ireland's School of Falconry Hawk Walk photo IMG_2603_zpsapzpemdl.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2603_zpsapzpemdl.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
Michael and I both walked around with Lima, a gorgeous Harris Hawk, on our hands.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2620_zps75tbhomn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ireland's School of Falconry Hawk Walk photo IMG_2620_zps75tbhomn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2620_zps75tbhomn.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2011.52.56_zpsocwxjneq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ireland's School of Falconry Hawk Walk photo 2015-10-13 11.52.56_zpsocwxjneq.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2011.52.56_zpsocwxjneq.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2650_zps8o3ddxkr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ireland's School of Falconry Hawk Walk photo IMG_2650_zps8o3ddxkr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2650_zps8o3ddxkr.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2607_zpsvwqtmxyt.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ireland's School of Falconry Hawk Walk photo IMG_2607_zpsvwqtmxyt.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2607_zpsvwqtmxyt.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
I love that Lima and I are looking opposite directions, like, "We're too cool for this," or, "I've had enough of this individual," or, "Well, this is awkward."<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xsaCzCwVCN0" width="560"></iframe> <br />
Alec taught us how to send Lima off into the trees and how to signal to her that we were ready for her to come back. Each time she came back, she was rewarded with some raw meat. The Hawk Walk was such a cool experience I don't think I'll ever forget.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2011.54.08_zps4frmwpab.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ireland's School of Falconry Hawk Walk photo 2015-10-13 11.54.08_zps4frmwpab.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2011.54.08_zps4frmwpab.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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After that, we walked around the grounds of Ashford Castle. I enjoyed
the fresh air and quiet while Michael clicked a million pictures.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2719_zpsofhf9pdh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ashford Castle Gardens, Ireland photo IMG_2719_zpsofhf9pdh.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2719_zpsofhf9pdh.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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I often end up doing silly things when I get bored from all the picture-taking. This time, I started Bollywood dancing:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2734_zpsjfkbhnoz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ashford Castle Gardens, Ireland photo IMG_2734_zpsjfkbhnoz.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2734_zpsjfkbhnoz.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151013_125732_zpsacl3to3l.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ashford Castle, Ireland photo IMG_20151013_125732_zpsacl3to3l.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151013_125732_zpsacl3to3l.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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We of course wanted some pictures of/with the castle itself.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.01.50_zpsd2rmszqk.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ashford Castle, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 13.01.50_zpsd2rmszqk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.01.50_zpsd2rmszqk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.03.06_zpsvcxndt0d.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ashford Castle, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 13.03.06_zpsvcxndt0d.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.03.06_zpsvcxndt0d.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Finally it was time to go inside for afternoon tea (which we'd also had to book ahead of time). We asked someone at the front desk if there were any pictures of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bingham_%28soldier%29">Sir Richard Bingham</a> in the castle, but to my surprise the manager didn't know who that was and asked if he was "the artist." Not as far as I knew . . .<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2838_zpsi3lsizh1.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ashford Castle, Ireland photo IMG_2838_zpsi3lsizh1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2838_zpsi3lsizh1.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2859_zpsgz32xil0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="View from Ashford Castle, Ireland photo IMG_2859_zpsgz32xil0.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2859_zpsgz32xil0.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
The view from the castle was breathtaking. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2861_zpsmxpgsxky.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Afternoon Tea at Ashford Castle, Ireland photo IMG_2861_zpsmxpgsxky.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2861_zpsmxpgsxky.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
Afternoon tea was decadent. That's the only word for it, and for <span class="st">€34 per person, I wouldn't have had it any other way</span>. The Connaught Room was really warm, but after the chill of outside, it felt nice.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.30.17_zpsso9odtx8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Afternoon Tea at Ashford Castle, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 13.30.17_zpsso9odtx8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.30.17_zpsso9odtx8.jpg" height="640" width="479" /></a><br />
We were brought raspberry lemonade with champagne, "compliments of the
chef." The waiter took that away very quickly when we said, "Thank you,
but we don't drink alcohol." He brought back very sweet "raspberry
lemonade" which just seemed like pure raspberry juice to me. Then our
tea was brought out.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2885_zpsuvw5s7or.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Afternoon Tea at Ashford Castle, Ireland photo IMG_2885_zpsuvw5s7or.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2885_zpsuvw5s7or.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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Next came sandwiches followed by hot scones with jam, clotted cream, and lemon curd. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.59.17_zps474rnqzl.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Afternoon Tea at Ashford Castle, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 13.59.17_zps474rnqzl.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2013.59.17_zps474rnqzl.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Finally, an entire stand filled with a dozen pastries (<a href="http://www.ashfordcastle.com/~/media/ttc/rch/ashford%20castle/pdfs/150813_ac_afttea.pdf">see descriptions here</a>). We could have stayed much longer, but we had a long drive ahead of us. There was no possible way we could finish everything, so the waiter packed up what was left, and I shamelessly dumped the lemon curd into the box as well. :D<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2017.52.46_zps6fnbwjs2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Cong, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 17.52.46_zps6fnbwjs2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2017.52.46_zps6fnbwjs2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2014.47.11_zpsaw1byu1p.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Cong, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 14.47.11_zpsaw1byu1p.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2014.47.11_zpsaw1byu1p.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Cong is the cutest little town right outside of Ashford Castle. I wanted to take a picture of every house and field, but there was no time for that.<br />
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We were already doubtful that we could make it to <a href="http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/">the Cliffs of Moher</a>, but when we ran into stopped traffic and ended up taking two exciting country-road detours, we soon realized that we should just head to Portmagee.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2018.45.10_zps445usexr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Drive to Portmagee, Ireland photo 2015-10-13 18.45.10_zps445usexr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2018.45.10_zps445usexr.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2019.29.26_zpsobslgpni.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2015-10-13 19.29.26_zpsobslgpni.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-13%2019.29.26_zpsobslgpni.jpg" height="640" width="479" /></a><br />
We stopped for dinner in a place that looked fairly big on the map (Castleisland), but we soon found that not much was open for dinner. Eventually we found a place in the basement of a hotel and ordered the bangers and mash with hhhherb and potato soup. We quite enjoyed the food.<br />
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Finding <a href="https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6829105?eluid=0&euid=d9ed0670-4931-b347-7130-dbc4abb7a378">our next Airbnb in Portmagee</a> turned out to not be so easy as the first—the area our host had marked on the Airbnb map turned out not to be the right spot, so my dropping a pin and grabbing the longitude and latitude was not helpful and we ended up at some other place. Looking back at our German host's instructions, we'd have to go a ways back to see the landmarks. She kept calling us and telling us, "You should be here by now. There's a garbage can and an Irish flag at the end of the road." When we finally arrived, she ignored everything we said about how she could have made it easier and didn't know the words "longitude" and "latitude," so I sent them to her in German later. Her energy was a little overwhelming for me that late at night, and to top things off, we soon found out that she not only loves dogs (I was amazed to pet a long, skinny Greyhound for the first time), she has a LOT of cats. Somehow Michael missed the cat announcement on the Airbnb page—I'm really allergic to cats and was really afraid to touch anything or to get into bed. I prepped myself with eye drops and allergy spray and Michael let me wear his clothes to bed so I wouldn't get any stray cat fur on my clothing. I didn't have the most comfortable sleep because I didn't want my face touching the pillow, but I was able to sleep and wasn't too miserable (besides itchy eyes and nose). Phew.<br />
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The next morning, we had a great German breakfast before heading out to the port to catch a boat.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_100116_zpsk8qydijy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Portmagee, Ireland photo IMG_20151014_100116_zpsk8qydijy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_100116_zpsk8qydijy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2941_zpsy3iulf4g.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="View from Portmagee, Ireland photo IMG_2941_zpsy3iulf4g.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2941_zpsy3iulf4g.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
From one view, the house on the hill looked like it was on a peaceful, rolling hill . . .<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2950_zpsbne5ausj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="View from Portmagee, Ireland photo IMG_2950_zpsbne5ausj.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2950_zpsbne5ausj.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
But this view made its perch look rather precarious.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2966_zpsqyfh1y9q.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Portmagee, Ireland photo IMG_2966_zpsqyfh1y9q.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2966_zpsqyfh1y9q.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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We were headed to the Skellig Islands. These islands are really craggy islands off the coast of Ireland—Skellig Michael is the bigger one and had a Christian monastery on it in the 6th century. There are still some monastery structures and graves at the top.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_111047_zpsvuljqlbz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Skellig Michael, Ireland photo IMG_20151014_111047_zpsvuljqlbz.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_111047_zpsvuljqlbz.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Usually you can go up to the top of Skellig Michael, but the water was too rough for landing, so we just went around it and took pictures. The boat ride was cold and wet, but the views were totally worth it. Apparently some of the new Star Wars movie filming was done here.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2982_zpsf25a184d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Skellig Michael, Ireland photo IMG_2982_zpsf25a184d.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_2982_zpsf25a184d.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
See the structures at the top? Can you imagine people rowing out here and building something in the 6th century?!<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3017%202_zpsxdznc1lu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Skellig, Ireland photo IMG_3017 2_zpsxdznc1lu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3017%202_zpsxdznc1lu.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
Little Skellig is covered with thousands of birds.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3081_zpsgn9zuegn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Skellig, Ireland photo IMG_3081_zpsgn9zuegn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3081_zpsgn9zuegn.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3122_zps31r7hcke.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Skellig and Skellig Michael, Ireland photo IMG_3122_zps31r7hcke.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3122_zps31r7hcke.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3165_zpsgzvttbsu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Portmagee, Ireland photo IMG_3165_zpsgzvttbsu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3165_zpsgzvttbsu.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3190_zpsh7qqqlvj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Portmagee, Ireland photo IMG_3190_zpsh7qqqlvj.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3190_zpsh7qqqlvj.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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We ended up having to get cash at the "post office" to pay for our trip, where we also bought some Irish herb cheddar to snack on. Yum.<br />
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The drive through Kerry County to Killarney National Park was so lovely that we had to stop several times to take pictures, breathe in the fresh air, and laugh at the funny sheep marked with spray paint. Note: I think on this trip I finally cured Michael of saying, "Sheeps." Time shall tell.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-14%2013.52.32_zpsxqapvesb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="County Kerry, Ireland photo 2015-10-14 13.52.32_zpsxqapvesb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-14%2013.52.32_zpsxqapvesb.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3216_zpsnnnrm70j.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3216_zpsnnnrm70j.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3216_zpsnnnrm70j.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-14%2014.26.20_zpsobvqehlx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="County Kerry, Ireland photo 2015-10-14 14.26.20_zpsobvqehlx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-14%2014.26.20_zpsobvqehlx.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Once we came upon this cow.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3268_zpsifn3njf3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3268_zpsifn3njf3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3268_zpsifn3njf3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3242_zpsxh5lwcop.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3242_zpsxh5lwcop.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3242_zpsxh5lwcop.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3234_zpshfro8za3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3234_zpshfro8za3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3234_zpshfro8za3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3324_zps7znpus5r.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="County Kerry, Ireland photo IMG_3324_zps7znpus5r.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3324_zps7znpus5r.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3288_zpsjtriq03l.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3288_zpsjtriq03l.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3288_zpsjtriq03l.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gP-Ji-6V5Ik" width="560"></iframe> <br />
Michael really enjoyed zooming through the curvy parts of the road. The road had only one lane, so occasionally we'd come up against another car and have to pull over into the weeds.<br />
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By this day, I felt like I was saying harder Rs and lilting differently than I usually do because of all the Irish accents I was hearing on the audio book and when talking to people. It's weird how that happens to me, but I guess it's also good for language learning. :D<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3211_zpsmiuqzysl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Driving in Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3211_zpsmiuqzysl.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3211_zpsmiuqzysl.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3325_zpst0aakiwi.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="County Kerry, Ireland photo IMG_3325_zpst0aakiwi.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3325_zpst0aakiwi.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3204_zpsuc9rvy4i.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3204_zpsuc9rvy4i.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3204_zpsuc9rvy4i.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3330_zpspixqkqgr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="County Kerry, Ireland photo IMG_3330_zpspixqkqgr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3330_zpspixqkqgr.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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There were places to stop to appreciate the view, and after passing a painfully slow tourist bus once, we didn't stay in one spot for long for fear of getting behind them again.<br />
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By the time we arrived at Torc Waterfall, I was really sleepy, but I managed to walk up to the waterfall. The air was deliciously cool and moist, and the sound of rushing water made me reminisce about lovely summer evenings at my grandparents' cabin in Brighton, Utah.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_161611_zpskqquv81n.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park, Ireland photo IMG_20151014_161611_zpskqquv81n.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_161611_zpskqquv81n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3446_zps1kg7fc8e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park, Ireland photo IMG_3446_zps1kg7fc8e.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3446_zps1kg7fc8e.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
While Michael took pictures, I read <i>I Am of Irelaunde, </i>a book about St. Patrick and Osian that gives a nice mix of history of Patrick and pre-Patrick history of Ireland/Éire.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3461_zpsvmgrn0vn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park, Ireland photo IMG_3461_zpsvmgrn0vn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3461_zpsvmgrn0vn.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
Again, doing silly things while waiting for the photographer to be ready to go.<br />
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Eventually we made our way to <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6912930">our next Airbnb</a>, where we were greeted by a dog named Sam, who was a nice mix of cocker spaniel and springer spaniel.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_173208_zps2vohxzax.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_20151014_173208_zps2vohxzax.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_173208_zps2vohxzax.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Sam's family lives in a wonderful old stone house surrounded by rolling green hills dotted with fluffy white sheep and blue mountains off in the distance.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-14%2018.33.06_zpsbbpnw1ry.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo 2015-10-14 18.33.06_zpsbbpnw1ry.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-14%2018.33.06_zpsbbpnw1ry.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Paudie fed us scones and suggested we have dinner at Laurels in town. We had deep fried chunks of Brie (which we saw everywhere we went) and Irish bacon and cabbage. Yum. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_173038_zpsnmtkl4ne.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_20151014_173038_zpsnmtkl4ne.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151014_173038_zpsnmtkl4ne.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
The next morning, we slept in. Paudie fed us a wonderful breakfast and talked to us about kids learning Irish in school, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Agreement">Good Friday Agreement</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_property_bubble">Irish Property Bubble</a>, roads and internet getting worse the farther away from Dublin you are, which nationalities he'd seen the most of in Killarney this year, etc. When I raved about the warm Irish bread, he dug into a drawer and pulled out a paper with recipes for scones and brown bread—apparently I wasn't the first to want to make it at home.<br />
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Here are the recipes, in case you're interested:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
SCONES<br />
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2-3 Tbsp. buttermilk<br />
8 oz. self-raising flour<br />
pinch of salt<br />
3 oz. butter<br />
1 1/2 oz. caster sugar<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
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Rub butter lightly into the flour and salt mix until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add sugar. Beat egg and two tablespoons of buttermilk together and add to the flour mix, mixing the dough together with a palette knife. When it begins to come together finish off with your hands—it should be soft but not sticky. If the dough is too dry add some buttermilk, a teaspoon at a time.<br />
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Tip dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle at least 1 inch thick. Cut out the scones giving the cutter a sharp tap, do not twist. Put the scones on a baking tray, brush lightly with buttermilk and dust with a little flour. Makes about 10 scones.<br />
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Bake on the top shelf of the oven at 220*C for 10-12 minutes. Serve with real butter and jam.</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
BROWN BREAD<br />
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12 oz. coarse wholemeal flour<br />
2 oz. self raising flour<br />
2 oz. ground almonds<br />
1 oz. golden linseeds<br />
2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. bread soda<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
14 fl. oz. buttermilk<br />
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Mix all dry ingredients together, beat eggs into the buttermilk and add to the dry mix. (The mixture is very wet.) Divide mixture into two loaf tins and sprinkle some linseeds on top. Bake at 180*C for approximately 35-40 minutes.</blockquote>
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After saying goodbye to Paudie, we stopped to take pictures at the Muckross House. In all honesty, I found this house much more beautiful (at least on the outside—I didn't get to see the inside at all) than Ashford Castle.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3523_zps3mgnutrx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Muckross House near Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3523_zps3mgnutrx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3523_zps3mgnutrx.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_111246_zpshxb5qy7u.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Muckross House near Killarney, Ireland photo
IMG_20151015_111246_zpshxb5qy7u.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_111246_zpshxb5qy7u.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3563_zps3b2a9tgi.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Muckross House Garden near Killarney, Ireland photo IMG_3563_zps3b2a9tgi.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3563_zps3b2a9tgi.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Michael took more pictures than I thought possible before we drove on small roads all the way south. Our destination was Kinsale, a lovely little port city.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3620_zpspckmy1qm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Kinsale, Ireland photo IMG_3620_zpspckmy1qm.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3620_zpspckmy1qm.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3650_zps9jesxf8q.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Kinsale, Ireland photo IMG_3650_zps9jesxf8q.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3650_zps9jesxf8q.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_140706_zpsio0msejl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Kinsale, Ireland photo IMG_20151015_140706_zpsio0msejl.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_140706_zpsio0msejl.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_142850_zpsn5spjwdf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Kinsale, Ireland photo IMG_20151015_142850_zpsn5spjwdf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_142850_zpsn5spjwdf.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
We enjoyed the best seafood chowder I've had there. Wow. There was a store with lovely scarves, pottery, and beautiful wool sweaters (if wool didn't make me so itchy and sneezy, I totally would have wanted one).<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_141208_zpseqdylvts.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Kinsale, Ireland photo IMG_20151015_141208_zpseqdylvts.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_141208_zpseqdylvts.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Michael loved the little town so much until for some reason the smell of poop permeated the air after lunch (no, we didn't step on anything—we checked). Other people were crinkling their noses as well. The only thing I could figure was that with the water being so low, maybe someone went through the mud and awakened a stench from there?<br />
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As we headed back north to the Rock of Cashel, a Celtic/medieval archiectural site and the place where the kings of Munster lived before the Norman invasion, we finished <i>Transatlantic</i>. Michael thought the ending was lousy; I'm still not sure what I think myself. On our way up to the Rock, we saw two mischievous-looking tourists jump a rock wall and wondered why. Once we found parking and made our way up to the Rock, we discovered that it was already closed.<br />
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There was a side path that some locals were walking on, however, so we decided to go that way and get some pictures.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3658_zps9ou8kza3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3658_zps9ou8kza3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3658_zps9ou8kza3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
I was soon way more interested in the church ruins down below than in the Rock of Cashel and headed down that way. That's when I realized that's what the mischievous-looking tourists had been doing and I was soon following in their footsteps.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3771_zpskhfket3m.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Rock of Cashel, Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3771_zpskhfket3m.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3771_zpskhfket3m.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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I felt really conspicuous in my purple coat and was afraid
that someone would come tell us to get out until we saw that there's
actually an entrance gate and path from the other direction.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3680_zpscu9cxuxs.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hore Abbey, Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3680_zpscu9cxuxs.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3680_zpscu9cxuxs.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3740_zpsfj2x4h6n.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hore Abbey, Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3740_zpsfj2x4h6n.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3740_zpsfj2x4h6n.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3753%202_zpsnxzbmg0w.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hore Abbey, Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3753 2_zpsnxzbmg0w.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3753%202_zpsnxzbmg0w.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3796_zpsfewringf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hore Abbey, Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3796_zpsfewringf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3796_zpsfewringf.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
It turns out that the ruins were Hore Abbey from the 13th century. I found it so fascinating that many of the church ruins we went into had gravestones from the last century right in or next to them. Who gave people permission to do that and why?<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3690_zpsbv2veuwt.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3690_zpsbv2veuwt.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3690_zpsbv2veuwt.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
The fall colors were absolutely magical.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3799_zpsbecgyglf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Cashel, Ireland photo IMG_3799_zpsbecgyglf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3799_zpsbecgyglf.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Our next stay was to be at <a href="http://www.dollardstown.com/history/">a several-hundred-year-old manor</a> called <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/893977">the Dollardstown House</a> near Athy, which is pronounced "Uh-thigh." The owners welcomed us into this lovely room:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3802_zps8oore0ey.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dollardstown House near Athy, Ireland photo IMG_3802_zps8oore0ey.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3802_zps8oore0ey.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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We were told that there's a great Italian restaurant in town called "La Scala," and right across the street is <a href="http://www.clancysofathy.ie/music_sessions/">a pub that has had traditional Irish music every Thursday for the last 45 years</a>. Apparently people love it and National Geographic even came to check it out once. So we headed into town and tried to see what other dinner options there were since we weren't too keen on eating Italian food in Ireland. The only other things that were open were a fast-food pizza place and a Chinese place. We opted for Italian, but we were so unimpressed that we scoffed, wide-eyed.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_201612_zps8zfxikir.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="La Scala photo IMG_20151015_201612_zps8zfxikir.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151015_201612_zps8zfxikir.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
The pizza seemed like it was from a not-so-great frozen pizza, the bruschetta had little flavoring, the bread would have been shamefully fluffy to Italians, etc. After laughing at other reviews online, paying for our food, and joking that we should put a warning on the door, we headed across the street to Clancy's. We were both still feeling kind of hungry, and it looked completely dead inside. We didn't really feel comfortable continuing to peek into the window or going in and asking about the music, so we drove up the street to Aldi and bought more snacks than one should ever buy at once because many of them reminded me of Germany and I was still quite hungry—multivitamin juice, Dominosteine (my favorite for Christmas!), caramel Stroopwafels (I thought of you, Sica), a chocolate orange, a Marzipan log, Buenos, and milk chocolate Digestives. Michael at least convinced me to wait to buy Nutella for right before we left for the U.S.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-15%2021.09.49_zpspeoom0no.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Aldi Snack Attack in Athy, Ireland photo 2015-10-15 21.09.49_zpspeoom0no.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-15%2021.09.49_zpspeoom0no.jpg" height="640" width="479" /></a> <br />
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It was quite a chilly night, but when we got back to Dollardstown House, our jolly host Andrew had a nice fire going in the front room and I enjoyed my snacks while I caught up on some emails.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-15%2022.43.37_zpszhxjmdzg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dollardstown House near Athy, Ireland photo 2015-10-15 22.43.37_zpszhxjmdzg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-15%2022.43.37_zpszhxjmdzg.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_085229_zps2rfnyncf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Irish Breakfast with Black Pudding photo IMG_20151016_085229_zps2rfnyncf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_085229_zps2rfnyncf.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
The next morning, we were served an Irish breakfast, black pudding and all, which we quite enjoyed. Andrew was enthusiastically friendly; I don't know if I'll ever forget him saying, "All right, then, folks! I'll leave you to it!" :D<br />
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Two other guests we'd seen at La Scala came down for breakfast and raved on and on about the music at Clancy's. Whoops; apparently you have to go through to the back. Ah, well, at least you can <a href="https://youtu.be/IeQGKAQOFfo">enjoy a bit of the traditional Irish music online</a>.<br />
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Our next destination was Glendalough. We drove through an area called "Hollywood" that even had a sign on the hill. Curious.<br />
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Once we got into rough, beautiful land, I yelped when I saw some ruins with a beautiful view, and we climbed out and walked all over. I had become so fascinated by the old rock work that has stood the test of time for so long. I want to learn how to build rock walls like that.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3867_zpsbe8mioaq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3867_zpsbe8mioaq.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3867_zpsbe8mioaq.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_121007_zpsw5nsj8vr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_20151016_121007_zpsw5nsj8vr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_121007_zpsw5nsj8vr.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3855_zpsgzvftebs.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3855_zpsgzvftebs.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3855_zpsgzvftebs.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3931_zpsylqdk3wt.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3931_zpsylqdk3wt.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3931_zpsylqdk3wt.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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The view down the valley was breathtaking, and it was here that I really decided that I don't like panoramic pictures. They're tempting because you're surrounded by interesting or beautiful things and want to share all of them at once, but panoramic pictures are mostly too wide for appreciation purposes.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3908_zpshspvxwrt.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3908_zpshspvxwrt.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3908_zpshspvxwrt.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
We kept wondering if we were looking at Christmas tree farms because the evergreen trees all looked so perfect.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3985_zpsftturvor.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Wildflowers in Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3985_zpsftturvor.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3985_zpsftturvor.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3969_zpsclmtgltx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Wildflowers in Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3969_zpsclmtgltx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3969_zpsclmtgltx.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3940_zpsnod7szwn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Wildflowers in Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_3940_zpsnod7szwn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_3940_zpsnod7szwn.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
The wildflowers had such a rough beauty that I asked Mr. Photographer to take pictures.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4003_zpsf8btqxm2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4003_zpsf8btqxm2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4003_zpsf8btqxm2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
We both started gathering rocks that varied from crystalline white to dark shale. Michael seemed confused by his amazement at rocks and I said, "How do you think I got that rock collection I have at home?" We weren't sure how legal it was to take rocks, but at least they weren't from the ruins . . .<br />
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I was so busy being amazed by our surroundings that I didn't realize just how cold I was until I got back into the car.<br />
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On the way down to the village, we saw a sign that said something about Braveheart being filmed in the hills. Ah.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2013.04.26_zpsavfgbvni.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo 2015-10-16 13.04.26_zpsavfgbvni.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2013.04.26_zpsavfgbvni.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
In the village of Glendalough, the first thing that caught our eye was God's Cottage. I remarked that He'd chosen a lovely place to have a cottage.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2014.19.36_zps1rupvs18.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo 2015-10-16 14.19.36_zps1rupvs18.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2014.19.36_zps1rupvs18.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4012_zpsx9e83fqa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4012_zpsx9e83fqa.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4012_zpsx9e83fqa.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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The autumn leaves and misty air made for gorgeous surroundings, especially at the two lakes near the village. I just wished some of the other tourists hadn't been so loud. Good thing we weren't there in the summer—I'm sure it would have been worse. I'm not much of a beach vacationer or huge crowds person, so traveling in the fall is really lovely for me; I get to see the beautiful colors of fall and there are fewer people to compete with.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4036_zpsnqyxsd6a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ducks in Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4036_zpsnqyxsd6a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4036_zpsnqyxsd6a.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4078_zpsx9zyyx0z.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Ducks in Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4078_zpsx9zyyx0z.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4078_zpsx9zyyx0z.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Glendalough has a monastic settlement from the 6th century, surrounded by a beautiful graveyard.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4127_zpserrdrbfa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4127_zpserrdrbfa.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4127_zpserrdrbfa.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2013.55.15_zpsuzhjhnyp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo 2015-10-16 13.55.15_zpsuzhjhnyp.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2013.55.15_zpsuzhjhnyp.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2013.59.53_zpskhkno0xs.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo 2015-10-16 13.59.53_zpskhkno0xs.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2013.59.53_zpskhkno0xs.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4165_zpsrokvdo6e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4165_zpsrokvdo6e.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4165_zpsrokvdo6e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4190_zpse4ilquta.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4190_zpse4ilquta.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4190_zpse4ilquta.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_141145_zpskrstc07r.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_20151016_141145_zpskrstc07r.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_141145_zpskrstc07r.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4204_zpsggeq4el5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Glendalough, Ireland photo IMG_4204_zpsggeq4el5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4204_zpsggeq4el5.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
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After wandering around for a while, we stopped in the hotel restaurant for some lunch, but no one ever approached us even though we moved around a couple of times. So we decided to have lunch in Bray, south of Dublin. We finished our <i>Angela's Ashes</i> audio book (read by the author, Frank McCourt) on the way there. I'd told Michael that it was quite shocking for me to read as a 14-year-old; it wasn't so much this time.<br />
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Bray was quite a traffic jam by the time we arrived, and one missed turn made the way to a well-liked place last an additional 20 minutes. When we got there, we discovered that the place doesn't really serve food until in the evening when there's live music. So we left and ended up at a restaurant right off of the cold beach. I chose that place because the bangers and creamy mash advertised outside sounded delicious, but we were told that they were no longer serving those. The waiter checked and I was told I could indeed still have them—but the "creamy mash" came out in dry chunks. Meh, whatever. We were quite hungry by then and glad to have a place to sit down.<br />
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<a href="https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/8604603">Our Airbnb</a> host in Dublin was a Spanish woman who lived near the water and not far from the Airbnb offices. It was her first time hosting. We were disappointed to find that the "included parking" wasn't a given and we had to settle for parking on the street, there was no wifi for the guests (very frustrating when you're trying to make travel plans—good thing we could tether off of Michael's phone, though that was frustratingly slow), and the place had amazing views but it was freezing cold. At least it was clean and nice.<br />
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We wanted to rent some of the street bikes to head to dinner in Temple Bar, a currently-hip area of Dublin, but we couldn't get the machines to accept our card, so we walked. Temple Bar was crazy-crowded, and we were lucky to get a table at The Shack Restaurant quite quickly. The old couple next to us gave us some grumpy looks and we weren't quite sure why—were we being too loud? Did they not like that we're a "mixed-race" couple? I don't know. Their food sure looked good and my smiles and tries at breaking their stares/glares didn't work. When we ordered a dish to share as we usually, our waitress informed us that there's a <span class="st">€15 limit per person, so we decided to order dessert after our Beef Ireland (</span><span class="st"><span class="st">I sure love Ireland's meat and potatoes dishes) </span>and seafood chowder. Mmm.</span><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_220621_zpsray9x30q.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dessert at the Shack Restaurant in Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_20151016_220621_zpsray9x30q.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151016_220621_zpsray9x30q.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
<span class="st">Here're our desserts: banoffee and cherry pie. </span><br />
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<span class="st">The same waitress who'd told us that there was a limit per person came to get my credit card while Michael was using the toilet, and she asked if I wanted to tip and how much and <i>stood there to take down how much instead of handing the machine to me</i>. </span><span class="st">That was super awkward and it took me by surprise so much that I just threw out a number a bit more than 10% of our bill. A-ya. I still have no idea if that was 10% more than usual or a horribly low tip. </span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2023.03.39_zpsxky1uzc6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Swans in Dublin, Ireland photo 2015-10-16 23.03.39_zpsxky1uzc6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-16%2023.03.39_zpsxky1uzc6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span><br />
These swans were enjoying their Friday night in Dublin.<br />
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The road on the way back to the apartment was full of girls and taxis and cars getting absolutely nowhere and we wondered what concert must have taken place at the arena across the bridge. When we got back to the apartment, we met the other people staying there—a Turkish father and his daughter, who were staying for three days in order to enjoy <i>all three</i> One Direction concerts at the arena. Wow. <br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4229_zpsnv0zdhbo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dublin Airbnb View: https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/8604603 photo IMG_4229_zpsnv0zdhbo.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4229_zpsnv0zdhbo.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
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<span class="st">The next morning, we struggled to wake up to a crisp October morning. </span><br />
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<span class="st">We of course had Digestives for breakfast as we headed north to </span>Brú na Bóinne, a site with Neolithic tombs. We opted for the Newgrange tour. I loved that we got to go inside and that there was a guide to tell us all sorts of interesting things—I have to say that I found the Newgrange experience much better than Stonehenge for those reasons. Oh, and Newgrange is older.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4246_zpsltkfniju.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Newgrange at Bru na Boinne, Ireland photo IMG_4246_zpsltkfniju.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4246_zpsltkfniju.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4260_zps7mxzx4jv.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Newgrange at Bru na Boinne, Ireland photo IMG_4260_zps7mxzx4jv.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4260_zps7mxzx4jv.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
About 15-20 of us got to go inside at a time. We saw a simulation of the light that comes into the chamber during winter solstice, and it was so crazy to think that the inside is water-tight! There were really interesting patterns and no one really knows what they mean, but I thought it was so cool that patterns like that go so far back. Also, I still don't understand how an expert can look at a pile of rocks several thousand years old and say, "I think this is the pattern the outside of this burial mound had."<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4313_zpsrojgyu6e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Newgrange at Bru na Boinne, Ireland photo IMG_4313_zpsrojgyu6e.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4313_zpsrojgyu6e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4316_zpsgxk1nvjm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Newgrange at Bru na Boinne, Ireland photo IMG_4316_zpsgxk1nvjm.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4316_zpsgxk1nvjm.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4350_zpsogwav6rg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Michelle at Newgrange in Bru na Boinne, Ireland photo IMG_4350_zpsogwav6rg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4350_zpsogwav6rg.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-17%2010.28.07_zps0yeejrb6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2015-10-17 10.28.07_zps0yeejrb6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/2015-10-17%2010.28.07_zps0yeejrb6.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
An Irish artist named Honor Hales had her exhibit, "Legendary Trees," on the walls at the Brú na Bóinne visitors centre. I loved that she focused on trees and what they symbolized to ancient Irish druids.<br />
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On the way back to Dublin, I decided that I was pretty much done listening to Tana French's <i>The Secret Place</i> because the teenage girls were so annoying. We waited in line to buy tickets to the latest available time at Kilmainham Gaol before driving to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. I knew that Michael was feeling antsy about making it back to the prison on time, so I tried to rush, but the whole exhibit about who the writers of the Book of Kells were, how they wrote and illustrated, and what has happened with the book over the years was so interesting. I didn't think I could be more interested until we got upstairs to a wonderful old library with an exhibit about myths and children's stories around the world.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4360_zpsznwxowfp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Book of Kells Exhibit, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4360_zpsznwxowfp.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4360_zpsznwxowfp.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151017_145347_zpsgqw5hugp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Book of Kells Exhibit, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_20151017_145347_zpsgqw5hugp.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151017_145347_zpsgqw5hugp.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Wow! I wished that my mom and sister had been with me because I knew they would have loved it, too.<br />
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Fortunately we had plenty of time to get back to Kilmainham Gaol, a prison where many political prisoners were kept during all of the Irish rebellions. I recognized the stories and names that our redheaded tour guide told us about—all because I'd read Morgan Llewelyn's book, <i>1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion</i> in preparation for our trip. I also remembered reading about Bentham's panopticon prison during my undergrad studies.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4458_zpsg9bcycaf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4458_zpsg9bcycaf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4458_zpsg9bcycaf.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
This is the prison chapel where Grace Gifford was allowed to marry Joseph Plunkett before he was executed. :'(<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4446_zpshoex9yu6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4446_zpshoex9yu6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4446_zpshoex9yu6.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
A lot of brave people worked to free Ireland. And what lovely handwriting they had.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4535_zpsuxxvypbp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4535_zpsuxxvypbp.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4535_zpsuxxvypbp.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
The executions took place in this courtyard. That cross shows where James Connolly who was so injured and sick from fighting that he couldn't even stand was executed in a chair. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4472%202_zpscbmjkyyb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4472 2_zpscbmjkyyb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4472%202_zpscbmjkyyb.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> <br />
Apparently when this part of the prison was built, there were no windows because they thought the air would keep germs from spreading and it was freezing cold.<br />
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During the famine, there was serious overcrowding because there was a law against begging. (Reminds me of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sit-lie_ordinance">sit-lie ordinance</a>.)<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4513_zps0skmg56a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Grace Gifford's Cell in Killmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4513_zps0skmg56a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4513_zps0skmg56a.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
This was Grace Gifford's cell (she was the one who married Joseph Plunkett before he was executed). She was an artist and did something like this in her cell (it's been replicated).<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4491%202_zpsmbqq7avk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Killmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland photo IMG_4491 2_zpsmbqq7avk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_4491%202_zpsmbqq7avk.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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All the craziness that Ireland had to go through after centuries of British rule is tragic.<br />
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Once our tour was over, we headed to St Stephen's Green for a bit before getting Döners at Zaytoon and heading back to the flat. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151018_092125_zpsbyf1u7kf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dublin Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/8604603 photo IMG_20151018_092125_zpsbyf1u7kf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/Ireland%202015/IMG_20151018_092125_zpsbyf1u7kf.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a> <br />
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The next morning, we stopped at Aldi to stock up on Nutella and Digestives before returning our rental car, which was tricky because there wasn't good signage for where to go and I didn't have my contacts in so I couldn't really help. Michael was feeling really nervous that we were going to miss boarding, so I was blindly following him through security and then through the airport as quickly as I could. When we got to the gate, we were told they hadn't started boarding yet. We sat down and Michael declared, "We made it through in nine minutes."<br />
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Unfortunately we didn't get to sit next to each other on either flight (Dublin to London or London to San Francisco), but I sat next to Pete Ryan, a really nice British man who works at Workday in Pleasanton. We talked about all sorts of things, from diversity in tech (because I was reading Freada Kapor Klein's <i>Giving Notice</i>) to diving and being good people. I also enjoyed watching <i>Bessie</i> and <i>Inside Out </i>(in German—it wasn't until later that I found out that Amy Poehler did one of the voices in English). I surprised myself by not really sleeping the whole flight, but I guess I just didn't feel the need to and my husband-pillow was on a different row.<br />
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Ireland trip 2015: amazing and lovely.Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-8011419972938480322015-07-28T14:16:00.002-07:002015-07-28T14:17:21.611-07:00New MoccasinsSeveral years ago, I started buying suede moccasins from Target. Even though the ties didn't like to stay in place, the moccasins were really comfy and casual, so I'd glue the ties and once the shoes got worn out I'd buy a new pair. And then I discovered that I could wash them and they'd look pretty nice again. So I've been washing this last pair for two years, but a hole that my toe stuck out of convinced me to finally get a new pair. Unfortunately, the two Targets in San Francisco weren't big enough to stock the moccs, so I had to wait until I went down to Sunnyvale.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/TargetSuedeMoccasins_zpsedvtpyau.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Suede Moccasins From Target photo TargetSuedeMoccasins_zpsedvtpyau.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/TargetSuedeMoccasins_zpsedvtpyau.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a><br />
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I'm not sure why the new pair looks bigger. It was about time though, wasn't it? The new ones feel like hugs. Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-41852999881428135152015-07-02T14:55:00.000-07:002015-07-02T14:55:59.209-07:00OlallieberriesWe went to pick olallieberries with our friend and her lovely dog, Biscuit, at <a href="http://swantonberryfarm.com/">Swanton Berry Farm</a> in Pescadero.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/11008470_10206958857272553_8855388262172461459_n_zpskd8ufxtx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Swanton Berry Farm Berrypicking photo 11008470_10206958857272553_8855388262172461459_n_zpskd8ufxtx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/11008470_10206958857272553_8855388262172461459_n_zpskd8ufxtx.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/11048731_10206958856952545_3179880137271666974_n_zpselxshzwb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Olallieberries photo 11048731_10206958856952545_3179880137271666974_n_zpselxshzwb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/11048731_10206958856952545_3179880137271666974_n_zpselxshzwb.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>Olallieberries are more tangy than sweet, but/so they make the best jam. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/07a2bea1-292f-4bb2-aa85-86382a98a207_zpsjspo548j.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Biscuit photo 07a2bea1-292f-4bb2-aa85-86382a98a207_zpsjspo548j.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/07a2bea1-292f-4bb2-aa85-86382a98a207_zpsjspo548j.jpg" height="467" width="640" /></a><br />
Biscuit is such a nice little doggie. <br />
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It was amazing to get some fresh air and sun outside of the city, and we even tried and loved the famous artichoke garlic bread at Arcangeli in Pescadero (no picture because we scarfed it). Their spicy cheddar sandwich was amazing as well.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/0088c8a8-a5ce-446d-8b4e-3954a3dc9ff1_zpskidtussa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Olallieberries: $96 photo 0088c8a8-a5ce-446d-8b4e-3954a3dc9ff1_zpskidtussa.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/0088c8a8-a5ce-446d-8b4e-3954a3dc9ff1_zpskidtussa.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Yeah, we got a lot. Twelve pounds. We <a href="http://michelleglauser.blogspot.com/2014/07/six-weeks-in-london.html">missed the season last year</a>, so I guess we made up for that.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/486f1dae-690c-4fa7-a1c1-61da303276e2_zpstifvsmgy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Olallieberry Gems photo 486f1dae-690c-4fa7-a1c1-61da303276e2_zpstifvsmgy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/486f1dae-690c-4fa7-a1c1-61da303276e2_zpstifvsmgy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
We paid $96 for these gems.<br />
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I made jam already, but one package of pectin hardly put a dent in our supply, so I froze the rest for pies and jam later this year. Mmmm. I wonder if some day I can buy olallieberry plants and grow them in my garden?<br />
<br />Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0Pescadero, CA, USA37.2551636 -122.3830151999999937.2046056 -122.46369619999999 37.305721600000005 -122.30233419999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-21426499741989389942015-06-19T09:51:00.000-07:002015-06-19T09:51:45.975-07:00That's How I Roll ApronThis is what I gave Michael for his birthday. (Yes, it took several months for us to celebrate our birthdays.) I painted the apron myself.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/2015-06-02%2014.23.01_zpsfcdnmg96.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="That's How I Roll photo 2015-06-02 14.23.01_zpsfcdnmg96.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/2015-06-02%2014.23.01_zpsfcdnmg96.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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I learned the hard way that if you want to make your own stencil with normal paper, you'd better not put on too many thick layers of paint, because the paint will seep outside of the lines. I also learned that most acrylic paint can be gotten out of material if it's still somewhat wet and you give it a good scrubbing and then wash it. Finally, I learned that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026HHZGM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00">Sharpie extra fine paint markers</a> are no good and you're better off using a sponge and paint.<br />
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<br />Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-51731668797236834922015-05-23T19:01:00.002-07:002015-07-20T17:02:40.747-07:00India 2015Gunjan (one of our friends from the Hult Shanghai and Hult London experience) invited us to his wedding in New Delhi, so I finally got the chance to go to India. The whole experience was amazing; I think the best word I have for India is "vibrant."<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-22%2011.38.22_zpswq1ctcsj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2015-05-22 11.38.22_zpswq1ctcsj.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-22%2011.38.22_zpswq1ctcsj.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Here's the beautiful wedding invitation Gunjan and Deepali sent to us in San Francisco. I think the pink, orange, and yellow parts were hand-painted because of the texture and the smell.<br />
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We stopped in Paris on the way and stocked up on French pastries, only to then forget them in our first hotel's fridge. (Michael called the hotel to ask them to save them, but no one seemed to know anything about it when we returned and the pastries were sadly gone. Luckily we still had some macarons to give to the happy couple.) <br />
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Isn't it weird that India is 12.5 hours ahead of San Francisco? Someone said that India technically should have two time zones, but they decided to compromise and go for a half time zone. Interesting.<br />
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We were really happy to see friends from our Hult days in Shanghai again. On our first day, seven of us had arrived, so we went to Jaipur together. One of the most curious and delightful things we saw on the drive was hours and hours of painted trucks. They had bright colors, patterns, official permissions, and messages, such as "Horn Please," "Blow Horn," "Great India," and the more confusing, "Slow Horn." We all puzzled about how these drivers were essentially asking other drivers to annoy them. It seemed to me that rather than use their side mirrors and check their blindspots, drivers wanted to know someone was coming via honking, and honking there was. So much honking.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-19%2012.29.50_zpsyymomzuk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Decorated Indian Truck photo 2015-05-19 12.29.50_zpsyymomzuk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-19%2012.29.50_zpsyymomzuk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Fancy truck decor!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/meanestindian/4339665721" title="Raikhad Horn Please by Meena Kadri, on Flickr"><img alt="Raikhad Horn Please" height="443" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4066/4339665721_e1a0574526_z.jpg?zz=1" width="640" /></a><br />
"Horn Please" (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/meanestindian/4339665721">photo by Meena Kadri</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.28.24_zpssicjxay3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Jaipur Van photo 2015-05-16 17.28.24_zpssicjxay3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.28.24_zpssicjxay3.jpg" height="479" width="640" /></a><br />
On the way to Jaipur.<br />
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The van broke down on the way to Jaipur, so all the guys and I got out and pushed, and when it broke down more permanently, we waited in the hot sun for about an hour for a mechanic to come. Luckily it was still early in the morning, so the heat wasn't too bad, but the A.C. was broken for the rest of the way to Jaipur and it got pretty roasty before noon. Michael kept exclaiming at the way drivers create new lanes and slip between bigger vehicles and go through red lights and such. I rolled my eyes a bit at the fact that everyone has to drive crazy to make it work, but it didn't scare me. I guess I just trusted that the driver knew how to survive that kind of traffic, and he did.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.29.22_zpszk8n20km.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tourist Van Breakdown in India photo 2015-05-16 17.29.22_zpszk8n20km.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.29.22_zpszk8n20km.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Waiting for someone to bring a new battery.<br />
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Jaipur is known as the Pink City, but it looked more orange (or at least rusty pink) to me. Traffic was pretty crazy, and I cheered every time I saw women driving. There was a lot of garbage. We were fascinated to see cows wandering around in the middle of roads and monkeys perched on buildings. I happily checked out every bright sari I saw to try and get an idea of what kind of sari I would like. After checking into our über-posh hotel (that I was excited to see had copies of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita">Bhagavad Gita</a> in the rooms), we enjoyed some lunch and then decided to rest while waiting for the driver to come back with the van fixed. The wait was supposed to be two hours, but it was several until the driver came back, during which time Michael and I zonked out hard.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_181330_zps8lgykt1j.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Beautiful Building in Jaipur photo IMG_20150508_181330_zps8lgykt1j.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_181330_zps8lgykt1j.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Here's a beautiful building in Jaipur (and Steffen's head). <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_183216_zpsm7sdfyvg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Water Palace in Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150508_183216_zpsm7sdfyvg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_183216_zpsm7sdfyvg.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Water Palace selfie<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_181225_zpsfcmtdxxu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_20150508_181225_zpsfcmtdxxu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_181225_zpsfcmtdxxu.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Selfie with cow<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_191337_zpsie9lppqq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Evening Traffic in Jaipur photo IMG_20150508_191337_zpsie9lppqq.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_191337_zpsie9lppqq.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Evening traffic near the Birla Mandir Temple in Jaipur.<br />
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We quickly saw a few things, including the Water Palace ("Jal Mahal") and a market, before heading to Chokhi Dhani—a place that reminded me of a fair. We were greeted by loud drumming and flute accompaniment in a candlelit courtyard. Two women at the front door touched their red-tipped fingers to our foreheads before we were allowed in to pay an entrance fee. Once inside, there were areas to wonder around to that provided food, entertainment, and items for sale. We saw a man eat fire, a man do sleight-of-hand magic, women dance (a few of us joined them), girls do contortion, and camels give rides. (There was one camel that Michael and I thought was a statue until someone sat on it and it stood up! The camels looked so over giving rides.) Throughout, there were signs saying not to tip and to report tipping to a certain phone number, so it was frustrating when the performers clearly asked for money and the locals paid them.<br />
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Dinner was so interesting. We were led into a place with low tables in one long row, where we sat on mats as men who didn't speak English served items one by one until we all had everything on our plates and bowls made of leaves. The food was so rich and good (except for the super-sour buttermilk we were served, ack) and I have pretty much no idea what we ate. After dinner, I stopped to get some henna designs done on my hands. Everyone else seemed hesitant, which then made me a hesitate a bit. I asked Michael, "Is it okay?" He replied, "You do whatever you want with your body." I kissed him for being such a good feminist husband. After I got my hands done, others wanted in on the action, so Julia, Tanja, Cade, and I all ended up with beautiful designs. The sign said "Free of charge," but after one of us paid, we all felt like we had to. Argh. Since we couldn't understand anything the women told us, we weren't quite sure what to do, but Cade told us to leave it on until it crackled, so our hotel bathroom ended up with little brown henna chips all over it that evening, which I cleaned up while Michael snored.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_204245_zpstapaynph.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dancing at Chokhi Dhani in Jaipur photo IMG_20150508_204245_zpstapaynph.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_204245_zpstapaynph.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
Dancing<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_213031_zpsttadwfdm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Dinner at Chokhi Dhani in Jaipur photo IMG_20150508_213031_zpsttadwfdm.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_213031_zpsttadwfdm.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
Dinner on leaf plates<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150508_215917_zpsdk04lksg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Henna (Mehndi) at Chokhi Dhani in Jaipur photo IMG_20150508_215917_zpsdk04lksg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150508_215917_zpsdk04lksg.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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The next morning, we had breakfast and checked out of the hotel. Our first visit was to the Birla Mandir temple, a beautiful white temple built in 1985. We were told severely that we couldn't wear shoes, but when we put our sandals into my bag, we were then told severely that it wasn't allowed and had to pay a couple of rupees to have them stored. There were signs saying that no photography was allowed on the complex, but people were taking pictures, so we joined them. I was surprised to see leaders of different religions on the columns of the temple, including some Christian saints, Mary and Jesus, and Zarathustra. I like the idea of honoring people who have made a big difference in the world and taking the best from different philosophies.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_085154_zpseevl2onu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Birla Mandir Temple in Jaipur photo IMG_20150509_085154_zpseevl2onu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_085154_zpseevl2onu.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
Birla Mandir Temple<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_085801_zpsgadqlow9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Birla Mandir Temple Details in Jaipur photo IMG_20150509_085801_zpsgadqlow9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_085801_zpsgadqlow9.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Birla Mandir Temple<br />
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At the City Palace, we opted not to take the more-expensive royal tour and instead paid a guide to take us on the normal tour. He talked about how several generations had to adopt sons in order to have a next maharajah. It bugged me that a perfectly capable daughter was overlooked and an adopted 17-year-old (who is currently studying in the U.K.) was put in, but it at least calmed me a bit to know that the daughter is somehow active in politics. (I'm actually all for adoption, but to adopt a boy to fill a role seemed problematic to me.) We were also told about one really fat maharajah and saw his fascinatingly enormous clothing. The buildings in the palace had beautiful designs on them with bright colors made of natural gemstones so the colors will never fade.<br />
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The armory was grotesque. We learned about all sorts of items that were made into guns as well and a sword that had another sword inside of it. Our guide pointed out that armor only went to the bottom of the neck so that soldiers could still move their heads, and then pointed at an arrow that had a crescent at the end so one could chop off another's head. Ew. There was also a double-knife that was driven into people and then closed like scissors to do some real damage. Choke.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_092541_zps7nyrjmce.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="City Palace in Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_092541_zps7nyrjmce.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_092541_zps7nyrjmce.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
City Palace entrance<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_095209_zpsqcxtuwzy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="City Palace in Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_095209_zpsqcxtuwzy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_095209_zpsqcxtuwzy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
City Palace Hall<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_095552_zps1p3aqt2q.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Peacock Gate at City Palace in Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_095552_zps1p3aqt2q.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_095552_zps1p3aqt2q.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
Peacock Gate<br />
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One of the most interesting parts of the City Palace tour was getting to sit down with a royal artist who showed us how he paints using one squirrel hair. It was from him that I learned that peacocks are a symbol of joy. There were also scarf and jewelry artisans, and every one of them were hilariously blunt and aggressive in selling. The artisan we talked to said several times, "For your parents, of course you would only want the most valuable." Michael and I ended up buying three things from there. Then we were guided into a presentation about pashmina scarves, where we were shown that the real ones can pass easily through a ring and the smell they give off when their fibers are burned is different than that of fake pashmina. They kept encouraging us to touch the scarves, but since I'm allergic to wool, I declined. One man said, "Not allergic. It's very soft!" which got me wondering, so I later googled "wool allergy" and found that most people who claim to have a wool allergy are just going off of their sensitive skin's reaction to itchy wool. My allergy, on the other hand, involves itchy eyes, itchy ears, and a lot of sneezing. Cade suggested I just rub one of the scarves on my eye to see what would happen. Ha. I also saw a cotton quilt that had a beautiful pattern on it, but it was so similar to the duvet cover I just ordered that I didn't get it. I was glad to find out that what I should have been googling all along for these patterns I love was "Indian block printing." Good to know.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-22%2008.29.31_zps8bx7l48t.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Peacock Painting by Jaipur Artisan photo 2015-05-22 08.29.31_zps8bx7l48t.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-22%2008.29.31_zps8bx7l48t.jpg" height="640" width="436" /></a> <br />
Peacock painting on old paper with the court stamp<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-22%20at%208.32.16%20AM_zpsbi6zjllm.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Jaipur Artisan's Peacock Detail photo Screen Shot 2015-05-22 at 8.32.16 AM_zpsbi6zjllm.png" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-22%20at%208.32.16%20AM_zpsbi6zjllm.png" /></a> <br />
Peacock close-up<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/CadeSnake_zpsliei18pq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Cade with a Cobra in Jaipur photo CadeSnake_zpsliei18pq.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/CadeSnake_zpsliei18pq.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Cade played some music for a swaying snake.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-23%2018.30.42_zpsenyeqwac.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Aloo Bhujia photo 2015-05-23 18.30.42_zpsenyeqwac.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-23%2018.30.42_zpsenyeqwac.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
We stopped at a store to pick up some snacks and water and I was happy to get some aloo bhujia, a tangy snack that Gunjan had shared with me in Shanghai.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_145510_zpsf7jrnht6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Elephant in Jaipur photo IMG_20150509_145510_zpsf7jrnht6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_145510_zpsf7jrnht6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Painted elephant in Jaipur<br />
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By the time we got to Amer/Amber Fort/Palace (we saw several versions of the name), it was <i>so hot</i> that I pulled out my umbrella to get some shade. I even had to keep my feet in my own shade because they felt like burning so quickly. I'm so glad that I only brought really flowy clothing; genie pants are the best. Our driver could only take us to a parking lot by a lake, where we then paid jeep drivers to take us up to the fort. There were guides trying their best to get us to hire them, but we kept turning them down. One man really bothered me because he wouldn't leave us alone, he kept putting his "official guide" card in our hands, and he lied, saying we weren't allowed to see the fort without a guide. We forged ahead to pay for an audio guide, and I shared bits of info from the audio with everyone in our group. It was maddening to hear again (it was the same at the City Palace) how women had to stay behind these shade things during public events because they were not to be seen. Apparently Amer/Amber Fort has the biggest cannon in Asia, but we never found it (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaivana">here's info about it online</a>). There were ramps throughout so that royals could be wheeled around in their clothing heavily laden with gold and jewels and marble slabs with water running over them to cool the palace. I'm not sure how much that really helped though, considering the fact that it took several hours of being in an air-conditioned vehicle for us to stop sweating after that.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_134508_zpsge02f0zd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Amer or Amber Fort Near Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_134508_zpsge02f0zd.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_134508_zpsge02f0zd.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
Columns at the Amer Palace<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_140531_zpsoafwc2xu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Amer or Amber Fort Near Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_140531_zpsoafwc2xu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_140531_zpsoafwc2xu.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Amer Palace decor<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_133957_zpsbiwsi3of.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="View From Amer or Amber Fort Near Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_133957_zpsbiwsi3of.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_133957_zpsbiwsi3of.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
View from Amer Palace<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150509_143956_zps9lrj4f3i.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="View From Amer or Amber Fort Near Jaipur, India photo IMG_20150509_143956_zps9lrj4f3i.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150509_143956_zps9lrj4f3i.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Another view from Amer Palace<br />
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I have to say that I'd read that women should avoid making eye contact with men in India, and I found it pretty much impossible to do that. I was at least happy to be able to greet people with the traditional "Namaste" hand bow, and I started doing that head bobble thing.<br />
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Once we got back to New Delhi, we met up with some more friends, including Gunjan (the groom) and Kate and Ben. Our growing group of friends went up to the LaLit Hotel's "European Grill" restaurant only to abruptly run out after sitting down and seeing the prices. Over the main restaurant's buffet, we got to know Gunjan's friends Anuraag and Amy. <br />
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The next day was spent shopping for wedding attire. Anuraag and Amy were so nice to give the groom a much-needed break (really, I felt bad that Gunjan wasn't feeling well and that he had done so much to organize our trip) and lead us around getting the necessary items. I was starting to feel rather worn out and sick, so that made the long day and group shopping even more challenging than usual. I tried to be quick when deciding which sari to get, but I felt so torn. I didn't really find the color I had hoped to find (purple), I was told that the Thai silk saris I liked weren't fancy enough for a wedding, and the dressy saris I liked the best were pretty expensive. Since I doubted I'd ever wear the sari again, I didn't want to spend a lot, but I also wanted to look nice next to all of the other beautiful saris. What to do? Michael talked me into getting the cheapest coral-colored one we could find even though I thought the pattern was kind of ugly.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150510_114331_zpsum7noptk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Trying on Saris for Wedding in Delhia photo IMG_20150510_114331_zpsum7noptk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150510_114331_zpsum7noptk.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150510_114012_zps86d0gchk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Trying on Saris for Wedding in Delhia photo IMG_20150510_114012_zps86d0gchk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150510_114012_zps86d0gchk.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
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When we went to another store to order salwar kameez(es?), I saw two much lovelier fabrics: a turquoise one and then a coral that was pretty much the same color as the sari I'd just gotten. Michael talked me into getting the coral anyway and said he'd get something in the other color since I'd brought earrings that color. This time I was the first to decide because I actually saw something I really liked that was a decent price. The seamstress there seemed so amused by us and no-nonsense that I took a liking to her immediately. Then we went to a street market to find ready-made tops for the saris (to save time) and on the way, I saw much cheaper saris that I actually liked. I felt pretty frustrated that we hadn't just gone to the cheap market in the first place, and my frustration only grew when the place we went to for tops only had really translucent, short ones that would show a lot of stomach. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-10%2017.31.01_zpsizzj2upb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Mad Mannequin in Delhi photo 2015-05-10 17.31.01_zpsizzj2upb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-10%2017.31.01_zpsizzj2upb.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
It was about that time that we ran into this mad mannequin.<br />
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We had lunch at <span class="st">Rang De Basanti Dhaba, a place that had live music, dancing puppets, music videos on the TVs, and a tractor. (Michael went there when he was in Delhi with Gunjan last year.) I was feeling pretty lousy by then, so I pretty much just had some paratha.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-10%2017.31.08_zpsvvpcnia2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Rang De Basanti Dhaba in Delhi photo 2015-05-10 17.31.08_zpsvvpcnia2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-10%2017.31.08_zpsvvpcnia2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a>Tractor at Rang De Basanti Dhaba</span><br />
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<span class="st">Then we went to an accessories place, where we were told what to get. That didn't jive well with me, especially since I didn't want to buy or wear so many bangles (can you tell I'm not a shopper?). I at least got them to take away a few of the bangles, but I was told that the type and color wasn't flexible. Okay . . . at least several of us were able to buy a whole sheet of dressy bindis to share. What was amusing there was that they looked at the sample material from the saris we'd bought, checked our wrist sizes, and then yelled to some guy up on the roof who then sent items down in a bag! Julia made us laugh when she yelled, "Lamesh, sound down the delivery!" While waiting for all the bangles to be bought, Michael and I purchased a $4 "Zara" shirt at the booth next door and Fede was annoyed by a really young girl who tried to sell him a bracelet but went way up on the price when she was done making it (from 2 rupees per letter to 200 rupees per letter). Then she wouldn't leave until Anuraag gave her some money and told her to scram. Because Anuraag and Amy were good guides and knew all the things we needed to get, we started calling them Mom and Dad.</span><br />
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<span class="st"> <a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150510_160719_zps0czhnpll.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Trying on Bangles for Wedding in Delhia photo IMG_20150510_160719_zps0czhnpll.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150510_160719_zps0czhnpll.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<span class="st">Buying bangles</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150510_164526_zps3fgpqpek.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Squatting Practice photo IMG_20150510_164526_zps3fgpqpek.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150510_164526_zps3fgpqpek.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">Practicing our squatting (this is for my sister Amy)</span><br />
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<span class="st"><i>Finally</i>, we headed back to a place right next to where we'd bought the saris to get the men's attire. (Not sure why they didn't get their kurtas while we were getting our saris.) Michael found a kurta that was the right color pretty quickly, as well as a scarf (forgot what it's really called—"dupatta"?), but they didn't have shoes his size. I was so exhausted by then that I cleared a space by a fancily-clad mannequin and made myself comfortable.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150510_180015_zps2vducyij.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tired After Day of Shopping in Delhi photo IMG_20150510_180015_zps2vducyij.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150510_180015_zps2vducyij.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">Mannequin nap</span><br />
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<span class="st">I was ridiculously tired at dinner and wondered why I hadn't just stayed at the hotel to rest like Cade did. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant, and while the food was pretty good (I enjoyed some black bean soup), I had to keep resting my head on the table and at one point I asked Ben what something was only to realize that it was a lime I had just squeezed into the guacamole and placed there. We stayed way longer than we needed to, as well. The waiter wouldn't split our bill, so Fede started to calculate, and then Michael and I broke out the Tab app to see how it would do, but since there were two separate bills and neither Michael nor Fede were willing to pass around the app and paper with totals because they weren't sure about names and telling each person what to do, it took way too long and people became frustrated. (Whoops. We'll know better next time.) On the way out to the cars, Gunjan invited everyone to try a traditional Indian mouth freshener in a leaf ("paan"), but only Fede was up to it.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150510_215815_zpsmdg1tjw6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Mexican Restaurant in Delhi photo IMG_20150510_215815_zpsmdg1tjw6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150510_215815_zpsmdg1tjw6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">About to fall into my black bean soup</span><br />
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<span class="st">After saying good night to Gunjan, we all snuck back to his room with a cake that Amy and Anuraag had ordered to sing happy birthday at midnight. I can't believe I made it that late. I only stayed long enough to take a group picture with Gunjan's new camera (an engagement gift), nibble at a piece of cake, and wish Gunjan a happy birthday.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-10%2017.32.33_zpsaf1pwthm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan's Birthday in Delhi photo 2015-05-10 17.32.33_zpsaf1pwthm.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-10%2017.32.33_zpsaf1pwthm.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
Happy birthday, Gunjan!<br />
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Interestingly, though we only ever had bottled water, were careful about where we chose to eat, and sanitized or washed our hands often, almost all of us had Delhi Belly stomach problems at some point, even the two Indian guys. I even followed my coworker's advice to take a probiotic with every meal. Luckily Cade was a great drug dealer—he provided much-needed Imodium and figured out that Norflox was the local antibiotic to take. So I stopped taking the probiotic and instead accepted the bitter taste that Norflox put in my mouth.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.45.03_zps9g7qwk1p.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Norflox for Delhi Belly! photo 2015-05-16 17.45.03_zps9g7qwk1p.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.45.03_zps9g7qwk1p.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
Behold Norflox<br />
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<span class="st">The next morning, Ben lent Michael an Australian hat that looked so awesome on him that Michael ended up keeping it. We headed to Qutub Minar, a tower of victory next to the first mosque built in India. Just like had happened at Amer/Amber Fort and would happen at the Taj Mahal, several people asked to take pictures with us. There was also a guard who seemed so happy to give his best tips on places and positions for photo-taking and happily offered his button-pushing and camera-aiming abilities. We paid a few rupees to use a toilet and Julia and I were dismayed to find that we were prepared with tissues, but not prepared to have to swat over 50 mosquitoes while our pants were down. Eek. We stopped at some random souvenir center where Michael found and closed a deal for wedding shoes that matched his kurta in less than five minutes. Strong work!</span><br />
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<span class="st"> <a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.32.36_zps4zxubtxe.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tourist Michael in Delhi photo 2015-05-16 17.32.36_zps4zxubtxe.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.32.36_zps4zxubtxe.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<span class="st">Michael in tourist mode</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.32.55_zpshq3hxvo5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Qutub Minar in Delhi photo 2015-05-16 17.32.55_zpshq3hxvo5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.32.55_zpshq3hxvo5.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span class="st">Everyone wanted pictures with the two Norwegians. Isn't the Indian clothing beautiful?</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.34.09_zps1zkpc078.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Qutub Minar in Delhi photo 2015-05-16 17.34.09_zps1zkpc078.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.34.09_zps1zkpc078.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></span><br />
<span class="st">Qutub Minar Victory Tower selfie (my first ever with a selfie stick?)</span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150511_113844_zps2htvrthx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Qutub Minar in Delhi photo
IMG_20150511_113844_zps2htvrthx.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150511_113844_zps2htvrthx.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> </span> </span><br />
Viewing historical architectural wonders from shade is great.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150511_111411_zpsiiszudij.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Qutub Minar photo IMG_20150511_111411_zpsiiszudij.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150511_111411_zpsiiszudij.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
<span class="st">This picture reminds me of <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YeBbEPb5EuY/SgGHBDkITvI/AAAAAAAALFs/OSbfGWQ-Ll8/s1600/P1040334.JPG">a picture of me in Ephesus</a></span>. That's my $4 "Zara" shirt.<br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150511_111945_zpsuctsa7ra.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Qutub Minar in Delhi photo IMG_20150511_111945_zpsuctsa7ra.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150511_111945_zpsuctsa7ra.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> </span><br />
Looks like a lot of work<br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150511_124907_zpsw8qigut3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Whole Foods in India? photo IMG_20150511_124907_zpsw8qigut3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150511_124907_zpsw8qigut3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span>
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<span class="st">On the way to our next stop, we saw the "Whole Foods" delivery van. </span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150511_105748_zpsqqtujlsg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Touring Delhi photo IMG_20150511_105748_zpsqqtujlsg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150511_105748_zpsqqtujlsg.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">The stronger the AC, the happier the carload of tourists. </span><span class="st">It was really hot again.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-11%2015.57.48_zpstyfkszaa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Do Not Honk in Delhi photo 2015-05-11 15.57.48_zpstyfkszaa.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-11%2015.57.48_zpstyfkszaa.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">I guess the "Govt of India" doesn't condone all the honking? </span><br />
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<span class="st"> </span><br />
<span class="st">The Lotus Temple was closed, but we got a few good shots from the outside. For lunch, we went to a place next to the tractor place and I was again feeling sick enough to only nibble on the food Michael ordered for me. Though I really don't like carbonation, I ordered a lime soda because I'd heard that helped with Delhi Belly, but the lime soda that arrived was so salty (blech!) that I couldn't stand it.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150511_130445_zpszltacknh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Lotus Temple in Delhi photo IMG_20150511_130445_zpszltacknh.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150511_130445_zpszltacknh.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">Lotus Temple</span><br />
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<span class="st">Everyone wanted to head to the Red Fort and Old Delhi next, but because it was so hot and I was feeling awful, I proposed going back to the hotel and then heading out once things cooled down. Only Cade and Michael decided to go with me, but for some reason our driver passed our hotel and kept going. Since he had stopped and asked several people for directions, I showed him where the hotel was on Google Maps, but then I then found out that Gunjan had told our driver to go elsewhere without our permission. That made me really mad. I yelled at him (poor Gunjan) about hijacking us when we arrived at the place where the others were, but since I was there, I headed up the steps to see the sights. A cry of dismay went up in the group when we were told that only foreigners had to pay to get in even though the sign said people only had to pay to take pictures. While people were figuring out what they wanted to do, I huffily sat on the steps and felt miserably tired and sick and mad until another driver was offered to take us back to the hotel. It's a really good thing we went back, because as soon as we arrived, Michael became suddenly sick. For the next twelve hours, it was either bed or toilet for both of us. Michael weakly joked that maybe he was "empathy sick," but he had a fever and I never did (that I noticed).</span><br />
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<span class="st">After so much rest and some Imodium, we felt well enough to join everyone for the trip to Agra the next day. After all, what is a trip to Delhi without a visit to the Taj Mahal? While we were waiting for the driver to arrive, so many of us made second and third "last stop" trips to the bathroom that we all just had to laugh and shake our heads. Interestingly enough, the way to Agra was quite different from the road to Jaipur. The road itself was much nicer, we mostly saw farms on the side of the road, and there weren't as many spiffy, honk-friendly trucks. At a rest stop, I saw there was bhel puri, but I was too afraid that my stomach wasn't ready for it. I saw a bride all dressed up in her heavy gown in the restroom and then later saw a groom. They seemed so out of place at the rest stop.</span><br />
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<span class="st">While we were at the Taj Mahal, there was an earthquake (it originated in Nepal and was felt in Northern India). Only two people in our group noticed it. Michael was quite disappointed by the Taj Mahal, so I started playing a comparison game with him. It went like this: "The Taj Mahal or the Statue of Liberty?" "Statue of Liberty." "The Taj Mahal or the Golden Gate Bridge?" "You can't compare those." "The Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower?" "The Eiffel Tower." I thought the architecture and patterns were beautiful, but I was definitely surprised at how small the Taj mahal felt. I guess it is just a tomb, so it didn't need to be much bigger, and for that time, the construction is really quite impressive.</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.35.07_zpsqayzqdvr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Taj Mahal in Agra photo 2015-05-16 17.35.07_zpsqayzqdvr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.35.07_zpsqayzqdvr.jpg" height="364" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
Taj Mahal!<br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150512_121800_zpskw7avvlo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Michael and Michelle at Taj Mahal in Agra, India photo IMG_20150512_121800_zpskw7avvlo.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150512_121800_zpskw7avvlo.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150512_125506_zpsdzi3flv3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Michael and Michelle at Taj Mahal in Agra, India photo
IMG_20150512_125506_zpsdzi3flv3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150512_125506_zpsdzi3flv3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
<span class="st">The Taj Mahal doesn't look so small in this picture, does it? Interestingly, the text gets bigger the higher up it is so it's still visible. </span><br />
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<span class="st">After our guide led us into another shop (seriously, do they get commission or are the salespeople their relatives?), we all fled to the carts that would take us back to our driver. Anuraag told us that we didn't have time to really stop for lunch, so we paused at Subway (the driver had never heard of it, so we had to tell him where to go) and I had my first food since lunch the day before—a couple of bites of a turkey sandwich. I also enjoyed a treat when Ben and Kate passed around their Aussie animal snacks.</span><br />
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When we got back to New Delhi, three of us went to see if the seamstress could make tops for our saris quickly enough for the wedding. I was disappointed to hear her say that there wasn't enough fabric for a long top, but since it was just $10, I asked her to make it anyway and to make it as long as possible. We had pizza in Akashay's (Gunjan's friend's) room that night so that the Hult Prize guys could show Gunjan an MBA-style presentation they'd made for him. I loved that they called him "Gunji" the whole time (in reference to a product they'd made up to egg him on during their MBA program) and that the sub-title was "Sandals. Schedule. Smile." since he always wears flip flops, is passionate about sending out Google Calendar invitations, and has an easy smile.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-12%2020.09.09_zpswvymyxmg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Seamstress in Delhi photo 2015-05-12 20.09.09_zpswvymyxmg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-12%2020.09.09_zpswvymyxmg.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Tanja and the R. Hassaram seamstress<br />
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The next morning, after Michael got a haircut at the spa, we all moved to the wedding hotel, where we were able to meet Gunjan's family. In the afternoon, wedding festivities officially began. I'm not sure how much of what went on was traditional for Indian weddings in general and how much was for Jain weddings. Festivities started with Gunjan's grandma singing, all the women exchanging lentils (I think?) between two scoops and getting bindis on our foreheads and red bracelets tied onto our wrists, and then having our hands decorated with mehndi (henna). We were told that the darker the mehndi became on our hands, the more our husbands loved us. Gunjan's aunt and uncle encouraged me to get Michael's name and our initials in my mehndi so that Michael could find them. I'll never forget that Gunjan's uncle kindly took a picture of us and said, "Display your teeth." :D Then some of the guys got mehndi as well and I had the mehndi guy add some mandalas to my feet. Michael decided to get a mandala on his palm and then a ring on his finger (since he'd forgotten to bring his wedding ring to India!). Once the mehndi had been re-wet with lemon juice several times and was again dry, we all headed to our rooms to change for the engagement party.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_144711_zps2sjkyysr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Initial Wedding Ceremony in Delhi photo IMG_20150513_144711_zps2sjkyysr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_144711_zps2sjkyysr.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
All the women had to exchange lentils five times.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_145924_1_zpskszpuszb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Henna (Mehndi) for Wedding in Delhi photo IMG_20150513_145924_1_zpskszpuszb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_145924_1_zpskszpuszb.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_153734_zpsngx27fb8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Henna (Mehndi) for Wedding in Delhi photo IMG_20150513_153734_zpsngx27fb8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_153734_zpsngx27fb8.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
Though not as detailed as the bride's, my mehndi was so beautiful!<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_174026_zpsvqrnnolk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Michelle and Michael With Henna (Mehndi) for Wedding in Delhi photo IMG_20150513_174026_zpsvqrnnolk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_174026_zpsvqrnnolk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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That evening, I put on my salwar kameez and Michael put on his kurta and we joined everyone for the engagement ceremony and party. I really wish I'd known what the priest was singing about and what the food represented. I also wondered how much Gunjan himself knew about the ceremony and how much would be new to Deepali who isn't Jain. When we went up to greet them, I was amazed by the mehndi on Deepali's hands (I wish I'd gotten a picture). It was so much more intricate and dark than mine. I asked her how long it had taken: eight hours compared to our two!<br />
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Another of Michael's Hult classmates, who is now living in New Delhi, came with his wife and little girl, so it was good to catch up with them. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_193735_zpsykzh5ocs.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Engagement Ceremony in Delhi photo IMG_20150513_193735_zpsykzh5ocs.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_193735_zpsykzh5ocs.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Engagement ceremony<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_202322_zpsoy8osehk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Curious Foreigners at Engagement Ceremony in Delhi photo IMG_20150513_202322_zpsoy8osehk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_202322_zpsoy8osehk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
We foreigners were curious and curiosities. Doesn't Kate (far left) look like a princess?<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_202301_zpsaz8xfotu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan the Groom and Michael photo IMG_20150513_202301_zpsaz8xfotu.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_202301_zpsaz8xfotu.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
Gunjan and Michael<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150513_202650_zpsmhaxekjl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="The Happy Couple photo IMG_20150513_202650_zpsmhaxekjl.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150513_202650_zpsmhaxekjl.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
The happy couple<br />
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Although I haven't mentioned it yet, every day on the trip until then, I
had been spending some time trying to memorize the dance Michael and I
were scheduled to do at Gunjan's engagement party. While we were in
Shanghai over a year ago, I told Gunjan that I love the song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4EZHGFK-1c">Chammak Challo</a>,"
and last November he texted me to say that friends and relatives do
dances for married couples at Indian weddings and that he wanted Michael
and me to dance to Chammak Challo. We'd tried to figure out the dance
in the music video, but it was way too hard for me, so I found a
Bollywood dance instructor to come up with a simple dance for us.
Michael picked it up easily, but I struggled to remember which moves
came when (and the song was only 1.5 minutes!). I was really nervous, which struck me as kind of odd since public speaking and even horrible
public piano or organ playing haven't phased me for years, so I reviewed
the steps over and over as we watched Gunjan receive gifts (an Apple watch among them) and
participate in the engagement ceremony.<br />
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After all the official stuff was over, Deepali and her family left and it was time for dances. Finally it was our turn. I don't know if I was really able to relax, and we had a rough beginning, but at least I could smile and I never <i>completely</i> forgot what we were doing. Check it out:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aqEnjjIUryk" width="560"></iframe><br />
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After that, I think I scared/astonished Michael because he couldn't stop filming me. I was so freaking glad to be done with the dance in front of everyone that I really got my groove on with the freestyle dance party. It helped that the music was so great that I've been tracking down songs since. My favorite new song so far is "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udra3Mfw2oo">London Thumakda</a>" (try not dancing to that!). It also helped that having a bunch of bangles on meant dancing was more fun with all the clinking. I can now count that night as one of the few times when I was really able to "let it all out," and I also count the crazy fun we had as proof that no alcohol is needed to have a good party. Even Gunjan's grandma joined the dancing for one song. Gunjan has several relatives who are really good dancers, and one of them, Aman, asked me how I knew all the great Indian dance moves. The truth is, I just did whatever the best dancers were doing (including Aman's dad's dead foot drag) or had a grand ole time pulling out all my kitschiest moves (sprinkler, mermaid, shopping, lawnmower, window cleaning, elbow to knee spinning, etc.). In fact, I danced so hard that I broke two bangles (which I've since heard some people think is bad luck)! Our new friend Akashay said to me several times that I should check my ancestry because I might have some Indian blood and that I could be an honorary Indian (I guess just because of the dancing and because I like Indian food?). :D I do wish I had learned a little more Hindi besides just "Dhan yavada," which I used as often as possible.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CB3kQL5e6OU" width="600"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150514_003435_zpsv5btbhqc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Red Face From Dancing at Engagement Party in Delhi photo IMG_20150514_003435_zpsv5btbhqc.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150514_003435_zpsv5btbhqc.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
My face was so red from all the dancing.<br />
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After breakfast the next morning, we participated in the cleansing of the groom. That basically meant that we all got a chance to smear turmeric paste on Gunjan:<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150514_1002222_zpsn9rxtxnj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Turmeric Cleansing Ceremony on Day of Wedding in Delhi photo IMG_20150514_1002222_zpsn9rxtxnj.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150514_1002222_zpsn9rxtxnj.jpg" height="577" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150514_121054_zpszha1myye.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gold Bar as a Wedding Gift photo IMG_20150514_121054_zpszha1myye.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150514_121054_zpszha1myye.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
We were excited to give Gunjan and Deepali our group gift of a gold bar. It was surprisingly small and heavy.<br />
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Anuraag was so nice and went and picked up our sari tops in the afternoon. While I was glad to not have to wear the ready-made short, translucent gold one, when I tried on the custom-made one, I had a bit of a "too much skin showing for my comfort" freakout. As happened when I freaked out before <a href="http://michelleglauser.blogspot.com/2014/01/wedding-celebration-in-taiwan.html">our Taiwanese wedding celebration</a>, Michael was so nice about it. We finally decided that if I had the sari wrapped high enough, it wouldn't be too much of a problem, and I wanted to do it myself so I didn't have a bunch of others looking at me. I have issues with having pressure on my stomach, but in order to cover
as much as possible and hold up all the fabric, I had to tie my
petticoat really tight, and my sari was probably the lightest one I saw that evening. Of course even with YouTube videos, I did a sloppy job of wrapping the sari. Luckily there was a really nice woman in the hallway who helped me fix my pleats when I asked her where to pin my brooch. However, she made me feel really self-conscious about my cheap, not-so-fancy sari when she asked me where I got it and how much I paid for it. I ended up just saying I didn't remember (2100 rupees/$35 compared to others' 3500+ rupees/$60+). I was also supposed to get my hair and makeup done, but with all the indecision about the sari, there wasn't much time (also, I saw the weird rat's nest of hair they were putting to bump up the top of the hairdos they were doing and I wasn't too excited about it). I was torn because I had no idea what fancy thing could be done with hair as short as mine (I've had long hair for ten years, remember?), and my flat iron had died. In the end, though, I just didn't have the patience, so I did my makeup as fancy as possible and after using Linnea's curling iron to put some volume in my hair, I twisted it on both sides until it met in the back and used bobby pins to secure it. I wore my turquoise earrings to match Michael's kurta, which was maybe a little weird. Oh well.<br />
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Michael took two minutes to put on his kurta and then all the guys got their matching turbans wrapped tightly onto their heads. Easy peasy. I felt so self-conscious when we joined the others that I did everything
I could to keep the focus off of me even though I also felt beautiful. Several of Gunjan's family
members, grandfather included, thanked us for wearing traditional Indian
attire.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.15_zpsu4nfaksr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan and Guys at Delhi Wedding photo 2015-05-16 17.36.15_zpsu4nfaksr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.15_zpsu4nfaksr.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
The guys, all turbaned-up.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.18_zpsynryrnxm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan and Gals at Delhi Wedding photo 2015-05-16 17.36.18_zpsynryrnxm.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.18_zpsynryrnxm.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
The women kind of had unplanned, symmetrical colors (before Giorgia arrived in yellow). <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.02_zpsbypac1er.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Group Ready for Gunjan's Wedding in Delhi photo 2015-05-16 17.36.02_zpsbypac1er.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.02_zpsbypac1er.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
You can't really see it, but my sari had little sparkly jewel things all over the bottom.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.11_zpsmptok8mk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan and Parents photo 2015-05-16 17.36.11_zpsmptok8mk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.11_zpsmptok8mk.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
Gunjan and his parents<br />
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Finally, we went out into the warm night to meet Gunjan's chariot. Someone in Gunjan's family told us that it's the groom's side's job to take their time and be as loud and present as possible, and wow, was it loud. There was a "band" banging away on really loud drums, and they kept blocking the progress until someone gave them money. There was this obnoxious motorcycle noise and it took me a bit to realize that it was actually a generator to power the lights that men were holding at regular intervals to light the way. It took about an hour of dancing to get to the front door (I wasn't feeling it as much as the night before, somewhat because saris are just not as conducive to dancing), and then the bride's side of the family had to welcome in all the men from Gunjan's side by giving them flower and shell necklaces.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.30_zpsl6vvdrhd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Delhi Wedding Chariot photo 2015-05-16 17.36.30_zpsl6vvdrhd.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.36.30_zpsl6vvdrhd.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Gunjan's chariot<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_TFatvcR2Ao" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150514_213537_zpsxnexzuc7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan the Groom Waiting for his Bride photo IMG_20150514_213537_zpsxnexzuc7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150514_213537_zpsxnexzuc7.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Poor Gunjan. First he sat on the chariot all alone, bored as a gourd,
watching us dance. Then he was escorted to the stage, where he sat all
alone, waiting for Deepali to arrive.<br />
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Once Deepali arrived, there was another hubbub at the door and she eventually joined Gunjan on the stage in what looked to be a very heavy, very decorated dress. The two of them looked amazing together.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150514_230036_zpsjfhsshoh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Michael and Michelle with Gunjan and Deepali at Wedding in Delhi, India photo IMG_20150514_230036_zpsjfhsshoh.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150514_230036_zpsjfhsshoh.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Michael, Gunjan, Deepali, and I<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%20GunjanWedding_zpsm2e4ldfk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan's Wedding Group Photo in Delhi photo 2015-05-15 GunjanWedding_zpsm2e4ldfk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%20GunjanWedding_zpsm2e4ldfk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Best group photo! Too bad Michael and Cade are kind of overshadowed.<br />
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Because the auspicious time to marry wasn't until after 1 AM, there was a lot of sitting and waiting, and we were amused to realize that the priest was sleeping in a corner of the event tent. We enjoyed the food and checking out other people's clothing, and Michael and I even ended up performing our Chammak Challo dance again for the Hult people—twice—with clapping from other wedding guests (who couldn't even hear the music from my cell phone).<br />
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At one point we realized that the traditional betel leaf mouth freshener things (paan) were being served in the back, so we went back to try them. There were a lot of options for what you could get in them, but Kate and I decided to just go for the traditional version and got the full thing even though I asked if we could possibly take half. Seriously, the size of those things is way too big.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.38.01_zpsbpqrgykf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Fede Trying Paan in Dellhi photo 2015-05-16 17.38.01_zpsbpqrgykf.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.38.01_zpsbpqrgykf.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
Fede had to open wide for paan. <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-23%20at%205.50.39%20PM_zpsbogor3rp.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giorgia Trying Paan in Delhi photo Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 5.50.39 PM_zpsbogor3rp.png" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-23%20at%205.50.39%20PM_zpsbogor3rp.png" height="400" width="254" /></a> <br />
I think I made the same face as Giorgia. <br />
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Our eyes were watering just trying to get it all down without flashing mashed-up leaf at everyone. I was still chewing when we went out to the bathroom and I ended up leaving some in a tissue in the trash. A nice woman in the bathroom helped secure Kate's beautiful fuchsia lace sari and said, "Now you can dance, jump, do whatever!" Then Kate and I had a heck of a time laughing at having leaves in our teeth. I saved one especially large chunk to show Michael and he was amused enough to take this picture: <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150515_001951_zpshhiamxbz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Paan Leftovers in Teeth photo IMG_20150515_001951_zpshhiamxbz.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150515_001951_zpshhiamxbz.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Finally around 1:30 or 2, the actual wedding ceremony got started. Anuraag and Gunjan's aunt and uncle had made sure all of us knew how important it was that we not let Gunjan's shoes be taken by the bride's family (they'd ask for money), and so plans were made to take them away to our hotel room with three big guys (Michael, Steffen, and Ben) and to take Deepali's shoes as well. Unfortunately the bride's family wasn't happy about what we'd done, saying that it's a tradition meant to be fun for both sides, so Anuraag tried to give the shoes to the little girl who had been sent to look for them, but by then no one wanted them, so he left them by some chairs. After a long ceremony (again, about which I know/understood nothing), Gunjan and Deepali were connected via a scarf that Deepali was wearing and that Gunjan was holding onto. They got up to go around greeting family members, touching them on the feet.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150515_023942_zpsx6efdes0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Post-Wedding Ceremony in Delhi photo IMG_20150515_023942_zpsx6efdes0.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150515_023942_zpsx6efdes0.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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A kerfuffle ensued when Deepali discovered Gunjan's shoes and hurriedly (and cleverly) slipped one on. I guess because her dress was so heavy and because Gunjan was so determined to get the shoe back, they both ended up on the floor!<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-23%20at%205.55.16%20PM_zps77nbcc8i.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Shoe Wrestling at Wedding in Delhi photo Screen Shot 2015-05-23 at 5.55.16 PM_zps77nbcc8i.png" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-23%20at%205.55.16%20PM_zps77nbcc8i.png" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150515_023942_zpsx6efdes0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><br /></a>
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Eventually things were smoothed over, Deepali gained several inches when she put her shoes back on, and the greetings were completed. By that time, the rest of the Hultians went to bed, but we stuck around with Vikas, a relative of Gunjan we enjoyed talking to. He said, "Traditionally the bride cries a lot at this point, but it doesn't happen so much these days." Within a few minutes of his remark, Deepali started wailing. She didn't want to leave her family and kept hugging them and holding onto their hands until they were able to get her into the car with Gunjan. It was heartbreaking. I couldn't help thinking of the way newlyweds run off with fireworks in the sky, clapping friends and family, and smiles on their faces in the U.S. I couldn't even imagine how Gunjan felt, standing there, waiting for his sad bride to join him. I wondered if there was additional angst because Deepali will be part of a new religion in Gunjan's family and because she'll be moving far away from any family to London with Gunjan. <br />
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Finally they drove away and we headed to bed. Hilarious photos were being posted in the group chat laughing about how tangled women's hair was. Doing my own short hair without hairspray meant that my hair wasn't really a problem.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.37.24_zpsyhecgmlr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="No Tangles photo 2015-05-16 17.37.24_zpsyhecgmlr.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-16%2017.37.24_zpsyhecgmlr.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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In the morning, though Michael and I had stayed the latest, we were the first ones up to enjoy breakfast. I was so glad to see a happy Deepali. She and Gunjan later brought us a nice wedding gift of sweets and a piece of silver.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%2012.13.20_zpskhrw5lzk.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan's Family photo 2015-05-15 12.13.20_zpskhrw5lzk.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%2012.13.20_zpskhrw5lzk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
We asked Gunjan's aunt and uncle, grandma, and parents for a picture.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%2012.14.16_zps4bnkzop4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gunjan's Cousins photo 2015-05-15 12.14.16_zps4bnkzop4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%2012.14.16_zps4bnkzop4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
We also had to get a picture with Gunjan's cousins who were amazing dancers, Aman and Akshat.<br />
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Gunjan's dad kindly arranged for us to also have lunch at the hotel, and
I think that after the paneer makhani, it was the best I'd had so far:
hing dhaniya ke chatpate aloo and paneer bhurji. Mmm. Michael and I were
so glad to make friends with Gunjan's family; I think it was thanks to
the dance that we were able to really break down walls and connect with
them. We welcomed them to visit in San Francisco and thanked them for
everything before we headed back to the LaLit, where Linnea and Adele
were kind enough to let us store our bags in their room.<br />
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I have to add here that for the first few days of our trip, I felt like I had to allow the hotel people to take my bags, but I hated not having them in my sight, and I hated not knowing when they would arrive. After all, when you first get to your hotel room, you want to freshen up and maybe unpack a bit, not stand around waiting for a stranger to awkwardly bring your bag into your room. I finally decided that I was not going to let anyone take my bag anymore, and it felt totally empowering. It felt great saying a firm "No" and keeping my suitcase with me. It was awesome to load it into cars myself and knowing where my stuff was at all times. I'm going to do that from now on.<br />
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Tanja, Fede, Cade, Simone, Giorgia, Michael, and I decided to walk to a market that Gunjan's mother had suggested since we still wanted to get some shopping in (I was determined to find a good scarf at Shea's request). You wouldn't believe all the pressure we got from complete strangers not to walk, or to go to another market. One guy kept following us and pointing at Fede's map and saying that the market we were going to was only for electronics and we should take a tuk-tuk. He was driving me a bit crazy. When he finally said, "I work at LaLit and that's why I'm helping you," I felt frustrated that he hadn't said anything earlier, but we stood firm on going to the Palika Bazaar and on foot, and it really didn't take very long to get there, though the sidewalks were inconsistent. I really hate haggling and I hate being pressured, so in the first store, I was very happy to let Giorgia do the haggling so we could both get scarves. As Michael and I walked around to see some other stores, there was a lot of calling out to us (which I hate), but Michael seemed fine with it, so I was surprised to see Michael whip around and yell "Don't touch me!" at a guy who touched his arm. When I stopped at one store to look at their scarves, the man started pressuring me to look at ones I'd touched and to go into his store. I said firmly, "Please don't pressure me," and I was so impressed that he calmly stepped back and let me do my thing. When I was ready to see more, I followed him inside, where I was even more impressed to find that not only did the entire store have fixed prices, they were really good prices, and they took credit cards. (If anyone wants to find this store again, it's called M A Aziz, and if you go down the middle entrance to Palika Bazaar and take the first hallway to the outer circle, you'll run into the shop on the right-hand corner of the first outer circle). I ended up bringing Tanja and Fede back to the store and together we bought several scarves. I was about to leave with just one scarf when I found these other gorgeous silk scarves that were really soft, so I ended up with several. The others found some new shoes and a new suitcase.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-20%2010.26.10_zps73bkjvij.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Scarves from Palika Bazaar in Delhi photo 2015-05-20 10.26.10_zps73bkjvij.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-20%2010.26.10_zps73bkjvij.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
I bought a lot of scarves.<br />
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We decided to have dinner at the place Gunjan had wanted to take us to (Shiv Sagar) the night we went to the Mexican place, and Linnea, Adele, Kate, and Ben agreed to meet us there, but while we were waiting for it to open, a man told us that the place next door was better and cheaper. A Google search confirmed that the prices were low and the ratings were high. We'd all been through our Delhi Belly and most of us were on antibiotics by then, so we decided to go for it. Michael and I laughed when we discovered that the place we ended up at, Hotel Saravana Bhavan, has a branch in his parents' city and in my sister's city (Fremont and Sunnyvale). The dosai and the masala sauces that came with it were delicious. This time I was able to get a non-salty lime soda as well as mango juice, and we were quite satisfied with the price. To make me even happier, I had wanted to make one last stop at a sweet shop to get some soan papdi (a flaky cardamom sweet), but there was a sweet shop right inside the restaurant, so we got a whole box of sweets.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%2018.18.04_zpsad0wusfo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hotel Saravana Bhavan in Delhi photo 2015-05-15 18.18.04_zpsad0wusfo.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%2018.18.04_zpsad0wusfo.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
Masala dosai on a banana leaf<br />
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Since Michael and I were set to leave at midnight and several others had flights at 4 AM, we hung out in Giorgia and Simone's room. At one point we had to get our stuff from another floor and without hotel cards, so we took the stairs, where we discovered what we jokingly called the "Accounting Office." There were scattered payrolls and thousands of notebooks stacked in a room several feet deep. The smell was horrendous and it seemed exactly like something we would have seen in China. It felt like we'd blown away the facade of the posh hotel.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%2020.31.19_zps8w5moc9r.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Delhi LaLit photo 2015-05-15 20.31.19_zps8w5moc9r.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%2020.31.19_zps8w5moc9r.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> <br />
Posh hotel hallway<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%2020.29.06_zpshgugozzv.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Delhi LaLit Accounting Offcie photo 2015-05-15 20.29.06_zpshgugozzv.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%2020.29.06_zpshgugozzv.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
Not-so-posh hotel's "accounting office"<br />
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We were all planning on taking taxis to the airport until Cade discovered that an Uber trip would be about $4. Kate and Ben said goodbye to us right at the car, which seemed surreal considering they had done the same almost exactly a year ago in Shanghai. I couldn't believe how fast our trip went.<br />
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In the Delhi airport, there was an enormous banner claiming that the Delhi airport had won "Number One" on customer surveys. I wondered what the number one was actually for, and since I'd just given away my Indian sim card, when I couldn't get on the wifi to join my company's conference call, I thought that maybe it was for "worst time not to be able to get online." I jumped at the chance to fill out a feedback card, but there was nowhere to write feedback, only ratings for pre-selected things. I wrote my wifi feedback in the margin anyway.<br />
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In comparison, the Paris airport provided us with free wifi as well as the chance to buy many great pastries.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150516_071751_zps12nhinqg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Paul Bakery in Paris Airport photo
IMG_20150516_071751_zps12nhinqg.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150516_071751_zps12nhinqg.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150516_101249_zpslfavzmvi.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant Macaron from Paul in Paris Airport photo IMG_20150516_101249_zpslfavzmvi.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150516_101249_zpslfavzmvi.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Hamburger-sized pistachio macaron<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/IMG_20150516_081253_zps0dosbozj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tired in the Paris Airport photo IMG_20150516_081253_zps0dosbozj.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/IMG_20150516_081253_zps0dosbozj.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> <br />
So tired.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/2015-05-15%2023.49.07_zpsarmryrd8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Open Dramamine Miracle photo 2015-05-15 23.49.07_zpsarmryrd8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/2015-05-15%2023.49.07_zpsarmryrd8.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Have you ever tried to open a Dramamine pack? I've only been able to do it with scissors or an earring. The mehndi must have given Michael special powers.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/India%202015/_20150516_215833_zpsv9jme730.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Landing in SF photo _20150516_215833_zpsv9jme730.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/India%202015/_20150516_215833_zpsv9jme730.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a><br />
Back to the Bay Area<br />
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It's been a week and the jet lag struggle is real. Last night was the first night I slept straight through since getting back (even with melatonin). Michael said that we shouldn't have Indian food again for a month after getting back, but we already made some paneer bhurji and naan. I'm sad that the beautiful henna on my hands and feet is fading because it reminds me of our amazing trip. I'm really glad we went to India; it was fabulous to support Deepali and Gunjan, meet Gunjan's family, spend time with friends from Shanghai, meet new friends, go to an Indian wedding, eat lots of Indian food, and do some sightseeing. I wonder if we'll ever go back?<br />
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Thank you so much for inviting us and for all of your help in making our trip amazing, Gunjan and Deepali! Congratulations and best wishes!<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/png; border: medium none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 26px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1956px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com3New Delhi, Delhi, India28.6139391 77.20902120000005228.1680166 76.563574200000048 29.059861599999998 77.854468200000056tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31849511.post-42100258449123140032015-05-07T12:33:00.001-07:002015-05-07T12:45:06.119-07:00Working at ZanaFor a few months now, I've been happily working as a developer at <a href="https://zana.io/">Zana.io</a>!<br />
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A little bit about Zana: Zana is the brainchild of Shea Tate-Di Donna. Shea worked in venture capital for many years and felt that while many people have good ideas, they often don't have the business skills they need to make their ideas into successful businesses. Zana provides entrepreneurship lessons via videos of successful entrepreneurs passing on their best advice in a wide range of startup-related subjects.<br />
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The Zana team is one of the best parts of the job; right now we are a small team with a majority of women, and we are all dedicated to working hard, learning as we go, communicating well, and encouraging diversity in the startup world. I've been greatly impressed by Shea and am so glad to be working with her. She's smart, talented, knowledgeable, well-connected, and hard-working, and we share a lot of interests, so it was great to be able to go to PyCon in Montreal with her and to work closely with her on the Zana product.<br />
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<a href="http://s191.photobucket.com/user/MichemilyG/media/Blog/IMG_9577_zpstpj8qev4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Zana at PyCon photo IMG_9577_zpstpj8qev4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z72/MichemilyG/Blog/IMG_9577_zpstpj8qev4.jpg" /></a> <br />
Shea and I at our Zana table in Startup Row at PyCon in Montreal. <br />
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I also love that so far, I mostly get to work remotely, so I can really focus on the task at hand and not have to pack up my stuff all the time.<br />
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Best of all, being Zana's full-stack developer means that I get to work with Python/Django, HTML/CSS/LESS, Bootstrap, Postgres, and many other technologies every day, which is exactly the kind of role I was hoping to find. There are definitely positives and negatives to being the sole developer; on the one hand, I can make the code mine, avoid feeling intimidated by more experienced developers, and learn about/work on every bit of the tech stack, but on the other hand, I don't get regular code reviews to strengthen my code and I don't have someone sitting next to me who can answer my questions. However, I enjoy the challenge of figuring out solutions, and on tough days, the successes, interesting problems, my belief in the mission, and support from people I greatly respect keep me going. <br />
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It is thanks to my time at Hackbright two years ago and even more so, to the ongoing support of great people since then that has made it possible for me to continue growing as a software engineer. Thank you to the wonderful people who have made themselves available to answer my questions via Google Chat, Slack, IRC, Stack Overflow, Skype, email, and in-person working sessions.<br />
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I'm looking forward to all the great projects to come at Zana. Yay! Michelle Glauserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646213573761736892noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000137.373502 -123.06486250000002 38.176356999999996 -121.77396850000001