Belly Dancers and Raindrops

After France we walked passed Morocco. What a funny experience. There was a belly dancer swishing her hips to the music, and I noticed that as people passed, guys would glance over, quickly do a double-take and then completely stop and stare transfixed at the dancer! It was hilarious!

Next was the Oklahoma booth. We shared seared buffalo. Man was it tasty! I found out later (from my co-worker who is an Oklahoma native) that buffalo is actually more healthy for you than beef! Oklahoma is celebrating it's 100th birthday as a state in the union, so Epcot decided to celebrate with them! This was the only time that a U.S. state was featured at the Food & Wine festival. They mounted pictures of famous landmarks, people, and historical figures that made up Oklahoma's history on three large walls. A band even began to play, complete with two fiddlers. Towards the end of their show they played a waltz and offered a spot where anyone could dance. No one moved. Dan looked at me and asked if I wanted to dance...I thought he meant where we were (in the back), so I said sure! But no, he escorted me down to the spot in front of everyone and we waltzed for the whole song! Afterwards everyone clapped and the band said we looked "beautiful." It was seriously awesome! Yay for the Dancing Chapman's class we took! And yay for a boyfriend who gently pulls me out of my shyness!

Australia was next and boy was that the best food we ate! We shared the grilled lamb chop with carmalized onions...a definite 5+++ on our taste scale. I seriously wish we could've had a whole plate full of those little morsels. Lamb has to be the yummiest thing you can cook on the barbie! After savoring every flavor of that delicious appetizer we decided to mess around in Italy, taking funny pictures by the Poseidon fountain and the wine barrels.

While Dan and I stood in line for our German cuisine the clouds decided to release their burden...all over us. Being the gentleman that he is, Dan waited in the rain for our food while I took cover under one of the awnings near the booth.

Once we got the food I realized why my friend Melissa recommended Germany. So tasty! Especially the one I picked: debriziner sausage with sauerkraut in a pretzel roll (definitely a 4). Dan's spaetzle with creamy mushroom earned a 2 because it was something we could make.

Next up: South Africa

Traveling from the Emerald Isle to the Republic of France

Ireland was next and boy was the food delicious scoring solid 4's on our scale.

I tried the chilled potato leek soup with an Irish cheddar cheese stick (yes a ridiculously long name). And he tried the boxty with bacon chps and kerrygold garlic and fresh herb butter.

We wanted to share a frozen Bailey's irish coffee...both for refreshment and to ward off the humid air, but alas, their ice-maker was broken.

After that we visited Nemo and friends. I've never been to this part of the park before so it was extra fun for me. :) We saw dolphins, sharks, clownfish, blue tangs, and even a scuba diver in a tube.


Then we were off to England taking pics in the telephone booths, swinging from the light posts, pretending to enter closed cottages.

We visited on shop that had a bunch of Alice in Wonderland items in it...and who should be there but the only woman who is "practically perfect in every way". Mary Poppins! :) She was beautifully dressed in what I call her "painting outfit" the one she wears when she, the kids and Bert jump into his chalk painting.


Crossing the bridge we made our way to France stopping to watch a mime show. Which I actually had a small part in! The mime chose me as his "chair sitter" until later on in the show when he used that chair to continue his trick. It was fun!

Dan bought us coupe de sorbets champagne which we didn't really like that much but it was a nice frozen treat while I watched the show.


Next: A Moroccan distraction

September 29th: My Fun-Filled Date With Dan

Where did we go you might ask?

To the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival of course!

I've always enjoyed Epcot, but now I love it even more! They successfully combined two of my favorite things: international flair + food. And what's more, I experienced this lovely festival with my favorite person...my boyfriend Dan. :)

After donning our newly purchased outfits, Dan with his faux-hawk and me in my green conductor hat excitedly entered the park. Yes, we totally worked the "prep" look!

Disney music greeted us as we strolled to the International Marketplace. Once the song turned into a waltz, we couldn't help ourselves. Dan stopped and asked me to dance. So we waltzed right there in the middle of the sidewalk. It was so fun! We even received compliments and smiles from people passing by. That's when I knew it was going to be a fantastic day. :)

First stop: Argentina

We bought both main dishes and shared. I chose the spicy beef empanada and he got the grilled beef with chimichurri sauce. We saw on the menu that underneath each entree it listed a wine and gave a price...we both thought, "oh you get a discount when you buy the item with the wine." FALSE. You pay for both, as in the wine itself is another $3.50! Disney is ridiculous.

After finishing our food, we graded them. It was then that we decided the only true way to experience this festival is to come up with a scale: 1 (troll), through 5 (outstanding). Yes, I just used Harry Potter OWL references... I know, I know, I'm a book worm, but J.K. Rowling uses such perfect descriptions I couldn't resist! My dish received a 2, and his a 3. To me both wines were gross, so he graded them and both scored lower than a 3.

Mexico was next on the list but instead of eating there, we took a boat and floated through Rio del Tiempo. I have to say that they changed the ride to include more Disney characters and flat screens...didn't like it much, sensory overload! Before it explained Mexican history and now you travel through Mexico in search of Donald Duck...not as interesting. What did I learn about Mexico? They enjoy having fiestas...all the time.

Up next: Visiting the Emerald Isle.

Better than a Life Jacket

Has it really been 18 months since I graced the stage at Florida State?
Where has the time gone?
I mean 18 ... really?

The order of my life and how to live in this world radically changed once I drove out of Tallahassee. No more holiday breaks, no more "semester" thinking, no more tests, no more essays, no more classes and no more lectures. My friends became teachers ... and anyone who is single and under 35 somehow became my peers. Never mind the fact that when they were learning to drive I was learning to write my name ... and now we're supposed to relate. R-I-G-H-T.

But I have to say I've met a lot of single, 20-somethings and do enjoy spending time with them and consider them friends, its' just odd to be the "young" one again. Especially since I've been the "oldest" most of my life in my immediate family and in my friend groups through school.

It's funny to watch people react to my age. It's "Oh, so are you living at home?" or "Yeah, I remember those days." or "Do you miss college?" Sometimes I just get the condescending smile that reads, "Oh, you're still young and don't know anything yet" and I feel as though the person just wants to pat me on the head and push me on the back as they say, "Bye-bye now! What a cute little person."

I've also noticed that most of the time when someone asks for my age they never tell me theirs. Kinda like when you talk to a four year old, and you ask them in a cutesy way, "Tell me how old you are!" and they proudly show off four fingers...you never hold out your hands and tell the kid your age. You just smile and think, "How cute!"

And yes, it's true that there's A LOT I don't understand and have yet to discover about this whole "real world" deal. Most of the time I feel like I'm swimming upstream hitting learning curve after learning curve and somehow still managing to breathe above the water. Or that I've been pushed off some huge merry-go-round called "SCHOOL" that I've been on for 18 years and now expected to walk straight and know exactly where I'm going!

Sometimes I wish that these people who "remember those days" would actually sit down and remember those days/years ... and throw me a life jacket or at least pull me onto their boat for a time before I have to get back into the river.

Having an 8 to 5 job life is like learning to walk all over again only this time there's no hand to grab in case I fall. And there's no one there to shout, "hooray!" when I do manage to stand on my own and take a few steps!

Just yesterday I had the depressing idea to check out my bank account only to see how much it has lowered since moving into my apartment. As usual I began to mentally berate myself for not being more financially responsible, that I should have budgeted, or spent less on groceries... I looked at my paycheck and saw how much I wasn't saving and how many bills that money went to...

But.

When I came home, I put on some instrumental Christmas music and God began to whisper...

Emmanuel

He gently picked up my sad heart and brushed aside the fears.

Emmanuel

God with us. I let that truth soak into my soul.

I am the same today as I was then. I will take care of you.

It was at that moment when I realized I'm not supposed to get it yet. I don't have to understand how to do life. I am still learning and that's ok. He will provide enough strength, enough patience, and enough joy for today. Then in the morning, He will provide again until He calls me home. He is faithful.

So it turns out I do have someone who remembers those days. He is in the river, swimming right next to me, cheering me on, and lifting me--so my head stays above the water.


"Behold the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which translated means, 'God with us.'" -Matthew 1:23