VOX POPULI EDITORIAL |
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The many travels of a Minister (of PROPAGANDA) The year 2001 and one was quite a year of traveling for me. I have always learned things from my travels and of course it hasn't stopped. There were many things I learned this year in my travels. Some of my trips where a surprise and some planned, but all in all they weren't have bad. The first trip I took was to Washington D.C.; Now to be honest going to Washington is really not that much of a trip for me, since it's only about two hours away, but since I stayed overnight, we'll call it a trip. The trip was important to me, since it was a rendezvous with the Minister Csutoras (and Movement correspondent), who had flown in from Tokyo for a week. I was graced by his presence for two days. We went around to a few places I knew in the area, which I thought would interest him. Most notably was the Newseum, which I have been to a few times in my life, but Brent had not. He seemed interested. We stopped by a café called Atomic that I had gone to one night when I was staying in the area. It reminded me of the café that I had once owned. I had gone in there one night after wandering drunk from a cocktail party. The other stop was a few places around the Mall and China Town. However, Brent wanted to go to the Union Train Station, which is now a mall and train station. We wandered around while Brent told me stories about the place as well as some insight gained from a wandering tour group - Why pay for a tour? Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to go out to Buzz with him that Friday, but I heard they had a good time. The next time I went to DC was to meet Minister DeVault. I was unsure if I would stay in DC, because hotels were just not available for under $300. However, as luck would have it, his father had to go back to Jacksonville for a case and I was lucky enough to spend the night in one of DC's best hotels the Grand Monarch. Andrew and I went to the museums I had never been too; like the National Building Museum. The space in it's time (before it was a museum) was one of the largest buildings in DC. As you can tell from the pictures, it's amazing. It was built soon after the Civil War. It was from here that I called my cousin, to dig into him that I was staying at the Grand Monarch, since he is the vice-president of Marriott Hotels and couldn't get me a decent priced room in the whole DC area. The Monarch is located in the DuPont Circle area, which is known for it's "free-spirit" attitude. (There's a code word in there somewhere). Andrew wanted to go out to nightclubs, so we did. The picture I took was a "before" shot, but we were too drunk to do an "after" picture. The highlights of the evening where: overtly loud music, nasty looking people, drunk drag queens, some fag I had to save Andrew from (I had to lie and say he was my boyfriend and that he had a big cocktail wiener - all of which is either untrue or unknown), a crazy bag lady lost and looking for an underground club and once at said club Andrew spilling his drink in under one minute of our arrival. I wish I had gotten a picture in the cab, since Andrew was astonished that I paid the cabby $6.50 for 3 blocks of travel, all because Andrew thought I was drunk and didn't know where the hotel was. The next day we had lunch and blamed each other for the hangover. I got in the car and drove off and Andrew got on Metro and went to the airport. The next big trip was my usual for August, which was Pennsic XXX, or as everyone called it that year - Pennsic triple X, this name summed it up. Pennsic was warm and hot this year, but the Minister had a lot of partying this time around and met a few people from around the world and around the country. I will mention just a few people and places: the guys from Clan Macbeth, leather hat lord from Sweden, "Blood of Our Ancestors Party", wandering around drunk several nights, Party time in the Bog, The Gypsy Party, Mardi Gras at the Woodlands, The Margarita Party at ConFed, the Japanese Fertility March, the march of the royals, Camp of House Kaffa, looking in at the Hell Party and Blood Guards running me over in security carts. There were many other things, more numerous than I can mention. One the heels of returning, I was notified by my mother that my Great Aunt had died and that going to Germany was a priority. Originally I was to leave the country on September 20th and I needed my passport in order. Needless to say the events on September 11th, caused a great deal of anxiety (even a hastily written will) but I arrived in Germany, nonetheless. We landed in Frankfurt aM and slowly made our way via car to Neiderosbach, the village that my great grandfather had moved to at the dawn of the 20th Century. I saw my family, visited the grave, looked around the village, found the WW I marker of my great grandfather, visited two castles in the area, went to Frankfurt twice, saw my Great Uncle, got mad at the President of Germany (For closing the Romer, due to possible terror threats) and wondered around stores. I stayed at a small hotel in a neighboring village for the high price of $25 a day and I even had my own bathroom! The hotel was a family run business-Hotel Windex. We had a great time. It was my first visit to Germany in many years and actually felt like I fit in, like I was at home. Thank God, they have started taking English lessons over there. The fashions over there where a little odd, some New York boutiques seem to ne selling a lot of stuff over there, but overall I blended, unlike my family which stuck out like a sore thumb. Of course there was a lot of American commercialism that had invaded the city, I was quite shocked. When I returned to this country on October 3rd, I was further shocked, my apartment was a nightmare. Stuff from both trips everywhere and I needed to get my life back in order, but not to worry. My captain called and wanted to go to the Maryland Renaissance Fair. Why? Because while I was in Germany I missed out going with everyone, so once again I hauled out the garb and went. It wasn't too bad, but he did get me in the stocks. Well, that was the time travels of a Minister for the year, even though I did pass down a trip to Tokyo for four days in January, due in part to no time off and the fact that it was only four days. I think I upset Minister Csutoras for not going, but there will always be a next time. Until then, I am: David B. Smith Jr. Minister Of Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment |
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