"You are a huge nerd"
This weekend, once our beloved car had been returned to us, Michele and I decided to head over to the Grand Valley State University to check out... the Renaissance Festival! I have never been to a Ren Fair, and so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It wasn't a very large affair; I suspect that as far as Ren Fairs go, it was a pretty small operation. But that didn't keep droves of flowery-costume-wearing, fake-British-accept-speaking people from showing up prancing about in full regalia. There were numerous tents set up in which very nerdy merchants sold very nerdy paraphernalia, such as actual swords, axes, platemail armor, and books about Wicca.
All in all, it was an entertaining experience, and I wouldn't mind heading out to another one in the future. Some of the costumes were quite impressive. Several of them were more revealing than I suspect actual peasant garb during the Renaissance actually was, but what do I know? And I enjoyed the fake swordfighting; with a little imagination I was able to forget that they were pretty obviously aiming their weapons directly at their opponent's shields. All good fun, though, and it is always refreshing to witness people who have managed to overcome the crippling fear which we all have of being labeled a Supreme Nerd, which is the usual result of dressing up like a chainmail-equipped medieval knight.
I could've done without the jesters and their zany antics, though. I loved the Holy Grail movie as much as anyone else, but Monty Python still has a lot to answer for.