Back in Edinburgh!

Hello!  After a bit of deliberation the United Kingdom let us back in, and today we took advantage of the sunshine to do a bit o' busking.  Started out on Rose St. then went to the Royal Mile.  Both were quite slow; maybe everyone was lounging on grass rather than walking around?  That shouldn't really effect tourism though.  I had to remember a few times that I can speak English here!  I said "Danke shoen" to the first couple of tippers, and was surprised when I was able to communicate with people.  Wow!


Monday, May 28, 2012
1. The man who is Charlie Chaplin on Saturday mornings walked by in his normal attire.  It took me a second to place where I knew that face; he has loads of long curly black hair and wore a red plaid flannel shirt, not unlike that jerk who is blocking Garth's view at the Gas Works in Wayne's World.  We exchanged smiles!  Usually it's the other way around, with him busking and me walking.

2. An older man came up and prefaced his introduction with, "I'm a professional."  He then identified himself as Tony, and explained that he plays a whistle and does Elvis impersonations in the meadows.  He said more about his act and told me to come say hi sometime!  Then he asked if I was a Christian.  Uh-oh.  I assumed there would be more to that conversation, but there wasn't.  Phew!

3. One of my favorite people came by to say hello!  This guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi1Tj3fw6KA  Lewis is an old guy with a white ponytail and handlebar mustache.  His slight frame is clothed in full traditional Scottish attire, paired with a wooden cane.  I had admired him from afar previously, but one time busking recently he came to talk and commented on my skirt.  He came by today again and said "Good to see you again!"  This warmed my heart, since I'm pretty sure nobody in Edinburgh (besides my flatmates and band) noticed that I had left for the better part of two months.  He had!  He's really a riot.  At first I thought he was crazy but now I think he's just eccentric and awesome.  We talked about photos; it was nice to vent my frustration at being photographed without being tipped.  He suggested I put up a sign that says "Photographs £1."  Speaking of which, my "follow violator down the street while glaring" routine worked once out of three times today!  Lewis gets the same thing walking down the street in his outfit.  I asked him his name, and he said "Lewis, the King of Scotland!"  So glad to have him as a character in my story!  He's off to Dublin tomorrow.  The main reason is that he promised his mother that one day he would visit the Emerald Isle.  He is getting on in years himself, so this promise must have been around for a while.  I told him to look for my new busker friend Philip who is in Dublin this week!

4. I met a Canadian who identified his hometown as "six hours North of Detroit."  Funny way of saying it!  Surely "two hours Northwest of Toronto" is more logical.

5.  Flaca got a lift from one little girl!  It was so nice being able to communicate in a common language!

6. Two cheerful guys walked by holding beers on the opposite side of the street, and one just pointed, then did one of those "I'm watching you" gestures with a big smile, so I did it back.  Later learned that they are from Canada and Australia.  Fun fun.

7.  I saw Tom the juggler/magicial/circle pitch guy walk by with his gear and begin to set up in the circle pitch.  But then next time I looked he was gone.  Maybe he figured out something I didn't about bad crowds?

8. It was so strange, a really fat lady wearing all hot pink except for a hat that looked like an elephant sped over in a motorized wheelchair and stopped short right in front of me, but still facing the direction of travel.  She took out a phone and started texting, never acknowledge me.  I really think it was an accident!  I kept playing, and after a couple minutes she continued on.

It was good to be back to where I could faintly hear bagpipes!  I was trying all instruments, and generally got good feedback.  Oh, I finally found the way to get the tambourines to stay on!  The new elastic one goes on normally, and the old blue one just gets strapped in to the velcro strap on my Mary-Jane shoe.  Voila!  doesn't have the exact sound effect I want, but it's a compromise that I'm willing to settle with.  Next project is to find a way to look at the keys of the accordion without dumping saliva out of the kazoo onto it.  Sorry, gross!

The end!  Keep an eye out for us practicing in the Meadows too!

Edit: Forgot to mention that I think I saw someone with whom I went to high school!  She was on the other side of the Royal Mile, walking with people, and we both kept looking at each other, which helps the chances that she is who I think she is.  Crazy, that happens in Ptown, not here!