Today the plan was to see the "Days of 47 Parade". In Utah, they have a state holiday to celebrate the pioneers arrival in Utah. So, how was the parade? It was nice, but it did start off slow with a few gaps throughout the parade. I liked the parade floats; they were nice. However, I felt there were too many awards, almost every other float seem to have had an award.At about 2/3 mark of the parade, there was about a 15 minute gap. People thought the parade was over and were packing up to leave. SLC Epal said he was ready to leave when I was. However, I didn't feel right about leaving. We were sitting right next to a local radio show broadcasting, they didn't mention the parade being over. I know the participants spent a lot of time creating and practicing routines. SLC Epal understood. After the 15 minute gap, the parade resumed. The parade continued for another 15 minutes of floats, bands, and marchers. Finally the parade was over after about 2 1/2hours. One thing I noticed, it seemed as if some of the participants reappeared in the parade. I seemed to recalled a couple of guys who stuck out (in my mind for their cheers and manner of walking) reappearing at the end (after that 15 minute gap). I also notice the large number of "Pacific Islanders" groups that were presented during the parade. However, SLC Epal said that Salt Lake has a lot of immigration programs.
We had lunch at a local restaurant called the Blue Plate. I really wasn't in the mood for more fast food, but since I didn't have an alternative, I agreed to go. I had a broccoli soup, soda with free refills, and a sundae. This time, we each paid for our own lunch. Instead of asking for two bills, I gave SLC Epal cash for the amount of my lunch. SLC Epal payed the bill with his credit card. Since SLC Epal was technically paying the bill, I left the tip.
After lunch, epal gave me a tour of his house. He has a very nice house. Lately, I have been thinking more and more about getting a house myself. After the house tour, SLC Epal wanted to have a rest before we went to the rodeo, so he dropped me off at the hostel. He said he would return about 5:30PM. Since I had about 3 or 4 hours to kill, I decided to walk around Temple Square.
Temple Square
Wikipedia
Located at almost every corner or path were women who offered tours of the square. My tour guides were nice young ladies. The idea was nice, but it came off too much like a sales pitch for the church by low ranking trainees. For lack of a better expression, only because I had time to kill, I went along for the ride.
The tour seemed a bit rushed and incomplete. They started at the South Visitor's Center. They would stop at some displays and skip others. They would stop at some statues, and yes, skip others. I got the impression that tours were tailored to the tour guides' knowledge of the materials they studied. The tour ended at the top floor of the North Visitor's Center. There, we (there was a woman who came along for the tour) were given post cards to fill out requesting a visit from a church representative -- yes, no matter what city or country you came from. The woman I was with had some trouble saying no. The more she tried to avoid filling out the card, the more the guides would press for reasons why she wouldn't fill out the card. Me? I just completed the evaluation part of the card and skipped the home information, handed it to one of the guides, thanked them for taking the time to give me a tour, and walked away. If they had asked, I would have told them that I wasn't interested, but they never did. Both guides seemed more interested in the woman who couldn't seem to say no, and at the same time really didn't want to fill out the card.
On my way out, I was in time for the "Voice of God" at the statue of Jesus. Yes, the voice said that he was God, and explained...well, I really don't remember what he said, I just remember him saying a couple of times that he was God. I walked back to the hostel. It was a nice 3 hour walk.
About 6:30PM, SLC epal returned and we went to the E Center for the 7PM Rodeo Show. I bought the rodeo tickets online the night before($51.50), so we just had to pick up the tickets. I thought that since SLC epal was playing tour guide for me, I would treat him to the rodeo show. Neither one of us has been to a rodeo before, so we both were curious about the rodeo. Unfortunately, being the cheapskate I am, I didn't want to spend a lot of money for the tickets, so we got stuck in the nose-bleed section... way up high.
How was the rodeo? Sorry to say, I was a bit bored by it. SLC epal was also bored. About 1/2 through, SLC epal mentioned that "he was ready to go when I was". However, being the cheapskate that I am, I wanted my money's worth. I told epal that if the show was a blank brick wall, I still wouldn't leave. Luckily, SLC epal seem to understand. The show wasn't terrible, just not exciting. At the end, we both had to chuckle at the commentary made by the announcer. He stated that rodeo was a sport and the animals (in a rodeo) like animals in any other sport are well taken care of and they (the animals) enjoy the sport.
After the show, there was a contest. Each audience member was given a card. We had to swipe the card at one of the computer terminals, input personal information for a chance to win a Ford truck. It took me a few swipes before the terminal activated. However, one of the first things it asked for was my cell phone number, at that point, I guessed that it was just a marketing scam to get personal information that could later be sold. I passed. SLC Epal on the other hand was..."determined" to get his card activated. It was watching his growing frustration that I realized that he had a bit of a temper. The more he tried (and failed) to activate his card, the angrier he became. Finally, he gave up and threw the card in the box and stormed out of the lobby. At this point, if I was on my home turf, I would have called it a night and went home via mass transit. But, being far...far...far from home, my options were limited. Luckily, just as quickly as SLC Epal became angry, he began to calm down just as quickly. He even allowed a couple of drivers to cut ahead of him in the parking lot during the mass exodus to get out.
I suggested that we have dinner somewhere in there area since there were several restaurants in the neighborhood, I also offered to pay for dinner since SLC Epal did the driving. When we arrived at the restaurant, I reminded SLC that I would pay, but he said that he would "pay this time....just don't go crazy on the menu". To be honest, the way he phrased it, I took it as an obligation he felt he had to do, and that killed my appetite. Yes, I've been told that I can be overly sensitive at times. I was able to laugh it off with a joke about wanting lobster, but I really wasn't in a dining mood.
When we sat down, we got lucky. The restaurant was having a two for one special for $20. From a select menu, customers could choose an appetizer, two sandwiches, two sides, and share a dessert. The meal came with free refills for soda. Although I wasn't in the mood to eat, the meal turned out to be nice. Since SLC was paying for the meal, I left the tip. SLC was also in a better mood when we left the restaurant. He thought it was a good idea that we went to the restaurant because we managed to avoid the exit traffic from the rodeo; the roads were clear when we left the restaurant.
At the hostel, SLC Epal reminded me that he would call me on Monday around 11AM. SLC Epal will be working during the weekend, so he wouldn't be available to meet.
Post Date - Monday, August 17, 2009 10:35PM
2 comments:
Okay, wow. I got tired just reading about what you did. Let's see: the parade (which is long and hot), a 3 hour walk, Temple Square, and a rodeo all in one day.
Look, even a young and fit person would be exhausted after all that.
I haven't been to the parade in person in years. Yeah, they always have a lot of awards. It's Utah; there's this childlike philosophy that everybody has to be a winner.
Did you get a pipe band playing "Scotland The Brave"? It's not a Days of '47 parade unless you do. They're usually about the first thing after the dignitaries.
Sorry about the boring rodeo. I haven't been to a big rodeo in years. I rather like the little ones, but maybe they're more interesting because you're a lot closer and there aren't so many people competing so it goes faster.
But I doubt the guy was right about any of the animals enjoying it, except maybe the dogs that some of the rodeo clowns have.
Temple Square tours. Oh yeah. I can most definitely see your point.
Many, many years ago, they used to have local people as tour guides on Temple Square. I was one of them for a year, volunteering on the Sunday night shift. Local people were still required to memorize the tours (7 of them, 30 minutes each at the time) word-perfect, but we were allowed and able to answer many questions tourists would ask about other statues, plants, history, etc. (There were a few questions we were told NOT to answer, however, which irritated me. One of those questions was "Why is there a Star of David on the Assembly Hall?" We were told to tell people that it's there because the architect put it there, and that's just really not it. The real reason is because Mormons consider themselves of the tribes of Israel and hence, kin to the Jews.)
Nowdays, you have Mormon missionaries who do the tours. They are never from around here. This means, although you can get a tour in any language you want, these girls are simply without the local knowledge. Plus, they're MISSIONARIES. They are not there to be tourguides; they're there to get referrals for other missionaries to visit people in their hometowns. Yup, it's a sales pitch now. Twenty years ago, it wasn't like that.
I remember when they told us (the last of the local tourguides) that they were letting us all go to replace us with sister missionaries, always the young and pretty ones because people responded better to young, pretty girls. The fact that I was only 24 and still thin when this happened was a bit of a slap in the face; I was neither young enough nor pretty enough to compete with my replacements.
You did the right thing about the card, giving an evaluation without your name. You gave them tour input without risking anything and saved yourself from the pressure of not filling out the card.
(When I was there, the card was ALWAYS completely optional. Some people asked for them when I offered them and filled them out. Most people didn't. And that was fine with me.)
I hope you at least got to go into the Tabernacle (the domed building). It's amazing, built with no nails and with incredible accoustics, and with one of the largest organs in the world.
My apologies for the missionaries. They were doing what they're told to do, and most of them are so into it that they forget how annoying hard-sell tactics are.
(If I'd been able to to escort you around Temple Square, they wouldn't have done the hard-sell on you, since I know how to ward them off by simply saying "he's with me." They'd then assume I was doing all the hard-sell stuff -- not true, but they'd assume that -- and back off of you. And yes, there are ways to spot a Mormon just by looking at them; they would've known I was one at a single glance.)
Well, congratulations on surviving your marathon 24th of July. That was quite a day, my good man.
Wow Paperback, you really are a writer. You must be one of those people who can put thoughts on paper (or on computer) as easily as most of us can put thoughts into words.
Thank you for leaving a very detailed summary of my blog entry. However, you really didn't need to make any apologies for anything I experienced; the gesture was nice, but not necessary.
As for the parade. Sorry, I not exactly sure if there was pipe band playing "Scotland The Brave".
Thanks for stopping by, I was going to comment to your comments, but it is getting late. I'm going to see if I can put together a couple of slideshows before I fall asleep. Thanks again for stopping by and leaving a very nice comment.
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