Other People's Misery

Sounds very nice. I would love to go overseas, but seeing as I wasted far too much money on classes this summer, the only vacation I have lined up is Seattle in August.

I've been to a lot of places in North America, but I've never been outside it. There are a lot of cities like San Francisco that can be a lot of fun to visit, but I don't know if they would qualify as the "best place". They're certainly not visually beautiful in the way Greece is.

Well, as Tom knows, producing his fear and trembling, I'm over to the UK again from late July into mid-August, first and foremost to visit the wonderful and glorious Jane, who somehow not only puts up with my attentions but actually reciprocates. Aw. :-) One week in Scotland, another in England, with a day trip to Europe, likely Brussels, and then a final two-day stopover in NYC for a cousin's wedding and to meet up with the circle of partiers from the boards there. *hic*

Best place? I wouldn't mind going back to the San Juan Islands near Vancouver Island again. Very dreamy and beautiful location.

I seem to go on inexplicable holidays every weekend, but for if you're meaning an actual take-off-a-week-from-work kind of holiday, then I haven't decided where I'm going. It was London but I think I'll be broke by August. I'm thinking of going to Las Vegas. WHO IS WITH ME?

The best place I've ever been is probably here in NYC, which is why I'm so jaded to vacations and hate going on vacations.

You can't beat London which is why i leave so rarely. However Mexico is worth the whirl merely for the short people with big heads.

i'll be going to Union, NJ for my holiday this year, thats because my sister has just moved there, although i guess i'll stay in new york, rather than union. i may also go to estonia, because for the first time ever i've actually got money and shit.

strangest holiday: lancaster university. wtf? who goes to lancaster university on holiday?

Holiday? Huh? What's that? I'm not going on holiday this year, I'm going on tour. Come to think of it, isn't that what I did last year, too?

I'm not a big fan of "Holidays". I far prefer random travel. Just checking what flights are cheap, and taking off for Amsterdam or Portland OR, or wherever on a couple of days notice.

Every summer we spend some time singing in western Massachusetts, but that's usually so stress-filled that it isn't really a vacation. Later this summer we're doing a whirlwind singing tour of some of the major classical music festivals in Europe which I am determined to enjoy, even if it does involving memorizing music.

Best trip I've been on is my honeymoon in St.Thomas... oooh. Second-best is another singing trip: a five-week tour of Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

I love going to the British countryside 'cause it's so quaint and traditional and untouched by modernity.

UNION NJ?!?!?!? Good god man. Give me a ring, you can come to NY and get out of that pit of despair at any point over your holiday, right?

If you're going to Vegas, Ally, I am *so* there, I don't care how. That will be an experience.

Oh, speaking of jaunts -- Master Thomas Ewing, could you care to nail down exactly when your NYC trip is so the rest of us can start planning ahead, buying cheap tickets, etc.?

I second that, particularly since I now have a wedding to attend in August and therefore cannot make the NYC trip I had originally planned.

The simple answer Ned is that I don't know. At the moment I don't have any money for it, and while I theoretically will have money for it this is tied up with other people's personal circumstances. My plan has always been to try and get a cheap-deal flight near the time anyway. So, don't book anything, unfortunately, because I don't even know if I'll be coming over this year, though I really want to.

If I don't get over this year then I will be coming over in April, barring something awful happening.

Ireland (starting in co. Antrim) for 3 weeks, honeymoon. Best holiday - Cracow and S.E Poland in 97.

You can't leave the UK in August! That's when we're touring, goddammit! I expect everyone to stay put in their homes until the Lollies have passed through! Which reminds me, I still need to get tickets to see Dan at the Royal Albert Hall...

Um...I'm planning on going to Italy NEXT year (to visit family I haven't seen since I was a wee willie keeler). There were tentative plans on going to Hawaii, which would've been NICE, but those fell through.

But, damn, when you start cussing at the Playstation, you know you need a vacation. Either that, or a drug habit.

Hey, I could hype that here, couldn't I?

August 26: Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival Chorus (including ME and my wife) will be performing Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms" and Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe" at Royal Albert Hall. Hmm, now that I've checked the site, it seems that we're also performing August 25, but I'm not sure if that's correct. Anyway, they should know at the venue.

Please come; it'll be a great concert (the Stravisnky piece is CREEPY).

I find it depressingly unsurprising that nobody has passed comment on Patrick's obvious trolling. But then I've got used to certain people here always thinking that it has to be either / or and seemingly displaying no knowledge of the flexibility and multiple identities of the modern world, so it doesn't really surprise me.

And the answer? I don't know, yet. Might be flying the nest briefly in July or August, though. But not too far.

I'm not going on holiday...if I did I'd go somewhere cold like Shetland, but there's no trees there, so I will stay at home.

Hm. I thought the reason no one responded to Patrick's comment was because it was silly.

I was figuring you'd say something anyway, Robin. Besides, to be utterly honest, I couldn't quite tell if he was serious or not!

LIGHTEN THE FUCK UP IN THIS BITCH YA'ALL.

I'm going to go run guns in Yugoslavia for my holiday.

Hey James, there are hardly any trees *here*. It's not bad, though.

It was silly, yes, because nobody in this era could possibly say that in all seriousness. But I suspected that Patrick said the thing he thought most likely to frustrate me, *not* what he necessarily believed.

Silliness is what it is. I've never been outside of North America - and moreover I have no opinion/preconception whatsoever re. the modernity of rural England (same as, I suspect, most non-Brits and probably a few Brits on this board). I'm also at a loss as to what "the flexibility and multiple identities of the modern world" had to do what my post - all I know is I'm happy and comfortable about where I live, and I'll miss it when I'm gone.

Anyway, holidays. My sweetie and I are going to have our honeymoon in Las Vegas - woo hoo !

Dammit Tom, I thought this would be a thread about schadenfreude.

I'm on short holidays this Thursay so I'm going to Montreal to see some penguins in this Biosphere thingie that they built out of an old stadium. Probably will be stopping in Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations. I think I will try to retain the powers of sight and locomotion this time though - seems as if crazy things always happen there.

Well, so will I miss this place when / if I leave, Patrick. I mean, even I like silliness sometimes :).

Kim - I hope you enjoy the Biodôme - make sure you see the waterpig, that thing's the cutest.

Yes! Right, you're there aren't you. I've never seen a waterpig before. Any other visitor recommendations to make?

Grim one - you'll be getting here around the time that the Jazz Festival starts - do check it out, there's tons of free shows and it's very lively. Near the Biodôme, you have the kick-ass Botanical Gardens, as well as the Olympic Stadium tower - going up there is a bit pricey, but the view is great. And I say ditch Ottawa and stick around for Canada Day - there's usually a lot of fun stuff at the Old Port, free concerts and fireworks and shtuff, and check out iSci (the science center) while you're there. If you go see the fireworks, you gotta watch them from the Jacques-Cartier bridge - awesome view from there. Also there's the Mont Royal Park, which is fun for walking and people watching.

Waterpig = big groundhog-like creature that stands on its hind legs and grunts a lot

I'm off to Wales soon.

"Grim one", I like it! Thanks Patrick. Will take all that under serious advisement. No more work 'til Tuesday, No more work 'til Tuesday, No mo...HEY PEOPLE! I AM ON HOLDIDAY - RIGHT NOW! YES YES YES!

YES!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!