Woke up too late (damn jet lag) to do anything in London yesterday before boarding the bus and coming to Brighton, so it was an all Brighton day.
But before I get to that, seems Jack Passion inspires many, so I'd like to start with a Jack Passion tidbit I forgot yesterday. I caught him checking our professional photographer out in Trafalgar Square, and I called him out on it, to which he responded, "You can't spell passion without ass." Priceless. I hope he doesn't find out about this blog.
So, we took a delightful coach down here to the seaside, with all the youngins' in the back and the old retirees in the front. It was great. Then when we got here I went in search of lodging since I had nothing, and found a delightful little hostel called Baggies Backpackers, which reminds me quite a bit of Synergy, for those that know it. This was better than the hotel that the rest of team is staying in, apparently, as one dude opened the drawer of the dresser, and rather than finding a bible he found hypodermic needles and some bloodied clothing, etc. Heroin is fun!
Then went on a walking tour of Brighton, where the tour guide was too quiet, so basically he just took us around town as me and a few guys didn't pay attention but instead just took the opportunity to snap some photos. Got a good feel for the city, and I must say, I like it quite a bit. It's small, but very lively and with very nice people. I ate dinner at a pub and chatted it up with a few locals, and this on girl Becky, who has toured with a band in the states said that San Francisco reminds her of Brighton, and I see that to an extent. Brighton is clearly much smaller, but it seems to have a similar energy and style. Also, anytime we wandered from the group, we would get even more slowed down, because we had Jack Passion with us, and that means it will take you four times longer to get anywhere, because he gets so much attention on the streets, and he loves it. I might even say he lives for it. Yesterday there were these girls taking some tourist photos, and he just jumped into the picture, which they thought was hysterical, and then he started rubbing his beard against one of the girls faces, and as she giggled he actually said, "you like that, don't you?" Wow. This also led to a discussion between me and teammate about how much Jack is able to capitalize on all this attention, and we both think he gets zilch. Who could follow through with that?
After the tour I walked around some more on my own and found the pub where I ate dinner. Bartenders were really funny, everyone got a kick out of the 'stache (though here in England they say 'tache), and the food was actually quite good. I told the chef that it sucked as a joke, which he liked, then he grunted, "Not bad for an Irishman, huh?" Not bad indeed. Oooh, also on the walking tour we saw the Grand Hotel, which apparently was partially blown up by the IRA at one point. Crazy.
After dinner I raced back for the official biennial BTUSA team meeting. Shit. There are a lot of politics involved in the beard world. In a nutshell, the Germans want to rule everything and control the WBMC and always have them in Germany, some tight asses from Norway and whatnot don't want to let us have any voting rights in the World Beard and Moustache Association (the Germans are too snooty to even recognize this group) because they don't consider us an official "club" (no dues, no annual meetings, no elected officials), and have even gone so far as to create a fake club to gain another vote for the annual meeting on Sunday in an attempt to rub us out, and Phil, our captain, is prepared to walk out of the meeting on Sunday and remove us from the WBMA, in an attempt to strip the group of any legitimacy. We talked about this for two hours, and made no decisions. I was sleepy. This shit is too serious for me.
After that I went back to the hostel where I chatted it up with some people (Spanish, French, Swiss), then went out to a club with a couple Frenchies, an Aussie, and met some more Frenchies. It's hard talking in a club, but especially hard when you don't speak the same language. Had a couple beers, then walked home and crashed hard. It's now noon and I think I'm ready to head out into town for who knows what. Registration a little later today. I've started seeing other countries around, and this town is about to be overrun by freaky looking men. Also, went back to the hostel this morning after a quick walk outside, and this girl looked at me and said, "Are you Justin?" "Yes, I said, and you are?" "Oh, I'm just (foreign name I didn't quite get), but everyone kept asking around if they had met Justin, the dude with the moustache. You are kind of famous around here, I guess." Great. Spent about an hour in the hostel and I've made a name for myself.
Until the next Jack Passion story...
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Travel, and London, Day 1
What a couple of day. They have been long and tiring, but not without their moments.
Don't have photos up yet, but hopefully tomorrow. Anyway, my flights were fairly easy going, save for the random 40 minute delay that was never explained at all on the first leg to Chicago (most of the time was made up in the air). Also, this was a non-issue as my next flight was also delayed about 45 minutes, but also arrived on time. And on this flight, sitting just three rows in front of me, was one Reverend Jesse Jackson. I saw him in the terminal first, and I managed to sneak a few stealth photos. Sadly I missed the moment when he turned the popcorn bag upside down and opeend up the hatch, only to have quite a bit of it spill all over the front of his shirt, which was subsequently brushed by him onto the floor, but I did get some photos. Watching him eat the popcorn made me think it would have been a great moment for "US Weekly" and the "Stars, they're just like us!" section. "They eat shitty popcorn!"
As we got into London, there was a beautiful sunrise that was quite nice to wake up to (minimal sleep...got sucked into "Blades of Glory" (slightly better than expected) and "Waitress", which was great but I forced myself to stop watching before the end to get some sleep.) Heathrow has to go down as the shittiest airport I've seen yet. It feels like it was built in communist Russia. It's so drab and dreary, the halls go on forever, and there is nothing there. It's brutal. Luckily customs was quick and I was on my way.
Met up with my hosts no problem, and they have been great. After some time here, I went into town and did a brief walking tour, looping from Trafalgar Square, over the Thames, down the south bank past the London Eye, the back across to see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, 10 Downing St., etc. Figured I would get all the really touristy stuff out of the way in a couple hours. Didnt go in anywhere because that shit is expensive, but the buildings themselves were quite impressive. While I was taking a photo of myslef with Big Be in the background, this Asian woman who spoke no English insisted on taking a picture for me, all while she laughed at my moustache and made moustached gestures with her hands. Priceless. This was followed by a guy walking past me while very audibly letting out a, "What the fuck?" Frankly I'd have to say I got more weird stares and snickers here than back home. Also saw this guy who was gray with a ponytail and a shirt that read, "No one knows I'm a lesbian." Didn't quite know what to make of that one.
The HUGE Pep Rally in Trafalgar Square was hilarious, yet a bit disappointing. It turned out not to be a pep rally for the WBMC, but one just for BTUSA, orgaized by our captain. So it was just a loud group of Americas parading through the square, announcing to anyone that listened that we were there to kick some ass. Bizarre. So the media coverage was sadly not what I expected. Our captain said they will be here on Saturday, too, so he's expecting they might do a wrap story on Monday, so seems that might be when the TiVo's should be set if you are interested. LCase, Corydon, if you are reading this can you record that shit? Thanks.
After the rally, we wet to some bars, had some beers, grabbed some diner, went to another bar for more beer, the I passed out at the bar and decided it was finally time to get some sleep. But as I did, I saw a parade of at least 200+ people all on rollerblades cruising down Strand, while a dude on a tricycle bike blasted "If You Steal My Sunshine." This was about 11pm at night. Totally weird, and very cool. Kind of wish I had brought my rollerblades.
As for the team, I am not the youngest, and there actually is a strong contingent of guys from 22-27, then there seeems to be a jump to the older crowd. We also have a professional photographer and writer following us around. And then there is Jack Passion. He is 23 and a strong contender in the natural full beard category, the most prized category at the Championships. He has this huge, very red beard he has been growing for 4.5 years, and it's rather impressive. He's also a ladies man, but too often he was with a harem of seemingly underage girls. There was a huge group of them at the rally that were quit taken with him. I mentioned how young they looked to which Jack replied, "Age of consent is 16 in England." Right. So I'm sure there will be more Jack Passion stories to come.
Anyway, that's all for now, as I want to get outside and also make sure I catch my bus to Brighton. Next report will be from there, and hopefully I can get some photos up soon.
Hope all is well.
Don't have photos up yet, but hopefully tomorrow. Anyway, my flights were fairly easy going, save for the random 40 minute delay that was never explained at all on the first leg to Chicago (most of the time was made up in the air). Also, this was a non-issue as my next flight was also delayed about 45 minutes, but also arrived on time. And on this flight, sitting just three rows in front of me, was one Reverend Jesse Jackson. I saw him in the terminal first, and I managed to sneak a few stealth photos. Sadly I missed the moment when he turned the popcorn bag upside down and opeend up the hatch, only to have quite a bit of it spill all over the front of his shirt, which was subsequently brushed by him onto the floor, but I did get some photos. Watching him eat the popcorn made me think it would have been a great moment for "US Weekly" and the "Stars, they're just like us!" section. "They eat shitty popcorn!"
As we got into London, there was a beautiful sunrise that was quite nice to wake up to (minimal sleep...got sucked into "Blades of Glory" (slightly better than expected) and "Waitress", which was great but I forced myself to stop watching before the end to get some sleep.) Heathrow has to go down as the shittiest airport I've seen yet. It feels like it was built in communist Russia. It's so drab and dreary, the halls go on forever, and there is nothing there. It's brutal. Luckily customs was quick and I was on my way.
Met up with my hosts no problem, and they have been great. After some time here, I went into town and did a brief walking tour, looping from Trafalgar Square, over the Thames, down the south bank past the London Eye, the back across to see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, 10 Downing St., etc. Figured I would get all the really touristy stuff out of the way in a couple hours. Didnt go in anywhere because that shit is expensive, but the buildings themselves were quite impressive. While I was taking a photo of myslef with Big Be in the background, this Asian woman who spoke no English insisted on taking a picture for me, all while she laughed at my moustache and made moustached gestures with her hands. Priceless. This was followed by a guy walking past me while very audibly letting out a, "What the fuck?" Frankly I'd have to say I got more weird stares and snickers here than back home. Also saw this guy who was gray with a ponytail and a shirt that read, "No one knows I'm a lesbian." Didn't quite know what to make of that one.
The HUGE Pep Rally in Trafalgar Square was hilarious, yet a bit disappointing. It turned out not to be a pep rally for the WBMC, but one just for BTUSA, orgaized by our captain. So it was just a loud group of Americas parading through the square, announcing to anyone that listened that we were there to kick some ass. Bizarre. So the media coverage was sadly not what I expected. Our captain said they will be here on Saturday, too, so he's expecting they might do a wrap story on Monday, so seems that might be when the TiVo's should be set if you are interested. LCase, Corydon, if you are reading this can you record that shit? Thanks.
After the rally, we wet to some bars, had some beers, grabbed some diner, went to another bar for more beer, the I passed out at the bar and decided it was finally time to get some sleep. But as I did, I saw a parade of at least 200+ people all on rollerblades cruising down Strand, while a dude on a tricycle bike blasted "If You Steal My Sunshine." This was about 11pm at night. Totally weird, and very cool. Kind of wish I had brought my rollerblades.
As for the team, I am not the youngest, and there actually is a strong contingent of guys from 22-27, then there seeems to be a jump to the older crowd. We also have a professional photographer and writer following us around. And then there is Jack Passion. He is 23 and a strong contender in the natural full beard category, the most prized category at the Championships. He has this huge, very red beard he has been growing for 4.5 years, and it's rather impressive. He's also a ladies man, but too often he was with a harem of seemingly underage girls. There was a huge group of them at the rally that were quit taken with him. I mentioned how young they looked to which Jack replied, "Age of consent is 16 in England." Right. So I'm sure there will be more Jack Passion stories to come.
Anyway, that's all for now, as I want to get outside and also make sure I catch my bus to Brighton. Next report will be from there, and hopefully I can get some photos up soon.
Hope all is well.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My Quest to Attend the World Beard and Moustache Championships
Hello Friends,
As some of you know, I have a moustache. I have recently been alerted to the existence of a wonderful organization, Beard Team USA (BTUSA). Don't let the name fool you. They actively recruit moustachioed men as well, and I just became a member last week. BTUSA's major activity is to participate in the biennial World Beard and Moustache Championships (WBMC). Believe it or not, the next WBMC is occurring in just two and a half weeks, on September 1, in Brighton, England. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity (the moustache, sadly, won't be around forever, certainly not two more years), and I would love nothing better than to represent my country in this international competition. Will you help me get there?
While I've secured housing in London, and I have found a cheap flight (around $600), I simply cannot afford to finance the entire trip myself. So I'm asking everyone I know to see if they would like to make a donation to help sponsor my participation in this world event. Obviously any sum would be most greatly appreciated, no matter how big or small. Just like moustaches, all sizes would be warmly accepted.
I realize that this sounds ludicrous, and it is most certainly that. But this is my one and only chance to represent my country in a global competition, and I don't want to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.
Within the next few days, if you would be willing to sponsor me, please email me at JUSTIN (dot) LISZANCKIE (at) GMAIL (dot) COM. If you have questions, please email me. If you think I should have my head examined, please email me. I'd love to hear from everyone! But as this is very short notice and I need to act fast to secure a ticket, if you are kind enough to offer support, I would need to hear from you now. And rest assured that if I am lucky enough to journey on this adventure, this blog will go full swing with many more postings and a plethora of photos with much more ridiculous facial hair than I humbly offer.
Finally, please check out the links below for more information on BTUSA and WBMC.
Many thanks for your time and consideration,
Justin
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/
http://www.handlebarclub.co.uk/wbmc.shtml
As some of you know, I have a moustache. I have recently been alerted to the existence of a wonderful organization, Beard Team USA (BTUSA). Don't let the name fool you. They actively recruit moustachioed men as well, and I just became a member last week. BTUSA's major activity is to participate in the biennial World Beard and Moustache Championships (WBMC). Believe it or not, the next WBMC is occurring in just two and a half weeks, on September 1, in Brighton, England. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity (the moustache, sadly, won't be around forever, certainly not two more years), and I would love nothing better than to represent my country in this international competition. Will you help me get there?
While I've secured housing in London, and I have found a cheap flight (around $600), I simply cannot afford to finance the entire trip myself. So I'm asking everyone I know to see if they would like to make a donation to help sponsor my participation in this world event. Obviously any sum would be most greatly appreciated, no matter how big or small. Just like moustaches, all sizes would be warmly accepted.
I realize that this sounds ludicrous, and it is most certainly that. But this is my one and only chance to represent my country in a global competition, and I don't want to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.
Within the next few days, if you would be willing to sponsor me, please email me at JUSTIN (dot) LISZANCKIE (at) GMAIL (dot) COM. If you have questions, please email me. If you think I should have my head examined, please email me. I'd love to hear from everyone! But as this is very short notice and I need to act fast to secure a ticket, if you are kind enough to offer support, I would need to hear from you now. And rest assured that if I am lucky enough to journey on this adventure, this blog will go full swing with many more postings and a plethora of photos with much more ridiculous facial hair than I humbly offer.
Finally, please check out the links below for more information on BTUSA and WBMC.
Many thanks for your time and consideration,
Justin
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/
http://www.handlebarclub.co.uk/wbmc.shtml
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