Ass-deep in hippies...
Right, I know... it sounds bad.
Little known fact though, Wakarusa is actually a Native American term meaning "ass-deep." I guess it comes from the river, which has an average water depth that is about "ass-deep." Go figure.
After four days of covering the Wakarusa festival I've decided a better translation for the Native American word would be "Say no to drugs." I survived all of the madness primarily unscathed, if not a little sunburnt. That, and the fact that I was hassled by every security guard because after the first day people had made very convincing forgeries of the photo press pass.
The people I met were a real trip though. After leaving this one performance artist who entertained the crowd with his spray-painting abilities, I ran into a guy who asked if I could read minds. I apoligized and said that I couldn't. With a genuinely disappointed look on his face he responded,"Oh... see I'm having a little trouble reading my own right now and was hoping you could help me out." I did my best John Nowak impression, (I apoligize for anyone unfamiliar with the reference to a former Kansan photo editor) shrugged my shoulders and said, "Fuck man... good luck with that." That same day I had taken pictures of a girl decked out in butterfly wings and gold aviators and was trying to get her name. "Oh you want my name... cool... it's "g" as in good... "i" as in infinite... "r" as in Arrrr... (giggle)... "n" as in Na-nanna... (giggle)..." Needless to say, the fourteen or so letters she gave me far from resembled a first name.
I was offered everything from a swig of wine, a hit from a pipe and something that I couldn't really even identify. One old guy with a two-foot-long white beard even proposed. Two gyrating, topless girls closer to the stage caught his attention though, so I guess it wasn't meant to be.
But I did learn an important lesson - I am the hugest square in the world. This is only solidified by the fact that I'm pretty sure only square people would use the term "square."
Oh... and hula hoops. Who knew?
Courtney
PS. I just missed getting a shot of a dog sqautting and taking a dump in front of a row of porta-potties and a mountain of trash. It would have been a deep, insightful comment on on the human condition.... or something.
Little known fact though, Wakarusa is actually a Native American term meaning "ass-deep." I guess it comes from the river, which has an average water depth that is about "ass-deep." Go figure.
After four days of covering the Wakarusa festival I've decided a better translation for the Native American word would be "Say no to drugs." I survived all of the madness primarily unscathed, if not a little sunburnt. That, and the fact that I was hassled by every security guard because after the first day people had made very convincing forgeries of the photo press pass.
The people I met were a real trip though. After leaving this one performance artist who entertained the crowd with his spray-painting abilities, I ran into a guy who asked if I could read minds. I apoligized and said that I couldn't. With a genuinely disappointed look on his face he responded,"Oh... see I'm having a little trouble reading my own right now and was hoping you could help me out." I did my best John Nowak impression, (I apoligize for anyone unfamiliar with the reference to a former Kansan photo editor) shrugged my shoulders and said, "Fuck man... good luck with that." That same day I had taken pictures of a girl decked out in butterfly wings and gold aviators and was trying to get her name. "Oh you want my name... cool... it's "g" as in good... "i" as in infinite... "r" as in Arrrr... (giggle)... "n" as in Na-nanna... (giggle)..." Needless to say, the fourteen or so letters she gave me far from resembled a first name.
I was offered everything from a swig of wine, a hit from a pipe and something that I couldn't really even identify. One old guy with a two-foot-long white beard even proposed. Two gyrating, topless girls closer to the stage caught his attention though, so I guess it wasn't meant to be.
But I did learn an important lesson - I am the hugest square in the world. This is only solidified by the fact that I'm pretty sure only square people would use the term "square."
Oh... and hula hoops. Who knew?
Courtney
PS. I just missed getting a shot of a dog sqautting and taking a dump in front of a row of porta-potties and a mountain of trash. It would have been a deep, insightful comment on on the human condition.... or something.
posted by The University Daily Kansan at 1:08 PM
2 Comments:
Lose the superfluous apostrophe, Kealing. In other words, "up your's."
The Copy Desk
Just kidding.
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