(dc g7 171 p 7) everyone is beautiful under a waterfall

i want to share some stories from this weekend's camping trip, but instead, i'm going to get to work here. i'll post photos later, when i receive them from the people who had cameras. however, just so i don't forget, here are some highlights:

* swimming in the river - under/behind waterfalls (keli says everyone looks beautiful under a waterfall), sliding down rocks in the waterfalls, karina accidentally going over the big waterfall, diving off cliffs into the river, trying not to notice how nasty the water was, getting my ring ripped off my finger by a rock in the rapids (ok, that was a bad highlight - bloody finger, no more Baha'i ring :( )

* the trip to walmart - the first night in the tent was tortuous due to snoring, so saturday night we set out to buy earplugs (and other sundry items) at walmart. we stopped to get directions from a local who was wearing the classic "wanted, dead not alive" bin laden tshirt and who said in his thick accent, "maike a raaaat at the laaat, make a lef, make a lef at the laaaaat." keli couldn't keep a straight face. we didn't follow the directions properly and ended up outside town past the cows, where we turned around in the parking lot of a popular icecream stand. keli and colleen are twin beautiful black girls with huge afro hair, and the other girls in the car were south asian. the fat white ladies in line for icecream did NOT approve of us. they made this very clear by their open stares. not curiosity. disapproval. "what are _those_ people doing in these parts?" we laughed and decided not to get icecream. what would have been great is if we would have pealed (peeled?) out of the parking lot pumping our fists in the air and shouting marxist slogans. but we didn't. we just laughed.

* the new friends and laughter - we were a group of 17 or so that took up 3 campsites. keli and colleen lovejoy, amy smith, karina purushotma, camille goldberg, jamar (_not_ jamal), andre (dre), crystal, muna, zhaleh, emily and leo, azizi (Z), vera, papi, and pam.

* the sales at the banana republic outlet. i bought an amazing green satin dress that i'm hoping to have the occasion to wear someday soon. and lots of new pants.