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I have no idea if anyone is actually checking up on this blog anymore or gave up. I just got my laptop back two days ago. Ouch.

I have seen and done a lot over the past few weeks sans laptop so these next few posts might be a total shit show of recorded events, my apologies.

I went to Venice for a weekend! The second picture in the middle is the Indiana Jones building where the "library" is in the Last Crusade. Sick right? Venice is really interesting. So different and strange. The place is just canals, bridges, and medieval buildings. I see why people are enchanted with it.

On the other hand, there is no culture there. It is hard to explain but I will try. First of all, Venice's main source of income is tourism. The amount of tourists outweigh the number of Italians there. Tourists are always coming and going and then there are really rich people that have summer houses and such that are empty for most of the year. Also, most of the Italians that are in Venice are actually form the mainland, they are just workers that come and go by train daily. So after dinner time, Venice practically shuts down! The place is like an abandoned theme park except some little campo areas with some bars, if you can find them, 'cause dear lord that place is truly a maze.

Then I was told that there was a point when Venice was not stable and Italy was considering ridding of it. As a solution, they re-created and transformed the "culture" of Venice to attract tourists. For example, Carnival was not really a tradition of Venice. Apparently it was only something that happened among the elite in medieval times and was not a city-wide celebration. This festival of course disappeared with time, along with the art of mask-making so most of the ones sold there now are honestly made in China. Even if they are certified masks hand-made in Venice, it is a traditional craft made to draw in tourists! It's crazy!

 (The mask I would've bought Taylor Fance if it wasn't 90 euros...sorry man.)

Once I was told this I realized that all the people there are looking everywhere else at something else because they are ALL tourists! It is so weird. The place is really neat and very strange, but overall a fantastic trip.