Dreams Do Come True In Disneyland

I, being one of the luckiest ladies this side of the border, had the incredible opportunity to spend a whole week with my best friend on a senior road trip.


FUN, HUH!?


Ya. It was. And that's why I haven't posted for a week!


But this one is a good one.


The last three days of our adventure we went to The Happiest Place On Earth. The most beautiful, the most peaceful place, I've ever been. The place where dreams come true. And time never ends.


The D-Land.

(sung) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Now, like your average tourist, I enjoyed the rides, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder (The wildest ride in the WILderness!), Space Mountain, The Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain (my favorite), and the many less thrilling but wonderfully themed attractions. 
 
Unlike your average tourist, I was kind of/sort of obsessed with all the musicians at the park... Ha.
 
Have you ever seen the Dapper Dans?!?!
AMAZING.
 
Or the Royal Street Bachelors? That's the incredible Disneyland Jazz Band! WOO!
 
Or what about the Pirate ensemble? 
 
Or the Hillibilly band?
 
Or the Ragtime pianist on Main Street?!
 
I bet you didn't even know about half of those. But I did. I admired them almost to the point of creepiness actually. But, Hey! It paid off.
 
My dreams came true on that trip. 
 It all started when I was on the train about to go to the Primevil World when a soft and delicious sound reached my ears. It was the sound of Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". I spotted the Jazz Band on New Orleans Square--The Royal Street Bachelors--ditched Hannah, jumped off the train and pulled up a chair right in front of them and sang along to that beautiful and inspiring tune. 

Now, I'm not really sure if I bring it all on myself with my unnatural enthusiasm, or maybe musicians just like me! But the sax man invited me up to pretend to sing on stage while he took my picture. The pianist awarded me with a necklace. They played "Only A Paper Moon" on my request. And I even got a picture with the whole band afterward! WOO! It's my dream to sing with the Disneyland Jazz Band. MY DREAM.

Only moments later, I was walking by myself down New Orleans Square (I had ditched Hannah for the musicians) and I came across another entertainment crew! 


Singing Sensational Pirates! Ha....

See this young man here playing the guitar?

Ya. He liked me. I was swaying along to one of the musical tunes and he walked up to me, leaned forward and whispered "You are swayed pretty easily aren't you?" And with a smile he continued singing and strumming as I laughed and he almost winked. Almost. The next song was dedicated to me. A Pirates Lament about women. Or something like that...






Ah. What a dream...


Or should I say, Aye! What a dream! (Ya, ya....that was pretty bad)






Hannah and I also came across some Hillbilly band in California Adventure. I'm not sure if it was my inviting smile or my overalls; but the old man invited Hannah and I to play the washboards and sing It's A Small World! Good times.

I dunno why he gave me the tiny washboard...






We also came across the incredible Dapper Dans Quartet! Love them.

And then there was Jonny. Oh, Jonny. One morning as we walked through Main Street toward Adventure land, the beautiful sound of Ragtime piano played in my ears. 

I looked up and that handsome man was playing and singing to Cruella Deville. I stopped to listen obviously. And again with my unnatural enthusiasm or inviting smile, he looked up at me and yelled "I'm not singing this song about you, young lady!". He finished the singing the song then asked me if I had any requests. I was speechless and in awe of his incredible piano talent I couldn't come up with a song. So he said he would choose one and started playing Michael Buble's "Everything". I sang along... You know that part that just keeps saying "Love love love love love love love?" Mmmmhhmmm. 


I walked away, he finished playing and winked at me.


Oh ya.


I came back to see if he was playing later on that day and someone else was playing and they had me come up and play! JAZZ! And sing! On the piano!

This girl started dancing and sticking her tongue out at me. We had fun together.

Anyway. My heart basically stopped/melted/turned into a butterfly/exploded everytime one of these experiences were experienced. Call me crazy, but the music is one of my favorite things about Disneyland. I love the entertainment. It's all old school and themed too! 


Maybe someday, Jonny or that crazy pirate will call me up and have me come live in Disneyland with them and I can go sing with The Royal Street Bachelors, play piano on Main Street, befriend the Dapper Dans, feed birds, dance with kids to Disney music, and become a legend.


This man is a Disney legend.

   
Chef Martinez. He is the oldest employee at Disneyland. Also the friendliest. Everyone at the Carnation Cafe was loved and enjoyed by Chef Martinez. It was truly inspiring. 


Disneyland pretty much is inspiring. 


And obviously, a place where dreams come true.


I hope I go back soon.


Till then, 


I'll keep on dreaming. 

Amour (02)

Day 02: Your first love.

In my mind, "your first love" has two definitions.

#1 Your FIRST love
#2 Your first LOVE

So...as both or equally significant in my life; I will tell you the tale of both.

#1 My FIRST love

Oh. The joy. My first love started at 2 months old. When my next door neighbor was born. Yes, we were instantly betrothed. We grew up together. Squeezed into plastic kitchens. Wore clown and tiger suits.

Loved Winnie the Pooh. Named ourselves Simba and Nala.

Yes. That is me being REALLY excited about my Simba and Nala toys. Of course I am Nala, and he is Simba. And YES, our magnetic noses are touching. See the excitement? Beauty.

We were getting married. No doubt about it. We played with our collections of Beanie Babies and stuffed animals. We'd also play action figures and just lay on the floor in his room and laugh and laugh...or feed his stuffed Pumba with bugs. We made mud pies. We went on picnics. We turned our bicycles upsidedown and pretended they were ice cream machines. We wrote with chalk. We played town. We played house (we were always married). We did everything together. Preschool. Kindergarten. 1st grade. We were in all the same classes. And everyone knew we were in love, of course. Me and my attention seeking self wouldn't have had it any other way. We were best friends. Childhood sweethearts.

Then I moved.

But, Hakuna Matata! I wasn't even sad. Because I was coming back in two years and he would wait for me and then we would get married.

So he was gone. But I made a frame out of those plastic melting beads and put his 1st grade school picture in it and hung it in my room where I showed all my Malaysian friends my boyfriend. When I visited home I ran into his house and jumped on him and kissed him! I was so excited to see my future husband.

When I finally did move back from Malaysia, we decided we probably shouldn't get married anymore.

It was a sad day.

But we stayed friends.

I have been to almost every one of his birthdays and he has been to almost every one of mine.

Yes. I am the one sucking my thumb in the corner. I wish I was still a kid sometimes.

We have watched each other grow up and change and drift. We don't talk much anymore. He has moved out. My street feels a little empty knowing he isn't next door anymore. But I will always love him and remember him. There is something so special about childhood love. Something very special. He will always be in my heart no matter how far we drift or where we end up.
It was love with no sadness. No regrets. No drama. No questions. No hurt or heartbreak. Just simple, innocent, and...magical.

#2 My first LOVE

Ah. The teenageness. To quote a main stream country singer: when I was "FIFTEEN". And that's basically how it all went down. Love is a Battlefield, baby. A Battlefield. We met in Jr. High. That sums it up.

THE END

OK, OK, I'll give you a little more to live with.
MAJOR CRUSH. He was smart and charming and I was determined to have him. In my head it was this game; never REALLY knowing if he liked me or not, but hoping upon hope he did and continuing to fight for it. There was a lot of fun and "hanging out" and flirting and fighting and drama. But, it was one of the greatest times of my life. I learned a lot from him. And from myself. I was head over heels crazy about him and that's the first time in my life I'd felt like that so it was exciting and new and wonderful.

I'm definitely not the same girl I was then.

But, I am thinking and smiling and laughing to myself as I write this and remember...

As a first "boyfriend"(remember how I was in Jr. High? Ya. I was in denial), he has a special place in my heart too.

GUESS WHAT?!

We are still really great friends. Because of all this we became best friends. And still have that closeness in a lot of ways. It is wonderful.

Anyway, love is great.

Now as my previous betrothal has been brutally abandoned--I am just preparing myself for when I meet my "first TRUE love."

Day 02: COMPLETED