So, here are my new character shoes for folk dance:
**Disclaimer: These are not actually my legs. I found them on the internet. I love the internet.... I claim no right to these legs. No copyright infringement was intended. The right to these legs remains with the owner, whoever she (or I guess it could be a really strange 'he') may be**
I finally got them today after procrastinating and somehow getting away with not having them last year.... but I finally did have to get them. $56. Guys, I have a somewhat expensive hobby. But that's not even the worst part. The worst part was going to get them.
So, folk dance is pretty political, in that you can't even try out for the higher level teams unless you have the right shoes. Not just character shoes, the right character shoes. But no one is allowed to tell you where to get them. If they were to tell you a certain store that sold the right character shoes, then other places could sue BYU and say that they are favoring that store. So, legally, they aren't allowed to tell you who sells them. The politically correct answer when faced with the question is, "oh, you know, you just get them around..." You have to know who to ask--who is exempt from the law, and can give you this secret information.
I ended up finding out where they were sold through a friend who had been on one of the top teams. You'll never guess where you go to get them. A tuxedo shop. Of course, right? It's a small shop--and I mean really small. The shop is tucked in the corner of a shared business complex with a tiny sign. It's owned by the head of the folk dance department's husband. But technically he's not allowed to sell them, so he keeps them in the back room. And when you buy them, you have to use cash or check--no credit card. Too many legal issues.
So here's how it went down. I kept my ears open for mentions of people who might have access to valuable information. I would track those people down and hope for a more specific answer than the usual "oh, you just find them around..." Eventually I was able to get the name "Perfectly Suited by Garth." Then the trouble was finding it. I went down University Avenue until I was around the right place, and went into an old salon/tattoo shop. Some one noticed me and said, "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?" I answered, "Yes, but I always carry an umbrella." Apparently those were the secret words, because then they told me to go down the hall to the back of the store and enter the second door on my right after knocking four times in quick succession. I did so, and an old man let me in. "I'm assuming you're not here to buy a tux," he said. I then told him I was there to buy dance shoes, and he took me into the back room of his already "back room" shop. I tried on the shoes, found some that fit, and then paid for them in cash. As I left, I had the strange sensation that I had better keep a look out for cops, but without looking too guilty. I was smuggling drugs guys. Or something like that. Dance shoes off of the Black Market. Sketch.
No comments:
Post a Comment